Terms of Service | Panel Parts

Effective date: 19 July 2026 (interim — pending final legal review)

Operator: Panel Parts ("Panel Parts", "we", "us", "our"). The operator's registered entity details and ABN will be published here on completion of final legal review.

Website: panelparts.com.au

1. About these Terms

1.1 These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the Panel Parts website and services (the "Platform").

1.2 By creating an account, browsing listings, contacting a seller, or otherwise using the Platform, you agree to these Terms. If you don't agree, don't use the Platform.

1.3 If you list parts for sale, additional terms in the Seller Agreement also apply to you. Where the Seller Agreement and these Terms conflict, the Seller Agreement wins for seller-specific matters.

1.4 We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make a material change, we'll notify you by email and post the update on the Platform at least 14 days before it takes effect. Continuing to use the Platform after that date means you accept the update.

2. What Panel Parts is (and isn't)

2.1 Panel Parts is a members-only trade network for Australian panel shops (automotive body, paint and interior repair businesses). Members list parts they hold in stock and search other members' stock to find parts for repair jobs. Panel Parts is not open to wreckers, dismantlers, mechanical-only workshops, private sellers, or consumers.

2.2 We are not the seller. We don't own, hold, inspect, warrant, or ship any part listed on the Platform. Every sale is a direct transaction between the buyer and the seller.

2.3 We don't take a cut of transactions. We don't process buyer-to-seller payments. Buyers and sellers arrange payment, delivery/pickup, and any invoicing directly between themselves, off-Platform.

2.4 We provide the technology that lets sellers publish listings and lets buyers browse and contact sellers. That's the extent of our role.

3. Eligibility and accounts

3.1 To use the Platform you must:

(a) be at least 18 years old;

(b) be acting in the course of a business that is a panel shop as defined below (Panel Parts is a panel-shops-only trade network — we don't service private consumers, wreckers, dismantlers, mechanical-only workshops, or any other business type);

(d) not be barred from using the Platform under Australian law or a prior suspension by us.

3.1A A panel shop for the purpose of these Terms is a business that carries out automotive body, paint, and interior repair work as its primary trade. In practice we accept:

(a) businesses registered under ANZSIC 9411 (Automotive Body, Paint and Interior Repair); and

(b) businesses registered under ANZSIC 9419 (Other Automotive Repair and Maintenance) whose trade includes panel and paint work in addition to mechanical work.

Businesses in any other category are not eligible for membership.

3.2 You must give accurate information when you create an account and keep it up to date. If your ABN, business name, contact number, or trading status changes, update your account within 14 days.

3.3 You're responsible for anything that happens under your account. Keep your password secure. Tell us straight away if you think someone else has accessed your account.

3.4 We may refuse to create, or may close, any account at our discretion — including where we suspect false information, misuse, or a pattern of buyer complaints.

4. Acceptable use

4.1 You must not:

(a) list, offer, or seek stolen goods, or goods you don't have the right to sell;

(b) list safety-critical parts (see clause 5) without the required documentation;

(d) use the Platform to send spam, harass another user, or make threats;

(e) scrape, spider, or bulk-download listings or user data;

(f) attempt to interfere with the Platform's operation, security, or other users' accounts;

(g) use the Platform for any purpose that breaches Australian law; or

(h) impersonate any other person or business.

4.2 Breach of clause 4.1 can result in immediate suspension or termination without refund, and we may report serious matters (e.g. suspected stolen goods) to the relevant police force.

5. Prohibited and restricted items

5.1 The following items must never be listed on the Platform:

(a) stolen parts, or parts you cannot prove you have title to;

(b) parts subject to an active manufacturer recall (unless the listing clearly states the recall status and the part is being sold for lawful non-installation use, e.g. display or destruction);

(c) non-genuine (aftermarket, reproduction, or replica) parts described, labelled, implied, or in any way represented as genuine OEM. Passing off aftermarket as genuine is a serious breach and is grounds for immediate termination and referral to authorities;

(d) parts with tampered, removed, or altered VINs or serial numbers;

(e) hybrid and EV traction/high-voltage battery packs — flat prohibition. These are not to be listed on the Platform under any circumstances due to dangerous-goods handling, fire risk, and state-of-health disclosure complexity;

(f) parts prohibited from resale by law.

5.2 The following items are restricted — they may be listed only with the specified documentation, clearly visible in the listing:

(a) airbags and airbag modules — must include documented provenance and, where the buyer is not an ARC-licensed installer, a statement that the part is sold for non-installation purposes;

(b) seatbelts and pretensioners — must include vehicle-of-origin details and note whether the part has been in a deployment;

(c) braking system components (calipers, master cylinders, ABS units) — must state mileage/condition and disclose any known damage history;

(d) steering and suspension components with structural role — must disclose any accident history of the donor vehicle.

5.2A Used parts — presentable-as-new rule. Any part listed as "used" must be in a condition that a reasonable trade buyer would accept as ready to fit: no visible damage, no rust, no wear marks, no missing fasteners or fittings that were present on the OEM part. Parts that don't meet this bar should not be listed. For any listing at condition grade "used_good" or better, the seller must upload at least one clear, well-lit condition photo showing the part from the primary wear/damage-prone angle (e.g. mating surfaces, mounting points, cosmetic face). Stock photos do not satisfy this requirement.

5.3 We may add to this list at any time. If your existing listing becomes prohibited or restricted, we'll notify you and give you a reasonable period to remove or amend it.

6. Content you upload

6.1 You keep ownership of the photos, descriptions, and other content ("Your Content") you upload.

6.2 You grant Panel Parts a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to host, display, reproduce, and adapt Your Content for the purpose of operating and promoting the Platform. This licence continues for a reasonable period after your account closes so that we don't have to hunt down every cached copy.

6.3 You warrant that Your Content is yours (or you have the right to use it), that photos accurately depict the part being listed, and that Your Content doesn't infringe anyone's rights or breach any law.

7. Platform IP

7.1 Panel Parts, its logo, code, design, database structure, and site content (other than Your Content) belong to us or our licensors. You get a limited licence to use the Platform for its intended purpose. You don't get any other rights.

8. Communication between buyers and sellers

8.1 Sellers may choose, per listing, to display a contact phone number. Buyers contact sellers directly by phone or SMS.

8.2 The Platform does not host or record buyer-seller communications. What's said between you and the other party is between you and the other party.

8.3 You must not use contact details obtained through the Platform for marketing, cold-calling for unrelated purposes, or any use unrelated to the specific listing.

9. No warranty from Panel Parts on parts

9.1 We don't inspect parts. We don't verify seller claims (beyond ABN checks). We don't guarantee any part is fit for purpose, genuine, safe, or as described.

9.2 Buyers deal with sellers at their own risk. Do your own due diligence: ask for extra photos, VIN details, warranty terms, and return conditions before you commit.

9.3 Nothing in this clause 9 tries to limit rights you have under the Australian Consumer Law ("ACL") against the seller, which flow through the seller under normal ACL rules. It does mean, though, that Panel Parts is not the supplier of the goods and doesn't carry supplier obligations for the parts themselves.

10. Limitation of liability

10.1 To the extent permitted by law, Panel Parts is not liable for:

(a) any dispute between a buyer and seller about a part;

(b) any loss (direct or indirect) arising from a part being defective, misdescribed, not delivered, or not as expected;

(d) downtime, data loss, or Platform errors; or

(e) any consequential, indirect, or economic loss.

10.2 Where liability cannot lawfully be excluded (including under the ACL for services we provide), our total aggregate liability to you for anything relating to the Platform is capped at the greater of (a) $100 or (b) the fees you've paid us in the 6 months before the claim.

10.3 Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits any liability that cannot be lawfully excluded — including any consumer guarantees under the ACL that apply to our services to you.

11. Indemnity

11.1 You indemnify Panel Parts against any loss, cost, damage, or expense (including reasonable legal fees) we suffer arising from:

(a) your breach of these Terms;

(b) your listings (if you're a seller) — including any claim that a part was stolen, unsafe, misdescribed, or infringing;

(d) your breach of any law.

12. Suspension and termination

12.1 You can close your account any time by emailing us. Sellers should also read the Seller Agreement for subscription cancellation rules.

12.2 We can suspend or terminate your account:

(a) immediately, if you materially breach these Terms or clause 4/5;

(b) on 14 days' notice, for any reason, if we're winding down a feature or the Platform.

12.3 On termination, your right to use the Platform stops. Clauses that by nature survive (IP, indemnity, liability caps, disputes) continue.

13. Privacy

13.1 Our handling of personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy, published on the Platform. It forms part of these Terms.

14. Governing law and disputes

14.1 These Terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia. (The Australian Consumer Law is Commonwealth legislation and applies nationally regardless.)

14.2 You and Panel Parts submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of New South Wales.

14.3 Before starting court proceedings, both parties agree to try in good faith to resolve any dispute by written notice and, if that fails, a telephone or video meeting within 21 days.

15. General

15.1 If any clause is unenforceable, the rest of the Terms still apply.

15.2 A failure to enforce a right isn't a waiver of it.

15.3 You can't transfer your account or rights under these Terms without our written consent.

15.4 Notices to you go to your account email. Notices to us go to the contact address published on the Platform.

15.5 These Terms, plus the Seller Agreement (if you're a seller) and Privacy Policy, are the entire agreement between you and us about the Platform.