1Shopping as Part of the Apex Ecosystem

Apex Shopping is an integrated part of the Apex Ecosystem, connecting members, buyers, sellers, manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and service providers.

This policy applies to shopping activities on abc-worldwide.com/shopping, apex.shopping, apexmegastore.com, apex-mega.com, apexluxurycollection.com, member-operated MySite shops at myapex.me, and other Apex portals that expressly incorporate it.

It covers retail, business-to-business sales, wholesale sourcing, OEM manufacturing, white label and private label products, auctions, related payments and Apex Buyer Protection.

This policy supplements the Apex Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and other applicable ecosystem rules. For shopping matters, its specific provisions prevail over inconsistent general disclaimers.

Mandatory legal rights remain unaffected.

2The Apex Shopping Model

Apex provides infrastructure for independent stores, product discovery, advertising, sourcing, orders and transaction administration.

Apex may administer checkout, payment coordination, refunds, claims and Buyer Protection where expressly offered.

The contractual seller must be identified before purchase.

Member-operated shops: The member generally acts as the seller and remains responsible for its products, customer service and fulfilment.

Marketplace transactions: The identified seller supplies the goods or services. Apex provides the marketplace and any expressly included transaction services.

Direct Apex sales: Where an Apex entity is expressly identified as the seller, it assumes the applicable seller obligations.

External transactions: Purchases completed on external websites are governed by the relevant seller’s and platform’s terms. Apex protection applies only where expressly confirmed in an eligible Apex order.

Apex remains responsible for its own services, contractual commitments and applicable legal duties.

3Buyer and Seller Status

Buyers and sellers must provide accurate information and have the legal capacity and authority to enter into transactions.

Sellers must identify whether they act as business traders or private individuals. Commercial sellers must not describe themselves as private sellers to avoid obligations.

The rights applicable to consumer purchases may differ from those applicable to business purchases.

A business account or membership label does not by itself determine whether a particular purchase qualifies as a consumer transaction under applicable law.

4Seller and Supplier Registration

Apex may require:

• Legal name, trading name and registered address.
• Customer-service contact details.
• Company registration and tax information.
• Identity and beneficial ownership documents where appropriate.
• Bank-account verification.
• Evidence of authority to sell branded goods.
• Product, manufacturing or professional authorisations.
• Factory information and supporting compliance documents.

Information must remain current. Sellers must promptly report material changes.

Apex may restrict registration, listings or transaction services while necessary checks remain incomplete.

5Independent Shops and External Platforms

Members may operate their own MySite shops and use external commerce providers, subject to applicable Apex service limits and the external providers’ terms.

Use of Shopify, eBay, Amazon, Alibaba or another platform does not establish an endorsement, partnership or guarantee from that provider.

Members retain ownership of their original content. They grant Apex the rights reasonably necessary to host, display, distribute and promote their listings through the ecosystem.

Members must not misrepresent Apex as the manufacturer, seller or guarantor where that role has not been expressly agreed.

6Listing and Advertising Requirements

Listings must accurately disclose relevant information, including:

• Product identity, brand, model and condition.
• Quantity, dimensions, materials and specifications.
• Compatibility, accessories and material exclusions.
• Stock availability or production status.
• Dispatch location and delivery estimates.
• Price, currency and additional charges.
• Safety warnings and required compliance information.
• Return conditions and commercial warranties.

Images must reasonably represent the product supplied. Illustrations, prototypes and digitally generated images must not mislead buyers about the actual goods.

Used, refurbished, damaged, pre-order and custom-made goods must be clearly identified.

False scarcity, fabricated discounts, misleading origin statements and unsupported health or environmental claims are prohibited.

7Prohibited and Restricted Products

Prohibited products include:

• Illegal, stolen or fraudulently obtained goods.
• Counterfeit products and unauthorised copies.
• Goods infringing intellectual property rights.
• Weapons, ammunition, explosives and military equipment.
• Illegal drugs, controlled substances and unapproved pharmaceuticals.
• Products prohibited under Apex’s adult-content rules.
• Recalled products and goods whose sale is prohibited for safety reasons.
• Products intended to facilitate fraud or other unlawful conduct.
• Financial or investment products offered without required authorisation.

Restricted categories may require prior approval and additional documents. These may include food, supplements, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals, batteries and age-restricted products.

Apex may decline categories it cannot adequately support.

8Product Safety and Compliance

Sellers and other responsible economic operators must comply with applicable product safety, labelling, traceability and market-entry requirements.

Required manufacturer, importer, responsible-person, product-identification and warning information must be supplied where applicable.

Certificates and test reports must be authentic, relevant to the actual product and valid for the intended market.

A certificate for one product, factory or model must not be presented as covering unrelated goods.

Apex may request supporting documents, restrict listings and cooperate with authorities.

9Prices, Fees, Taxes and Customs

Before purchase, buyers must receive clear information about the price, currency, delivery charges, mandatory fees and taxes collected at checkout.

Potential import duties and destination charges must be explained where they cannot reasonably be calculated in advance.

Sellers must not impose undisclosed mandatory charges after purchase.

Seller subscriptions, listing fees, commissions, payment charges and other platform fees must be disclosed in the applicable fee schedule or agreement.

Each party remains responsible for its tax obligations. Obligations legally imposed on Apex are not transferred to another party by this policy.

10Orders and Contract Formation

The listing or checkout must explain when an order becomes binding.

An automated acknowledgement confirms receipt unless it expressly confirms acceptance.

The order record must identify the seller, items, quantities, price, payment conditions, delivery commitments and applicable protection.

Material changes and substitutions require buyer agreement.

Where an order cannot be fulfilled, the seller must notify the buyer promptly and provide the applicable remedy.

Existing orders remain governed by their accepted terms unless a lawful change is agreed or required.

11Shipping and Delivery

Sellers must dispatch within the agreed timeframe and provide tracking where promised or required.

Using a supplier, dropshipping service, warehouse or carrier does not remove the seller’s obligations to the buyer.

Material delays, partial shipments and delivery problems must be communicated promptly.

Delivery evidence must reasonably establish delivery to the agreed destination. Tracking status alone does not conclusively resolve every dispute.

Buyers should report missing goods, shortages and damage promptly. Reporting requests do not remove statutory rights.

12Returns and Consumer Withdrawal

Sellers must provide accessible returns instructions, a return address, applicable periods and responsibility for return costs.

Where EU consumer withdrawal rights apply, consumers generally have 14 days to notify withdrawal from eligible distance purchases, subject to the applicable starting point and legal exceptions.

Required withdrawal information and a model form must be provided. Buyers may also use another clear statement.

Exceptions apply only where the relevant legal conditions are satisfied. A product being ordered from a supplier does not by itself make it personalised or exempt from withdrawal.

Refunds must follow applicable deadlines and rules concerning standard delivery charges and any permitted withholding pending return or evidence of dispatch.

Voluntary returns policies may provide additional benefits but must not reduce mandatory rights.

13Faulty Goods and Warranties

Goods must conform to their description, agreed specifications and applicable legal requirements.

Faulty, damaged, incorrect or materially misdescribed goods are subject to the legally applicable remedies and allocation of costs.

Where EU rules apply, consumers generally benefit from a minimum two-year legal guarantee, with longer protection where national law provides it.

Commercial warranties must identify the provider, scope, duration, exclusions and claim procedure.

A manufacturer’s warranty does not replace the seller’s statutory obligations.

“No returns” or “no refunds” statements do not exclude mandatory rights or applicable Apex Buyer Protection.

14Apex Buyer Protection

Apex administers Buyer Protection for orders expressly identified as protected before payment.

The protected amount is the amount paid through the approved checkout for the eligible order, including delivery charges and taxes collected for that order, subject to the claim outcome.

Protection may apply where:

• The order is not delivered.
• Goods arrive damaged, incorrect or materially incomplete.
• Goods materially differ from the listing or recorded specifications.
• Goods are established to be counterfeit.
• A seller fails to provide a refund that is due.
• A protected manufacturing or wholesale order materially breaches recorded quality or shipment commitments.

Remedies may include repair, replacement, return, full refund or agreed partial refund.

Membership, seller verification or a badge alone does not establish protection.

15Protection Limits and Exclusions

Protection generally excludes:

• Buyer-caused damage and ordinary wear.
• Dissatisfaction where goods match the agreement.
• Speculative losses, lost profits and anticipated resale value.
• Off-platform payments not expressly included in the protected order.
• Matters outside the recorded scope of the protected transaction.

Real estate, vehicles, aircraft, vessels, financial assets and specialist ownership transfers require a separate written protection schedule.

Any order-specific financial limit or exclusion must be disclosed before payment.

Programme limitations do not remove mandatory legal rights. Buyers must not receive duplicate reimbursement for the same loss.

16Claims and Response Deadlines

Buyers should first contact the seller through the order channel.

Sellers must respond within three business days.

Programme claims should be opened:

• Non-delivery: Within 30 calendar days after the latest agreed delivery date.
• Damaged, incorrect, incomplete or materially misdescribed goods: Within 30 calendar days after delivery.
• An overdue refund: Within 30 calendar days after its due date.

Longer periods apply where specified in the order or required by law.

Apex may accept late claims where justified by concealed defects, fraud, delivery circumstances or other reasonable grounds.

These deadlines do not shorten statutory claim periods.

17Evidence, Decisions and Appeals

Apex may request order records, messages, photographs, tracking, serial numbers, inspection reports and return evidence.

Both parties must receive a reasonable opportunity to respond. Apex may decide using available evidence where a party fails to cooperate.

Apex aims to decide within 10 business days after receiving necessary evidence. Complex cases may require longer, with updates provided.

Approved refunds will normally be initiated within five business days after applicable conditions are satisfied, subject to shorter legal deadlines and subsequent payment-provider processing.

Either party may appeal within 30 calendar days, identifying new evidence or a material error.

Programme decisions do not remove access to mandatory legal remedies.

18Seller Protection and Buyer Conduct

Buyers must provide accurate information, use authorised payment methods and cooperate honestly with investigations.

False claims, substituted returns, deliberate damage, fraudulent evidence, chargeback abuse and duplicate recovery are prohibited.

Sellers may provide delivery records, product identifiers, packing evidence and relevant communications.

A complaint alone does not establish seller fault. Apex will assess evidence from both parties.

Substantiated abuse may result in proportionate restrictions and recovery action.

19Payments, Payouts and Conditional Release

Checkout must identify the relevant payment provider and applicable payment terms.

Any escrow or conditional-release service must explain:

• Who receives and holds funds.
• The administering entity and provider.
• Applicable safeguards.
• Fees and currency conversion.
• Release conditions and inspection periods.
• Treatment of disputed funds.
• Refund and chargeback procedures.

Buyer silence may trigger release only where a clear, reasonable period was disclosed and applicable law permits it.

Fund release does not extinguish statutory rights or an otherwise valid protection claim.

Apex will describe banking relationships, insurance and safeguarding arrangements only where verified for the relevant service.

20Reserves, Chargebacks and Seller Recovery

Apex may instruct authorised providers to delay release, establish reserves or process refunds where permitted by law and the agreed terms.

Sellers authorise recovery of properly determined refunds and related amounts from available balances or authorised payment methods, subject to applicable law, notice and provider rules.

Chargebacks do not automatically establish liability. Relevant evidence and provider outcomes will be considered.

Account suspension does not automatically result in forfeiture of balances.

21Wholesale and Supplier Orders

Business orders must record quantities, specifications, prices, production or dispatch commitments, payment stages and remedies.

Minimum order quantities, sample charges, inspection fees and freight arrangements must be disclosed before commitment.

Where Incoterms are used, the order must identify the rule, named place and version.

Changes must be recorded and accepted by both parties.

Business buyers must inspect goods within the agreed reasonable period. Inspection or payment does not automatically waive concealed-defect claims or mandatory rights.

22OEM Manufacturing

OEM orders must identify the manufacturer and record the buyer’s approved designs, specifications, materials, tolerances and production requirements.

The manufacturing agreement must address:

• Prototype and sample approval.
• Production milestones and payment stages.
• Quality-control and inspection procedures.
• Defect classifications and agreed acceptance criteria.
• Packaging, labelling and destination requirements.
• Rework, replacement, rejection and refund procedures.
• Ownership and storage of moulds, tooling and production files.
• Subcontracting and approved production locations.
• Confidentiality and intellectual property.
• Treatment of overruns, rejected goods and unused materials.
• Production cancellation and outstanding costs.

No material, design, factory or subcontractor substitution may be made contrary to the agreed approval requirements.

23Samples and Production Approval

Samples must be identified as prototypes, reference samples or production-representative samples.

Approval must specify what has been accepted and any remaining conditions.

Sample approval does not authorise undisclosed changes or remove obligations concerning safety, compliance or agreed production quality.

Where inspection sampling or acceptance-quality limits are used, the method and consequences must be recorded in the order.

A sampling result does not automatically excuse fraud, concealed defects or mandatory safety requirements.

24Designs, Tooling and Confidentiality

Ownership of designs, artwork, moulds, tooling, software and technical files must be expressly agreed.

Payment for development or tooling does not by itself resolve every ownership question; the agreement must identify the rights transferred or retained.

Suppliers must not use confidential buyer materials for other customers or sell branded overruns without authorisation.

Return, transfer, maintenance, storage and disposal of buyer-owned tooling must be agreed.

Each party must protect confidential information, subject to lawful disclosures and any agreed confidentiality period.

25White Label and Private Label Products

White label and private label arrangements must identify:

• The underlying manufacturer and product.
• The authorised brand owner.
• Permitted branding and packaging.
• Approved territories and sales channels.
• Product specifications and allowable changes.
• Responsibility for testing, technical files and certifications.
• Manufacturer, importer, responsible-person and distributor roles where applicable.
• Traceability, batch identification and recall duties.
• Warranty, defect and after-sales responsibilities.

Branding must be approved before production.

A supplier must not claim that a product is exclusive unless exclusivity is expressly agreed.

Applying a buyer’s brand may create legal responsibilities for that buyer. Contractual allocations do not remove duties imposed by law.

26Distribution, Resale and Exclusivity

Distribution or resale arrangements must record territory, products, channels, duration and any exclusivity.

Minimum purchase commitments, sales targets, marketing permissions and termination consequences must be clearly agreed.

No territory, category or product exclusivity arises merely from membership, a sample purchase or a seller badge.

Resale restrictions and pricing arrangements must comply with applicable competition law.

Authorisation to sell branded products must be supported where requested.

27Trusted Seller Programme

The Trusted Seller programme recognises sellers who satisfy published verification and performance criteria.

Eligibility may include identity and company checks, accurate listings, responsive customer service, satisfactory fulfilment, compliance cooperation and the absence of unresolved serious violations.

The programme must distinguish between:

• Identity Verified: Specified identity or business checks completed.
• Trusted Seller: Published conduct and performance criteria satisfied.
• Factory Inspected: An identified inspection performed for a specified site, scope and date.
• Product Certified: A specified product has supporting certification from an identified issuer.

These statuses are not interchangeable.

Badges must link to their scope, date and limitations. They do not guarantee every product or transaction.

28Trusted Seller Monitoring and Withdrawal

Apex may periodically review eligibility and request updated documents.

Monitoring may consider fulfilment records, substantiated complaints, refund compliance, safety issues and cooperation with investigations.

Apex may suspend or remove a badge where its conditions are no longer met.

The seller will receive reasons and an appeal opportunity where required. Urgent suspension may occur for serious safety, fraud or legal concerns.

Any programme fees must be disclosed. Payment alone does not establish eligibility.

29Dropshipping and Fulfilment Partners

Sellers using dropshipping or external fulfilment remain responsible for customer-facing commitments.

Listings must accurately reflect dispatch locations, delivery periods and material import implications.

Sellers must ensure that fulfilment partners protect buyer information and provide appropriate product documentation.

Supplier failure does not automatically remove the seller’s refund, delivery or warranty obligations.

30Auctions

Auctions must disclose bidding format, reserves, buyer premiums, payment deadlines and delivery or collection conditions.

Winning bids create obligations where the auction terms and law provide this.

Shill bidding, fake bids, coordinated manipulation and undisclosed bidding by sellers or associates are prohibited.

Bid withdrawal and cancellation must follow published rules and applicable law.

Protection eligibility and exclusions must be disclosed before bidding.

31Reviews, Rankings and Advertising

Reviews must reflect authentic experiences.

Fake reviews, purchased positive feedback, undisclosed incentives and pressure to remove legitimate criticism are prohibited.

Sponsored listings and paid placements must be identifiable.

Principal ranking factors must be explained where required.

Apex may moderate reviews under published rules while preserving legitimate positive and negative feedback.

32Intellectual Property Complaints

Sellers must hold the rights necessary to sell their products and publish listing materials.

Reports should identify the protected right, affected listing, supporting evidence and contact details.

Apex may remove or restrict material where justified and provide response or appeal opportunities where applicable.

Repeated or serious infringement may result in account restrictions.

33Buyer Data and Privacy

Sellers may use customer information only for lawful transaction purposes and other uses supported by a valid legal basis.

Customer information must be protected and must not be sold or used for unauthorised marketing.

Apex’s processing is governed by its Privacy Policy. Independent sellers remain responsible for their own processing and required notices.

34Recalls and Incident Reporting

Sellers and suppliers must promptly report credible serious safety concerns affecting products supplied through Apex.

Relevant records must permit identification of affected products, batches and customers where required.

Parties must cooperate with notifications, withdrawals, recalls, refunds and authority requests.

Commercial confidentiality does not justify withholding legally required safety information.

35Enforcement and Appeals

Apex may request corrections, remove listings, restrict transactions, suspend accounts or terminate access for substantiated violations, safety concerns or legal requirements.

Reasons, notice and appeal opportunities will be provided where required. Urgent protective action may be taken where justified.

Restrictions do not remove outstanding delivery, refund, warranty, recall or cooperation obligations.

Balances and reserves will be handled under applicable law and payment terms.

36Complaints, Responsibility and Legal Rights

Shopping complaints may be submitted through the order’s support channel or the contact details in Section 29 of the Apex Legal Hub.

Independent sellers remain responsible for their obligations. Apex remains responsible for its own services, express commitments and applicable legal duties.

General disclaimers elsewhere in the ecosystem do not override Apex Buyer Protection or other specific commitments in this policy.

Nothing excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or removes mandatory consumer remedies.

Applicable jurisdiction and dispute-resolution arrangements remain subject to mandatory law.

37Policy Updates and Website Integration

Changes normally apply prospectively. Existing transactions remain governed by their accepted terms unless a lawful change is agreed or required.

Every participating shopping portal must provide accessible links to this policy, seller information, returns instructions, privacy information and reporting channels.

Before payment, buyers must be able to identify the seller, total charges, delivery commitment, return conditions and protection eligibility.

Protected orders must retain the accepted terms, agreed specifications, payment records and relevant communications.