Prohibited Products & Acceptable Use Policy
ROOTSY MARKETPLACE INC. PROHIBITED PRODUCTS & ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY Effective Date: _______ | Last Updated: _______ This Policy explains what products, services, listings, conduct, content, and activities are prohibited, restricted, or subject to approval on Rootsy Marketplace. This Policy applies to all sellers, Buyers, visitors, and account holders. Governing law, force majeure, arbitration, and general Platform provisions are in the applicable Buyer and Seller Terms & Conditions. 'Platform' means the Rootsy website, mobile applications, seller dashboard, APIs, and all related tools and services provided by Rootsy. Capitalized terms not defined in this Policy have the meanings given to them in the applicable Seller Terms & Conditions. 1. General Rule Sellers may only list products that are: lawful in Canada and in all applicable provinces and territories; permitted by Rootsy; permitted by Rootsy's payment processors and shipping providers; accurately described; safe for intended use; properly labelled and packaged; and compliant with applicable Canadian federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal laws. A product may be prohibited or restricted, even if technically legal, if Rootsy determines it poses unacceptable platform risk. Rootsy has final discretion on whether a product, listing, seller, or Buyer activity is permitted, restricted, or prohibited.
2. Product Category Framework
Category Meaning
Permitted Products Generally allowed if lawful, accurately described, safe, compliant, and properly shipped. Restricted / Pre-Approved Products Allowed only with Rootsy approval, required documentation, compliance checks, age verification, and/or special conditions. Prohibited Products May not be listed, sold, purchased, promoted, or shipped through Rootsy.
PART A — PROHIBITED PRODUCTS 3. Illegal Products Products illegal under Canadian federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal law; products requiring licences, permits, or authorizations required under applicable Canadian federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal law not held by the seller; and smuggled, stolen, trafficked, counterfeit, or unlawfully imported goods are prohibited. 4. Firearms, Weapons, Ammunition, and Explosives Prohibited: firearms, firearm parts and accessories, ammunition, gunpowder, explosives, fireworks, detonators, silencers, tasers, stun guns, brass knuckles, switchblades, prohibited knives, swords marketed as weapons, and products designed to harm, threaten, restrain, or injure people or animals. Ordinary kitchen knives, culinary tools, craft tools, and work tools are permitted where clearly marketed for lawful household, culinary, craft, or professional use. 5. Drugs, Controlled Substances, and Cannabis Prohibited: illegal drugs; controlled substances under the CDSA; narcotics; drug paraphernalia; cannabis; cannabis accessories; products containing controlled cannabinoids; and unauthorized psychoactive substances. 6. Tobacco, Nicotine, and Vaping Products Products containing or used in the consumption of tobacco, nicotine, e-liquid are prohibited unless Rootsy expressly approves in writing after legal review, including but not limited to cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, nicotine pouches, e-cigarettes, vape devices and liquids, vaping accessories, heated tobacco products, and products marketed for nicotine consumption. 7. Prescription Drugs and Unauthorized Health Products Prohibited: prescription medications; controlled health products; unapproved drugs; unauthorized natural health products; products requiring a prescription; products making disease-treatment claims without authorization; injectable products; and products sold with unlawful health or therapeutic claims. 8. Counterfeit, Stolen, Replica, and Unauthorized Branded Goods Prohibited: counterfeit branded products, replica designer products, fake luxury goods, unauthorized copies, stolen goods, grey-market products where unlawful, and products using another brand's name, logo, packaging, or trade dress without permission. Sellers must have the legal right to sell all branded products. 9. Recalled, Unsafe, and Non-Compliant Products Prohibited: recalled products under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act or another federal or provincial Act; products subject to safety warnings or enforcement; products missing required warnings, safety warnings, use instructions, cautionary labels, or other required labelling; products that do not comply with applicable legal requirements for the content, format, and placement of such warnings, instructions, labels, and packaging; products with undisclosed hazards; contaminated, expired, or spoiled products; and products that do not comply with applicable consumer product safety laws. Sellers must immediately notify Rootsy if any listed or sold product becomes recalled, unsafe, or non-compliant. 10. Hazardous, Dangerous, and Regulated Materials Prohibited unless expressly approved: toxic substances, radioactive materials, explosives, dangerous chemicals, industrial solvents, pesticides, poisons, corrosive substances, hazardous gases, restricted laboratory or biological materials, and flammable products not approved for safe shipping. Consumer products containing flammable or hazardous components (fragrances, aerosols, nail products, cleaning products, candles, batteries) may be restricted. 11. Adult, Sexual, Obscene, and Exploitative Products Prohibited: pornography; adult sexual devices; explicit sexual materials; sexually exploitative content; products involving minors or simulated minors; products promoting sexual violence or non-consensual activity; and escort, adult entertainment, or sexual service listings. 12. Hate, Violence, Harassment, and Extremist Products Prohibited: hate symbols; extremist propaganda; terrorist organization materials; products promoting violence, self-harm, or harm to others; products targeting protected groups; discriminatory or dehumanizing products; and content glorifying criminal violence. 13. Live Animals, Wildlife, and Animal Products Prohibited: live animals, pets, endangered species products, ivory, illegal fur, restricted animal parts, and products violating wildlife, conservation, import, or animal welfare laws. 14. Financial Products, Government Documents, Surveillance, and Malicious Technology Prohibited: securities, stocks, bonds, cryptocurrency investment products, loans, insurance, prepaid cards, gift cards, stored-value products, lottery and gambling products, and money transmission services unless expressly approved. Government-issued IDs, passports, driver's licences, health cards, immigration documents, professional licences, and academic credentials are prohibited. Stolen personal information, malware, spyware, hacking tools, phishing tools, hidden surveillance devices for unlawful use, and unauthorized tracking devices are prohibited.
PART B — RESTRICTED / PRE-APPROVED PRODUCTS 15. General Restricted Product Rule Restricted products may be listed only if: Rootsy approves the seller or product category; the seller provides all required documentation; the seller holds all required Canadian licences, permits, registrations, certifications, and insurance; the product complies with applicable law; the product can be safely shipped; the product is not prohibited by Rootsy's payment, logistics, or service providers; the seller maintains commercial general liability insurance of not less than $2,000,000 per occurrence and product liability insurance appropriate to the nature and volume of products sold; and Rootsy may require the seller to name Rootsy as an additional insured and to provide certificates of insurance on request. Rootsy may revoke approval at any time. 16. Alcohol and Alcoholic Beverages Alcohol is a restricted / pre-approved category. No seller may list, sell, advertise, promote, ship, deliver, or offer alcohol through Rootsy unless Rootsy has expressly approved the seller, product category, licence status, fulfilment model, and geographic scope. Rootsy may restrict or suspend alcohol functionality at any time if legal, regulatory, operational, payment, shipping, insurance, reputational, or platform risk is determined to be too high. Rootsy is a marketplace technology platform - not a liquor retailer, manufacturer, distillery, brewery, winery, delivery service, importer, wholesaler, or alcohol licensee - and alcohol sellers remain solely responsible for ensuring that their products, listings, sales, packaging, fulfilment, delivery, advertising, returns, records, and compliance obligations are lawful. 16.1 Seller Licensing and Approval. Before listing alcohol, sellers must obtain Rootsy approval and provide: (a) a valid provincial liquor licence (e.g., AGCO in Ontario, BCLDB authorization in BC, AGLC in Alberta, SAQ authorization in Quebec), including licence number, expiry date, licence class, and authorized product categories, sale channels, and delivery methods; (b) business registration and GST/HST number; (c) proof of liquor liability and commercial general liability insurance; (d) responsible service training certification (e.g., Smart Serve in Ontario); (e) age-verification and delivery compliance procedures; (f) product labels, ABV information, and supplier or production records; and (g) any additional documentation requested by Rootsy. Sellers must immediately notify Rootsy if any licence expires, is suspended, is revoked, or changes in scope; if a regulator contacts the seller; if a compliance issue arises; or if the seller receives any warning, fine, investigation notice, or enforcement action. Approval to sell non-alcohol products does not constitute approval to sell alcohol. 16.2 Permitted and Prohibited Products. Subject to Rootsy approval and applicable law, permitted products include wine, beer, cider, spirits, ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages, alcoholic gift products, alcohol bundles, and other products expressly approved by Rootsy. Prohibited regardless of approval: unlicensed or homemade alcohol not legally permitted for commercial sale; counterfeit, tampered, opened, refilled, or relabelled alcohol; alcohol with false origin or ABV claims; alcohol sold without required labels; alcohol sold outside the seller's licence scope or permitted geography; alcohol mixed with cannabis, controlled substances, or prohibited ingredients; alcohol marketed for intoxication, binge drinking, or irresponsible use; and alcohol marketed to minors. 16.3 Province-by-Province Compliance and Legal Drinking Age. Alcohol laws vary significantly across Canada. Before listing or selling alcohol, sellers must comply with all applicable laws in the seller's province or territory, the buyer's province or territory, the shipping origin, the delivery destination, and any municipality, dry community, or restricted community. The minimum legal drinking age is 18 in Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec, and 19 in all other provinces and territories. Rootsy may apply the stricter of applicable provincial requirements based on delivery destination and buyer location, and may restrict or block alcohol transactions by province, territory, postal code, municipality, delivery zone, ABV, container size, or delivery method. 16.4 Listing Requirements. All alcohol listings must be accurate, complete, lawful, and not misleading. Listings must include: product name; brand; producer; product type; volume and quantity; ABV; country, province, or region of origin; vintage where applicable; ingredients or allergens where required; container size and bottle or can count; deposit information where applicable; price and tax treatment; return restrictions; delivery restrictions; age-restricted notice; and legally required warnings. 16.5 Age Verification and Buyer Eligibility. Alcohol must not be sold or delivered to anyone below the Legal Drinking Age in the applicable jurisdiction. Rootsy may implement age gates, date-of-birth confirmation, account-level age verification, checkout confirmation, identity verification, and delivery-stage ID checks. Buyers must be at or above the Legal Drinking Age, provide accurate account and delivery information, and must not be purchasing on behalf of a minor or for unlawful resale. 16.6 Delivery Rules. Alcohol must not be delivered to: anyone under the Legal Drinking Age; anyone who appears intoxicated; anyone unable or unwilling to provide required ID; or anyone where delivery is prohibited by law. The person accepting delivery must present valid government-issued, unexpired photo ID and sign for the order. Alcohol must not be left unattended at a door, mailbox, lobby, or unsecured location. If no eligible recipient is available, the order must be refused, returned, rescheduled, or cancelled. Delivery hours and permitted locations vary by province, territory, seller licence, and applicable law; Rootsy may restrict or block checkout based on these variables. Alcohol may only be shipped through authorized carriers capable of adult signature or proof-of-age delivery. Interprovincial alcohol shipping is legally sensitive; Rootsy may restrict alcohol to intra-provincial transactions only unless legal counsel confirms that a specific product, seller, route, and delivery method are lawfully permitted. 16.7 Packaging and Product Integrity. Sellers must package alcohol safely, securely, and lawfully, using packaging suitable for glass, liquids, carrier handling, leakage and breakage prevention, and tamper detection. Alcohol must be delivered sealed, unopened, and in legally compliant containers. Sellers must not sell alcohol that has been opened, refilled, tampered with, relabelled, contaminated, adulterated, or expired. 16.8 Returns, Refunds, and Failed Deliveries. Alcohol returns may be restricted for legal, safety, hygiene, tamper, quality, and regulatory reasons. Returns may be refused where the product has been opened, tampered with, partially consumed, or damaged after delivery. Where delivery is refused because no eligible recipient is available or valid ID is not provided, Rootsy may cancel, return, reschedule, refund, partially refund, or deny refund depending on applicable law. A Return Processing and Logistics Fee of $15 may apply where a failed delivery is buyer-controlled and permitted by law. Rootsy may waive fees where the issue was caused by seller error, carrier error, or Rootsy system error. 16.9 Marketing and Promotions. Alcohol marketing must comply with applicable law and Rootsy policy. Sellers must not advertise alcohol in a manner that: targets minors; promotes excessive consumption or intoxication; encourages binge drinking; links alcohol to driving; makes health, medical, therapeutic, or wellness claims; or violates provincial advertising rules. Alcohol promotions (including discounts, coupons, contests, volume incentives, and referral rewards) require Rootsy approval and must comply with applicable law. Free alcohol offers, excessive discounts, and promotions targeting minors are prohibited. 16.10 Recordkeeping and Audits. Alcohol sellers must maintain records as required by law, licence conditions, Rootsy policy, payment providers, carriers, and regulators, including: licence documents; training records; product, supplier, and inventory records; sales, order, delivery, and refused-delivery records; age verification records; return and refund records; and regulatory notices. Rootsy may audit alcohol sellers and review licences, listings, advertising, delivery procedures, records, complaints, returns, and disputes at any time. Rootsy may report alcohol-related issues (including suspected sale to minors, unlicensed sales, counterfeit alcohol, and serious compliance breaches) to regulators, law enforcement, payment processors, logistics providers, and insurers where required or appropriate. 16.11 Enforcement. Violations may result in immediate listing removal, order cancellation, payout hold or adjustment, cost recovery, suspension of alcohol selling privileges, account suspension or termination, reporting to regulators, or legal action. Rootsy may act without prior notice where legal, safety, regulatory, payment, carrier, or public-interest risk exists. Violations include, without limitation: listing alcohol without Rootsy approval; selling without a valid licence; selling to underage buyers; delivering to intoxicated recipients; unattended delivery; unlawful interprovincial shipment; selling into restricted communities; using unauthorized carriers; inaccurate ABV disclosure; counterfeit or tampered alcohol; illegal promotions; and failure to maintain records or cooperate with compliance reviews. 17. Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages Requires Rootsy approval and compliance with: Safe Food for Canadians Act and Regulations; CFIA licensing where applicable; provincial food safety legislation; Food and Drug Regulations labelling requirements; Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act; and allergen, net quantity, expiry, storage, and nutrition disclosure requirements. Perishable, refrigerated, frozen, homemade, cottage-food, and high-risk foods require additional approval. 18. Cosmetics, Personal Care, and Beauty Products Sellers must notify Health Canada under the Cosmetic Regulations (C.R.C. c. 869) within 10 days of first selling a cosmetic on the Canadian market. Listings must include ingredients, allergens, warnings, usage instructions, expiry/shelf life, product size, and manufacturer information. Products must not make unauthorized medical, therapeutic, or drug-like claims. Perfumes, aerosols, nail products, and flammable cosmetics may require special shipping controls. 19. Natural Health Products, Supplements, and Wellness Products Requires Health Canada Natural Product Number (NPN) or Drug Identification Number for homeopathic medicines (DIN-HM) for each product, and the Drug Establishment Licence (DEL) or NHP Site Licence number in which it was manufactured. Sellers must not make unauthorized health, treatment, disease, weight-loss, sexual enhancement, or therapeutic claims. Products without a required NPN or DIN-HM are prohibited. 20. Children's, Baby, and Regulated Consumer Products Must comply with Canada Consumer Product Safety Act and any specific regulations for cribs, car seats, toys, strollers, children's clothing, feeding products, and similar items. Sellers must maintain CCPSA compliance certificates from accredited testing laboratories for applicable regulated products. Used, recalled, expired, unsafe, or missing-component children's products are prohibited. 21. Electronics, Batteries, and High-Value or Fragile Goods Electronics and electrical products must bear CSA (Canadian Standards Association) or equivalent certification. Sellers must disclose product condition, compatibility, voltage, plug type, battery type, and safety certifications. Lithium batteries, damaged batteries, and uncertified electronics may be restricted. High-value, fragile, oversized, heavy, or special-handling products may require Rootsy approval, special packaging, insurance, and specific carrier options. PART C — ACCEPTABLE USE RULES 22. Seller Acceptable Use Sellers must use Rootsy lawfully, honestly, and professionally. Sellers must not: list prohibited products; list restricted products without approval; provide false information; misstate inventory or product condition; use misleading claims; use fake discounts or inflated reference prices (Competition Act, s.74.01); manipulate search rankings; manipulate reviews; infringe intellectual property rights; misuse Buyer personal information; bypass Rootsy payments or shipping; redirect Buyers off-platform; provide false tracking; mark products shipped when not shipped; provide false, incomplete, or non-compliant product warnings, safety warnings, use instructions, cautionary labels, or packaging in respect of any product listed or sold on the Platform; engage in fraud, abuse, or deceptive conduct; upload malware; or scrape Platform data. 23. Buyer Acceptable Use Buyers must use Rootsy lawfully, honestly, and respectfully. Buyers must not: attempt to buy prohibited products; attempt to bypass age checks; provide false identity or delivery information; use stolen payment methods; place fraudulent orders; abuse coupons, promotions, returns, or refunds; make false claims; submit empty-box or item-switching claims; initiate abusive chargebacks; harass sellers or Rootsy staff; manipulate reviews; or bypass Rootsy payments or shipping. 24. Content and Communication Rules Users must not upload, post, or transmit content that is: false; misleading; fraudulent; defamatory; abusive; threatening; hateful; discriminatory; obscene; sexually exploitative; violent; harassing; unlawful; infringing; spam; malware; or designed to bypass Rootsy systems. 25. Off-Platform Transactions and Platform Security Users must not bypass Rootsy's payment, shipping, return, refund, or dispute systems. Off-platform conduct may result in loss of Buyer or seller protections, account restriction, suspension, termination, or other action. Users must not hack, scrape, harvest, credential-steal, upload malware, use automated abuse, exploit bugs, conduct denial-of-service, or interfere with Rootsy systems. PART D — COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT 26. Documentation Requirements Rootsy may require sellers to provide: business registration; corporate name and registration or incorporation number (where applicable); incorporation documents (where applicable); identity verification information for the individual representative of the seller entity; tax registration (including GST/HST number); licences and permits; Health Canada registration numbers (NPN, DIN, MDL); AGCO or provincial liquor licence; CFIA licence; food safety documentation; insurance; product labels; ingredient lists; safety certifications; supplier invoices; authenticity records; and other documentation. Failure to provide documentation may result in listing rejection, product removal, payout hold, account restriction, or termination. 27. Rootsy Monitoring, Account Actions, and Enforcement Rootsy may review, monitor, investigate, restrict, remove, reject, or suspend seller accounts, Buyer accounts, listings, orders, payments, returns, disputes, communications, and reviews at any time. Violations may result in: warning; content or listing removal; listing restriction; order cancellation; refund; payout hold; payout adjustment; fee recovery; seller-caused cancellation fee; account review; reduced visibility; suspension; termination; reporting to payment processors, logistics providers, regulators, law enforcement, or rights holders. 28. Rootsy Discretion — Permitting, Restricting, and Documentation. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Policy, Rootsy reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to decline to permit any product, class of products, seller, or Buyer activity that would otherwise fall within a Permitted or Restricted category under this Policy, without being required to provide reasons. Rootsy further reserves the right, at any time and for any reason, to request from any seller or Buyer such documentation, records, certifications, licences, identity verification, insurance, supplier information, or other verification as Rootsy considers necessary or appropriate to evaluate whether a product, class of products, seller, or activity should be permitted, continued, restricted, or suspended on the Platform. Failure to provide requested documentation or verification within the timeframe specified by Rootsy may result in listing removal, payout hold, account restriction, suspension, or termination. 29. Contact Information Rootsy Marketplace Inc. | Buyer and Seller Support: support@rootsy.ca | General / Legal Notices: contact@rootsy.ca

