Terms of Service

These Terms apply to all visitors, users, buyers, sellers, private parties, dealerships, and any other person or entity that accesses or uses the Service (“you” or “User”). If you use the Service on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that organization, and “you” includes that organization.

Your agreement is recorded when you create an account and accept these Terms (including the version identifier shown at signup). We may store the Terms version, timestamp, IP address, and related metadata as evidence of acceptance.

Karlend is a technology platform and marketplace. We provide tools that allow Users to list vehicles, discover local inventory, communicate, apply for lease-to-own arrangements, view form contracts and bills of sale, and process certain payments through third-party processors.

Unless we expressly state otherwise in a separate written agreement signed by us, Karlend is not:

• a party to any vehicle purchase, sale, lease, or lease-to-own contract between Users;
• a motor vehicle dealer, broker, auctioneer, or consignment agent (except to the extent a User who is a licensed dealer uses the Service as a seller);
• a bank, credit union, lender, finance company, or loan originator;
• an insurer, title company, escrow agent, notary, or legal advisor;
• a guarantor of any User’s performance, creditworthiness, vehicle condition, or title;
• responsible for vehicle delivery, registration, emissions, safety recalls, or physical inspection.

Contracts, payments, and obligations for a specific vehicle are solely between the participating buyer and seller (and any licensed professionals they engage), except for platform fees we charge and payment processing performed by third parties.

Karlend is never the lessor or creditor of record for user-to-user lease-to-own or installment arrangements unless a separate written agreement expressly says otherwise. Required in-product disclosures (apply, start lease, list, become a seller) are additional acknowledgments of these Terms and may be stored with version identifiers and timestamps as evidence of agreement.

You must be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, if higher) and capable of entering a binding contract. You may not use the Service if you are barred under applicable law or if we have previously suspended or terminated your account.

You agree to:

• provide accurate, current, and complete registration information;
• maintain the security of your credentials and notify us of unauthorized use;
• accept responsibility for all activity under your account;
• use only one account unless we authorize otherwise;
• not share accounts or misrepresent your identity, affiliation, or seller type (private vs. dealership).

We may refuse registration, require identity verification, or limit features at our discretion, including to comply with law or reduce fraud risk.

If you browse, apply, purchase, or enter a lease-to-own arrangement as a buyer, you acknowledge and agree that:

• Listings are created by sellers; we do not warrant accuracy of price, mileage, history, title status, liens, accidents, or condition.
• You are solely responsible for inspecting the vehicle (personally or via a mechanic), verifying VIN and title, confirming the seller’s identity and authority to sell, and obtaining insurance as required by law or contract.
• Submitting a lease application, uploading documents, or messaging a seller does not create a binding lease or sale until you and the seller complete whatever signatures, deliveries, and payment steps your deal requires.
• Income, residency, identification, and other documents you upload must be lawful, authentic, and used only for evaluating your application; providing false documents is grounds for immediate termination and may be reported where required by law.
• You will not harass sellers or misuse personal information obtained through the Service.
• Outright purchases and lease-to-own terms are commercial decisions you make at your own risk; past or estimated monthly payments are not a guarantee of affordability or future approval.

If you list, accept applications, or sell as a private party or dealership, you represent and warrant that:

• You have lawful right, title, and authority to list and transfer the vehicle (or to lease it under a valid lease-to-own structure), free of undisclosed liens or claims, or you fully disclose all encumbrances.
• All listing content is accurate and not misleading, including year, make, model, trim, mileage, VIN, location, price, photos, and sale type.
• Photos depict the actual vehicle offered; you will not use stock images as if they were the subject vehicle.
• If you are a dealership or act as a dealer, you hold all licenses, bonds, and permits required in each jurisdiction where you offer vehicles, and you comply with dealer, advertising, financing, and consumer-protection laws.
• You will not list stolen vehicles, salvage or flood vehicles without clear disclosure where required, or vehicles you cannot lawfully transfer.
• You are solely responsible for taxes, title, registration paperwork, federal odometer disclosure (including the Truth in Mileage Act / 49 U.S.C. § 32705 and 49 C.F.R. Part 580 as applicable), lemon-law notices, and any state-required sale or retail-installment documents.
• If you sell or offer for sale more than five used vehicles in a twelve-month period, you are a “dealer” under the FTC Used Car Rule (16 C.F.R. Part 455) and must provide a Buyers Guide and required warranty or AS-IS disclosures; Karlend does not post the Buyers Guide for you.
• You will handle applicant documents confidentially and only for legitimate transaction purposes, and you will not retain or use them for unrelated marketing or unlawful purposes.
• You will not discriminate against applicants or buyers in violation of applicable civil-rights or equal-credit laws where such laws apply to your conduct (including ECOA if you act as a creditor).
• You will complete any seller attestation checkboxes presented by the Service before listing; false attestations are a material breach and may result in immediate suspension.

We may remove listings, limit visibility, or suspend sellers for suspected fraud, policy violations, or legal risk, without liability to you for lost sales or opportunity.

Some listings offer purchase options structured as lease-to-own (“LTO”), installment-style, or similar paths to ownership. LTO arrangements on Karlend are private agreements between buyer and seller (unless a separate licensed finance partner is clearly identified and contracted). Karlend is not the lessor of record and does not originate consumer credit merely by hosting listings, applications, form documents, or payment schedules.

You understand that:

• Karlend-generated contracts, LTO agreements, and bills of sale are form documents and tools for convenience. They are not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney, and they may not satisfy every jurisdiction’s formalities (notarization, witnesses, electronic signature laws, motor-vehicle title assignment forms, etc.).
• Federal disclosure characterization. Depending on structure, a transaction labeled “lease” may be a consumer lease under the Consumer Leasing Act / Regulation M, or may be recharacterized as a credit sale under the Truth in Lending Act / Regulation Z (for example, when the consumer pays substantially the full value of the vehicle and may own it for little or no additional consideration). The parties to the contract—not Karlend—are responsible for providing any required federal and state disclosures.
• You are responsible for reviewing, negotiating, and ensuring any contract is complete, enforceable, and compliant where the vehicle is titled or the parties reside, including state retail installment and dealer laws.
• Electronic signatures through the Service, if offered, indicate intent to sign under applicable e-sign law; they do not replace title or odometer forms required by a state DMV.
• Default, repossession, early payoff, residual/balloon amounts, late fees, and ownership transfer terms are governed by your contract and law—not by these platform Terms alone. Karlend does not repossess vehicles.
• We do not guarantee that any LTO structure is a “lease,” “security interest,” or “retail installment sale” under state law; tax and accounting treatment is your responsibility.
• Failure of a party to pay or deliver is a dispute between those Users; our role may be limited to facilitating communication or payment rails.
• Before applying or starting LTO, you must accept the in-product LTO disclosures (versioned). Those acknowledgments form part of your agreement with Karlend.

Payments may be processed by Stripe, Inc. and its affiliates (“Stripe”) or other processors we designate. By using payment features, you also agree to the applicable processor terms (for example, Stripe’s services agreement and Connected Account agreement for sellers).

• Sellers who receive payouts must complete Stripe Connect Express onboarding, identity verification, and tax information requests when required. We do not control Stripe’s underwriting, freezes, or holds.
• Card and bank data. Full payment card numbers and sensitive authentication data are handled by Stripe under PCI DSS–aligned controls. Karlend is not your card vault: we do not store complete PANs or CVV codes in our application database. We may store payment metadata (status, amounts, fee splits, PaymentIntent ids, and Connect account ids) needed to run schedules and support.
• Secret keys. Stripe secret API keys and webhook signing secrets are server-side only. Browsers and mobile apps never receive them. Live payment completion for real money is confirmed via signed Stripe webhooks (or equivalent processor confirmation), not by an unauthenticated client “mark paid” call.
• Platform fees, processing fees, and any disclosed markups may be deducted from payments or charged separately. Fees are described in the Service at the time of the transaction where practicable; we may change fees prospectively.
• You authorize us and our processors to charge payment methods you provide for amounts you owe, including down payments, scheduled payments, residuals, and recoverable fees where permitted by your contract and law.
• Chargebacks, disputes, and refunds are handled under processor rules and applicable law. You agree to cooperate in investigations. Abusive chargebacks may result in suspension.
• Currency, timing of settlement, and availability of funds are subject to banking and processor schedules. We are not liable for bank delays or rejected transfers.
• You are responsible for any taxes on your transactions (sales, use, income, VAT, etc.). We may collect or report information if legally required, but we are not your tax advisor.

Offline or “demo” payment modes exist only when live Stripe keys are not configured (for example, local development). Demo modes do not create real card charges or real bank transfers, and they cannot be used to fake live paid status while production Stripe keys are active.

You must keep your login credentials confidential and use a strong, unique password. Notify us promptly of unauthorized access. You are responsible for activity under your account except where caused by our failure to implement reasonable security measures.

• No intentional backdoors. Karlend does not provide a public master password, hidden support login that impersonates users without controls, or unauthenticated API that grants admin powers over accounts, Stripe balances, or payment status.
• Authorization. Actions that affect your money, listings, applications, messages, contracts, or payouts require authentication and, where applicable, ownership checks (you may only act on resources you are entitled to access).
• Probing and abuse. Automated scraping, credential stuffing, attempts to forge Stripe webhooks, or attempts to escalate privileges are prohibited and may result in suspension and reporting to law enforcement.
• QR codes and public links. Listing and profile QR codes open public pages. Anyone with a public listing URL or QR may view that listing content. Do not put secrets in listing text.
• Security reports: email karlotmanagement@gmail.com. Do not publicly disclose unfixed vulnerabilities in a way that harms other Users.

The Service may display market estimates, VIN decode results, suggested listing copy, or other automated insights. These features may rely on third-party data (for example, NHTSA VIN services), heuristics, and artificial intelligence models.

• Valuations and estimates are informational only and are not appraisals, offers to purchase, guarantees of market price, or insurance valuations.
• VIN data may be incomplete or incorrect; always verify against physical documents and the vehicle.
• AI-generated descriptions may omit defects or contain errors. Sellers remain fully responsible for final listing accuracy; buyers should not rely solely on AI text.
• We disclaim liability for decisions made based on automated outputs.

You may upload identity, income, residency, or other documents and exchange messages with other Users. You grant us a limited license to host, process, transmit, and display that content solely to operate the Service (including abuse prevention and legal compliance).

• Do not upload content you do not have rights to share, or documents containing others’ personal data without a lawful basis.
• Messages and uploads are not private from Karlend’s systems administrators or security tooling, and may be reviewed for fraud, safety, or legal process.
• We are not obligated to store documents indefinitely. Retain your own copies of contracts and proofs.
• You consent to receive service-related electronic communications (account, security, transaction, and legal notices) at the email or contact methods you provide. Marketing messages, if any, will comply with applicable consent rules and can be opted out where required.

The Service may use device location, address autocomplete, and city selection to show inventory within a radius (for example, 50 miles). Location accuracy depends on your device, browser permissions, and third-party geocoding. We do not guarantee that every nearby vehicle will appear or that distances are exact. Changing your location may change visible inventory.

You agree not to, and not to assist others to:

• violate any law, including motor vehicle, consumer finance, anti-money-laundering, export, sanctions, or data-protection laws;
• commit fraud, identity theft, title washing, odometer fraud, or payment fraud;
• scrape, spider, or harvest data except as allowed by robots rules or our written permission;
• interfere with security, reverse engineer non-public parts of the Service, or introduce malware;
• circumvent fees, geographic limits, access controls, authentication, or payment confirmation (including forged webhooks or demo-mode abuse against live systems);
• post defamatory, harassing, hateful, or illegal content;
• impersonate any person or misrepresent affiliation with Karlend;
• use the Service to advertise off-platform deals solely to evade fees while exploiting our audience, if we prohibit such conduct in policy;
• attempt to repossess or collect through the Service in a manner that violates law.

The Service, including software, design, trademarks, and documentation, is owned by Karlend and its licensors. We grant you a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the Service for its intended purpose, subject to these Terms.

You retain ownership of content you submit, but you grant Karlend a worldwide, royalty-free license to use, host, reproduce, modify (for formatting), and display that content as needed to operate, improve, promote, and secure the Service. You represent you have rights to grant this license. Feedback you provide may be used by us without obligation to you.

The Service integrates third parties (including Supabase for authentication and data, Stripe for payments, mapping/geocoding providers, VIN/data providers, and AI providers). Their terms and privacy policies apply to their services. We are not responsible for third-party outages, policy changes, or acts/omissions, except to the extent required by non-waivable law.

Please read carefully.

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, KARLEND DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND ANY WARRANTIES ARISING FROM COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE OF TRADE.

WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT: (A) THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE; (B) LISTINGS OR USER CONTENT WILL BE ACCURATE OR LAWFUL; (C) ANY VEHICLE WILL MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS; (D) ANY TRANSACTION WILL CLOSE; OR (E) DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED.

SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN DISCLAIMERS; IN THOSE CASES, DISCLAIMERS APPLY TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, KARLEND AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AFFILIATES, AND LICENSORS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, GOODWILL, OR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THE SERVICE OR THESE TERMS, WHETHER BASED IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS RELATING TO THE SERVICE OR THESE TERMS WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF: (A) THE AMOUNTS YOU PAID TO KARLEND (EXCLUDING AMOUNTS PAID TO OTHER USERS OR TO STRIPE AS PROCESSOR) IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM AROSE; OR (B) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS (US $100).

THE LIMITATIONS IN THIS SECTION APPLY EVEN IF ANY REMEDY FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE. THEY DO NOT LIMIT LIABILITY THAT CANNOT BE LIMITED UNDER LAW (FOR EXAMPLE, CERTAIN PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS OR LIABILITY FOR FRAUD WHERE SUCH LIMITS ARE PROHIBITED).

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Karlend and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and affiliates from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your use of the Service; (b) your listings, vehicles, documents, or messages; (c) your transactions with other Users; (d) your violation of these Terms or law; (e) your infringement of third-party rights; or (f) disputes between you and another User, including payment, title, repossession, or vehicle condition disputes.

If you have a dispute with another User, you release Karlend from claims, demands, and damages of every kind arising out of that dispute, to the fullest extent permitted by law. You are encouraged to resolve disputes directly. We may, but are not obligated to, assist with information or temporary account measures. Any voluntary assistance does not make us a party to your contract or create a duty of care beyond these Terms.

Informal resolution. Before filing a claim against us, you agree to try to resolve the dispute informally by emailing karlotmanagement@gmail.com with a description of the dispute and your contact information. If not resolved within thirty (30) days, either party may proceed as below.

Binding arbitration. Except for the exclusions below, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service will be resolved by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules (or Commercial Rules if you use the Service primarily for business). The arbitration will be conducted by a single arbitrator, in English, and may proceed by video or phone. Judgment on the award may be entered in any court with jurisdiction.

Class action waiver. YOU AND KARLEND AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN AN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS, COLLECTIVE, OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. The arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person’s claims.

Exclusions. Either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in court for intellectual property infringement or misuse of the Service. Small-claims court actions that qualify may proceed in small claims court.

Opt-out. You may opt out of arbitration and the class waiver within thirty (30) days of first accepting these Terms by emailing karlotmanagement@gmail.com with subject line “Arbitration Opt-Out” and your account email. Opting out does not affect other provisions.

If the class waiver is found unenforceable as to a particular claim, that claim (and only that claim) may proceed in court, and arbitration will continue for remaining claims where allowed. If arbitration is found entirely unenforceable, the exclusive jurisdiction provisions in Section 21 apply.

You may stop using the Service at any time. We may suspend, restrict, or terminate access (with or without notice) if we believe you violated these Terms, create risk or legal exposure, or if we discontinue the Service. Upon termination, your license ends, but provisions that by nature should survive (including ownership, disclaimers, limitations, indemnity, and dispute resolution) will survive. We may retain certain data as described in the Privacy Policy and as required by law.

We may modify the Service or these Terms. For material changes to the Terms, we will provide notice by email, in-product notice, or by updating the effective date and version on this page. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance, except where applicable law requires additional consent. If you do not agree, stop using the Service and close your account. The version identifier at the top of this page and at signup indicates the controlling Terms for new acceptances.

• Governing law. These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, USA, without regard to conflict of law principles, except that the Federal Arbitration Act governs arbitration provisions.
• Venue. Subject to arbitration, courts located in Delaware shall have exclusive jurisdiction for non-arbitrable claims, and you consent to personal jurisdiction there.
• Entire agreement. These Terms and the Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Service and supersede prior agreements on that subject. Vehicle contracts between Users are separate.
• Severability. If any provision is unenforceable, the remainder stays in effect, and the unenforceable provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary.
• Waiver. Failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of future enforcement.
• Assignment. You may not assign these Terms without our consent. We may assign them in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.
• Force majeure. We are not liable for delays or failures due to causes beyond our reasonable control.
• No third-party beneficiaries. Except as expressly stated, these Terms do not create rights for third parties. Other Users are not third-party beneficiaries of your agreement with us.
• Export and sanctions. You may not use the Service in violation of U.S. export controls or sanctions.
• Government use. If you are a government user, the Service is commercial computer software / commercial items subject to applicable FAR/DFARS restrictions.
• Headings. Headings are for convenience only.
• Language. The controlling language is English.

Questions about these Terms: karlotmanagement@gmail.com.

These Terms are a legal agreement. They are not a substitute for advice from your own attorney regarding a specific vehicle deal, financing structure, or regulatory obligation in your state.