Terms of Service

1. Platform Purpose

TumaFare, operated by Tesa Agency, is a dual-purpose escrow platform:

• Transport Fare Escrow: Facilitates conditional transport money transfers between senders and recipients. Funds are held in escrow and released only when the recipient verifiably arrives at the agreed destination.
• Marketplace Escrow: Facilitates secure trade between buyers and sellers for physical goods. Buyer funds are held in escrow and released to the seller only upon confirmed delivery via GPS-verified handover.

2. Good Faith Requirement

This platform is strictly for genuine, good-faith transactions. By using TumaFare, all parties agree:

• Transport senders must have genuine intent to support the recipient's travel
• Transport recipients must genuinely intend to travel to the agreed destination
• Marketplace buyers must have genuine intent to purchase the listed item at the agreed price
• Marketplace sellers must ship only the accurately described item in the stated condition
• All parties must act with honesty, integrity, and respect throughout the transaction
• Any attempt to deceive, scam, or manipulate the platform is strictly prohibited and grounds for permanent ban and legal action

3. Transport Escrow Rules

• Funds are locked on payment and released only on sender approval after recipient arrival
• When a recipient marks "Arrived", the sender has 30 minutes to approve or reject
• If no action is taken within 30 minutes, the system auto-rejects and refunds the sender
• Recipients may request one time extension (30 or 60 minutes) with a stated reason
• Marking "On the Way" or "Arrived" falsely constitutes fraud and grounds for permanent ban
• Transactions expire at the sender-set deadline; expired funds auto-refund to the sender

4. Marketplace Escrow Rules

• Buyer pays the full agreed amount into escrow before the seller ships the item
• The seller must only ship after seeing "FUNDED" status on their dashboard
• A rider delivers the item to the buyer at the agreed GPS meeting point
• The rider holds a secret 6-digit handover code; the buyer must be physically present (GPS-verified) to receive and enter the code
• Successful code entry releases payment to the seller instantly
• The buyer may reject the item at delivery if it materially differs from the listing; the rider returns it and the buyer receives a full refund
• Sellers who ship wrong, damaged, or counterfeit items will have funds held pending investigation and may face permanent ban
• Buyers who reject items falsely or attempt remote code fraud will be permanently banned

5. Zero Tolerance for Abuse

The following result in immediate permanent account bans:

• Seller fraud: Shipping wrong items, empty boxes, or items materially different from listing
• Buyer fraud: Falsely rejecting valid deliveries or attempting to claim without physical presence
• Transport recipient fraud: Claiming arrival without being at the destination
• Sender abuse: Repeatedly rejecting transport approvals without valid reason
• Code fraud: Any attempt to obtain or share the handover code without physical delivery
• Spam: Creating multiple accounts or excessive small transactions to game the system

6. Fees & Refunds

Service fees (approximately 2%) are non-refundable once a transaction is initiated. Mobile Money fees charged by MTN, Airtel, or M-PESA are separate and governed by their respective policies. Full principal refunds are issued when transactions expire, are rejected within platform guidelines, or when a marketplace buyer legitimately rejects a delivery.

7. Limitation of Liability

TumaFare acts as a technology-enabled escrow intermediary. We are not liable for disputes between users, rider delays, travel disruptions, item condition beyond what is verifiable at delivery, or force majeure events. Our guarantee is the escrow mechanism — funds are protected until the agreed condition is met or the transaction expires.

8. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of Uganda. Operations in Kenya are subject to applicable Kenyan law. By using TumaFare, you consent to the jurisdiction of courts in Kampala, Uganda for any disputes arising from these terms.