Terms, Privacy & Seller Agreement

1. What Broody is

Broody is an online marketplace that connects buyers and sellers of hatching eggs, poultry, and breeding supplies in the United Kingdom. We provide the platform — sellers are independent and responsible for their own listings, descriptions, and fulfilment.

2. Your account

You must be 18 or over to create an account. You're responsible for keeping your login credentials secure and for all activity on your account. If you suspect unauthorised access, contact us immediately.

• One account per person. Multiple accounts may be suspended.
• Information you provide must be accurate and kept up to date.
• We may verify your identity before enabling certain features.

3. Buying on Broody

When you buy, you enter into a contract directly with the seller — not with Broody. Your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 apply to all purchases, including the right to goods that are of satisfactory quality, as described, and fit for purpose.

• Hatching eggs are a natural product. Hatch rates are never guaranteed and vary based on handling, postage, and incubation conditions.
• You have 14 days from delivery to report issues. Perishable goods (including hatching eggs) are exempt from the standard 14-day cooling-off period for distance sales.
• Disputes between buyers and sellers should first be resolved directly. If that fails, Broody's dispute resolution process is available.

4. Prohibited items and conduct

Broody is a marketplace for hatching eggs only. Until we open further categories (breeding supplies and equipment are on the roadmap — see the Seller Agreement), the following may not be listed, sold, or bought on Broody:

• Live animals of any kind — adult birds, day-old chicks, and any other livestock or pet. Only hatching eggs may be sold; nothing that has hatched or is otherwise alive.
• Endangered, protected, or CITES-listed species, and anything taken from the wild rather than from a managed breeding flock.
• Eggs intended for human consumption (table eggs, eating eggs).
• Stolen, counterfeit, illegally obtained, or otherwise unlawfully sourced goods.
• Any item prohibited or restricted by UK law.

Attempting to sell live animals or any other prohibited item is a serious breach. It results in your shop being closed — not merely the listing removed — and may be reported to the relevant authorities.

You may not use the platform to harass, mislead, or defraud other users. Fake reviews, shill bidding, and fee avoidance are grounds for immediate suspension.

5. Payments and fees

Payments are processed by Stripe, an FCA-regulated payment provider. Broody does not store your card details. All prices are listed in GBP and include VAT where applicable.

Commission is charged to sellers on each sale (see the Seller Agreement for rates). Buyers are not charged platform fees.

6. Dispute resolution

Dispute resolution is the responsibility of the seller operating their shop on the Broody platform. Buyers can raise enquiries for corresponding orders. Sellers are expected to resolve disputes fairly, and may decide to issue no, full or partial refund.

Funds from each sale are held for 10 days after dispatch to allow time for delivery and any buyer queries. This protects both parties.

7. Privacy and data protection

We process personal data in accordance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Our Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, why, and how you can exercise your rights (access, correction, deletion, portability).

• We never sell your personal data to third parties.
• Seller personal details (legal name, address, phone) are never shown to buyers — only shop name and county are public.
• We use cookies for essential functionality and analytics. Details in our Cookie Policy.

8. Intellectual property

The Broody name, logo, and platform design are our intellectual property. Sellers retain ownership of their listing content (photos, descriptions) but grant Broody a licence to display it on the platform and in marketing materials.

9. Limitation of liability

Broody is a marketplace — we facilitate connections between buyers and sellers but do not inspect, verify, or guarantee individual listings. We are not liable for the quality, safety, or legality of items sold, the accuracy of listing descriptions, or the ability of sellers to fulfil orders.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.

10. Account suspension and termination

Listing anything other than hatching eggs — live animals, wild-caught, endangered or protected species, or goods from an illegal source (see section 4) — results in your shop being closed.

More broadly, we may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms, engage in fraudulent activity, or receive repeated unresolved complaints. We'll notify you before taking action except in cases of fraud or legal obligation.

You can delete your account at any time from your account settings. Deletion is permanent and removes your personal data in accordance with GDPR (some data may be retained for legal and tax reporting purposes).

11. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. We'll notify you of material changes by email at least 30 days before they take effect. Continued use of the platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

12. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

1. Becoming a seller

By completing the seller registration process, you agree to this Seller Agreement in addition to the Terms of Service. You must complete identity verification and connect a payment method before you can receive payouts.

• You must be 18 or over and legally resident in the United Kingdom.
• You operate as an independent seller — Broody is not your employer, agent, or partner.
• You are responsible for complying with all applicable UK laws, including consumer protection, animal welfare, and tax obligations.

2. Your nest

Your nest is your branded storefront on Broody. You may operate one nest per account. Your nest URL (e.g. the-hatchery.broodyeggs.co.uk) is unique and cannot be transferred.

• Nest names must not infringe trademarks, impersonate other sellers, or contain offensive language.
• You are responsible for the accuracy of your nest profile, including description and logo.
• Broody may remove or rename nests that violate these terms.

3. Listings

You are solely responsible for the accuracy and legality of your listings. Each listing must truthfully describe the eggs being sold, including breed, quantity, and any relevant details about parent birds.

• Photos must be your own or used with permission. Stock photos must not misrepresent the actual product.
• Prices must be stated clearly in GBP and include all costs except postage (which must be stated separately).
• Pure breed and rare breed (RBST) designations carry a +£2 per-sale premium. By using these labels, you confirm that your breeding stock meets the relevant breed standards as defined by the Poultry Club of Great Britain or RBST.
• You must not list eggs you do not have or cannot reasonably fulfil within the stated dispatch window.

4. Fees and commission

Broody charges a tiered commission on each sale. Your rate depends on how many sales you've completed in the previous 30 days:

• Sales 1–10 in a 30-day rolling window: 15% commission
• Sales 11–20: 10% commission
• Sales 21+: 5% commission

The 30-day window slides with every sale — there is no calendar-month reset. Commission is locked in per sale and is not recalculated retroactively.

Commission is the only way Broody makes money — there are no subscription or listing fees. It pays for running the platform, the people building and supporting it, ongoing improvements, and Stripe's card-processing charges.

How commission is calculated

Commission is calculated on the full transaction subtotal — the listing price plus any postage charged to the buyer. Postage is included in the basis to keep the rate honest; if commission applied only to the listing price, sellers could shift price into postage to avoid fees. We don't take commission on VAT.

Every commission figure is floored to the nearest whole penny. Fractions of a penny always go to the seller, never to Broody. For example, £19.99 × 5% = £0.9995 — Broody charges £0.99, not £1.00.

Assured Pure listings

Pure-breed and rare-breed listings opted into the Assured Pure programme carry an additional £2 stake per sale. The stake is added on top of the standard commission — it does not reduce the commission basis.

Floor-to-penny rule

There are no listing fees, no subscription fees, and no monthly charges. You only pay when you make a sale.

5. Payments and payouts

All payments are processed through Stripe Connect. By becoming a seller, you agree to Stripe's Connected Account Agreement. Broody never holds your bank details — Stripe holds and moves the money; we only instruct it.

Here is the journey your money takes, from a buyer paying to it landing in your bank:

1. On sale Held by Broody The buyer's full payment sits on the Broody platform. Nothing reaches you yet.
2. You dispatch Your share is released Confirming dispatch transfers your share — the sale total less commission and any Assured Pure stake — to your Stripe balance, and starts the clock.
3. +10 days Cooldown clears Stripe holds the transferred funds for 10 days after dispatch — covering delivery and any buyer query — before they become available.
4. Next Monday Paid to your bank Cleared funds are paid out automatically, weekly every Monday. You never need to request a withdrawal.

• Payment is held, not paid to you, until you ship. When a buyer pays, the full amount is held on the platform. Your share moves only when you mark the order dispatched.
• A 10-day cooldown runs from dispatch. Transferred funds are held by Stripe for 10 days after dispatch before they can be paid out, then settle on the next weekly payout (Mondays).
• Broody's commission is deducted before you are paid. The amount transferred to you is already net of commission and any Assured Pure stake.
• Refunds before dispatch cost you nothing — no money had moved to you, so the buyer is refunded from the held payment. A refund after dispatch is reclaimed from your balance (or netted off your next payout), with commission recalculated on the amount the buyer kept.
• You are responsible for reporting income from sales to HMRC and paying any applicable tax.

6. Fulfilment and dispatch

You must dispatch orders within the window stated in your listing. If you cannot fulfil an order, you must cancel it promptly and the buyer will receive a full refund.

• Eggs must be packed appropriately for postal or courier delivery. Inadequate packing that results in breakage is the seller's responsibility.
• You must provide tracking information where available.
• Collection-only listings must clearly state the collection location and arrange a mutually convenient time with the buyer.

7. Animal welfare

Sellers must maintain high welfare standards for their birds. By selling on Broody, you confirm that:

• Your birds are kept in conditions that meet or exceed the five freedoms of animal welfare.
• Eggs are collected, stored, and packed humanely and hygienically.
• You will not sell eggs from birds kept in conditions that cause unnecessary suffering.
• You comply with all applicable animal welfare legislation, including the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Broody may investigate welfare complaints and suspend sellers who fail to meet these standards.

8. Disputes and refunds

If a buyer reports an issue with an order, you should attempt to resolve it directly within 48 hours. If resolution isn't reached, either party may escalate to Broody's dispute resolution process.

• Refunds for damaged or non-delivered orders are typically the seller's responsibility.
• Hatching eggs are a natural product — poor hatch rates alone are not grounds for a refund unless the listing made specific fertility guarantees.
• Broody may issue refunds from held funds in cases of clear seller fault (non-dispatch, gross misdescription, welfare concerns).
• Repeated unresolved disputes may result in account review or suspension.

9. Reviews and reputation

Buyers may leave reviews after a completed purchase. Reviews must be honest and based on genuine transactions. Sellers may respond publicly to reviews but may not harass, bribe, or pressure buyers regarding their feedback.

Broody will remove reviews that contain hate speech, personal information, or content unrelated to the transaction. We will not remove reviews simply because they are negative.

10. Regulatory compliance

Depending on your scale of operation, you may have legal obligations beyond this agreement:

• HMRC registration: If your annual turnover exceeds the VAT threshold, you must register for VAT.
• Hatching egg marketing standards: Commercial-scale operations must comply with DEFRA's hatching egg and chick marketing standards, including labelling and registration requirements.
• Consumer protection: As a seller, you are a trader under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. You must provide required pre-contract information.

Broody is not your legal adviser. If you are unsure about your obligations, seek independent legal advice.

11. Suspension and termination

We may suspend or terminate your seller account for breach of this agreement, including but not limited to: persistent failure to dispatch on time, fraudulent listings, animal welfare violations, or fee avoidance.

Upon termination, any pending payouts will be held for 30 days to allow for outstanding disputes. After that period, remaining funds will be released to your nominated account.

12. Changes to this agreement

We may update this Seller Agreement from time to time. We'll notify you of material changes by email at least 30 days before they take effect. If you disagree with changes, you may close your seller account before the effective date.

13. Governing law

This agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales and is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

1. Who we are

Broody (broodyeggs.co.uk) is the data controller for the personal data described here. We're a UK-based marketplace for hatching eggs and breeding supplies. If you have a question about your data, raise a support ticket from your account or get in touch via our contact page.

2. What we collect

• Account details: your name, email address, and a securely hashed password.
• Seller details: if you sell, your legal name, address, date of birth, and bank and identity details. These are collected and verified by Stripe for payments and anti-money-laundering checks — we don't store them ourselves.
• Order details: what you buy or sell, delivery addresses, and order history.
• Messages: conversations between you, other users, and our team.
• Technical data: IP address, device and browser information, and cookies (see our Cookie Policy below).

3. How we use your data

• To run the marketplace — create your account, publish listings, and process orders.
• To take payments and pay sellers, through Stripe.
• To verify identity and prevent fraud, money laundering, and abuse.
• To provide support and send service messages (verification, order updates, disputes).
• To meet our legal and tax obligations.
• To understand and improve how the site is used, where you've consented to analytics.

4. Our legal bases

We rely on the following lawful bases under UK GDPR:

• Contract: to provide the marketplace and fulfil your orders.
• Legal obligation: tax, accounting, and anti-money-laundering requirements.
• Legitimate interests: keeping the platform secure and preventing fraud.
• Consent: optional analytics cookies, which you can withdraw at any time.

5. Who we share it with

We never sell your personal data. We share it only with:

• Stripe — payment processing, payouts, and seller identity verification.
• Our email provider — to deliver verification and transactional emails.
• Our hosting provider (AWS, London region) — to store and serve the platform.
• Other users, only as an order requires — a seller sees the delivery details for their own orders; buyers only ever see a shop's public name and county, never a seller's home address, phone, or legal name.
• Authorities — where we're legally required to disclose.

6. Where your data is held

Your data is stored in the UK/EU (AWS eu-west-2, London). Where a provider such as Stripe processes data outside the UK, they do so under safeguards approved for UK data transfers.

7. How long we keep it

We keep your data while your account is open. When you close your account we delete or anonymise it, except where we must keep certain records longer — financial and tax records, for example, are kept for six years as the law requires.

8. Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Correct inaccurate data.
• Ask us to delete your data (subject to legal retention).
• Restrict or object to certain processing.
• Receive your data in a portable format.
• Withdraw consent for analytics at any time.

To exercise any of these, open a support ticket. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator.

9. Security

We encrypt data in transit, hash passwords and other sensitive identifiers, and limit access to personal data to those who need it. No system is perfectly secure, but we follow recognised standards to keep your data safe.

10. Children

Broody is for adults. You must be 18 or over to hold an account.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We'll notify you of material changes by email or in your account before they take effect.

1. What cookies are

Cookies are small files stored on your device that let a website remember you between pages and visits. We use them sparingly, and only as described below.

2. Essential cookies

These keep the site working and can't be switched off. They include a secure sign-in session cookie that keeps you logged in, and cookies that protect forms against cross-site request forgery. Without them, you couldn't sign in or place an order.

3. Analytics cookies

With your consent, we use Google Analytics to understand how the site is used — which pages are popular, where people get stuck — so we can improve it. It sets one cookie (named _ga) to count a device as a single visitor. The usage data is anonymised — we never share your name or email with Google — and is processed under Google's terms.

Analytics are off by default. The first time you visit, a small banner asks; nothing analytics-related is stored or sent until you choose Accept. Your choice is remembered in a small essential cookie (named broody_consent) so we don't ask again. To change or withdraw it, clear your site cookies in your browser and the banner will ask afresh. Declining never limits any feature.

4. What we don't do

We don't use advertising cookies, and we don't share cookie data with advertising networks or sell it to anyone.

5. Managing cookies

You can delete or block cookies through your browser settings. Blocking essential cookies will stop you signing in and ordering; blocking analytics cookies has no effect on the features available to you.

6. Changes

If we change how we use cookies, we'll update this policy and, where required, ask for your consent again.