Terms of Service for Customers

1.1 These General Terms and Conditions (hereinafter the “User Terms”) apply to all natural or legal persons and partnerships with legal capacity (hereinafter “users” or “customers”) who use the online platform operated by Frey Systems, proprietor Jonas Frey (hereinafter “FreyOne”) (frey-one.com, e-mail: info@frey-one.com) to search for services, to book services or to communicate.

1.2 Platform escrow model (integrated buyer protection): To protect customers and to ensure maximum transaction security, FreyOne operates on an integrated escrow principle. Irrespective of whether the payment is a full initial payment (Payment Type 1), an agreed down payment or a payment made under hourly billing, all sums collected from the user are, once collected, credited directly to the connected Stripe account of the respective provider held within the platform. These sums remain strictly locked there by the system. Any onward transfer, disposal or payout of these sums to the provider’s real, external bank account is, as a matter of principle, only possible once the service has been rendered completely and successfully and the booking has reached the status “Completed” in the system, or once an undisputed partial amount has been released in the course of a dispute resolution procedure. This safekeeping model serves as integrated buyer protection; any premature outflow of user funds to the providers’ private bank accounts during an active booking is technically excluded.

1.3 Integrated account architecture (combined profile): Every account registered on FreyOne is primarily maintained as a user account (customer profile). The system may extend the user account by a provider profile upon successful completion of the verification process (in accordance with clause 2.2 of the Provider Terms). In that case, the user has a single digital identity but two functionally separate views within the same account (user view and provider dashboard). When making bookings and purchases via the platform, the account holder acts as a customer and is subject to these User Terms. When offering and selling services via the provider dashboard, the Provider Terms apply primarily and with precedence.

1.4 Role of FreyOne: FreyOne merely provides the technical infrastructure (marketplace platform) through which providers can present their services and customers can book them. FreyOne acts exclusively as a technical intermediary. At no time does FreyOne itself become a contracting party to the contracts concluded between the user and the provider for services, goods, digital products, rentals or subscriptions. The proper rendering, handling and performance of the booked services lies exclusively within the direct relationship between the user and the respective provider.

1.5 Deletion of the user account: The user may delete their account at any time in the account settings, provided that there are no open bookings, running subscriptions, unresolved disputes, open supplementary or deposit claims, or chargebacks not yet decided. Before deletion, the user must either cancel open bookings or wait until they are completed; cancellations are subject to the cancellation terms agreed in each case. Deleting the account does not in itself constitute a cancellation and gives rise to no entitlement to a refund of payments already made. Statutory retention obligations, in particular for booking and invoice data, remain unaffected by the deletion; the data concerned are restricted until those periods expire and are deleted thereafter. Team members of a provider cannot delete their login themselves; their access is managed and deactivated exclusively by the provider (clause 2.4 of the Provider Terms).

1.6 Search and ranking: Search results show only verified, active and non-blocked providers whose services match the search term, the selected category and the filters set (e.g. minimum rating, price). By default, FreyOne sorts by average rating in descending order; where ratings are equal, providers with more reviews are listed first, followed by alphabetical order. Where a location is specified, results can be sorted by distance; alternatively, new providers can be shown first. A provider’s membership plan and payments to FreyOne have no influence on the ranking; there are no paid placements. Whether a provider is a trader is apparent from the mandatory information on its provider profile; the user’s contracting party is always the provider.

1.7 Blocking by a provider: A provider may block individual users from making new bookings with it and from accepting its quotes. The provider is then shown to the user as unavailable and no longer appears in the user’s search results. Existing bookings are not cancelled as a result.

2.1 Placing the order (supermarket principle): The presentation of services, rental items or subscription models by providers on the platform does not constitute a legally binding offer by FreyOne or by the provider, but is to be understood as an invitatio ad offerendum (an invitation to the user to submit an offer). By completing the entire checkout process and submitting the booking, the user places a binding order with the respective provider for the conclusion of the corresponding contract. The contract between the user and the provider is concluded as soon as the payment has succeeded or – for bookings made more than 14 days in advance – as soon as the payment method for the later charge has been saved (clause 3.4); at that moment, the system issues the booking confirmation on behalf of the provider and sends it to the user by e-mail together with these Terms and Conditions and the withdrawal notice or the information on the right of withdrawal as PDFs. Until then, the system holds the selected appointment for 60 minutes after the last activity in the checkout; thereafter, the unpaid booking lapses and the user may start it again. A user may have no more than three unpaid bookings open at the same time. The user receives the provider’s invoice as a PDF by e-mail; it can also be accessed in their account under “Bookings” → “Receipts”.

2.2 Automatic B2B detection and exclusion of the right of withdrawal: If the user acts as a trader (B2B) when placing the order, the statutory right of withdrawal is excluded in its entirety. If, in the booking process, the user selects the option “I’m booking as a business”, states the company name and actively confirms this, this constitutes a legally binding declaration that the order is placed in the course of a commercial or self-employed professional activity. In this case, there is no statutory right of withdrawal for this order. A corresponding document explaining the exclusion of the right of withdrawal on account of the B2B transaction is attached to the booking confirmation sent to the customer; it can also be viewed by the customer and the provider in the booking details.

2.3 Determination of performance and waiver of the right of withdrawal: The user has no legal entitlement to demand that a service be performed immediately; the available performance times and deadlines are set exclusively by the respective provider in the system when creating its service; bookings can be made no more than two years in advance unless the provider has set a shorter period. If the user selects a service which, according to the provider’s specifications, is to begin immediately or before the statutory 14-day withdrawal period has expired, the system ensures that the order can only be completed after the user has actively ticked a corresponding checkbox. By giving this confirmation, the user expressly consents to the commencement of performance and acknowledges that their right of withdrawal expires early once the contract has been fully performed. As additional legal evidence, a document containing this waiver declaration is displayed to the user directly during the booking process, sent to them by e-mail as a PDF with the booking confirmation and permanently stored in the booking details for the user and the provider.

2.4 Cancellation by the user: If the user cancels a binding booking within the statutory withdrawal period of 14 days from conclusion of the contract, they receive a 100 % refund of the amount already paid; if the amount has not yet been charged, the scheduled charge is dropped. If the user cancels after this period has expired, or if there is no right of withdrawal for the booking (clause 2.2), there is no entitlement to a refund; a charge not yet carried out will be carried out as scheduled. If the provider cancels the booking, the user always receives a 100 % refund of the amount already paid. In the case of a booking without an appointment whose delivery period has expired without the provider having marked the delivery as “Delivered”, the user may cancel at any time free of charge and receives a 100 % refund of the amount paid (clause 2.7).

2.5 Quotes on request: For services “on request”, the user sends a request; the provider may send a quote within 48 hours, failing which the request lapses. If the user accepts a quote, a booking is created at the quoted price and appointment, which the user must pay for within 3 days of acceptance. The system reminds the user after 24 hours. If the booking has not been paid after 3 days, it lapses, the appointment becomes available again, and the user and the provider are informed; a payment already initiated is not aborted in the process. A quote can only be accepted once.

2.6 Booked service and place of performance: When booking, the user selects the variant (with its own final price and its own duration), where applicable the quantity in the unit stated by the provider, add-ons and, for multi-day offers, the period. Depending on the offer, the service takes place at the provider’s premises, at the user’s location, online or at a place agreed in the chat; goods are collected or delivered, or their handover is agreed in the chat; digital products are provided as a download or link. The options stated in the service describe how the provider performs; the user does not select any of them. If the provider offers performance at the user’s location or delivery alongside other options, the user may select “Come to my place” or “Have it delivered” when booking; only then is the service performed or the item delivered at the user’s address. Otherwise, the user and the provider agree on the exact location in the booking chat. If performance at the user’s location or delivery is the only option, it always applies. For services at the user’s location, the provider may charge a fixed travel flat fee and, for deliveries, a delivery fee; both are shown before payment and form part of the total price. What was booked is recorded with the booking; later changes made by the provider to the service apply only to new bookings.

2.7 Appointment, preferred date or delivery period: Depending on the service, when booking the user selects a free time slot from the provider’s calendar, only a preferred date (the time is then agreed between the user and the provider in the booking chat) or no appointment. For services without an appointment – digital products are always without an appointment – the day of booking is deemed to be the day of performance; the amount is charged at the time of booking (clause 4.1). The provider delivers within the delivery period stated in the service, calculated from the day of booking; if no period is stated, the user and the provider agree on the time in the booking chat. If the provider marks the delivery as “Delivered”, the user may confirm it in their booking or state in the booking chat what is missing or not right. If the user neither confirms nor responds within 4 days, the booking is completed; the user is made aware of this period in the notification of delivery. The user’s statutory rights in respect of defects remain unaffected. If the delivery period has expired without the provider having marked the delivery as “Delivered”, the user may cancel the booking at any time free of charge and receives a 100 % refund of the amount paid.

3.1 Stripe payment processing and checkout flow: All payments on the platform are processed via the payment service provider Stripe Payments Europe, Ltd. To use the platform for booking services, the minimum user profile details provided during registration are sufficient; providing a permanent payment method is not required for registration alone.

• First booking (new customer flow): If the user has a new profile without saved payment details, they enter their payment method (e.g. credit card or direct debit mandate) directly during the checkout process. If the date of performance is more than 14 days in the future, the payment method is merely saved in the checkout for a later charge; no debit is made yet (see clause 3.4). Which means of payment are offered depends on the booking: if payment is made immediately, the means of payment shown in the checkout are available (e.g. credit and debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Link, Klarna, SEPA Direct Debit). If the charge is only made later (clause 3.4) or further charges follow (hourly billing, subscription), only card-based means of payment (credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Link) and SEPA Direct Debit are available. The user may choose whether these payment details are to be stored securely in their profile for future bookings. Once successfully stored, the details are listed in the profile area under “Payment Methods”. Before the first payment, the user must provide their billing address; it is used for the invoice and stored in their profile.
• Automatic storage for risk protection: To ensure the technical feasibility of follow-up transactions within the platform (such as remaining payments, deposit claims or correction payments), the payment method entered in the checkout is automatically saved by the system as the primary payment method for this specific service and generally in the profile. The user is transparently informed of this storage in the user interface.
• Quick checkout (existing customer flow): If the user has saved payment methods in their profile beforehand or during an earlier booking, these are automatically offered for direct selection in the checkout window to enable a faster booking process. These payment methods used for purchases are to be kept strictly separate from any Stripe Connect payout details if the account additionally has a verified provider dashboard.

3.2 Risk protection for down payments: Where a down payment has been agreed for a service, it is collected via the user’s saved means of payment: for bookings with a date of performance within the next 14 days, at the moment of booking; otherwise automatically 14 days before the date of performance (21 days before in the case of SEPA Direct Debit). To protect the platform ecosystem, this money remains locked in the respective provider’s Stripe account within the platform until the service has been rendered completely and successfully and has been confirmed.

3.3 Deposit mechanism: If a service (irrespective of the selected service category) provides for a deposit in the system, no amount is reserved or blocked for it. The deposit is secured by the payment method saved at the time of booking (card, Link or SEPA Direct Debit); if the user pays for the booking with a means of payment that cannot be charged again later (e.g. Klarna), they save a card or a SEPA Direct Debit mandate for the deposit in their booking. A charge is only made if, after completion of the service, the provider asserts a damage claim under clause 4.3 and this is deemed approved. If the provider does not report any damage within 3 days of the end of the service, or if the booking is cancelled, the deposit lapses; the user then pays nothing.

3.4 Later collection and payment default: For bookings whose date of performance is more than 14 days after the booking, the user authorises FreyOne and Stripe to collect the amount due from the saved payment method 14 days before the date of performance (21 days before in the case of SEPA Direct Debit) without any further involvement of the user. The booking is already binding upon the booking confirmation. If the collection fails, the user is informed by e-mail and in the app and may make the payment subsequently via the link provided; FreyOne may repeat the collection. If the amount has not been settled three days before the date of performance, the booking is cancelled for non-payment. If the user cancelled the booking after the withdrawal period had expired (clause 2.4), it is not cancelled for non-payment: the amount remains due until the date of performance, and FreyOne attempts the collection again daily. If the amount is still outstanding thereafter, the provider contacts the user directly about it (clause 7.2).

When placing orders, the user submits to the platform’s internal three-tier payment logic:

4.1 Payment Type 1 (base model): The user pays the agreed fixed base amount via the payment method entered in the checkout. If the date of performance is within the next 14 days, the amount is collected when the booking is completed; otherwise it is charged automatically 14 days before the date of performance (21 days before in the case of SEPA Direct Debit).

4.2 Payment Type 2 (hourly model / hourly billing): If the booking is based on a time estimate, the user initially pays the estimated base amount (time of charge in accordance with clause 4.1). The estimate shown in the checkout serves as basic cost information for the user. After actual performance, the provider enters the exact working time in the system. Any resulting additional work gives rise to a claim for a remaining payment (second transaction), which only becomes due after the service has been rendered.

• Consent: The user may actively confirm the additional work in the system without any further pop-up; the difference is then collected via the automatically saved means of payment.
• 4-day deemed approval (silence): If the user neither objects to the working time entered by the provider within 4 days of its entry nor actively confirms it, the entered working time is legally deemed approved. The difference is collected automatically via the saved means of payment once these 4 days have elapsed, and the booking is marked as completed.
• Objection (decline flow with pop-up protection): If the user actively declines the additional work within the 4-day period using the system’s decline button, the automatic collection is blocked. To rule out accidental activation, the system asks the user to confirm by means of a blocking pop-up (“Are you sure you want to decline?”). Upon confirmation, the matter is transferred to the status “Dispute Resolution” (in accordance with clause 5).

4.2a Materials and expenses: For any type of service, the provider may additionally enter materials or expenses with a description after performance. For hourly billing, clause 4.2 applies to these (consent, 4-day deemed approval, objection). For all other services, the amount is only collected if the user expressly consents; if the user does not consent within 4 days, the claim lapses and the booking is completed with the amount already paid. A booking with a down payment is only completed once the remaining payment has also been paid.

4.3 Payment Type 3 (special and damage payments / correction payment): In the event of demonstrable damage (e.g. in connection with a rental or hourly billing), the provider may assert a damage claim after completion of the service. This correction payment is only technically possible if the provider has previously required a deposit for this service in the system. The damage claim can only be asserted within 3 days of the end of the service; its collection is strictly limited to the amount of the deposit. The user may confirm the claim within 4 days of receipt or decline it via the decline button (with pop-up protection); the system reminds the user after 1 day and after 3 days. If the user declines, nothing is collected and the claim ends; the provider settles it directly with the user. FreyOne does not decide on the claim. If the user does not respond within the 4 days, the claim is deemed approved and the amount claimed is debited – up to a maximum of the amount of the deposit – from the saved payment method (clause 3.3). The user is expressly made aware of this significance of their silence together with the claim. If the debit fails, the user may pay the amount in their booking within 7 days. Thereafter, FreyOne takes no further action; the provider and the user settle the amount directly with each other.

4.4 Special features of subscription models: If the user books a service declared as a subscription model, they authorise FreyOne and the executing payment service provider Stripe to collect the recurring amounts automatically via the saved means of payment in accordance with the interval stated in the checkout (weekly or monthly). The provider may set a minimum term of no more than 24 months; it is shown before the checkout. The user may cancel the subscription at any time in their account. During the minimum term, the cancellation takes effect at the end of the first billing period that reaches the end of the minimum term; thereafter at the end of the current billing period. A cancellation may be withdrawn until it takes effect. For subscriptions with a fixed weekly appointment, that appointment applies to every week; otherwise, appointments are agreed in the chat. Payments for recurring subscription invoices are not subject to the lock-up period of the general escrow model and are treated as released immediately upon successful debit.

5.1 Activation of dispute resolution: If, in the case of claims under Payment Type 2, the user presses the decline button after passing through the security pop-up, the booking is placed in the status “Dispute Resolution”. There is no dispute resolution for damage claims against the deposit (Payment Type 3) (clause 4.3).

5.2 Release of the undisputed amount: The user expressly agrees that, in the event of dispute resolution, the base amount already successfully collected (Payment Type 1) is immediately released by the system to the provider. The actual transfer of this undisputed amount to the provider’s real bank account then takes place within the regular payout cycle set for that provider (in accordance with clause 5.5 of the Provider Terms). The disputed difference or deposit amount is not collected until final clarification.

5.3 Support intervention & chat encryption: The chat window linked to the booking remains open in the status “Dispute Resolution”. If a party opens a support ticket or asks support into the chat, if there is an ongoing chargeback case relating to the booking, or if a review has been reported, FreyOne’s support may view the chat history between the user and the provider, which is otherwise stored in encrypted form; every such access is logged (details in the Privacy Policy). If support is asked into the chat, “FreyOne Support” takes part in the chat as a third party until the support ticket is closed. The parties undertake to cooperate in establishing the facts. The substantive resolution of the dispute takes place outside the platform. Following an agreement or the end of the conflict, a support agent manually sets the booking to “Completed” and executes the final system event.

If a provider subsequently has to move a booked appointment, the system allows an integrated rescheduling flow. The user receives a request for rescheduling via the system. In the same booking window, the user is given the option of choosing, free of charge, another time slot available in the provider’s calendar. If the user confirms the new slot, the existing service contract is automatically moved to the new time without any cancellation being required. Price, payment, invoice and withdrawal period remain unchanged; a charge not yet carried out follows the new appointment. If the user declines or does not respond by 24 hours before the original appointment, the original appointment stands; if the provider then cancels, clause 2.4 sentence 3 (full refund) applies. Multi-day bookings, bookings without an appointment (clause 2.7) and subscriptions cannot be rescheduled.

7.1 The user is strictly prohibited from initiating unjustified reverse debits, chargebacks or credit card disputes with their credit institution, bank or payment service provider in respect of payments lawfully authorised or collected via the platform (in particular after expiry of the 4-day deemed approval for hourly billing or after a service has been performed).

7.2 Liability for damages in the event of misuse: If the user triggers an unjustified chargeback, this amount is charged back to the provider. The user undertakes to reimburse the provider for the amount charged back and to reimburse the provider and FreyOne, by way of damages, for all third-party fees arising from the chargeback (Stripe dispute fees, bank return debit charges) and for the administrative effort. The provider’s claims to remuneration remain in force; the provider asserts them directly against the user. FreyOne does not conduct dunning proceedings for claims arising from bookings.

8.1 After a booking has been completed in the regular manner, the user is given the opportunity, via an automated system flow, to rate the provider with 1 to 5 stars and a written description. Reviews can only be submitted by users whose booking with that provider was completed via FreyOne; in this way, FreyOne ensures that reviews originate from customers who actually booked the service. The user chooses whether they are shown with their first name and initial together with their profile picture, with their first name only, or anonymously.

8.2 Prohibition of misuse damaging to business: The user undertakes to write reviews truthfully, objectively and free of insults. Disseminating untrue statements of fact or misusing reviews as a means of exerting pressure on the provider is prohibited. The reviewed provider may report a review. FreyOne examines reported reviews on the basis of the booking and the chat history and may hide or delete them; the author, the provider and the reporting parties are informed of the decision.

8.3 Reporting content: Users may report a provider profile (e.g. on account of unlawful content, fraud or misleading information) via the “Report profile” function and must confirm in doing so that their information is correct and complete. FreyOne acknowledges receipt, examines the report and communicates the outcome together with the reasons.

The chat between the user and the provider can be written in as long as a booking between them is running or a claim relating to a completed booking is open; thereafter it remains readable until a new booking reopens it. FreyOne’s support may join the chat in accordance with clause 5.3. Sharing external web links, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses or other contact details in the chat for the purpose of circumventing the FreyOne payment system (poaching customers outside the platform) is strictly prohibited.

Reminders: The system reminds the user approximately 24 hours and 1 hour before an appointment (for all-day bookings, on the previous day) as well as of open payments and deadlines (e.g. clauses 2.5, 2.7, 4.2, 4.3). Reminders are a service; deadlines run irrespective of whether a reminder is received.

10.1 Contracts between FreyOne and the user are governed by the law of the Federal Republic of Germany, to the exclusion of the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. Consumers resident in the EU additionally enjoy the protection of the mandatory provisions of the law of their home country.

10.2 If the user is a merchant, a legal entity under public law or a special fund under public law, the exclusive place of jurisdiction for all disputes arising from this contract is the registered place of business of Frey Systems (64367 Mühltal, Germany).

10.3 FreyOne and the respective provider are each independently responsible (as separate controllers) for the processing of personal data. Details are set out in the Privacy Policy.

10.4 Changes to these Terms and Conditions: FreyOne may amend these Terms and Conditions with effect for future bookings. The user is informed of a new version after their next login; it only applies to the user once they agree to it, which they are asked to do in the checkout at the latest when making their next booking. Contracts already concluded remain unaffected.