Terms of Service
Welcome to Relay. These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the Relay website, the Relay mobile application (listed on the Apple App Store and Google Play as “Relay Marketplace”), and related services (collectively, the “Service”) provided by Relay(“Relay”, “we”, “us”, or “our”). By creating an account, joining the waitlist, or using the Service, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.
These Terms make up the entire agreement between you and Relay regarding your use of the Service. The Service itself is currently provided free of charge; certain optional features (such as a Pro subscription and AI scan packs) are sold as in-app purchases through the Apple App Store and Google Play. We don't sell your personal data to advertisers, and we don't share information that directly identifies you with advertisers. Please also review our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.
1. Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years old to create a Relay account or to list, buy, or sell on Relay. By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you meet that requirement and that you are not otherwise barred from using the Service under applicable law. We try to make Relay available to everyone, but you may not use the Service if we have previously disabled your account for violations of these Terms or our other policies. If we disable your account for a violation, you agree not to create another account without our permission. Receiving permission to create a new account is at our sole discretion and does not mean or imply that the disciplinary action was wrong or without cause. We reserve the right to refuse to provide the Service to anyone at any time.
The Service is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If we become aware that a user is under 13, we will promptly disable their account and delete any associated personal information. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at contact@therelay.app.
2. Your account
Relay accounts are created and authenticated using a phone number (verified via SMS through Firebase Authentication). You are responsible for keeping your account credentials and the device(s) signed in to your account secure, and for all activity that occurs under your account. You agree to provide accurate information during signup and to keep that information up to date. Notify us at contact@therelay.app if you believe your account has been compromised, your phone number has changed, or someone is using your phone number on Relay without your authorization.
3. The waitlist and beta program
Before general availability, Relay may operate a waitlist and a private or invite-only beta program. Joining the waitlist is not a purchase, a subscription, or a guarantee of access to the Service on any particular date. We may invite waitlist members in batches as capacity allows, and we may decline or revoke beta access at our discretion.
4. Acceptable use
When using the Service, you agree not to:
- Harass, threaten, defame, impersonate, stalk, or intimidate other users.
- Post, upload, or share content (including listings, photos, or messages) that is unlawful, fraudulent, hateful, sexually explicit, that infringes the intellectual property or privacy of others, or that otherwise violates the rights of others.
- List items that are illegal to sell in your jurisdiction or that are prohibited by these Terms or by our published listing policies (for example, recalled goods, weapons or regulated firearms accessories where prohibited, prescription drugs, live animals, stolen goods, counterfeit items, or items that infringe a third party's trademarks or copyrights).
- Use the Service to send spam, unsolicited promotions, bulk messages, or to recruit users off-platform for the purpose of evading Relay's policies or fees.
- Misrepresent the identity, condition, location, or ownership of an item; manipulate ratings, offers, or the explore feed; or coordinate with other users to do so.
- Submit identification belonging to someone else, a forged document, or any other fraudulent material to the identity-verification flow.
- Attempt to gain unauthorized access to other accounts, to our servers, or to any networks connected to the Service.
- Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract source code from the Service, except to the extent this restriction is prohibited by applicable law.
- Use automated means (bots, scrapers, crawlers) to access, scrape, or collect data from the Service without our prior written permission.
- Interfere with, disrupt, or place an unreasonable load on the Service.
We may remove any listing, message, or content, and may suspend or terminate any account, that we reasonably believe is violating these rules, with or without notice.
5. Marketplace conduct
Relay is a peer-to-peer marketplace. Relay is not a party to transactions between buyers and sellers; we provide the platform that lets buyers and sellers find each other, communicate, and arrange a sale. The contract for the sale of any item is solely between the buyer and the seller.
You are solely responsible for the items you list and the offers you make, and for complying with all applicable laws (including consumer-protection, tax, and licensing laws). You are responsible for the safety of any in-person meetup you arrange through the Service: meet in well-lit public places, bring a friend when reasonable, and do not share sensitive personal information beyond what is necessary to complete the transaction.
Relay does not inspect, authenticate, or warrant the items listed on the Service, the statements of any user, or the outcome of any transaction. We do not provide escrow, shipping, or payment services in-app today; if a transaction goes wrong (the item is not as described, the buyer doesn't show, payment fails, etc.), the buyer and seller must resolve the issue between themselves. You may use the in-app Report flow to flag listings or users that violate these Terms; reports are reviewed by our moderation team.
6. Identity verification
Relay offers optional identity verification through our partner Persona. By starting verification, you authorize Persona to collect a government-issued ID and (where required) a selfie, to perform document and biometric checks, and to share the verification outcome (passed, failed, or expired) with Relay. Relay does not access the underlying document or biometric data; please review our Privacy Policy for details on what we do and do not store.
Verification is voluntary. You can use Relay without verifying, though certain features (including ranking boosts in the explore feed, eligibility for higher-value transactions, and some seller controls) may favor verified users.
You agree to submit only identification belonging to you, and you acknowledge that any attempt to verify with someone else's ID, a forged document, or any other fraudulent submission is a material breach of these Terms and grounds for immediate account termination, in addition to any other remedies available to Relay or to law enforcement.
7. Your content
The Service allows you to create, store, and share content such as listings, photos, descriptions, prices, offers, messages, and other user-generated content. Any content (other than Feedback) that you post, upload, transmit, or otherwise make available through the Service is referred to as “User Content.”
We do not claim any ownership rights in any User Content. You retain ownership of the content you create and share through the Service, and nothing in these Terms will be deemed to restrict any rights that you may have to your User Content.
7a. License grant for User Content
By making any User Content available through the Service, you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, worldwide, royalty-free license, with the right to sublicense, to host, store, reproduce, display, distribute, modify (e.g., resize photos), and otherwise use your User Content solely in connection with operating, providing, and promoting the Service to you and other users. This license terminates when you delete your User Content or close your account, except: (a) where your User Content has been shared with other users who have not themselves deleted it; (b) where it has been incorporated into another user's shared records (such as messages in an offer thread); or (c) where we are required to retain it by applicable law.
7b. Your responsibility for User Content
You are solely responsible for all of your User Content and for the consequences of sharing it through the Service. You represent and warrant that: (a) you have, and will continue to have, all rights necessary to grant us the license set forth in these Terms with respect to your User Content; (b) neither your User Content, nor your use or submission of your User Content through the Service, nor any use of your User Content by us on or through the Service, will infringe, misappropriate, or violate any third party's intellectual property rights, rights of publicity or privacy, or result in a violation of any applicable law or regulation; and (c) any item you list is yours to sell, is accurately described, and is legal to sell in your jurisdiction.
7c. Removal of User Content
You may remove your User Content by deleting it from the Service. Please be aware that, in certain instances, some User Content (such as messages in an offer thread, or copies cached by other users' devices) may not be completely removed, and copies of your User Content may continue to exist on the Service or on third-party services where it has been shared with or accessed by other users prior to deletion. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, we are not responsible or liable for the removal or deletion of (or the failure to remove or delete) any of your User Content.
7d. AI-assisted listing creation
When you use the optional “scan” feature, Relay sends your listing photos to a third-party AI model provider, which returns a suggested title, description, and category. You are responsible for reviewing the suggested text before publishing and remain solely responsible for the final content of your listing. We do not permit our model providers to train their general-purpose models on your photos or generated text, and we do not use your data to train any AI or machine-learning models ourselves.
7e. Our intellectual property
We make available through the Service content that is subject to our intellectual property rights, including but not limited to the Relay name, logo, software, text, graphics, and other materials developed or owned by us (the “Relay IP”). We retain all rights, title, and interest in and to the Relay IP. Nothing in these Terms grants you any right to use the Relay IP except as expressly set forth herein.
8. Cost, subscriptions, and in-app purchases
The core Service (creating an account, browsing listings, listing items, sending offers, and exchanging messages) is currently provided free of charge. We reserve the right to introduce fees for any feature of the Service at any time. If a feature you are actively using becomes subject to a fee, we will provide you with advance notice prior to the fee taking effect, and your continued use of that feature following notice will constitute your agreement to pay all applicable fees.
Relay offers optional paid features sold as in-app purchases (“IAPs”) through the Apple App Store and Google Play, including:
- Pro subscription: an auto-renewing subscription that unlocks additional features such as expanded search radius, custom search location, additional watchlists, and other features described in the app at the time of purchase.
- Scan packs: non-consumable or consumable IAPs that grant credits for AI-assisted listing creation.
Auto-renewal. Pro subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each billing period at the then-current price unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscription at any time from your Apple ID or Google Play account settings, or via the in-app Profile → Settings → Manage Subscription link, which deep-links to the appropriate store. Cancellation is not provided through Relay directly; Apple or Google handle the cancellation, refund, and dispute process for in-app purchases.
Refunds. Refund requests for IAPs are handled by Apple and Google under their respective policies. Relay does not process refunds for IAPs directly. Where required by applicable consumer-protection law, you may have additional refund rights that these Terms do not limit.
We do not sell, license, or otherwise monetize your personal data to third parties for advertising purposes. You retain full control over the data associated with your account, including the ability to access, edit, and delete your information in accordance with these Terms and our Privacy Policy.
9. Privacy
Our Privacy Policy explains what information we collect and how we use it. By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with that policy.
10. Feedback
Any suggestions, ideas, enhancement requests, recommendations, or other feedback you provide to us regarding the Service (“Feedback”) is entirely voluntary. You acknowledge that we may use Feedback for any purpose, including improving or modifying the Service, without any obligation to compensate you or keep it confidential. By submitting Feedback, you grant us a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, modify, and incorporate it into the Service or any future products.
11. Third-party services
The Service integrates with several third-party services. Your use of those services is also governed by the terms and privacy policies of the respective providers, and we are not responsible for the availability or accuracy of third-party services.
Identity verification. Identity verification is provided by Persona. By starting verification you agree to Persona's Terms of Service and Persona's Privacy Policy.
Authentication and infrastructure. Phone-number authentication, push notifications, and the underlying database are provided by Google Firebase / Google Cloud, subject to Firebase's terms. Server-side hosting is provided by Vercel.
Subscription management. Subscription and entitlement management is provided by RevenueCat.
App Store and Google Play. The Service is distributed on the Apple App Store and Google Play under the name “Relay Marketplace.”If you downloaded the Service through the Apple App Store, your use is also subject to Apple's Media Services Terms and Conditions. If you downloaded the Service through Google Play, your use is also subject to Google Play's Terms of Service. In the event of any conflict between those terms and these Terms, the applicable store's terms will govern solely with respect to your use of that platform. Relay, and not Apple or Google, is solely responsible for the Service and its content.
12. Termination
You can stop using the Service and delete your account at any time from Profile → Settings → Account → Delete user inside the app. We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without notice, if we reasonably believe you have violated these Terms or our published policies, if your continued use creates legal exposure or risk to the Service or its users, or if we discontinue the Service. Upon termination, the rights and licenses granted to you under these Terms will immediately end, but the provisions that by their nature should survive termination (including User Content licenses for content shared with other users, payment obligations, warranty disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnification, and dispute resolution) will survive.
13. Beta features
From time to time we may offer features or functionality that are designated as “beta,” “experimental,” “preview,” or similar (“Beta Features”). Beta Features are provided as-is and may be modified, suspended, or discontinued at any time without notice. We make no representations or warranties regarding the reliability, accuracy, or fitness of Beta Features for any particular purpose, and your use of them is entirely at your own risk.
14. Disclaimer of warranties
THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND ANY WARRANTIES ARISING OUT OF COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE OF TRADE. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR SECURE; THAT ANY DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED; OR THAT ANY ITEM LISTED ON, BUYER OR SELLER USING, OR TRANSACTION CONDUCTED THROUGH THE SERVICE WILL MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES, SO SOME OF THESE EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
15. Limitation of liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL RELAY, ITS AFFILIATES, OR ITS LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, OR GOODWILL, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THESE TERMS OR YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, AND WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICE WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100) AND (B) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO RELAY (NOT INCLUDING AMOUNTS PAID TO APPLE OR GOOGLE) IN THE TWELVE MONTHS PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF CERTAIN DAMAGES, SO SOME OF THESE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
16. Indemnification
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Relay, its affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your use of the Service; (b) your User Content; (c) any item you list, sell, or buy through the Service or any in-person meetup you arrange through the Service; (d) your violation of these Terms or any law or regulation; or (e) your violation of the rights of any third party.
17. Dispute resolution
Informal resolution. Before initiating any formal legal proceeding, you agree to contact us at contact@therelay.app and provide a written description of the dispute, the relief sought, and your contact information. We will attempt to resolve the dispute informally within 30 days of receipt. Either party may proceed to formal resolution if the dispute is not resolved within that period.
Binding arbitration.Except for disputes that qualify for small-claims court, you and Relay agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service will be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, rather than in court. The arbitration will take place in San Mateo County, California, or remotely if mutually agreed. The arbitrator's decision will be final and binding, and judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.
Class action waiver.You and Relay each waive the right to bring or participate in any class action, collective action, or representative proceeding arising out of or related to these Terms or the Service. The arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims and may not preside over any form of class or representative proceeding.
Exceptions. Either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction to prevent actual or threatened infringement, misappropriation, or violation of intellectual property rights, without first engaging in arbitration.
18. Governing law and venue
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, United States, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. Subject to the arbitration provisions in Section 17, you agree that any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in San Mateo County, California, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.
19. Changes to these Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you through the app, by email (where we have one on file), or by updating the effective date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Service after the updated Terms take effect constitutes acceptance of the changes. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you must stop using the Service and may delete your account.
20. Miscellaneous
These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any additional policies we publish in the app or on our website, constitute the entire agreement between you and Relay regarding the Service and supersede any prior agreements. If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect. Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of that right or provision. You may not assign or transfer these Terms without our prior written consent; we may assign these Terms without restriction. Section headings are for convenience only and do not affect interpretation.
21. Contact
Questions about these Terms can be sent to contact@therelay.app.