Terms & Conditions
Here's a comprehensive draft for the Terms and Conditions page. Before the content, one important point: I'm not a lawyer, and Terms and Conditions are a legally binding document. Because your platform involves international buyers wiring large sums to third parties, the liability and disclaimer sections below are especially important — I strongly recommend having a Japanese lawyer (ideally one familiar with e-commerce and international trade) review this before you publish it. Think of this as a strong, well-structured starting draft, not a finished legal document.
A key tension I've handled deliberately: your marketing leans hard on "verified," but your Terms need to make clear that verification is a review to your standard, not a guarantee of any exporter's future conduct. Otherwise the word "verified" could expose you to liability if a transaction goes wrong. The draft threads this carefully.
Terms and Conditions
Last updated: [date]
Welcome to Japanese Auto World. These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the website japaneseautoworld.com and the services we provide (together, the "Platform"). By accessing or using the Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Platform.
In these Terms, "we," "us," and "our" refer to Japanese Auto World. "You" and "your" refer to any person accessing the Platform, whether as a buyer, a member exporter, or a general visitor.
1. About Japanese Auto World
Japanese Auto World is a managed online directory that connects overseas buyers of used vehicles with used car exporters based in Japan ("Member Exporters"). We review and publish listings on behalf of Member Exporters.
We are a directory and introduction service only. We are not a party to, and take no part in, any transaction, negotiation, contract, payment, or shipment that takes place between a buyer and a Member Exporter. We do not buy, sell, own, store, ship, or inspect any vehicle listed on the Platform.
2. Our Role and What "Verified" Means
We describe Member Exporters as "verified" to indicate that we have carried out a review process before publishing their profile, which may include confirming the existence of the business and collecting and confirming information directly with them.
Verification is a good-faith review carried out to our own standards at a point in time. It is not a guarantee, warranty, or endorsement of any Member Exporter, nor of the quality, condition, legality, availability, or delivery of any vehicle, nor of the honesty, solvency, or future conduct of any Member Exporter. Buyers remain fully responsible for their own due diligence before entering into any transaction.
3. Buyers — Use of the Directory
If you use the Platform to find and contact Member Exporters, you acknowledge and agree that:
Any contract you enter into is solely between you and the Member Exporter. We are not a party to it and bear no responsibility or liability arising from it.
You are responsible for conducting your own due diligence before sending any payment, including verifying the exporter's details, the vehicle, the price, and the terms of sale independently.
All payments are made directly between you and the Member Exporter. We do not process, hold, escrow, or facilitate payments, and we are not responsible for any funds you transfer.
You are responsible for understanding and complying with all import laws, taxes, duties, and regulations that apply in your country.
We strongly recommend caution when transferring funds internationally, and that you never send payment before you are independently satisfied that the exporter and the transaction are genuine.
4. Member Exporters — Listings and Membership
If you are a Member Exporter, the following applies to you:
You agree to provide accurate, complete, and truthful information about your business and your vehicles, and to keep it up to date.
You authorize us to collect your information, translate it, and publish an English-language profile of your business on the Platform on your behalf.
You are solely responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide and for honoring any listing, price, or representation displayed on your profile.
You are responsible for fulfilling your obligations to buyers, including the sale, export, and shipment of vehicles, and for complying with all applicable laws relating to your business and to vehicle export.
You agree not to list vehicles you do not have the right to sell or export, or to publish false, misleading, or fraudulent information.
5. Membership Fees
Membership for Member Exporters is offered on a monthly subscription basis at the rates published on the Platform, currently:
¥20,000 per month for listings of up to 20 vehicles; and
¥30,000 per month for unlimited listings.
Fees are stated exclusive of any applicable consumption tax unless otherwise noted. Fees are billed monthly and are payable in advance. We may change our fees on reasonable prior notice. Unless required by law, fees already paid are non-refundable. We reserve the right to suspend or remove a listing where fees are unpaid.
6. Suspension and Removal of Listings
We reserve the right, at our sole discretion and without liability, to decline, edit, suspend, or remove any listing or membership — including where we believe information is inaccurate, misleading, or unlawful, where a Member Exporter breaches these Terms, where fees are unpaid, or where we receive credible reports of misconduct. We are under no obligation to publish or continue to publish any listing.
7. Intellectual Property
All content on the Platform that we create, including text, layout, design, and branding, is owned by or licensed to us and may not be copied, reproduced, or used without our written permission. Member Exporters grant us permission to publish, translate, adapt, and display the business information and images they provide for the purpose of operating the Platform.
8. Prohibited Use
You agree not to use the Platform to: publish false or fraudulent information; infringe the rights of others; harvest or scrape data; transmit malicious code; or use the Platform for any unlawful purpose or in any way that could damage or impair its operation.
9. Disclaimers
The Platform is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we make no warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, regarding the Platform or its content, including as to accuracy, completeness, reliability, or fitness for a particular purpose.
We do not warrant that any Member Exporter will perform as expected, that any listing is accurate, or that any transaction will be completed successfully. Any dealings you have with a Member Exporter are entirely at your own risk.
10. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, we shall not be liable for any loss or damage — including any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or financial loss, loss of funds transferred to a Member Exporter, loss of profit, or loss arising from any transaction, dispute, misrepresentation, non-delivery, or fraud — arising out of or in connection with your use of the Platform or your dealings with any Member Exporter or buyer.
Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits any liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law.
11. Indemnity
You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from any claim, loss, liability, or expense (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of your use of the Platform, your breach of these Terms, or your dealings with any other user.
12. Third-Party Links
The Platform may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the content, accuracy, or practices of any third-party site.
13. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. The updated version will be posted on this page with a revised "last updated" date. Your continued use of the Platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
14. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms are governed by the laws of Japan. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms or the Platform shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Japan.
15. Contact Us
If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us at info@japaneseautoworld.com
