Terms of Service

These Terms form a binding contract between you and SamaChat Ltd ("SamaChat", "we", "us"). By creating an account, subscribing, or otherwise using www.samachat.co.uk (the "Service") you agree to be bound by them. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

1. Eligibility & age (18+)

• You must be aged 18 or over. During sign-up you confirm your age; providing false information is a material breach and grounds for immediate termination without refund.
• You must have the legal capacity to enter a contract in your jurisdiction.
• You may not use the Service if you are subject to sanctions or located in a jurisdiction where our Service is prohibited.

2. Membership & billing

• SamaChat is a paid, subscription-only service. There is no free tier or trial.
• Plans (Messenger, Voice, Complete) are billed monthly or yearly via Stripe. Prices are shown inclusive of applicable VAT where required.
• Subscriptions renew automatically at the end of each billing period unless cancelled beforehand.
• Upgrades take effect immediately with prorated billing. Downgrades take effect at the end of the current billing period.
• Cancellations stop future renewals; you retain access to your paid tier until the current period ends.
• Refunds: because access is provided immediately on activation, we do not offer refunds for the current billing period once used. This does not affect your statutory rights.
• Failed payment: we will show an in-app banner; if the payment is not recovered within 14 days, access to paid features is suspended.

3. Consumer statutory rights (UK)

Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 you have a 14-day right to cancel a subscription. By starting to use the Service within that period you expressly request immediate performance and acknowledge you lose the right to cancel once the Service has been fully performed for that billing cycle. Nothing in these Terms limits your non-excludable rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

4. Your account

• You are responsible for keeping your password confidential. Because private encryption keys are derived from your password, losing it means past messages cannot be decrypted.
• You must not share your account or resell access.
• You must promptly notify us of any unauthorised access.

5. Acceptable use

You must not use the Service to:

• Harass, threaten, defame, or discriminate against any person.
• Distribute unlawful content, including CSAM, terrorist content, or content that incites violence.
• Impersonate any person or misrepresent your affiliation.
• Send unsolicited bulk messages, spam or phishing.
• Reverse-engineer, probe, scan or test the vulnerability of the Service, except under our disclosure policy.
• Circumvent, disable or interfere with security-related features (including encryption, age gating or moderation).
• Use bots or automated means to interact with the Service without written permission.

6. Illegal content & safeguarding (Online Safety Act 2023)

Although we cannot read message content, we operate a robust reporting and moderation workflow. Users can report other users; every report is triaged by our safety team. Confirmed offenders are suspended or permanently banned and data is preserved and disclosed to law-enforcement where required by law. Content that constitutes CSAM, terrorist content or other priority illegal content will result in immediate account termination and a report to the relevant authority.

7. User content

You retain ownership of everything you send. Because messages are end-to-end encrypted, we cannot use, license, sell or exploit their contents. You grant us only the minimal, non-exclusive rights necessary to store and transmit ciphertext so we can deliver the Service.

8. Suspension & termination

We may suspend or terminate accounts (with or without notice) that breach these Terms, that we reasonably suspect of unlawful conduct, or where a chargeback or fraudulent payment is detected. You may terminate at any time from Settings; on termination we delete or anonymise your personal data in line with our Privacy Policy.

9. Service availability

We aim for high availability but do not guarantee uninterrupted operation. Scheduled maintenance and force-majeure events may temporarily affect access.

10. Warranty & liability

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" to the fullest extent permitted by law. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be limited. Subject to the foregoing, our aggregate liability arising out of or in connection with the Service is limited to the greater of (a) the fees you paid in the 12 months preceding the event giving rise to the claim or (b) £100.

11. Changes

We may update these Terms; material changes will be notified in-app or by email at least 14 days before they take effect. Continuing to use the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

12. Governing law & jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction, without prejudice to any mandatory consumer protection rights you enjoy in your country of residence.

13. Contact

SamaChat — hello@samachat.co.uk. You can also reach us via our contact page.