Terms & Conditions
These Terms & Conditions govern access to and use of ELRAPI, including account verification, seller listings, auctions, proxy bidding, Buy Now purchases, buyer-paid transaction fees, payment processing, shipping, payout holds and marketplace administration.
1. Acceptance of Terms
By accessing ELRAPI, creating an account, submitting a pigeon for sale, placing a bid, setting or increasing a private maximum bid, using Buy Now, completing payment, or otherwise using marketplace services, you agree to these Terms & Conditions and to the policies incorporated by reference.
If you do not agree, do not use ELRAPI to buy, sell, bid, list or purchase pigeons.
2. Eligibility & Accounts
Users must provide accurate information and protect their login credentials. Each account is intended for the person or business identified in that account. Account sharing, impersonation and unauthorized use are prohibited.
Users must be legally able to enter binding marketplace transactions. ELRAPI may request additional information when reasonably necessary to protect marketplace integrity, payment security, buyers or sellers.
3. Verification & Approval
An account may be created before bidding or selling privileges are enabled. Marketplace privileges require completion of the verification and approval process established by ELRAPI.
Payment-provider verification does not itself guarantee marketplace approval. ELRAPI may approve, reject, suspend or later review an account when reasonably necessary.
4. ELRAPI Marketplace Role
ELRAPI provides the technology and marketplace environment through which approved users may offer, discover, bid on and purchase racing pigeons.
Unless ELRAPI is expressly identified as the seller, the seller remains responsible for ownership or authority to sell, listing accuracy, pigeon condition, pedigree and performance claims, photographs, required disclosures, shipment and fulfillment.
5. Listings & Seller Responsibilities
Sellers must provide truthful and materially accurate lot information, including the band number, sex, color, breeder, loft, description, photographs, pedigree and other material information when applicable.
- A seller may not knowingly use false pedigree or performance information, misleading photographs or content the seller lacks authority to use.
- The seller must set a Starting Price the seller is genuinely willing to accept if it becomes the final valid sale price.
- Lot-specific fees and shipping terms shown by ELRAPI are part of the transaction terms attached to that lot.
6. Auction Rules
Each lot displays its Starting Price, current visible bid, applicable bidding increment, closing time and, when offered, a Buy Now price.
- The Starting Price is the minimum opening price.
- ELRAPI’s current standard lot model does not use a hidden reserve price unless ELRAPI expressly enables and discloses a reserve feature for that specific lot.
- If at least one valid bid exists when a standard no-reserve lot closes, the lot is sold to the highest valid bidder, subject to these Terms.
- Bid increments are determined by ELRAPI’s configured rules unless an authorized override applies.
- A seller may not bid on the seller’s own lot, directly or through another account or person.
- ELRAPI server time and marketplace records control opening, closing and bid order in the event of a local display or browser delay.
7. Proxy / Maximum Bidding
ELRAPI may allow a bidder to enter a private maximum bid. The private maximum is not publicly displayed. ELRAPI increases the visible bid only as needed under the applicable increment rules.
A private maximum is not necessarily the amount the bidder will pay. The final visible price depends on competing bids, bid timing, applicable increments and the bidder’s maximum.
Increasing a maximum bid while already leading does not by itself raise the visible bid unless competition requires it. Marketplace records control in the event of a display delay.
8. Buy Now
A seller may optionally offer a Buy Now price. Buy Now is separate from the Starting Price and is not required for every lot.
- Buy Now remains available while the current visible bid is below the Buy Now price, even after bidding has started.
- If the current visible bid reaches or exceeds the Buy Now price through ordinary or proxy bidding, the Buy Now option is removed.
- Reaching or exceeding the Buy Now price through bidding does not automatically create a Buy Now purchase.
- If an eligible buyer expressly confirms Buy Now while it remains available, bidding closes and that buyer becomes the purchaser at the displayed Buy Now price.
9. Bid Cancellation Requests
ELRAPI does not provide buyer self-service bid deletion. A valid bid is a serious marketplace commitment.
If the current winning bidder believes a bid or maximum bid was entered in error, the bidder must contact ELRAPI promptly and provide the complete Lot ID and transaction-relevant information.
- The request must come from the same email address registered to the account that is currently the winning bidder on that lot.
- Requests are not accepted from losing bidders, another user or a third party seeking to alter a competitor’s position.
- ELRAPI will not approve an ordinary bid cancellation once the lot enters its final three (3) hours.
- ELRAPI may approve or deny a request in its discretion after reviewing the marketplace record.
If an approved cancellation is executed, ELRAPI may invalidate the affected bidder’s active participation on that lot and recalculate the leader and visible bid from the remaining valid bidding records. ELRAPI may retain the cancelled records and administrative audit trail.
10. Buyer Obligations
A valid winning bid and a confirmed Buy Now action create a binding purchase commitment, subject to ELRAPI policies and applicable law. Buyers must review the lot, photographs, description, pedigree, fees, shipping terms and applicable policies before bidding or buying.
Buyers must maintain a valid authorized payment method, complete required authentication and pay the full transaction total when due.
11. Buyer Fees & Transaction Total
In addition to the final pigeon sale price, the buyer may be charged the lot-specific ELRAPI Fee, Payment Processing Fee, Domestic Shipping charge and any applicable taxes or other charges disclosed before payment.
The authoritative charges for a purchase are the amounts and rates shown for that lot and in checkout. A processing-related charge will be applied only to the extent permitted by applicable law and payment-network or payment-provider rules; ELRAPI may reduce, waive or absorb a charge when required.
12. Payments & Receipts
ELRAPI currently uses a third-party payment provider to verify payment methods and process marketplace checkout. Full card numbers and security codes are intended to be entered directly with the payment provider rather than stored by ELRAPI.
After successful payment confirmation, ELRAPI records the transaction as Paid — Payout Held and generates a transaction receipt. Receipts may include the Transaction ID, Lot ID, sale price, fees, shipping, total paid, payment status and payment-provider reference.
A buyer may not treat a completed payment as cancelled merely because the buyer changes their mind. Refunds and payment disputes are governed by the applicable ELRAPI policies and payment-provider rules.
13. Shipping & Delivery
Domestic shipping, international arrangements, local pickup, tracking, live-bird transport requirements and delivery responsibilities are governed by the lot and ELRAPI’s Shipping & Delivery Policy.
ELRAPI’s standard Domestic Shipping charge applies only to qualifying shipments within the United States. International shipping is not included unless expressly stated and must be arranged separately when available.
14. Seller Payout Hold
Payment success does not necessarily mean the seller’s proceeds are immediately released to the seller’s bank account. ELRAPI may hold seller proceeds while shipment, delivery, fraud review, Buyer Protection or another legitimate transaction issue remains unresolved.
This payout-hold process is a marketplace settlement control and is not represented as a legal escrow service.
15. Administrative Control
ELRAPI administration may pause, resume, cancel, restart, correct or otherwise control an auction or lot when reasonably necessary to address fraud, technical problems, rule violations, material errors or exceptional circumstances.
ELRAPI may preserve bidding, cancellation, transaction and audit history even when an auction or lot is cancelled, removed or restarted.
16. Prohibited Conduct
- fraudulent, sham or coordinated bids;
- seller self-bidding through another account or person;
- price manipulation or interference with proxy bidding;
- false pedigree, ownership, performance or listing information;
- attempts to cancel another bidder’s bid or impersonate another user;
- attempts to bypass payment, identity, account-approval or marketplace controls;
- chargeback abuse, fabricated evidence or false delivery claims;
- interference with ELRAPI security, software or marketplace integrity;
- use of ELRAPI for unlawful activity.
17. Disputes & Buyer Protection
ELRAPI may review listing information, bidding history, payment records, shipping information, communications and other available evidence when evaluating a reported issue.
Eligibility for refunds, transaction cancellation and other marketplace remedies is governed by the Buyer Protection Policy and Payments, Fees, Payouts & Disputes Policy.
18. Intellectual Property
ELRAPI branding, marketplace design, software, logos and original platform content are protected by applicable intellectual-property laws. Sellers retain responsibility for uploaded content and represent that they possess the rights necessary to use it.
By submitting listing content, the seller authorizes ELRAPI to display, reproduce, resize and format that content as reasonably necessary to operate and promote the marketplace.
19. Third-Party Services
ELRAPI relies on third-party providers for services that may include payment processing, hosting, email, security and shipping. Their services may be subject to separate terms, availability and technical limitations.
20. Disclaimers & Limitation of Liability
ELRAPI cannot independently guarantee every seller statement, future racing or breeding performance, carrier performance, or uninterrupted availability of third-party services.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, ELRAPI is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages arising from marketplace use, seller representations, buyer conduct, transportation, third-party services or circumstances outside ELRAPI’s reasonable control.
Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot legally be excluded or limited.
21. Suspension & Termination
ELRAPI may restrict, suspend or terminate marketplace privileges when an account violates these Terms, presents a material fraud or security risk, repeatedly fails to complete transactions, abuses marketplace functions or otherwise creates substantial risk.
Suspension or termination does not automatically erase prior bids, purchases, transactions or obligations.
22. Changes to These Terms
ELRAPI may update these Terms as marketplace features, fee structures, payment procedures, shipping processes or legal requirements change. Material changes may require renewed acceptance. Historical accepted versions may be preserved for audit and legal records.
23. Governing Law
Unless applicable law requires otherwise, these Terms and disputes concerning ELRAPI are governed by the laws of the State of Florida, United States, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.
24. Contact
Questions about these Terms or a marketplace transaction should be submitted through the support method published on ELRAPI. Include the relevant Lot ID and Transaction ID when available.
These Terms should be read together with ELRAPI’s Payments, Fees, Payouts & Disputes Policy, Buyer Protection Policy, Shipping & Delivery Policy and Privacy Policy.