Draft for legal review before launch
Terms of service
These terms govern how Sourced connects you with travellers who buy and bring what you want, and how your money is held and released. By posting a want you agree to them.
Last updated 3 November 2026.
1. What we do
Sourced is a marketplace. You post what you want and where you would like it bought. Vetted independent travellers who are in, or going to, that city offer to buy it and bring it to you. You choose an offer, pay the platform, and the traveller buys it, carries it on their flight, declares it on arrival and hands it to you. We hold your money until you confirm you have the item.
You may submit any request. We confirm feasibility before accepting payment. At launch we do not source medicines, perishables, alcohol, standalone lithium batteries, very bulky furniture or exceptionally valuable jewellery.
2. Offers
An offer shows three lines: the item cost the traveller expects to pay (with the exchange rate used), the traveller’s own fee for buying, carrying, declaring and handing over, and our platform fee. The total is what you pay. There are no other charges.
- Offers are made by travellers, not by us. They hold for three days unless withdrawn, and remain subject to the seller having stock.
- Any import duty is the traveller’s responsibility on arrival and is included in their fee. We never quote a customs percentage.
- If the item costs more than offered, the traveller must agree the difference with you in the app before buying. You are never charged more without your agreement.
3. Our fee
Our platform fee is a percentage of the deal value (item cost plus the traveller’s fee) with a minimum per deal, both shown on every offer before you accept. It covers vetting travellers, holding your money, the in-app conversation and dispute handling. There are no subscriptions.
4. Payment and release
You pay the full offer total to Sourced by M-Pesa or bank transfer before the traveller buys. We hold it. The traveller buys only after we confirm your payment. When you confirm you have the item (or three days after the traveller records the handover, if you do not respond and no problem is reported), we release the item cost and the traveller’s fee to the traveller and keep our platform fee.
If the deal falls through before purchase, we refund you in full. If a problem is reported, release is paused until it is resolved.
5. Cancellations, changes and problems
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| You cancel before the traveller buys | Your payment is refunded in full. |
| You change your mind after purchase | The traveller follows the seller’s return policy. Return costs are agreed in the app and borne by you. |
| Wrong item or not as described | Report it within 14 days. Release is paused; we mediate and refund where the traveller is at fault. |
| Damage or loss before handover | The traveller is responsible for the item until you confirm receipt. We mediate and refund from the held funds. |
| Warranty issue | We help coordinate the claim. Overseas warranty limitations are disclosed before purchase. |
6. Authenticity and inspection
Travellers buy from brands directly and from authorised retailers wherever possible. Other sellers are used only after a documented assessment and your approval, and we say so on the quote. We keep the shop receipt, seller details, item identification, condition photos and customs documents for every order. Sealed electronics stay sealed unless you ask otherwise. High-risk luxury items receive specialist authentication where warranted.
7. Travellers, handover and the in-app conversation
Items are carried as accompanied baggage by an independent, vetted traveller who buys, carries, declares the item at the Kenyan port of entry and hands it to you personally, normally the same or the following day after landing. Travellers are independent contractors working under our traveller agreement, not our employees. Handover dates depend on the traveller’s flight and are not guaranteed.
You and your traveller talk in the app: messages, pinned notes and voice notes. Phone numbers and email addresses are removed from messages and are never shared by us. Arrange the handover place and time in the app; it is your record if anything goes wrong. We do not insure items in transit at launch; the traveller is responsible for the item until you confirm receipt.
8. Your responsibilities
- Give accurate item details, delivery address and contact information, and respond to our questions promptly.
- Keep your account password private. Anyone signed in as you can accept offers and confirm receipt.
- Confirm receipt promptly once you have the item, and report problems within 14 days.
- Do not ask us to source goods that are illegal to import into Kenya or that infringe third-party rights.
9. Liability
We are a marketplace and the traveller is the party who buys and carries your item. Our total liability for any deal is limited to the amounts we hold for that deal. We are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, for delays caused by sellers, flight changes, customs or events outside our control, or for the seller’s own warranty obligations. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited under Kenyan law.
10. Privacy, changes and law
We handle your information as described in our privacy policy. We may update these terms; the version in force when you submit a request applies to that request. These terms are governed by the laws of Kenya and the courts of Kenya have jurisdiction.