Welcome to Abode-able (“the Service”), owned and operated by ABODE ABLE (Pty) Ltd (“the Company”), a company registered in the Republic of South Africa. By accessing or using the Service you agree to these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.
1. 1. Accounts and registration
To use certain features you must register for an account and be 18 years or older. You may sign up with your email address and a password, or with your Google account. You agree to provide accurate, current and complete information.
You are responsible for keeping your password and login details confidential, and must notify us immediately at info@abode-able.org of any unauthorised use of your account.
2. 2. Administrative verification and profile status
Right to review: to keep the marketplace safe and to comply with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), the Company manually reviews every vendor application. Vendors must submit accurate, valid information, including their legal name, physical operational address and a verification selfie. Review is carried out manually by our administrators; it is not an automated biometric or Home Affairs check.
Conditional access: a listing is not visible in search, and booking tools are unavailable, until the review is completed and approved. The Company may reject an application, or suspend or revoke an approved listing, if information appears fraudulent, expired or inaccurate. We will tell you the outcome by email.
Approval means the application passed our manual review. It is not a guarantee of a vendor's quality, conduct or safety.
3. 3. Listings, packages and claims
Vendors may create service packages with their own names, descriptions and prices in Rand. Prices shown on the platform are set by vendors; the Company does not guarantee them.
The Company may create unclaimed listings on behalf of businesses that have not yet joined. The rightful owner may claim such a listing by submitting their details and a verification selfie, which is reviewed by an administrator before ownership is transferred.
Administrators may edit or remove any listing that breaches these Terms or is no longer active.
4. 4. Bookings, deposits and balance payments
When booking, the customer chooses to pay the full amount or a 50% deposit. Payments are processed by our payment partner PayFast, or made manually (for example cash or EFT) and confirmed by an administrator.
If a 50% deposit is paid, the remaining balance is due 48 hours before the service date. We send a reminder email before the due date. If the balance is not paid on time, the booking is cancelled and the late-cancellation rule in our Refund and Return Policy applies.
A booking is only confirmed once the deposit is received and the vendor accepts the request. A 10% platform commission is deducted before vendor payouts.
Abode-able holds the funds until the job is confirmed done by the customer or an administrator, or automatically 48 hours after the service date if no dispute is open. Held funds cannot be paid out to the vendor until released.
To protect both parties, customers and vendors agree not to arrange or pay for bookings introduced through Abode-able outside the platform.
5. 5. Rescheduling and cancellations
The first reschedule of a booking is free. Each further reschedule carries a R25 fee, payable through PayFast before the new date is confirmed. Reschedule fees are kept by the Company.
Cancellations and refunds are governed by our Refund and Return Policy: cancelling 48 hours or more before the service qualifies for a full refund; cancelling within 48 hours means 50% of the deposit is retained as an administration fee.
If a booking is cancelled after the balance has been paid, the balance portion is refunded in full.
6. 6. Communication between customers and vendors
Vendor contact details are withheld while a booking is unpaid. Once the full amount is paid and payment is confirmed, both parties are shown a WhatsApp button to contact each other directly.
WhatsApp communication takes place on WhatsApp's own platform. The Company is not responsible for the content of those conversations, but abusive conduct may be reported to info@abode-able.org and may result in account suspension.
7. 7. Independent vendors and limitation of platform liability
No agency or employment: Abode-able is an online platform that connects independent service providers ("vendors") with customers. The Company does not employ, manage or subcontract any vendor or their staff, and is not a party to the service agreement between customer and vendor.
Responsibility for services: the Company provides no insurance for services booked through the platform. Vendors are fully responsible for any property damage, personal injury, financial loss, theft or other incident caused by them or their staff during a booking, must hold any licences their services require, and agree to indemnify the Company against claims, losses or legal costs arising from on-site service delivery.
8. 8. Disputes between customers and vendors
Raise it first with the other party: most issues (a missed booking, incomplete work, damage) are fastest resolved directly. Contact details for a confirmed, fully paid booking are shared with both parties for this purpose.
Escalate to Abode-able: if you cannot resolve it within 7 days, email info@abode-able.org with your booking reference, a description of the issue and any photos or evidence. We will acknowledge your complaint within 2 business days and aim to respond with a proposed resolution within 10 business days.
Our role: Abode-able acts as a mediator, not an arbitrator or insurer. We may ask both sides for information, facilitate a re-booking or partial refund, and — where a vendor is at fault — suspend or remove their listing. We do not decide legal liability, and our mediation does not replace your rights under the Consumer Protection Act.
Funds during a dispute: if a dispute is raised before a booking takes place, the funds are held until the dispute is resolved or 30 days pass, whichever comes first. Refunds follow our Refund and Return Policy.
Abuse of the process: fraudulent or bad-faith complaints may result in account suspension.
9. 9. Reviews
Reviews must reflect genuine experiences. We may remove content that is abusive, misleading or unlawful.
10. 10. Intellectual property and technical safeguards
Ownership: all software, designs, text, graphics, logos and materials provided within the Service belong to ABODE ABLE (Pty) Ltd and its licensors. You receive a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use the platform as intended, and may not copy, reverse-engineer or duplicate any part of it.
Programmatic barriers: verification and administrative screens are protected by technical safeguards. You may not bypass, disable or circumvent restrictions designed to prevent copying, distributing or downloading sensitive verification files.
11. 11. User data and privacy
Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which explains how we comply with POPIA. By using the Service you consent to the processing of your information as described there.
12. 12. Account deletion and automatic data purge
Account deletion: you may delete your account at any time from your dashboard. When a vendor account is deleted, the associated identity records and verification selfies are permanently erased from our active systems immediately. Transactional and tax records are retained only as South African law requires.
Rejected applications: if a vendor application or listing claim is rejected, the uploaded selfie is permanently deleted seven (7) days after the rejection.
13. 13. Limitation of liability
The Service is provided "as is" and "as available". We do not guarantee it will be uninterrupted or error-free. To the maximum extent permitted by South African law, including the Consumer Protection Act, the Company is not liable for indirect, incidental or consequential damages, including loss of profits, data or business opportunities, and our total liability is limited to the fees we received for the relevant booking. Nothing in these terms limits rights you have under the Consumer Protection Act.
14. 14. Termination
We may suspend or terminate your account if you breach these Terms, provide fraudulent information during verification, or engage in illegal activity. Where appropriate we will notify you and give reasons, and any confirmed deposits will be handled under our Refund and Return Policy.
15. 15. Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa, and disputes are subject to the jurisdiction of the South African courts.
16. 16. Changes to these terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. For major changes we will notify you by email or in the app. Continuing to use the Service after changes take effect means you accept the updated Terms.
17. Contact us
Questions about these Terms: info@abode-able.org — 3 Emerald Avenue, Greenfields, kuGompo City, Eastern Cape, South Africa.