Marketplace Terms of Use

1. Scope

1.1 These terms of use (hereinafter 'Terms') apply to all roasteries (hereinafter 'Partner' or 'Roastery') that offer products for sale on the platform roestpost.ch (hereinafter 'Röstpost' or 'Platform').

1.2 By registering as a roastery on the platform and activating marketplace access, the roastery agrees to these Terms.

1.3 These Terms supplement the general terms and conditions (GTC) of Röstpost that apply to end customers. In case of conflict between these documents, these Terms take precedence for the relationship between Röstpost and the roastery.

2. Registration and Account Management

2.1 Any roastery can register via roestpost.ch/roesterei-registrieren. Registration includes information about the company, contact person, description, specialties and logo.

2.2 After registration, Röstpost reviews the application. Activation as a partner roastery with marketplace access is at Röstpost's sole discretion.

2.3 The roastery is responsible for the accuracy and currency of all profile and product data. Changes must be made promptly in the dashboard.

2.4 Login credentials must be kept confidential. The roastery is liable for all activities conducted through its account.

3. Products and Product Data

3.1 The roastery may only offer self-roasted specialty coffee on the platform. Third-party products, accessories or other goods are not permitted unless individually agreed.

3.2 Each product must contain complete and truthful information: product name and description, price in CHF (incl. VAT if applicable), weight in grams, roast level, country and region of origin, processing method, flavor notes and at least one product photo of good quality.

3.3 The roastery guarantees that all offered products comply with Swiss food regulations (LGV, HyV, LIV) and are correctly declared.

3.4 Röstpost reserves the right to remove products from the marketplace without prior notice if they violate these Terms or applicable law.

4. Pricing

4.1 The roastery sets its own retail prices. Röstpost has no influence on the pricing of individual products.

4.2 All prices on the platform are displayed in Swiss Francs (CHF). The roastery is responsible for correct VAT disclosure.

4.3 Price changes can be made at any time in the dashboard and apply immediately to new orders. Already confirmed orders are not affected by the old price.

5. Order Processing and Shipping

5.1 Orders are communicated to the roastery in real time via the dashboard and by email.

5.2 The roastery commits to processing orders within the following deadlines: order confirmation (status 'Roasting') within 24 hours of order receipt and shipping within 3 business days of order receipt. Once the package has been shipped, the roastery sets the status in the dashboard to 'Shipped'. A tracking number is not mandatory, as many smaller shipments in Switzerland are sent as regular mail without tracking. If a tracking number is available (e.g. PostPac Priority), it can optionally be entered in the dashboard and will be communicated to the customer automatically.

5.3 Shipping is handled by the roastery at its own expense unless otherwise agreed. The roastery selects a reliable shipping provider (e.g. Post CH, DPD).

5.4 Packaging must protect the coffee from moisture, light and mechanical damage. Valve bags or equivalent packaging are recommended.

5.5 The coffee must be no more than 14 days past the roast date at time of shipping. The roast date must be visible on the packaging.

5.6 If an order cannot be shipped on time (e.g. due to stock depletion), the roastery must inform the customer and Röstpost immediately. Röstpost reserves the right to cancel the order and refund the customer.

6. Commission and Payouts

6.1 Röstpost charges a platform commission on every sale. The standard commission is 18% of the sale price (incl. VAT).

6.2 The commission covers the ongoing costs of the platform: online marketing and advertising (Google Ads, social media, influencer collaborations), development, operation and maintenance of the platform (hosting, payment processing, security), customer support and complaint management, SEO, content creation and brand building, as well as payment processing fees (Stripe/credit cards).

6.3 The commission is not pure profit for Röstpost but finances the entire operation of the platform, which provides the roastery with access to a growing customer base.

6.4 Individual commission rates can be agreed in writing (email suffices) between Röstpost and the roastery. Special conditions may be negotiated e.g. for high volume, long-term partnership or exclusive products.

6.5 Payout of the roastery's share is processed automatically via Stripe Connect. The roastery must set up a Stripe account and complete the onboarding steps in the dashboard.

6.6 Payouts are triggered 14 days after the roastery confirms shipment. This period serves quality assurance purposes and allows Roestpost to review legitimate customer complaints before the payout is processed.

6.7 Roestpost is entitled to block or withhold a payout if any of the following reasons apply: (a) The coffee was older than 14 days after roasting at the time of shipment. (b) Wrong beans (different variety than ordered) were delivered. (c) The packaging was damaged or not properly sealed. (d) Legitimate customer complaints regarding quality exist. (e) The agreed quantity was not delivered or was delivered incompletely.

6.8 In the event of a blocked payout, Roestpost will notify the roastery within 3 business days by email, stating the reason. The roastery has the opportunity to respond or provide replacement within 5 business days. If the complaint is resolved, Roestpost will release the payout.

6.9 Roestpost does not issue invoices to the roastery. The commission is automatically deducted from the sale price. The roastery receives a monthly settlement overview in the dashboard.

7. Returns and Complaints

7.1 Under Swiss law, there is no statutory right of withdrawal for online purchases. Coffee is a perishable food item; general returns are excluded.

7.2 In case of legitimate complaints (e.g. damaged product, wrong delivery, obvious quality defect), the roastery is obligated to provide free replacement within 5 business days or refund the amount.

7.3 Röstpost acts as mediator in complaints and forwards customer inquiries to the roastery. The final decision on legitimate complaints rests with Röstpost.

7.4 In case of repeated legitimate complaints (more than 3 within 60 days), Röstpost reserves the right to temporarily or permanently deactivate marketplace access.

8. Quality Standards

8.1 The roastery commits to offering only coffee that meets the following minimum standards: specialty coffee (Specialty Grade, SCA Score 80+ recommended), freshly roasted (max. 14 days before shipping), correct declaration (origin, processing, roast level) and flawless packaging (aroma-preserving, shipping-safe).

8.2 Röstpost reserves the right to conduct quality spot checks. In case of serious defects, the collaboration may be terminated with immediate effect.

9. Brand Usage and Marketing

9.1 The roastery grants Röstpost the non-exclusive right to use the roastery's name, logo and product photos for marketing purposes on the platform, in social media and in advertising materials.

9.2 Röstpost may feature and promote the roastery in newsletters, social media posts and on the website.

9.3 The roastery may mention the collaboration with Röstpost in its own channels and use the Röstpost logo, provided the use is consistent with the brand image.

9.4 Both parties commit to not using each other's brand in a misleading or defamatory manner.

9.5 Collaboration in the Röstpost curation program: Roasteries already listed as partner roasteries on the platform, enjoying free visibility, map placement and a profile page, are additionally invited by Röstpost to a curated collaboration. This includes in particular: (a) appearing as 'Coffee of the Week' in the weekly single-purchase format, (b) inclusion of a bean in the subscription model operated by Röstpost itself (weekly, bi-weekly or three-weekly delivery), (c) features in story content, video tours, newsletter editorials and social media posts.

9.6 Participation in these curated formats is voluntary for the roastery and is agreed separately in each case. Röstpost purchases the beans for the subscription and Coffee of the Week at the roastery's regular wholesale price, ships them itself to subscribers and bears the logistics and fulfillment risk. The roastery retains full control over which bean, which quantity and at what point in time it wishes to make available for a feature.

9.7 The curated formats are intended as a complementary partnership and stand independently from the other marketplace obligations in this agreement. A decline or time-limited participation has no impact on the status as a partner roastery or the marketplace listing.

10. Exclusivity

10.1 There is no exclusivity. The roastery may sell its products through its own and other channels (webshop, retail store, other platforms).

10.2 Röstpost works with multiple roasteries simultaneously.

11. Liability

11.1 The roastery is liable for the quality, safety and legal compliance of its products. This includes compliance with Swiss food law in particular.

11.2 Röstpost is liable for the correct functionality of the platform and the proper processing of payments.

11.3 Röstpost assumes no liability for indirect damages, lost profits or damages caused by force majeure, system failures or actions of third parties.

11.4 The roastery indemnifies Röstpost from all third-party claims arising from violations of these Terms or defects in delivered products.

12. Data Protection

12.1 Both parties commit to compliance with the Swiss Data Protection Act (DSG) and applicable data protection regulations.

12.2 Röstpost only discloses customer data necessary for order processing to the roastery (name, delivery address). This data may only be used for order fulfillment.

12.3 The roastery may not use customer data for its own marketing unless the customer explicitly consents.

12.4 Business information (prices, revenues, quantities, conditions) must be treated confidentially and may not be disclosed to third parties.

13. Term and Termination

13.1 The agreement begins with activation as a partner roastery and runs for an indefinite period.

13.2 Either party may terminate the collaboration with 30 days written notice (email suffices).

13.3 Röstpost may deactivate marketplace access with immediate effect in case of: repeated violations of shipping deadlines, serious quality defects, violation of food law or other applicable laws, and misuse of the platform or fraudulent behavior.

13.4 Upon termination, all open orders will still be processed. Outstanding payouts will be made according to regular schedules.

13.5 After termination, the roastery's products will be removed from the marketplace. The roastery profile remains visible on the map if the roastery wishes.

14. Changes to These Terms

14.1 Röstpost reserves the right to change these Terms at any time. Changes will be communicated to the roastery at least 30 days in advance by email.

14.2 If the roastery does not object to the changes within 30 days of notification, the new Terms are deemed accepted.

14.3 In case of objection, either party is free to terminate the collaboration in accordance with Section 13.

15. Final Provisions

15.1 Swiss law applies. Place of jurisdiction is Zurich.

15.2 Should any provision of these Terms be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain unaffected.

15.3 No oral side agreements exist. Changes and amendments require written form (email suffices).