LETS Grow Free Bega Valley
Terms & Conditions of Use
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE
1.1 YEARLY DOLLAR FEE and LIBBIES
LETS Grow Free is a registered not for profit organisation. Our committee members work as volunteers and do not receive payments for their service to this community. Fees are kept to a minimum at $20 per year per membership to cover costs including product and public liability insurance for each member.
Members are required to pay 10 LIBS per year to support our "Community Chest" programs in the areas of Self-Sufficiency and Wellbeing. These funds are used to pay persons with expertise to coordinate zooms, bulk buys, medicinal packages, social media supports and community working bees.
Payment options for yearly registration with LETS Grow Free, will be emailed to participants soon after joining, as well as a yearly reminder in June of each year.
1.2 LIBERTIES (LIBBIES ) versus DOLLAR EXCHANGES
An account holder may not use the facilities of LETS Grow Free for purely Dollar based offerings. Trades may be advertised and effected for part Libbies and part Dollars, provided that the Dollar component does not exceed more than 50% of the goods and/or services offered.
Business accounts may choose to restrict the time period and/or frequency of full LIBBY and part LIBBY offerings.
1.3 MEMBERSHIP SENSITIVITIES
A condition of joining LETS Grow Free is that potential members be interviewed via phone or in person to ensure that the community is a good match to their needs. LETS Grow Free functions as a support group and differs to other LETS groups, which are formed based on location and trading alone.
It is recommended that our members download the free "Telegram" app in order to access our private members group where help and guidance is provided as well as opportunities to organise trades, to access our Wellbeing and Self-Sufficiency libraries and to chat and form friendships with other members.
Instructions for how to download and use Telegram are provided in the “Welcome Letter” that members receive soon after joining.
1.4 GRACE BANK FOR MEMBER ACCOUNTS AND CHARITY ACCOUNTS
Upon acceptance to LETS Grow Free, each member will have optional access to an amount of 500 Liberties to “spend” right away. We refer to this overdraft as "Grace Bank" and it is given in good faith by the management committee to jump start trade within the community. Members are asked to repay this amount by offering goods and services (trades) back to our community.
To assist communities to thrive, LETS Grow Free provides charitable organisations with a larger "Grace Bank" of up to -2500 Liberties in order to mobilise and reward volunteers.
1.5 FIRST ADVERTISE
New account holders must start with at least one offering on the exchange. Registrations with no offerings will not be accepted. In addition to advertising on the exchange, account holders are encouraged to advertise their OFFERINGS and WANTS on LETS Grow Free social media channels including Facebook and Telegram.
For ideas on what to offer, this site will help https://www.letsgrowfree.org/Questions
Offerings in line with the needs of our members are encouraged and include but are not limited to;
-Market Day offerings in the areas of Wellbeing and Self-Sufficiency
-Community Working Bee offerings to assist vulnerable members in our communities with household tasks, gardening, cleaning, home maintenance.
1.6 PRIVACY
A member may hide certain personal details on the exchange by ticking the Hide box, however at least one form of contact must remain visible so buyers can successfully respond to advertised offerings. Suitable contact options are Telegram handle, email, phone number.
1.7 LEVIES
The administration shall be entitled to charge a 4% Liberties levy against trades done via the exchange. Levies accrued will be used to manage and further the aims of Grow Free Bega Valley.
1.8 DEBIT LIMITS
The administration may set limits for the extent to which accounts may go into debit. I.E. Individuals -500 Liberties, and Charities -2500 Liberties. It shall be the duty of each seller in a transaction to ensure that the buyers have not exceeded their limits before agreeing to transact. Trading Balances are available to view for
all accounts (details of individual purchases are not). If an individual has exceeded -500 Liberties, then the transaction may be declined by the Administration. If a charity has exceeded -2500 Liberties, then the transaction may be declined, unless pre-approved by Administration.
1.9 DISPUTE RESOLUTION
If any dispute should arise between account holders, the matter shall be referred to Administration for mediation. If the parties cannot agree, then an arbitrator shall be appointment by Administration. Any such appointee is preferably a member of LETS. The arbitrator shall be entitled to make awards for contractual losses or damages. All awards shall be in Liberties. The administrator shall be required to debit or credit any account within the system to give affect to such an order or award. The arbitrator's decision will be final and binding on all parties.
1.10 HOURLY RATE and PRICE VALUE of GOODS
Historically, in other LETS groups, hourly rates were determined by the average Australian wage at the time. At present, the average Australian wage is approx $35 per hour. This equates to 35 LIBBIES per hour as we use a 1:1 ratio that one Liberty equals one Dollar.
In LETS Grow Free we understand that an hourly rate of 35 LIBS will not suit every situation. Members reserve the right to price their goods and services at their own discretion.
Some members opt to charge "Mates Rates" of 25 LIBS per hour when trading with other LETS Grow Free members. In this way we lend a helping hand to our most vulnerable community members.
It is acceptable to specify in one's OFFERINGS on the exchange "Mates Rates LGF" with the option of charging higher costings to other LETS members outside of LETS Grow Free.
1.11 INACTIVE ACCOUNTS
The Administration may determine that an account has become inactive and abandoned after twelve months, if there has been zero trading. The administration shall notify the account holder that the account is at risk of being suspended, and the account holder shall have fourteen days to dispute the suspension. If no dispute is declared by the account holder, the administration shall then be entitled to terminate the account. All Liberties in credit shall be transferred to the Community Chest along with a "non-trader" fee of 10 LIBS.
1.12 SUSPENSION AND TERMINATION
The administration can suspend an account of any account holder who has not paid the yearly registration fee, breaches any material trading rule, or who acts in a way considered to be unethical or contrary to the ethos of LETS Grow Free. The administration shall notify any account holder if his or her account has been suspended, and the account holder shall have fourteen days to dispute the suspension. If no dispute is declared by the account holder, the administration shall then be entitled to terminate the account, in which event it shall be treated as if it was an inactive account in terms of Clause 1.11 above.
1.13 LEAVING AND DEREGISTERING
If an account-holder wishes to leave the exchange, they shall apply to the administrator for de-registration of their account.
Any debit balance shall become immediately due and payable in Dollars and/or LIBS
Any credit balance will be forfeited unless the account-holder brings their account balance back to zero.
Any account-holder will not be entitled to re-apply for an account with Grow Free Bega Valley (GFBV) or any other LETS group on the CES exchange until their obligations towards GFBV have been met.
1.14 CHANGES
The administrator shall be entitled to change the terms of use from time to time. In such an event, the applicable terms will be those prevailing at the time of the action or transaction involved.
2. DISCLAIMERS
2.1 Account holders agree to indemnify and hold harmless the CES and LETS Grow Free administration and any of their employees or agents, from any incident of loss or damage arising out of the use of the system including incidence of loss or damage at LETS Grow Free market days and events.
3. UNDERTAKING AND ACCEPTANCE
I accept the above Terms and Conditions of Use, and undertake further to:
3.1 Keep my contact details, offerings and wants updated on the GFBV exchange
3.2 Enter transactional information as soon as possible after a transaction takes place. If I do not have the means to do so myself, I will organise another user to do it for me
3.3 Actively promote my offerings in the LETS Grow Free social media sites (Telegram and/or Facebook) especially if my account balance is a negative amount
3.4 Advise the administration if I should wish to de-register or move from one exchange to another
3.5 Contribute in cash and/or LIBS to clear my account if I should de-register, on the basis of one Dollar for every LIBBY outstanding.
By clicking here below, I acknowledge that I have read and understood these Terms and Conditions of Use, and am bound by them to the CES, LETS Grow Free and their administrators, as well as to other users. I acknowledge that these Terms and Conditions may be changed by the CES or Grow Free administration from time to time, and I undertake to keep myself abreast of any changes. I am subject to prevailing Terms and Conditions for inter-group trading. Participation is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use prevailing at the time.