1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing and using DearAuPair ("the Service"), operated by DIFIA Limited, a company registered in the United Kingdom ("the Company", "we", "us", "our"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

DearAuPair is an online platform that connects au pairs with host families. We provide tools for profile creation, search, messaging, and matching.

DearAuPair is a platform, not an agency. We do not employ, screen, vet, background-check, or endorse any au pair or host family. We do not participate in, mediate, or guarantee any arrangement, contract, or relationship between au pairs and host families. All arrangements are made directly between users at their own risk and discretion.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to use this Service. By creating an account, you confirm that you are at least 18 years of age. We reserve the right to request proof of age and to terminate accounts that do not meet this requirement.

4. Account Registration and Security

You must provide accurate, current, and complete information when creating an account. You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate any account at our sole discretion, with or without notice, for any reason including but not limited to: violation of these Terms, suspected fraud, inactivity, or conduct we deem harmful to the community.

5. User Conduct

You agree not to:

Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable laws
Harass, threaten, abuse, defame, or harm other users
Post false, misleading, or fraudulent information in your profile or messages
Upload content that is sexually explicit, violent, hateful, or otherwise inappropriate
Upload content that you do not have the right to share, including copyrighted material
Impersonate another person or misrepresent your identity
Use the Service to solicit money from other users
Attempt to circumvent any security measures, rate limits, or access controls
Use automated tools, bots, scrapers, or other means to access or collect data from the Service
Attempt to reverse engineer, decompile, or extract source code from the Service
Use the Service to promote other businesses, services, or platforms without our consent
Share, request, or attempt to share contact information (email, phone number, social media handles, external URLs, or any obfuscated form of the same) before a hire request has been mutually accepted, with the intent of moving the conversation off DearAuPair. This applies in messages, profile fields, and any other surface where users communicate. We may automatically redact such content and reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that attempt to circumvent on-platform messaging — keeping conversations on DearAuPair is essential for your safety, our trust & safety processes, and the integrity of the marketplace.

We reserve the right to remove any content and terminate any account that violates these rules, at our sole discretion and without prior notice.

6. User-Generated Content

You retain ownership of content you post on DearAuPair (including profile information, photos, videos, and messages). By posting content, you grant DIFIA Limited a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute that content solely for the purpose of operating and promoting the Service.

You represent and warrant that you have the right to post any content you upload, and that such content does not infringe on any third party's intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or other legal rights.

We are not responsible for user-generated content. We do not pre-screen, verify, or endorse content posted by users. We act as a platform provider and are not liable for the accuracy, legality, or appropriateness of user content. We may, but are not obligated to, monitor, review, or remove content at our discretion.

7. Payments, Memberships, and Refunds

Membership fees are one-time payments processed securely through Stripe. Memberships do not auto-renew.

Refund policy: Membership fees are non-refundable once the membership has been activated, except where required by applicable law (including EU consumer protection laws providing a 14-day withdrawal right for digital services, provided the service has not been fully performed). Free conversation limits apply to non-member families.

We reserve the right to change our pricing at any time. Price changes will not affect existing active memberships.

8. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

We do not warrant that:

The Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure
User profiles are accurate, truthful, or complete
Any au pair or host family is suitable, safe, reliable, or as represented
Any arrangement between users will be successful or satisfactory
The Service will meet your specific requirements or expectations

You use the Service at your own risk. You are solely responsible for evaluating and vetting any au pair or host family you connect with through the platform. We strongly recommend conducting video calls, checking references, signing written contracts, and verifying identities before entering into any arrangement.

9. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, DIFIA LIMITED AND ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR:

Any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
Any loss of profits, revenue, data, or business opportunities
Any damages arising from your use of or inability to use the Service
Any damages arising from any arrangement, contract, dispute, or interaction between users
Any conduct of any user, whether online or offline
Any unauthorized access to or alteration of your content or data

IN NO EVENT SHALL OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU HAVE PAID TO US IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages. In such jurisdictions, our liability shall be limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless DIFIA Limited and its directors, officers, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in connection with:

Your use of the Service
Your violation of these Terms
Your violation of any rights of any third party
Any content you post on the Service
Any arrangement or dispute between you and another user

11. Dispute Resolution

In the event of any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service, you agree to first attempt to resolve the dispute informally by contacting us at [email protected]. We will attempt to resolve any dispute within 30 days.

If the dispute cannot be resolved informally, it shall be resolved exclusively in the courts of England and Wales, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts.

For EU residents: Nothing in these Terms affects your rights under mandatory EU consumer protection laws, including your right to bring proceedings in the courts of your country of residence.

12. Data Processing and Privacy

Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy. By using the Service, you consent to the collection and processing of your data as described therein.

Data is processed on servers located within the European Union (Germany). For more details on data processing, transfers, and your rights under GDPR, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

13. Account Termination

You may delete your account at any time through the Settings page. Upon deletion, your profile, messages, and personal data will be permanently removed within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

We reserve the right to suspend or permanently terminate any account at our sole discretion, with or without cause, and with or without notice. Grounds for termination include but are not limited to: violation of these Terms, fraudulent activity, repeated reports from other users, or any conduct we deem harmful to the platform or its users.

Termination of your account does not entitle you to a refund of any membership fees paid.

14. Intellectual Property

The DearAuPair name, logo, and all associated branding, software, design, and content (excluding user-generated content) are the property of DIFIA Limited and are protected by intellectual property laws. You may not use, copy, or distribute any of our intellectual property without our prior written consent.

15. Third-Party Services

The Service integrates with third-party services including Stripe (payments), Cloudflare (security and performance), and Resend (email delivery). Your use of these services is subject to their respective terms and privacy policies. We are not responsible for the operation or availability of third-party services.

16. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

17. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and DIFIA Limited regarding your use of the Service, and supersede any prior agreements.

18. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify registered users of material changes via email at least 14 days before the changes take effect. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the new Terms. If you do not agree with the changes, you must stop using the Service and delete your account.

19. Contact

For questions about these Terms, contact DIFIA Limited at [email protected].