Expat Circle terms of use

These Terms of Use (“Terms”) govern your use of the Expat Circle website (“Site”) at www.expat-circle.com, any other means provided or authorized by Expat Circle, Inc. (“Expat Circle”). Please read these Terms before using or continuing to use the Site. Do not agree to the Terms unless you both fully understand and accept each provision. By using or continuing to use the Site, you represent and warrant that you understand, agree to, and accept all terms and conditions contained in these Terms.

1. General terms

Expat Circle provides this Site to Users seeking expat advice (“Customer”) and to Users seeking to provide expat advice (“Expat”), and to any other entity on whose behalf Users accept these Terms. The term “you” or “You” or “User” or “Users” shall refer to Customer, Expat or any person or entity who views, uses, accesses, or browses any content on, and/or creates, uploads, posts, sends, receives or stores content to the Site. These Terms are entered into by and between Expat Circle and you, and you accept them by: (a) accessing or viewing the content of the Site; (b) contracting for sessions through the Site; (c) registering as an Expat or providing  sessions through the Site (d) using the Site in any other manner; and/or (e) acknowledging agreement with these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Site.

To the extent that anything in or associated with the Site is in conflict or inconsistent with these Terms, the Terms shall control. Any express waiver or failure to exercise promptly any right under the Terms will not create a continuing waiver or any expectation of non-enforcement. If any provision of the Terms is held invalid by any law or regulation of any government, or by any court or arbitrator, the parties agree that such provision will be replaced with a new provision that accomplishes the original business purpose, and the other provisions of the Terms will remain in full force and effect.

2. Privacy Policy

Please refer to the Expat Circle Privacy Policy at https://www.expat-circle.com/en/infos/privacy for information on how Expat Circle collects, uses and discloses information about you.

3. Services

The Site offers a marketplace for those seeking sessions to connect with those seeking to provide sessions. As independent businesses engaged by Customers, Expats decide, are responsible for and generally control the methods, materials, scheduling, frequency, duration and all other aspects of the  advice session they provide.

Customers are responsible for selecting the right Expat for their needs. In making hiring decisions, Customers should review and investigate each Expat’s self-reported credentials, education, and experience, as well as reviews from other Customers. – IF THE CUSTOMER IS YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OLD, ALL SESSIONS SHOULD BE SUPERVISED BY A RESPONSIBLE ADULT.

Expat Circle controls and operates the Site from various locations in the United States and makes no representation that this website is accessible in all locations. Expat Circle services may not be available in your location, and available services may vary among locations. In addition, Expat Circle will attempt to deliver all correspondence sent via the Site’s messaging system. Expat Circle does not, however, guarantee delivery of all messages.

 4. No In person contact and fraud dispute

Expat Circle’s services are provided for the purpose of providing living abroad advice. Customers shall not use the Site to meet Expats in person. Do not send any money to Expat except the session fee charged through Expat Circle. Expat Circle is not responsible for any fraud dispute between Expats and Customers. 

 5. Your obligations and conduct

All Users must: (a) be of legal age and have capacity to agree to these Terms on their own behalf or on behalf of a minor who will be receiving sessions; (b) provide accurate, current, and complete information about themselves as required during Site registration (“Registration Data”); (c) maintain the security of any password and identification information used to access the Site; (d) maintain and promptly update the Registration Data and any information you provide to Expat Circle, keep it accurate, current and complete; and (e) accept all risks of unauthorized access to information and Registration Data. You are not permitted to use the Site or the services or submit content to the Site if you are under the age of 13.

You are entirely responsible for all content that you create, upload, post, send, receive or store through your use of the Site (“Content”). Users shall not create, upload, post, send, receive or  store Content that: (a) is inaccurate, harmful, obscene, pornographic, defamatory, racist, violent, offensive, harassing, inconsistent with the Expat Circle mission or otherwise objectionable to Expat Circle or other Users; (b) includes unauthorized disclosure of personal information; (c) violates or infringes anyone’s intellectual property rights; or (d) contains software viruses or any other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer software or hardware or telecommunications equipment. Expat Circle reserves the right to edit or remove Content that violates these Terms, that contains third-party commercial advertisements, or for any other reason it deems necessary.

Users must use the Site in a manner that is lawful, relevant and proper to the applicable forum. Any use of the Site that Expat Circle, in its sole discretion, finds inappropriate and/or offensive may result in suspension and/or termination of a User with or without notice. Specifically, but without limitation, Users may not:

• Defame, abuse, harass in any form, harm, stalk, threaten or otherwise violate the legal rights (including without limitation rights of privacy and publicity) of others;

• Create, upload, post, send, receive or store any false, misleading, profane, defamatory, infringing, hateful, distasteful, obscene or unlawful topic, name, information, materials or content;

• Use the Site for any purpose that is in violation of local, state, national, or international law, including without limitation wage/hour and working condition laws and regulations;

• Create an account or accounts on the Site for fraudulent purposes, or for the purpose of misusing the Site, including without limitation misappropriating the Site or any information on the Site for your own commercial or pecuniary gain.

• Upload files that contain software or other content that violates the rights of any third party, including without limitation intellectual property rights or rights of privacy or publicity;

• Upload files that contain viruses, Trojan horses, worms, time bombs, spiders, cancel bots, corrupted files, or any other similar software, malware or content that may damage, interfere with, disrupt, impair, disable or otherwise overburden the operation of any device, computer system or network;

• Take any action that would undermine any aspect of the Site;

• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Site, other User accounts, or other device, computer system or networks connected to the Site;

• Advertise or offer to sell any goods or services for any commercial purpose on the Site that are not appropriate or relevant to the Site;

• Impersonate another person or allow any other person or entity to impersonate you or use your credentials to access the Site;

• Post the same content repeatedly or spam - spamming is strictly prohibited;

• Download, copy or transmit any file posted by another User that you know, or reasonably should know, cannot be legally published through the Site;

• Access, download, or copy any information, content and/or materials from the Site through artificial means (including without limitation spiders, scrapers, hacking devices, computer programs, bots, web spoofing, URL rewriting or other such means);

• Reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, re-sell or exploit any information, materials or content on Site; or

• Restrict or inhibit any other User from using and enjoying the Site.

All Users must meet the following eligibility conditions (“Eligibility Conditions”) for as long as they use the Site: (a) you have and will at all times comply with all applicable laws and regulations; (b) you have the right, authority and capacity to enter into these Terms and to abide by all of terms and conditions in these Terms; (c) neither you, nor anyone in your home: (i) has been the subject of a complaint, restraining order or any other legal action involving violence, abuse, neglect, fraud, larceny, or any offense that involves endangering the safety of others; (ii) has been convicted of a crime of any nature, including any felony or misdemeanor of any kind, including without limitation any sexual, child abuse or domestic violence offenses; and/or (iii) has been and/or is currently required to register as a sex offender in any jurisdiction or with any government entity; and (d) neither you, nor anyone in your home, is currently out on bail or on your own recognizance pending trial, relating to any felony or misdemeanor charges of any kind, including without limitation sexual, child abuse or domestic violence offenses.

Expat Circle may revise the Eligibility Conditions from time to time and require new conditions and certifications. Continued use of the Site constitutes agreement with and acceptance of any new Eligibility Conditions and Users are required to abide by such revised Eligibility Conditions or discontinue using the Site.

Expat Circle may verify the above representations and warranties.  Verification may include, without limitation, conducting criminal background checks, sex offender registry checks, motor vehicle records checks, identification verifications, credit checks and/or use of available public records. You consent to any collection, use or disclosure in order to accomplish such verification. Expat Circle may take such action as it, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate, including without limitation suspending and/or terminating your use of the Services, should it determine that you have violated any representation or warranty. 

The preceding paragraph notwithstanding, Expat Circle does not directly conduct background checks of any User. Expat Circle neither confirms nor denies the validity of information provided by Users and Expat Circle has no obligation to verify that any or all of the Eligibility Conditions are met by Users. Users are responsible for making their own decisions and assessments about persons to engage and that – IT IS YOUR SOLE RESPONSIBILITY TO ORDER ANY AND ALL BACKGROUND AND REFERENCE CHECKS REGARDING OTHER USERS.

Expat Circle expressly disclaims, and you expressly release Expat Circle from, any and all liability whatsoever for any controversies, claims, suits, injuries and/or damages arising from and/or in any way related to: (a) any inaccuracy, untimeliness or incompleteness regarding a User’s Eligibility Conditions and/or (b) misstatements or misrepresentations made by any User.

Expat Circle reserves all of its rights under the Communications Decency Act, including without limitation its right to remove anything objectionable to Expat Circle in its sole discretion. Alleged improprieties by any User may be reported to Expat Circle by email at support@expat-circle.com.

6. Third party reports

Expat Circle may utilize third party consumer reporting agencies that perform, among other things, criminal background checks, sex offender registry checks, motor vehicle records checks, credit checks, and identification verifications (“consumer reports”). Expat Circle does not endorse or make any representations or warranties regarding the reliability of such consumer reports or the accuracy, timeliness or completeness of any information in the consumer reports. Expat Circle does not independently verify information in the consumer reports.

Expat Circle may collect, use and disclose the information in the consumer reports. Expat Circle may, in its sole discretion, review and rely on the information in the consumer reports in deciding whether to suspend or terminate a User or to investigate a complaint about a User, but Expat Circle shall not be responsible or liable in any way in the event that any information in the consumer reports about any person, including without limitation any User, is not accurate, timely or complete. Users who are the subject of consumer reports may contact the service provider to dispute the accuracy, timeliness or completeness of such information. Expat Circle reserves the right to suspend and/or terminate a User based on information in the consumer reports or for any other reason in Expat Circle’s sole discretion.

7. Confidentiality of Expat Circle information

You may obtain direct access via the Site to certain confidential information of Expat Circle and its affiliates, including without limitation technical, contractual, product, program, pricing, marketing and other valuable information that should reasonably be understood as confidential (“Confidential Information”). You must hold Confidential Information in strict confidence. All right, title and interest in the Confidential Information remains with Expat Circle and its affiliates.

The Terms impose no obligation upon you with respect to Confidential Information that you can establish by legally sufficient evidence: (a) you possessed prior to your receipt from Expat Circle, without an obligation to maintain its confidentiality; (b) is or becomes generally known to the public through no act or omission by you, or otherwise without violation of the Terms; (c) you obtained from a third party who had the right to disclose it, without an obligation to keep such information confidential; (d) you independently developed without the use of Confidential Information and without the participation of individuals who have had access to it, or (e) in response to a valid order by a court or other governmental body, or as otherwise required by law, or as necessary to establish the rights of either party under these Terms and as disclosed after prior notice to Expat Circle adequate to afford Expat Circle the opportunity to object to the disclosure.

8. Content provided on the Site

Expat Circle does not claim ownership of the Content that you provide on the website and shall have no obligation of any kind with respect to such Content. Unless otherwise stated herein, any Content that you provide in connection with this website shall be deemed to be provided on a non-confidential basis. Expat Circle shall be free to use or disseminate such Content on an unrestricted basis for any purpose, and you grant Expat Circle an irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, nonexclusive license to use, reproduce, modify, distribute, transmit, display, perform, adapt, resell and publish such Content (including in digital form). You represent and warrant that you have proper authorization for the worldwide transfer and processing among Expat Circle, its affiliates, and third-party providers of any content that you may provide on the Site.

9. Terms of transacting business

Users must abide by Expat Circle’s Customer and Expat payment policies. Users must pay all costs associated with the services through Expat Circle. These costs include but are not limited to: (a) a Expat’s hourly rate as listed; (b) cancellation fees as described in an Expat’s cancellation policy, which can be found on an Expat’s profile on the Site; (d) a service fee as listed and (e) the Platform Fee arranged between the Customer and Expat Circle.

10. Third party verification services

Expat Circle may make available one or more third party verification services that enable Users of the Site to inquire about information including, but not limited to, another User’s identity and criminal history. Use of a third party verification service is voluntary for both the party requesting the verification and the party undergoing the verification. You agree that Expat Circle shall not be held responsible or liable in any way if any information provided by a third party verification service is inaccurate. When a third party verification service is used, you warrant that you will comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 USC 1681. See http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0111-fair-credit-reporting-act.pdf for details.

11. Advertisements and promotions

Expat Circle may run advertisements and promotions from third parties on the Site. Your correspondence or business dealings with, or participation in promotions of, advertisers other than Expat Circle, found on or through the Site, including payment and delivery of related goods or services, and any other terms, conditions, warranties or representations associated with such dealings, are solely between you and such advertiser. Expat Circle is not responsible or liable for any loss or damage of any sort incurred as the result of any such dealings or as the result of the presence of such non-Expat Circle advertisers on the Site.

12. Content provided via links

You may find links to other websites or resources on the Site. You acknowledge and agree that Expat Circle is not responsible for the availability of such external websites or resources, and does not endorse and is not responsible or liable for any content, advertising, products, or other materials on or available from such websites or resources. Expat Circle will not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any actual or alleged damage or loss caused by or in connection with use of or reliance on any such content, goods or services available on or through any such site or resource.

13. Intellectual property rights

Expat Circle grants you permission (which may be revoked at any time for any reason or no reason) to use the Site for the purposes provided herein and in accordance with these Terms and solely for your own personal, non-commercial use (except as provided herein), provided you do not remove any trademark, copyright or other notice. No other use is permitted. You may not, for example, incorporate the information, content, or other material in any database, compilation, archive or cache. Except as specifically authorized by Expat Circle, you may not deep-link to the Site for any purpose or access the Site manually or with any robot, spider, web crawler, extraction software, automated process or device to scrape, copy, or monitor any portion of the Site or any information, content, or material on the Site. Expat Circle reserves all of its statutory and common law rights against any person or entity who violates this paragraph. You may not link or frame to any pages of the Site or any content contained therein, whether in whole or in part, without prior written consent from Expat Circle. You may like or follow Expat Circle or share links to the Site via social networking technology referenced on the Site. Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved. 

Except as expressly authorized by Expat Circle or by Content providers, you agree not to reproduce, modify, rent, lease, loan, sell, distribute, mirror, frame, republish, download, transmit, or create derivative works of the Content of others, in whole or in part, by any means. You must not modify, decompile, or reverse engineer any software Expat Circle discloses to you, and you must not remove or modify any copyright or trademark notice, or other notice of ownership.

“Expat Circle Trademarks” means all names, marks, brands, logos, designs, trade dress, slogans and other designations Expat Circle uses in connection with its products and services. You may not remove or alter any Expat Circle Trademarks, or co-brand your own products or material with Expat Circle Trademarks, without Expat Circle’s prior written consent. You acknowledge Expat Circle’s rights in Expat Circle Trademarks and agree that any use of Expat Circle Trademarks by you shall ensure Expat Circle’s sole benefit. You agree not to incorporate any Expat Circle Trademarks into your trademarks, service marks, company names, internet addresses, domain names, or any other similar designations, for use on or in connection with computer or internet-related products, services or technologies.

Unless explicitly stated herein, nothing in these Terms shall be construed as conferring any license to intellectual property rights. Permission is granted to display, copy, distribute and download Content owned by Expat Circle on the Site provided that: (a) the copyright notice pertaining to the Content remains, and a permission notice (e.g., “used with permission”) is added to such Content; (b) the use of such Content is solely for personal and non-commercial use; (c) such Content will not be copied or posted on any networked computer or published in any medium, except as explicitly permitted by valid permission or license covering such materials; and (d) no modifications are made to such Content. This permission terminates automatically without notice if you breach any of the terms or conditions in this document. Upon termination, you must immediately destroy any downloaded and/or printed Content.

14. Copyright Infringement

Expat Circle respects the intellectual property of others, and we ask our Users to do the same. Accordingly, Users may not post, modify, distribute, or reproduce in any way any Content on the Site that is copyrighted material you do not own or have permission to use, without obtaining prior written consent of the copyright owner. Expat Circle reserves the right, in its discretion, to remove any Content if we believe it may infringe the copyright rights of others, and/or to terminate the accounts of Users who we believe to be infringers.

If you believe that your work has been copied and posted on the Site in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, we will respond to notices of alleged infringement that comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (the “DMCA”), a federal law that provides recourse for copyright owners who believe that material appearing on the Internet infringes their rights under U.S. copyright law. If you believe in good faith that content or material hosted on the Site infringes your copyright, you (or your agent) may send Expat Circle. a notice requesting that the content or material be removed, or access to it blocked. The notice must include the following information: (a) a physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed; (b) identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed (or if multiple copyrighted works are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works); (c) identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or the subject of infringing activity, and information reasonably sufficient to allow Expat Circle to locate the content or material within the Site; (d) the name, address, telephone number and email address (if available) of the complaining party; (e) a statement that the complaining party has a good faith belief that use of the content or material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent or the law; and (f) a statement that the information in the notification is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed. If you believe in good faith that a notice of copyright infringement has been wrongly filed against you, the DMCA permits you to send us a counter-notice. Notices and counter-notices must meet the then-current statutory requirements imposed by the DMCA; see http://www.loc.gov/copyright for details. Expat Circle’s agent for notice of claims of copyright or other intellectual property infringement can be reached as follows:

By email: support@legup.com

We suggest that you consult with a legal Expat before filing a notice under the DMCA. Also, be aware that there can be penalties for false claims under the DMCA.

15. Termination and suspension

Expat Circle reserves the right to suspend and/or terminate any User with or without notice at any time in its sole discretion, for any reason or no reason. You agree that, if you are suspended and/or terminated, you will make no further use of the Site after termination or during suspension.

16. Disclaimer of warranties

USE OF THE SITE IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK UNLESS OTHERWISE EXPLICITLY STATED. THE SITE, INCLUDING THE INFORMATION, SERVICES, AND CONTENT, IS PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS”, “AS AVAILABLE”, AND “WITH ALL FAULTS” BASIS. Expat Circle DISCLAIMS ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED CONDITIONS, REPRESENTATIONS, AND WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OR CONDITION OF MERCHANTABILITY, SATISFACTORY QUALITY, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Expat Circle MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES, CONDITIONS OR GUARANTEES AS TO THE USEFULNESS, QUALITY, SUITABILITY, TRUTH, ACCURACY, OR COMPLETENESS OF THE SITE.

EPAT CIRCLE MAKES NO WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATIONS THAT: (A) THE SITE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE; (B) THE RESULTS THAT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE USE OF THE WEBSITE WILL BE ACCURATE OR RELIABLE; (C) THE QUALITY OF ANY PRODUCTS, SERVICES, CONTENT, INFORMATION, OR OTHER MATERIAL PURCHASED OR OBTAINED FROM EXPATS WILL MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS OR REQUIREMENTS; (D) ANY ERRORS IN THE SITE WILL BE CORRECTED; OR THAT THE SERVICES ARE APPROPRIATE FOR USE OR ACCESS OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES.

YOU ASSUME ALL RISK FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM OR DEVICE OR LOSS OF DATA THAT RESULTS FROM OBTAINING ANY CONTENT FROM THE SITE, INCLUDING ANY DAMAGES RESULTING FROM COMPUTER VIRUSES.

17. Limitation of liability

THE SITE OFFERS A MARKETPLACE FOR THOSE SEEKING SESSIONS TO CONNECT WITH THOSE SEEKING TO PROVIDE SESSIONS.

YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT EXPAT CIRCLE HAS NO CONTROL OVER THE ACTS OR OMISSIONS OF ANY USER ON OR OFF THE SITE AND THAT EXPAT CIRCLE MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY ANY USER. YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT EXPAT CIRCLE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PERFORMANCE OR CONDUCT, WHETHER ON OR OFF THE SITE, OF ANY USER. AS SUCH, EXPAT CIRCLE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS, AND EACH USER EXPRESSLY RELEASES EXPAT CIRCLE FROM, ANY AND ALL LIABILITY WHATSOEVER FOR ANY CONTROVERSIES, CLAIMS, SUITS, INJURIES AND/OR DAMAGES ARISING FROM AND/OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO THE SITE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY ACTS AND/OR OMISSIONS OF USERS ON OR OFF THE SITE.

USERS OF THE SITE TRANSACT BETWEEN THEMSELVES. EXPAT CIRCLE WILL NOT BE INVOLVED IN ANY USER INTERACTIONS. EXPAT CIRCLE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DISPUTES, CLAIMS, LOSS, INJURY, OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND THAT MIGHT ARISE DURING AND AFTER USER INTERACTION.

TO THE FULL EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, EXPAT CIRCLE IS NOT LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION LOSS OF BUSINESS, REVENUE, PROFITS, GOODWILL, USE, DATA, ELECTRONICALLY TRANSMITTED ORDERS, OR OTHER ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE) ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SITE, EVEN IF Expat Circle HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN ADVISED OF, OR REASONABLY COULD HAVE FORESEEN, THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, HOWEVER THEY ARISE, WHETHER IN BREACH OF CONTRACT OR IN TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION DAMAGES DUE TO: (A) THE USE OF OR THE INABILITY TO USE THE SITE; (B) THE COST OR PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS AND SERVICES RESULTING FROM ANY GOODS, DATA, INFORMATION, OR SERVICES PURCHASED OR OBTAINED, OR MESSAGES RECEIVED OR TRANSACTIONS ENTERED INTO, THROUGH OR FROM THE SITE; (C) STATEMENTS OR CONDUCT OF ANY THIRD PARTY ON THE SITE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR ALTERATION OF TRANSMISSION OR DATA, MALICIOUS OR CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, OR FALSE OR FRAUDULENT TRANSACTIONS; OR (D) CONTENT OR INFORMATION USERS MAY DOWNLOAD, USE, MODIFY, OR DISTRIBUTE. THESE LIMITATIONS SHALL APPLY NOTWITHSTANDING ANY FAILURE OF ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OF ANY LIMITED REMEDY. BECAUSE SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IN NO EVENT SHALL Expat Circle’S TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL DAMAGES, LOSSES AND CAUSES OF ACTION, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE, EXCEED (A) THE AMOUNT PAID BY YOU TO Expat Circle OR A EXPAT CIRCLE PARTNER, IF ANY, OR (B) $100 (WHICHEVER IS LESS).

YOU AND EXPAT CIRCLE AGREE THAT THE WARRANTY DISCLAIMERS AND LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY IN THESE TERMS ARE MATERIAL, BARGAINED-FOR BASES OF THIS AGREEMENT, AND THAT THEY HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN DETERMINING THE CONSIDERATION TO BE GIVEN BY EACH PARTY UNDER THIS AGREEMENT AND IN THE DECISION BY EACH PARTY TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT. YOU AND EXPAT CIRCLE AGREE THAT THE WARRANTY DISCLAIMERS AND LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY IN THESE TERMS ARE FAIR AND REASONABLE.

IF YOU ARE DISSATISFIED WITH THE SITE OR DO NOT AGREE TO ANY PROVISIONS OF THESE TERMS, YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY IS TO DISCONTINUE USING THE SITE, EXCEPT AS MAY BE PROVIDED FOR IN THIS SECTION 17.

18. Assumption of risk

Users assume all risks when using the Site, including without limitation any and all of the risks associated with any online or offline interactions with other Users.

19. Indemnification

Users shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Expat Circle and its subsidiaries, affiliates, shareholders, officers, directors, agents, licensors, suppliers, other partners, employees, and representatives from and against any and all claims, demands, causes of action, losses, expenses, damages and/or liabilities, including reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs, incurred by Expat Circle in any way related to your (a) acts and/or omissions on or off the Site; (b) violation of any rights of another, including without limitation any alleged infringement of intellectual property or other right of any person or entity relating to the Site; (c) breach of these Terms; (d) disputes with or between other Users; (e) use and/or misuse of the Site, including without limitation any information, content and/or materials thereon; (f) violation of any applicable law or regulation; (g) inaccurate, untimely, incomplete or misleading User information, including without limitation with respect to registration, profile or eligibility; (h) misstatements and/or misrepresentations; (i) use of links to third party websites, including without limitation such websites’ availability, terms of use, privacy policy, information, content, materials, advertising, products and/or services; (j) User information and any acts or omissions with respect to such User information; (k) use of any information in third-party reports; (l) use of third party payment processing services; (m) use of phone support services; and/or (n) use of any services or products or any contracts or arrangements made or provided based on information, content and/or materials obtained on or through the Site. Users must cooperate as requested by Expat Circle in the defense of such claims. Expat Circle reserves the right, at its own expense, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter otherwise subject to indemnification by Users, and you shall not, in any event, settle any claim or matter on behalf of Expat Circle without the written consent of Expat Circle.

20. Arbitration

This section explains the process of resolving any disputes between Expat Circle and an Expat; Expat Circle and an Customer; or Expat Circle, an Expat, and an Customer. All disputes shall be resolved through arbitration instead of through the courts. Specifically:

Any dispute in any way related to the Site, its use, User (i.e. Expat, Customer) conduct, or the Terms must go to binding arbitration under the provisions of the Terms. The arbitrator must apply the Consumer Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) in effect at the time you consent to the Terms. Copies of the Consumer Arbitration Rules may be obtained at any AAA office, at www.adr.org, or by calling the AAA at 1-800- 778-7879. To clarify, this arbitration provision does not govern disputes occurring only between an Expat and an Customer.

If the Consumer Arbitration Rules and this arbitration provision disagree on something, then the terms of this arbitration provision control, unless the arbitrator determines that doing so would result in a fundamentally unfair arbitration proceeding. In that situation, the Consumer Arbitration Rules control. This arbitration provision must be construed and enforced in accordance with the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §1 et seq. 

Starting the Arbitration Process: To begin arbitration against Expat Circle, you must complete a short form available on the AAA claim filing page, submit it to the AAA, and send a copy to Expat Circle, Inc., Attn: Legal Department, 1714 North Damen Avenue, 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60647.  For more information, see the AAA’s claim filing page: http://www.adr.org/fileacase. You may represent yourself in the arbitration or be represented by an attorney or another representative. Once we receive your arbitration claim, we may assert any claims we may have against you.

Picking the Arbitrator: The arbitration proceeding is presided over by an arbitrator who will issue a decision (sometimes called an “award”) and otherwise conduct the arbitration proceeding. Expat Circle and you will attempt to agree on a single arbitrator using the AAA procedures. If agreement is not possible, each party will select its own arbitrator. Each party’s arbitrator will jointly confer and select a single arbitrator. That single arbitrator will preside over the arbitration.

The Arbitrator’s Decision: The arbitrator must base his or her decision on the evidence presented and according to these Terms and governing law, including statutory and judicial authority. The arbitrator may award the same damages and relief on an individual basis that a court might award to an individual under these Terms and applicable law. The arbitrator must issue a written decision, which must contain the essential findings and conclusions on which the decision is based. The arbitrator’s decision is final and binding upon all parties.

Individual Claims Only: YOU AND EXPAT CIRCLE AGREE THAT EACH OF US MAY BRING CLAIMS, SUITS, ACTIONS OR CAUSES OF ACTION AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS, COLLECTIVE OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. HOWEVER, A REPRESENTATIVE CLAIM (BUT NOT A CLASS ACTION) MAY BE BROUGHT IN ARBITRATION WHERE OTHERWISE MANDATED BY LAW.  UNLESS BOTH YOU AND EXPAT CIRCLE AGREE OTHERWISE, THE ARBITRATOR MAY NOT CONSOLIDATE OR JOIN MORE THAN ONE PERSON’S OR PARTY’S CLAIMS AND MAY NOT OTHERWISE PRESIDE OVER ANY FORM OF A CONSOLIDATED, REPRESENTATIVE, COLLECTIVE OR CLASS PROCEEDING. ALSO, EXCEPT AS MANDATED BY LAW, THE ARBITRATOR MAY AWARD RELIEF (INCLUDING MONETARY, INJUNCTIVE, AND DECLARATORY RELIEF) ONLY IN FAVOR OF THE INDIVIDUAL PARTY SEEKING RELIEF AND ONLY TO THE EXTENT NECESSARY TO PROVIDE RELIEF NECESSITATED BY THAT PARTY’S INDIVIDUAL CLAIM(S).  EXCEPT AS MANDATED BY LAW, ANY RELIEF AWARDED CANNOT AFFECT OTHER EXPAT CIRCLE USERS.

Location of the Arbitration Hearing: There may be a hearing as a part of the arbitration process. If that is the case, the arbitration hearing will be conducted at a location that is reasonably convenient to all parties with due consideration of their ability to travel and other pertinent circumstances. The judgment of the arbitration award may be entered by any court having jurisdiction thereof.

Attorneys’ Fees: Each party will pay its own attorneys’ fees, unless the law provides that the prevailing party is entitled to have the other party pay its reasonable attorneys’ fees. You will bear only those costs of arbitration that you would have borne had you brought a claim covered by this arbitration provision in court. If you demonstrate to the arbitrator that the costs of arbitration will be prohibitive as compared to the costs of litigation, Expat Circle will pay as much of the arbitration fees as the arbitrator deems necessary to prevent the arbitration from being cost-prohibitive to you.

Disputes Before Administrative Agencies Not Subject to Arbitration: Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this arbitration provision, disputes may be brought before an administrative agency to the extent applicable law requires access to an agency notwithstanding the existence of this arbitration provision. Nothing in this arbitration provision: (i) relieves any party of the duty to exhaust administrative remedies by filing a charge or complaint with an administrative agency and obtaining a right to sue notice, where otherwise required by law; or (ii) prevents either party from cooperating with a federal or state body as required by law. However, you understand that you are not entitled to a double recovery or eligible to receive any monetary benefit from any action brought by an administrative agency except as required by law.

Exclusive Judicial Forum If the Arbitration Provisions are Not Enforceable: In the event that a court or arbitrator of competent jurisdiction determines that this arbitration provision is unenforceable, you agree that the exclusive forum and/or venue for any dispute in any way related to the use, inability to use, or provision of these Terms is any California State Court or Federal Court sitting in Los Angeles County, California. You hereby submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of those courts for purposes of any such proceeding and agree not to seek to transfer the matter to a different court for any reason.

21. Injunction

Notwithstanding the Arbitration terms set forth herein, Users agree that any material breach of the Terms will result in irreparable harm to Expat Circle for which damages would be an inadequate remedy and, therefore, in addition to its rights and remedies otherwise available at law, Expat Circle reserves the right to seek will equitable relief through the court system, including both a preliminary and permanent injunction, if such a breach occurs. You waive any requirement for the posting of a bond or other security if Expat Circle seeks such an injunction.

22. Notices; modification and termination of services; amendment of terms

Expat Circle may provide notice to Users via email, regular mail, or posting notices or links to notices on the Site. Expat Circle reserves the right at any time to modify, suspend or terminate the services (or any part thereof), and/or use of or access to them, with or without notice. Expat Circle may also delete, or bar access to or use of, all related information and files. Expat Circle will not be liable to Users or any third-party for any modification, suspension, or termination of service, or loss of related information. Expat Circle may amend these Terms at any time by posting the amended terms on this Site.

23. Governing law

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the substantive laws, without regard to choice-of-law rules, of the State of California.

24. Entire agreement

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and Expat Circle relating to their subject matter, and cancel and supersede any prior versions of the Terms. You may not assign or otherwise transfer the Terms or any right granted hereunder. You also may be subject to additional terms and conditions that may apply when you use Expat Circle Site or third-party products or services.