Policies

• Protected amount: the requester authorises the item budget (if any), hauler reward and platform fee. That total is held in a protected state until delivery is confirmed.
• Release: after the recipient enters the correct delivery PIN, the hauler reward is released to the hauler’s wallet. Any unused item budget is returned to the requester.
• Price changes: for Buy & Bring orders, the hauler may submit the actual receipt price. If it exceeds the budget, the requester must approve the new amount before the hauler proceeds.
• Refunds: if a haul is cancelled before pickup, the protected amount is refunded to the requester. If a dispute is opened, the funds are held until the dispute is resolved.

For “Buy & Bring” requests, the requester’s payment authorization is limited to a specific item, category, and amount (plus an agreed tolerance buffer) communicated at the time of request. Haulers may not use provided funds for any purchase outside the authorized item, category, or amount. Purchases are verified via a pre-purchase item photo (confirmed by the requester) and a post-purchase receipt. HaulMate reserves the right to reverse a haul, void a hauler’s reward, and/or suspend an account where a purchase does not match the authorization on record. This mechanism does not constitute a guarantee against fraud and requesters should review hauler ratings and verification status before confirming a request. This platform is currently operating as a prototype; real-money payment protections described here reflect the intended operating model and are not yet backed by a licensed payment institution.

• Either party can open a dispute from the transaction screen. You will be asked for a category (not delivered, damaged, wrong item, cancelled after pickup, retailer issue, price issue or other) and a short description.
• Once a dispute is opened, the transaction is moved to under review and the protected amount is held.
• HaulMate will review the chat history, pickup/delivery confirmations and any receipt photos. A decision is typically made within 5 working days.
• Possible outcomes: release payment to the hauler, refund the requester, or split the amount based on the evidence.

• HaulMate is a marketplace that connects independent users. Haulers are not employees of HaulMate and we do not own the items being transported.
• Haulers are expected to handle items with reasonable care. Requesters must accurately describe the item, size and handover conditions.
• HaulMate does not currently provide shipping insurance. We strongly recommend that valuable items are only handed to highly trusted haulers and that both parties keep photo proof of handover.
• Final liability, insurance and tax treatment will be defined in the launch terms and conditions and will comply with applicable Dutch and EU law.

• Exact pickup and delivery addresses are only shared with the matched hauler once a haul is accepted.
• ID documents are used for verification only. They are not shown to other users.
• Messages, ratings and disputes may be reviewed by HaulMate to enforce these policies.