HUUTOKAUPAT.COM TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Please note that this is a translation of the Finnish language version of the Auction Terms and Conditions for Huutokaupat.com Transactions. In case of any discrepancies between the Finnish version and this English version, the Finnish version shall prevail.

The Huutokaupat.com service (“the Service”) is provided by Mezzoforte Oy (company registration number: 2004568-7) (“the Service Provider”). The use of the Service and any transactions carried out via the Service are governed by these Huutokaupat.com Terms and Conditions (“Terms of Use”) and any other terms and agreements referred to in these Terms of Use.

By using the Service, the User (as defined below) confirms that they have read the Terms of Use, accept them and undertake to comply with them whilst using the Service and when buying, listing or selling property on the Service. If the User does not accept the Terms of Use of the Service, the User must cease using the Service.

1. DEFINITIONS

“Groundless Notice” means a report or complaint made via the reporting channel or complaint-handling procedure provided by the Service Provider that is manifestly unfounded.

“Huutokaupat.com Transaction” means a transaction in which the Service Provider purchases an Item from the Auction Publisher and resells it to the Buyer.

“Auction” means an auction for which a auction listing is published on the Service and in which it is possible to participate both via the Service and physically on site.

"Auction Terms" means the auction terms and conditions applicable to the Service, as drawn up by the Service Provider and valid at any given time, which include the Auction Terms and Conditions for Huutokaupat.com Transactions and the Auction Terms and Conditions for Transactions Between Users.

“Notice” means a report made via the Service Provider’s reporting channel regarding content that is unlawful or in breach of the terms and conditions.

“Auction Publisher” means a User registered with the Service who publishes an Auction Item for auction or publishes Other Listings.

“Auction Listing” means a listing published on the Service regarding the sale of an Item at Auction.

“Prohibited Content” means Content that contravenes applicable regulations (laws, decrees, official regulations and the like) or the Terms and Conditions of the Service.

“Auction Item” means property published by a User on the Service for sale by Auction.

“Consumer Protection Act” means the Consumer Protection Act (20 January 1978/38, as amended).

“User” means a user registered with the Service, regardless of the role (e.g. Buyer or Auction Publisher) they perform on the Service.

“User-to-user Transaction” refers to a transaction concluded between the Auction Publisher and the Buyer.

“Buyer” means a bidder registered with the Service who has made the highest bid for the Lot or, depending on the context, a bidder who has participated in the Auction for the Lot.

“Other Listing” means any other listing published on the Service, such as an advertisement or a listing relating to an auction organised other than through the Service.

"Terms of Sale" means the Terms and Conditions of Sale applicable to the Service, as prepared by the Service Provider and valid at any given time.

"Terms of Service" means these Terms of Use, the Auction Terms and Conditions for Huutokaupat.com Transactions, the Auction Terms and Conditions for User-to-user Transactions, the Terms and Conditions of Sale, the Auction Publisher Terms for Companies, the Auction Publisher Terms for Consumers, the Auction Item Policy, Auction Publishing Policy, Cancellation Policy, and other terms and conditions applicable to the Service from time to time.

“Content” means the material appearing on the Service from time to time, uploaded there by the User, relating, for example, to a Listing or Users’ contact details.

“Login Credentials” means the personal username and password specified by the User upon registration.

2. REGISTRATION FOR THE SERVICE

Use of the Service requires successful completion of the registration process.

The User must provide the information requested during registration and any other information required for the use of the Service. The User is responsible for the accuracy of the aforementioned information and is obliged to keep the information up to date and to notify the Service Provider of any changes to the information. The User must be of legal age and have full legal capacity. A legal person may also act as a User. A person acting on behalf of a legal person must have the appropriate authorisation to represent that legal person.

A User may only have one (1) Login Credential and account on the Service, unless the Service Provider has specifically granted them multiple Login Credentials or accounts.

3. RIGHT OF USE

The Service is protected by the Service Provider’s and third parties’ property rights and intellectual property rights. The Service Provider grants the User a non-exclusive, limited, revocable right to use the Service in accordance with these Terms of Use. If the User is an Auction Publisher, the right of use is further subject to the payment of Service Fees as determined by the Service Provider from time to time. The User may act on behalf of a party participating in an Auction, provided that the User has the appropriate authorisation to do so and that the User accepts that they are liable for any actions taken on behalf of the party they represent. Acting on behalf of any other party in the Service, other than as mentioned above, is prohibited.

The User shall not have the right to use, transfer, modify, redistribute or copy the Service or any part thereof, or the Content of other Users, other than as agreed in these Terms of Use.

4. NATURE OF THE TRANSACTION AND PARTIES

Two types of transactions are conducted on the Service: i) Huutokaupat.com transactions; and ii) User-to-User Transactions; in addition, Other Listings are published on the Service.

The nature of the auction is specified in the Auction Listing or in the documents referred to therein (such as the Terms of Sale or Auction Terms), which specify whether the auction is to be treated as a Huutokaupat.com transaction or a User-to-User Transaction. The classification of an Auction may also be conditional; for example, an Auction may be treated as a User-to-User Transaction if the sale price of the Item exceeds a certain threshold.

If the Auction constitutes a Huutokaupat.com transaction, the transaction takes place in such a way that the Service Provider purchases the Item from the Auction Publisher and resells it to the Buyer. In this case, the Service Provider acts as the seller of the Item in relation to the Buyer. In the case of a User-to-User Transaction, the Service Provider is not a party to the Auction and the Service Provider’s role is limited to providing Users with the Service through which the transaction can take place. In this case, the Service Provider is therefore not the seller of the item. Responsibility for the transaction lies with the respective parties of the transaction. The Service Provider accepts no liability for any transactions that may be related to Other Listings.

5. TRANSACTIONS

The terms and conditions applicable to each Auction are set out in the relevant Auction Listing and/or the documents referred to therein (such as the Auction Terms and Conditions and the Terms of Sale), provided that the Auction Terms and Conditions and the Terms of Sale always apply to transactions on Huutokaujat.com.

The price of the transaction, payment of the purchase price, and other characteristics and procedures relating to the transaction and the Auction item are the responsibility of the parties of each transaction in accordance with applicable legislation and agreements between Users (including any applicable Auction Terms and Conditions and Terms of Sale).

6. USER’S OBLIGATIONS

The User undertakes to comply with these Terms of Use, the Rules, applicable laws, standards and official regulations when using the Service. The User must not use the Service in a manner contrary to good practice. The User uses the Service at their own expense and risk.

The User must not disclose their Login Credentials to third parties. The User must immediately notify the Service Provider if their Login Credentials become known to an unauthorised party. The User is responsible for any use of the Service made using their Login Credentials until the User has notified the Service Provider in writing (e.g. by email) that the Login Credentials are to be deactivated. The User is also responsible for keeping their Login Credentials up to date.

If the User is a legal entity, the User shall be responsible for the actions of all persons or legal entities acting on behalf of that legal entity within the Service and for keeping the contact details of such parties up to date, including removing or adding reporting rights granted to its employees by notifying the Service Provider’s customer service of such changes.

The User undertakes to use the Service in such a way that the User’s actions do not hinder or impede the provision and maintenance of the Service. The User may be deemed to be hindering the provision of the Service, for example, in a situation where the User fails to respond within a reasonable time to the Service Provider’s enquiries regarding a Listing posted by the User or a transaction carried out by the User. The User undertakes to upload to the Service only Content that complies with the law, standards and good practice. If the User uploads Content to the Service that is protected by intellectual property rights or other rights, the User is responsible for ensuring that they have the right to upload the Content to the Service and to grant the Service Provider the right to publish the Content on the Service.

The User must make payments to the Service Provider in accordance with the payment instructions provided, in a single installment (splitting payments is prohibited). The payment must be made from the account of the person or company designated as the Buyer of the Item. The Service Provider reserves the right to request clarification of the origin of funds (prior to accepting payment) in unclear circumstances.

Making bids without the intention to purchase is prohibited.

If the Service Provider discloses another User’s personal data to a User for the purpose of conducting an auction, the User who has received the personal data undertakes not to use such data for any other purposes, such as direct marketing.

7. THE SERVICE PROVIDER’S RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS

The Service Provider shall endeavour, through reasonable measures, to provide the Service 24/7. Service interruptions may occur due to, amongst other things, maintenance, a high volume of users, technical faults or other reasons. The Service Provider shall endeavour to give advance notice of any service interruptions, but the Service Provider shall not be liable for any loss of data or interruptions to the Service caused by such interruptions, nor for any damage arising therefrom.

The Service Provider endeavours to provide a high-quality Service, but does not guarantee the accuracy, correctness or reliability of the Service or the Content, nor does it accept any other liability for the Content.

The Service Provider reserves the right to amend or remove parts or features of the Service, to add new ones, or to cease providing and maintaining the Service in part or in full.

Every effort is made to publish all Auction Listings and Other Listings on the specified dates. However, if an Advertisement or Other Listing cannot be published for technical or other operational reasons, or for reasons attributable to the User, the Service Provider shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may result from the failure to publish the Auction Listing or Other Listing.

The Service Provider reserves the right to moderate Auction Listings and to change the closing times of Auctions.

The Service Provider carries out content moderation and endeavours to identify Prohibited Content and activity that contravenes the Terms of Service on the basis of risk assessments, random checks and notices made by Service users. The Service Provider may moderate Content even before it is published on the Service. The Service Provider carries out moderation manually and does not use algorithmic decision-making for moderation. However, the Service Provider may use algorithmic tools to detect potential breaches.

The Service Provider is not liable for the items or information provided in User-to-User Transactions or in any auctions relating to Other Listings (including details of the Auction Publisheror the owner of the item provided by Users), nor for whether the Auction Publisher has the right to sell the item described in the Auction Listing. The Service Provider is not liable for any links on the Service to websites maintained by third parties.

The Service Provider shall at all times have the right to cancel or suspend an ongoing Auction, to remove or refrain from publishing an Auction Listing or Other Listing published on the Service, or to void a transaction in the event of a technical fault or for any other justified reason (such as, without limitation, the Auction Publisher’s conduct in breach of these Terms of Use). In such cases, the Service Provider shall have no obligation to pay compensation or provide a refund to Users. The Service Provider also has the right to make, or require Auction Publishers to make, changes to Auction Listings, to set rules for Users regarding the use of the Service, and to issue binding instructions to Users regarding the use of the Service.

The User assigns to the Service Provider all current and future copyrights to the Content they submit to the Service (excluding contact details). The Service Provider may sub-license the aforementioned rights and may amend or edit the Content at its discretion, for example to prevent misuse of the Service and Auction Items. The User retains a parallel right of use to their Content, independent of the Service Provider. The Service Provider may use the Content for purposes it deems appropriate, such as the marketing of the Service and individual Auction Listings.

The use of the Service or any related material and Auction Listings as part of another service or otherwise outside the Service is prohibited without the Service Provider’s explicit consent, with the exception of the User’s own Content as referred to in the previous paragraph.

The Service Provider reserves the right to block a User’s access to the Service if the User uses the Service in breach of these Terms of Service, as well as for other justified reasons, such as outstanding debts.

Industrial action, fire, natural disaster, telecommunications disruption, an order by a public authority, or a force majeure event beyond the Service Provider’s control shall release the Service Provider from its obligations under these Terms of Use for the duration of the impediment and for a reasonable period thereafter, until the conditions necessary for fulfilling those obligations can be restored.

The Service Provider may record customer calls, for example, for internal training purposes.

8. POLICY ON PREVENTING MISUSE AND ILLEGAL CONTENT

The Service Provider may suspend access to the Service for Users who submit Prohibited Content to the Service or otherwise act in breach of the Terms of Service. If a User or any other person repeatedly makes Groundless Reports, the Service Provider may suspend the processing of reports and complaints made by such parties. The Service Provider will issue a prior warning before taking the aforementioned measures, except in cases involving the submission of particularly serious Prohibited Content.

When considering the aforementioned measures and their duration, the Service Provider shall take into account, in particular, the number and relative proportion of Prohibited Content or Unjustified Reports, the severity of the misuse, and the intention of the User who submitted Prohibited Content or acted in breach of the Terms of Service, or of the party making a Groundless Report (where possible). For example, content clearly unrelated to trading conducted via the Service, the sale of clearly illegal Items, or the provision of manifestly false information about an Item are considered particularly serious breaches, which may even lead to the closure of the User’s account. Penalties for less serious breaches or unfounded reports typically last between 1 and 6 months.

If the Service Provider moderates Prohibited Content, suspends the provision of the Service to the User or otherwise takes action against the User on the basis of a breach, or if a report is made to the Service Provider regarding Prohibited Content, and the Service Provider considers that the content contravenes the law or the Terms of Service and/or decides to restrict the processing of reports submitted by the reporting party (for example, due to repeated Groundless Reports), the User or the party making the report shall have the right to refer the decision to the Service Provider’s internal appeals procedure within six (6) months of the Service Provider notifying the User or the party making the report of the decision.

The Service Provider shall review the decision on the basis of the appeal and notify the party lodging the appeal of the outcome of the review. However, the aforementioned right of appeal shall not apply if the Service Provider has decided to restrict the processing of appeals due to repeated unfounded reports.

9. PURCHASED ADDITIONAL VISIBILITY AND ADVERTISEMENTS

The visibility of an Auction Listing can be enhanced by purchasing additional visibility on the Service’s front page.

10. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Unless otherwise required by mandatory legislation, the Service Provider shall not be liable for, nor shall it be obliged to pay compensation for, any: i) indirect or direct damages; or ii) costs or losses relating to the Service or its use (including any loss of data and the costs of recreating it), Content appearing on the Service, or the purchase and sale of Items.

Without prejudice to the foregoing, the Service Provider shall not be liable for any defect relating to an Item it has sold (including, but not limited to, liability for defects relating to its characteristics and/or delivery), excluding defects which are deemed to be defects under the Terms of Sale and which the Buyer has complained about to the Service Provider in accordance with the Terms of Sale. The Service Provider accepts no liability in relation to Transactions between Users or any transactions relating to Other Listings.

Unless otherwise required by mandatory legislation: i) the Buyer’s sole remedy in respect of a defect in the Service Provider or an Auction Item sold by it is the right to rescind the transaction; ii) the Service Provider is not obliged to grant a price reduction or any other compensation to the Buyer; iii) the Service Provider’s liability shall under no circumstances exceed the amount paid by the Buyer to the Service Provider for the Item in question (consequently, the Service Provider shall not be liable, for example, for transactions that have not been completed); and iv) the Service Provider is entitled to rescind the transaction between itself and the Buyer if the fulfilment of the transaction would be more difficult than usual, for example because the party that had undertaken to deliver the Item to the Service Provider is unable or unwilling to deliver the item in question to the Service Provider.

11. DATA PROTECTION

The Service Provider collects and processes Users’ personal data in connection with the Service. The Service Provider’s practices regarding the processing of personal data are described in the Service’s Privacy policy. The User accepts that the privacy policy forms part of the contractual framework governing the use of the Service.

12. AMENDMENTS TO THE TERMS OF USE

The Service Provider reserves the right to amend these Terms of Use by notifying the User of the amendment by email or via the Service. The amendments shall take effect seven (7) days after notification of the changes. The User accepts the amendments by continuing to use the Service.

13. VALIDITY AND TERMINATION

The agreement between the User and the Service Provider shall come into effect when the User accepts the Terms of Use, and the Service Provider grants the User access to the Service. The agreement shall remain in force until further notice. By ceasing to use the Service, the User shall not be released from any liabilities arising during their use of the Service.

14. TRANSFER

The Service Provider is entitled to transfer the Service (and the related Content, user data and agreements), in whole or in part, within its group or to a third party in connection with a corporate restructuring or the outsourcing of its operations. The User shall not be entitled to transfer the right to use the Service granted to them or any of their other rights and obligations relating to the Service. The right to use the Service is personal.

15. INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT

Huutokaupat.com is an auction service operated by Mezzoforte Oy (Company Registration Number: 2004568-7). Mezzoforte’s postal address is Porkkalankatu 20 C, 00180 Helsinki, Finland. Mezzoforte’s telephone number and email address can be found on the customer service page.

Consumers have the right to refer a dispute between themselves and a trader to the Consumer Disputes Board for resolution. Further information is available on the Consumer Disputes Board’s website.

16. GOVERNING LAW

These Terms of Use are governed by Finnish law. Any disputes arising from these Terms of Use shall be resolved in the first instance by the Helsinki District Court.

The above terms shall come into force on 28 January 2026.