Part One · Marketplace Terms

1. Who we are

The SOS Abundance Exchange (the “Exchange,” “we,” “us”) is operated by SOS Abundance Exchange LLC, a Texas limited liability company, and hosted by Seeds of Success. These Terms apply to everyone who uses the Exchange marketplace: people who buy (“Buyers”) and businesses that sell (“Sellers”). By browsing, buying, listing, or selling on the Exchange, you agree to these Terms.

Seeds of Success educational memberships, including the SOS GED® Online Program, are governed by the Seeds of Success Terms of Service. These Terms cover the marketplace.

2. The Exchange is the marketplace, not the seller

The Exchange provides the place where Buyers and Sellers meet. Every sale is a contract between the Buyer and the Seller. Sellers are independent businesses. They are not our employees, agents, or partners. We do not make, own, store, inspect, or deliver the items or services sold, and we do not guarantee them. The Seller is responsible for what they sell.

3. Who can use the Exchange

• You must be at least 18 years old, or use the Exchange with a parent or guardian.
• You must give accurate information and keep your account secure.
• Sellers must be a real business or individual operating in Kaufman County, Texas, or serving Kaufman County customers.

4. Memberships

Sellers join through one of three memberships:

• The Directory ($22 for 30 days): business name, phone number, and town in the county directory. Directory listings do not include marketplace selling.
• The Marketplace ($44 for 30 days): a full marketplace listing with photos, prices, specials, direct messages, and online selling.
• The Starship Cathedral ($88 for 30 days): everything in the Marketplace, plus the full Seeds of Success ecosystem.

Each membership covers 30 days. Automatic renewal is optional: you choose at checkout whether your membership renews every 30 days, and you can turn it on or off from your account at any time. If you don’t choose automatic renewal, your membership simply ends after 30 days unless you renew it. Memberships carry a 5-day money-back guarantee and can be cancelled anytime. Cancelling ends selling privileges at the end of the paid period. Open orders must still be fulfilled.

5. How payments work

Payments on the Exchange are processed by Stripe, a licensed payment processor, through Stripe Connect. Each Seller connects their own Stripe account and agrees to Stripe’s Connected Account Agreement. Money paid on the Exchange is held by Stripe, never in an Exchange bank account. Every order placed through the Exchange is paid under 50/50 Exchange Protection:

1. The Buyer pays in full at checkout.
2. The first half goes to the Seller when the Seller confirms the order. Our platform fee comes out of this half. If the Seller doesn’t confirm within 48 hours, the Buyer may cancel for a full refund.
3. The second half goes to the Seller when the order is fulfilled. That happens when the Buyer confirms they received it, or 48 hours after the Seller marks it delivered or picked up, as long as the Buyer hasn’t reported a problem. For services, “fulfilled” means the work is done.
4. If the order isn’t fulfilled within the promised window, the Buyer gets back the second half straight from Stripe, plus our platform fee. The first half is owed to the Buyer by the Seller. The Seller agrees that the Exchange may recover it from the Seller’s Stripe balance or, where Stripe allows, from the bank account linked to it. Anything recovered goes straight to the Buyer.

Bank transfers usually reach the Seller within 2 business days of each release. New Stripe accounts may see a longer first payout while Stripe verifies the account.

Buying direct. Every listing shows the Seller’s contact information, and Buyers and Sellers are always free to make a deal directly, paid any way they agree. Those sales happen outside the Exchange. 50/50 Exchange Protection, the Exchange Promise, and our dispute help do not apply to them.

Book-direct listings. Some businesses can’t take payment through the Exchange because of how their industry works. A travel agent books through a host agency, an insurance or real estate agent is paid through a brokerage, and an independent consultant may sell through a parent company. These businesses list on the Exchange with a “Book Direct” link or contact button instead of a checkout. Their listings, photos, specials, and featured placement work the same as any other. Bookings and payments happen in the business’s own licensed system, under that company’s terms. 50/50 Exchange Protection and the Exchange refund process do not apply to book-direct sales.

6. Seller fees

The Exchange charges Sellers a platform fee of 3.5% + $0.30 per transaction. This fee includes card processing. There are no listing fees beyond the membership. We’ll give Sellers at least 30 days’ notice before any fee change.

7. Sales tax

Texas sales tax is due when a taxable item is sold, not when a certificate is bought. Where Texas law requires the Exchange to act as a marketplace provider, the Exchange will calculate, collect, and remit Texas sales and use tax on taxable sales made through the marketplace, and will give Sellers the certification the Comptroller requires. Many foods, including eggs and fresh produce, are not taxable. Sellers remain responsible for taxes on any sales they make outside the Exchange.

8. Seller responsibilities

Every name here is rooted in Kaufman County, and every Seller agrees to keep the Exchange trustworthy:

1. List honestly. Accurate descriptions, real photos, clear prices, and any limits on quantity or area.
2. State a fulfillment window: 5 business days maximum. Every listing must say how the Buyer receives the item (pickup, personal delivery, or shipping) and when. Goods and products must be ready or on their way within 5 business days of the order. If a listing doesn’t say, the window is 5 business days. Large or custom orders, such as family reunion shirts or homecoming mums, may take longer only if the Seller confirms the date with the Buyer in Exchange messages before starting the work.
3. Keep your promise. Fulfill every paid order within your stated window. If you can’t, tell the Buyer right away and refund them in full, including the first half you’ve already received.
4. Press pause when you’re full. You may pause your listing at any time so new orders stop while you catch up. Pausing never cancels the orders you’ve already accepted.
5. Communicate. Answer Buyer messages within 48 hours.
6. Follow the law. Hold every license, permit, registration, and insurance your business requires.
7. Cottage food sellers. Under Texas cottage food rules, foods made at home and sold online must be delivered in person by the Seller, an employee, or a household member, and may not be shipped. The required label information must appear on your listing before the Buyer pays. That means your business name and address or registration number, the product name, major allergens, and the home-production statement. Some foods also require registration with the Texas Department of State Health Services.

9. What can’t be sold

The following may not be listed or sold on the Exchange:

• Alcohol, tobacco, vape products, and THC or cannabis products
• Firearms, ammunition, explosives, and weapons
• Prescription drugs, medical devices that require a prescription, and unapproved health claims
• Meat, poultry, seafood, raw milk, or other foods that require a licensed facility, unless the Seller holds that license
• Counterfeit, stolen, or recalled items
• Adult content or services
• Tax preparation, bookkeeping, credit repair, loans, and other financial services — not accepted at this time
• Anything illegal in Texas, or any service that requires a license the Seller doesn’t hold

10. Buyer responsibilities

• Read the listing, including the fulfillment window and the Seller’s refund terms, before you buy.
• Be available for pickup or delivery during the agreed window. If you miss a pickup and don’t respond for 3 days, the Seller may cancel the order. Refunds on perishable items for a missed pickup are at the Seller’s discretion.
• Report problems through the Exchange within the times in the Refund Policy below.
• Keep reviews honest and about your own experience.

11. SOS Exchange Certificates

An SOS Exchange Certificate is a digital gift certificate for one specific Seller, bought through the Exchange. For example: “$50 at J&J Farm Market.”

• The Seller issues it and honors it. Because the certificate is delivered the moment it’s bought, payment goes to that Seller in full at purchase. 50/50 Exchange Protection applies to the orders it’s later used for, not to the certificate itself.
• A certificate can be used only with the Seller named on it. It cannot be used with other Sellers.
• Certificates do not expire.
• Certificates are not redeemable for cash except where Texas law requires.
• Each certificate has a unique code and QR code. The Seller scans or enters it when it’s used. Treat it like cash: the Exchange can’t replace a code someone else has already used.
• If a Seller leaves the Exchange, they must still honor certificates already sold, or refund the unused balance.

12. Reviews, listings, and our right to act

We may review, edit for formatting, decline, or remove any listing or review that breaks these Terms. We may suspend or close an account for fraud, repeated unfulfilled orders, unsafe products, or abuse of Buyers, Sellers, or staff. Where we can, we’ll tell you why and give you a chance to fix it.

Removed from the Exchange. A Seller whose account is closed for unfulfilled orders will be listed on the Exchange’s public “Removed from the Exchange” page. The listing states only the business name, the date of removal, and the reason (“unfulfilled orders”). The Seller may submit one short, factual response, which we’ll post beside it.

13. When something goes wrong

Buyers and Sellers should first try to resolve a problem directly through Exchange messages. If that doesn’t work within 3 days, either side can ask the Exchange to step in. Use the Contact page. We’ll review the order, the listing, and the messages, and make a decision under the Refund Policy below. Card chargebacks are handled through Stripe, and the Seller is responsible for any chargeback on their sale.

14. Limits of our responsibility

The Exchange is provided “as is.” To the fullest extent the law allows, the Exchange, Seeds of Success, and their owners and team are not liable for the items or services Sellers provide, for disputes between Buyers and Sellers, or for indirect or consequential losses. Our total liability for any claim is limited to the platform fees we received on the transaction in question. Sellers agree to cover the Exchange for claims arising from their products, services, or conduct.

15. Texas law and changes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas. Any dispute will be handled in the courts of Kaufman County, Texas. We may update these Terms. When we do, we’ll change the date at the top and notify Sellers by email at least 30 days before any change takes effect.