Terms & Conditions

Last updated: March 01, 2021

Thank you for using HelpBuddie!

These Terms of Service constitute a legally binding agreement between you and HelpBuddie, Inc. a Delaware, USA Company (“Company” or “HelpBuddie”) governing your use of the HelpBuddie Platform (as defined below), Company’s website (www.helpbuddie.com) or the “Site” and mobile applications (iOS & Android”). Including any subdomains thereof, and any other websites through which HelpBuddie makes its services available (collectively, "Site"), our mobile, tablet, and other smart device applications, and application program interfaces. The HelpBuddie Platform and related services provided by Company, the Site and Apps, including without limitation communications and information (whether in writing, orally, or otherwise howsoever) provided by Company to potential and actual Service Providers and Clients (both as defined at Section 1) in relation to the services, together are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “HelpBuddie Platform.”

Any personal data you submit to the HelpBuddie Platform or which we collect about you is governed by our Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”). A copy of our Privacy Policy is available here https://www.helpbuddie.com/privacy-policy. You acknowledge that by using the HelpBuddie Platform you have reviewed the Privacy Policy and Disclaimer.

Your use of the HelpBuddie Platform constitutes your acceptance of and agreement to all of the terms and conditions in these Terms and Conditions, the https://www.helpbuddie.com/terms-conditions, Any future amendments and additions to this Agreement (as defined below) as we may publish from time to time. The Privacy Policy is incorporated by reference into these Terms and Conditions and together form and are hereinafter referred to as the “Agreement”.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS AGREEMENT GOVERNS HOW DISPUTES BETWEEN YOU AND HELPBUDDIE CAN BE RESOLVED. IT CONTAINS A BINDING AND FINAL ARBITRATION PROVISION AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER (SECTION 19 OR 20, AS APPLICABLE). PLEASE READ CAREFULLY AS IT AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING, IF APPLICABLE, YOUR RIGHT TO OPT OUT OF ARBITRATION.

IN ADDITION, BY ENTERING INTO THIS AGREEMENT, YOU EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ, UNDERSTAND AND AGREE, WITHOUT LIMITATION OR QUALIFICATION, TO BE BOUND BY THIS AGREEMENT (INCLUDING THE DISPUTE RESOLUTION AND ARBITRATION PROVISIONS IN SECTION 19 OR 20, AS APPLICABLE) AND YOU ACCEPT ALL OF ITS TERMS.

IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THIS AGREEMENT, YOU MAY NOT USE OR ACCESS THE HELPBUDDIE PLATFORM.

Your use of the HelpBuddie Platform in a country other than the country in which you register constitutes your acceptance of and agreement to all of the terms and conditions in the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, for that country. You must be 18 years old or at least the legally required age in the jurisdiction in which you reside, and otherwise capable of entering into binding contracts, in order to use or access the HelpBuddie Platform. If you are under 18 years old or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, then you may not use or access the HelpBuddie Platform. Children under 13 years old are prohibited from accessing the HelpBuddie Platform or otherwise providing any personal information to HelpBuddie.

A few highlights of these Terms and Conditions include:

• Your agreement that the HelpBuddie Platform is provided “as is” and without warranty (Section 17).

• Your agreement that the Company has no liability regarding the HelpBuddie Platform or the performance of Tasks (as defined below in Section 1) (Section 17).

• Your acknowledgement and agreement that Clients, and not HelpBuddie, scope, supervise, direct, control, and monitor a service provider’s work and the Tasks (Section 1).

• Your acknowledgment and agreement that Clients are solely responsible for determining if the service provider they hire is qualified to perform the task at hand.

• Your acknowledgment and agreement that service providers are Independent Contractors (Third Party Contractors) of Clients and not employees, independent/third-party contractors or service providers of HelpBuddie (Sections 1 and 12)

• Your consent to release Company from liability based on claims between Users (Section 2), in respect of service providers claims (Section 12) and generally (Section 17).

• Your agreement to indemnify Company from claims due to your use or inability to use the HelpBuddie Platform or content submitted from your account to the HelpBuddie Platform (Section 18).

• Your consent to submit any claims against Company to binding arbitration, and on an individual basis only, to the extent permissible by law (Section 19).

Scope of HelpBuddie Services

The HelpBuddie Platform is an online marketplace that enables registered users (“Members/Clients”) and certain Independent/Third Party Contractors who offer services (Members and third parties who offer services are “Service Providers” and the services they offer are “Local Services”) to publish such Professional/Local Services on the HelpBuddie Platform (“Listings”) and to communicate and transact directly with Members that are seeking to book such Professional/Local Services (Members using Local Services are “Users”). 1.2 As the provider of the HelpBuddie Platform, HelpBuddie does not own, create, sell, resell, provide, control, manage, offer, deliver, or supply any Listings or Professional/Local Services, Service Providers alone are responsible for their Listings and Services. When Members make or accept a booking, they are entering into a contract directly with each other. HelpBuddie is not and does not become a party to or other participants in any contractual relationship between Members, nor is HelpBuddie Broker or Insurer.

If you choose to use the HelpBuddie Platform as a Professional/Local Service Provider (as defined below), your relationship with HelpBuddie is limited to being an Independent/Third-Party Contractor and not an employee, agent, franchisee, franchisor,  representative, joint venturer, contractor, vendor or partner of HelpBuddie for any reason and you act exclusively on your own behalf and for your own benefit, and not on behalf of, or for the benefit of HelpBuddie. HelpBuddie does not, and shall not be deemed to, direct or control you generally or in your performance under these Terms specifically, including in connection with your provision of the Professional/Local Services. You acknowledge and agree that you have complete discretion whether to list Professional/Local Services or otherwise engage in other business or employment activities.

The HelpBuddie Platform may contain links to third-party websites or resources (“Third-Party Services”). Such Third-Party Services may be subject to different terms and conditions and privacy policies. HelpBuddie is not responsible or liable for the availability or accuracy of such Third-Party Services, or the content, products, or services available from such Third-Party Services. Links to such Third-Party Services are not an endorsement by HelpBuddie of such Third-Party Services.

Due to the nature of the Internet, HelpBuddie cannot guarantee the continuous and uninterrupted availability and accessibility of the HelpBuddie Platform. HelpBuddie may restrict the availability of the HelpBuddie Platform or certain areas or features thereof if this is necessary for a view of capacity limits, the security or integrity of our servers, or to carry out maintenance measures that ensure the proper or improved functioning of the HelpBuddie Platform. HelpBuddie may improve, enhance and modify the HelpBuddie Platform and introduce new HelpBuddie services/features from time to time.

1. The HelpBuddie Platform Connects the service providers and Clients

The HelpBuddie Platform is a web-based communications platform that enables connections between Clients and Local Service Providers. “Clients” are individuals and/or businesses seeking to obtain short-term task services (“Tasks”) from service providers and are therefore clients of service providers and “Service Providers” are individuals and/or businesses seeking to perform Tasks for Clients. Clients and service providers together are hereinafter referred to as “Users.” If you agree on the terms of a Task with another User, you and such other Users form a Service Agreement directly between the two of you as set forth in more detail in Section 3 below.

PROFESSIONAL/LOCAL SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE INDEPENDENT/THIRD PARTY CONTRACTORS OF CLIENTS AND NOT EMPLOYEES, PARTNERS, REPRESENTATIVES, AGENTS, JOINT VENTURERS, INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS OR FRANCHISEES OF COMPANY. COMPANY DOES NOT PERFORM TASKS AND DOES NOT EMPLOY INDIVIDUALS TO PERFORM TASKS. USERS HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT COMPANY DOES NOT SUPERVISE, DIRECT, CONTROL OR MONITOR A SERVICE PROVIDER’S WORK AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY RESPONSIBILITY AND LIABILITY FOR THE WORK PERFORMED AND THE TASKS IN ANY MANNER, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO A WARRANTY OR CONDITION OF GOOD AND WORKMANLIKE SERVICES, WARRANTY OR CONDITION OF QUALITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR COMPLIANCE WITH ANY LAW, REGULATION, OR CODE.

The HelpBuddie Platform only enables connections between Users for the fulfillment of Tasks. Company is not responsible for the performance or communications of Users, nor does it have control over the quality, timing, legality, failure to provide, or any other aspect whatsoever of Tasks, Service Providers, Clients, nor of the integrity, responsibility, competence, qualifications, or any of the actions or omissions whatsoever of any Users, or of any ratings provided by Users with respect to each other. The company makes no warranties or representations about the suitability, reliability, timeliness, or accuracy of the Tasks requested, equipment supplied/installed or services provided by, or the communications of or between, Users identified through the HelpBuddie Platform, whether in public, private, or offline interactions or otherwise howsoever.

2. User Vetting and User Representations and Warranties User Vetting

In Company’s sole discretion, Users may be subject to an extensive vetting process before they can register/list for and during their use of the HelpBuddie Platform, including but not limited to a verification of identity, using third party services as appropriate (“Identity Checks”). Although the Company may perform Identity Checks, the Company is not required to do so and cannot confirm that each User is who they claim to be. The company cannot and does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or reliability of Identity Check information or any information provided through the HelpBuddie Platform.

When interacting with other Users, you should exercise caution and common sense to protect your personal safety, data, and property, just as you would when interacting with other people whom you don’t know. HelpBuddie will not be liable for any false or misleading statements made by Users of the HelpBuddie Platform. NEITHER HELPBUDDIE NOR ITS PARENTS, AFFILIATES OR LICENSORS, INCLUDING THEIR RESPECTIVE DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, SHAREHOLDERS, AGENTS, INVESTORS, SUBSIDIARIES, ATTORNEYS, REPRESENTATIVES, INSURERS, EMPLOYEES, SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS (HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO COLLECTIVELY AS “HELPBUDDIE AND AFFILIATES”) IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONDUCT, ACTS, OR OMISSIONS, WHETHER ONLINE OR OFFLINE, OF ANY USER OF THE HELPBUDDIE PLATFORM AND YOU HEREBY RELEASE HELPBUDDIE AND AFFILIATES FROM ANY AND ALL LIABILITY, CLAIMS, DEMANDS, OR DAMAGES OF EVERY KIND AND NATURE, KNOWN AND UNKNOWN, SUSPECTED AND UNSUSPECTED, DISCLOSED AND UNDISCLOSED, ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THE HELPBUDDIE PLATFORM.

User Representations and Warranties

You represent and warrant that: (1) you are 21 years of age or older (for U.S. based users) or are at least of the legally required age in the jurisdiction in which you reside, and are otherwise capable of entering into binding contracts, and (2) you have the right, authority and capacity to enter into this Agreement and to abide by the terms and conditions of this Agreement, and that you will so abide. Where you enter into this Agreement on behalf of a company or other organization, you represent and warrant that you have authority to act on behalf of that entity and to bind that entity to this Agreement.

You further represent and warrant that you have read, understand, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy and Disclaimer in order to access and use the HelpBuddie Platform. You hereby warrant and represent that you will respect the privacy (including without limitation private, family and home life), property and data protection rights of Users and that you will not record (whether video or audio or otherwise) any Task or any interaction by or with any User and/or Company in connection with the HelpBuddie Platform without the prior written consent of Company and/or the relevant User, as applicable. You further represent and warrant that you will fulfill the commitments you make to other Users, including paying/receiving payment through the HelpBuddie Platform using the PSP (as defined below), performing the Task(s) agreed upon as between the Tasker and Client, communicating clearly and promptly through the chat thread and/or responding to invitations promptly, being present and/or available at the time you agree upon with your Tasker or Client as the case may be, and only utilizing the third-party payment processing system specified or approved by us to make or receive payment for services provided through the HelpBuddie Platform (the “PSP”). You also represent and warrant that you will act professionally and responsibly in your interactions with other Users. You further represent and warrant that when using or accessing the HelpBuddie Platform, you will act in accordance with any applicable local, state, provincial, national, or international law or custom and in good faith.

You hereby warrant and represent that, other than as fully and promptly disclosed to Company as set forth below, you do not have any motivation, status, or interest which Company may reasonably wish to know about in connection with the HelpBuddie Platform, including without limitation, if you are using or will or intend to use the HelpBuddie Platform for any journalistic, investigative, or unlawful purpose. You hereby warrant and represent that you will promptly disclose to Company in writing any such motivation, status or interest, whether existing prior to registration or as arises during your use of the HelpBuddie Platform.

Service Providers additionally represent and warrant that you will provide timely and reasonably high-quality services to your clients, you will only offer and provide services for which you have the necessary skills, expertise, licenses/certifications, and insurance and you will provide the services safely and in accordance with all applicable laws, and that you have the legal right to work in the country in which you are performing Tasks.

3. The contract between Clients and Service Providers

You acknowledge and agree that a legally binding contract (the “Service Agreement”) is formed when you agree on the Quotation and Terms of a Task with another User. The terms of the Service Agreement include the terms set forth in this Section 3, the engagement terms proposed and accepted on the HelpBuddie Platform, and any other contractual terms accepted by both the Service Provider and their Client to the extent such terms do not conflict with the terms in this Agreement, including this Section 3, and do not expand Company’s obligations or restrict Company’s rights under this Agreement. You agree that the Company is not a party to any Service Agreement and the formation of a Service Agreement will not, under any circumstances, create an employment or other service relationship between Company and Service Provider (or Assistants (as defined below)), nor will it create an employment relationship between the Client and Service Provider (or Assistants (as defined below)). Company’s role is restricted solely to acting as a connecting platform for the clients and the service providers (Tasker), HelpBuddie disclaims any other agency or authority to act on behalf of Tasker, and assumes no liability or responsibility for any acts or omissions of the Tasker, either within or outside of the HelpBuddie Platform.

Where approved in advance by the Client, the Tasker is not obligated to personally perform the Task. Before any Task services are performed by any assistants, helpers, subcontractors or other personnel engaged by the Tasker (collectively “Assistants”), the Tasker shall require any such individuals to become fully registered, oriented and verified Service Providers on the HelpBuddie Platform. A Tasker’s failure to comply with this provision by bringing an Assistant who is not a registered Tasker could lead to removal from the HelpBuddie Platform. The Tasker assumes full and sole responsibility for the acts and omissions of such Assistants, including without limitation the payment of all compensation, benefits, and expenses of Assistants, if any, and for all required and applicable income tax withholdings as to the Tasker and all persons engaged by the Tasker in the performance of the Task services.

While using the HelpBuddie Platform, Clients, in their sole discretion, determine whether they will be present or not when a Task is performed and/or completed. Clients who elect not to be present when a Task is performed and/or completed agree that if someone other than them (i.e. spouse, partner, roommate, friend etcetera) is present when the Task is performed, they are appointing that person as their agent (“Client’s Agent”) and the Tasker may take and follow direction from the Client’s Agent as if such direction was given from the Client him or herself.

The Client shall pay their Tasker directly for completed Tasks and the rates agreed to by the parties in the Quotation and Service Agreement. Each User agrees to comply with the Service Agreement and this Agreement during the engagement, performance, and completion of a Task. Both Users agree to notify the Company of any disputes prior to negotiation of or filing of any claims and negotiate any dispute informally via Company representatives for at least thirty (30) days before initiating any proceeding. HelpBuddie reserves the right to suspend or terminate any account or Task pending the resolution of any dispute.

4. Billing and Payment

Users of the HelpBuddie Platform contract for Tasks directly with Service Providers. The company will not be a party to any contracts for Tasks or services and the payment for the services is also paid directly to service providers through various payment methods or gateways. 

5. Public Areas; Acceptable Use

The HelpBuddie Platform may contain profiles, email systems, message boards, reviews, ratings, applications, communities and/or other message or communication facilities (“Public Areas”) that allow Users to communicate with other Users. You may only use such community areas to send and receive messages and materials that are relevant and proper to the applicable forum. For the safety and integrity of the HelpBuddie Platform, you should not share your personal contact information with other Users.

Without limitation, while using the HelpBuddie Platform, you may not:

• Publish, post, upload, distribute or disseminate any profane, defamatory, infringing, obscene or unlawful topic, name, material or information on the HelpBuddie Platform;

• Use the HelpBuddie Platform for any unauthorized purpose, including, but not limited to posting or completing a Task in violation of local, state, provincial, national, or international law;

• Upload files that contain software or other material that violates the intellectual property rights (or rights of privacy or publicity) of any User, third party, or Company;

• Upload files that contain viruses, Trojan horses, corrupted files, or any other similar software that may damage the operation of another’s computer;

• Post or upload any content to which you have not obtained any necessary rights or permissions to use accordingly;

• Advertise or offer to sell any goods or services for any commercial purpose through the HelpBuddie Platform which are not relevant to the Task services offered through the HelpBuddie Platform;

• Impersonate another person or a User or allow any other person or entity to use your identification to post or view comments;

• Post the same Task repeatedly (“Spamming”)-Spamming is strictly prohibited;

• Download any file posted by another User that a User knows, or reasonably should know, cannot be legally distributed through the HelpBuddie Platform;

• Restrict or inhibit any other user from using and enjoying the Public Areas;

• Imply or state that any statements you make are endorsed by HelpBuddie, without the prior written consent of HelpBuddie;

• Use a robot, spider, manual, meta tag, “hidden text,” agent, robot, script, and/or automatic processes or devices to data-mine, data-crawl, scrape, collect, mine, republish, redistribute, transmit, sell, license, download, manage or index the HelpBuddie Platform, or the electronic addresses or personal information of others, in any manner;

• The frame or utilize framing techniques to enclose the HelpBuddie Platform or any portion thereof;

• Hack or interfere with the HelpBuddie Platform, its servers or any connected networks;

• Adapt, alter, license, sublicense or translate the HelpBuddie Platform for your own personal or commercial use;

• Remove or alter, visually or otherwise, any copyrights, trademarks or proprietary marks or rights owned by HelpBuddie and Affiliates;

• Upload content that provides materials or access to materials that exploit people in an abusive, violent or sexual manner;

• Use the HelpBuddie Platform to solicit for any other business, website or service, or otherwise contact Users for employment, contracting or any purpose not related to use of the HelpBuddie Platform as set forth herein;

• Use the HelpBuddie Platform to collect usernames, email addresses, or other personal information of Users by electronic or other means;

• Use the HelpBuddie Platform or the Task services in violation of this Agreement;

• Use the HelpBuddie Platform in a manner that is false or misleading (directly or by omission or failure to update information) or for the purpose of accessing or otherwise obtaining Company’s trade secret information for public disclosure or other purposes;

• Attempt to circumvent the payments system or service fees in any way including, but not limited to, processing payments outside of the HelpBuddie Platform, providing inaccurate information on invoices, or otherwise invoicing in a fraudulent manner;

• Register under different usernames or identities after your account has been suspended or terminated, or register under multiple usernames or false identities, or register using a false or disposable email or phone number; or

• Cause any third party to engage in the restricted activities above.

• You understand that all submissions made to Public Areas will be public and that you will be publicly identified by your name or login identification when communicating in Public Areas. HelpBuddie will not be responsible for the action of any Users with respect to any information or materials posted in Public Areas.

  
  

6. Mobile App Updates and Upgrades

By installing one of the Apps, you consent to the installation of the App and any updates or upgrades that are released through the HelpBuddie Platform. The App (including any updates or upgrades) may (i) cause your device to automatically communicate with HelpBuddie’s servers to deliver the App functionality and to record usage metrics, (ii) affect App-related preferences or data stored on your device, and (iii) collect personal information as set out in our Privacy Policy. You can uninstall the App at any time.

7. Termination and Suspension

Company may terminate or limit your right to use the HelpBuddie Platform in the event that we are investigating or believe that you have breached any provision of this Agreement (a “User Breach”), without any notice. Such termination or limitation will be effective immediately upon breach of any of the given Terms and Conditions.

If Company terminates or limits your right to use the HelpBuddie Platform pursuant to this Section 8, you are prohibited from registering and creating a new account under your name, a fake or borrowed name, or the name of any third party, even if you may be acting on behalf of the third party. If the Company terminates or limits your right to use the HelpBuddie Platform as a Client due to a User Breach, you will not be entitled to any refund of unused balance in your account.

Even after your right to use the HelpBuddie Platform is terminated or limited, this Agreement will remain enforceable against you. The company reserves the right to take appropriate legal action, including but not limited to pursuing arbitration in accordance with Section 19 of these Terms and Conditions.

Company reserves the right to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, all or any portion of the HelpBuddie Platform at its sole discretion. The company is not liable to you for any modification or discontinuance of all or any portion of the HelpBuddie Platform. The company has the right to restrict anyone from completing registration as a Tasker if the Company believes such a person may threaten the safety and integrity of the HelpBuddie Platform, or if, in the Company’s discretion, such restriction is necessary to address any other reasonable business concern.

You may terminate this Agreement at any time by ceasing all use of the HelpBuddie Platform. All parts of this Agreement which by their nature should survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect subsequent to and notwithstanding the expiration or termination of this Agreement.

8. Account, Password, Security, and Mobile Phone Use

You must register with the Company and create an account to use the HelpBuddie Platform (an “Account”). You are the sole authorized user of your account. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any log-in, password, and account name provided by you or given to you by the Company for accessing the HelpBuddie Platform. You are solely and fully responsible for all activities that occur under your password or account, even if not authorized by you. If you are accessing and using the HelpBuddie Platform on someone else’s behalf, you represent that you have the authority to bind that person as a principal to all Terms provided herein. The company has no control over the use of any User’s account and expressly disclaims any liability derived therefrom. Should you suspect that any unauthorized party may be using your password or account or you suspect any other breach of security, you agree to contact the Company immediately.

By providing your mobile phone number and using the HelpBuddie Platform, you hereby affirmatively consent to HelpBuddie’s use of your mobile phone number for calls and recurring texts, (including with an autodialer and/or prerecorded voice) in order to (a) perform and improve upon the HelpBuddie Platform, (b) facilitate the carrying out of Tasks through the HelpBuddie Platform, (c) provide you with information and reminders regarding your registration, orientation, upcoming Tasks, product alterations, changes and updates, alerts, service outages or alterations. These calls and texts may include, among other things, reminders about uncompleted or upcoming Tasks and/or in follow up to any push notifications delivered through our mobile application.

9. User-Generated Content

“User-Generated Content” is defined as any information and materials you provide to Company, its corporate partners, or other Users in connection with your registration for and use of the HelpBuddie Platform, including without limitation that posted or transmitted for use in Public Areas. You are solely responsible for User-Generated Content, and we act merely as a passive conduit for the online distribution and publication of your User Generated Content. You acknowledge and agree that HelpBuddie is not involved in the creation or development of User Generated Content, disclaims any responsibility for User Generated Content, and cannot be liable for claims arising out of or relating to User Generated Content. Further, you acknowledge and agree that HelpBuddie has no obligation to monitor, review, or remove User-Generated Content, but reserves the right to limit or remove User Generated Content on the HelpBuddie Platform at its sole discretion.

You hereby represent and warrant to Company that your User Generated Content (a) will not be false, inaccurate, incomplete or misleading; (b) will not be fraudulent or involve the sale of counterfeit or stolen items; (c) will not infringe on any third party’s copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret or other proprietary right or rights of publicity, personality or privacy; (d) will not violate any law, statute, ordinance, or regulation (including without limitation those governing export control, consumer protection, unfair competition, anti-discrimination, false advertising, anti-spam or privacy); (e) will not be defamatory, libelous, unlawfully threatening, or unlawfully harassing; (f) will not be obscene or contain pornography (including but not limited to child pornography) or be harmful to minors; (g) will not contain any viruses, Trojan Horses, worms, time bombs, cancelbots or other computer programming routines that are intended to damage, detrimentally interfere with, surreptitiously intercept or expropriate any system, data or personal information; (h) will not represent you being employed or directly engaged by or affiliated with HelpBuddie or purport you to act as a representative or agent of HelpBuddie; and (i) will not create liability for Company or cause Company to lose (in whole or in part) the services of its ISPs or other partners or suppliers.

The HelpBuddie Platform hosts User Generated Content relating to reviews and ratings of specific Service Providers (“Feedback”). Such Feedback is such User’s opinion and not the opinion of Company, has not been verified or approved by Company and each Client should undertake their own research to be satisfied that a specific Tasker is the right person for a Task. You agree that the Company is not responsible or liable for any Feedback or other User Generated Content. The company encourages each User to give objective, constructive and honest Feedback about the other Users with whom they have transacted. The company is not obligated to investigate any remarks posted by Users for accuracy or reliability but may do so at its discretion.

You hereby grant Company a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, sublicensable (through multiple tiers) right to exercise all copyrights, publicity rights, and any other rights you have in your User-Generated Content, in any media now known or not currently known in order to perform and improve upon the HelpBuddie Platform.

Each Tasker who provides to Company any videotape, film, recording, photograph, voice, or all related instrumental, musical, or other sound effects (collectively, “Media”), in exchange for the right to use the HelpBuddie Platform, hereby waives any and all moral rights in connection with such Media and irrevocably grants to Company the non-exclusive, fully-paid, royalty-free, transferable, sublicensable, worldwide, unrestricted, and perpetual right to:

• Exhibit, distribute, display, transmit, and broadcast on any and all media, including, without limitation, the internet, any videotape, film, recording or photograph that such User provides to Company or that Company takes of Tasker, and use, reproduce, modify, or creative derivatives of such Tasker picture, silhouette and other reproductions of their physical likeness (as the same may appear in any still camera photograph and/or motion picture film or video) (collectively the “Physical Likeness”);

• Reproduce in all media any recordings of such Tasker’s voice, and all related instrumental, musical, or other sound effects (collectively, the “Voice”), made in connection with the HelpBuddie Platform;

• Use, and permit to be used, such Tasker’s Physical Likeness and Voice in the advertising, marketing, and/or publicizing of the HelpBuddie Platform in any media; and

• Use, and permit to be used, such Tasker’s name and identity in connection with the HelpBuddie Platform.

Each Tasker warrants and represents that they have the lawful authority to grant the rights set out above.

Each Tasker hereby waives all rights and releases HelpBuddie and Affiliates from, and shall neither sue nor bring any proceeding against any such parties for, any claim or cause of action, whether now known or unknown, for defamation, invasion of right to privacy, publicity or personality or any similar matter, or based upon or relating to the use and exploitation of such Tasker’s identity, likeness or voice in connection with the HelpBuddie Platform.

Each Tasker acknowledges that HelpBuddie shall not owe any financial or other remuneration for using the recordings provided hereunder by such Tasker, either for initial or subsequent transmission or playback, and further acknowledges that HelpBuddie is not responsible for any expense or liability incurred as a result of such Tasker’s recordings or participation in any recordings, including any loss of such recording data.

10. Links to Third-Party Websites

The HelpBuddie Platform may contain links (such as hyperlinks) to third-party websites. Such links do not constitute an endorsement by Company or association with those websites, their content or their operators. Such links (including without limitation external websites that are framed by the HelpBuddie Platform as well as any advertisements displayed in connection therewith) are provided as an information service, for reference and convenience only. The company does not control any such websites and is not responsible for their (i) the availability or accuracy, or (ii) content, advertising, products, or services. It is your responsibility to evaluate the content and usefulness of the information obtained from other websites. You acknowledge and agree that HelpBuddie is not involved in the creation or development of third-party websites and disclaims any responsibility for third-party websites, and cannot be liable for claims arising out of or relating to third-party websites. Further, you acknowledge and agree that HelpBuddie has no obligation to monitor, review, or remove links to third-party websites, but reserves the right to limit or remove links to third-party websites on the HelpBuddie Platform at its sole discretion.

As part of the functionality of the HelpBuddie Platform, you may link your account with online accounts you may have with third-party service providers (such as Facebook, YouTube etc.) (each such account, a “Third-Party Account”) by either: (i) providing your Third-Party Account login information through the HelpBuddie Platform; or (ii) allowing HelpBuddie to access your Third-Party Account, as is permitted under the applicable terms and conditions that govern your use of each Third-Party Account. You represent that you are entitled to disclose your Third-Party Account login information to HelpBuddie and/or grant HelpBuddie access to your Third-Party Account (including, but not limited to, for use for the purposes described herein), without breach by you of any of the terms and conditions that govern your use of the applicable Third-Party Account and without obligating HelpBuddie to pay any fees or making HelpBuddie subject to any usage limitations imposed by such third-party service providers. By granting HelpBuddie access to any Third-Party Accounts, you understand that (i) HelpBuddie may access, make available and store (if applicable) any content that you have provided to and stored in your Third-Party Account (the “SNS Content”) so that it is available on and through the HelpBuddie Platform via your account, including without limitation any friend lists, and (ii) HelpBuddie may submit and receive additional information to your Third-Party Account to the extent you are notified of this when you link your account with the Third-Party Account. Unless otherwise specified in these Terms of Service, all SNS Content, if any, shall be considered to be User Generated Content. Depending on the Third-Party Accounts you choose, and subject to the privacy settings that you have set in such Third-Party Accounts, personally identifiable information that you post to your Third-Party Accounts may be available on and through your account on the HelpBuddie Platform. Please note that if a Third-Party Account or associated service becomes unavailable or HelpBuddie’s access to such Third-Party Account is terminated by the third-party service provider, then SNS Content may no longer be available on and through the HelpBuddie Platform. You will have the ability to disable the connection between your account on the HelpBuddie Platform and your Third-Party Accounts at any time, as set forth below. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE THIRD-PARTY SERVICE PROVIDERS ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR THIRD-PARTY ACCOUNTS IS GOVERNED SOLELY BY YOUR AGREEMENT(S) WITH SUCH THIRD-PARTY SERVICE PROVIDERS. The company makes no effort to review any SNS Content for any purpose, including but not limited to, for accuracy, legality, or non-infringement, and the Company is not responsible for any SNS Content.

11. Worker Classification and Withholdings

AS SET FORTH IN SECTION 1, HELPBUDDIE DOES NOT PERFORM TASKS AND DOES NOT EMPLOY INDIVIDUALS TO PERFORM TASKS. EACH USER ASSUMES ALL LIABILITY FOR PROPER CLASSIFICATION OF SUCH USER’S WORKERS BASED ON APPLICABLE LEGAL GUIDELINES. IF A CLIENT, YOU INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HELPBUDDIE AND AFFILIATES HARMLESS, AND IF A TASKER, YOU FULLY AND FINALLY RELEASE HELPBUDDIE AND AFFILIATES, FROM ALL LIABILITIES, CLAIMS, CAUSES OF ACTION, DEMANDS, DAMAGES, LOSSES, FINES, PENALTIES OR OTHER COSTS OR EXPENSES THAT SERVICE PROVIDERS OR ASSISTANTS MAY INCUR OR BECOME ENTITLED TO, WHETHER UNDER CONTRACT, COMMON LAW, CIVIL LAW, STATUTE OR OTHERWISE, IN RESPECT OF TASKS OR SERVICE AGREEMENTS OR THE USE OF THE HELPBUDDIE PLATFORM, INCLUDING WITH RESPECT TO MISCLASSIFICATION OF TASKERS AND ASSISTANTS AND THE TERMINATION OR CESSATION OF ANY TASKS, SERVICE AGREEMENTS, THIS AGREEMENT OR THE USE OF THE HELPBUDDIE PLATFORM.

Users do not have the authority to enter into written or oral-whether implied or express- contracts on behalf of the Company. Each User acknowledges and agrees that HelpBuddie does not, in any way, supervise, scope, direct, control or monitor a Tasker’s work or Tasks performed in any manner. The company does not set a Tasker’s work hours or location of work. HelpBuddie will not provide any equipment, tools, labor or materials needed for a particular Task. HelpBuddie does not provide any supervision to Users.

The HelpBuddie Platform is not an employment agency service or business and HelpBuddie is not an employer of any User. As such, HelpBuddie is not responsible for and will not be liable for workers’ compensation or any tax payments or withholding, including but not limited to applicable sales taxes, unemployment or employment insurance, the Canada Pension Plan, social security, disability insurance or any other applicable federal, provincial or state withholdings in connection with a User’s use of the HelpBuddie Platform. Service Providers acknowledge and confirm that they are responsible for exercising their own business judgment in entering into Service Agreements and performing Tasks and that, depending on how they exercise such business judgment, there is a chance for individual profit or loss.

This Section 12 in no way limits the generality of Section 17.

12.Intellectual Property Rights

All text, graphics, editorial content, data, formatting, graphs, designs, HTML, look and feel, photographs, music, sounds, images, software, videos, designs, trademarks, logos, typefaces and other content (collectively “Proprietary Material”) that Users see or read through the HelpBuddie Platform is owned by HelpBuddie, excluding User Generated Content, which Users hereby grant HelpBuddie a license to use. Proprietary Material is protected in all forms, media, and technologies now known or hereinafter developed. HelpBuddie owns all Proprietary Material, as well as the coordination, selection, arrangement, and enhancement of such Proprietary Materials as a Collective Work under the United States Copyright Act, as amended. The Proprietary Material is protected by the domestic and international laws governing copyright, patents, and other proprietary rights. Users may not copy, download, use, redesign, reconfigure, or retransmit anything from the HelpBuddie Platform without HelpBuddie’s express prior written consent and, if applicable, the holder of the rights to the User Generated Content. Any use of such Proprietary Material, other than as permitted therein, is expressly prohibited without the prior permission of HelpBuddie and, if applicable, the holder of the rights to the User Generated Content.

The service marks and trademarks of HelpBuddie, including without limitation HelpBuddie and HelpBuddie logos, are service marks owned by HelpBuddie. Any other trademarks, service marks, logos and/or trade names appearing via the HelpBuddie Platform are the property of their respective owners. You may not copy or use any of these marks, logos or trade names without the express prior written consent of the owner.

13. Copyright Complaints and Copyright Agent

HelpBuddie respects the intellectual property of others and expects Users to do the same. If you believe, in good faith, that any materials provided on or in connection with the HelpBuddie Platform infringe upon your copyright or other intellectual property right, please send the following information to HelpBuddie’s Copyright Agent at hello@helpbuddie.com, HelpBuddie, Inc. 860 Bryant Ave, New Hyde Park, NY-11040, USA.

• A description of the copyrighted work that you claim has been infringed, including the URL (the Internet address) or other specific location on the HelpBuddie Platform where the material you claim is infringed is located. Include enough information to allow HelpBuddie to locate the material, and explain why you think an infringement has taken place;

• A description of the location where the original or an authorized copy of the copyrighted work exists-for example, the URL (Internet address) where it is posted or the name of the book in which it has been published;

• Your address, telephone number, and e-mail address;

• A statement by you that you have a good faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law;

• A statement by you, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate, and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the copyright owner’s behalf; and

• An electronic or physical signature of the owner of the copyright or the person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright interest.

  
  

14. Confidential Information

You acknowledge that Confidential Information (as defined below) is a valuable, special and unique asset of HelpBuddie and agree that you will not disclose, transfer, use (or seek to induce others to disclose, transfer or use) any Confidential Information for any purpose other than using the HelpBuddie Platform in accordance with these Terms of Service. If relevant, you may disclose the Confidential Information to your authorized employees and agents provided that they are also bound to maintain the confidentiality of Confidential Information. You shall promptly notify HelpBuddie in writing of any circumstances that may constitute unauthorized disclosure, transfer, or use of Confidential Information. You shall use best efforts to protect Confidential Information from unauthorized disclosure, transfer or use. You shall return all originals and any copies of any and all materials containing Confidential Information to HelpBuddie upon the termination of this Agreement for any reason whatsoever.

The term “Confidential Information” shall mean any and all of HelpBuddie’s trade secrets, confidential and proprietary information, and all other information and data of HelpBuddie that is not generally known to the public or other third parties who could derive value, economic or otherwise, from its use or disclosure. Confidential Information shall be deemed to include technical data, know-how, research, product plans, products, services, customers, markets, software, developments, inventions, processes, formulas, technology, designs, drawings, engineering, hardware configuration information, marketing, finances, strategic and other proprietary and confidential information relating to HelpBuddie or HelpBuddie’s business, operations or properties, including information about HelpBuddie’s staff, Users or partners, or other business information disclosed directly or indirectly in writing, orally or by drawings or observation.

15. Disclaimer of Warranties

(a) Use Of The HelpBuddie Platform Is Entirely At Your Own Risk

THE HELPBUDDIE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. HELPBUDDIE MAKES NO WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENT PROVIDED THROUGH THE HELPBUDDIE PLATFORM OR THE CONTENT OF ANY SITES LINKED TO THE HELPBUDDIE PLATFORM AND ASSUMES NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY IN CONTRACT, WARRANTY OR IN TORT FOR ANY (I) ERRORS, MISTAKES, OR INACCURACIES OF CONTENT, (II) PERSONAL INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE, OF ANY NATURE WHATSOEVER, RESULTING FROM YOUR ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE HELPBUDDIE PLATFORM, (III) ANY ACCESS TO OR USE OF OUR SECURE SERVERS AND/OR ANY AND ALL PERSONAL INFORMATION AND/OR FINANCIAL INFORMATION STORED THEREIN; AND (IV) EVENTS BEYOND OUR REASONABLE CONTROL.

HelpBuddie does not warrant, endorse, guarantee or assume responsibility for any service advertised or offered by an Independent Contractors/ third party through the HelpBuddie Platform or any hyperlinked website or featured in any banner or other advertising, and HelpBuddie will not be a party to or in any way be responsible for monitoring any transaction between you and third-party providers of products or services. As with the purchase of a product or service through any medium or in any environment, you should use your best judgment and exercise caution where appropriate. Without limiting the foregoing, HelpBuddie and Affiliates do not warrant that access to the HelpBuddie Platform will be uninterrupted or that the HelpBuddie Platform will be error-free; nor do they make any warranty as to the results that may be obtained from the use of the HelpBuddie Platform, or as to the timeliness, accuracy, reliability, completeness or content of any Task, service, information or materials provided through or in connection with the use of the HelpBuddie Platform. HelpBuddie and Affiliates are not responsible for the conduct, whether online or offline, of any User. HelpBuddie and Affiliates do not warrant that the HelpBuddie Platform is free from computer viruses, system failures, worms, trojan horses, or other harmful components or malfunctions, including during hyperlink to or from third-party websites. HelpBuddie and Affiliates cannot and do not guarantee that any personal information supplied by you will not be misappropriated, intercepted, deleted, destroyed or used by others.

Notwithstanding any feature a Client may use to expedite HelpBuddie selection, each Client is responsible for determining the Task and selecting their Tasker and HelpBuddie does not warrant any goods or services purchased by a Client and does not recommend any particular Tasker. HelpBuddie does not provide any warranties or guarantees regarding any Tasker’s professional license/accreditation, business registration or license, sales/service tax, and insurance.

(b) No Liability

You acknowledge and agree that HelpBuddie is only willing to provide the HelpBuddie Platform to connect clients and service providers if you agree to certain limitations of our liability to you and third parties. Therefore, you agree not to hold HelpBuddie and Affiliates, or their corporate partners, liable for any claims, demands, damages, expenses, losses, governmental obligations, suits, and/or controversies of every kind and nature, known and unknown, suspected and unsuspected, disclosed and undisclosed, direct, indirect, incidental, actual, consequential, economic, special, or exemplary, including attorneys fees and costs (collectively, “Liabilities”) that have arisen or may arise, relating to your or any other party’s use of or inability to use the HelpBuddie Platform, including without limitation any Liabilities arising in connection with the conduct, act or omission of any User (including without limitation stalking, harassment that is sexual or otherwise, acts of physical violence, and destruction of personal property), any dispute with any User, any instruction, advice, act, or service provided by HelpBuddie and Affiliates and any destruction of your User Generated Content.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL HELPBUDDIE AND AFFILIATES OR THEIR CORPORATE PARTNERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, ACTUAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, ECONOMIC, SPECIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOST PROFITS, LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF GOODWILL, SERVICE INTERRUPTION, COMPUTER DAMAGE, SYSTEM FAILURE, FAILURE TO STORE ANY INFORMATION OR OTHER CONTENT MAINTAINED OR TRANSMITTED BY HELPBUDDIE, OR THE COST OF SUBSTITUTE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES) ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE HELPBUDDIE PLATFORM OR THE TASK SERVICES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THE SAME. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU IN THEIR ENTIRETY.

HELPBUDDIE AND AFFILIATES EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY LIABILITY THAT MAY ARISE BETWEEN USERS COLLECTIVELY OF ITS HELPBUDDIE. HELPBUDDIE AND AFFILIATES ALSO DO NOT ACCEPT ANY LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE QUALITY OR FITNESS OF ANY WORK PERFORMED VIA THE HELPBUDDIE PLATFORM.

IF, NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING EXCLUSIONS, IT IS DETERMINED THAT HELPBUDDIE AND AFFILIATES OR THEIR CORPORATE PARTNERS ARE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES, IN NO EVENT WILL THE AGGREGATE LIABILITY, WHETHER ARISING IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, EXCEED THE TOTAL FEES PAID BY YOU TO COMPANY DURING THE SIX (6) MONTHS PRIOR TO THE TIME SUCH CLAIM AROSE, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

(c) Release

THE HELPBUDDIE PLATFORM IS ONLY A VENUE FOR CONNECTING USERS. BECAUSE HELPBUDDIE IS NOT A PARTY TO OR OTHERWISE INVOLVED IN THE ACTUAL CONTRACT BETWEEN USERS OR IN THE COMPLETION OF THE TASK, IN THE EVENT THAT YOU HAVE A DISPUTE WITH ONE OR MORE USERS, YOU HEREBY RELEASE HELPBUDDIE AND AFFILIATES AND THEIR CORPORATE PARTNERS FROM ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, DEMANDS, DAMAGES (INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, ACTUAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, ECONOMIC, SPECIAL, OR EXEMPLARY), EXPENSES, LOSSES, GOVERNMENTAL OBLIGATIONS, SUITS AND/OR CONTROVERSIES OF EVERY KIND AND NATURE, KNOWN AND UNKNOWN, SUSPECTED AND UNSUSPECTED, DISCLOSED AND UNDISCLOSED, ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH SUCH DISPUTES.

16. Indemnification

You hereby agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless HelpBuddie and Affiliates, and their attorneys, insurers, independent contractors, providers, successors and assigns (the “Indemnified Parties”) from and against any and all liabilities incurred in connection with (i) your use or inability to use the HelpBuddie Platform or perform Tasks, or (ii) your breach or violation of this Agreement; (iii) your violation of any law, or the rights of any User or third party and (iv) any content submitted by you or using your account to the HelpBuddie Platform, including, but not limited to the extent such content may infringe on the intellectual rights of a third party or otherwise be illegal or unlawful. You also agree to indemnify the Indemnified Parties for any liability resulting from your use of software robots, spiders, crawlers, or similar data gathering and extraction tools, or any other action you take that imposes an unreasonable burden or load on our infrastructure. HelpBuddie reserves the right, in its own sole discretion, to assume the exclusive defense and control at its own expense of any matter otherwise subject to your indemnification. You will not, in any event, settle any claim or matter without the prior written consent of HelpBuddie.

17. Dispute Resolution - Arbitration & Class Action Waiver (U.S. Users)

Users Residing in the USA: PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY-IT AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS AND GOVERNS HOW YOU AND HELPBUDDIE CAN BRING CLAIMS AGAINST EACH OTHER. THIS SECTION WILL, WITH LIMITED EXCEPTIONS, REQUIRE YOU AND HELPBUDDIE TO SUBMIT CLAIMS AGAINST EACH OTHER TO BINDING AND FINAL ARBITRATION ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.

SECTION 19 DOES NOT APPLY TO USERS RESIDING IN CANADA, AND USERS RESIDING IN CANADA AND HELPBUDDIE AGREE THAT SECTION 20 SHALL APPLY INSTEAD.

(a) Informal Negotiations

To expedite resolution and reduce the cost of any dispute, controversy or claim between you and HelpBuddie (each a “Claim” and collectively “Claims”), you and HelpBuddie agree to first attempt to negotiate any Claim (except those Claims expressly excluded below) informally for at least thirty (60) days before initiating any arbitration. This pre-arbitration negotiation shall be initiated by providing written notice to the other party-including a brief written statement describing the name, address, and contact information of the notifying party, the facts giving rise to the Claim, and the relief requested. You must send such written notice to HelpBuddie, Inc. 860 Bryant Ave, New Hyde Park, NY-11040, USA. If necessary to preserve a Claim under any applicable statute of limitations, you or HelpBuddie may initiate arbitration while engaging in the informal negotiations.

During this pre-arbitration negotiation, all offers, promises, conduct and statements, whether oral or written, made in the course of the negotiation by any of the parties, their agents, employees, and attorneys are confidential, privileged and inadmissible for any purpose, including as evidence of liability, in arbitration or other proceeding involving the parties.

After a good faith effort to negotiate, if you or HelpBuddie believe a Claim cannot be resolved informally, the party intending to pursue arbitration agrees to notify the other party via email prior to initiating the arbitration. In order to initiate arbitration, a claim must be filed with the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) and the written Demand for Arbitration (available at www.adr.org) must be provided to the other party, as specified in the Commercial Arbitration Rules (the “AAA Rules”).

(b) Agreement to Binding Arbitration

IN EXCHANGE FOR THE BENEFITS OF THE SPEEDY, ECONOMICAL, AND IMPARTIAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCEDURE OF ARBITRATION, YOU AND HELPBUDDIE MUTUALLY AGREE TO WAIVE YOUR RESPECTIVE RIGHTS TO RESOLUTION OF ALL CLAIMS BETWEEN YOU (EXCEPT THOSE EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED BELOW) IN A COURT OF LAW BY A JUDGE OR JURY AND AGREE TO RESOLVE ANY DISPUTES BY BINDING ARBITRATION ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AS SET FORTH HEREIN.

This agreement to arbitrate contained in this Section 19 (“Arbitration Agreement”) is governed by the Federal Arbitration Act and survives the termination of this Agreement and your relationship with the Company.

Claims covered by this Arbitration Agreement include, but are not limited to, any dispute, claim or controversy whether based on past, present or future events arising out of or relating to: this Agreement and prior versions (including the breach, termination, enforcement, interpretation or validity thereof); the HelpBuddie Platform, services, or Tasks; your relationship with HelpBuddie; the threatened or actual suspension, deactivation or termination of your Account or this Agreement; payments made by you or any payments made or allegedly owed to you; any city, county, state or federal wage-hour law; compensation, breaks and rests periods, expense reimbursement, wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, fraud, defamation, trade secrets, unfair competition, emotional distress; any promotions or offers made by Company; breach of any express or implied contract or breach of any express or implied covenant; claims arising under federal or state consumer protection laws; claims arising under antitrust laws; claims arising under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and Fair Credit Reporting Act; and claims arising under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Civil Rights Act of 1964, Uniform Trade Secrets Act, Americans With Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Older Workers Benefit Protection Act, Family Medical Leave Act, Employee Retirement Income Security Act (except for individual claims for employee benefits under any benefit plan sponsored by Company and covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 or funded by insurance), and state statutes, if any, addressing the same or similar subject matters; and all other federal and state statutory and common law claims.

If there is a dispute about the arbitrability of any Claim (including questions about the scope, applicability, interpretation, validity, and enforceability of this arbitration agreement), you and HelpBuddie agree that this threshold dispute shall be delegated to the arbitrator (not a court) and that the arbitrator shall have initial authority to resolve such threshold disputes, except as expressly provided below.

YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTAND THAT YOU AND HELPBUDDIE ARE WAIVING THE RIGHT TO SUE IN COURT OR HAVE A JURY TRIAL FOR ALL CLAIMS UNLESS EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED IN THIS ARBITRATION AGREEMENT. THIS ARBITRATION AGREEMENT IS INTENDED TO REQUIRE ARBITRATION OF EVERY CLAIM OR DISPUTE THAT CAN LAWFULLY BE ARBITRATED, EXCEPT THOSE CLAIMS AND DISPUTES WHICH BY THE TERMS OF THIS ARBITRATION AGREEMENT ARE EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED FROM THE REQUIREMENT TO ARBITRATE.

(c) Agreement Prohibiting Class Actions and Non-Individualized Relief

Except as otherwise required under applicable law, you and HelpBuddie agree that any arbitration will be limited to the Claim between HelpBuddie and you individually. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT YOU AND HELPBUDDIE ARE EACH WAIVING THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT, CLASS-WIDE ARBITRATION, OR ANY OTHER REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING (“Class Action Waiver''). Further, unless both you and HelpBuddie otherwise agree, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person’s claims, and may not otherwise preside over any form of any class or representative proceeding. The arbitrator shall have no authority to consider or resolve any Claim or issue any relief on any basis other than an individual basis. The arbitrator shall have no authority to consider or resolve any Claim or issue any relief on a class, collective, or representative basis. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Class Action Waiver shall not apply to Private Attorney General Act Claims brought against Company, which are addressed separately in Section 19(d) below.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Arbitration Agreement or the AAA Rules (as defined below), disputes regarding the scope, applicability, enforceability, revocability or validity of the Class Action Waiver may be resolved only by a civil court of competent jurisdiction and not by an arbitrator. In any case in which: (i) the Claim is filed as a class, collective, or representative action and (ii) there is a final judicial determination that the Class Action Waiver is unenforceable as to any Claims, then those Claims shall be severed from any remaining Claims and may remain in a civil court of competent jurisdiction, but the Class Action Waiver shall be enforced in arbitration on an individual basis as to all other Claims to the fullest extent possible.

(d) Representative PAGA Waiver

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Arbitration Agreement or the AAA Rules, to the fullest extent allowed by law: (1) you and HelpBuddie agree not to bring a representative action on behalf of others under the California Private Attorneys General Act of 2004 (“PAGA”), California Labor Code § 2698 et seq., in any court or in arbitration, and (2) for any claim brought on a private attorney general basis, including under PAGA, both you and the Company agree that any such Claim shall be resolved in arbitration on an individual basis only (i.e., to resolve whether you have personally been aggrieved or subject to any violations of law), and that such an action may not be used to resolve the claims or rights of other individuals in a single or collective proceeding (i.e., to resolve whether other individuals have been aggrieved or subject to any violations of law) (collectively, “Representative PAGA Waiver”). Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Arbitration Agreement or the AAA Rules, disputes regarding the scope, applicability, enforceability, revocability or validity of this representative PAGA Waiver may be resolved only by a civil court of competent jurisdiction and not by an arbitrator. If any provision of this representative PAGA Waiver is found to be unenforceable or unlawful for any reason: (i) the unenforceable provision shall be severed from this Agreement; (ii) severance of the unenforceable provision shall have no impact whatsoever on the Arbitration Agreement or the requirement that any remaining Claims be arbitrated on an individual basis pursuant to the Arbitration Agreement; and (iii) any such representative PAGA or other representative private attorneys general act Claims must be litigated in a civil court of competent jurisdiction and not in arbitration. To the extent that there are any claims to be litigated in a civil court of competent jurisdiction because a civil court of competent jurisdiction determines that the representative PAGA Waiver is unenforceable with respect to those claims, the parties agree that court litigation of those claims shall stay pending the outcome of any individual Claims in arbitration.

(e) Rules and Logistics Governing Arbitration

The arbitration will be commenced and conducted under the AAA Rules in effect at the time the arbitration is initiated and modified by the terms set forth in this Agreement, and, where appropriate, the AAA’s Supplementary Procedures for Consumer-Related Disputes (“AAA Consumer Rules”), both of which are available at the AAA website www.adr.org or by calling the AAA at 1-800-778-7879. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if requested by you and if proper based on the facts and circumstances of the Claims presented, the arbitrator shall have the discretion to select a different set of AAA Rules, but in no event shall the arbitrator consolidate more than one person’s Claims, or otherwise preside over any form of representative, collective, or class proceeding. You and HelpBuddie agree that the arbitration shall be administered before a single arbitrator mutually agreed upon by the parties, and if the parties cannot agree within thirty (60) days after the names of potential arbitrators have been proposed, then by a single arbitrator who is chosen by the AAA.

The arbitrator will decide the substance of all claims in accordance with applicable law and will honor all claims of privilege recognized by law. The arbitrator’s award shall be final and binding and judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.

Your arbitration fees and your share of arbitrator compensation will be governed by the AAA Rules (and, where appropriate, limited by the AAA Consumer Rules) subject to the following modifications:

(i) If the Company initiates arbitration under this Arbitration Agreement, the Company will pay all AAA filing and arbitration fees.

(ii) If a Client or Tasker files a Claim in accordance with this Arbitration Agreement and the associated claim for damages does not exceed USD $1000, Company will pay all AAA filing and arbitration fees unless the arbitrator finds that either the substance of your claim or the relief sought in your Demand for Arbitration was frivolous or was brought for an improper purpose (as measured by the standards set forth in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(b)).

(iii) If a Client or Tasker files a Claim in accordance with this Arbitration Agreement and the associated claim for damages exceeds USD $1000, Company shall pay all costs unique to arbitration (as compared to the costs of adjudicating the same claims before a court), including the regular and customary arbitration fees and expenses, and the Client or Tasker shall be responsible for contributing up to an amount equal to the filing fee that would be paid to initiate the claim in the court of general jurisdiction in the state in which they perform Tasks, unless a lower fee amount would be owed by you as required by law or the applicable AAA Rules. Any dispute as to whether a cost is unique to arbitration shall be resolved by the arbitrator. If the arbitrator finds that the substance of your claim or the relief sought is frivolous or brought for an improper purpose, however, then the allocation of fees will be governed by the applicable AAA Rules.

(iv) Except as required by law or the applicable AAA Rules, each party shall pay its own attorneys’ fees and pay any costs that are not unique to the arbitration (i.e., costs that each party would incur if the Claim(s) were litigated in court, such as costs to subpoena witnesses and/or documents, take depositions and purchase deposition transcripts, copy documents, etc.).

(v) At the conclusion of any arbitration, the arbitrator may award reasonable fees and costs or any portion thereof to the prevailing party, to the extent authorized by applicable law or the applicable AAA Rules.

Unless you and the Company agree otherwise, any arbitration hearings between Company and a Tasker will take place in the county of your billing address, and any arbitration hearings between Company and a Client will take place in the county in which you received Task services. If AAA arbitration is unavailable in your county, the arbitration hearings will take place in the nearest available location for a AAA arbitration.

(f) Exceptions to Arbitration

The following types of Claims may be, but are not required to be arbitrated under the Arbitration Agreement:

• Claims for workers’ compensation, disability insurance, and unemployment insurance benefits;

• Small claims actions that are within the scope of small claims court jurisdiction and brought on an individual basis;

• Applications for provisional remedies, preliminary injunctions, and temporary restraining orders, including those relating to actual or threatened infringement, misappropriation, or violation of a party’s copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, patents, or other intellectual property rights;

• A representative action brought on behalf of others under PAGA or other private attorney general acts, to the extent the representative PAGA Waiver in Section 19(d) is deemed unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction; and

• Claims that may not be subject to arbitration as a matter of general law not preempted by the Federal Arbitration Act.

Nothing in this Arbitration Agreement prevents you from making a report to or filing a claim or charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. Department of Labor, Securities Exchange Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, or Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, or similar local, state or federal agency, and nothing in this Arbitration Agreement shall be deemed to preclude or excuse a party from bringing an administrative claim before any agency in order to fulfill the party’s obligation to exhaust administrative remedies before making a claim in arbitration. However, you knowingly and voluntarily waive the right to seek or recover money damages of any type pursuant to any administrative complaint and instead may seek such relief only through arbitration under this Agreement. This Agreement and Arbitration Agreement do not prevent you from participating in an investigation by a government agency of any report, claim or charge otherwise covered by this Arbitration Agreement and do not prevent you from receiving an award for information provided to any government agencies.

(g) Severability

Except as otherwise provided in the severability provisions in Sections 19(c) and 19(d) above, in the event that any portion of this Arbitration Agreement is deemed illegal or unenforceable, such provision shall be severed and the remainder of the Arbitration Agreement shall be given full force and effect.

(h) Right to Opt-Out of Arbitration Agreement

If you are a Tasker, you may opt-out of the Arbitration Agreement by notifying Company in writing within thirty (60) days of your agreement to these Terms of Service. To opt-out, you must send a written notification to Company at HelpBuddie, Inc. 860 Bryant Ave, New Hyde Park, NY-11040, USA, that includes (a) your account username, (b) your name, (c) your address, (d) your telephone number, (e) your email address, and (f) a clear statement indicating that you do not wish to resolve claims through arbitration and demonstrating compliance with the 60-day time limit to opt-out of the above arbitration and class action/jury trial waiver provisions.

18. Dispute Resolution - Arbitration & Class Action Waiver (Canadian Users)

Users Residing in Canada: PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY - IT AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS AND GOVERNS HOW YOU AND HELPBUDDIE CAN BRING CLAIMS AGAINST EACH OTHER. THIS SECTION WILL, WITH LIMITED EXCEPTIONS, REQUIRE YOU AND HELPBUDDIE TO SUBMIT CLAIMS AGAINST EACH OTHER TO BINDING AND FINAL ARBITRATION ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.

SECTION 20 DOES NOT APPLY TO USERS RESIDING IN THE UNITED STATES, AND USERS RESIDING IN THE UNITED STATES AND HELPBUDDIE AGREE THAT SECTION 19 SHALL APPLY INSTEAD.

The validity, interpretation, construction, and performance of these Terms shall be governed by the laws of the province or territory in which you reside.

Except where prohibited by law, any controversy, claim or dispute arising out of, relating to, or in respect of these Terms, including their negotiation, validity, existence, breach, termination, construction or application, or the rights, duties or obligations of any party, or the rights, duties or obligations of any party derived from or associated with these Terms (a “Dispute”), shall be referred to and determined by a single arbitrator in a final and binding arbitration administered under the rules of ADR Institute of Canada, Inc.’s Arbitration Rules. If the parties have not agreed upon an arbitrator within 30 days, unless otherwise agreed by the parties in writing, the parties shall ask the ADR Institute of Canada, Inc. to appoint a single arbitrator. For greater certainty, neither Service Providers nor Clients shall commence or participate in a class proceeding or other aggregate action in respect of any Dispute, except and to the extent that provincial consumer protection legislation expressly preserves such an entitlement in the context of the particular Dispute.

The seat of the arbitration shall be the same as the provincial or territorial law governing these Terms. The arbitration shall be heard in the capital of the seat unless the parties agree otherwise. The costs and expenses of the arbitrator shall be shared equally between the parties. A party to the arbitration has no right of appeal from any award of the Arbitrator, whether characterized as final, interim, interlocutory or partial.

All Disputes referred to arbitration (including the scope of the agreement to arbitrate, the law relating to the enforcement of the agreement to arbitrate, any relevant limitation periods, the law governing the procedure of the arbitration, the law relating to available remedies, set-off claims and conflict of laws rules) shall be governed by the laws of the seat. Each party hereby irrevocably consents to venue in the capital of the seat, and to the jurisdiction of competent courts in the capital of the seat for all litigation that may be brought, however, it is agreed and acknowledged that the intention of the parties is to arbitrate the dispute without recourse to the courts.

A party to these Terms may take such steps as are permitted or required to enforce an award made by an Arbitrator. Except as required by law, and only to the extent that such disclosure is reasonably necessary, or for the purposes of obtaining professional advice, the existence of the arbitration and any element of the arbitration, including any award, shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed to any non-party to the arbitration. No documents or other evidence or information prepared for or produced by or on behalf of any party to the arbitration shall be disclosed to any non-party to the arbitration.

19. Governing Law

Users Residing in the USA: Except as provided in Section 17 or expressly provided otherwise, this Agreement and your use of the HelpBuddie Platform will be governed by and will be construed under the laws of the State of Wyoming, without regard to choice of law principles. This choice of law provision is only intended to specify the use of Wyoming law to interpret this Agreement and is not intended to create any substantive right to Wyoming's to assert claims under Wyoming law whether by statute, common law, or otherwise.

Users Residing in Canada: Except as provided in Section 18 or expressly provided otherwise, this Agreement and your use of the HelpBuddie Platform will be governed by and will be construed under the laws of the Province of Alberta, without regard to choice of law principles. This choice of law provision is only intended to specify the use of Alberta law to interpret this Agreement and is not intended to create any substantive right to non-residents of Alberta to assert claims under Alberta law whether by statute, common law, or otherwise.

20. No Agency; No Employment

No agency, partnership, representative, joint venture, contractor, vendor, employer-employee or franchisor-franchisee relationship is intended or created by this Agreement.

21. General Provisions

Failure by the Company to enforce any provision(s) of this Agreement will not be construed as a waiver of any provision or right. This Agreement constitutes the complete and exclusive agreement between you and Company with respect to its subject matter and supersedes and governs any and all prior agreements or communications. The provisions of this Agreement are intended to be interpreted in a manner that makes them valid, legal, and enforceable. Except for the “Agreement Prohibiting Class Actions and Non-Individualized Relief” in Section 19, in the event any provision is found to be partially or wholly invalid, illegal or unenforceable, (1) such provision shall be modified or restructured to the extent and in the manner necessary to render it valid, legal, and enforceable or, (2) if such provision cannot be so modified or restructured, it shall be excised from the Agreement without affecting the validity, legality or enforceability of any of the remaining provisions. This Agreement may not be assigned or transferred by you without our prior written approval. We may assign or transfer this Agreement without your consent, including but not limited to assignments: (i) to a parent or subsidiary, (ii) to an acquirer of assets, or (iii) to any other successor or acquirer. Any assignment in violation of this Section 23 shall be null and void. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of the Company, its successors and assigns.

22. Licensing & Business Insurance

Service Providers alone are responsible for identifying and obtaining any required business registrations, professional licenses, permits, sales/service tax registration and business insurances before offering any Services and undertaking Tasks. Indeed, certain types of Tasks and Services may be prohibited altogether, and it is the responsibility of Service Providers to avoid such prohibited Tasks and Services. Penalties may include fines or other enforcement. Also, HelpBuddie reserves the right to restrict the usage/listing of a service provider business profile from the site in case any of the business details are expired/invalid/falsely claimed under any circumstances at any time. HelpBuddie approves the business listing on the site based on the information provided by the service provider at the time of sign up. If you have any questions about how local laws apply to your Tasks and Services on the platform, you can and should first seek separate legal guidance.

Because HelpBuddie does not oversee, monitor or supervise the posting, scoping or performance of Tasks, Clients must determine for themselves whether a Tasker is qualified to perform the specific task at hand. Clients may wish to consult their Country/State/Provincial/Territorial/Local requirements to determine whether certain Tasks are required to be performed by a licensed professional.

23. Changes to this Agreement and the HelpBuddie Platform

Company reserves the right, at its sole and absolute discretion, to change, modify, add to, supplement, suspend, discontinue, or delete any of the Terms and Conditions of this Agreement (including the Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy & Disclaimer) and review, improve, modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the HelpBuddie Platform or any content or information through the HelpBuddie Platform at any time, effective with or without prior notice and without any liability to Company. If any future changes to this Agreement are unacceptable to you or cause you to no longer be in compliance with this Agreement, you must terminate, and immediately stop using, the HelpBuddie platform. Your continued use of the HelpBuddie platform following any revision to this Agreement constitutes your complete and irrevocable acceptance of any and all such changes. Company may also impose limits on certain features or restrict your access to parts or all of the HelpBuddie Platform without notice or liability.

24. No Rights of Third Parties

None of the terms of this Agreement are enforceable by any persons who are not a party to this Agreement.

25. Subscription Fees

HelpBuddie platform is 100% free for Users (Clients) and will not collect any subscription fee from the Users (Clients). But, HelpBuddie will collect a small yearly subscription fee from the Service Providers (Buddies) for the Premium/Value Plans. Unfortunately, HelpBuddie will not have a cancellation/refund policy of the subscription fees in place and under no circumstances, HelpBuddie will do the cancellation or refund of the subscription fees. It is truly advised to take a 100% free Starter Plan (website & mobile app) and subscribe to a Premium/Value Plan  only if you are 100% satisfied.

26. Notices and Consent to Receive Notices Electronically

You consent to receive any agreements, notices, disclosures and other communications (collectively, “Notices”) to which this Agreement refers electronically including without limitation by email or by posting notices on this Site. You agree that all notice that we provide to you electronically satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing. Unless otherwise specified in this Agreement, all notices under this Agreement will be in writing and will be deemed to have been duly given when received, if personally delivered or sent by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested; when receipt is electronically confirmed, if transmitted by facsimile or email; or the day after it is sent, if sent for next day delivery by a recognized overnight delivery service.

If you have any questions about these Terms and Conditions or about the HelpBuddie Platform, please contact us by email hello@helpbuddie.com or at HelpBuddie, Inc. 860 Bryant Ave, New Hyde Park, NY-11040,USA

I HEREBY AGREE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THE FOREGOING TERMS AND CONDITIONS, PRIVACY POLICY, DISCLAIMER AND AGREE THAT MY USE OF THE HELPBUDDIE PLATFORM IS AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF MY AGREEMENT TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT.

HelpBuddie Team