Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using the DepartWith platform at departwith.com (the "Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree, you may not use the Service. These Terms form a legally binding agreement between you and DepartWith.

These Terms apply to all visitors, registered members, and subscribers. Your continued use of the Service after any updates constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

2. Eligibility & Accounts

To create an account and use DepartWith, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old. The Service is not directed at minors.
• Maintain only one active account. Creating duplicate or alias accounts is prohibited and grounds for termination.
• Provide accurate, complete, and current information when registering and keep it up to date. This includes your name, travel preferences, profile photos, and any other details you supply. False or misleading information violates these Terms.
• Keep your login credentials secure. Do not share your password with anyone. You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
• Notify us immediately at info@departwith.com if you suspect unauthorized access to your account.

DepartWith reserves the right to request proof of age or identity at any time and to suspend or terminate accounts that do not meet eligibility requirements or that we have reason to believe are fake, duplicated, or operated in bad faith.

3. What We Do and Don't Do

DepartWith is a travel companion matching platform that helps people find others to travel with. It is important to understand what that means in practice.

We do:

• Provide tools to create a travel profile, search other members by destination, travel style, and interests, and initiate contact.
• Offer filters and preferences to help you find compatible travel companions.
• Operate reporting and moderation systems to promote a safe community.

We do not:

• Arrange travel logistics. We do not book flights, hotels, transportation, tours, or any other travel services on your behalf.
• Provide travel insurance. You are solely responsible for obtaining appropriate travel, health, and trip cancellation insurance for any trip you take.
• Guarantee safety. Traveling with someone you meet online carries inherent risk. We do not guarantee the safety of any trip, meeting, or interaction with another user.
• Perform background checks on any user. We do not verify criminal history, identity documents, financial circumstances, or any other personal information supplied by users.
• Guarantee the accuracy of user-provided content. Profile information, travel plans, and any other content is self-reported. You are solely responsible for independently vetting any potential travel companion.
• Broker, facilitate, or oversee any agreements, cost-sharing arrangements, or travel plans made between users. Any such arrangements are entirely between the individuals involved.

DepartWith is an introductions platform. Any decision to travel with someone you meet through the Service is yours alone, and you assume full responsibility for that decision.

4. User Conduct & Content Standards

DepartWith is a platform for genuine travel connections. By using the Service, you agree to the following conduct standards:

• No harassment or abuse. Threatening, intimidating, stalking, bullying, or sending unwanted sexual messages to other users is prohibited.
• No spam or promotions. Do not use the messaging system or profile fields to send unsolicited promotions, advertisements, referral links, tour operator pitches, or off-platform recruitment.
• No fake or misleading profiles. Profile photos, descriptions, travel history, and other information must be accurate and your own.
• No impersonation. Do not create a profile pretending to be someone else, use another person's photos, or misrepresent your identity in any way.
• No solicitation. Do not use DepartWith to solicit money, donations, loans, or financial contributions from other users under the guise of travel companionship.
• No sharing others' private information. Do not disclose messages, photos, travel itineraries, or personal details shared by other users outside the platform without their explicit consent.
• No automated tools. Bots, scrapers, crawlers, and other automated systems are not permitted without our prior written authorization.
• Respectful behavior. Interactions must be respectful. Discriminatory language or behavior based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, or any other protected characteristic is not permitted.
• No illegal activity. Do not use DepartWith to plan, coordinate, or facilitate any activity that violates applicable local, state, federal, or international law, including but not limited to drug trafficking, smuggling, fraud, or human trafficking.
• No circumventing safety features. Do not attempt to bypass our verification systems, reporting mechanisms, or moderation tools.

We reserve the right to investigate potential violations and take appropriate action, including removing content, suspending accounts, or permanently banning users who violate these standards.

5. Safety, Reporting & Moderation

Your safety is important to us. DepartWith provides tools to help keep the community safe:

• Report tool: You can report any profile, message, or content that appears to violate these Terms. Reports are reviewed by our team.
• Block tool: You can block any user at any time to prevent further contact.
• Moderation: We triage all reports and may take action including content removal, account suspension, or permanent bans depending on the severity and nature of the violation.
• No guarantee of real-time moderation: We do our best to respond to reports promptly, but we cannot monitor all user activity in real time and do not guarantee that all harmful content will be identified and removed immediately.
• Law enforcement cooperation: We will cooperate with law enforcement agencies and comply with valid legal process, including court orders and subpoenas, when required by law.

Meet safely. If you decide to meet a travel companion in person, always meet in a public place first. Share your travel plans and companion details with a trusted friend or family member. Trust your instincts and do not feel obligated to continue a trip if you feel unsafe at any point.

If you are in immediate danger, contact local emergency services. For urgent safety concerns on the platform, email info@departwith.com with "URGENT" in the subject line.

6. User Content & Intellectual Property

You retain ownership of all content you post on DepartWith, including photos, profile text, trip descriptions, and messages. By uploading content to the platform, you grant DepartWith a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to display, reproduce, and distribute that content solely for the purpose of operating and improving the Service.

This license ends when you delete the content or close your account, except where your content has already been shared with other users (for example, messages already delivered) or where retention is required by law.

You represent and warrant that you own or have the necessary rights to all content you post, and that your content does not infringe any third party's intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or any applicable law. Content that is illegal, violates these Terms, or infringes intellectual property rights may be removed without notice.

All DepartWith brand assets, platform design, software, and original content remain the exclusive property of DepartWith. You may not copy, modify, or redistribute any part of the Service without our written permission.

7. Premium Memberships & Payments

DepartWith may offer premium features through paid subscription plans. If you choose to subscribe:

• Billing: Subscriptions are billed on a recurring basis (monthly or annually, depending on your chosen plan). By subscribing, you authorize us to charge your payment method at the start of each billing cycle.
• Auto-renewal: Subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each billing period unless you cancel before the renewal date. You will be charged at the then-current rate for your plan.
• Cancellation: You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. You will retain access to premium features until that date.
• Refunds: Subscription fees are generally non-refundable except where required by applicable law. If you believe you were charged in error, contact us at info@departwith.com within 14 days of the charge and we will investigate.
• Price changes: We may adjust subscription pricing with at least 30 days' advance notice. Continued use of the Service after the effective date of a price change constitutes your acceptance of the new pricing.
• Free features: Some features will remain free. We will always make clear which features require a paid plan before asking you to subscribe.

8. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, DepartWith and its officers, directors, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or related to your use of the Service. This includes, without limitation:

• Personal injury, illness, theft, property damage, or any other harm that occurs during travel with a companion you met through DepartWith.
• Financial losses arising from cost-sharing disputes, trip cancellations, or fraud by another user.
• Emotional distress, harassment, or any negative experience arising from interactions with other users, whether online or in person.
• Loss of data, profits, goodwill, or other intangible losses related to your use of the Service.
• Any actions, omissions, or conduct of other users, whether on or off the platform.

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free, or that any user information is accurate or complete.

You are solely responsible for your own travel safety, including researching destinations, obtaining appropriate insurance, following local laws, and exercising sound personal judgment when meeting or traveling with someone from the platform.

In no event shall our total liability to you for all claims arising from or related to the Service exceed the greater of (a) the amount you have paid us in the twelve months preceding the claim, or (b) one hundred US dollars ($100).

9. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless DepartWith and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to:

• Your use of the Service, including any trips, meetings, or arrangements you enter into with other users.
• Content you post, upload, or transmit through the platform.
• Your violation of these Terms or any applicable law or regulation.
• Your violation of any rights of another person, including other users of the Service.
• Any dispute between you and another user arising from travel arrangements made through the platform.

This indemnification obligation survives termination of your account and these Terms.

10. Dispute Resolution

Informal resolution first. We encourage you to reach out to us directly at info@departwith.com to resolve any concern informally. Most issues can be addressed quickly through direct communication.

Binding arbitration. If informal resolution is not possible within 30 days, any dispute arising under or related to these Terms shall be resolved through binding arbitration administered in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. The arbitration shall be conducted in English in the State of California.

Class action waiver. You agree that any dispute resolution proceedings will be conducted on an individual basis only -- not as part of any class, consolidated, or representative action. You waive any right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration against DepartWith.

Nothing in this section prevents either party from seeking emergency injunctive relief from a court of competent jurisdiction to protect confidential information or intellectual property rights.

11. Termination

By you: You may close your account at any time through your account settings or by contacting us at info@departwith.com. Upon deletion, your profile and associated data will be removed in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

By us: We may suspend or terminate your account at any time if you violate these Terms, engage in conduct that harms other users or the integrity of the platform, or if we are required to do so by law. We will endeavor to notify you when practical, but reserve the right to act immediately in cases of serious violations.

Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately. Sections of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination will remain in effect, including Sections 6 (User Content), 8 (Limitation of Liability), 9 (Indemnification), and 10 (Dispute Resolution).

12. Changes to Terms

We may revise these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our practices, or the features of the Service. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and notify you by email or an in-app notice before the changes take effect.

Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of any revision constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, you should stop using the Service and delete your account.

13. Governing Law

These Terms and any disputes arising from or related to them or the Service shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. To the extent that litigation is permitted under these Terms, you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state and federal courts located in the State of California.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or feedback about these Terms of Service, please get in touch:

Email: info@departwith.com

We aim to respond to all inquiries within 3 business days.