Terms of Service | SmolBusiness

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of SmolBusiness, operated by CoPower Technologies, a Registered Partnership Firm. By accessing or using SmolBusiness, you agree to these Terms in full.

01: What We Provide

SmolBusiness is a software platform (SaaS) that lets Indian Instagram sellers build and run their own online storefront. We provide the tools to launch a professional store, manage products and orders, and grow your business. We are not a payment processor, payment aggregator, or marketplace — we do not collect, hold, route, or settle any customer payments. Sellers collect payments directly from their own customers using their own UPI ID; the money never passes through SmolBusiness.

For eligible sellers, we also provide an optional order-update notification service, sending WhatsApp messages to customers (e.g. order confirmed, shipped, delivered) from SmolBusiness's own WhatsApp number, using order information the seller and customer have entered into the platform. This is a value-added courtesy communication tool, not a fulfillment or verification service — see Section 04 for what this does and does not mean.

02: Eligibility

To register a seller account, you must be at least 18 years old and legally capable of entering into binding agreements under Indian law. By registering, you represent and warrant that you meet these requirements.

Customers browsing or purchasing from a seller's storefront do not need an account. A customer should be of legal age to enter into a binding contract under the Indian Contract Act, 1872, or be transacting with the involvement of a parent or guardian; the seller, as the party to that sale, is responsible for that transaction.

03: User Accounts

You are responsible for:

Maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials
Ensuring all information provided is accurate and up-to-date
All activities conducted under your account

Notify us immediately at support@smolbusiness.in if you suspect unauthorized access. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

04: Seller Responsibilities

Sellers using SmolBusiness agree to:

Provide accurate product descriptions, images, and pricing
Fulfill customer orders promptly and professionally
Handle customer queries, returns, and refunds in good faith
Comply with applicable Indian laws including the Consumer Protection Act, GST obligations, and tax regulations
Not list prohibited, illegal, counterfeit, or harmful products
Use a customer's phone number, email, or other contact details obtained through the platform only to fulfill and communicate about that customer's own order — never for unsolicited marketing, and always in compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, applicable TRAI regulations, and WhatsApp's Business Policy
Ensure your store name, branding, Instagram handle, and listings do not infringe any third party's trademark or other intellectual property rights

SmolBusiness is not a party to, and is not associated or affiliated with, any seller or any transaction between a seller and a customer. Each seller operates their own independent business; sellers are not our employees, agents, or partners. Order fulfillment, delivery, product quality, and all returns, refunds, and cancellations are the seller's sole responsibility — SmolBusiness bears no responsibility for order fulfillment in any way. Customers are strongly advised to independently verify a seller's legitimacy and buy based on their own trust in that seller.

WhatsApp order-update notifications. Where SmolBusiness sends a WhatsApp order-status message to a customer on a seller's behalf, this is solely a courtesy notification relaying information already recorded on the platform. It does not mean SmolBusiness verifies, endorses, guarantees, or takes any responsibility for the order, its fulfillment, or its contents, and does not make SmolBusiness an agent of the seller or a party to the sale. Delivery of any such message is not guaranteed (it may fail, be delayed, or be blocked by WhatsApp, the customer's device, or the customer's carrier), and sellers must not rely on it as their only channel for customer communication. This feature may be limited to eligible sellers, metered by platform credits, and modified, re-priced, or discontinued at our discretion.

05: Subscription & Fees

SmolBusiness is billed as a software subscription on the plan you choose, with a free tier available. This fee is solely for access to the platform's software and tools.

We do not charge any commission on your sales and we do not process, collect, hold, or settle customer payments. Each seller collects payments directly from their own customers using the seller's own UPI ID. Every rupee a customer pays goes straight to the seller; SmolBusiness never sits between you and your customer's money. Where a seller enables Razorpay checkout, payment processing is carried out by Razorpay on the seller's own merchant account under Razorpay's own terms — SmolBusiness is not a party to that processing relationship.

We reserve the right to modify our subscription pricing with reasonable advance notice communicated on the platform or by email; continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the revised pricing.

Displayed subscription fees are exclusive of applicable taxes (including GST) unless stated otherwise; taxes are added at checkout as required by law. Paid plans renew automatically at the end of each billing cycle via your saved payment mandate, unless cancelled before the renewal date; you may cancel anytime, and cancellation takes effect at the end of the current paid period with no further charges. Platform credits have no cash value, are non-transferable, and are governed by the terms of your chosen plan.

06: Prohibited Activities

You may not host, display, upload, publish, transmit, or share anything that:

Belongs to another person and to which you do not have a lawful right
Is obscene, pornographic, paedophilic, invasive of another's privacy, or harmful to minors
Is defamatory, libellous, harassing, or harmful to a person's reputation
Is deceptive, misleading, or impersonates another person or entity
Is insulting or discriminatory on the basis of religion, community, caste, ethnicity, gender, or disability, or threatens the unity, integrity, defence, security, or sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign states, or public order
Infringes any patent, trademark, copyright, or other intellectual property right
Violates any applicable Indian law or regulation
Contains software viruses, malware, or any code designed to disrupt or exploit any system
Engages in fraud, payment abuse, or chargeback manipulation
Posts fake, incentivized, or otherwise manipulated product reviews or ratings
Attempts to reverse-engineer, probe, or exploit platform vulnerabilities

We reserve the right to remove any such content or listing and to suspend or terminate the responsible account, with or without prior notice.

07: Intermediary Status & Grievance Officer

SmolBusiness is an intermediary as defined under Section 2(1)(w) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, hosting seller-created stores and listings. We observe the due diligence required under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 — we do not initiate the transmission of, select the receiver of, or modify any seller-uploaded content. In accordance with these Rules and the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, complaints may be directed to our Grievance Officer:

Grievance Officer: Abhinav Gadekar
CoPower Technologies (operating as SmolBusiness)
Email: support@smolbusiness.in
Address: Shop No. 19, Ratan Place, Agyaramdevi Road, Ganeshpeth Colony, Nagpur 440016, Maharashtra

We will acknowledge complaints within 48 hours and resolve them within one month, as required under the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, and — for complaints concerning unlawful content — within 15 days as required under the IT Rules, 2021.

08: Intellectual Property

All SmolBusiness branding, software, design, and content (excluding seller-uploaded content) remain the intellectual property of CoPower Technologies. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works without prior written permission.

09: Service Availability & Force Majeure

We strive for high availability but may modify, suspend, or discontinue features at any time for maintenance, legal compliance, or business reasons. We will aim to provide reasonable notice for planned downtime. We do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free service.

We are not liable for any failure or delay in performance caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including internet or hosting-provider outages, power failures, natural disasters, war, terrorism, riots, strikes, government action, or changes in law.

10: Limitation of Liability

SmolBusiness does not verify, endorse, or guarantee any seller, or the quality, safety, legality, authenticity, or fitness of any product or service listed by a seller. Any transaction is solely between the buyer and the seller, entered into at the buyer's own risk and discretion, and SmolBusiness disclaims all liability arising from it.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable Indian law, SmolBusiness and CoPower Technologies shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of the platform, including loss of revenue, data, or business opportunities. Our total liability for any claim arising under these Terms is capped at the subscription fees you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim.

11: Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold SmolBusiness and CoPower Technologies harmless from claims, liabilities, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your use of the platform, your uploaded content, your violation of these Terms, or — if you are a seller — any claim by a customer or third party arising from your products, services, order fulfillment, returns, refunds, or fraudulent conduct.

12: Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access at our discretion, including without prior notice, if you violate these Terms, engage in fraudulent activity, are reported for fraud, harm other users or the platform, or — as a seller — repeatedly fail to respond to customer queries regarding refunds, cancellations, or order fulfillment. You may also delete your account at any time by contacting support.

If your account is terminated for fraud or any other violation of these Terms, no subscription fees already paid will be refunded, and any unused credit balance in your account is forfeited, with no compensation. This is in addition to, and without prejudice to, any other legal remedies available to us.

Where reasonably possible, you may request an export of your store, product, and order data before your account is closed. After termination, we retain data only as described in our Privacy Policy's Retention section; you lose access to the platform and its tools.

13: General Provisions

Amendments. We may revise these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be notified via email or an in-app notice; continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance.
Severability. If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force and effect.
No Waiver. Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of our right to do so later.
Entire Agreement. These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, Seller Agreement, and Refund Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and SmolBusiness regarding your use of the platform.
Assignment. We may assign or transfer these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets. You may not assign your rights under these Terms without our written consent.
Notices. Legal notices to us must be sent to support@smolbusiness.in or our registered address (Section 15). Notices to you will be sent to the email or phone number on your account and are deemed received 24 hours after sending.

14: Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of India. Subject to the paragraph below, any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of courts in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

Nothing in this Section restricts a consumer's statutory right under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 to file a complaint before the District, State, or National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission having jurisdiction over their own place of residence.

15: Contact

For support or legal concerns:

SmolBusiness

CoPower Technologies, Registered Partnership Firm

Email: support@smolbusiness.in

Registered AddressShop No. 19, Ratan Place
Agyaramdevi Road, Ganeshpeth Colony
Nagpur 440016, Maharashtra