Marketplace Protection Policy

FoodieRow works because vendors and organizers can connect safely, professionally, and with confidence that their information and interests are protected. Without marketplace protections, bad actors could use FoodieRow to harvest contact information, bypass platform fees, or abuse other users — harming everyone.

These protections exist for both parties. Organizers are protected from direct solicitation by unvetted vendors. Vendors are protected from organizers who might otherwise collect their information without any fair application process.

All sensitive contact information on FoodieRow is protected until specific unlock conditions are met. This includes:

• Organizer contact information (business email, phone, direct contact): hidden until a vendor has an approved application and FoodieRow confirms contact unlock
• Vendor protected contact information (business email, phone, business name beyond display name): hidden from organizers until the application process reaches the appropriate unlock stage

Display names, general location, cuisine type, and public profile information may be visible earlier in the process to facilitate matching — but direct contact details are never shown until the unlock criteria are met.

If you discover a vendor or organizer through FoodieRow — through browsing, searching, or the application process — you may not contact, hire, or engage them for events outside the FoodieRow platform without completing the proper application and approval process.

Off-platform circumvention includes, but is not limited to:

• Contacting a vendor discovered on FoodieRow through social media, direct email, or phone without completing a FoodieRow application
• Booking a vendor for an event after finding them on FoodieRow but listing that event elsewhere to avoid platform fees
• Using FoodieRow solely as a directory to collect contact information and then transacting off-platform
• Sharing another user's contact information obtained through FoodieRow with third parties

FoodieRow may suspend or permanently remove accounts found to be engaging in off-platform circumvention. Repeated violations may result in legal action for breach of contract.

FoodieRow actively monitors for fraudulent activity, including:

• Fake event listings created to collect vendor application fees without a real event
• Fake vendor accounts created to harvest organizer contact information
• Fabricated compliance documents submitted to pass vetting
• Payment fraud, chargeback abuse, or identity misrepresentation
• Coordination between accounts to inflate or fabricate ratings

If you suspect fraud or a fake listing on FoodieRow, report it immediately to support@foodierow.com. We take these reports seriously and investigate promptly.

To protect users from spam and harassment:

• Application messages are reviewed for appropriate content and business relevance
• Users who send mass, unsolicited, or off-topic communications may be restricted
• FoodieRow may limit application volume from accounts showing spam-like behavior
• Accounts sending abusive or harassing messages through the platform will be suspended

All communication between vendors and organizers through FoodieRow should be:

• Professional, honest, and relevant to the event or application
• Free from solicitation for off-platform transactions
• Free from personal attacks, discrimination, or threats

FoodieRow may review communications in cases of reported abuse and use them as evidence in dispute resolution.

Compliance documents uploaded to FoodieRow (licenses, permits, insurance, etc.) are accessible only to FoodieRow staff and, where applicable, to organizers reviewing a specific application. Documents must not be downloaded, copied, or shared outside the platform context for which they were provided.

Organizers who download vendor compliance documents through FoodieRow may use them only for verifying compliance for the specific event. Using vendor documents for any other purpose — including commercial use or sharing with third parties — is prohibited.

FoodieRow reserves the right to:

• Review any account at any time for potential policy violations
• Suspend accounts pending investigation without prior notice
• Permanently remove accounts found to have materially violated marketplace protection rules
• Share information with law enforcement where legally required

If you believe your account was suspended in error, contact support@foodierow.com with a brief explanation. We review appeals in the order received.

For events using the “Vendor Pays to Vend” payment model, FoodieRow collects booth or vending fees from vendors through Stripe and holds those funds for event protection. Holding funds protects vendors in the event of organizer cancellation, non-delivery, or disputed attendance.

FoodieRow is not a financial institution, and held booth fees are not a deposit account. Held funds are not immediately transferred to the organizer. They are released after event completion is reviewed, subject to the following conditions:

• Organizer payouts from held booth funds are not automatic during beta
• FoodieRow manually reviews and releases eligible organizer funds after the event
• Release may be delayed or blocked if there is a cancellation, no-show, vendor access denial, chargeback, event change, compliance issue, or FoodieRow admin review
• Verified organizers may request partial early release if approved by FoodieRow — this is not guaranteed

This held-funds model applies only to VPtV events processed through FoodieRow's Stripe integration. Off-platform booth fee arrangements remain solely between the vendor and organizer. See our Payment Policy and Refund & Cancellation Policy for full detail.