Terms of Service

These Terms of Service (the "Terms") govern your access to and use of the Gathero! mobile application (the "App") and related services (the "Service") operated by Gathero! ("we", "our", or "us"). By downloading, installing, or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Service.

1. Acceptance & Scope

1. These Terms apply to all users of the Service and constitute a binding legal agreement between you and us.
2. By accessing or using the Service, you represent that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Terms.
3. If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, you must immediately cease using the App and uninstall it from your device.

2. Accounts & Anonymous Guest Sessions

1. To safeguard user privacy, the Service utilizes an anonymous guest session model powered by Firebase Anonymous Authentication. Permanent registration with email or password is not required.
2. Display names (nicknames) and avatar emojis configured within the App are visible to participants in the same meetup room. You agree not to use offensive, defamatory, or rights-infringing names.
3. If you uninstall the App or clear device storage, your guest session data may not be recoverable (excluding restoring premium subscription entitlements).

3. Location Services & Navigation Features

1. The Service accesses and processes your device's GPS coordinates (latitude, longitude, altitude, heading, speed) solely to facilitate meetup coordination and calculate routes.
2. Real-time location sharing occurs only while you are actively hosting or participating in a meetup room.
3. If you enable background location permissions, location updates will continue while the App is backgrounded or your screen is locked. Tracking automatically and permanently ceases when you tap "Arrived" or leave/dissolve the room.
4. Route estimations, distance, walking duration, and recommended midway spots are provided for reference only. You must always prioritize local traffic laws, pedestrian safety, and physical surroundings.

4. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to engage in any of the following prohibited activities:

• Violating any applicable local, national, or international laws or regulations.
• Engaging in stalking, harassment, intimidation, unauthorized surveillance, or non-consensual tracking of any individual.
• Sending obscene, abusive, discriminatory, harmful, or spam content through the chat feature.
• Interfering with, overloading, reverse engineering, decompiling, or attempting to extract source code from the Service.
• Using the App while driving, cycling, or walking in a manner that causes dangerous distraction.
• Any other conduct deemed harmful or inappropriate by us.

5. Service Suspension & Room Termination

We reserve the right to suspend, terminate, or dissolve meetup rooms and remove associated session data without prior notice in the event of:

• Emergency server maintenance, system updates, or infrastructure failure.
• Force majeure events such as natural disasters, power outages, or telecommunication failures.
• Any violation of Section 4 (Prohibited Conduct).

6. Premium Subscriptions & Billing Terms (Apple Guideline 3.1.2)

1. Subscription Plans & Pricing:
   • Monthly Subscription: $2.99 / month (or 300 JPY / month, local currency equivalent determined by store pricing tiers).
   • Yearly Subscription: $29.99 / year (or 3,000 JPY / year, equivalent to 2 months free).
2. Auto-Renewable Billing:
   • Subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each billing cycle unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the current period ends.
   • Your Apple ID or Google Play account will be charged within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period.
3. How to Cancel Your Subscription:
   • Uninstalling the App does not cancel your subscription.
   • On iOS: Open your device [Settings] > tap [Your Name / Apple ID] > [Subscriptions] > select [Gathero!] > tap [Cancel Subscription].
   • On Android: Open [Google Play Store] > tap your profile icon > [Payments & subscriptions] > [Subscriptions] > select [Gathero!] > tap [Cancel subscription].
4. Refunds & Restoring Purchases:
   • Purchases and refunds are processed directly by Apple Inc. and Google LLC in accordance with their respective store policies.
   • You can restore your subscription on new devices at any time via the "Restore Purchases" button in the Premium screen.

7. Intellectual Property

1. All trademarks, service marks, software code, UI designs, and content within the Service are the exclusive property of Gathero! or its licensors.
2. You retain ownership of photos and text you transmit within meetup rooms, granting us a worldwide, royalty-free license to transmit and display such content solely for facilitating the Service.

8. Disclaimer & Limitation of Liability

1. The Service is provided on an "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" basis without warranties of any kind, express or implied.
2. We are not liable for any disputes, delays, traffic incidents, personal injury, or damages arising out of meetups or interactions between users.
3. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, our aggregate liability for any direct damages shall not exceed the total amount paid by you for the Service in the one (1) month immediately preceding the event.

9. Modifications to Terms

We may revise these Terms at any time. Updated Terms will be posted within the App and on our website at https://getgathero.com/en/terms. Your continued use of the Service following such updates signifies your acceptance.

10. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

1. These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Japan.
2. Any legal disputes arising out of or in connection with these Terms or the Service shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Tokyo District Court in Japan as the court of first instance.

11. Contact Information