Your child has asked to use Study Market. Because they are under 18, we need your consent for some things. This page explains what you are agreeing to. Please read it before you confirm.
What Study Market is
Study Market (studymarket.co.za) is an online marketplace. High school students (Grades 8 to 12) and recent matriculants sell their own study notes as digital files. Tutors and tutees also use it to find each other. It is run by Mark Goulding, an individual (sole proprietor) trading as Study Market.
What your child can do
Before you confirm, your child can:
- browse the site
- buy notes
- set up a profile
- draft listings
Before you confirm, your child cannot:
- publish listings
- appear in our marketing
- upload a school report
- accept tutoring requests
After you confirm, your child can publish listings, upload a school report for verification, and accept tutoring requests (if they are a tutor).
What information we collect
We collect your child's email address, first name, surname and date of birth. The date of birth is used only to work out that they are under 18. It is never shown publicly.
We also collect your name and email address, to ask for your consent and to send you safety emails.
Your child may add optional details: school, grade, curriculum, marks, a bio and a profile photo. If they upload a school report, an AI model (Cloudflare Workers AI) reads it and an admin confirms the marks. The report is stored privately and deleted 30 days after the decision. We keep only the verified marks, term and year.
Our Privacy Policy explains everything in full.
What is shown publicly
If your child is a seller, the following can appear on their profile and listings:
- name
- school, grade and curriculum
- profile photo
- marks (with a "Verified" tick if confirmed)
- bio
- their listings and reviews
We never show their date of birth, email address, phone number or bank details publicly.
Marketing
Marketing is optional and separate from selling. Your child can sell without it.
If they want to, we can feature them in our marketing: on our homepage, in emails to other users, and on social media such as TikTok and Instagram. Because your child is under 18, we only do this if both your child and you agree. There is a separate, optional tick box for this when you give consent. If you leave it unticked, we will not feature your child, even if they ask us to.
We never use their date of birth, contact details or bank details in marketing. You can withdraw marketing consent at any time without affecting their listings.
Getting paid
When your child's notes sell, they earn 85% of the sale price. New earnings are pending for 3 days. They can then withdraw money (minimum R100, with a flat R5 fee) to a South African bank account.
A bank account is needed to be paid. You may need to provide or approve the bank account before we approve a withdrawal. We store the account number encrypted and use it only to pay your child by EFT. Only the last 4 digits are ever shown.
Tutoring and safety
Tutoring lessons happen off the site. Study Market only introduces people. We do not vet or do background checks on tutors, and we are not a party to the tutoring agreement.
To help keep children safe:
- Our rules say first sessions must be online or in a public place. We can't supervise lessons, so please check this happens.
- Under-18s must tell a parent before meeting a tutor or tutee.
- If your child is a tutee, the introduction email also goes to you.
- Contact details are blocked in public text. They are shared only after a tutor accepts a request.
Please talk to your child about online safety and stay involved in who they meet. Read our Tutor Terms and Community Guidelines.
Buying notes
Notes are digital. Once a file is opened or downloaded, it cannot be refunded. See the Refund Policy.
You are in control
You can withdraw your consent at any time. When you do:
- your child's listings and tutor profile are paused
- your child is removed from our marketing
- notes other people already bought from your child stay with those buyers
To withdraw, use the link in the consent email we sent you, or email privacy@studymarket.co.za. To withdraw only marketing, email privacy@studymarket.co.za or ask your child to switch it off in their account settings. You can also ask us to show you, correct or delete your child's information.
If you have concerns, contact our Information Officer, Mark Goulding, at privacy@studymarket.co.za. You can also complain to the Information Regulator at complaints.IR@inforegulator.org.za (inforegulator.org.za).
The consent statement
By confirming, you are saying:
I am the parent or guardian of [name]. I consent to them selling and tutoring on Study Market, and to their information being processed as the Privacy Policy explains, including showing their name, school, photo and marks on their own listings and profile.
And only if you tick the second, optional box:
[name] may also be featured in Study Market's marketing, including social media, if they choose to be. I can withdraw this any time.