Terms of Service

1.1 About Us

FSTAGE EVENTS LLP, having its registered office at 576/A/7, Diamond Harbour Road, Arcadia, Kolkata - 700034, West Bengal, India ("FStage", "Company", "we", "us" or "our") owns and operates the website www.thefstage.com ("Website") and mobile applications "The FStage" (for consumers) and "The FStage Business" (for vendors) (collectively referred to as the "Platforms" or "Services").

1.2 Our Services

Through these Platforms, The FStage facilitates event management services connecting vendors who provide event-related services with consumers seeking such services. The term "User" or "Users" means any individual or entity which uses, accesses or browses the Platforms and/or avails Services from the Platforms.

1.3 Agreement Formation

These Terms of Service ("Terms") form a legally binding contract between you and The FStage in relation to your use of our Services. By downloading, installing, accessing, browsing, or using our Platforms, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any provisions of these Terms, please do not use our Services.

1.4 Electronic Record

This document is an electronic record in terms of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and rules made thereunder as may be applicable and the amended provisions pertaining to electronic records in various statutes as applicable in India. This electronic record is generated by a computer system and does not require any physical or digital signatures.

3.1 Age Requirements

You must be at least 18 years of age to use our Services. In compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18 years without verifiable parental consent. If you are under 18, you may use the Services only with the involvement of a parent or guardian.

3.2 Account Creation

To access certain features of our Services, you must create an account by providing accurate, current, and complete information as prompted by our registration process. You agree to maintain and promptly update your account information to keep it accurate, current, and complete.

4.1 Service Facilitation

The FStage acts as an intermediary platform connecting consumers with vendors. We facilitate service discovery, booking, communication, and payment processing but do not directly provide event services.

4.2 Service Quality

We implement vendor verification and rating systems to maintain service quality. However, we do not guarantee the quality, safety, or legality of services provided by vendors. Users are encouraged to review vendor profiles, ratings, and communicate directly before booking.

5.1 Payment Processing

All payments are processed through our integrated payment gateway partner (Razorpay) in compliance with Reserve Bank of India guidelines. We support multiple payment methods including UPI, credit and debit cards, net banking, digital wallets, and cash on delivery (where applicable).

5.2 Fees and Charges

For Consumers:

• Platform fee as per booking for platform usage and premium features
• Payment gateway charges as applicable
• No hidden fees; all charges are disclosed before payment confirmation

For Vendors:

• Commission percentage as per transaction value upon successful service completion
• No registration fees during the initial growth phase
• Subscription plans will be available for enhanced features in the near future

6.1 Privacy Commitment

Your privacy is important to us. Our collection, use, and protection of your personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated by reference into these Terms.

6.2 Compliance with Data Protection Laws

We comply with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, Information Technology Act, 2000 and related rules for data protection.

7.1 General Obligations

You agree to:

• Provide truthful, accurate, and complete information
• Use the Services in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations
• Respect the rights and dignity of other Users
• Maintain the security of your account and promptly report any unauthorized use

7.2 Prohibited Activities

You are prohibited from:

• Using the Services for any unlawful purpose
• Impersonating any person or entity
• Interfering with or attempting to interfere with the proper functioning of the Services
• Posting or transmitting any harassing, threatening, abusive, or defamatory content
• Engaging in any form of spam or unsolicited advertising
• Using automated scripts, bots, or other automated means to access the Services

8.1 Service Disclaimer

OUR SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

8.2 Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL THE FSTAGE BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT PAID BY YOU TO US IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE DATE THE CLAIM AROSE.

9.1 Grievance Officer

We have appointed a Grievance Officer to address your concerns:

9.2 Complaint Process

To file a complaint: (1) Submit your complaint via email with detailed description, (2) We will acknowledge receipt within 24-48 hours, (3) Investigation and resolution within 30 days as per applicable law, (4) Regular updates on complaint status until resolution.

10.1 Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India, including but not limited to Information Technology Act, 2000, Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and The Indian Contract Act, 1872.

10.2 Jurisdiction

Subject to the arbitration clause above, the courts of Kolkata, West Bengal, India shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any legal proceedings arising out of or in connection with these Terms or our Services.

11.1 Right to Modify

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. When we make material changes, we will notify you by email notification to registered users at least 30 days in advance, prominent notice on our Platforms, in-app notifications, and updating the "Last Updated" date of these Terms.

11.2 Acceptance of Changes

Your continued use of our Services after any changes indicates your acceptance of the modified Terms. If you do not agree to the modified Terms, you must stop using our Services.

12.1 Limited License

Subject to your compliance with these Terms, The FStage grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Services for your personal or business use. This license does not include any resale or commercial use of our Services or any derivative use of our Services or its contents.

12.2 Restrictions

You may not:

• Copy, modify, distribute, sell, or lease any part of our Services
• Reverse engineer or attempt to extract the source code of our Services
• Create derivative works based on our Services
• Use our Services for any illegal or unauthorized purpose
• Interfere with or circumvent the security features of our Services

13.1 Our Intellectual Property

All content, features, functionality, and technology of our Services, including but not limited to software, text, graphics, logos, button icons, images, audio clips, and data compilations, are the exclusive property of The FStage or its licensors and are protected by Indian and international copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, and other intellectual property laws.

13.2 User Content License

By posting or submitting User Content to our Services, you grant The FStage a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, copy, modify, create derivative works based upon, distribute, publicly display, publicly perform, and distribute your User Content in connection with operating and providing our Services.

13.3 Respect for Third-Party Rights

You represent and warrant that your User Content does not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of any third party. You agree to indemnify and hold The FStage harmless from any claims arising from infringement of third-party intellectual property rights.

14.1 Third-Party Service Providers

Our Services integrate with various third-party service providers, including:

• Google Firebase (authentication, analytics, cloud messaging, crashlytics)
• Razorpay (payment processing)
• Google Maps (location services)
• Hostinger (cloud storage)

14.2 Third-Party Terms

Your use of third-party services is subject to their respective terms of service and privacy policies. We are not responsible for the practices or content of these third-party services.

14.3 Links to Third-Party Websites

Our Services may contain links to third-party websites. We do not endorse, control, or assume responsibility for any third-party websites, services, or content. You acknowledge and agree that we shall not be responsible or liable for any damage or loss caused by your use of any third-party websites or services.

15.1 Consumer Rights

In compliance with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, we ensure:

• Transparent disclosure of service details, pricing, and terms
• Clear grievance redressal mechanisms
• Protection against unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements
• Right to seek compensation for defective services

15.2 E-commerce Platform Obligations

As an e-commerce platform, we:

• Disclose vendor details including business name, contact information, and registration details
• Provide clear return, refund, and cancellation policies
• Maintain records of transactions for regulatory compliance
• Establish effective mechanisms for consumer complaint resolution

17.1 Termination by You

You may terminate your account at any time by:

• Using the account deletion feature in the app
• Contacting us at info@thefstage.com
• Ceasing to use our Services

17.2 Termination by Us

We may suspend or terminate your access to our Services immediately, without prior notice, if you:

• Breach any provision of these Terms
• Engage in fraudulent or illegal activities
• Violate the rights of other Users or third parties
• Cause harm to our business, reputation, or other Users

17.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

• Your right to use our Services will cease immediately
• We may delete your account and associated data as per our Privacy Policy
• Pending transactions and obligations will remain in effect
• Provisions that by their nature should survive termination shall remain in effect

18.1 Legal Compliance Framework

These Terms are designed to comply with:

• Information Technology Act, 2000 and rules thereunder
• Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023
• Consumer Protection Act, 2019
• Reserve Bank of India guidelines for digital payments
• Google Play Store and Apple App Store policies
• Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023
• Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (where applicable)

18.2 Regulatory Changes

We regularly review and update our practices to ensure ongoing compliance with evolving legal requirements. Users will be notified of any material changes required due to regulatory developments.

19.1 Language Options

In compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, we provide important notices and terms in English and select Indian languages as specified in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India, where technically feasible.

19.2 Accessibility Features

We strive to make our Services accessible to Users with disabilities and will continue to improve accessibility features in accordance with applicable accessibility standards.