Terms of Service

Draft - not yet legally reviewed. This is a working draft. It is not final, is not legal advice, and must be reviewed by counsel before public launch. The effective date and contact details below are placeholders.

1. Who we are

pact is operated by Stewardship World, a California public benefit corporation (the "Company", "we", "us", "our"). pact is a mobile application and website that lets people near each other connect to exchange help, skills, goods, and services - a community ledger of ideas, goods, and services. By creating an account or using pact (the "Service"), you agree to these Terms of Service (the "Terms"). If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to use pact. By using the Service you represent that you are 18 or older and that you can form a binding contract. We may require verification and may suspend accounts that do not meet this requirement.

3. What pact is - and is not

pact is a venue that helps people find and connect with one another. We are not a party to any agreement, arrangement, exchange, payment, or transaction between users. We do not perform, supervise, guarantee, or vet the work, goods, or services that users arrange through pact. We do not employ users, and users are not our agents.

Like other open marketplaces, pact lists what people offer and seek; the actual exchange happens between users, in person or otherwise, at their own arrangement and their own risk. We do not conduct background checks or identity verification beyond the account sign-in and the transparency features described in the app.

4. Your account and conduct

You are responsible for your account and everything done through it. When you sign up you accept our community conduct agreement (the "Social Contract"). You agree not to: break the law; harass, threaten, defraud, or endanger others; misrepresent who you are or what you are offering; post others' private information; use the Service for anything dangerous, discriminatory, or prohibited by our policies. We may remove content and suspend or ban accounts that violate these Terms, at our discretion, through our Steward moderation process.

5. Exchanges, compensation, and taxes

pact does not process payments between users. Any money, trade, or other compensation is arranged and settled off-platform, directly between users. You are solely responsible for your own arrangements, for performing what you agree to, for any compensation owed, and for your own taxes, licenses, permits, and legal compliance. We do not hold funds, provide escrow, or mediate payment disputes.

The Company does sell optional subscriptions (paid tiers and ad-free access) through the Apple App Store and Google Play. Those purchases are billed by the app stores under their terms; subscription pricing, renewal, and cancellation are handled there.

6. In-person meetings and assumption of risk

This is important. Read it.

pact connects you with other people, and many exchanges involve meeting strangers and entering homes or other private spaces. Meeting and dealing with other people carries real risk. You assume all risk arising from your interactions with other users, whether online or in person.

We strongly recommend you: vet the other person first (a video call before meeting); meet in a public place first; tell someone where you are going; do not share your home address, financial details, or other sensitive information until you are comfortable; and trust your instincts and leave if something feels wrong. We provide a private coordination channel and safety guidance, but we cannot and do not guarantee the conduct, identity, safety, or honesty of any user. You are responsible for your own safety.

7. Public and permanent records

pact is built on transparency. Pacts, completed Hallmarks, profiles, and related activity - including abandonments, an unresolved dispute on a completed or abandoned Pact, and the outcome of any Steward action (such as a warning or removal, with its stated reason) - are publicly visible and may be permanent. Do not post anything you are not comfortable making public and keeping public. Private logistics shared in the coordination channel are not part of the public record and are handled as described in our Privacy Policy.

A dispute records only that a participant disagreed with how a Pact ended, shown as a neutral, predefined category (for example, "work not completed" or "terms not honored") - never free-text you write about another person. pact does not decide who is right. A dispute you resolve is erased and leaves no trace; only a dispute still unresolved after the resolution window becomes part of the permanent record. We do not mediate or adjudicate disputes between users (see Section 4).

8. Disclaimers

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free, or that any user, listing, or exchange is legitimate, safe, or suitable.

9. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Stewardship World and its officers, employees, and agents will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss, injury, harm, or damages arising out of or relating to your use of the Service, your interactions or exchanges with other users, or any in-person meeting - whether based on warranty, contract, tort, or any other legal theory. To the extent liability cannot be excluded, our total liability is limited to the greater of the amount you paid us in the twelve months before the claim or one hundred US dollars ($100). Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so some of these may not apply to you.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold Stewardship World harmless from any claims, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your use of the Service, your content, your exchanges with other users, or your violation of these Terms or any law or the rights of others.

11. Your content

You keep ownership of the content you post. You grant Stewardship World a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, display, and distribute that content as needed to operate the Service (including the public surfaces described above). You are responsible for your content and confirm you have the right to post it.

12. Suspension and termination

You may stop using pact and delete your account at any time. We may suspend or terminate access for any violation of these Terms or to protect users or the Service. Some records (such as completed Hallmarks) may remain on the public Ledger after an account is closed, consistent with the transparency model described in the app.

13. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. The parties intend that disputes be resolved efficiently; the final dispute-resolution mechanism (including any arbitration and class-action terms, and your right to opt out) will be set by counsel before launch and stated here. Until then, the courts located in California will have jurisdiction.

14. Changes

We may update these Terms. If we make material changes we will take reasonable steps to notify you. Continuing to use the Service after changes take effect means you accept the updated Terms.

15. Contact

Questions about these Terms: pact@stewardship.world.