K’NEKT NZ Marketplace Policies

1. K’NEKT NZ Marketplace Policies

   1. Seller & Brand Verification Policy

   At K’NEKT NZ, trust and transparency are central to our marketplace.

   Every business, brand, artist, creator or seller applying to join K’NEKT NZ must complete our verification process before being approved to sell through the marketplace.

   Verification may include:

   • Confirmation of the seller's identity and contact details.

   • Confirmation that the business operates in New Zealand and meets K’NEKT NZ's eligibility requirements.

   • NZBN, Companies Office or other relevant business information where applicable.

   • Information about business ownership.

   • Website, social media and other publicly available business information.

   • Information about products, manufacturing, sourcing and suppliers.

   • Evidence supporting particular product or business claims.

   • Additional verification for specialised K’NEKT categories.

   • Kanohi ki te kanohi (face-to-face) verification where reasonably practical.

   K’NEKT NZ may request additional documents, photographs, information or evidence where required.

   Verification does not mean K’NEKT NZ guarantees a seller, business or product. It means K’NEKT NZ has undertaken reasonable checks based on the information available to us at the time.

   Sellers are responsible for ensuring information provided to K’NEKT NZ is truthful, accurate and kept up to date.

   K’NEKT NZ reserves the right to decline, suspend or remove a seller where information cannot be verified or where we have reasonable concerns about authenticity, conduct or compliance with our Marketplace Policies.

   2. Product Verification & Listing Policy

   Products listed on K’NEKT NZ must be represented honestly and accurately.

   Sellers are responsible for providing accurate information about their products, including where relevant:

   • Product name and description.

   • Images.

   • Price.

   • Materials or ingredients.

   • Size, quantity or dimensions.

   • Country of manufacture.

   • Where the product was designed.

   • Where the product was assembled or finished.

   • Whether the product is handmade.

   • Environmental or sustainability claims.

   • Safety information.

   • Any other information reasonably required for customers to understand what they are purchasing.

   K’NEKT NZ may review products and request evidence supporting claims made within a listing.

   Approval of a seller onto K’NEKT NZ does not automatically verify every claim about every product they sell.

   Where K’NEKT NZ provides a particular product verification or category designation, that verification applies only to the product or claim identified.

   Sellers must notify K’NEKT NZ if information about a verified product materially changes.

   3. Māori Brand & Whakapapa Verification Policy

   K’NEKT NZ recognises the importance of protecting the integrity of our Māori Brands category.

   Businesses wishing to be identified or promoted through K’NEKT NZ as a Māori-owned brand or business may be required to complete an additional whakapapa verification process.

   Our intention is not to determine or define an individual's Māori identity. The purpose of verification is to maintain the integrity of a marketplace category specifically created to help customers intentionally discover and support Māori-owned businesses.

   Verification may include kōrero regarding:

   • Whakapapa.

   • Iwi, hapū or whānau connections.

   • Māori ownership of the business.

   • Supporting information where appropriate.

   • Kanohi ki te kanohi kōrero where reasonably possible.

   We recognise that whakapapa is personal and may be considered sensitive or tapu. K’NEKT NZ will seek only information reasonably necessary for verification and will treat information provided through this process respectfully and in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

   A seller must not falsely represent themselves, their business or their products as Māori-owned.

   Where concerns arise, K’NEKT NZ may request further information, remove a Māori Brand designation or suspend a seller while the matter is reviewed.

   4. New Zealand-Owned & New Zealand-Made Claims Policy

   K’NEKT NZ believes customers should be able to understand exactly what they are supporting.

   Being a New Zealand-owned business does not automatically mean its products are New Zealand-made.

   For this reason, K’NEKT NZ may distinguish between claims such as:

   • NZ-Owned

   • NZ Brand

   • NZ Designed

   • NZ Made

   • NZ Handmade

   • Made Overseas for a NZ Brand

   Sellers must accurately disclose where their products are manufactured or produced.

   Products must not be represented as New Zealand Made simply because the business is based in New Zealand, the product was designed in New Zealand, packaging was added in New Zealand, or the seller is New Zealand-owned.

   K’NEKT NZ may request supporting evidence before approving an NZ Made designation.

   Where a product contains both locally and internationally produced components, this should be disclosed where relevant.

   Misleading country-of-origin claims may result in the product being amended, removed or the seller's verification status being reviewed.

   5. Handmade Products Policy

   Products promoted through K’NEKT NZ as Handmade must genuinely involve meaningful hands-on creation, production or craftsmanship.

   K’NEKT NZ recognises that makers may use tools, machinery, pre-manufactured components or third-party materials as part of their creative process.

   However, commercially mass-produced products must not be represented as handmade simply because they have been repackaged, relabelled or minimally altered.

   K’NEKT NZ may ask sellers to provide:

   • Photographs or videos of their making process.

   • Information about materials.

   • Details about where products are produced.

   • Information about who makes the products.

   • Other reasonable supporting information.

   Where appropriate and practical, K’NEKT NZ may also undertake kanohi ki te kanohi verification with makers.

   6. Eco-Friendly & Sustainability Claims Policy

   K’NEKT NZ supports businesses working to reduce their environmental impact. However, environmental claims must be clear, truthful and capable of being supported.

   Terms such as:

   • Eco-friendly

   • Sustainable

   • Biodegradable

   • Compostable

   • Recyclable

   • Plastic-free

   • Organic

   • Natural

   • Zero-waste

   • Environmentally friendly

   must not be used in a way that could mislead customers.

   Sellers may be asked to explain what specifically makes the product or business eligible for the claim and provide supporting evidence where reasonably available.

   K’NEKT NZ may consider factors such as materials, manufacturing, packaging, certifications, product lifecycle and disposal.

   We recognise that sustainability is complex. A K’NEKT sustainability designation should therefore not be interpreted as meaning a product has no environmental impact.

   Where a claim cannot reasonably be substantiated, K’NEKT NZ may require it to be changed or removed.

   7. Authenticity & Intellectual Property Policy

   K’NEKT NZ does not permit counterfeit, copied or unauthorised products.

   Sellers must have the legal right to sell the products they list and to use the photographs, artwork, designs, trademarks, logos and other intellectual property contained in their listings.

   Prohibited conduct includes:

   • Selling counterfeit products.

   • Copying another artist's work without permission.

   • Using another business's photographs without permission.

   • Reproducing protected artwork or designs without authorisation.

   • Falsely claiming another person's work as your own.

   • Using trademarks or branding in a misleading manner.

   K’NEKT NZ may remove a listing while an intellectual property complaint is investigated.

   Repeated or serious breaches may result in suspension or permanent removal from the marketplace.

   8. Māori Cultural & Intellectual Property Policy

   K’NEKT NZ is committed to treating Māori culture, creativity and mātauranga with respect.

   Sellers must not knowingly misrepresent, exploit or falsely claim connection to Māori culture, whakapapa, artists, iwi, hapū or communities.

   Where products incorporate Māori designs, imagery, kupu, narratives, mātauranga or other cultural elements, sellers may be asked to provide information about the origin of the work and their authority or relationship to its use.

   K’NEKT NZ may decline or remove products where we have reasonable concerns regarding cultural misrepresentation, unauthorised copying or inappropriate use.

   Where appropriate, K’NEKT NZ may seek further kōrero before making a decision.

   9. Seller Standards & Code of Conduct

   Sellers on K’NEKT NZ are expected to operate honestly, professionally and respectfully.

   Sellers must:

   • Provide accurate product information.

   • Maintain reasonable communication with customers.

   • Fulfil orders within advertised timeframes.

   • Notify customers of significant delays.

   • Package products appropriately.

   • Honour applicable customer rights.

   • Respond reasonably to problems, complaints and refund requests.

   • Keep product availability and pricing reasonably accurate.

   • Treat customers, other sellers and K’NEKT NZ representatives respectfully.

   • Comply with applicable New Zealand laws.

   • Cooperate with reasonable K’NEKT NZ investigations.

   Serious or repeated breaches may result in listings being removed or a seller's marketplace access being suspended or terminated.

   10. Orders, Refunds & Seller Responsibility Policy

   K’NEKT NZ operates as a marketplace connecting customers with independent sellers.

   Unless specifically stated otherwise, products purchased through the marketplace are sold by the individual seller identified on the product or order.

   The individual seller is responsible for:

   • Product accuracy.

   • Stock availability.

   • Order fulfilment.

   • Shipping.

   • Customer communication relating to fulfilment.

   • Returns.

   • Refunds.

   • Faulty or damaged products.

   • Meeting their obligations under applicable New Zealand law.

   K’NEKT NZ Oversight

   Although refunds are primarily the responsibility of individual sellers, K’NEKT NZ maintains oversight of marketplace transactions and seller conduct.

   Customers may contact K’NEKT NZ where they have been unable to reasonably resolve an issue directly with a seller.

   K’NEKT NZ may:

   • Review communication between the parties where available.

   • Request information from the seller.

   • Request photographs, tracking information or other evidence.

   • Facilitate communication.

   • Require a seller to respond within a reasonable timeframe.

   • Take action against a seller who repeatedly fails to meet marketplace standards.

   K’NEKT NZ's involvement does not remove the seller's legal obligations to their customers.

   11. Complaints & Dispute Resolution Policy

   We encourage customers and sellers to first attempt to resolve problems respectfully and directly.

   Where a matter cannot be resolved, either party may request assistance from K’NEKT NZ.

   K’NEKT NZ may review available information from both parties and help facilitate a resolution.

   Depending on the circumstances, this may include issues involving:

   • Products not received.

   • Products significantly different from their description.

   • Damaged or faulty products.

   • Refund disagreements.

   • Seller communication.

   • Authenticity concerns.

   • Verification claims.

   • Marketplace conduct.

   K’NEKT NZ will aim to approach disputes fairly and may request evidence from either party.

   Where appropriate, K’NEKT NZ may take marketplace action separately from the underlying dispute, including issuing warnings, removing listings, reviewing verification status or suspending a seller.

   12. Verification Status & Ongoing Review Policy

   Verification is not necessarily permanent.

   K’NEKT NZ may periodically review sellers, products and verification categories to maintain the integrity of the marketplace.

   Sellers must notify K’NEKT NZ where there is a significant change to information previously used for verification, including changes to:

   • Business ownership.

   • Manufacturing location.

   • Product sourcing.

   • Māori ownership status.

   • Materials.

   • Production methods.

   • Environmental claims.

   • Business identity.

   K’NEKT NZ may request updated evidence at any time where reasonably necessary.

   If information is found to be incorrect, outdated, misleading or unable to be substantiated, K’NEKT NZ may change or remove a verification designation.

   K’NEKT verification represents reasonable checks undertaken using the information and evidence available to us. It is not a guarantee, certification of quality, or endorsement of every aspect of a seller or product.

   Our goal is simple: to create greater transparency so Kiwi shoppers can make more informed choices about who they support and what they buy.