Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") form a binding agreement between you and Mela ("Mela", "we", "us") and govern your access to and use of the Mela platform, websites, and services (the "Services"). By creating an account or using the Services, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you are using Mela on behalf of a business, you represent that you are authorised to bind that business.

You must be at least 18 years old and able to form a binding contract to use Mela. You agree to provide accurate account information and to keep it up to date. You are responsible for safeguarding your credentials and for all activity under your account. Notify us immediately of any unauthorised use.

You may not create an account if you have previously been suspended or banned, and you may not impersonate any person or misrepresent your affiliation with anyone.

Mela lets creators build storefronts and sell digital products, receive tips, run memberships, sell event tickets, offer bookable services, and collaborate with brands, and lets buyers discover and purchase from creators. We may add, change, or remove features at any time. We provide the platform as a marketplace — the creator, not Mela, is the seller of and responsible for their offerings.

If you sell on Mela, you additionally agree that:

• You own or have the rights to everything you list, and your listings, files, and descriptions are accurate and not misleading;
• You set your own prices and are responsible for the quality, delivery, and support of your offerings;
• You are responsible for determining, collecting, and remitting any taxes that apply to your sales;
• You will honour the refund expectations you set and handle customer data you receive only for fulfilment and support, consistent with our Privacy Policy;
• You will not list prohibited items (see Acceptable use), including illegal goods, infringing content, malware, or anything that violates these Terms.

We may review, unpublish, or remove listings that violate these Terms and may suspend payouts pending investigation of suspected fraud or abuse.

When you buy on Mela, you enter into a transaction directly with the creator. You agree to provide accurate payment information and authorise the charge for your purchase. Every purchase on Mela is one-time — we never place you on a subscription or charge you again for something you already bought. Access to digital products, tickets, memberships, and bookings is delivered to your account and by email after successful payment.

Payments are processed by third-party providers such as Chapa and mobile-money services. Prices are shown in Ethiopian Birr (ETB) unless stated otherwise. By transacting, you agree to the applicable provider's terms.

• Platform fees. Mela may charge a fee on transactions and/or a subscription fee for certain plans. Applicable fees are disclosed before you incur them.
• Payouts. Creator earnings, net of fees, refunds, and chargebacks, are made available for payout according to our payout schedule and any verification requirements.
• Taxes. You are responsible for your own tax obligations arising from your use of the Services.

Your content stays yours. You retain ownership of the content you upload. You grant Mela a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, store, reproduce, display, and distribute your content solely to operate and promote the Services (for example, showing your storefront and delivering your products).

Our content. The Mela name, logo, software, and design are owned by Mela and protected by law. You may not copy, modify, or create derivative works from the Services except as expressly permitted.

Copyright and IP complaints

We respect intellectual property rights. If you believe content on Mela infringes your rights, contact legal@mela.dev with enough detail to identify the content and your rights. We will review and may remove infringing content and take action against repeat infringers.

You agree not to use Mela to:

• Break the law or facilitate illegal activity;
• Sell prohibited items, including weapons, drugs, counterfeit or stolen goods, adult content involving minors, malware, or content that infringes others' rights;
• Defraud, deceive, or mislead buyers or creators;
• Upload viruses or harmful code, or attempt to breach, disrupt, scrape, or reverse engineer the Services;
• Harass, threaten, or harm others, or post hateful or abusive content;
• Evade fees, launder money, or circumvent suspension or moderation.

We may investigate and take action — including removing content, limiting features, withholding payouts, and suspending or terminating accounts — for violations.

Memberships on Mela are a one-time purchase granting lifetime access — there are no subscriptions, no recurring charges, no renewals and nothing to cancel. Once you buy a membership you keep access to that creator's members-only content, and a later change to the tier's price does not affect the access you already paid for.

If you move to a higher tier, you pay only the difference between what you already paid and the new tier's price. Except where required by law or a creator's stated policy, payments already made are non-refundable.

Events & tickets. Tickets are issued as QR passes after payment. The hosting creator is responsible for the event, its details, entry, and any changes or cancellations. Ticket refunds follow the creator's policy and applicable law.

Services & bookings. Bookable services are delivered by the creator at the scheduled time. You are responsible for attending or rescheduling according to the creator's stated terms.

Mela may facilitate connections between brands and creators for sponsored campaigns. Any agreement, deliverables, and payment terms are between the brand and the creator. Each party is responsible for honouring its commitments, disclosing sponsored content as required by law, and complying with these Terms. Mela is not a party to collaboration agreements and is not liable for either party's performance.

Because many purchases are digital and delivered instantly, refunds are handled according to the creator's policy and applicable consumer-protection law. Mela may, at its discretion, issue refunds to resolve disputes or address fraud. Initiating a chargeback without first seeking a resolution may result in account restrictions.

You may stop using Mela and delete your account at any time. We may suspend or terminate your access, remove content, or withhold payouts if you violate these Terms, create risk or legal exposure, or engage in fraud or abuse. Where practical and lawful, we will give notice and a reason. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination (including content licences already granted, fees owed, disclaimers, and limitations of liability) will survive.

The Services are provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Services will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free, or that any content sold by creators meets your expectations. Mela is a marketplace and is not responsible for the offerings of independent creators.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Mela and its affiliates will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, revenue, data, or goodwill, arising from or related to your use of the Services. Our total liability for any claim relating to the Services will not exceed the greater of the amount you paid to Mela in the three months before the event giving rise to the claim, or ETB 1,000.

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Mela and its affiliates from any claims, damages, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your content, your offerings, your use of the Services, or your violation of these Terms or the rights of any third party.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules. You agree that the competent courts of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia will have jurisdiction over any dispute, except where applicable law gives you the right to bring proceedings elsewhere. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any issue informally.

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date and, where appropriate, notify you. Your continued use of the Services after changes take effect means you accept the revised Terms.

Questions about these Terms? Email legal@mela.dev or reach us through our contact page.