Melanated Stock — Marketplace Terms, Fees, and Refund Policy

Last Updated: October 08, 2025
Owner: CrownThrive LLC, Gretna, Virginia, United States
Contact: contact@melanatedstock.com

Welcome to Melanated Stock, a CrownThrive LLC brand. This policy governs your relationship with our creative marketplace — whether you are a Photographer or Author (Seller) uploading and licensing work, or a Client or Customer (Buyer) purchasing and downloading visual content. By using Melanated Stock, you agree to these terms, our privacy policy, and our licensing agreements.

 

1. Roles and Definitions

• We / Platform: Melanated Stock, operated by CrownThrive LLC.
• Sellers (Photographers/Authors): Creators who upload, list, and license their original works for sale.
• Buyers (Clients/Customers): Individuals or entities who purchase and license creative works from sellers.
• Stripe Connect: The automated system used for processing all sales and auto-splitting platform commissions.
• PayPal / Stripe Payouts: Payment providers used for withdrawals and balance payouts to sellers.

 

2. Accounts and Eligibility

• All users must be at least 18 years of age and provide accurate information during registration.
• Sellers are responsible for verifying identity and payout details through Stripe Connect or PayPal, depending on region.
• Each user is responsible for maintaining account security and password confidentiality.

 

3. Ownership, Licensing, and Rights

• Sellers retain full copyright ownership of their uploaded content.
• By uploading content, sellers grant Melanated Stock a license to display, promote, market, and distribute their works through our marketplace.
• Buyers receive a non-exclusive, non-transferable license for creative use as defined in the selected license type.
• Unauthorized redistribution, resale, or sublicensing of downloaded files is strictly prohibited.
• Sellers must have model and property releases for identifiable subjects or private locations where required by law.

 

4. Payment Processing and Platform Commission

• All transactions on Melanated Stock are processed through Stripe Payments for secure checkout.
• We use Stripe Connect to automatically split commissions on all sales.
• The platform retains a 20% commission on every sale. This split is handled automatically during checkout.
• Sellers receive 80% of the sale amount credited to their available balance after commission deductions.

 

5. Withdrawals and Payout Fees

• Sellers may withdraw available earnings via Stripe or PayPal.
• Each withdrawal or payout is subject to a 5% processing fee charged by the respective provider.
• Additional banking or currency conversion fees may apply depending on location and provider.
• Combined, the 20% platform commission and 5% payout fee result in a total effective fee of approximately 25% per sale.
• Example: On a $100 sale — $20 is retained as the platform commission, $80 is credited to the seller balance, and $4 (5%) is deducted during withdrawal, resulting in $76 net payout.

 

6. Refunds and Cancellations

• All sales of digital goods are final once the file is downloaded or accessed.
• Refunds are only considered for duplicate transactions, corrupted files that cannot be replaced, or items that were misrepresented.
• Refund requests must be made within 7 days of purchase and reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
• If a refund is approved, platform commissions and payout fees are non-refundable and may be deducted from the seller’s future balance.
• Chargebacks initiated through a payment provider may delay payouts or result in account suspension during dispute resolution.

 

7. Content Standards and Enforcement

• All uploaded content must be lawful, original, and free of third-party rights conflicts.
• Prohibited content includes hateful, exploitative, pornographic, violent, or infringing material.
• Melanated Stock reserves the right to remove, suspend, or reject content that violates our standards.
• We comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and honor valid takedown requests.

 

8. Privacy and Data Protection

• We collect account, transaction, and device data to operate securely and improve user experience.
• Payment information is handled exclusively by Stripe and PayPal; Melanated Stock does not store full payment details.
• Analytics and performance tracking are conducted through CrownLytics and trusted partners to monitor engagement and improve services.
• We support environmental transparency through EcoDrive and Stripe Climate.

 

9. Liability and Warranties

• Sellers warrant that all uploaded content is their original work and does not infringe on others’ rights.
• Buyers agree to use content within the permitted license and assume responsibility for any misuse.
• The platform is provided “as-is” without warranty of uninterrupted service, error-free operation, or fitness for a particular purpose.
• To the fullest extent permitted by law, CrownThrive LLC is not liable for indirect or consequential damages exceeding the total amount paid to the platform within the preceding 12 months.

 

10. Account Termination

• We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate policies, engage in fraud, or misuse the platform.
• Sellers may request account closure once all payouts, disputes, and obligations have been settled.

 

11. Governing Law

This policy and all disputes are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles.

 

12. Changes to This Policy

We may revise these terms to reflect updates in operations, legal obligations, or platform improvements. Changes will be posted with a new effective date. Continued use after updates indicates acceptance.

 

13. Contact

For questions, disputes, or requests related to these Terms, Fees, or Refunds, please contact:
Email: contact@melanatedstock.com