Terms and Conditions of Use

Effective Date: January 2026

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the messaging service provided at family-hub.uk (the "Service"). By using the Service you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not use the Service.

1. Definitions

1. "Service" means the browser-based messaging platform and all related features provided at family-hub.uk.
2. "Family Site" means your unique, personalised instance of the Service accessible via your family code.
3. "Family Code" means the unique alphanumeric identifier embedded in your site URL that provides access to your Family Site.
4. "Administrator" means the person who purchased the subscription and is responsible for managing access to the Family Site.
5. "Subscription Period" means the fixed duration for which you have purchased access to the Service.
6. "Remote Assistance" means the technical support services enabling us to configure or manage the Message Recipient's device remotely.
7. "Message Recipient" means the intended person(s) who will view messages displayed on your Family Site.

2. Parties

1. Provider: The Service is provided by the management of family-hub.uk ("we", "us", "our").
2. User: "You" refers to any individual or entity that accesses or uses the Service, including anyone to whom you provide your unique site access code.
3. Age Requirement: You must be at least 18 years old to subscribe to the Service. By purchasing a subscription, you confirm that you meet this age requirement.

3. Licence and Subscription

1. You rent the use of the Service for the subscription period you have purchased. Your subscription does not transfer ownership of any part of the Service to you.
2. We reserve the right to refuse service, decline to renew a subscription, or curtail an existing subscription at our discretion by giving at least three (3) days' written notice.
3. Custom-Built Services and Refund Policy: Each subscription is custom configured and set up specifically for your family site. Due to the bespoke nature of the Service and the resources expended in initial configuration:
   • For consumers in the UK, you have a statutory 14-day cooling-off period from the date of purchase under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013;
   • If you request that the Service begins before the cooling-off period ends (which is standard to ensure prompt setup), you acknowledge that you will lose your right to cancel once the Service has been fully configured and activated;
   • No refund will be provided if you change your mind after the Service has been activated;
   • No refund will be provided for any unused portion of a subscription period if you choose to cancel early;
   • This does not affect your statutory rights where the Service is defective or not as described.
4. Remote Assistance Services: Where you purchase remote setup or managed device support:
   • Remote Setup (One-Off): We will remotely connect to the Message Recipient's device to install necessary software and configure the display settings. You must ensure the device is powered on and connected to the internet;
   • Managed Device Support (Subscription): We will provide ongoing remote monitoring and maintenance to ensure the Service remains displayed. This service is strictly limited to maintaining the functionality of our Service on the device;
   • Device Requirements: For all remote services, the device must be powered on and connected to the internet. We cannot provide these services if the device is offline or powered down;
   • Access Permission: You grant us permission to access and control the device remotely for these purposes. You acknowledge that we may need to install remote access software (e.g., RemotePC) and that you or a representative must initially install the host software;
   • Liability: We are not responsible for hardware failures, operating system issues unrelated to our Service, or third-party software conflicts.
5. Subscription Expiry and Data Deletion:
   • We shall endeavour to send one or more expiry reminder notices to your registered email address before your subscription period ends;
   • You are expected to download or delete all messages and uploaded content from your Family Site before the expiry of your subscription term;
   • Upon expiry of your subscription, you will no longer be able to send messages and existing messages will no longer be displayed on your Family Site;
   • Any messages or content remaining on your Family Site after expiry will be deleted by us within thirty (30) days;
   • We are not responsible for any loss of data that you have failed to retrieve before expiry.

4. Shared Access and URL Security

1. If you share your unique site access code with others, those persons are also bound by these Terms and you remain responsible for their compliance.
2. As the administrator of your family site, you are solely responsible for managing the distribution and disclosure of your unique site URL containing your family code.
3. You must take reasonable steps to prevent your site URL and family code from being disclosed to unauthorised persons. We are not liable for any interference, misuse, or unauthorised access to your family site resulting from disclosure of your URL or family code to third parties, whether intentional or accidental.
4. If you believe your family code has been compromised, you must notify us immediately so that we may, at our discretion, issue a replacement code.

5. User Responsibilities and Conduct

1. You declare that you are competent to use the Service.
2. You must comply with all applicable laws in your geographic region when using the Service.
3. You undertake not to cause distress or harm to others through any text, image, or voice message you send.
4. You must not upload, link to, or transmit any content that:
   • contains profanity, nudity, or sexually explicit material in any language;
   • may be considered sexual, distressing, illegal, or immoral in the country of the sender or recipient;
   • supports or facilitates acts that are illegal in the country of the sender or recipient, whether such content is plain, coded, or encrypted.
5. Administrator Moderation Responsibility: As the administrator of your Family Site, you are responsible for reviewing and moderating all messages sent to your site to ensure that recipients are not harmed, distressed, or exposed to inappropriate content. We do not monitor or moderate user-generated content and rely on you to exercise appropriate judgement.

6. Content Disclaimer and Service Limitations

1. We are not responsible for the content of messages sent via the Service.
2. Not for Life-Critical Communications: You must not rely on this Service for messages that are critical in life-or-death situations, medical emergencies, or time-sensitive safety alerts. The Service is not designed, intended, or warranted for use in situations where failure to deliver a message could result in death, personal injury, or severe harm. For urgent or emergency communications, always use direct telephone contact or emergency services.
3. Not a Substitute for Personal Care: This messaging service is not intended to be:
   • the sole wellbeing or support service for any individual;
   • a replacement for daily personal care, supervision, or companionship;
   • a monitoring or alert system for vulnerable, disabled, elderly, or mentally challenged individuals of any age;
   • a means of providing a false sense of security regarding the safety or welfare of any person.
4. The Service is intended to complement, not replace, appropriate in-person care, attention, and professional support for individuals who may be suffering from any medical condition, disability, cognitive impairment, or other vulnerability.
5. We strongly advise that message recipients who are vulnerable or require supervision should have regular in-person contact with caregivers, family members, or professional support services regardless of their use of this Service.

7. Data Protection

1. We process personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
2. By using the Service, you consent to the collection and processing of data as described in our Privacy Policy.
3. You are responsible for ensuring that any personal data you upload or transmit via the Service is done so lawfully and with appropriate consent from the data subjects.

8. Intellectual Property

1. All intellectual property rights in the Service, including but not limited to software, design, logos, and documentation, remain our exclusive property or that of our licensors.
2. You retain ownership of any content (text, images, audio) that you upload to the Service.
3. By uploading content, you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to store, display, and transmit that content solely for the purpose of providing the Service to you.
4. You must not copy, modify, distribute, or reverse-engineer any part of the Service without our prior written consent.

9. Service Availability and Force Majeure

1. We endeavour to achieve 95% uptime. This target excludes:
   • force majeure events;
   • changes to third-party software or infrastructure outside our control;
   • regulatory changes affecting the Service.
2. Force Majeure: We shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations where such failure or delay results from circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to: acts of God, natural disasters, war, terrorism, civil unrest, pandemic or epidemic, government action or regulation, power failures, internet or telecommunications outages, cyberattacks, and failure of third-party service providers.
3. Third-Party Services: The Service relies on third-party infrastructure, including hosting providers and cloud services. We are not liable for outages, data loss, or service interruptions caused by third-party service providers, though we will use reasonable efforts to restore service promptly.

10. Breach and Termination

1. Any breach of these Terms may result in suspension or termination of your account. For material breaches, including but not limited to uploading prohibited content or sharing access with malicious intent, termination will be without refund.
2. For minor or first-time breaches, we may at our discretion issue a warning and opportunity to remedy the breach before taking further action.
3. Upon termination for breach, your data will be deleted after thirty (30) days to allow you time to raise an objection. Any objection must be raised before the data is deleted.

11. Limitation of Liability

1. Subject to clause 11.2, our maximum aggregate liability to you for any claims arising out of or in connection with the Service is limited to a refund of fees paid for the unused portion of your subscription period.
2. Exclusions: Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for:
   • death or personal injury caused by our negligence;
   • fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
   • any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited by applicable law.
3. We shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of profits, data, or goodwill.

12. Indemnification

1. You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless us, our officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in connection with:
   • your use of the Service;
   • your breach of these Terms;
   • your violation of any applicable law or the rights of any third party;
   • any content you upload, transmit, or display via the Service.

13. Security Incidents

1. In the unlikely event that the Service is subject to a security breach affecting your data, we will notify affected users by email within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach, in accordance with UK GDPR requirements.

14. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

1. These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.
2. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall first be referred to a third-party mediator agreed upon by both parties.
3. If mediation is unsuccessful, either party may refer the dispute to the Small Claims Court (for claims within the applicable monetary limit) or such other court of competent jurisdiction in England and Wales.

15. Changes to These Terms

1. We may update these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in law, best practices, or our services.
2. We will give you at least thirty (30) days' notice of any material changes by email or prominent notice on the Service.
3. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, you may cancel your subscription before the changes take effect. Continued use of the Service after the effective date of changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

16. Severability

1. If any provision of these Terms is found by a court or other competent authority to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

17. Entire Agreement

1. These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any other documents expressly incorporated by reference, constitute the entire agreement between you and us regarding your use of the Service.
2. These Terms supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications, proposals, and representations, whether oral or written, relating to the Service.

For queries, contact: support@family-hub.uk