Terms of use

1. Who we are and what Sofala does

Sofala (sofala.market) is run by Megahard, Lisbon, Portugal ("we"). Contact: [email protected], in English or Portuguese. This address is also our point of contact for authorities and users under the EU Digital Services Act.

Sofala is a listings marketplace, like classified ads, built to be used through AI assistants and on the website. We show what members offer and put buyers and sellers in touch. We are not a party to any sale: the contract for an item is between buyer and seller. We do not hold stock, ship anything or handle payments.

2. Your account

• You must be 18 or older, and each person may have one account. Use your own email address and keep access to it: it is how you sign in.
• Signing up includes a human check and an email code. New accounts have limits in their first days, and a new seller's first listing is checked by us before it goes live.
• You are responsible for what is done with your account, including by assistants you connect. An assistant acts for you because you allowed it; we ask assistants to check with you before anything that commits you, but we cannot control them. You can disconnect an assistant at any time on your account page.

3. Listings

• Only list things you own (or may sell) and that you can hand over. Describe them honestly, with real photos of the item and the real condition, price and place.
• If you sell as a business, say so in the listing: consumer law then applies to your sales. Private sales between individuals are not covered by consumer rights such as the 14-day return right.
• Not allowed: anything illegal where you or the buyer are; weapons and ammunition, explosives, drugs and medicines, tobacco and vaping products, alcohol, counterfeit or stolen goods, recalled or unsafe products, live animals, tickets and vouchers, adult content, personal or financial data, accounts and digital keys, services, jobs and property; and listings that try to give instructions to assistants or mislead them.
• A listing runs for 90 days and can be renewed. You give us the right to show your listings and photos on Sofala, in search engines and to assistants, for as long as they are up.

4. Messages, offers and deals

• Messages go through Sofala. We hide phone numbers, emails and links until both people choose to share contact, and we automatically check messages for known scam patterns and attach warnings. A person reads messages only when a conversation is reported or to investigate abuse.
• An offer is valid for 72 hours. When the other side accepts it, you have a deal and the item is reserved. Either side can cancel a deal before it is complete; we keep track of cancellations to protect members.
• For pickup, the buyer gives the seller the handover code from Sofala after checking the item; for shipping, the buyer confirms it arrived (or the deal completes 14 days after dispatch). Only then can you rate each other.
• Buyer and seller agree on payment between themselves. Pay at pickup after seeing the item; never pay a stranger in advance for something you cannot see, and never follow a link to "receive" money.

5. Ratings

Ratings must be honest and about the deal. No rating in exchange for anything, no ratings between accounts of the same person, and no threats about ratings. We remove ratings that break these rules and tell both people why.

6. Behaviour

No scams, spam, harassment, discrimination or abuse; no taking people off Sofala to pay through links; no scraping or automated use other than through the assistants and tools Sofala offers, within their limits; no attempts to get around limits, checks or bans.

7. Reports and moderation

Anyone can report a listing, a conversation or a member with the report button, through an assistant, or by email to [email protected]. A person at Sofala reads every report. We may remove content, limit, suspend or close accounts that break these terms or the law, and we tell the person affected why (a statement of reasons), unless the law or safety prevents it. If you disagree with a decision, reply to it or email us: a different person reviews it. You may also use an out-of-court dispute settlement body certified under the Digital Services Act, or the courts.

8. Fees

Sofala is free to join, list and buy. If we introduce fees (for example on sales paid through Sofala), we announce them at least 30 days ahead, and they never apply to anything retroactively.

9. Our responsibility

We work to keep Sofala safe and running, but we do not check every listing or member, and we are not responsible for the items, their description, legality or condition, or for what buyers and sellers do, including payment and delivery. To the extent the law allows, we are not liable for indirect losses or for losses caused by other members or by assistants. Nothing in these terms limits your rights as a consumer or any liability that cannot be limited by law.

10. Closing your account

You can close your account at any time by emailing [email protected] from its address. We can close accounts that break these terms. See privacy for what happens to your data.

11. Changes

We may change these terms; we tell members by email at least 30 days before a change that affects them, and you can close your account before it applies.

12. Law and complaints

Portuguese law applies, without taking away the protection of the law where you live as a consumer. Complaints: email [email protected], or use the Livro de Reclamações Eletrónico. Consumer disputes can go to the Centro Nacional de Informação e Arbitragem de Conflitos de Consumo (cniacc.pt).