Terms of Service

Welcome, and thank you for your interest in Expertbells (“Expertbells,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), the mentorship marketplace that connects founders, operators, and professionals with verified experts for paid 1:1 sessions, multi-session packages, and related services.

These Terms of Service (the “Terms”) govern your access to and use of our websites, applications, and related services (collectively, the “Service”). By accessing or using the Service, or by clicking to accept these Terms, you agree to be bound by them. If you are entering into these Terms on behalf of a company or other organisation, you represent that you have authority to bind that entity, and “you” refers to that entity.

Please read these Terms carefully. They cover important topics such as fees, cancellations, and refunds, and they include provisions that limit our liability and govern how disputes are resolved. Sections 16 (DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES), 17 (LIMITATION OF LIABILITY), and 18 (DISPUTE RESOLUTION) affect your legal rights, so please review them closely.

Our Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and share personal information. If you do not agree with these Terms or the Privacy Policy, you may not use the Service.

1. Access and Use

1.1. Provision of Access. Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable right to access and use the Service for your own internal or personal purposes. We may update, change, or discontinue features of the Service at any time.

1.2. Your Content. The Service allows you to submit messages, briefs, documents, session notes, reviews, and other materials (“Your Content”). You retain ownership of Your Content. You grant us a worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, store, reproduce, and display Your Content solely as needed to operate and improve the Service and to make it available to the parties you direct it to, such as a mentor you have booked.

1.3. Use Restrictions. You will not, and will not permit anyone else to: (a) copy, modify, or create derivative works of the Service; (b) reverse engineer or attempt to derive the source code of the Service; (c) scrape, crawl, or otherwise extract data from the Service by automated means; (d) circumvent the Service to solicit, contract with, or pay a mentor outside the platform for engagements introduced through the Service; (e) resell, sublicense, or make the Service available to any third party; (f) upload unlawful, infringing, defamatory, or harmful material; or (g) interfere with the integrity, security, or performance of the Service.

1.4. Beta Features. We may make features labelled beta, preview, or early access available from time to time. Those features are provided as-is, may be changed or withdrawn without notice, and are excluded from any commitments regarding availability or support.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old, or the age of majority in your jurisdiction if higher, and capable of forming a binding contract to use the Service. By using the Service, you represent that you meet these requirements and that you are not barred from using the Service under applicable law.

3. Account Registration and Access

You must create an account to book sessions or offer mentorship. You agree to provide accurate and complete information and to keep it current. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us promptly if you suspect unauthorised use. We may suspend or refuse access to any account at our discretion, including where we reasonably believe these Terms have been breached.

4. Sessions and Bookings

4.1. Booking a Session. When you book a session, you are requesting a specific time with a specific mentor. A booking is confirmed once payment is authorised and the mentor accepts. Session length, scope, and price are shown before you confirm.

4.2. Rescheduling. Rescheduling is the first remedy where a session cannot go ahead. Either party may propose a new time through the platform, subject to the notice period shown at booking. Where a session is due to start within 24 hours, rescheduling is handled by our support team rather than self-serve.

4.3. Cancellations. Cancellations are subject to the policy shown at the time of booking. Where a mentor cancels, or where a session cannot proceed for reasons attributable to the mentor, we will first offer to reschedule, then to match you with a comparable mentor.

4.4. Missed Sessions. If you do not attend a confirmed session without rescheduling in accordance with these Terms, the session is treated as delivered and the fee is not returned. If a mentor does not attend, you may request a reschedule, a rematch, or wallet credit under section 6.6.

4.5. Session Conduct and Recordings. You agree to engage professionally and lawfully during sessions. Sessions may not be recorded without the express consent of all participants. Do not share confidential material you are not authorised to disclose.

5. Mentors

5.1. Independent Experts. Mentors are independent third parties. They are not employees, agents, or representatives of Expertbells, and we do not direct or control the content of any session. Expertbells provides the marketplace, scheduling, payments, and support; the mentorship itself is provided by the mentor.

5.2. Verification. We apply reasonable checks to mentor profiles before they are listed. Verification is not a guarantee of any particular qualification, outcome, or standard of service, and you remain responsible for deciding whether a mentor is suitable for your needs.

5.3. No Professional Advice. Sessions are for general guidance only. Nothing provided through the Service constitutes legal, financial, tax, medical, or other regulated professional advice, and no mentor-client, fiduciary, or advisory relationship is created. You are solely responsible for decisions you make based on a session.

6. Payment Terms

6.1. Fees and Pricing. Prices are set per mentor and per offering, and are displayed in Indian Rupees before you confirm a booking. We may change pricing prospectively; changes do not affect bookings already confirmed.

6.2. Taxes and Invoices. Prices are exclusive of applicable taxes unless stated otherwise. Goods and Services Tax (GST) is applied where required, and a GST-compliant invoice is issued for each transaction. You are responsible for providing accurate billing and tax details.

6.3. Payment Processing. Payments are handled by third-party payment processors, including support for UPI, cards, and other methods shown at checkout. Your use of those methods is subject to the processor’s terms, and we do not store full payment instrument details.

6.4. Wallet and Credits. Your account may hold wallet credit issued through refunds, promotions, or coupons. Wallet credit may be applied to future bookings, is not legal tender, is non-transferable, and is not exchangeable for cash except where required by law. Coupons are subject to the terms stated with each offer.

6.5. Packages and Subscriptions. Where you purchase a multi-session package or a recurring plan, the sessions, duration, and renewal terms are those shown at purchase. Recurring plans renew automatically until cancelled, and cancellation takes effect at the end of the then-current billing period.

6.6. Refunds. Refunds are not self-serve. Where a session cannot be delivered as booked, remedies are applied in the following order:

• reschedule the session with the same mentor;
• rematch you with a comparable mentor where rescheduling is not workable;
• issue wallet credit to your Expertbells account; and
• issue a refund to the original payment method, which requires approval by our team and is used as a last resort.

Requests relating to a session starting within 24 hours must be raised with support rather than through self-serve tools.

6.7. Delinquent Accounts. We may suspend access to the Service, cancel pending bookings, or withhold delivery where amounts owed remain unpaid, and we may recover reasonable costs of collection permitted by law.

7. Ownership and Licenses

7.1. Service. The Service, including all software, text, design, and trademarks, is owned by Expertbells or its licensors and is protected by intellectual property laws. Except for the limited rights granted in these Terms, no rights are transferred to you.

7.2. Feedback. If you send us suggestions or feedback about the Service, you grant us an unrestricted, perpetual, royalty-free right to use it for any purpose without obligation to you.

7.3. Content. You are responsible for Your Content and represent that you have the rights necessary to submit it and to grant the licence in section 1.2. We may remove content that we reasonably believe breaches these Terms or applicable law.

7.4. Usage Data. We may collect and use aggregated, de-identified data about how the Service is used to operate, secure, analyse, and improve it. Such data does not identify you and is not Your Content.

8. Third-Party Services

The Service may link to or interoperate with third-party services such as payment processors, calendar providers, and video conferencing tools. We do not control those services, are not responsible for them, and their use is governed by their own terms and privacy policies.

9. Communications

By creating an account, you agree to receive transactional messages about bookings, payments, and account activity by email, SMS, or in-app notification. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time, but you cannot opt out of transactional messages while your account remains active.

10. Modification of Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Where changes are material, we will provide reasonable notice, such as by email or an in-product notice, before they take effect. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

11. Termination

You may stop using the Service and close your account at any time. We may suspend or terminate your access with or without notice where you breach these Terms, where required by law, or where continued access would create risk for other users. On termination, the rights granted to you cease, and sections that by their nature should survive will survive, including sections 6, 7, and 15 through 19. Termination does not relieve you of amounts already due.

12. Modification of the Service

We are continually improving the Service and may add, change, or remove features at any time. We will use reasonable efforts to avoid materially degrading core functionality without notice, but we do not guarantee that any particular feature will remain available.

13. Intellectual Property Complaints

We respect intellectual property rights and expect users to do the same. If you believe material on the Service infringes your rights, send us a notice that includes:

• identification of the work you claim has been infringed, and of the material you say is infringing, with enough detail to locate it;
• your name, address, telephone number, and email address;
• a statement that you have a good-faith belief the use is not authorised by the rights holder or the law; and
• a statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are authorised to act on behalf of the rights holder.

We may remove material and may terminate the accounts of repeat infringers.

14. Privacy

Our Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, and the choices available to you. By using the Service, you consent to those practices.

15. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Expertbells and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, and reasonable legal costs arising out of or related to your use of the Service, Your Content, your breach of these Terms, or your violation of any law or third-party right.

16. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, OR THAT ANY SESSION WILL ACHIEVE ANY PARTICULAR RESULT. MENTORS ARE INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTIES AND WE MAKE NO WARRANTY AS TO THE QUALITY, SUITABILITY, OR OUTCOME OF ANY MENTORSHIP PROVIDED THROUGH THE SERVICE.

17. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

17.1. NO INDIRECT DAMAGES. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, EXPERTBELLS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, OR GOODWILL, WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

17.2. LIABILITY CAP. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICE WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF THE AMOUNTS YOU PAID TO US IN THE THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM, OR FIVE THOUSAND INDIAN RUPEES (₹5,000).

17.3. Limitations Period. Any claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service must be brought within one year after the claim arises, except where a longer period is required by law.

18. DISPUTE RESOLUTION

18.1. Governing Law, Forum Selection, Jurisdiction, and Venue. These Terms are governed by the laws of India, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. Subject to section 18.3, the courts at Bengaluru, Karnataka will have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service.

18.2. Informal Resolution. Before starting formal proceedings, you agree to contact us and attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute informally for at least thirty days after written notice describing the dispute and the relief sought.

18.3. Arbitration. Any dispute not resolved informally will be referred to and finally settled by arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, by a sole arbitrator appointed by Expertbells. The seat and venue of arbitration will be Bengaluru, Karnataka, and the proceedings will be conducted in English. The award will be final and binding.

19. Miscellaneous

19.1. General. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any terms presented at the point of purchase, are the entire agreement between you and Expertbells regarding the Service. If any provision is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. You may not assign these Terms without our consent; we may assign them in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.

19.2. Consent to Electronic Communications. You consent to receive communications from us electronically, and you agree that electronic notices, agreements, and records satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing.

19.3. Contact Information. Questions about these Terms may be sent to support@expertbells.com or raised through our contact page.

19.4. Support. Support is provided through the channels described on our contact page. Except where a specific service level is agreed in writing, we do not commit to any particular response or resolution time.

19.5. Export and Trade Controls. You represent that you are not located in, and will not access the Service from, a jurisdiction subject to sanctions that would prohibit your use, and that you are not listed on any restricted-party list under applicable law.