Terms of Use

§ 01 Definitions

§ 02 Who We Are

BeforeYouSign (Pty) Ltd is a South African company providing a vehicle history verification and reporting platform targeted at the South African motor vehicle market. We facilitate transparency in used-vehicle transactions by enabling accredited dealerships to submit vehicle listings for independent administrative review, and by making verified vehicle reports available to the public.

We are committed to operating in full compliance with South African law, including but not limited to POPIA, the ECT Act, the CPA, and the Constitution.

§ 03 The Platform and Its Purpose

BeforeYouSign serves the following functions:

1. Dealer Listing Portal — Approved dealerships upload vehicle details, specifications, images, and supporting documents.
2. Admin Verification — Our team manually reviews submissions against declared documentation, including checks for microdot registration, stolen/police interest status, outstanding vehicle finance, accident claims, and ownership history.
3. Verified Reports — Once a vehicle passes verification, a public Vehicle Report is generated and accessible via VIN search or QR code scan.
4. Membership Services — Consumers may subscribe to membership plans offering enhanced consumer protection and literacy resources.
5. Staff Management — Dealership owners may invite staff members to collaborate on their listings.

§ 04 Acceptance and Eligibility

4.1 Binding Agreement

By accessing, browsing, registering on, or using the Platform, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy, incorporated herein by reference.

4.2 Eligibility

You may only use the Platform if you are a natural person of at least 18 years of age (or a duly authorised representative of a juristic person), legally competent to enter into binding agreements under South African law, and provide truthful, accurate, and complete information.

4.3 Minors

The Platform is not directed at persons under 18 years of age. We reserve the right to terminate any account where we have reason to believe the account holder is a minor who has misrepresented their age.

4.4 Electronic Transactions

In accordance with the ECT Act 25 of 2002, these Terms constitute a valid electronic agreement. Your click-through acceptance, form submission, or continued use of the Platform constitutes your electronic signature and binding acceptance.

§ 05 User Roles and Accounts

5.2 Account Security

You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password and all activity under your account. Passwords are stored using bcrypt with a cost factor of 12 — never in plain text. Notify us immediately at support@beforeyousign.co.za if you suspect unauthorised access.

5.3 Account Accuracy

All information you provide during registration must be accurate, current, and complete. You agree to update your account details promptly if any information changes.

§ 06 Dealer Registration and Dealership Approval

6.1 Registration Requirements

To register as a Dealer you must provide your full name, a valid South African business email address, business trading name, CIPC registration number, VAT number (where applicable), physical address, and business contact details.

6.2 Approval Process

Dealership applications are reviewed by a BeforeYouSign Admin. Approval is at the Company's sole discretion. We will communicate the outcome promptly.

6.3 Accuracy of Business Information

By submitting a dealership application, you represent and warrant that all business details are accurate and verifiable and that you are authorised to bind the dealership. Misrepresentation is a material breach and may be reported to the CIPC, SAPS, or NPA.

§ 07 Vehicle Listings, Verification, and QR Reports

7.1 Dealer Obligations

When submitting a vehicle listing, Dealers warrant that the vehicle is lawfully in their possession, all details are accurate, documents are genuine, and the vehicle is not subject to any undisclosed encumbrance or stolen-vehicle report.

7.2 Verification Checks

7.3 Vehicle Status Lifecycle

7.4 Removal of Verified Status

We reserve the right to revoke a vehicle's "Verified" status if we discover false information, the vehicle becomes subject to a stolen-vehicle report, the Dealer's account is suspended, or we are ordered to do so by a court or competent authority.

§ 08 Membership Plans

8.3 South African ID Number

By providing your SA ID number, you consent to its use for identity verification purposes. We do not share your ID number with third parties except as required by law or for payment processing, in compliance with POPIA.

8.4 Consent Requirements

Membership subscription requires three separate, explicit consents: (1) agreement to these Terms; (2) authorisation for PayFast to process your monthly subscription; and (3) permission for us to contact you regarding your membership. All three are mandatory.

8.6 Pending Records

A membership record is created in "pending" status when you submit the join form. If payment is not completed within 30 minutes, the pending record is automatically purged. You may re-submit at any time.

§ 09 Payment, Billing, and Refunds

9.1 Payment Processor

All payments are processed by PayFast, a South African Payment Service Provider authorised under PASA. We do not store your card details, bank account numbers, or payment credentials.

9.2 Recurring Billing

Membership subscriptions are billed monthly on a recurring basis. By subscribing, you authorise PayFast to debit your nominated payment method on a recurring monthly basis until you cancel.

9.3 Payment Confirmation

Membership is activated only after PayFast sends a successful Instant Transaction Notification (ITN) to our server and the signature is cryptographically validated. Please wait for a welcome email as confirmation.

9.6 Refund Policy

Membership fees are generally non-refundable once payment is processed, except where a billing error occurred, you cancel within 5 business days of initial subscription (CPA cooling-off right), or we are required to refund under applicable law.

9.7 Consumer Cooling-Off Right

In accordance with Section 16 of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, consumers who subscribe as a result of direct marketing have the right to cancel within 5 business days without penalty. Email support@beforeyousign.co.za to exercise this right.

§ 10 Public Search and QR Scanning

The public VIN search returns Vehicle Report details only for vehicles with Verified status. No personal information about Dealers or owners is disclosed in public reports. Any person may scan a QR code without an account.

§ 11 User Obligations and Prohibited Conduct

The following conduct is strictly prohibited:

• Fraud and misrepresentation — submitting false, misleading, or fabricated vehicle information, documents, or identity details
• Unauthorised access — attempting to access accounts, admin panels, or data you are not authorised to access
• Automated scraping — using bots, scrapers, or automated tools to extract data without prior written consent
• Security attacks — exploiting CSRF, SQL injection, XSS, or any other security vulnerability
• Impersonation — representing yourself as another person, dealership, or BeforeYouSign employee
• Spam and harassment — using Platform communications to harass, threaten, or spam others
• Reverse engineering — decompiling or attempting to derive source code from the Platform
• Multiple accounts — creating multiple accounts to circumvent restrictions

Violations may result in immediate account suspension, termination, civil legal action, and/or referral to law enforcement.

§ 12 Intellectual Property

All content on the Platform — including the BeforeYouSign name and logo, software code, database structure, QR generation logic, design elements, and Vehicle Reports compiled by our team — is the exclusive intellectual property of BeforeYouSign (Pty) Ltd, protected under the Copyright Act 98 of 1978 and the Trade Marks Act 194 of 1993.

By uploading vehicle information, images, and documents, Dealers grant BeforeYouSign a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use, store, process, display, and distribute that content as necessary to provide the Platform's services.

§ 13 Accuracy of Information and Limitation of Liability

The Platform is provided "as is" and "as available". To the fullest extent permitted by South African law, we make no warranties regarding the accuracy of any Vehicle Report, the fitness of any verified vehicle for a particular purpose, or uninterrupted operation of the Platform.

BeforeYouSign's total aggregate liability shall not exceed the amount paid by that User in the 12 months preceding the event, or R 1,000.00, whichever is greater. Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot be excluded under mandatory South African law, including gross negligence, fraud, consumer rights under the CPA, or data subject rights under POPIA.

§ 14 Third-Party Services

We are not responsible for the practices, terms, or availability of any third-party service.

§ 15 Suspension, Termination, and Remedies

We may immediately suspend or terminate your account, without prior notice, if you breach any provision of these Terms, provide false information, engage in fraudulent conduct, or use the Platform in a manner that harms others. You may close your account at any time by contacting support@beforeyousign.co.za. If you believe your account was suspended in error, appeal within 5 business days.

§ 16 Constitutional Rights and Legal Framework

BeforeYouSign is committed to operating in full respect of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, and the rights enshrined in its Bill of Rights (Chapter 2):

• Right to Privacy (Section 14) — we process personal information in strict accordance with POPIA and our Privacy Policy
• Right to Access to Information (Section 32) — submit POPIA access requests to privacy@beforeyousign.co.za
• Right to Equality (Section 9) — we do not discriminate on any prohibited ground
• Right to Dignity (Section 10) — all Users are entitled to be treated with dignity
• Right to a Fair Hearing (Section 33) — where we take action against your account, we will notify you and provide an opportunity to respond

These Terms also comply with the ECT Act 25 of 2002 and the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008. Nothing in these Terms diminishes any rights granted to consumers by the CPA.

§ 17 Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. You consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the South Gauteng High Court (Johannesburg) or the Magistrate's Court having jurisdiction.

Before commencing litigation, parties agree to attempt good-faith negotiation for 30 days, then mediation under the rules of the Association of Arbitrators (Southern Africa).

Consumer complaints may be referred to the National Consumer Commission (012 428 7000 | thencc.gov.za), the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (0860 000 272 | cgso.org.za), or the Information Regulator (inforeg.org.za).

§ 18 Amendments to These Terms

We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email and/or a prominent notice on the Platform. Your continued use 30 days after notification constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

§ 19 Contact Information

© 2026 BeforeYouSign (Pty) Ltd — Republic of South Africa. All rights reserved. Last reviewed 28 August 2026.