General Terms and Conditions of Sale

Mutefe operates as a curated digital marketplace and global logistics conduit engineered to connect independent African luxury perfume houses, bespoke botanical distillers, and master resin artisans ("Ateliers" or "Sellers") with global connoisseurs and collectors ("Buyers" or "Patrons").

Except where specifically designated as a direct "Mutefe Signature Release," Ateliers and Buyers are independent commercial parties. Mutefe provides the marketplace software, multi-vendor escrow clearinghouse, payment infrastructure, and certified air freight logistics coordination. Mutefe does not formulate, harvest, or dilute the independent creations listed by Ateliers.

By accessing or utilizing our Services, you represent and warrant that you:

• Are at least eighteen (18) years of age or the legal age of majority in your jurisdiction.
• Possess the legal capacity to enter into binding commercial contracts.
• Will comply with all applicable local, national, and international laws and customs regulations.
• Will maintain the truthfulness, accuracy, and security of your account credentials.
• Will not engage in price manipulation, counterfeit listing, unauthorized scraping, or reverse engineering of platform architecture.

All software, visual interfaces, typography, photography, branding, sensory dossiers, olfactory wheel graphics, and editorial content on Mutefe are the exclusive intellectual property of Mutefe or its partnered Ateliers.

User & Atelier Content: When an Atelier or User uploads product formulations, images, tasting notes, reviews, or editorial stories to Mutefe, you grant Mutefe a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free license to host, display, index, format, and promote the content across digital channels.

Mutefe integrates with trusted third-party service providers, including Stripe, Paynow, FedEx International Priority, DHL Express, and regional customs clearing agents. Your use of third-party features is subject to their respective terms and privacy notices.

Ateliers listing creations on Mutefe warrant and agree that:

• All listings must accurately disclose fragrance concentration (e.g., Extrait de Parfum, Attar, Eau de Parfum), volume in milliliters (ml), maceration duration, batch provenance, and botanical ingredients.
• Product photography must genuinely depict the authentic bottle, packaging, and presentation.
• Stock quantities indicated in the Atelier Dashboard must reflect physical ready-to-dispatch inventory or active aging batches with accurate fulfillment timelines.
• Listings must not infringe upon third-party trademarks or proprietary perfumery patents.

Collectors and Buyers purchasing on Mutefe agree that:

• You are responsible for reviewing olfactory notes, allergen disclosures, and product specifications prior to completing checkout.
• All confirmed checkout orders and bids are binding financial commitments once submitted.
• The Total Order Amount includes the item price, international express shipping, premium packaging, and applicable transactional taxes or duties.

Individual Ateliers may maintain specific studio dispatch schedules (e.g., custom maceration batches or hand-engraved bottles) which are prominently indicated on individual product specification pages.

Upon order confirmation, Mutefe securely transmits the necessary recipient shipping coordinates and delivery notes to the fulfilling Atelier and designated courier strictly for customs clearance and package fulfillment.

Mutefe guarantees the authenticity and safe arrival of every purchase made through our platform. In the event of courier verified transit damage, loss, or proven non-authenticity, Mutefe Concierge coordinates an immediate replacement or full escrow refund.

To protect collectors and ateliers against fraud, all inquiries, communications, and payments initiated through Mutefe must be finalized on the platform. Any transactions diverted offline forfeit the Mutefe Collector Guarantee, escrow protection, and IATA compliant air freight coverage.

For limited numbered editions, reserve harvests, or vault auctions, allocations are awarded strictly in order of confirmed payment. Bids placed in auction events represent irrevocable purchase commitments.

Mutefe champions fair African creator compensation. Ateliers receive transparent, predictable payout distributions configured directly in their settlement ledger, ensuring sustainable support for indigenous botanists and distillers.

Mutefe retains an agreed curation and platform maintenance commission on completed sales to finance high-performance server infrastructure, global buyer marketing, and escrow security. Commission structures are agreed upon during Atelier onboarding.

Orders are dispatched with international customs declarations indicating botanical extracts. Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) is calculated at checkout where available; otherwise, the recipient is responsible for local import VAT, excise duties, or clearance fees levied by destination customs authorities.

Payments are processed via encrypted multi-currency gateways (Stripe, Paynow, Apple Pay). Collector funds are held securely in platform escrow and credited to the Atelier's settlement ledger upon verified carrier pickup and tracking activation.

Title to purchased items and risk of loss pass to the Buyer upon verified delivery scan by the international courier at the specified delivery destination.

Collectors may not re-list or commercially re-sell limited editions on the platform until physical possession has been completed and verified.

Due to international civil aviation standards governing alcohol-based extraits and volatile oils, consignments are packaged in impact-absorbing secondary vessels with leak-proof seals in accordance with IATA Dangerous Goods (Class 3) regulations.

Unclaimed Consignments: Packages returned due to inaccurate recipient coordinates or failure to pay local destination customs within thirty (30) days will incur return courier deduction fees.

In accordance with global cosmetic hygiene and sanitary protection standards, opened, unsealed, or atomized fragrance bottles cannot be returned or refunded.

If an item arrives damaged in transit, collectors must contact concierge@mutefe.com within 48 hours of delivery with photographic documentation for courier claim filing and prompt replacement.

In accordance with the EU Consumer Rights Directive and UK Consumer Contracts Regulations, consumers residing in the EU or UK have a 14-day statutory right to cancel unopened, factory-sealed items. The seal must remain entirely unbroken due to health and hygiene exemptions under Article 16(e).

Mutefe Concierge acts as a mediator for order disputes. Our concierges review batch records, courier tracking telemetry, and atelier documentation to provide fair, swift resolutions.

Each Atelier warrants that all listed products comply with international cosmetics safety standards (IFRA standards where applicable), contain pure authentic botanicals as described, and are free from adulterated industrial synthetics.

Ateliers warrant the origin and authenticity of their botanical harvests (e.g., pure Taif Rose, wild Kalahari melon, Somali frankincense, African Oudh). In the event of a proven material misrepresentation of ingredients within ninety (90) days of receipt, the Atelier must provide a full refund upon product return.

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Mutefe, its directors, officers, employees, and affiliates from any third-party claims, liabilities, damages, or costs resulting from your breach of these Terms, unlawful conduct, or violation of applicable product safety laws.

THE SERVICES, STOREFRONT, AND ALL MARKETPLACE CREATIONS ARE PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, MUTEFE DISCLAIMS ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, SENSORY SUBJECTIVITY, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

You consent to receive all notices, disclosures, transaction receipts, and legal updates electronically via email or direct notification in your Atelier/Collector account.

Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the breach thereof shall be settled exclusively by confidential binding arbitration conducted in the English language. Both parties waive the right to trial by jury or participation in representative class actions.

Mutefe and its Users are independent contractors. Nothing in this Agreement creates an employment, partnership, joint venture, or formal agency relationship between Mutefe and any User or Atelier.

We reserve the right to revise these Terms periodically. Notice of significant revisions will be published on the platform with an updated effective date. Continued usage constitutes acceptance of updated terms.

Mutefe reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts, withhold unsettled escrow balances, and remove catalog listings in cases of suspected fraud, counterfeit products, or repeated fulfillment violations.

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United Kingdom and relevant international e-commerce treaties. If any provision is deemed invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full legal force.