Terms and Conditions

• Advertisement: A publication created by a User to promote a horse, pony, service, or product for a limited time.
• Advertiser: A User or Visitor who posts or manages an Advertisement. Advertisers must indicate whether they act in a professional/business capacity or as a private individual.
• General Terms and Conditions: These present Terms and Conditions.
• Rating(s): Feedback provided by Users based on their experience with another User. Reviews may be reported for unlawful or false content and will be assessed.
• Horse Participation Agreement: A contract between a rider/groom and horse owner for shared horse use.
• Content: Any material placed on the platform by PaardPlaats or a User, including text, videos, photos, and advertisements.
• Third Parties: Any entity other than PaardPlaats and its Users.
• Service: The facilitation by PaardPlaats of a Platform to connect Users and Visitors.
• Services: Equestrian-related services offered via the Platform, including but not limited to riding, grooming, and leasing.
• Owner: The legal owner of a horse or pony listed on PaardPlaats.
• User: A registered person with a profile on PaardPlaats.
• Visitor: An unregistered person who accesses the Platform and may contact Advertisers.
• Platform: The PaardPlaats website and associated services.
• Profile: The public-facing page created by a User.
• Verified User: A User whose email address has been verified by PaardPlaats.
• Intellectual Property Rights: All copyrights, trademarks, database rights, and other IP rights.

2.1 These Terms apply to all use of the Platform by Users and Visitors.

2.2 PaardPlaats may revise these Terms at any time. Updated versions will be published on the Platform. Continued use of the Platform signifies acceptance of the new Terms.

3.1 PaardPlaats solely provides a Platform that connects Advertisers (Users and Visitors) with interested parties. PaardPlaats is not a party to any agreement or transaction made between parties using the Platform.

3.2 PaardPlaats does not vet the truthfulness, quality, legality, or ownership of the horses, services, or content offered.

3.3 PaardPlaats is not responsible for:

• any transactions made between Users and/or Visitors;
• fraud, misrepresentation, or contractual breaches;
• any injury, loss, or death involving horses or services;
• the accuracy or legality of advertisements;
• any agreements made directly between parties.

3.4 All Users and Visitors use the Platform at their own risk.

4.1 Users must be at least 16 years old. Users under 18 require verifiable consent from a legal guardian.

4.2 Users must provide accurate and truthful information in their profiles and are responsible for safeguarding their login credentials.

4.3 PaardPlaats may suspend or delete a profile at its discretion, including in cases of impersonation or breach of Terms.

4.4 It is not permitted to include external URLs in profiles, except where required in Advertisements and optional social links on profile.

5.1 Advertisements must pertain to horse/pony related services, products, or animals.

5.2 Advertisers must:

• have ownership or decision-making rights over the offered product or service;
• ensure the availability of the advertised item or service;
• respond to inquiries within a reasonable time;
• post only one product or service per Advertisement;
• avoid misleading, inappropriate, infringing, or illegal content;
• if acting in a professional/business capacity, provide legally required business information including business name, registered address, Chamber of Commerce/KvK number, VAT number (if applicable), and professional contact details. This information will be displayed to buyers as required by EU law.

5.3 By placing an Advertisement, you consent to worldwide publication of your provided contact details (email, phone, postcode, optional WhatsApp/stable name, profile image). PaardPlaats cannot prevent third parties from copying or reusing this data.

5.4 PaardPlaats may remove any Advertisement that breaches these conditions or is reported as illegal/unlawful. Illegal content can be reported via the contact form or email to support@paardplaats.nl. PaardPlaats performs random and regular content checks.

5.5 Visitors may contact Advertisers directly through tools provided by the Platform. Such interactions are entirely at their own risk.

6.1 Each Advertisement is published free of charge for an initial period of one (1) month.

6.2 If the Advertisement remains active after this free period, a paid advertising period of three (3) months will start automatically.

6.3 The total price for this three-month paid period is EUR 9.99 in total, including VAT where applicable. This is a one-time amount and not a monthly fee.

6.4 After the free one-month period ends, PaardPlaats will automatically charge this one-time amount of EUR 9.99 once through the payment method selected by the Advertiser.

6.5 PaardPlaats will send the Advertiser a reminder by email three (3) days before the automatic payment is processed.

6.6 The Advertiser can prevent the charge by removing the Advertisement, deactivating it, or marking it as sold before the end of the free one-month period.

6.7 After the three-month paid period ends, no recurring charges will apply and the Advertisement will not be renewed automatically. Any further paid placement requires a new and separate action by the Advertiser.

6.8 By placing an Advertisement on the Platform, the Advertiser expressly agrees to and authorizes the above one-time automatic charge after expiry of the free one-month period, provided the Advertisement has not been removed, deactivated, or marked as sold in time.

6A.1 Memberships include a free trial period of fourteen (14) days starting on the activation date of the selected membership tier. No charges apply during the trial period.

6A.2 If the user cancels the membership before the end of the fourteen (14)-day trial period, no membership fee will be charged.

6A.3 If the user does not cancel before the trial period ends, the membership automatically converts into a paid monthly subscription for the selected membership tier.

6A.4 The applicable monthly membership fee depends on the membership tier selected by the user and is shown clearly before the membership is started.

6A.5 The first payment is charged immediately after the fourteen (14)-day trial period ends. That payment relates to the first billing cycle linked to the original activation date, meaning that the first cycle also includes the trial period.

6A.6 After the first payment, the membership fee will be charged automatically each month using the payment method selected by the user. Each subsequent payment is charged on the same calendar day of the month as the original membership activation date or, if that calendar day does not occur in a given month, on the last day of that month.

6A.7 By starting a membership, the user expressly requests and authorizes the automatic conversion to a paid subscription after the trial period and explicitly agrees to the recurring monthly charges that follow unless the membership is cancelled before the trial period ends.

7.1 Users and Visitors agree to use the Platform respectfully and legally.

7.2 It is prohibited to:

• post discriminatory, unlawful, or offensive content;
• harass, defraud, or impersonate others;
• upload viruses or malware;
• disrupt the functionality of the Platform.

8.1 Users may write reviews and rate each other only where a real interaction (transaction, communication, or service) has taken place.

8.2 Reviews must be honest, lawful, and relevant. Defamatory, irrelevant, or fake reviews are prohibited.

8.3 PaardPlaats does not guarantee the authenticity of reviews but will take reasonable steps to detect and remove manifestly false or unlawful reviews.

8.4 Reviews can be reported via the contact form or email to support@paardplaats.nl. Reported reviews will be assessed and may be removed.

8.5 Users may appeal a review removal or decision within 14 days by contacting support@paardplaats.nl. Appeals will be reviewed fairly and impartially.

9.1 All Platform content and design are the property of PaardPlaats or its licensors.

9.2 Users grant PaardPlaats a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use their posted content for platform operation and promotional purposes, including social media promotion.

9.3 This license terminates when the content is deleted by the User, except where retention is required for legal reasons, backups, or caching beyond PaardPlaats' immediate control.

9.4 Users confirm they have the rights to any content they upload.

10.1 PaardPlaats is not liable for any damages resulting from:

• use of or reliance on the Platform;
• errors in Advertisements;
• misrepresentation, fraud, or non-performance by Users or Visitors;
• third-party actions;
• downtime, errors, or loss of access.

10.2 Maximum liability of PaardPlaats, where not otherwise excluded, is limited to €1,000 per incident.

10.3 Nothing in these Terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, gross negligence, or any liability that cannot be excluded under mandatory law.

11.1 Users may cancel their account at any time.

11.2 PaardPlaats may terminate or restrict access for any reason without liability, including for breaches of these Terms.

12.1 Personal data is processed in accordance with Dutch and EU data protection laws and PaardPlaats' Privacy Policy.

13.1 PaardPlaats complies with the EU Digital Services Act. Illegal content may be reported via the contact form or email support@paardplaats.nl.

13.2 Reported content will be reviewed promptly, and appropriate action will be taken, including removal where necessary.

13.3 Advertisements and listings are ranked primarily by recency, relevance, and any paid promotion. Sponsored listings are clearly identified.

13.4 Advertisers must declare whether they act in a professional/business capacity. PaardPlaats will disclose this information to potential buyers.

13.5 PaardPlaats provides a single point of contact for authorities and users regarding DSA compliance: support@paardplaats.nl.

13.6 Users whose content is removed may appeal within 14 days by contacting support@paardplaats.nl. Complaints will be handled promptly and fairly.

14.1 If you are a consumer under EU law, you may have certain mandatory rights under consumer protection laws. These Terms do not limit those rights.

14.2 Because advertisements are published immediately after payment, no statutory right of withdrawal applies to paid ads once placed. By submitting payment, you agree to waive the 14-day withdrawal period.

14.3 Complaints can be submitted to support@paardplaats.nl. We aim to resolve complaints within 14 days.

14.4 You may also use the EU Online Dispute Resolution platform: https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr

15.1 These Terms are governed exclusively by Dutch law.

15.2 Any disputes shall be submitted to the competent court in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, unless mandatory consumer law states otherwise. If you reside outside the EU/EEA, you are responsible for ensuring compliance with your own local laws when using PaardPlaats. Mandatory consumer protection rights in your country of residence may also apply.