Terms and Conditions

General Use and Conduct

Effective Date: June 18, 2025

Welcome to Our Village (“the App”). By creating an account, browsing, or using the App in any way, you agree to the following Terms of Service and Code of Conduct. If you do not agree, please do not use the App.

1. User Responsibilities

You agree to:

Provide accurate, complete, and up-to-date information in your profile
Use the App only for its intended purposes
Comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws (including those of Texas)

2. Code of Conduct

We are committed to maintaining a safe and respectful community. By using the App, you agree not to:

Harassment & Discrimination

Harass, threaten, or intimidate any user, whether through language, behavior, or repeated unwanted contact
Discriminate based on race, gender, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, or any protected status

Solicitation & Misuse

Solicit services or compensation outside of the job description without mutual agreement
Promote, encourage, or solicit activity that violates Texas law or U.S. law
Offer or request illegal services or engage in unlawful transactions

Profile Integrity

Create a false or misleading profile or impersonate another person or entity
Use another user’s account or share your login credentials with others

Interference

Attempt to interfere with the operation of the App, its servers, or networks
Upload viruses or harmful code, or engage in data mining or scraping

3. Content Guidelines

All content shared through your profile, messages, or any part of the App must:

Be respectful and appropriate for all audiences
Not include explicit, graphic, or offensive material
Not promote any form of hate, violence, or illegal activity

4. Enforcement

Violation of these terms may result in:

Temporary or permanent suspension of your account
Removal of content or reports from your profile
Referral to law enforcement if applicable

We reserve the right to review and moderate user behavior at our sole discretion.

5. Reporting

If you encounter behavior or content that violates these terms, please report it to our support team at: helpdesk@ourvillageapp.org

6. Modifications

We may update these Terms at any time. Continued use of the App after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

7. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to conflict of law principles.

For Providers

By registering as a service provider on our platform, you agree to abide by the following terms and conditions. These rules are in place to maintain a safe, professional, and respectful environment for all users.

1. Profile and Contact Information

You may not include any personal contact information such as email addresses, phone numbers, social media handles, websites, or any external links in your profile or bio.
Any profile found in violation of this rule will be subject to immediate deactivation without prior notice.

2. Profile Image Requirements

All profile photos must be:
- A clear, well-lit, and recent image of yourself.
- Professional in appearance — no filters, sunglasses, group photos, or obscured faces.
Failure to maintain a professional image may result in your profile being flagged or removed.

3. Professional Conduct

Providers are expected to:
- Arrive on time for all scheduled jobs.
- Maintain appropriate personal hygiene and clean, suitable attire.
- Act in a professional and respectful manner at all times.
Repeated lateness, cancellations, or reports of unprofessional behavior may result in removal from the platform.

4. Appropriate Messaging and Use of Platform

Any use of the messaging system for:
- Inappropriate, harassing, or offensive communication
- Illegal activity
- Soliciting users for services outside the scope of the platform
  will result in immediate suspension or permanent removal.
Our messaging system is monitored and subject to moderation to ensure compliance with community guidelines.

5. Grounds for Termination

We reserve the right to remove or deactivate provider accounts at our sole discretion for any of the following reasons:

Violation of any terms outlined in this document.
Multiple complaints or negative reviews from clients.
Attempting to circumvent the platform to arrange off-app transactions where prohibited.

6. Modifications to Terms

These Terms of Service may be updated periodically. Providers will be notified of any major changes. Continued use of the platform implies acceptance of the updated terms.

7. Background Checks

All providers on the Our Village app are required to have a current background check and/or driving record check upon sign up. If a provider has completed a background check in the last 12 months, send proof to helpdesk@ourvillageapp.org to waive the background check requirement.

Background checks are non-refundable and range from $15 to $25 depending on your services offered. If a background check returns criminal or other history as deemed ineligible for participation, a provider may not offer services on Our Village. Background checks that come back with a criminal or other record that violates our terms of service, the payment will not be refunded.

Our Village reserves the right to determine, at any time, a providers eligibility to offer services on the platform.

For Seekers

Village Perks Program

Overview
Village Perks (“Program”) is our loyalty and rewards program for registered Village Seekers. Eligible actions in the Our Village app earn points (“Points”) that can be redeemed for in-app discounts or third-party gift cards, subject to these Terms.

Earning Points
Points are awarded for completing qualifying activities, including but not limited to:

Completing your profile (10 Points)
Hiring a Village Provider (5 Points per $20 spent, rounded down)
Paying through the app (2 Points per completed transaction)
Leaving a review (2 Points)
Successful referral of a new user (5 Points)
Purchasing from a listed business (2 Points)
Submitting an approved video testimonial (10 Points)

Points may be delayed, withheld, or reversed for cancellations, refunds, chargebacks, suspected abuse, or error.

First Job Reward
To celebrate your first completed job, you will receive a guaranteed, non-random bonus reward (amount displayed in-app) credited when the job is marked complete.

Point Value

In-app discounts or job posts: $0.10 per Point
Third-party gift cards: $0.05 per Point
Points have no cash value and cannot be redeemed for money.
Points do not expire; however, the Program may be modified or ended at any time as described in 5.7.

Gift Cards
When you redeem Points for a third-party gift card, the card is issued by that merchant and subject to their terms, including any applicable expiration dates, fees, and Texas low-balance cash-out rights for amounts under $2.50 if redeemed in person. Our Village is not the card issuer and is not responsible for merchant performance.

Tiers
The Program offers tier levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) with escalating rewards. Tier thresholds and benefits are listed in the in-app Village Perks section and may change without notice.

Program Changes
We may change, suspend, or terminate Village Perks at any time. Material changes will be posted in-app or on our website. If the Program ends, we may provide a redemption window.

In-App Payment

Our Village partners with Stripe to process payments. Payments made in-app will be distributed to the Provider ASAP, typically within 2 business days.

Why do you charge a 5% processing fee?

Stripe charges a 2.9% processing fee for credit card transactions. 2.1% covers the cost of labor and tools to distribute the payment to the Provider.