Terms of Service

These Terms of Service govern your access to and use of ExpertStack. By creating an account, browsing the platform, booking a session, applying as an Expert, joining a session, or otherwise using ExpertStack, you agree to these Terms.

If you use ExpertStack on behalf of a company, organization, or team, you represent that you have authority to bind that organization to these Terms. If you do not agree, you may not use ExpertStack.

ExpertStack may update these Terms from time to time. We will provide notice when changes are material. Continued use of ExpertStack after updated Terms become effective means you accept the updated Terms.

You must be at least 18 years old to use ExpertStack. If you register for or use ExpertStack on behalf of a business, you must have authority to act for that business.

ExpertStack may refuse access, suspend accounts, or restrict features if we believe a user is not eligible, has provided inaccurate information, or has used the platform in a way that creates risk for ExpertStack, Clients, Experts, or third parties.

ExpertStack is a live expert technical consulting marketplace. ExpertStack connects Clients and businesses with vetted independent Experts for live technical consulting, advisory, collaboration, and implementation-support sessions.

Experts may provide AI consulting, full-stack development consulting, debugging support, architecture reviews, implementation guidance, API integration consulting, automation consulting, SaaS and MVP advisory, AI workflow consulting, and technical implementation collaboration.

ExpertStack is a facilitator platform only. ExpertStack provides expert discovery and search, Expert Profiles, scheduling, booking infrastructure, payment processing, live communication and session infrastructure, and dispute workflows.

ExpertStack does not itself provide consulting, development, implementation, architecture, or technical advisory services. ExpertStack only enables interactions between Clients and independent Experts.

ExpertStack does not provide implementation guarantees, technical guarantees, code quality guarantees, compliance guarantees, business outcome guarantees, or any guarantee that an Expert's advice will meet a Client's objectives.

You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete account information and to keep it updated. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity under your account.

You must protect your password and immediately notify ExpertStack if you suspect unauthorized access. ExpertStack is not responsible for losses caused by your failure to secure your account.

Unless ExpertStack approves otherwise, each person should maintain only one account. ExpertStack may suspend, restrict, or terminate accounts that contain false information, duplicate identities, unauthorized access, misuse, or activity that creates platform risk.

Experts create and manage their own Expert Profiles, including descriptions of skills, experience, rates, availability, tools, services, portfolio information, and other profile content.

ExpertStack may review, vet, approve, reject, suspend, or remove Experts or Expert Profiles. ExpertStack's vetting process is a limited review only. Vetting is not a certification, license, endorsement, warranty, or guarantee of credentials, qualifications, expertise, identity, performance, or results.

Clients are responsible for evaluating whether an Expert is suitable for their needs before booking a session. Experts are responsible for ensuring their Expert Profiles are accurate, lawful, not misleading, and kept up to date.

ExpertStack sessions are live consulting interactions booked through the platform. A session is not confirmed until the required booking steps are completed, including any payment, credit, confidentiality, or scheduling requirements shown during checkout.

Clients must choose an available time, session length, and service category from the Expert's published availability. Experts are responsible for maintaining accurate availability, rates, and session settings.

Rescheduling, cancellations, no-shows, and late cancellations may be handled according to the rules shown at booking, platform policies, and ExpertStack's discretion. ExpertStack may issue refunds, partial refunds, platform credits, or no refund depending on the circumstances, payment status, cancellation timing, and dispute information available.

Session extensions may be requested or approved through platform workflows when available. Additional charges, credits, or payout adjustments may apply to extended sessions.

If a booking dispute arises, users should report it through ExpertStack's dispute process. ExpertStack may review available platform records, communications, payment information, session status, and user submissions, but ExpertStack does not guarantee a particular outcome.

ExpertStack uses Stripe and related payment infrastructure to process payments, marketplace charges, refunds, credits, and Expert payouts. By using paid features, you agree to comply with applicable Stripe terms and payment requirements.

ExpertStack may charge a marketplace commission or platform fee on bookings. Fees, commission rates, payout rules, and payment timing may change, and current pricing or fee information will be shown through the platform where applicable.

Expert payouts may be subject to Stripe account status, payment settlement, risk review, payout holds, refund windows, disputes, chargebacks, platform policies, tax or identity requirements, and other payment processor constraints.

ExpertStack facilitates payment transactions but does not directly guarantee payout timing outside payment processor constraints. ExpertStack may hold, delay, freeze, offset, or reverse payouts where needed for disputes, suspected fraud, refunds, chargebacks, policy violations, or legal compliance.

Platform credits may be issued at ExpertStack's discretion and may be subject to expiration, usage limits, and non-cash treatment unless otherwise required by law.

Users must not share unsafe sensitive information through ExpertStack sessions, chat, forms, files, screen sharing, or other platform features. Prohibited or strongly restricted information includes passwords, root credentials, API keys, private keys, payment card data, health data, regulated personal data, production secrets, and other high-risk credentials or confidential materials.

Safer alternatives include sandbox environments, scoped temporary access, staging systems, read-only access, redacted logs, temporary credentials, limited permissions, test data, and screen sharing instead of transferring credentials or secrets.

Clients control what they choose to share, and Experts must not request unnecessary access or sensitive information. ExpertStack is not liable for unsafe information sharing between users or for harm caused by a user's decision to disclose credentials, secrets, regulated data, or sensitive materials.

Experts are expected to respect Client confidentiality and use Client information only for the purpose of the booked session or agreed engagement. Clients are responsible for deciding what information they share and for using appropriate safeguards.

ExpertStack is not automatically a party to confidential relationships between Clients and Experts. Platform confidentiality tools, notices, or policies do not replace direct confidentiality agreements where a Client or Expert requires one.

ExpertStack may provide optional NDA workflows or confidentiality acceptance flows to support sessions that require additional confidentiality protections.

Unless ExpertStack expressly states otherwise in a signed written agreement, any NDA or confidentiality agreement related to a session is directly between the Client and the Expert. ExpertStack is not a legal party to that NDA and does not provide legal advice about whether an NDA is adequate for a particular matter.

Each user retains ownership of intellectual property they owned before using ExpertStack. Using ExpertStack does not transfer ownership of pre-existing code, documents, data, designs, systems, inventions, trademarks, or other intellectual property.

Ownership of implementation work, deliverables, code, documentation, recommendations, or other materials created during or after a session depends on the direct agreement between the Client and the Expert. Clients and Experts should clarify ownership, licensing, reuse, and confidentiality expectations before sharing or creating important work product.

You grant ExpertStack a limited license to use content you provide only as needed to operate, secure, improve, display, support, and enforce the platform and related services.

Technical and AI-related recommendations may be imperfect, incomplete, outdated, or unsuitable for a particular system or business context. Code, scripts, prompts, configurations, architecture suggestions, automation workflows, or implementation advice may contain defects or create unintended consequences.

Clients are responsible for independently reviewing, testing, validating, securing, and approving critical technical decisions before using them in production or relying on them for business, legal, compliance, security, financial, or operational outcomes.

ExpertStack does not guarantee that any Expert advice, AI recommendation, code sample, architecture suggestion, integration plan, or implementation guidance will be correct, secure, compliant, performant, or fit for a Client's intended use.

Experts are independent providers. Experts are not employees, agents, partners, representatives, franchisees, or joint venturers of ExpertStack.

ExpertStack does not supervise, control, or direct Expert consulting work, technical implementation, Client systems, advice quality, code delivery, or business outcomes. Experts decide how to provide their services, subject to platform rules and applicable law.

You may not use ExpertStack for fraud, harassment, threats, impersonation, credential abuse, unauthorized access, malicious code, data theft, scraping, spam, deceptive activity, unlawful conduct, or misuse of platform infrastructure.

You may not attempt to bypass payment flows, manipulate reviews, interfere with sessions, access another user's systems without authorization, reverse engineer platform features, or use ExpertStack to harm Clients, Experts, ExpertStack, or third parties.

Sessions are not automatically recorded unless a recording feature is explicitly enabled. If a session is recorded, the parties are responsible for obtaining appropriate consent and complying with applicable recording laws.

Users may not secretly record sessions or redistribute recordings, transcripts, screenshots, code, business information, or other session materials without appropriate permission.

Users should report booking, payment, session, conduct, quality, or safety disputes through ExpertStack's dispute workflows or support channels. ExpertStack may request information from the Client, Expert, payment processor, or platform logs.

ExpertStack may mediate marketplace disputes, issue refunds or credits, adjust payouts, restrict accounts, or take other platform actions at its discretion. ExpertStack's dispute process is a marketplace support process only and does not replace legal rights or remedies users may have against each other.

ExpertStack may suspend accounts, remove Experts, freeze payouts, disable bookings, restrict access to features, remove content, cancel sessions, or terminate accounts for misuse, safety concerns, suspected fraud, payment risk, policy violations, legal compliance, or harm to the platform or other users.

Users may stop using ExpertStack at any time. Certain obligations, including payment obligations, confidentiality expectations, intellectual property terms, warranty disclaimers, liability limits, and indemnification obligations, may survive termination.

ExpertStack is provided on an "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" basis. To the fullest extent permitted by law, ExpertStack disclaims warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, statutory, or otherwise, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, non-infringement, availability, accuracy, security, and uninterrupted operation.

ExpertStack does not warrant that the platform, Experts, sessions, communications, payment flows, integrations, or recommendations will be error-free, secure, timely, reliable, or suitable for your needs.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, ExpertStack will not be liable for technical failures, code defects, implementation outcomes, business losses, lost profits, lost revenue, lost opportunities, data loss, security incidents caused by user sharing, Expert conduct, Client conduct, third-party service failures, payment processor issues, AI or technical advice, or indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages.

ExpertStack's liability for any claim related to the platform will be limited to the amount paid to ExpertStack by the user for the specific booking or service giving rise to the claim, or the minimum amount required by applicable law if a limitation is not permitted.

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless ExpertStack and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, contractors, and agents from claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses arising from your use of ExpertStack, your content, your sessions, your violation of these Terms, your violation of law, your infringement or misuse of third-party rights, your unsafe sharing of sensitive information, or disputes between you and another user.

These Terms are governed by the laws of [TBD jurisdiction], without regard to conflict of law rules. Venue and dispute forum details will be added as ExpertStack finalizes its legal operating structure.

Questions about these Terms may be sent to ExpertStack support at [ExpertStack support contact].