Terms & Conditions

1.1 Nature of Purchase — Live Animal Shares

When you purchase an animal share through RangeDirect, you are purchasing an undivided ownership interest in a live animal, not a finished food product. Upon payment, you become a partial or whole owner of the animal prior to processing. Title to the animal (or your proportional share of it) transfers to you upon receipt of your deposit and confirmation of your order. As an owner, you authorize the producer to arrange processing at a licensed facility on your behalf, and to deliver your proportional share of the processed meat to you.

RangeDirect facilitates this transaction but does not take ownership of any animal at any time and is not a party to the sale of the animal between you and the producer.

1.2 Packaged Cut Purchases

Purchases of individual packaged cuts are retail transactions for a finished, processed product at a fixed price per package. Title transfers upon delivery or pickup. Standard consumer protection laws applicable in your state apply to these purchases.

1.3 Payment & Deposit

For animal share purchases, a deposit of 25% of the total order value is collected at checkout to reserve your share. The remaining balance is due prior to pickup or delivery and will be collected by the Platform. For packaged cut purchases, full payment is collected at checkout.

All funds collected through the Platform are held via Stripe and are not released to the Producer until the order reaches a completed, shipped, or picked-up status. By providing a payment method, you represent and warrant that you are authorized to use it and authorize RangeDirect (or its third-party payment processor) to charge the total amount due.

If your payment method cannot be verified, is invalid, or is otherwise not acceptable, your order may be suspended or cancelled. You must resolve any payment issue to proceed with your order.

1.3a Processing Fees — Direct Payment to Processor

The price collected through the Platform covers the live animal purchase only. Under federal custom-exempt slaughter rules, fees for slaughter (Mobile Slaughter Operator) and cut-and-wrap (Custom Exempt Processor) services must be paid directly by you to the service provider. These fees are not included in, collected by, or remitted through the RangeDirect escrow.

After your animal is slaughtered, the Custom Exempt Processor will contact you to arrange your cut preferences, pickup scheduling, and direct payment for processing services. You are responsible for paying these fees directly to the processor before or at the time of pickup. RangeDirect does not collect, hold, or forward processing fees on behalf of any party.

1.4 Processing & Inspection

Processing logistics are coordinated solely by the producer. Each producer selects the processing facility most convenient to their operation. Facilities may be USDA-inspected, state-inspected, or licensed under applicable local regulations, including custom-exempt facilities authorized for direct end-consumer processing. RangeDirect does not guarantee or warrant the inspection status, quality, or practices of any specific processing facility.

If the inspection status or specific facility matters to you, you are encouraged to contact the producer directly before completing your purchase using the Platform’s messaging system. Producers are required to accurately represent their processing arrangements in their listings.

1.5 No Commingling

Under federal custom-exempt rules, all cuts delivered to a buyer must come exclusively from the individual animal(s) that buyer purchased. Meat from different animals may not be mixed into a single buyer’s share. You are entitled to expect that your processed meat originates only from the animal(s) you own. Before completing your purchase, you are encouraged to confirm this practice with the producer.

1.6 “Not for Sale” Labeling & Personal Use Restriction

All meat products produced through a custom-exempt slaughter and processing transaction are required by federal law to be labeled “Not for Sale.” By purchasing an animal share, you acknowledge that:

• The processed meat is intended solely for your personal use.
• Use is limited to you (the owner), members of your household, your employees, and your non-paying guests.
• You may not resell, transfer for value, or commercially distribute custom-exempt meat products under any circumstances.

Purchasing an animal share for the purpose of reselling the processed meat is prohibited and may constitute a violation of federal food safety law.

1.7 Yield Variability & Assumption of Risk

You acknowledge that purchasing a live animal share involves inherent variability in yield, hanging weight, and final product composition. Actual quantities may differ from estimates provided at listing. Factors including animal health, feed, and processing trim all affect final yield. You accept this variability as a known and inherent characteristic of direct-to-consumer livestock transactions and waive any claim arising solely from yield variance within reasonable industry norms (±10% of estimated hanging weight).

1.8 Cancellations & Refunds

Because animal share purchases represent ownership of a live animal scheduled for processing, cancellations are time-sensitive. The following policy applies:

• Before producer confirmation: Full refund, no charge.
• After confirmation, before processing begins: Subject to producer’s individual cancellation policy; deposit may be non-refundable.
• After processing has begun: No refund available. The animal has been processed on your behalf as the owner.
• Non-delivery or material non-conformance by the producer: Full refund issued by RangeDirect after investigation.

Packaged cut purchases may be eligible for a refund if the product arrives damaged or materially does not match the listing description. You must contact RangeDirect support within 72 hours of receipt with photographic evidence.

All refunds are processed to your original payment method via Stripe and may take 5–10 business days to appear on your statement.

1.9 Pickup & Delivery

Fulfillment logistics are coordinated directly between you and the producer. RangeDirect provides a messaging system to facilitate communication but is not responsible for logistics, scheduling, transportation, or cold chain handling once the product leaves the producer’s facility. You are responsible for providing accurate pickup or delivery information and for arranging adequate freezer storage (typically 4–5 cu. ft. per quarter share).

1.10 Age Requirement

You must be at least 18 years of age to purchase on the Platform. By completing a purchase, you represent and warrant that you meet this requirement.

2.1 Eligibility & Approval

To list on RangeDirect, you must be an approved producer with a verified seller account. Approval is granted at RangeDirect’s sole discretion following review of your application and may be revoked at any time for violation of these Terms, applicable law, or conduct deemed harmful to the Platform or its users.

2.2 Listing Accuracy & Representations

You represent and warrant that all information in your listings — including animal type, breed, estimated live and hanging weight, processing facility inspection status, pricing, and fulfillment options — is accurate, current, complete, and not misleading at the time of publication. You further warrant that you own or have full legal authority to sell all animals and products listed.

Material misrepresentation in a listing may result in account suspension, order cancellation at your cost, and liability for any buyer refunds issued as a result.

2.3 Animal Health Warranty & Limitation

You agree that animals provided under this Platform will be of sound health at the time of transfer to the buyer or their designated processor. You are not responsible for the health or welfare of livestock, including any latent (hidden) physical defects or illness, after transfer to the buyer or the buyer’s designated representative. You are responsible for accurately disclosing any known health conditions, treatment history, or management practices that may affect product quality.

2.4 Legal Compliance

You are solely responsible for ensuring your listings and sales comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including but not limited to:

• Live animal sales and ownership transfer regulations in your state
• Direct-to-consumer meat transaction laws and exemptions
• Processing facility licensing (USDA, state-inspected, or custom-exempt)
• Food safety and labeling requirements
• Animal welfare regulations

RangeDirect does not provide legal advice and makes no representations about the legality of specific transactions in your jurisdiction. You bear all risk of non-compliance.

For producers conducting custom-exempt live animal share sales, the following requirements apply under federal USDA rules and California law (AB 2114, AB 888).

2.5 Fulfillment Obligations

Once a buyer’s order is confirmed, you are obligated to fulfill it in accordance with the listing terms, including coordinating processing, communicating with the buyer through the Platform, and delivering the agreed quantity and quality of product. Failure to fulfill confirmed orders may result in full buyer refunds charged against your Stripe Connect account and account suspension.

2.6 Platform Fees & Payouts

RangeDirect charges a platform fee of 12% of each transaction, plus applicable Stripe payment processing fees (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). These fees are deducted before funds are transferred to your Stripe Connect account.

Payouts are processed via Stripe Connect after order completion and are subject to Stripe’s standard payout schedule. You must maintain a valid, fully onboarded Stripe Connect account to receive payouts. RangeDirect is not responsible for delays caused by Stripe’s payout schedule or banking processes.

2.7 Payment Release

Buyer funds are held and released to Producer's Stripe Connect account only after the order status is accurately updated to “completed,” “shipped,” or “picked up” through the Platform. Falsely marking an order as complete to trigger an early payout constitutes fraud and is grounds for immediate account termination and may result in civil or criminal legal action.

2.8 Prohibited Conduct

Sellers may not:

• List animals or products they do not own or have legal authority to sell.
• Misrepresent breed, weight, inspection status, or any material listing detail.
• Circumvent the Platform to conduct off-platform transactions with buyers introduced through RangeDirect.
• Create fictitious listings, manipulate pricing, or artificially inflate demand.
• Violate any applicable food safety, animal welfare, or commerce law.
• Harass, threaten, or defraud buyers or other Platform users.
• Collect or forward processing or slaughter fees on a buyer’s behalf in a manner inconsistent with federal custom-exempt rules.

3.1 Platform Role — Marketplace Only

RangeDirect is a marketplace that facilitates transactions between independent buyers and sellers. RangeDirect is not a party to any transaction between buyers and sellers, does not take title to any animal or product, and is not responsible for the actions, omissions, representations, or products of any buyer or seller.

3.2 Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, RangeDirect’s total aggregate liability to you for any claim arising from your use of the Platform is limited to the greater of (a) the total platform fees paid by you in the three months preceding the claim, or (b) $100. RangeDirect is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages of any kind, including loss of profits, data, goodwill, or business opportunity, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

3.3 Dispute Resolution Between Users

Disputes between buyers and sellers should first be attempted through the RangeDirect messaging system. If unresolved within 5 business days, either party may escalate to RangeDirect support for mediation. RangeDirect reserves the right to make final, binding determinations regarding payment releases in disputed transactions, acting as a neutral intermediary.

3.4 Arbitration & Class Action Waiver

Any dispute between you and RangeDirect that cannot be resolved informally will be settled by binding individual arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association, conducted in English in the state where RangeDirect LLC is incorporated. You waive any right to a jury trial and any right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration. The arbitrator’s decision will be final and binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.

3.5 Account Termination

RangeDirect reserves the right to suspend or terminate any account at any time for violation of these Terms, fraudulent activity, or conduct deemed harmful to the Platform or its users. Terminated sellers forfeit any active or pending listings. Open buyer orders at the time of a seller’s termination will receive appropriate refunds.

3.6 Modifications to Terms

RangeDirect may update these Terms at any time in its sole discretion. Updated Terms will be posted on this page with a new effective date. We will provide reasonable notice of material changes via email or a Platform notification. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date of updated Terms constitutes your acceptance of those changes.

3.7 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the state in which RangeDirect LLC is incorporated, without regard to conflict of law principles. To the extent any dispute is not subject to arbitration, you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in that state.

3.8 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, and all remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

3.9 Privacy

Your use of the Platform is also governed by our Privacy Policy, incorporated into these Terms by reference. By using the Platform, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described in the Privacy Policy.