Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account or using Sparkle Care, you agree to these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. If you don't agree to these terms, please do not use our platform. We may update these terms from time to time; continued use of the platform means you accept the updated terms.

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account. If you are under 18, you may only use Sparkle Care with the involvement and consent of a parent or guardian.

2. Description of Service

Sparkle Care is a peer support community for family caregivers. Through small groups called Sparkle Circles, we connect caregivers with others who understand their experience.

Our Service Tiers

• Free: Browse community forums, read shared resources, and explore the platform at no cost.
• Stay Awhile ($25/month): Join a Sparkle Circle (6-10 caregivers), participate in weekly group video calls, and access private community messaging.
• Grab A Chair ($55/month): Everything in Stay Awhile, plus 1:1 coaching sessions, personalized care coordination support, priority Circle matching, and exclusive member events.

Sparkle Care is a peer community, not a clinical or therapeutic service. We do not provide medical advice, mental health treatment, or professional counseling.

3. Subscriptions & Billing

Billing

Subscription fees are billed monthly in advance. Payment is processed securely through Stripe. Prices are listed in US dollars and may be changed with 30 days' notice before your next billing cycle.

Cancellation

You may cancel your subscription at any time. Your access will continue through the end of the current billing period. After that, your account will revert to the Free tier. We don't prorate refunds for partial months, but you won't be charged again after cancellation.

Refunds

Subscription fees are non-refundable once charged. If you believe there has been a billing error, contact us within 30 days at sparkle-care@polsia.app and we'll review your case.

Price Changes

If we change our pricing, we'll notify you by email at least 30 days before the change takes effect. Your existing rate is locked until your next renewal date.

4. Digital Products

Some content on Sparkle Care, such as the Caregiver Burnout Recovery Toolkit, is sold as a digital product through Gumroad. When you purchase a digital product:

• You receive instant access to download or access the content.
• Digital products are delivered electronically and are generally non-refundable once downloaded or accessed, as they cannot be "returned."
• For issues with a digital product (e.g., a broken download link), contact us and we'll make it right.

Gumroad's terms apply to the purchase transaction. Sparkle Care is responsible for the content and quality of the digital products we sell.

5. Acceptable Use

Sparkle Care exists to support caregivers. We expect all members to behave with respect and kindness. The following are not permitted:

• Harassment or bullying of any kind, including within Sparkle Circles.
• Providing medical advice to other members. You may share your own experience, but you are not a healthcare provider and should not present yourself as one.
• Hate speech, discrimination, or threats of any kind.
• Sharing other members' personal information outside the platform without their consent.
• Spam, commercial solicitation, or advertising within Circle spaces.
• Impersonating any person, organization, or entity.
• Using the platform to distribute harmful, illegal, or malicious content.

Violations of this policy may result in removal from your Circle, suspension of your account, or permanent termination. We take these violations seriously. If you witness a violation, please report it to us at sparkle-care@polsia.app.

6. User-Generated Content

Content you post within your Sparkle Circle (messages, shared resources, etc.) belongs to you. However, by posting on Sparkle Care, you grant us a limited license to store, display, and process that content as necessary to provide the service.

Your Circle content is private. It is visible only to members of your Circle. We do not share, sell, or publicly display Circle content.

You are responsible for the content you post. You represent that you have the right to share any content you post and that it does not violate these Terms or the rights of any third party.

If you delete your account, your messages within Circles will be removed along with your other personal data, subject to our data retention obligations.

7. Medical Disclaimer

If you or someone you care for is in a mental health crisis, please contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or call 911 immediately. If you have a medical emergency, seek professional medical care without delay.

The experiences shared within Sparkle Circles are personal perspectives and should not be treated as medical guidance. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making medical decisions.

Nothing in these terms limits any rights you may have under applicable consumer protection law.

8. Limitation of Liability

Sparkle Care is not responsible for the actions, advice, or outcomes of interactions between members. Your participation in a Sparkle Circle is at your own discretion and risk.

We do not guarantee any specific outcomes from using our platform. We are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of Sparkle Care, including but not limited to:

• Actions taken by other members of your Circle
• Decisions made based on content shared within the community
• Technical failures, downtime, or data loss (though we use commercially reasonable efforts to prevent these)

Our total liability for any claim arising from your use of Sparkle Care is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim.

9. Account Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account if:

• You violate these Terms or our Acceptable Use policy
• You engage in fraudulent or illegal activity
• You repeatedly harass or harm other members
• We are required to do so by law

We will make reasonable efforts to notify you before termination when appropriate. You may also delete your account at any time from your account settings. Deleting your account removes your personal data per our Privacy Policy.

Termination of your account does not affect any accrued rights or obligations.

10. Dispute Resolution

These terms are governed by the laws of the United States. If a dispute arises between you and Sparkle Care, we encourage you to contact us first at sparkle-care@polsia.app so we can try to resolve it directly.

If we cannot resolve a dispute informally, you agree that any dispute will be resolved in the courts of the United States. You waive any objection to jurisdiction or venue in those courts.

No class action: You agree that any dispute resolution will be conducted on an individual basis and not as part of a class action or representative proceeding.

11. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms of Service from time to time. If we make material changes, we'll notify you by posting a notice on our website and/or sending an email to the address associated with your account.

Material changes will take effect 30 days after the notice is posted. Your continued use of Sparkle Care after that period means you accept the updated terms. If you don't agree to changes, you can delete your account before the changes take effect.

12. Contact Us

Questions about these terms? We're happy to help.