Terms of use

These terms apply when you use flatcart.ca, request help, or offer help through it. By using the site you agree to them. Questions: hello@flatcart.ca.

What is Flatcart?

Flatcart is an independent website. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Costco Wholesale Corporation or Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd. We publish guides for Costco shoppers and connect shoppers with independent local helpers and businesses. Helpers are not Flatcart employees or agents, and Costco does not provide or endorse their services. The agreement for a job is between the shopper and the helper; Flatcart introduces them, sets the main price on packaged services, and, when you pay by card through Flatcart, holds the payment.

Accounts and requests

• You must be 18 or older to request or offer a service, and give accurate details.
• Keep your password private; you are responsible for activity on your account.
• A request posted to the help board is published only after we review it, and we may edit it to remove addresses, phone numbers and emails. Your contact details are never shown to helpers.
• We may decline, remove or edit any request, profile, message or review that breaks these terms or the law.

Prices

• Packages: Flatcart sets the price of the main package and its add-ons on each service, shown on the service page. Every helper charges the same package price.
• Extras: if a job needs something the package and add-ons don't cover, the helper can send an extra with its reason. It only goes ahead if you accept and pay it.
• Prices are in Canadian dollars. Taxes may apply. You pay for any items a helper buys for you (for example, your Costco order) separately, as agreed in the chat.

Paying through Flatcart

• Card payments are processed by Stripe. Flatcart never sees your card number.
• When you pay, Flatcart holds the money. It is released to the helper when you confirm the job is done, or automatically 48 hours after the helper marks it complete if you don't reply.
• If something is wrong, report a problem within those 48 hours. The money stays held while we review it with both sides, and then we release it, release part of it, or refund you. Our decision on a held payment is final for that payment; it doesn't limit any rights you have under the law.
• Either side can cancel before anything is paid. Once a price is paid, the job is cancelled only through a refund decision as above.
• Flatcart keeps a commission from the helper's side of each paid job. It doesn't change the price you pay.

During our launch

While we launch, we introduce shoppers and helpers by email in some provinces, and you may arrange the job and pay the helper directly. Payments made outside Flatcart aren't held or protected by Flatcart, and we can't refund them. Ask to see the helper's driver's licence and insurance before a job, and get the price in writing.

Reviews

Reviews come only from completed jobs booked through Flatcart. They must be honest, about the job, and free of personal information, abuse or anything unlawful. We may remove a review that breaks these rules; we don't remove reviews because they are negative.

What you may not do

• Ask for or offer payment outside Flatcart to avoid its fees on a job booked through Flatcart.
• Post false, misleading, abusive, discriminatory or unlawful content, or someone else's personal information.
• Book or offer work that needs a licence (electrical, gas, refrigerant handling and similar) unless the person doing it holds that licence.
• Scrape, overload or interfere with the site, or try to reach data that isn't yours.

Our guides and prices

Guides and prices are for general information. Costco prices and policies change and vary by warehouse; check in store or on Costco.ca before you buy. We correct errors when we find them.

Responsibility

Helpers are responsible for their own work, tools, vehicles, insurance, licences and taxes. Flatcart checks a valid driver's licence before a helper's profile goes live, but doesn't supervise jobs and can't guarantee any helper's work. To the extent the law allows, Flatcart is not liable for loss or damage caused by a helper, a shopper or a third party, or for indirect losses, and our total liability for any claim is limited to the fees Flatcart received on the job concerned. Nothing in these terms removes rights you have under consumer protection law in your province.

Ending your use

You can delete your account from your account page at any time. We may suspend or close an account that breaks these terms, puts people at risk, or misuses payments.

Changes

We may update these terms. The date above changes when we do, and big changes are announced in advance. See also the helper code of conduct, the safety page and the privacy policy.