Terms of Service

Welcome to Vindlance. By accessing or using our platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. Please read them carefully before using the platform.

1. About Vindlance

Vindlance is an online marketplace that connects clients with freelancers across various professional domains including photography, law, event management, tutoring, and more. We facilitate bookings and payments but are not a party to the service agreement between clients and freelancers.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to use Vindlance. By creating an account, you confirm that all information you provide is accurate and that you have the legal capacity to enter into these terms.

3. User Accounts

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorised use of your account. Vindlance is not liable for any loss resulting from unauthorised use of your account.

4. Freelancer Obligations

• Freelancers must provide accurate information about their skills, qualifications, and availability.
• Freelancers are responsible for the quality and delivery of their services.
• Freelancers must honour confirmed bookings or provide reasonable advance notice of cancellation.
• Freelancers must not solicit clients to conduct business entirely outside the Vindlance platform in a manner intended to avoid platform fees.
• When responding to a custom quote request, freelancers must provide a fair and accurate price estimate within the client's stated budget range.
• Freelancers who initiate an offline arrangement (see Section 7) do so with full awareness that Vindlance's protections do not apply to the offline portion of the transaction.

5. Client Obligations

• Clients must provide accurate information when making bookings or submitting quote requests.
• Clients agree to pay the stated fee plus the applicable platform charges at the time of booking or deposit.
• Clients must treat freelancers with respect and professionalism.
• Clients must not attempt to circumvent the platform to avoid service fees.
• Clients who choose to pay an offline arrangement fee (see Section 7) acknowledge that the remaining balance and service delivery fall outside Vindlance's dispute and refund process.

6. Payments and Fees

Vindlance uses a deposit-based fee model for custom quote bookings. When a freelancer and client agree on a project price through the platform:

• Platform fee: 10% of the agreed project price.
• Payment processing fee: 2% of the combined project price and platform fee.
• Deposit: The platform fee and processing fee together form the deposit amount due upfront. This is charged via Stripe at the time the client accepts the quote.
• Remaining balance: The project balance (agreed price minus deposit) is settled directly between client and freelancer after the deposit is paid through Vindlance.

For standard (non-custom) bookings, the full amount including the platform service charge is collected at checkout. All payments are processed securely through Stripe. Vindlance does not store payment card information.

Client contact details are shared with the freelancer only after the deposit payment is confirmed. For offline arrangements, the freelancer will reach out to the client directly within 24 hours of payment.

Refunds are handled on a case-by-case basis. If a freelancer cancels or fails to deliver the agreed service, you may be eligible for a full refund of the deposit. Please contact us at support@vindlance.com.

7. Offline Arrangements

Vindlance allows freelancers to optionally request that part of a project be handled outside the platform (an "offline arrangement"). This feature exists to accommodate pre-agreed arrangements, but carries important limitations that both parties must understand before proceeding.

When an offline arrangement is requested:

• A platform fee (10%) and processing fee (2%) are still charged based on the client's maximum stated budget for the service, not a custom price. This amount is non-negotiable.
• No remaining project balance is tracked or enforced by Vindlance. The client and freelancer are solely responsible for settling the balance directly.
• Vindlance's dispute resolution process does not apply to the offline portion of the transaction.
• Neither party is protected by platform guarantees, including refund eligibility, for work conducted offline.
• Vindlance strongly recommends completing all transactions through the platform to benefit from dispute resolution, payment protection, and support.

By proceeding with an offline arrangement, both the freelancer and client acknowledge and accept these limitations. Clients who receive an offline payment request may choose to message the freelancer through the platform to discuss continuing the project through Vindlance instead.

8. Disputes

Clients may raise a dispute for confirmed or completed custom quote bookings where the service was not delivered as agreed. For standard bookings, disputes may be raised within the payout window following completion. Vindlance will review disputes on a case-by-case basis and may request supporting information from both parties. Vindlance's decision is final for platform-mediated transactions. Disputes relating to offline arrangements (Section 7) are outside Vindlance's jurisdiction.

9. Reviews and Ratings

Reviews must be honest, accurate, and based on genuine experiences. Vindlance reserves the right to remove reviews that are fraudulent, abusive, or violate these terms. Attempting to manipulate ratings is a violation of these terms and may result in account suspension.

10. Prohibited Conduct

• Posting false, misleading, or fraudulent content
• Harassing, abusing, or threatening other users
• Using the platform for any illegal purpose
• Scraping, copying, or redistributing platform content without permission
• Impersonating another person or entity
• Deliberately underquoting project prices in an offline arrangement to reduce platform fees
• Sharing client contact details obtained through the platform with third parties

11. Intellectual Property

All content on Vindlance — including the logo, design, and software — is the property of Vindlance and protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce or distribute any part of the platform without written permission.

12. Limitation of Liability

Vindlance acts as an intermediary between clients and freelancers. We are not responsible for the quality, safety, or legality of services offered by freelancers, nor for the accuracy of listings. We are not responsible for any loss, dispute, or harm arising from offline arrangements entered into by users. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Vindlance's liability is limited to the amount of fees paid by you in the 3 months preceding any claim.

13. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate any account that violates these terms, without prior notice. You may delete your account at any time by contacting us.

14. Changes to Terms

We may update these terms from time to time. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised terms. We will notify registered users of significant changes by email.

15. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the jurisdiction in which Vindlance is registered. Any disputes will be resolved through binding arbitration or the courts of that jurisdiction.