Terms of Service

By accessing and using NeedBaba, you accept and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree with any part of these terms, please do not use our platform.

• Platform Description: NeedBaba is India's premier advisory marketplace connecting individuals with verified subject matter experts for guidance on personal and professional challenges. Our platform facilitates consultations across diverse fields including career guidance, educational planning, legal advice, financial planning, health and wellness, business strategy, and many other specialized areas.
• Service Model: We operate as an intermediary platform, facilitating connections between users seeking advice and verified experts providing professional guidance. We do not provide direct advisory services but enable trusted interactions between our community members.
• User Categories: Our platform serves two primary user types: (1) Advice Seekers - individuals seeking expert guidance on various life and professional challenges, and (2) Expert Advisors - verified professionals offering their expertise and guidance to help others achieve their goals.
• Platform Values: We are committed to maintaining a trustworthy, secure, and inclusive environment where knowledge sharing and professional growth flourish through meaningful expert-user connections.

Account creation and management are fundamental to accessing our platform services:

• Account Requirement: You must create and maintain an account to access most platform features. Each user may maintain only one active account and must provide accurate, current information during registration.
• Registration Information: Users must provide their real name, valid email address, phone number, and other required information. Expert advisors must additionally submit professional credentials, educational background, and verification documents.
• Account Security: You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. Immediately notify us of any unauthorized use or security breaches.
• Identity Verification: We may require identity verification for certain features or transactions. Failure to complete verification may result in limited platform access or account restrictions.
• Account Accuracy: You must keep your account information current and accurate. Providing false or misleading information may result in account suspension or termination.
• Age Requirements: Users must be at least 18 years old to create an account. Users between 13-18 may use our services only with parental consent and supervision, subject to additional restrictions and protections.

All platform users must adhere to high standards of conduct and responsibility:

• Professional Behavior: Users must interact respectfully, professionally, and constructively. Harassment, discrimination, hate speech, or abusive behavior toward other users is strictly prohibited.
• Accurate Information: Users must provide truthful, accurate information in their profiles, consultation requests, and communications. Misrepresentation of credentials, experience, or needs may result in account termination.
• Platform Purpose: Use our platform only for its intended purpose of seeking or providing professional advice and guidance. Commercial solicitation, spam, or irrelevant activities are prohibited.
• Legal Compliance: Users must comply with all applicable laws and regulations in their jurisdiction and in the jurisdiction where our services are provided (India).
• Intellectual Property Respect: Users must respect the intellectual property rights of others and not share copyrighted material, trade secrets, or proprietary information without proper authorization.
• Confidentiality: Users should maintain appropriate confidentiality regarding sensitive information shared during consultations, while understanding that complete privacy cannot be guaranteed in digital communications.
• Reporting Violations: Users are encouraged to report any violations of these terms, suspicious activities, or inappropriate behavior through our reporting mechanisms.

Our expert verification process ensures platform quality and user trust:

• Verification Process: All experts undergo comprehensive verification including credential validation, background checks, reference verification, and professional assessment. This process may take 5-15 business days.
• Required Documentation: Experts must provide valid educational certificates, professional licenses, work experience verification, identity documents, and professional references. Additional documentation may be required for specific fields.
• Ongoing Monitoring: Expert performance is continuously monitored through user feedback, consultation quality assessments, response time tracking, and adherence to professional standards.
• Professional Standards: Experts must maintain professional competence in their declared areas of expertise, provide honest and ethical advice, respect client confidentiality, and avoid conflicts of interest.
• Continuing Education: Experts are encouraged to maintain and update their skills through continuing education and professional development activities relevant to their fields.
• Quality Assurance: We reserve the right to monitor consultations, review expert performance, and take corrective actions including additional training, performance improvement plans, or account restrictions for quality issues.
• Expert Responsibilities: Experts must clearly communicate their qualifications, limitations, and scope of advice. They should refer users to other professionals when issues fall outside their expertise or require specialized intervention.

Content creation and sharing on our platform must follow these guidelines:

• Acceptable Content: All content must be appropriate, lawful, respectful, and relevant to the platform's advisory purpose. Content should contribute positively to the knowledge-sharing community.
• Prohibited Content: Users cannot post content that is defamatory, harassing, discriminatory, sexually explicit, violent, illegal, or that violates intellectual property rights. Spam, misleading information, and off-topic content are also prohibited.
• User-Generated Content: Users retain ownership of content they create but grant NeedBaba a license to use, display, and distribute such content for platform operations and improvements.
• Expert Advice Content: Advice and guidance provided by experts remains their intellectual property but may be stored and used by NeedBaba for quality assurance, dispute resolution, and service improvement purposes.
• Platform Content: NeedBaba owns all platform features, design elements, software, algorithms, and proprietary content. Users may not copy, modify, or distribute our proprietary materials.
• Copyright Protection: We respect intellectual property rights and will respond to valid copyright infringement claims according to applicable laws. Users should report suspected copyright violations.
• Content Moderation: We reserve the right to review, edit, or remove content that violates these guidelines or applicable laws. Content moderation may be performed through automated systems and human review.

Our payment system ensures secure and transparent financial transactions:

• Consultation Fees: Expert consultation fees are clearly displayed before booking. Fees may vary based on expert experience, consultation type, duration, and complexity. All prices are in Indian Rupees (INR) unless otherwise specified.
• Payment Processing: Payments are processed securely through our certified payment partners including Razorpay, Stripe, and PayPal. We do not store complete payment card information on our servers.
• Platform Fees: NeedBaba charges a service fee for successful consultations, which is deducted from expert payouts. Fee structures are transparent and communicated to experts during onboarding.
• Billing and Invoices: Users receive detailed invoices for all transactions. Invoices include consultation details, expert information, fees, taxes, and payment confirmation.
• Refund Policy: Refunds are provided for consultations that fail to meet our quality standards, technical issues preventing consultation completion, or other valid grounds as determined by our support team. Refund requests must be submitted within 48 hours of consultation completion.
• Expert Payouts: Experts receive payouts for completed consultations minus platform fees and applicable taxes. Payouts are processed within 5-7 business days to verified bank accounts.
• Tax Compliance: Users and experts are responsible for their tax obligations. We provide necessary documentation for tax reporting and may collect tax information as required by law.
• Disputed Transactions: Payment disputes are resolved through our mediation process, considering evidence from both parties and consultation records.

We strive to provide reliable platform access and comprehensive technical support:

• Service Availability: We aim for 99.9% platform uptime but cannot guarantee uninterrupted service. Planned maintenance, updates, and unforeseen technical issues may cause temporary downtime.
• Technical Requirements: Users are responsible for maintaining compatible devices, internet connectivity, and software required to access our platform. We provide guidance on technical requirements and troubleshooting.
• Platform Updates: We regularly update our platform to improve functionality, security, and user experience. Major changes will be communicated in advance, and users are encouraged to keep their apps updated.
• Data Backup: We maintain robust backup systems to protect user data, but users are encouraged to maintain their own records of important consultation information and communications.
• Technical Support: Our support team provides assistance with platform usage, technical issues, account problems, and general inquiries through multiple channels including email, chat, and phone support.
• Service Limitations: While we strive for excellence, we cannot guarantee that our platform will always be error-free, virus-free, or completely secure. Users should take appropriate precautions to protect their devices and data.
• Third-Party Integrations: Our platform may integrate with third-party services for enhanced functionality. These integrations are subject to the terms and availability of the respective third-party providers.

Important limitations and disclaimers regarding platform use and expert advice:

• Platform Role: NeedBaba provides a connection platform between users and experts. We do not directly provide professional advice and are not responsible for the quality, accuracy, or outcomes of expert guidance.
• Advice Disclaimer: Expert advice is provided for informational and guidance purposes only. Users should exercise their own judgment and, where appropriate, seek additional professional consultation before making important decisions.
• No Guarantees: We do not guarantee specific outcomes, success rates, or results from expert consultations. Individual results may vary based on numerous factors beyond our control.
• Expert Independence: Experts operate as independent professionals. Their views, advice, and recommendations do not necessarily reflect NeedBaba's opinions or endorsements.
• Liability Limitations: To the maximum extent permitted by law, NeedBaba's liability for any damages arising from platform use is limited to the amount paid for the specific service that gave rise to the claim.
• Consequential Damages: We shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of profits, data, or business opportunities.
• Force Majeure: We are not liable for delays or failures in performance resulting from causes beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, government actions, or technical failures.
• User Assumption of Risk: Users acknowledge that seeking and following advice involves inherent risks and assume responsibility for their decisions and actions based on expert guidance.

Our commitment to privacy and data protection aligns with applicable laws and best practices:

• Privacy Policy: Our comprehensive Privacy Policy details how we collect, use, share, and protect personal information. Users should review the Privacy Policy to understand our data practices.
• Data Minimization: We collect only information necessary to provide our services effectively and maintain platform security. Users can control many privacy settings through their account preferences.
• Consent Management: We obtain appropriate consent for data processing activities and provide mechanisms for users to withdraw consent where legally required.
• Data Security: We implement industry-standard security measures to protect user data, including encryption, access controls, regular security audits, and incident response procedures.
• Cross-Border Transfers: User data may be processed in different countries where our service providers operate. We ensure appropriate safeguards for international data transfers.
• User Rights: Users have rights regarding their personal information, including access, correction, deletion, and portability rights, subject to legal limitations and service requirements.
• Compliance: We comply with applicable data protection laws including the Personal Data Protection Bill (India), GDPR (for European users), and other relevant privacy regulations.
• Data Retention: We retain user data only as long as necessary for service provision, legal compliance, and legitimate business purposes, with clear retention schedules for different data types.

Procedures for resolving disputes and handling legal matters:

• Internal Resolution: We encourage users to first contact our support team for assistance with platform-related issues, account problems, or consultation disputes. Our mediation process aims to resolve conflicts fairly and efficiently.
• Escalation Process: Unresolved disputes may be escalated through our structured process, involving senior support staff, expert review panels, and management oversight as appropriate.
• Mediation Services: For significant disputes, we may engage third-party mediation services to facilitate resolution between users and experts or between users and NeedBaba.
• Governing Law: These terms are governed by Indian law, specifically the laws applicable in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, where our primary operations are located.
• Jurisdiction: Any legal proceedings related to these terms or platform use will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of courts in Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
• Arbitration: Certain disputes may be subject to binding arbitration as an alternative to court proceedings, following procedures outlined in the Indian Arbitration and Conciliation Act.
• Class Action Waiver: Users agree to resolve disputes individually and waive the right to participate in class action lawsuits or collective proceedings against NeedBaba.
• Legal Compliance: Users must comply with all court orders, legal notices, and regulatory requirements related to their platform use or participation in legal proceedings.

Procedures and policies for account termination and platform departure:

• User-Initiated Termination: Users may close their accounts at any time through account settings or by contacting our support team. Account closure requests are typically processed within 5-7 business days.
• Platform-Initiated Termination: We may suspend or terminate accounts for violations of these terms, fraudulent activities, security concerns, or legal requirements. Users will be notified of termination reasons where legally permissible.
• Immediate Suspension: Accounts may be immediately suspended for serious violations including harassment, fraud, security breaches, or illegal activities, pending investigation and resolution.
• Data Handling: Upon account termination, user data is handled according to our Privacy Policy and data retention schedules. Users may request data export before account closure.
• Outstanding Obligations: Account termination does not relieve users of outstanding payment obligations, legal responsibilities, or commitments made during platform use.
• Post-Termination Access: Terminated users may lose access to consultation history, expert connections, and other platform benefits. Limited data access may be maintained for legal or safety purposes.
• Reactivation Policies: Voluntarily closed accounts may be reactivated within specified timeframes. Accounts terminated for violations may not be eligible for reactivation.
• Impact on Ongoing Services: Account termination may affect scheduled consultations, active bookings, and expert relationships. Users should plan accordingly and communicate with relevant parties.

How we manage updates to these terms and communicate with users:

• Update Frequency: We may update these terms periodically to reflect service changes, legal requirements, or policy improvements. Significant changes will be communicated with appropriate advance notice.
• Notification Methods: Updates will be communicated through email notifications, platform announcements, in-app notifications, or updates to this page with clear indication of changes and effective dates.
• Review Period: Users will have a reasonable period to review significant changes before they take effect. Continued platform use after the effective date constitutes acceptance of updated terms.
• Version Control: We maintain version history of our terms to provide transparency about changes over time. Previous versions may be available for reference upon request.
• Communication Preferences: Users can manage communication preferences for terms updates and other platform notifications through their account settings while maintaining receipt of legally required notices.
• Feedback and Comments: We welcome user feedback on proposed terms changes and consider input during the revision process where feasible and appropriate.
• Legal Requirements: Some terms changes may be required by law or regulation and may take effect immediately or with minimal notice as legally mandated.
• Accessibility: Terms updates will be made accessible to users with disabilities and available in formats that accommodate different needs and preferences.