ShopZer Product Policy

This Product Policy sets out the allowed and prohibited product categories, listing standards, and compliance requirements for merchants listing goods on the ShopZer platform. This policy forms part of the ShopZer Terms and Conditions.

1. Overview and Scope

ShopZer is a discovery and listing marketplace designed for independent local merchants. To protect consumers and comply with applicable Indian laws and regulatory frameworks, ShopZer only supports select low-regulation product categories.

Merchants are strictly prohibited from listing items that belong to regulated, high-risk, or prohibited categories as outlined in this policy.

2. Prohibited Categories and Products

The following categories, products, and services are strictly prohibited from being listed on ShopZer. Any listing falling within these categories will be removed immediately and may result in merchant account suspension or termination:

• Food and Groceries: Fresh produce, packaged or processed food, dairy products, bakery goods, snacks, beverages, edible oils, dietary supplements, health mixes, and homemade food items (regulated under FSSAI).
• Cosmetics and Personal Care: Skincare creams, lotions, hair care products, makeup, perfumes, essential oils for topical use, soaps, shampoos, and personal hygiene products (regulated under Drugs and Cosmetics Act).
• Medicines and Medical Devices: Allopathic, Ayurvedic, Siddha, Unani, or homeopathic medicines, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, diagnostic kits, contact lenses, or any product claiming therapeutic, medicinal, or curative properties.
• Toys and Baby Products: Children's toys, teething rings, baby care gear, and infant feeding equipment (subject to mandatory BIS safety certifications).
• Electronics and Smart Devices: Mobile phones, laptops, tablets, chargers, batteries, consumer electronic appliances, smart wearables, and IoT devices (subject to BIS CRS and E-Waste regulations).
• Precious-Metal Jewellery: Articles made of gold, silver, platinum, diamond, or certified gemstones (subject to mandatory Hallmarking regulations).
• Alcohol, Tobacco, and Nicotine: Alcoholic drinks, beer, wine, spirits, cigarettes, beedis, cigars, gutkha, pan masala, vapes, electronic cigarettes, e-hookahs, and smoking paraphernalia.
• Weapons, Fireworks, and Explosives: Firearms, ammunition, knives, swords, tactical weapons, fireworks, firecrackers, sparklers, and pyrotechnics.
• Hazardous Chemicals: Toxic chemicals, industrial solvents, pesticides, insecticides, and combustible or flammable substances.
• Counterfeit and Replicas: Knockoffs, imitation branded goods, pirated media, unauthorized copies, or stolen property.
• Adult and Explicit Content: Sexually explicit material, adult products, or escort services.

3. No Circumvention and Labelling Rules

Merchants may not attempt to disguise or misclassify prohibited items by:

• Listing prohibited goods under permitted or miscellaneous categories;
• Packaging prohibited goods into "gift hampers", "care packages", or bundled kits;
• Using marketing claims such as "100% natural", "organic", "ayurvedic", "herbal", or "handmade".

"Handmade" or "craft" is not an exemption from Indian statutory regulations. Prohibited goods remain prohibited regardless of how they are produced or described.

4. Permitted Product Categories

ShopZer supports select low-regulation consumer products, including but not limited to:

• Apparel, clothing, and garments;
• Fashion accessories and non-precious imitation fashion jewellery (clearly identified as artificial/imitation);
• Footwear, bags, wallets, and travel gear;
• Home decor, handicrafts, wall art, and non-electrical furnishings;
• Stationery, books, notebooks, and paper goods.

5. Listing Standards and Merchant Responsibility

Merchants listing products on ShopZer must adhere to the following standards:

• Accuracy: Product titles, descriptions, and prices must be accurate and must not mislead consumers.
• Authentic Images: Photos must depict the actual product being sold. Merchants must own or be legally authorized to use the images uploaded.
• No Misleading Claims: Products must not make unsubstantiated health, medical, therapeutic, or miraculous claims.
• Legal Compliance: Merchants are solely responsible for ensuring that their products comply with all applicable Indian laws, including the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, tax requirements, and consumer protection standards. A published listing does not imply that ShopZer has validated its legal compliance.

6. Moderation, Removal, and Appeals

ShopZer employs automated filtering and manual review processes:

• Listings that cannot be verified or that trigger automated risk alerts may be held for manual review or rejected.
• ShopZer reserves the right to remove any listing or suspend any merchant account that violates this Product Policy.
• If a listing is removed and you believe the action was taken in error, you may submit an appeal with product clarification by emailing legal@shop-zer.com or support@shop-zer.com.

7. Reporting Prohibited Products and Grievances

If you discover a listing on ShopZer that violates this Product Policy or applicable laws, please report it to our Grievance Officer:

Grievance Officer: Mohammed Tahir
Email: legal@shop-zer.com / support@shop-zer.com

We acknowledge complaints within 48 hours and take appropriate action as required by the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.