Terms and conditions

1. About Riyapola

Riyapola is an online marketplace where people and dealers in Sri Lanka advertise vehicles and vehicle parts. We publish ads and help buyers and sellers contact each other. We do not own, inspect or sell the vehicles, and we are not a party to any sale.

These terms apply to the website, the mobile apps and the API. By using Riyapola you accept them. If you do not accept them, do not use the service.

2. Your account

• You must be at least 18 years old to post an ad, make an offer or pay for a promotion.
• Log in with a mobile number you own. We send a one-time code by SMS to confirm it. Keep your codes and password private; you are responsible for activity on your account.
• Give your real name and keep your details up to date.
• One person or business may use more than one account only with our permission.

3. Posting ads

When you post an ad you confirm that:

• you own the vehicle or part, or are authorised by the owner to sell it;
• the make, model, year, mileage, condition, price and photos are accurate and the photos are of the actual vehicle;
• the vehicle is not stolen, under an undisclosed lease or finance agreement, or subject to any legal claim you have not mentioned in the ad;
• the phone number in the ad is yours or the seller's, and the seller agrees to be contacted.

You must not post:

• the same vehicle in more than one ad, or an ad for a vehicle that is already sold;
• a misleading price (for example a down payment shown as the full price) or a price of Rs 1;
• photos taken from other ads or websites, or photos with phone numbers, watermarks of other sites or offensive content;
• anything other than a vehicle, vehicle part or vehicle-related service in the matching category;
• links or text that send buyers to other websites to complete the sale.

4. Review, duration and removal of ads

• We may review ads before they go live and may edit categories or obvious typing errors. If we reject an ad we tell you why, and you can correct and resubmit it.
• A free ad stays live for 60 days. You can renew it after it expires, and you can move a live ad to the top of the results free once every 7 days.
• Mark your ad as sold, or delete it, as soon as the vehicle is no longer available.
• We may remove any ad, or block any account, that breaks these terms, receives repeated reports, or that we reasonably believe is fraudulent. Where possible we tell you the reason.

5. Paid promotions

• You can pay to show an ad as a top ad for a fixed number of days, or to move it to the top of the results. Prices are shown in Sri Lankan rupees before you pay.
• Payments are processed by PayHere. We do not see or store your card or bank details.
• A promotion starts as soon as PayHere confirms the payment. A promotion improves where an ad appears; it does not guarantee views, calls or a sale.
• Promotions are not refundable once they start, except when we remove the ad by mistake or a technical fault on our side stops the promotion from running. In those cases we restore the promotion or refund the unused days to the original payment method.
• If an ad with a running promotion is removed for breaking these terms, the promotion ends without a refund.
• If you are charged but the promotion does not start within one hour, email [email protected] or use the contact page with the order number shown on your payments page.

6. Buying safely

Riyapola does not check the vehicles, the sellers' ownership or the documents. Before you pay any money:

• see the vehicle in person, and have it checked by a mechanic you trust;
• check the registration certificate (CR) against the seller's identity card and the chassis and engine numbers;
• check with the Department of Motor Traffic and, if the vehicle was leased, with the finance company, that it is free to sell;
• never pay an advance or deposit to someone you have not met for a vehicle you have not seen.

The "Phone number verified" badge only means the seller confirmed their number with an SMS code. The "Verified dealer" badge means we have checked that the business exists. Neither badge is a guarantee about a vehicle or a sale.

7. Messages and offers

• Use messages only to discuss the vehicle in the ad. Spam, abuse, threats and requests for advance payments are not allowed.
• An offer, and a seller accepting an offer, show interest only. They are not a binding contract; the sale is agreed between buyer and seller when they meet.
• We may read messages that are reported to us, or that our systems flag as likely fraud, to keep the service safe.

8. Price guide and leasing calculator

• The price guide and the "below / fair / above market" label are calculated from asking prices in ads on Riyapola. They are estimates, not valuations, and may be wrong for a particular vehicle.
• The leasing calculator shows an estimate only. The actual rental, interest rate and approval are decided by the leasing company.
• When you ask for leasing quotes and tick the consent box, we share the details in the form with our partner leasing companies so they can contact you. Any agreement you make is between you and that company.

9. Dealer profiles

Dealers can create a public profile page with their business name, address, opening hours and contact details. The details must be true and the business must be lawfully operating. We may ask for business registration documents before giving the Verified dealer badge, and may remove the badge if details change or complaints are upheld.

10. Your content and our content

• You keep ownership of the text and photos you post. You allow Riyapola to store, resize, display and share them on the website, the apps, search engines and our social media pages to promote your ad and the service, for as long as the ad is on Riyapola and for a reasonable period after.
• Do not post content you do not have the right to use.
• The Riyapola name, design, software and the collection of ads belong to us. Do not copy, scrape or republish ads or data from Riyapola in bulk without our written permission.

11. Misuse of the service

Do not use Riyapola to break the law, including the Computer Crimes Act No. 24 of 2007; do not try to access other users' accounts or our systems; do not send automated requests that place an unreasonable load on the service; and do not collect users' phone numbers or other details for marketing.

12. Our responsibility

• We work to keep Riyapola available and accurate, but we provide it as it is and cannot promise that it will always be available or free of errors.
• We are not responsible for what users say in their ads or messages, or for the condition, legality or ownership of any vehicle, or for any loss arising from a deal between users.
• As far as the law allows, our total liability to you for any claim about the service is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim.
• Nothing in these terms limits any right you have that cannot be limited under Sri Lankan law, including under the Consumer Affairs Authority Act No. 9 of 2003.

13. Changes and ending your use

• We may change these terms. We will show the new date at the top of this page and, for important changes, tell you by notification or SMS before they apply. Continuing to use Riyapola after that means you accept the new terms.
• You can stop using Riyapola and ask us to close your account at any time (see the privacy policy).

14. Law and disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. If you have a complaint, please contact us first so we can try to solve it. Any dispute that cannot be solved will be decided by the courts of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

15. Contact us

For questions about these terms, to report an ad or a user, or to complain, email [email protected] or use the contact page.