Terms & Conditions

1. Introduction

Welcome to Cook4U! These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your use of our platform that connects customers with local cooks and food businesses.

Important: Cook4U is a platform that facilitates connections between customers and independent food businesses. We do not cook, prepare, or deliver food ourselves. All kitchens on our platform are independent businesses run by their own owners.

By using our platform, you agree to these Terms. If you don't agree, please don't use our services.

2. Contact Information

Cook4U Limited
40 Edinburgh Road
ML12 6AX Biggar
Scotland, UK

Email: contact@cook4u.co.uk

3. Definitions

4. Age Requirements

You must be at least 18 years old to use our platform, whether as a customer or cook. We don't knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.

5. Our Role as a Platform

Cook4U is a marketplace platform that connects customers with independent cooks and food businesses. We are not a food business ourselves.

We don't control the quality, safety, or delivery of food - that's entirely the responsibility of the individual cooks and kitchens.

6. Your Responsibilities

For All Users:

• Provide accurate information when registering
• Use the platform lawfully and respectfully
• Don't abuse, harass, or harm other users
• Don't post inappropriate content (adult content, hate speech, political content)
• Don't attempt to circumvent our fees or payment system

For Cooks:

• Hold valid food hygiene certificates for your premises
• Provide accurate descriptions of your food, including allergens
• Maintain appropriate insurance
• Comply with all food safety laws and regulations
• Only post content related to selling food

7. Payment Terms

We use Stripe to process payments securely. Here's how it works:

• Customers pay through our platform using Stripe
• Stripe automatically divides payments between Cook4U and the cook
• Cook4U charges a 5% commission on each sale, including VAT where applicable
• Cooks receive their share weekly via Stripe
• We also charge cooks a monthly subscription fee, with the price shown before the subscription begins

Cook subscriptions are billed monthly and renew automatically unless cancelled. Cooks may cancel at any time without a cancellation fee. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current paid billing period, and the subscription will not renew.

Changes to Cook Fees:

We may change cook subscription fees and commission rates from time to time. We will give cooks at least 30 days' written notice by email explaining the current fee, the new fee, and the date the change will take effect.

• Subscription fee changes will apply from the first monthly billing period beginning after the effective date
• Commission rate changes will apply only to orders placed after the effective date
• No fee change will be applied retrospectively
• Cooks who do not agree may cancel before the change takes effect without penalty

If a cook continues their subscription or uses the platform to accept orders after the effective date, the new fees will apply. Nothing in this section limits any cancellation or other rights provided by law.

8. Refunds and Cancellations

Important: Cook4U is not responsible for processing refunds. This is between customers and cooks.

• Customers can cancel unfulfilled orders or request refunds
• Cooks can cancel orders before fulfillment
• Refund decisions are entirely up to the individual cook/kitchen
• We provide the facility for refunds but don't control the process

9. Content and Intellectual Property

Cook Content Ownership:

Cooks retain ownership of their original photos, descriptions, and recipes. However, by posting content on our platform, cooks grant Cook4U a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, display, and distribute such content for platform operations.

Copyright Compliance:

Cooks are solely responsible for ensuring all content they post does not infringe third-party intellectual property rights. Cooks must not use copyrighted images, trademarks, or other protected materials without proper authorization.

Copyright Infringement Claims:

If we receive a valid copyright infringement claim, we may remove the allegedly infringing content and notify the cook. Cooks are responsible for resolving such claims directly with the rights holder. Cook4U is not liable for copyright infringement by users.

Platform Content:

All platform design, functionality, and original content is owned by Cook4U and protected by intellectual property laws.

Content Restrictions:

• Only post content related to selling food
• No adult content, hate speech, or political content
• No copyrighted images from other sources
• You can use copyrighted recipes (recipes can't be copyrighted)

10. Platform Availability

Cook4U is currently in Alpha testing and moving to Beta. We don't guarantee 24/7 availability because we're not a critical service.

If the platform goes down during an order, customers can contact us for investigation, but we're observers at best.

Force Majeure Events:

Neither party shall be liable for any failure or delay in performance due to circumstances beyond their reasonable control, including but not limited to: acts of God, natural disasters, war, terrorism, civil unrest, government actions, pandemics, epidemics, public health emergencies, strikes, labor disputes, internet outages, power failures, or other events that are unforeseeable and beyond the reasonable control of either party. In such circumstances, the affected party shall notify the other party as soon as reasonably practicable and use reasonable efforts to minimize the impact of such events.

11. Our Liability

Exclusions:

Cook4U shall not be liable for any of the following, whether in contract, tort, negligence, or otherwise:

• Food quality, safety, preparation, or delivery by cooks
• Business losses, lost profits, or indirect damages
• Platform downtime, technical issues, or data loss
• Disputes between customers and cooks
• Third-party actions or omissions
• Consequential, special, or punitive damages
• Loss of data, revenue, or business opportunities

Limitation:

Where liability cannot be excluded, our total liability shall not exceed the amount paid by the user to Cook4U in the 12 months preceding the claim.

Exceptions:

Nothing in these Terms excludes liability for:

• Death or personal injury caused by negligence
• Fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation
• Any liability that cannot be excluded by law

User Acknowledgment:

Users acknowledge that Cook4U is a new platform in testing phase and use it at their own risk, understanding that errors, bugs, and downtime may occur.

12. Right to Refuse Service

We reserve the right to refuse service or terminate accounts for:

• Abusive behavior or harassment
• Fraudulent activity
• Violation of these Terms
• Safety concerns
• Platform abuse

13. Account Termination

By Users:

Users may terminate their account at any time through the platform or by contacting us. Account deletion will remove personal data as described in our Privacy Policy.

By Cook4U:

We may suspend or terminate accounts immediately if users:

• Violate these Terms
• Engage in fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity
• Pose safety risks to other users
• Fail to pay required fees
• Provide false information

Notice Period:

If we terminate a cook's access to the whole platform for a non-urgent reason, we will ordinarily provide at least 30 days' written notice by email and explain our reasons. We may act immediately where required by law or where there is fraud, illegal activity, a serious or repeated breach of these Terms, or an urgent safety or security risk. For other users, we will provide reasonable notice unless an urgent reason requires immediate action.

Effect of Termination:

Upon termination:

• Access to the platform ceases immediately
• Outstanding orders may be cancelled
• Payment obligations remain in effect
• Data deletion occurs as per Privacy Policy
• These Terms continue to apply to past transactions

Appeals:

Users may appeal termination decisions by contacting us within 30 days.

14. Data Protection

We don't sell or share your personal data with anyone. We don't think it's right, and we won't do it.

We collect: name, address, email, age. We use this for platform verification and to help cooks deliver/allow collection of food.

Users can delete their accounts, which removes their data. We comply with UK data protection laws.

See our Privacy Policy for full details.

15. Disputes and Governing Law

These Terms are governed by Scottish law. Disputes will be resolved in Scottish courts, except where mandatory law gives a consumer the right to bring proceedings in another court.

We encourage mediation before legal action. Contact us first to try to resolve any issues.

16. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time for legal or regulatory reasons, for security, to reflect changes to the platform, or to clarify how our services operate. We will explain significant changes and give at least 30 days' written notice by email before they take effect, unless a change must take effect sooner to comply with law or address an urgent and unforeseen safety or security risk.

If you do not agree with a change, you may stop using the platform and terminate your account before it takes effect. Continued use after the effective date means the updated Terms apply. Fee changes are also subject to the specific notice and cancellation protections in section 7.

17. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us at contact@cook4u.co.uk