Terms of Use

1. About these terms

These terms apply when you use the Limu Mobile app, or use the product sourcing, cargo handling, storage, collection and dispatch services of Limu Trade Agency Ltd (“Limu”, “we”, “us”).

Sections 2 to 4 cover the app. Sections 5 to 9 cover our services, from sourcing a product through to collection or dispatch of your cargo, and what to do if a package is missing. Section 10 covers contact, changes and governing law.

Where a law, regulator, carrier rule or written service agreement provides different requirements, that requirement applies to the extent required.

What we ask from you

1. Provide accurate recipient, phone, address and package details before dispatch.
2. Keep your contact details current for status, collection and waybill updates.
3. Check tracking and contact the carrier about delays or incomplete deliveries.
4. Collect cargo within the stated storage period and settle any charges due before release.

By using the Limu Mobile app, or Limu’s product sourcing, collection, storage or dispatch services, you confirm that you have read these terms and agree to comply with them, including the client responsibilities above. Please keep a copy for your records.

2. The Limu Mobile app and your account

• Who can use it. Limu Mobile is a business service for Limu Trade clients aged 18 and over. You need an account with us to use it.
• Registering. Give us accurate information when you register and when you complete your KYC profile. Customs clearance requires us to know who our clients are, and we may decline or suspend an account if the information cannot be verified.
• Keeping your account secure. Keep your password and any one-time verification codes private. You are responsible for activity on your account unless you tell us promptly that it has been compromised. Tell us at once if you think someone else has access.
• One account per client. Do not share your account or create accounts using someone else’s identity.
• What the app is for. Using the app you can track shipments and orders, review order forms and invoices, submit proof of payment and receive notifications about your consignments. Tracking information shown in the app is provided for convenience and depends on the information we and our carriers receive.
• Deleting your account. You can close your account yourself under Profile → Delete Account. This disables the account; it does not automatically erase your details. The Privacy Policy explains what is kept and how to ask us to erase it.
• Your information. How we collect, use and protect your personal information is set out in our Privacy Policy.

3. Acceptable use

When using the app you must not:

• give false, misleading or someone else’s identity or business details, or submit forged or altered documents, including proof of payment;
• try to access another client’s account or records, or any part of our systems you are not authorised to use;
• interfere with, probe, overload or attempt to bypass the security of the app or our servers;
• copy, reverse engineer, modify or resell the app, or use automated tools to extract data from it;
• use the app or our services for anything unlawful, including to move prohibited or restricted goods without the required approvals.

We may limit, suspend or close an account where these rules are broken or where we reasonably suspect fraud, subject to applicable law. Intentionally false or misleading claims may result in service restrictions (see section 9).

4. Ownership, availability and liability

• Ownership. The Limu Mobile app, its content, and the Limu name, logo and branding belong to Limu Trade Agency Ltd or its licensors. We give you a personal, non-transferable right to use the app for your own dealings with Limu while your account is open. Nothing in these terms transfers ownership to you.
• Availability and updates. We work to keep the app available and accurate, but we do not promise it will be uninterrupted or error-free. We may update, change or withdraw features, and we may ask you to update the app to keep using it.
• Liability. We are responsible for loss caused by our own negligence or breach of these terms, within the limits in sections 2 to 9. Our responsibility for cargo is set out in sections 3 to 9. We are not responsible for loss caused by events outside our reasonable control, by carrier or customs delays outside our stated responsibility, or by inaccurate information you supply. Nothing in these terms limits any liability that cannot lawfully be limited.

5. Product sourcing services

Limu’s product sourcing service helps you identify suitable products, compare supplier options, confirm an order and coordinate the movement of purchased goods to our logistics network. The service is available for one-off items, bulk orders and repeat supply arrangements.

How the sourcing process works

1. Tell us what you need: product description, reference images or links, quantity, budget range, packaging preferences, required quality and preferred shipping method.
2. We clarify the order requirements, including minimum order quantities (MOQs), lead times, certifications and any information needed to source or transport the product.
3. We compare suitable supplier options where practical and present the relevant product details, price, MOQ, lead time and shipping choices for your approval.
4. We prepare an order form. You must review and approve the product description, quantity, supplier option and shipping preference before purchase.
5. After your invoice is paid, we confirm the order with the selected supplier, obtain supplier confirmation and collect tracking information as the goods move to the warehouse.

Quotes, fees and payment

Your approved order form and invoice will show the product cost, the applicable Limu service fee, estimated freight to our warehouse and the selected shipping method. The standard agency fee for product sourcing is 7%, unless your written quotation states otherwise. Quotes and invoices may be valid for only one day because exchange rates and supplier prices can change; the applicable rate and validity will be shown on the invoice.

Products must be paid for in full before Limu purchases them. Any partial-payment arrangement must be approved in writing before the order is placed. Approved refunds are returned through the same payment channel and in the same currency and exchange-rate basis used for the original payment.

Shipping choices and indicative timing

Transit timing starts on the later of full-payment clearance or supplier/carrier dispatch confirmation. It ends when cargo reaches Limu’s designated receiving point and is marked Ready for Collection or handed to the selected courier.

Supplier production time before dispatch is separate and will be shown on the order form where known. Working days exclude Saturdays, Sundays and Malawi public holidays; calendar days include them. Estimates exclude customs clearance, duties, taxes, inspections, warehouse processing, client-caused delays and carrier or route disruptions.

Product requirements, quality and compliance

You are responsible for giving us clear and accurate specifications. Product descriptions should identify material, size, colour, finish, quantity, packaging and any other feature that matters to you. Supplier MOQs, lead times and packaging choices may require reasonable adjustments before purchase. The approved order form controls the specification; any product-specific tolerance written on it overrides the general guidance below.

Unless the order form states a different tolerance, quantity counts must match the approved quantity, and a model, material, core function or regulatory feature must match the approved description. A shade, packaging or finish variation that does not affect function is generally minor. Where no manufacturer tolerance is published, a dimension or weight variation of up to 5% is generally treated as minor unless it affects the product’s intended use or compliance.

• For higher-value or bulk orders, we may recommend photo/video checks or an independent third-party inspection before shipment.
• For regulated or restricted products, required certificates, approvals or transport documents may be needed. Tell us about the intended use and destination early so requirements can be checked.
• If you decline an inspection recommended for your order, defects that could reasonably have been identified before shipment may fall outside a refund or replacement review.

Refunds and product disputes

If you use the full product sourcing service, submit a written complaint within 48 hours (two calendar days) of receipt. Receipt occurs when the client, an authorised representative or the selected courier takes possession of the goods. The complaint must identify the order and shipment reference and include photographs, package condition, quantity received and any carrier or inspection evidence available. Keep the goods, packaging and seals unchanged and make them available for inspection or return.

A review may not apply where the client supplied unclear or incorrect specifications, changed details after purchase, bypassed Limu’s process, declined a recommended inspection, or the issue is a minor variation within the agreed or published tolerance. Logistics, customs, airline or shipper delays outside Limu’s control are handled under the applicable carrier and logistics terms.

An approved refund is normally limited to the affected product cost or the unfulfilled portion of the order. It does not include Limu’s completed agency fee, third-party inspection charges, bank or payment fees, customs duties, taxes or freight already incurred, unless Limu caused the loss or the order form states otherwise. No refund is paid while the client retains goods that Limu has instructed the client to return, and a client may not recover twice from Limu, a supplier, carrier or insurer for the same loss.

Limu aims to complete the review within 14 working days and will negotiate with the supplier where appropriate. If a refund is approved, Finance aims to process amounts under MWK 100,000 within 7 working days and amounts above MWK 100,000 within one month, subject to the information and supplier response required.

Updates after delivery

Within a few days after delivery, we may ask for feedback on product quality, communication and delivery timing. We may also request an updated KYC or client profile so that we can keep your records accurate and provide suitable future sourcing support.

6. Receiving, checking and preparing cargo

When cargo is received, we inspect it for visible damage and compare available items against the relevant packing list or shipping records. We record material discrepancies and begin follow-up with the relevant parties as soon as reasonably possible.

Before dispatch, our logistics team completes a cargo-condition assessment. If a parcel shows damage, we document it with photographs and, where appropriate, ask you or your authorised representative to acknowledge the assessment. We will work with you on the appropriate next step before release, which may include a supplier or carrier claim, replacement or refund where applicable.

We maintain organised, secure storage and clear warehouse pathways to support safe handling. Our standard warehouse hours are 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM.

7. Dispatch and collection

Dispatch schedule and collection points

Our standard dispatch days are Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2:30 PM. Collection points are as follows:

By arrangement, cargo may also be collected from MRA Kanengo Inland Port.

Before cargo is released

• All required customs, shipping and release documents must be complete and accurate.
• All required financial and customs clearances must be complete.
• Cargo will be sealed, and seal integrity will be checked before release.
• A delivery note will identify the recipient, delivery address and itemised carton or package numbers, with space for acknowledgement of receipt.
• We will scan and send the waybill to you on the day of dispatch and retain the original in our records.

Courier choice

You may select a preferred courier. Where you choose the courier, the courier remains responsible for its own transit service, delivery performance and any inconvenience arising from its operations. Limu Trade Agency will still provide the release and waybill information described in these terms.

8. Storage, collection deadlines and auction

When storage starts

The storage period begins when cargo is marked Ready for Collection. You are entitled to 15 working days of free storage: the initial 10 working days plus a further 5-working-day grace period. For these terms, a working day is a normal business day, excluding public holidays unless we advise otherwise.

Storage charges

From the 16th working day, the following fixed charges apply for each chargeable day:

Storage charges are fixed and are payable before cargo is released.

Uncollected cargo and auction

Cargo that remains uncollected after the 15-working-day storage period may be marked Up for Auction. Auctions are normally held four times a year. Where applicable law permits, cargo that remains unsold may become Limu Trade Agency property and no reimbursement will be made after auction.

If you ask to recover cargo after it has been listed for auction but before final disposition, you must pay a recovery charge equal to 20% of the total value of the cargo (this includes the purchase, customs and shipping value), plus storage fees accrued for the 15-working-day storage period. Any release remains subject to completed clearance and payment requirements.

9. Missing-package reports

A missing package is a package that has not been received and cannot be located using the available shipment and tracking information. If the carrier shows a delivery scan but the consignee has not received the package, the reporting period starts on the date of that scan. If there is no delivery scan, the expected delivery date is the latest date shown in carrier tracking, the written dispatch notice, the order form or the waybill. If none of those documents gives a date, use the end of the carrier’s written transit estimate calculated from the dispatch date on the waybill. The sourcing estimate in section 5 applies only to arrival at Limu’s receiving point; the carrier or waybill estimate applies after dispatch to the client.

Report the issue within 2 calendar days of that date, using a written message to the official Limu contact shown on your order form or invoice. If a telephone report is made first, confirm it in writing within 1 business day. Reports should include the shipment reference, consignee details, package description, tracking history and any carrier investigation reference. Late reports may limit investigation or recovery where the delay prejudices the evidence, subject to applicable law.

How to make a report

1. Check the latest carrier tracking information.
2. Contact the shipping carrier and ask for an update or investigation reference.
3. Notify Limu Trade Agency in writing within the reporting period if the issue remains unresolved.
4. Provide your shipment reference, package details and any carrier update.

Our response

We will open an investigation with the relevant carrier and aim to communicate the outcome within 4 to 5 working days. Depending on the findings, an outcome may include delivery, replacement or refund where applicable.

This resolution process applies where damage is shown to have been caused by Limu Trade Agency staff, or where loss occurred between MRA Lilongwe Inland Port and the Area 36 warehouse. For matters outside these circumstances, we will assist with carrier follow-up, but the carrier’s own terms and investigation may apply.

Limu Trade Agency monitors carrier performance. Intentionally false or misleading claims may result in service restrictions, subject to applicable law.

10. Contact, changes and governing law

Contact us for help with product sourcing, order forms, payments, collection arrangements, storage queries, dispatch documents, courier details, missing-package reports and anything about the app.

Changes. We may update these terms from time to time. The current version is always available at limu.co.mw/terms, and the date at the top shows when it was last updated. If a change materially affects you, we will tell you in the app or by email before it takes effect.

Governing law. These terms are governed by the laws of Malawi, and nothing in them removes rights you have under applicable consumer or data protection law.