How To Use

ABOUT PLATFORM

Sarafano.com is a platform that helps buyers and sellers to socialise and create a healthy and trustful business community.

The platform helps to find and / or publish content in the form of posts and events with text, photos and videos. Posts or events can be FREE to attract an audience and potential customers and / or PAID, as a separate business, to immediately start earning on your creativity, without waiting for the advertiser to pay attention to you.

Through an online shop of micro services at a fixed price, you can find and buy such services as a buyer and/or offer them for sale as a seller. This is a full-fledged shop where you can get acquainted with services, ratings and reviews, ask questions, send/receive payments, monitor execution, receive earned funds, etc.

FAST ACCESS MENU

This navigation menu is at the top of each page from where you can quickly get to a particular page of the site, add posts, events, services, read and view messages, pages, etc.

Registration

The registration process is very simple. You need to provide your name, surname, occupation, email address and create a password. Optionally you can upload an avatar right away. After registration, you will receive a confirmation email to verify your address.

Search

Searches for posts and events by name and description, services by name and description, and users by name, surname, occupation and address. The results appear in a pop-up list as you type.

Publishing

The plus sign in the menu helps you publish your content in the form of posts and events, and your services in the form of services and subscriptions. Publications consist of text (descriptions), photos and video materials (files). The maximum number of files for one post, event, service and subscription is 10 files. A video in a free post can be up to 60 sec long, in a paid post — up to 180 sec; a single file is limited to 200 MB (technical cap), in a paid post — up to 250 MB.

Uploaded photos are automatically optimised for viewing on the platform with a maximum resolution of 2000 pixels on the long side. Videos are automatically compressed to 720p.

Messages

You can send a private message to any user from their profile page, except users you have a block with. A red circle on an envelope with a number means that you have new unread messages in such and such a quantity. In addition, if the “notify by email of new messages” checkbox is checked in the settings, you will instantly receive notifications to your email address. Video attachments can be up to 30 sec long.

Notifications

Similar to the messaging system, you receive notifications for any actions of other users with your content in posts, events, services and orders. These are likes, comments, replies to your comments, new followers, recommendations of you by other users, sales and order activity, service ratings, etc.

Shopping and finance

The menu has several icons and quick links to pages. The shopping basket takes you to a page with your pending orders for further payment. The numeric designation of the available balance leads to a page with all your transactions on the account.

Profile

This is a drop-down menu with links to your posts and events, shop services, purchases, sales and personal settings.

POSTS AND EVENTS

Posts and events published by you and others with filters for easier navigation and faster search. For each post or event, you can leave comments and likes, save posts and events of others, and share them through your favourite social networks. Posts and Events are not only a means of communicating with like-minded people, but is also actively used to attract potential buyers.

Publishing content is always free for you, but there are restrictions on uploaded files. A video in a free post or event can be up to 60 sec long, for subscription-only access — up to 180 sec; a single file is limited to 200 MB (technical cap), for subscription-only access — up to 250 MB.

Events

Events are similar in functionality to posts, but they are displayed with a special sign and expire in time. The user can create events for a given date and time, just any activity (I read a book - I want to discuss it, watch a movie today, participate in a marathon, etc.). It will be the same post as all the others, but the “Event, date and time” bar will be displayed on the preview of such a post. This post event will be visible in the general feed like all other posts of the user. There you can comment and so on, as in a regular post, before and after the event. When the event expires, the bar will change to “expired event”. The post stays in the feeds and can be discussed after the event has taken place.

Filters

You can find sorting filters under the main menu in small blue letters. They help sort and find posts and events according to certain criteria.

Feed - posts and events of the contacts you follow, the freshest on top.

Top - the most commented posts and events.

Mine - posts and events uploaded by you with the possibility of deleting.

Paid - all paid posts and events. Buy a subscription to an author to view the content.

Saved - posts and events you saved.

Edit

There is this button on the page of each of your posts or events. You can edit a previously created post or event at any time: change the text, add and remove photos and videos. The total number of files is up to 10.

Save / Unfollow

On the page of each post or event that is not yours, there is this button in the bottom menu that appears. You can save the post for yourself and then find it and others saved in the appropriate filter. For example, this can be useful when there is no time. You can always unsubscribe from each post or event individually or from all of them at once.

Share

You can share a link to any post or event, except paid ones, with friends via Telegram, WhatsApp, VK, Facebook, X, Pinterest or by simply copying the link. Use this tool to invite friends and others whose opinion is important to you, create your community of like-minded people or potential buyers.

Comments

The best way to learn anything is to exchange opinions and arguments. Share knowledge and debate, but stay positive. The more you comment, the more you get back, the larger your audience and network of potential buyers. If you believe that someone's comment is offensive, you can report it to the administrator — anonymously for other users — and we will take measures to prevent such comments. We adhere to the generally accepted norms and rules of conduct described in our user agreement. You can delete your comments if you think they are wrong or comments from others instead of complaining about them if you are the creator of the post or event. Video attachments in comments can be up to 30 sec long.

SHOP

This is a general shop where you, as a customer, can find one or another service through a search or by using the sort filters on the right of the search bar. When you find something that suits you for price, quality, location, time, read the description, etc., you can add this product to your basket. While you have not paid, you can always change your mind. Also you can ask questions to the author of the product before you buy something directly on the product page, read reviews of other buyers, the author's rating and service rating.

Publishing services is also always free for you, but there are restrictions on the size of uploaded photo and video files. The maximum size of a single file in a service or subscription is 30 MB.

Our platform is not responsible for the quality of the services received. We just give you the tool as an intermediary between you and the seller. However, we are interested that both buyers and sellers are satisfied and therefore, in case of disputes, we assist in resolving disputes and refunding.

Rating

There is a rating of the service in the form of stars assigned by other users on the page of each service and on its previews . This rating is formed by the results of voting for a specific service by all buyers of this service. A potential buyer sees the result of this vote of other buyers, and also helps him make a purchase decision. The results for each service are available for everyone to view. The overall result for all your services is available only to you on the Statistics tab in Settings.

The rating is put down by buyers on the page of the purchased service according to 6 main characteristics: Efficiency, Communication, Quality, Timing, Adaptability, Work Ethics.

You don't have to vote on all of them, but you should. This way the seller will know better what he needs to work on and what he is doing very well. Feel free to rate it fairly. If anything, try to be objective and more positive in your judgments. You can change your vote later at any time if something has changed.

Filters

Sort filters are in the main menu in small blue letters. They separate the types of services and help you find the right ones according to certain criteria.

Services - a general category that displays all services available for purchase.

Subscriptions - a general category that displays all subscriptions available for purchase.

Purchases - a page with purchased services (your orders), where you can track their execution and correspond with the seller.

SELL

Here you create your products, monitor sales, get payments. This is your personal shop. Section tabs: Public — your services visible in the general shop, Hidden — services available only via a direct link, and Sales — paid orders.

You can sell your services if you feel that others will buy them. You do not need to be a professional, and this is your decision, if you decide, at some point, what you want to sell and earn. You sell your services through a platform on an individual basis (P2P). You choose the type of sale, set the price, the time of execution, etc. You research the market, you advertise your services yourself and with the help of available site tools. After activating any of your services or subscriptions, a PRO icon appears on your avatar. This way others will know that you offer something in your shop.

Services

We have two types of services: Services and Subscriptions. Fill in the required fields, give a detailed description, set the price and if everything suits you, activate the product. From now on, your product is available on the Internet on our platform in common and your personal shop.

However, you can create a hidden service and advertise it through a direct link wherever you like. Hidden services are not displayed to others neither on your nor in the general shop, but are available through a direct link and for searching over the Internet. Hidden private services allow you to provide any service to those you choose, without attracting the attention of everyone else.

Services - a general category that displays all services except subscriptions, so that your customers can find them more easily.

Subscriptions - give customers access to your paid posts and events. A subscription is created with fixed duration options — 90, 180 and 360 days; each option can be enabled and given its own price to offer a choice to your potential customers. Once the buyer paid for your subscription he gets access to your paid posts and events. It starts once paid and ends after the number of days of the option the buyer chose.

Sales

Paid orders and their execution status are displayed here. As soon as the buyer pays for your product, this or that state of the order appears at the seller, where something can be requested from the buyer or from you, depending on the product. It also starts the countdown of the time you specified when drafting the product, when you must accomplish the job. A simple click on the product takes you to the product page, which only you see as a seller and buyer. There you communicate and work inside this or that product.

Refund - After paying for the service, the Buyer may request a full or partial refund from the Seller, but only the Seller can initiate this refund. There can be different reasons for refund on any side. Sides need to agree the refund amount before proceeding.

Full - Buyer receives back full paid amount, including platform fee.

Partial - Buyer receives back an amount agreed with the Seller, but not more than Sellers’ Net received amount. Platform fee is not refundable in this case to the Buyer.

Transfer of funds (SARAFANO) to your balance for completed orders occurs after the complete fulfilment of your order, exactly after the “Done” button is pressed — either party of the order can press it — or after the expiry date of subscription. Please make sure the Buyer is happy before pressing “Done” in case of service completion. Subscription expires automatically based on subscription period and date of purchase.

Billing

All your account movements are shown here: balance top-ups, payments received for your services, payments you made for services, withdrawal from the account, etc. Everything that is connected with money. Here you can refill your balance, request a refund or payment. We use SARAFANO as a bargaining chip to pay for services.

Deposit - To top-up balance with SARAFANO simply use your bank card or other method we provide on payment page like in any other shop. You can top-up your balance in advance, or you can directly pay for the products, but still it will pass through the balance and will be displayed in the billing table.

Refund - You can request full refund of deposited funds if certain conditions are met: 1. The amount deposited is available in full on your balance. 2. The amount was deposited no later than 30 days ago. Partial refund is difficult and this is due to the terms of the payment system we work with, as well as the commission that we pay for receiving payment from you and transferring funds to you.

Payout - Once you have provided bank details we will be able to send payouts. It could take up to 7 days in some certain circumstances, but usually takes 2-3 business days. You can request a payout only when the threshold of the Available Payout balance is 60 SARAFANO or above.

Only funds received from others (earned) are available for the payout. To make a payout we may ask your bank account details, full name, etc. After you have requested a payout, the transfer is sent to the bank account you specified. Payment is made in the currency of the store you have chosen. At present, payouts are only available to bank accounts held with Russian banks.

CONTACTS

You can see the profiles of users who have subscribed to you (Followers), which you are following (Followings), users within ~15 km of your location (Around), and users you have blocked (Blocked).

On each user’s personal pages there is a “Follow/Unfollow” button, which allows you to add the user to your contacts and follow his posts and events. On the “Followings” tab there is an “Unfollow All” button if you want to unfollow everyone at once. Contacts you have blocked cannot find your profile, posts or services on the platform. Blocking is mutual: you also stop seeing the blocked user’s profile, posts and services.

In the “Followings” filter, you have the opportunity to recommend someone you follow as a professional. You can only recommend those you follow, and you cannot recommend yourself; a confirmation is shown when you enable a recommendation. This way, other users can see these recommendations on your subscriptions page. A personal recommendation system increases customer trust, builds additional connections, and improves your community. A customer who is satisfied with the quality of service you provide will be more likely to buy more from your referral.

SETTINGS

Profile - Here you can choose or change your avatar, name, surname, username, occupation, location, create or change the password.

Statistics - This is your overall progress on all your published content, service completion, other users interactions.

News - Here you can see the news and the history of all news and announcements on the platform, if you suddenly missed a letter to your email.

Notifications - You control what notifications you want to receive to your email. If you have some unread activities on your posts, events or services, the platform would send a reminding email approximately once every two weeks. If there are some unread messages for you, the platform notifies you instantly. If you don’t want to let others to see your online status, you can untick the check-box on corresponding setting.

Language - Initially the system sets the language based on the language of your browser, but once you make your choice it is saved in your profile.