Maker Rules

1. These Rules took effect on April 29, 2024

Welcome to Tales of Threads! We’re thrilled to have you join us. Whether you’re crafting unique items for sale or providing the tools and materials that inspire others’ creativity, you’ve found your perfect community here.

Think of these Maker Rules as your comprehensive guide for thriving on our Platform. From listing your creations to navigating payment procedures and beyond, we’re here to ensure your journey is both successful and fun.

Let’s get started!

Our Platform
Tales of Threads is a vibrant marketplace filled with unique shops run by individual Makers. Each Maker independently manages their shop, sets their own policies, and is fully responsible for their products, shipping, and following the law. Our Platform simply provides the space where these transactions happen. We don’t make, store, or ship products ourselves.

Your use of our Platform
We grant you access to our platform under certain conditions:

• You agree not to use our platform for illegal activities, including fraud, theft, unfair competition, threats, or any kind of unlawful behavior.
• You are not allowed to disassemble, reverse engineer, or in any way extract parts of our platform or its content without explicit permission from us.
• Please avoid actions that could damage or compromise the security and functionality of our platform, such as spreading viruses or overloading our site with too many requests.
• We welcome and value your feedback and creative ideas, which are vital for our ongoing improvement. By sharing your ideas with us, you grant us permission to use them globally without needing to compensate you.
• You consent to receiving both legal and other notices from us electronically, in line with our aim to be environmentally friendly. 

What you can share on Tales of Threads

For handmade items:

• All items must be personally crafted by you.
• Branding:
  • You can sell items under your own brand, incorporating Tales of Threads patterns (Maker’s Brand Items).
  • Alternatively, you can create and sell products under the Tales of Threads brand, using our patterns, fabrics, haberdashery, and branding elements (Tales of Threads Items).
• Maker’s Brand Items:
  • Maker’s Brand Items should primarily consist of limited-availability textiles, such as upcycled and deadstock fabrics. If using widely available fabrics (e.g., fabrics from a wholesaler), you must obtain consent from Tales of Threads.
  • For these items, you will receive a non-exclusive, revocable license to use Tales of Threads patterns to manufacture products exclusively for sale on our Platform under your own brand. These products cannot be sold on any other platform, nor can the patterns be modified, resold, or distributed as standalone items or incorporated into products not offered on our Platform.
  • Products using our patterns must be distinctly different from existing Tales of Threads products.
• Tales of Threads items:
  • To explore selling Tales of Threads items, please email info@talesofthreads.eu with product details. Upon approval, we will provide the necessary resources to use our materials and branding elements at a reasonable cost.
  • You will receive a non-exclusive, revocable license to use Tales of Threads materials and branding to produce items exclusively for sale on our Platform. These items must remain unaltered and cannot be sold elsewhere or used in any other product not sold through our Platform.
  • Exception: Direct selling of fabrics and haberdashery in workshops is permitted under separate terms, available upon request via email (info@talesofthreads.eu).
• Ensure your products primarily use materials known for being more environmentally friendly than typical materials. Refer to our Sustainability guidelines for assessment.
• Each item must include a label detailing the fabric composition and a link to the Tales of Threads website.

For craft supplies:

• The supplies you offer should cater to the creation of textile products, including fabrics, sewing accessories and knitting patterns. You are not allowed to sell sewing patterns on our Platform.
• Like handmade items, fabrics and sewing accessories should primarily use environmentally friendly materials. Refer to our Sustainability guidelines.

For workshops:

• Workshops available on our platform must exclusively focus on creating items using Tales of Threads patterns and courses. Please note that Tales of Threads patterns and courses are prohibited from being used in workshops not offered via our Platform.
• Emphasize the use of environmentally friendly materials in line with our Sustainability guidelines.

Extended Retail Opportunities

With our consent, Maker’s Brand Items and Tales of Threads Items may also be sold through physical retail outlets. Requests for such permissions must be submitted via email and approved sales will incur a service fee, payable through specified means separate from our Platform.

Intellectual Property and Compliance

We retain all intellectual property rights associated with our patterns, fabrics, haberdashery, and branding. Using these materials does not confer ownership of any design rights to you.

You must adhere to all applicable intellectual property laws and respect the copyrights and trademarks of Tales of Threads.

We reserve the right to terminate any license at our discretion at any time.

Registering your shop

• Begin your adventure as a Maker by filling out our registration form here. Our team will check if you and our community are a good match and let you know within two weeks. Remember, we have the final say on who joins us.
• If we both think it’s a great fit, we’ll help you get your shop page and account ready for listing your products.

• You commit to providing accurate information to us for your shop page and account and keep it updated. Impersonating someone or using a name you’re not authorized to use is not allowed. We and our agents may check your information against public records and credit reports to maintain our Platform’s integrity and reduce fraud risk.

Listing products on your shop
Once you have been onboarded, you can list products on your shop. You commit to:

• Comply with all relevant laws and regulations applicable to your products, including proper labeling and warnings.
• Ensure your product does not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or bear an unreasonably close resemblance to another Maker’s product.

• Ensure all shop content, including text, photos, and videos, complies with our Content Rules, which we will detail later.

• Make certain that the cover image for your product adheres to our Product Cover Image Guidelines, available in the Tales of Threads Google Drive. 
• Accurately categorize each product and add relevant attributes to enhance searchability and clarity.
• Ensure that all item prices include applicable taxes, such as Value Added Tax (VAT) or any equivalent sales tax, as required by local laws and regulations. We typically display a standard tax rate of 21% to customers. This tax rate also applies to the shipping rate. If your order requires a different tax rate, please contact us at info@talesofthreads.eu.
• Ensure your product listings and images are a true reflection of what you’re selling.
• Clearly state in the product listings short description that the items are sold, produced (if applicable), and shipped by you, and that customers should reach out to you with any questions, including a link to your shop page for easy contact.

• Define your processing times and shipping fees and in the product listing main description. You can include a link to the website of the third-party shipping or fulfillment service for comprehensive information.

• Clearly outline your cancellation and return policies in the description of your product listings.
• For handmade items, fabrics, and sewing accessories, ensure you detail their composition and specifically explain why you consider them to be more environmentally friendly than typical materials in the product listing description.
• Clearly indicate in product listing description of patterns if they come with a PDF manual, a YouTube video tutorial, or other forms of instructions.
• Refrain from deleting or modifying the URLs of product listings once an item has been sold. This is crucial because your label incorporates the product URL, ensuring that customers can continue to access all product information.

Shipping
You are responsible for the packaging and delivery of items sold. This responsibility extends to orders fulfilled by third-party shipping or fulfillment services. You have the capability to export your orders from your Vendor Dashboard for streamlined processing. You commit to:

• Ensure items are dispatched within 14 days of sale, unless otherwise noted in your processing time or agreed upon differently with your customer via direct communication. Any changes to processing times for specific orders require prior approval from your customer.
• Follow all relevant local and international shipping and customs regulations to ensure smooth delivery.
• Send items to the address specified in your Vendor Dashboard for the relevant order.
• Ensure you send the tracking URL to the customer on the day of shipment. You can do this via email or by adding a new shipment to the order in your Vendor Dashboard. Remember to include both the Tracking Number and Tracking URL, and make sure to tick the checkbox so the customer gets a notification. If you opt to send the tracking URL by email, please remember to manually update the order status to ‘delivered’ once the shipment reaches the customer. By submitting tracking information or delivery confirmation on Tales of Threads, you authorize us to access and share this data with your customer for transparency and tracking purposes.
• Apply reasonable shipping fees based on the delivery service used.

In the event an order doesn’t arrive, you must be able to present valid proof of shipping. This proof must verify that the item was dispatched and addressed to the customer’s location as indicated in your Vendor Dashboard.

Cancellations and returns
You are responsible for managing cancellations and returns for items sold. You commit to:

• Manage any cancellation or return requests according to the cancellation and return policies you’ve specified in your product listings. Payment refunds can be processed through your Vendor Dashboard.
• Abide by all relevant domestic and international cancellation and return regulations. Specifically, for customers in the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK), a 14-day “right of withdrawal” period is in effect from the moment they receive an item. This grants customers the freedom to return an item for any reason, or even without a reason. It’s important to note, though, that the specifics of this right can differ among EU member states and the UK, and it may not apply to all types of goods, such as custom-made items. We advise you to get acquainted with the return laws in both your country and those of your customers.

Customer service
You’re commited to providing exceptional customer service. This includes:

• Ensuring easy accessibility for customers to reach you. This involves providing both your email address, which will be included in the “About” section of your shop, and your Whatsapp number, accessible via the “Message me on Whatsapp” button on your shop page.
• Responding quickly to any inquiries or messages from customers to ensure a smooth and satisfying experience.
• Directly addressing and resolving any issues with customers.
• Promptly notifying customers and issuing a full refund if you’re unable to fulfill an order, ensuring to keep evidence of the refund to protect against disputes.

Both email and Whatsapp are valuable tools for direct communication between you and your customers, ideal for answering questions about products or orders. However, it’s crucial to use these communication channels responsibly. Regardless of whether you’re using email or Whatsapp, avoid:

• Sending unsolicited advertisements, promotions, donation requests, or spam.
• Engaging in harassment or abuse of any kind.
• Contacting someone who has requested no further communication.
• Interfering with another Maker’s transactions or business operations.
• Sharing personal, financial, or other sensitive information that could sidestep the Tales of Threads checkout process, including but not limited to phone numbers, addresses, social media handles, external website links, or instructions for off-platform money transfers.

Our Help Center
We’ve set up a Help Center to assist customers with problems or disagreements that they couldn’t sort out directly with our Makers.

If a customer reports an issue to you, you have two days (48 hours) to try to fix it before the customer can ask our help center for support.

Sometimes, if the problem involves not following our Rules or if nothing is being done to solve it, we might step in. This could mean we give the customer a refund. Our goal is to help sort things out fairly, but remember, we’re not here to make legal decisions or take sides in disputes. We can’t promise to fix every disagreement.

You are agreeing to work with us to solve these issues and use your personal info if necessary to solve these problems. Furthermore, you are agreeing not to hold use responsible for any issues or disagreements you might have with others in relation to our Platform.

Our service fee

For every sale processed, a service fee of the item’s price – excluding taxes and shipping costs – will be applied. This fee is automatically subtracted from the sale before the net amount is deposited into your payment account.

We offer a tiered service fee system for products sold on our Platform, divided into 6 categories:

1. ToT Branded Items: 35%.
2. Maker’s Brand Items: 15%.
3. Workshops: 10%.
4. Sewing kits: 5% + (a fixed fee of the total price of the pattern including taxes and excluding shipping minus €2).
5. Fabrics and haberdashery: 5%. 
6. Patterns: A fixed fee of the total price of the pattern including taxes and excluding shipping minus €2.

Circumventing fees by directing customers to an alternative sales channel or by altering prices post-sale to evade fees is strictly prohibited. Violations of this policy will result in a €2000 fine, plus potential legal actions to address the breach.

You are also responsible for the collection and remittance of taxes on your sales. This responsibility entails incorporating taxes into your listing prices and ensuring your listings are accurately categorized. Any errors in classification could make you liable.

It’s important to note that our fees do not include any withholding taxes that may be applicable in your country. You are required to pay our fees in full, without making any deductions for such taxes.

If you process a refund for any order within a 180-day period following the original purchase date, we will modify the service fee we initially charged to align with the refunded amount. This means that if you return money to a customer for a purchase, we will also adjust the service fee based on the new transaction amount post-refund.

Payments

Paypal

We will handle all customer transactions, made via iDeal, Credit Card and Paypal, through our partnership with Parket Marketplace. Makers also receive payments through Paypal.

Your personal or transaction-related information may be shared with PayPal for payment processing purposes.

If your shop’s activities or content violates our or PayPal’s policies, we may, at our discretion, take necessary actions to align with their policies. This could involve canceling transactions, disabling listings, suspending or terminating your selling privileges, or removing certain payment options.

For security reasons, we or Paypal may set limits on transactions. These limits could relate to the amount of a single transaction or the total amount over a period. We’re not liable if we stop a transaction that goes over these limits, or if a customer cancels a transaction. Transactions deemed high risk, fraudulent, or in violation of trade sanctions, or these Rules, may be declined or refunded by Paypal or us.

Registration
You’ll link your PayPal account to your Vendor Dashboard during registration. PayPal will verify your account based on the provided information. You must supply all required details and verify your bank account in some markets for compliance. Without this, we can’t process payments to you, and your account might be limited.

You commit to providing accurate information in the Paypal registration process and keep it updated. Impersonating someone or using a name you’re not authorized to use is not allowed. We and our agents may check your information against public records and credit reports to maintain our Platform’s integrity and reduce fraud risk.

Funds

Once a transaction is finalized and the payment approved, the resulting funds – comprising the sale price, taxes, and shipping fees, minus our service fee – will be displayed in both your Vendor Dashboard and your PayPal account.

These funds become available for deposit into your bank account 30 days following the completion of an order, ensuring smooth and secure processing of your earnings.

Transaction fees
Paypal charges a fee for each transaction processed. The transaction fee amount will be assessed on the gross order amount, including shipping and tax. Transaction fees will be reflected in your payment account and will be deducted from the total amount of the payment at the time the payment is considered complete. Paypal can modify the payment processing fee at any time.

In the event of any partial or full refunds credited back to a customer, the transaction fee will be recalculated based on the adjusted sale price.

Cross-border fees
Your bank may charge additional fees, like cross-border fees, for Tales of Threads transactions. These fees are beyond our control and vary by bank. Contact your bank for more information.

Content
You are entirely responsible for any content that you share on our Platform. This includes everything you post, like shop names, profile pictures, product photos, descriptions, reviews, comments, and videos. You agree to refrain from posting content that:

• Uses hateful or derogatory language or imagery.
• Includes threats, harassment or extortion.
• Infringes upon the intellectual property rights of others.
• Is fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading.
• Contains unsolicited advertising or promotions, requests for donations, or spam.
• Discloses private information, whether your own or someone else’s.
• Promotes or facilitates transactions outside our payment system.
• Sexualizes individuals under the age of 18.

When you share your content on our Platform, you’re allowing us, as well as any parties we may appoint, to utilize it in ways that help promote both your shop and Tales of Threads at large. For example, your products might be featured in our marketing materials, aiding in the growth of your shop and Tales of Threads collectively. It’s important to note that this does not mean you’re handing over the ownership of your content to us. To put it in more formal terms, by uploading your content, you’re granting Tales of Threads a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, irrevocable, sublicensable, perpetual license. This license permits us to use, display, edit, modify, reproduce, distribute, store, and create derivative works from your content, all in the service of promoting Tales of Threads.

You are welcome to use Tales of Threads’ signature brand assets, such as our name and logos, to showcase your affiliation with our Platform, provided it’s clear that you’re a proud participant. Content and events should transparently reflect your connection to Tales of Threads.

Our content moderation policy

We diligently oversee the content uploaded to our Platform, including listings, messages, reviews, images, and videos, to detect and manage any violations of our policies. We do this manually.

Our users are vital in upholding the integrity of our community. If you come across listings that breach these Rules, please send an email to info@talesofthreads.eu detailing the breach. We might ask for further verification before acting on a report, such as proof of identity from the reporter or authorization from the rights holder. We reserve the right to disregard reports or counter-notices that appear to be false, fraudulent, or made in bad faith, and we will take action against those misusing our policy.

We honor intellectual property rights and adhere to legal steps to eliminate infringing content from our Platform. We aim to act swiftly on reports of intellectual property infringement that align with our policy, either by removing or limiting access to the content in question. Once we take action, we notify the affected Maker, providing details of the report and removal. We might also share the infringement report, including the contact information of the reporting party, with the affected Maker. However, we cannot act as representatives for intellectual property owners, nor offer legal advice or decisions on legal issues, including potential intellectual property rights infringements.

Privacy

As a Maker handling customers’ personal data, you’re considered an independent data controller under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), bringing specific responsibilities. These include managing requests for data access, correction, portability, deletion, and objections to processing as per GDPR requirements. For more in-depth information on GDPR, visit gdpr-info.eu and gdprandyou.ie.

In case of any unauthorized exposure of personal data, including accidental breaches, the responsibility is yours. The personal data obtained through interactions on Tales of Threads should only be used for related activities or transactions. Unsolicited marketing or any misuse of this data is prohibited. Using customer information beyond necessary Tales of Threads communication or transactions requires explicit consent from the customer.

If your management of personal data leads to legal consequences or costs for Tales of Threads, you may be required to reimburse those expenses.

To provide you with the offerings of our Platform, we also need to process your personal data. Detailed information regarding this is available in our Privacy Policy.

Our community

WhatsApp and Makers Gatherings

Our community thrives on the connections among Makers. As a new Maker, you’ll be welcomed into our WhatsApp Group, offering you immediate access to our vibrant network and the opportunity to attend our Makers Gatherings. As part of our community, you agree to:

• Approach interactions with kindness, offering constructive feedback and encouragement, especially in moments of disagreement. Avoid behavior that could be seen as harassing, insulting, or targeting individual Makers or Tales of Threads staff.
• Refrain from discouraging engagement with any Maker, shop, or product.
• Keep disputes with other Makers private, not airing them publicly.
• Collaborate with other makers to foster positivity and innovation, avoiding manipulating market dynamics like price fixing.
• Actively contribute to a supportive environment where Makers can share insights and help each other grow their businesses.
• Ensure your contributions to the Makers WhatsApp group remain on topic, remembering that your messages will be a permanent part of the group’s history. We reserve the right to moderate the group’s membership and content, which may include removing members or messages that breach our guidelines, or for reasons such as privacy, inactivity, or changes in operations.
• For any issues regarding moderation or group management, please contact us via email at info@talesofthreads.eu.

Confidentiality

As part of our community, you access exclusive business insights key to thriving on our Platform, such as fabric sources, supplier contacts, marketing strategies, and production secrets. This includes all information in the Tales of Threads Google Drive. You agree to:

• Apply what you learn to improve your shop and support our community’s growth. Sharing outside without permission, or using it for personal gain outside our Platform, is off-limits.
• Treat all information as if it were your own confidential information, safeguarding against leaks or unauthorized access.
• Should legal circumstances require you to disclose any information, notify us immediately so we can take protective action.
• If you leave the community or are asked by us, delete or return any information you have.
• Failing to adhere to these confidentiality rules may result in a €2000 fine, plus potential legal actions to address the breach.

Enforcement

To preserve the integrity and safety of the Tales of Threads community, we reserve the right to limit or suspend shops, accounts, or listings if they are found to violate these Rules or if we detect unusual activity or potential risks that could compromise the safety and quality of our Platform. We aim to notify you if your content or account faces suspension or termination. However, notifications may not be provided in cases of repeated violations or when legal or regulatory requirements enforce confidentiality.

In the event of a temporary suspension, you will receive an email detailing the reason for the suspension and the steps you can take to address the issue. The suspension will remain in effect until the situation has been satisfactorily resolved. For permanent suspensions, our correspondence will clearly indicate this finality. You are given the opportunity to appeal a permanent suspension by responding to the reasons provided in our communication, within a six-month window from the date of suspension. Failure to appeal within this timeframe will confirm the permanence of the suspension.

What you can’t hold us responsible for

Content you access

While using our Platform, you might encounter content that you find offensive or inappropriate. Tales of Threads does not endorse any content posted by users and is not responsible for the accuracy, copyright compliance, legality, or decency of user-posted content. You absolve us from all liability associated with such content.

People you interact with

Our Platform allow for interactions with other individuals, both online and offline. It’s important to note that we do not screen users beyond meeting basic compliance and legal requirements, and therefore, we are not liable for any issues that arise from your interactions with other users. We urge you to exercise caution and good judgment in all interactions, particularly if meeting someone in person. For guidance on safe in-person meetings, consider this advice article.

Third-party services

Our Platform may feature links to third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by Tales of Threads (for example, links to Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest). Additionally, using some of our Platform might require a third-party product or service (such as a compatible mobile device for our apps). Accessing third-party services is done at your own risk. These third parties have their own terms of use, which are not affiliated with Tales of Threads; any agreements are solely between you and the third party.

Warranties

We are committed to delivering the best possible service, but we acknowledge that we’re not flawless and sometimes things may not go as planned. Please understand that our Platform are provided “as is” and “as available,” without any kind of warranty, whether expressed or implied.

We cannot guarantee that:

• our Platform will be secure or available at any specific time or location;
• any defects or errors will be corrected;
• the services will be free of viruses or other harmful materials; or
• the results of using the services will meet your expectations.

Liability limits

To the maximum extent permitted by law, we (including our officers, directors, employees, agents, subsidiaries, partners, or affiliates) are not liable for any lost profits or revenues, or for any consequential, incidental, indirect, special, or punitive damages arising out of or in connection with our Platform or these Rules.

In no event shall our aggregate liability for any damages exceed the greater of the amount you paid Tales of Threads in fees in the past 12 months prior to any action giving rise to the liability. Some jurisdictions do not allow limitations on incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations may not apply to you.

We sincerely hope it never comes to this, but we are ever sued or receive a claim, notice, or demand because of something you did (or failed to do), you’re agreeing to defend and indemnify us. In essence, this means you’ll take on the legal defense, reimburse, and compensate us (this includes our employees, officers, directors, agents, subsidiaries, and affiliates) for any allegations, claims, demands, lawsuits, losses, liabilities, or expenses of any kind (which includes reasonable attorneys’ fees) that stem from your actions, how you use (or misuse) our Platform, any breach of these Rules, transactions of items you sell through our Platform, and/or your actual or alleged infringement of any law or the rights of a third party. We reserve the right to manage our legal defense in the way we see fit, even if you’re indemnifying us. In that case, you agree to cooperate with us so we can implement our strategy effectively.

Governing Law

Any disputes arising between us will be governed solely by Dutch law and decided exclusively in the courts of the Netherlands, except where such provisions are prohibited by law. If you are an individual consumer, you may have the right to utilize the mandatory consumer protection laws of your country of residence, and/or to initiate legal proceedings in the courts of your country. Should we need to enforce our rights against you as an individual consumer, we will do so only in your country of residence.

 
Changes to these Rules

We occasionally update these Rules, which can involve adding new rules, modifying existing ones, or removing rules altogether. When significant changes are made, we’ll inform you ahead of time by posting an update on our Platform and/or reaching out directly via email or message. By continuing to use our Platform after these changes take effect, you’re agreeing to the revised Rules. If you disagree with the updates, you have the option to close your account.

Termination

We’d be sorry to see you leave, but if you wish to terminate your account with Tales of Threads, you can do so at any time by sending an email to info@talesofthreads.eu. In your email, please include that you wish to terminate the contract and explain the reasons behind your decision.

Once we receive your request to terminate, we will take the following steps within 14 days:

1. Deactivate your current listings.
2. Calculate the last possible date that a customer can return an item to you. This is based on the return policies you’ve set and the dates of your most recent sales.

The day after your final return date, we will proceed to deactivate your account.

During the period between your termination notice and the deactivation of your account, you are still responsible for managing your shop. This includes maintaining customer service standards and processing any returns. It’s important to ensure that your customers continue to receive the support they may need until your account is fully deactivated.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account (as well as any related accounts determined by Tales of Threads) and your access to our Platform if we have reason to believe that you, your content, or your use of our Platform violates these rules. If such action is taken, it’s important to understand that you don’t retain a contractual or legal right to continue using our Platform, such as selling on our Platform. We typically notify you if your account has been terminated or suspended, except in cases where repeated violations of our rules occur, or legal or regulatory reasons prevent us from doing so.

If your account is terminated, you may lose access to any information associated with your account, including your content.

We also reserve the right to change, suspend, or discontinue any of our Platform at any time and for any reason. We won’t be held liable for any effects these changes may have on you.

Even after your access to our Platform is terminated or your use of our Platform ends, these Rules will remain in effect.

Contact us

If you have questions about these Rules, feel free to email us at info@talesofthreads.eu.

Tales of threads is currently operated by Atelier Félie:

Félie
Hogeweg 5 – 3
1098BT Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Chamber of Commerce number: 71020609
VAT identification number: NL002294510B07