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SkillSwap Terms of Service

Last updated: 3 October 2026 Effective date: [DATE OF LAUNCH]

Draft notice: Items in [SQUARE BRACKETS] are placeholders or business decisions to confirm before publishing. Have a qualified lawyer review this document before you go live.

1. About These Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") are a legal agreement between you and SkillSwap, [REGISTERED ADDRESS], India ("we", "us", "our"). They govern your use of our website at [WEBSITE URL] and related services (the "Service").

By creating an account, signing in, or using the Service, you confirm that you have read and agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

2. What SkillSwap Is (and Is Not)

SkillSwap is an online platform where people trade skills. Users ("Members") can offer to teach skills, request to learn skills from others, and use platform tokens to arrange peer-to-peer learning sessions.

We are a platform, not a teacher or an employer. We connect Members. Sessions are agreed and carried out between Members. Unless we say otherwise, we are not a party to any session, we do not employ or certify any Member, and we do not guarantee the quality, accuracy, safety or outcome of any session. We act as an intermediary under the Information Technology Act, 2000.

3. Eligibility and Accounts

3.1 Age and capacity. You must be at least 18 years old and legally able to enter into a binding contract under Indian law to use the Service.

3.2 Sign-in. You create an account by signing in with Google or GitHub. You must provide accurate, current and complete information during onboarding and keep it up to date.

3.3 One person, one account. Each person may hold one account. You may not impersonate anyone, create fake accounts, or sell, transfer or share your account.

3.4 Account security. You are responsible for activity on your account and for keeping your Google or GitHub login secure. Tell us promptly at [CONTACT EMAIL] if you suspect unauthorised use.

4. Tokens

4.1 What tokens are. Tokens are a unit of credit used inside SkillSwap to pay for sessions. You can get tokens by buying them or by teaching sessions ("earned tokens").

4.2 Value. When you buy tokens, 1 token costs ₹1 (plus any applicable taxes and payment fees shown at checkout). Tokens:

  • are not money, currency, a bank deposit, e-money, or a security
  • do not earn interest
  • can be used only on SkillSwap for sessions with other Members
  • can be sent to another Member only through a swap offer on the platform
  • cannot be withdrawn, cashed out, redeemed for money, or transferred outside the platform [LAWYER TO CONFIRM: RBI prepaid payment instrument rules]

4.3 Buying tokens. Purchases are processed by our payment gateway, [PAYMENT GATEWAY NAME], and are subject to its terms. You confirm you are authorised to use the payment method you choose. Prices are shown in Indian rupees and [include / exclude] applicable taxes, including GST, unless stated otherwise.

4.4 Token cost of a swap. The token cost of a session is shown to you before you send or accept an offer.

  • Where two Members each want to learn the other's skill, they can swap at a reduced token cost.
  • A Member who has no skill to offer, and only wants to learn, pays the full token cost.

4.5 Refunds.

  • Unused purchased tokens may be refunded to the original payment method if you ask within [7] days of purchase, less non-refundable payment gateway fees.
  • Purchases that fail, are duplicated or are charged in error will be refunded in full.
  • Otherwise, purchased tokens are non-refundable, except where the law requires.
  • Earned tokens are never refundable and have no cash value.
  • Token refunds for cancelled or missed sessions are governed by Section 5.

4.6 Expiry. [Tokens do not expire while your account is active. / Tokens expire [X] months after they were purchased or earned.] [CHOOSE ONE]

4.7 Changes and errors. We may correct errors in token balances at any time. We will give reasonable notice before changing how tokens work, and changes will not reduce the balance you already hold.

5. How a Swap Works

5.1 Offer. A Member (the "Learner") sends a swap offer to another Member (the "Teacher") for a skill, offering tokens as payment. The offered tokens are held in escrow from your balance when you send the offer, and you cannot spend them elsewhere until the offer is resolved.

5.2 Approval. The Teacher must approve the offer. If the Teacher declines, or the offer is not answered within [72 hours], the offer expires and the held tokens return to the Learner.

5.3 Temporary chat and scheduling. Once approved, a temporary chat opens so both Members can agree a time. Sessions take place on Google Meet unless both Members agree on another tool.

5.4 Completion. After the session, the Learner or Teacher confirms it took place. If neither raises an issue within [48 hours] of the scheduled end time, the session is treated as completed and the held tokens are released to the Teacher.

5.5 Cancellations.

  • Either Member may cancel at least [24 hours] before the session. Held tokens return to the Learner.
  • Teacher no-show or late cancellation: The Learner's tokens are returned in full, and the Teacher receives a strike.
  • Learner no-show or late cancellation: The held tokens are [forfeited to the Teacher / partly forfeited to the Teacher].
  • Repeated strikes may lead to warnings, reduced visibility, suspension or removal from the Service.

5.6 Disputes. If a session did not happen or was materially not as agreed, either Member can raise a dispute at [CONTACT EMAIL] or in the Service within [7] days. We will review the information both Members give us and decide how the held tokens are released or returned. Our decision is final as between the Members, but it does not limit your legal rights.

5.7 No payments outside SkillSwap. You may not use SkillSwap to find a Member and then arrange payment for a session outside the platform in order to avoid tokens.

6. Rules of Conduct

You agree not to:

  • Offer, request or teach anything illegal, or anything that harms or exploits others, including content that is sexually explicit, hateful, harassing, violent, or promotes self-harm
  • Teach hacking, fraud or other techniques intended to cause harm
  • Harass, threaten, stalk, discriminate against or abuse any Member
  • Misrepresent your identity, skills, qualifications, badges or verification
  • Post fake, paid or retaliatory reviews, or manipulate ratings
  • Share another person's private information without their consent
  • Record, screenshot or distribute a session without the consent of everyone in it
  • Upload malware, spam, or content that infringes anyone's intellectual property rights
  • Scrape, copy, reverse engineer or overload the Service, or attempt to bypass security or the token system
  • Use the Service for commercial solicitation, recruitment or advertising not permitted by us
  • Use bots or automated tools to create accounts, send offers or book sessions
  • Help or encourage anyone else to do any of these things

Skills must be genuinely taught in a live session. Any Member may report another Member or content to us at [CONTACT EMAIL].

7. Sessions, Safety and Professional Advice

7.1 Sessions are peer-to-peer. Members are not professionally certified instructors unless they say so and we have verified it, and even then SkillSwap does not guarantee it.

7.2 Nothing taught on SkillSwap should be treated as medical, legal, financial, tax or other regulated professional advice. Do not rely on a session for decisions that need a qualified professional.

7.3 You are responsible for your own safety and judgment. We do not carry out background checks on Members. Do not share sensitive personal or financial details, passwords or payment information in chat or sessions. Report anything that makes you feel unsafe.

7.4 Sessions run on Google Meet, a third-party service. Google's terms and privacy policy apply to your use of it, and we are not responsible for its availability or performance.

8. Your Content and Our Licence

8.1 Your content. You keep ownership of what you post, including your profile, messages, reviews and any materials you share ("Your Content"). You are responsible for it and confirm you have the right to post it.

8.2 Licence to us. You give SkillSwap a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, store, display, reproduce and use Your Content as needed to run, secure, improve and promote the Service. We will not publish your private chat messages for promotion. This licence ends when you delete Your Content or your account, except for content others have already shared or where we need to keep it by law or for disputes.

8.3 Reviews. Reviews and ratings you give may be shown on the recipient's profile. [CONFIRM: reviews are double-blind and revealed only after both sides have submitted or the review window closes.]

8.4 Removal. We may remove or restrict content that we reasonably believe breaks these Terms or the law. We will act on valid takedown notices as required by law.

9. Verified Badges and Skill Information

Where we offer verified badges (for example, linked to GitHub, LinkedIn, Behance, or audio or video proof), they show only that a Member completed the verification step we describe. They are not a guarantee of skill, ability or quality, and not an endorsement by SkillSwap. Check a Member's profile, reviews and fit for you before booking.

10. AI Features

SkillSwap uses automated tools, including an "AI radar" that suggests Members to swap with, and an FAQ chatbot. These tools can be wrong or incomplete. Suggestions are not recommendations or endorsements, and chatbot answers are not legal, financial or professional advice. You are free to ignore suggestions and browse yourself. See our Privacy Policy for how data is used for these features.

11. Our Intellectual Property

The Service, including its software, design, logos, text, graphics and the "SkillSwap" name and branding, belongs to us or our licensors and is protected by law. We give you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable right to use the Service in line with these Terms. You may not copy, modify, distribute or create derivative works from any part of the Service without our written permission.

If you give us feedback or ideas about the Service, we may use them without obligation to you.

12. Suspension and Termination

12.1 By you. You can stop using SkillSwap and delete your account at any time from your settings. Pending offers and sessions will be cancelled and held tokens handled under Section 5. Unused purchased tokens are handled under Section 4.5.

12.2 By us. We may warn, restrict, suspend or terminate your account, with or without notice, if we reasonably believe you have broken these Terms or the law, put others at risk, committed fraud, or if required by law. Where possible we will tell you why and give you a chance to respond. If we end your account for serious violations, we may withhold earned tokens and held tokens that relate to the violation, to the extent permitted by law.

12.3 After termination. Sections that by their nature should continue to apply, including 4.2, 8.2, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17, remain in effect.

13. Disclaimers

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Service is provided "as is" and "as available". We do not promise that the Service will be uninterrupted, secure or error-free, that Members are who they say they are, or that any session will meet your expectations. We are not responsible for Members' acts or omissions, whether online or offline.

Nothing in these Terms excludes rights you have as a consumer under law that cannot be excluded.

14. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

  • SkillSwap is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or for loss of profits, data, goodwill or opportunity, arising from your use of the Service.
  • Our total liability to you for any claim related to the Service is limited to the greater of (a) the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim arose, and (b) ₹[AMOUNT].

Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be limited by law, including for fraud or wilful misconduct.

15. Indemnity

You agree to compensate and defend SkillSwap, its founders, directors, employees and partners against claims, losses, damages and reasonable legal costs arising from Your Content, your breach of these Terms or the law, or your dispute with another Member, except to the extent caused by our own wrongdoing.

16. Grievance Redressal and Disputes

16.1 Grievance Officer. Name: [GRIEVANCE OFFICER NAME] Email: [CONTACT EMAIL] Address: [REGISTERED ADDRESS]

We will acknowledge complaints within 48 hours and aim to resolve them within one month, or sooner where the law requires.

16.2 Informal resolution. Before starting any formal proceeding, please contact us and give us 30 days to try to resolve the issue.

16.3 Governing law. These Terms are governed by the laws of India.

16.4 Arbitration. If a dispute is not resolved informally, it will be settled by arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, before a sole arbitrator appointed by [mutual agreement / SkillSwap, subject to law]. The seat and venue will be [CITY], India, and the language will be English.

16.5 Courts. Subject to Section 16.4, the courts at [CITY], India have exclusive jurisdiction. Nothing here stops you from using consumer forums or remedies that the law gives you.

17. General

  • Changes to the Service or Terms. We may update these Terms. For material changes, we will give notice by email or in the Service before they take effect. If you keep using the Service afterwards, you accept the updated Terms. If you do not agree, you should stop using the Service and delete your account.
  • Entire agreement. These Terms and the Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and us about the Service.
  • Severability. If any part of these Terms is found unenforceable, the rest stays in effect.
  • No waiver. If we do not enforce a right, we have not given it up.
  • Assignment. You may not transfer your rights under these Terms. We may transfer ours in a merger, acquisition or sale of assets.
  • Force majeure. We are not liable for failure or delay caused by events beyond our reasonable control.
  • Notices. We may send notices to the email address linked to your account or post them in the Service.
  • Electronic contract. These Terms are an electronic record under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and do not need a physical or digital signature.

18. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Email [CONTACT EMAIL] or write to [REGISTERED ADDRESS].