1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Cobuntu (“the Platform”), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. Cobuntu is a white-label community platform that lets community operators host their members, sell digital products, run events, and manage payments under their own brand. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the Platform.

2. Account & Authentication

2.1 Account Creation

You may create a Cobuntu account using:

• Email and password (passwords are hashed with bcrypt and never stored in plain text)
• Google OAuth (basic profile + email; Google Calendar access is optional and only requested if you opt in to event syncing)

2.2 Magic Links (Token-Based Access)

Some account-less actions are unlocked by single-use magic links sent to your email, including:

• Cancelling an event registration as a guest
• Managing a paid ticket (downloading a receipt, leaving an event)
• Accessing a digital product you bought as a guest
• Completing payment after a host approves your application to a paid event

Magic links are scoped to a specific resource and email, expire automatically (typically 14 to 30 days, capped at the event date when relevant), and are single-use semantically (re-clicking after the action is complete returns a clear “already done” state). Do not share magic-link URLs.

2.3 Guest Checkout

You can buy event tickets and digital products without creating a Cobuntu account. Stripe collects your email at checkout and we use it to deliver the receipt, ticket confirmation, and a magic-link sale-management page. If you later create an account using the same email, your past guest purchases are automatically linked to your account.

3. Communities

Each Cobuntu community is operated independently by its founder and community leaders. Cobuntu is the platform; the community is the storefront.

• Foundersare the legal operators of their community. They configure their own branding, payment processor (Stripe Connect), refund policy, member permissions, and pricing. They are responsible for the accuracy of any content published under their community’s name.
• Members agree to the rules and conduct guidelines published by each community they join, in addition to these platform-wide Terms.
• Communities can be PUBLIC (open to anyone) or MEMBERS_ONLY (gated by application or invite). Each community sets its own visibility and accessibility.

4. Products, Events & Pricing

4.1 What Can Be Sold

• Event Tickets: access to community-hosted events (online or in-person)
• Digital Products: downloadable content (eBooks, courses, templates, media)
• Recurring Subscriptions: products billed monthly or yearly via Stripe
• Community Memberships: paid access to a community’s segment(s)

4.2 Multi-Tier Pricing

Each event or product can offer multiple tiers (for example, “General Admission” and “VIP”). Each tier has its own price, optional capacity, optional registration form, and is independently sold.

4.3 Donation Tiers

Hosts can add optional donation tiers alongside ticketed tiers. Donations may be fixed-amount or buyer-chosen (with an optional minimum). Donations are not refundable on their own once paid; if the entire purchase is refunded, donations are refunded with it.

4.4 Currency

Prices are displayed in the currency configured by the host on each tier (EUR, USD, GBP, BRL, JPY, etc.). The price you pay is the price displayed at checkout, regardless of subsequent price changes. Currency conversion (if your card’s issuer charges in a different currency) is handled by your bank or card network and may include additional fees.

4.5 Per-Tier Registration Forms

Hosts may require attendees to fill in a registration form when buying a specific tier (for example, dietary restrictions, T-shirt size). Form answers are stored alongside the attendance and visible to the event host. Cobuntu does not use form answers for purposes outside the event they were collected for.

5. Event Approval Flow (Apply-Before-Pay)

Hosts may require approval for attendance to an event. When this option is enabled and the event has a paid tier:

• You apply by submitting your email and (optionally) the registration form. No payment is taken at this stage.
• Your application is recorded as PENDING and the host is notified.
• If the host approves, you receive an email with a one-time payment link valid for up to 14 days.
• If the host rejects, you receive a polite notification email and no payment is taken.

The host’s decision is final. Cobuntu does not arbitrate approval decisions.

6. Payment Processing

6.1 Stripe Connect

Payments on Cobuntu are processed by Stripe. Each community connects its own Stripe account (Stripe Connect, Standard or Express). Funds from sales are paid to the community’s connected Stripe account directly; Cobuntu never holds member funds in a custodial capacity beyond the in-flight transaction.

6.2 Platform & Processing Fees

Each community sets its own platform commission rate; this rate is configured per community on their Stripe Connect account and is not a platform-wide fixed fee. Stripe charges its standard processing fee per transaction (typically 2.9% + a fixed fee, varying by currency and region) — see Stripe’s pricing page for current rates. Where applicable, VAT and other local taxes are calculated by Stripe based on the buyer’s jurisdiction and added at checkout.

6.3 Transaction Immutability

Once a transaction is completed, the purchase record (price paid, item details, buyer email, refund status) is permanent. This protects buyers from retroactive price changes and sellers from disputed records.

7. Refund Policy

Cobuntu uses an escrow-based refund model that protects both buyers and sellers. Funds remain in an escrow window after purchase before becoming eligible for payout to the community. During this window, refunds can be processed quickly and predictably.

7.1 Event Tickets

• 7+ days before the event start: a full refund is available on request.
• Less than 7 days before the event start: refunds are no longer available (the escrow window has closed).
• After the event has started or ended: refunds are not available.
• Event cancellation by host: all paid attendees receive an automatic full refund regardless of the timing.
• Free → paid conversion: not allowed once attendees have registered. Existing free attendees are not auto-converted to paid attendees.
• Paid → free conversion: all paid attendees are automatically refunded.

7.2 Digital Products

• Within 14 days of purchase: a full refund is available on request.
• After 14 days: refunds are no longer available.
• Recurring subscriptions: no refunds for past billing periods. On cancellation, you retain access until the end of the current period and are not billed again.

7.3 How Refunds Work

• You request a refund from the event detail page (for tickets) or your purchase library (for products).
• If the request falls within the escrow window, the refund is processed automatically and immediately.
• Funds appear on your original payment method within 5–10 business days, depending on your bank.
• You receive an email confirmation when the refund is processed.
• All refunds are full refunds; partial refunds are not supported.

8. Seller / Host Obligations

• Hosts must connect a Stripe account before publishing paid products or events.
• Hosts must fulfill commitments made to attendees (deliver the event, deliver the product, honor the form requirements).
• Cobuntu maintains immutable purchase snapshots of digital products at the time of purchase, so buyers retain perpetual access even if the host later archives or modifies the original product.
• Products with completed sales cannot be permanently deleted; they may be archived (hidden from the marketplace) while preserving buyer access.
• Hosts must not cancel events without justifiable cause; cancelled events trigger automatic refunds and attendee notifications.

9. Buyer Protections

• The price you pay is locked at the time of transaction; later price changes do not affect you.
• You receive email confirmation for all purchases and refunds.
• Cobuntu’s Purchase Snapshot System guarantees perpetual access to purchased digital content via your purchase library.
• You will be notified of any significant change to an event you registered for (date, time, location).
• Cancelled events always trigger an automatic full refund to paid attendees.

10. Payouts to Communities

Cobuntu uses a two-step payout system that provides transparency for community operators:

• Payout records are created on a recurring cadence (every 2 weeks) and scheduled for processing 14 days after creation.
• Funds become eligible for payout after their escrow window expires (see Section 7).
• A minimum payout balance applies; payouts below the minimum roll over to the next cycle automatically.
• If a payout fails (e.g., Stripe transfer error, account not configured), Cobuntu logs the failure with a clear reason and creates a recovery payout in the next cycle.
• Communities can view pending, processing, completed, and failed payouts in their admin dashboard.

11. Data Retention & Deletion

• Products with purchase history cannot be permanently deleted — they are soft-deleted (hidden from the marketplace) and retained for accounting and buyer access.
• Events with ticket purchases must be soft-deleted to maintain financial audit trails.
• Free events without purchases may be permanently deleted by the host.
• Purchase records are retained permanently for legal compliance, accounting, and your purchase history.
• You may request deletion of your account and personal data — see the Privacy Policy for details.

12. Liability & Disclaimers

12.1 Host Responsibility

Product quality, event execution, and customer support are the responsibility of the host (community or individual). Cobuntu acts as a platform facilitator and is not responsible for host performance, the safety of in-person events, or the accuracy of host-provided content.

12.2 Payment Processing

Payment processing is handled by Stripe under Stripe’s own terms of service. Cobuntu is not responsible for payment processing failures, delays, or disputes that originate with Stripe or with your bank.

12.3 Event Attendance

Attendees participate in events at their own risk. The host is responsible for the logistics, safety, and execution of the event.

13. Account Termination

• You may delete your account at any time, subject to outstanding financial obligations.
• Cobuntu reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms.
• Account deletion may be restricted while you have active products, events, or payouts pending.
• Purchase and financial records are retained as required by law even after account deletion.

14. Dispute Resolution

Disputes between buyers and hosts should first be resolved directly. If you cannot reach a resolution, contact Cobuntu support at support@cobuntu.com for mediation. Cobuntu reserves the right to make final determinations on platform-policy disputes.

15. Changes to These Terms

Cobuntu may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated by email and posted here with an updated “Last updated” date. Continued use of the Platform after the change becomes effective constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.

16. Contact

For questions about these Terms, contact us at support@cobuntu.com.