SELLER COMMITMENTS  ·  PUBLIC PLEDGE

H A N D M A D E P L E D G E B L A C K S P A C E · E S T 2 0 2 0

The Handmade Pledge

A public, signed commitment by a BlackSpace Seller Member that they design and make what they sell. This page explains what the badge means, what signing commits a Seller Member to, and how the pledge actually works.

For buyers

What this badge means when you see it

When you see the Handmade Pledge badge on a shop or a product, it tells you three things — and only these three things.

01

A Seller Member has personally signed a public pledge.

The Seller Member affirmed, in their own dashboard, that they design and produce what they sell — and that they’re not reselling, drop-shipping, or running print-on-demand. The signature is on the record, not buried in a terms page.

02

The badge carries the Seller Member's full name and signing date.

Clicking the badge anywhere on BlackSpace surfaces who signed and when. This is the accountability mechanism — the pledge is meaningful because every signature is attached to a real name on a public surface.

03

On a product, the badge means both the shop and the product are covered.

The badge appears on a product card only when the Seller Member has signed the pledge and that specific product is marked by them as covered. A shop with mixed inventory can leave certain listings unchecked — those products won’t display the badge, but the shop’s signature still stands.

For seller members

What signing the pledge commits a Seller Member to

The Handmade Pledge is a two-part commitment. Both parts must be true for a Seller Member to sign honestly.

01

Part one

Original design.

The Seller Member is the creative author — the designer, creator, or composer — of the products they sell. They are not reselling work designed by someone else.

02

Part two

Direct production.

The Seller Member, or craftspeople they directly engage, physically produces each covered item. The phrase “directly engage” is intentional — it has a specific meaning, spelled out below.

“Directly engage” — what’s in, what’s out.

This is included

  • Solo makers. One person designing and making at home or in a studio.
  • Family or partner shops. A small team working alongside the Seller Member.
  • Small studios with employed or contracted help. Hired hands working under the Seller Member's direction.
  • Designers working with named artisans they personally know. Direct, named, ongoing relationships — not anonymous outsourcing.

This is not

  • Resellers. Buying wholesale and listing it as your own work.
  • Drop-shippers. Listing items fulfilled by a third party who handles inventory and shipping.
  • Pure print-on-demand. Uploading a design that a third party prints and ships on your behalf.
  • White-label or private-label. Buying from a manufacturer and adding your branding.

How it works

An honor-system pledge — and we say so plainly.

Most “trust” badges online imply verification that isn’t actually happening. The Handmade Pledge is different because it doesn’t try to hide what it is. Read the mechanism. Decide what to make of it.

The honest mechanism

The pledge is honor-system self-attestation. Seller Members sign it themselves in their dashboard. BlackSpace does not visit workshops, inspect supply chains, or verify production conditions. What makes the system meaningful is public accountability — every signature is attached to the Seller Member's full name and signing date, visible to every buyer who clicks the badge.

Public accountability is the whole point.

Every signature is bound to the Seller Member’s full name and the date they signed. Clicking the badge anywhere on BlackSpace shows both. There is no anonymous version of the pledge.

Two scopes, both must be true.

A product displays the badge only when the Seller Member has signed the pledge (shop level) and the specific product is marked as covered (product level). A jeweler making original pieces but also selling loose findings can leave the supply listings unchecked without losing their shop-level badge.

Revocation is one click, and it's permanent.

Seller Members can revoke their pledge at any time from their dashboard. Revocation removes the badge from every surface immediately. The historical signature record is preserved.

Buyer reports can trigger review.

If reports from buyers indicate a Seller Member’s listings are inconsistent with the pledge, their account may be reviewed. The pledge itself names this in its own text — point four.

The pledge text is versioned.

Small editorial edits (typos, clarifications) apply automatically to existing signatures. Substantive changes require Seller Members to review and re-sign before their badge reappears. The current live version is shown below.

What we don't claim.

No certification. No audit. No buyer-protection guarantee tied to this badge. No verified workshop visits. The pledge is what it says it is — a signed commitment, on the record, by a named person.

The pledge in full

The text every signed Seller Member has agreed to

Current version  ·  v1.0

The BlackSpace Handmade Pledge

By signing this pledge, I affirm that:

  1. I am the original designer, creator, or composer of the products I sell. They are not resold items designed by others.

  2. Every item I sell is produced by me or by craftspeople I directly engage. I do not use drop-shipping services, print-on-demand fulfillment companies, or mass-production factories.

  3. I am honest with buyers about my production process — including any tools, equipment, or help I use.

  4. I understand this is an honor-system pledge. BlackSpace does not verify production conditions, but if reports indicate inconsistencies with this pledge, my account may be reviewed.

When a Seller Member signs, their full name and the signing date are recorded with the pledge above. Both are visible to every buyer who clicks the badge.

For prospective Seller Members

Ready to sign?

Signing is optional. Seller Members who don’t sign continue to sell on BlackSpace normally — they just don’t display the badge. If you’re ready, here’s what to expect.

Step 01

Open your Seller Member dashboard and find the Handmade Pledge section.

Step 02

Read the full pledge and agree to every one of the four points.

Step 03

Type your full name to record your signature. The date is added automatically.

Sign the pledge
Become a Seller Member

“Sign the pledge” routes signed-in Seller Members to their dashboard. Unsigned visitors are routed to the application flow.