Terms of Service

Last updated: 27 May 2026

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the Joiyin mobile app and website (the “Service”), operated by Phokasa, a sole proprietorship doing business as Joiyin (“Joiyin,” “we,” “us,” “our”). By accessing or using the Service, you agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use.

Language. The English version of these Terms controls. Translations, if any, are provided for convenience only.

1. Definitions

• “Joiyin,” “we,” “us,” “our”: Phokasa, the operator of the Service.
• “User,” “you,” “your”: any individual or entity accessing or using the Service.
• “Content”: text, images, video, audio, or other materials uploaded or provided by Users.
• “Activities”: events, gatherings, or meetups organized or joined through the Service.
• “Credits” or “Joiys”: virtual in-app currency with no cash value, as described in Section 11.

2. Eligibility & Account Registration

1. Age Requirement. You must be at least 18 years old to use the Service.
2. Accurate Information. You agree to provide and maintain truthful, current, and complete account details.
3. Account Security. You are responsible for safeguarding your credentials and any device used to access the Service.

3. Role of the Platform

Joiyin is a technology platform that helps Users discover, organize, and coordinate real-world Activities. We are not a party to your interactions with other Users and we do not organize, host, supervise, or control Activities.

• No agency. Nothing in these Terms creates a partnership, joint venture, employment, or agency relationship between Joiyin and any User, activity creator, or participant.
• Users are responsible. Activity creators and participants are solely responsible for their conduct, compliance with law, and safety at in-person meetups.
• No endorsement. Listing or discovery of an Activity does not mean we endorse it, verify participants, or guarantee outcomes.

4. User Conduct

You agree not to:

• Post or share Content that is illegal, infringing, defamatory, obscene, hateful, or otherwise objectionable.
• Harass, intimidate, or discriminate against others.
• Use the Service for illegal activities or to facilitate any wrongdoing.
• Disrupt or interfere with the Service or related networks or servers.

5. Activities

When creating or joining Activities, you must:

• Provide accurate details (time, location, description).
• Honor commitments—show up or cancel with reasonable notice.
• Comply with applicable laws, venue rules, and community guidelines.

Activity Participation Monitoring: We automatically log when you join or leave activities, including approximate device location (rounded to 1 km grid), IP address, and basic device information. This data is used for security investigations, trust score calculations, and abuse prevention, with logs retained for 60 days and accessible only to authorized administrators.

Safety Disclaimers for Real-World Meetups:

• Personal Safety Responsibility. You are solely responsible for your safety when attending real-world activities. We do not verify user identities, conduct background checks, or guarantee the safety of any Activity or participant.
• Assumption of Risk. You voluntarily assume all risks associated with meeting strangers in person, including illness, injury, theft, harassment, or other harm.
• Meet in Public Places. Always meet in well-lit, public locations, especially for first-time meetups. Never share your home address or meet at private residences with strangers.
• Trust Your Instincts. If something feels unsafe or uncomfortable, leave immediately and report the Activity or user to our moderation team.
• Emergency Contact. Inform a trusted friend or family member of your plans, including location, time, and expected return.
• No Liability for Meetups. Joiyin provides tools to coordinate Activities only. We are not responsible for the conduct of Users, the safety of Activities, or any harm that occurs during real-world meetups. You participate at your own risk.

6. User Content & Licenses

1. Ownership. You retain ownership of any Content you submit.
2. License Grant. You grant us a worldwide, royalty‑free, sublicensable license to use, display, reproduce, distribute, and create derivative works of your Content to operate and improve the Service.
3. Feedback. Suggestions or ideas you provide become our sole property.

7. Copyright & Notice Policy

Joiyin complies with copyright laws in jurisdictions where we operate. To report copyright infringement, submit a notice that includes:

1. Identification of the copyrighted work.
2. Location of infringing Content (URL or description).
3. Your contact details.
4. A statement that you believe the use is unauthorized and that you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.

Canadian Notice-and-Notice (Primary): As a Canadian operator, we comply with Canada’s Notice-and-Notice regime under the Copyright Act. For copyright notices:

• Email: legal@joiyin.com
• Subject: Copyright Infringement Notice

We will forward notices to the alleged infringer as required by Canadian law and may remove or disable access to infringing content.

Other Jurisdictions: For users in other jurisdictions (including the U.S. under DMCA), we will process notices per applicable local laws and may require additional information as mandated by those laws.

8. Third-Party Integrations

We integrate or link to various third-party services, including but not limited to:

• Maps via OpenStreetMap — map data is provided by OpenStreetMap contributors and subject to their license terms. We display attribution as required.
• Backend via Supabase (authentication, database, storage).
• Payments: Stripe (web checkout for Joiys where offered); Apple App Store and Google Play in-app purchases on native apps.
• Analytics & Notifications (e.g., Sentry, Firebase, OneSignal).

Each third party has its own terms and privacy practices, which govern your use of their services.

9. Community Moderation

9.1 Activity Creator Controls

As an activity creator, you have moderation rights over your activities:

• Participant Removal: You may remove any participant from your activities at your discretion
• Ban Enforcement: Removed users cannot rejoin the same activity
• Responsible Use: You must not use these powers in a discriminatory manner (based on protected characteristics) or to violate these Terms
• No Refunds: Removing users does not entitle them to refunds of any Joiys or other Credits spent

9.2 User Reporting System

All users may report other users for violations of these Terms:

• What to Report: Offensive profiles, spam, harassment, inappropriate behavior, fake profiles, or other violations
• How Reports Work: Reports are reviewed by our moderation team. Multiple reports from different users may trigger priority review
• False Reporting: Submitting false or malicious reports may result in penalties, including suspension or permanent ban
• No Guarantee of Action: We review all reports but reserve the right to determine appropriate action in our sole discretion

9.3 Our Moderation Actions

We reserve the right to take the following actions without prior notice:

• Issue warnings for minor violations
• Temporarily suspend accounts (3, 7, 14, or 30 days)
• Permanently ban accounts for serious or repeated violations
• Remove content that violates these Terms
• Apply trust score penalties
• Restrict access to certain features
• Report illegal activity to law enforcement

Grounds for Action: Violations of these Terms, illegal activity, harassment, spam, fake profiles, impersonation, hate speech, or any behavior that threatens community safety.

9.4 Appeals Process

If you believe a moderation action was taken in error:

1. Email support@joiyin.com with your username and description of the issue
2. Include relevant context and evidence
3. We will review appeals within 5 business days
4. Appeal decisions are final

Limitations: We do not provide appeals for activity creator removal decisions (contact the creator directly), permanent bans for severe violations, or automated spam detection removals.

9.5 Data Access for Moderation

By using Joiyin, you acknowledge that moderators may review reported content and user activity patterns; your messages, profile, and activity may be reviewed if reported; moderation data may be retained even after content deletion; and we may cooperate with law enforcement investigations.

10. Fees, Payments & Taxes

We may monetize through advertisements, sponsored Activities, subscriptions, in-app purchases, or transaction fees on paid Activities.

Payment channels

• On iOS, digital Credits must be purchased through Apple In-App Purchase where required by Apple’s policies—you may not use alternative payment methods in the iOS app for the same digital goods.
• You are responsible for applicable taxes, duties, or currency fees.
• Pricing and taxes for store purchases are set by Apple or Google and may vary by region.

Refunds — general

Refund eligibility depends on the payment channel, applicable law, and these Terms. Credits are not cash and cannot be redeemed for money except as required by law or store policy.

Refunds — Stripe (web)

• Voluntary refunds. If we or Stripe issue a refund for a web purchase (e.g., customer support), payment is returned through Stripe. Unless we state otherwise for a specific case, Joiys already credited to your account are generally not deducted when a goodwill refund is issued; the refund is recorded in our systems for audit purposes.
• Chargebacks and fraud. If a payment is reversed due to chargeback, fraud, or unauthorized use, we may suspend your account, adjust or remove Joiys credited from that purchase, and reverse associated in-app benefits.
• How to request. Contact support@joiyin.com with your account email and purchase details.

Refunds — Apple and Google (in-app)

In-app purchases are billed by Apple or Google. Refund requests must be made through the App Store or Google Play refund processes, subject to their policies and applicable law. We do not control store billing systems.

Restore purchases (mobile)

Where supported by your device and our app version, you may use Restore Purchases to recover consumable entitlements tied to your store account after reinstall or device change, subject to platform rules and our verification systems.

11. Virtual Credits & Purchases

Nature of Credits

• Credits (including “Joiys”) are a limited, revocable license to access in‑app digital features (e.g., boosts, gifts). Credits are NOT fiat currency, securities, real money, or property of any kind. Credits have no cash value and are non‑redeemable for cash or any real-world currency except as required by law.
• Credits exist only within the Service. We may modify, suspend, or discontinue Credits and Credit‑based features at any time.

Purchasing & Pricing

• Mobile purchases use Apple/Google in‑app billing; web purchases use Stripe where available.
• Except where refunds are required by applicable law or store policy, purchases are final once Credits are delivered.

Earning & Promotions

• You may earn promotional Credits through engagement or events. Promotional Credits may expire. Purchased Credits do not expire unless we announce otherwise.

Transfers & Fees

• Credits may only be transferred within the platform where enabled. Transfers may incur a fee and are subject to limits and abuse review.

Transaction Logging

All Joiys purchases, gifts, and transfers are logged for fraud prevention, dispute resolution, compliance, and system integrity. Logs may include purchase amount, currency, payment method indicators (e.g., last four digits for cards), timestamp, status, and internal user identifiers. Retention: see our Privacy Policy. Logs are not sold; disclosure only as described in the Privacy Policy or required by law.

Joiys Are Not Legal Tender

Joiys cannot be exchanged for fiat currency, withdrawn, or treated as investments.

Prohibited Conduct

You may not sell, barter, or exchange Credits for real money or goods outside the Service. Using stolen or fraudulent payment methods is prohibited and may result in immediate termination.

Platform Rights

We may adjust, remove, or reset Credits to correct errors or address abuse, and may suspend or terminate accounts engaged in prohibited activity.

Chargebacks & Reversals

• Stripe goodwill refunds: See Section 10 — Joiys are generally not clawed back.
• Fraud, chargeback, or abuse: We may claw back Credits, reverse in-app benefits, and terminate accounts.

12. Privacy

Your use of the Service is subject to our Privacy Policy, including activity participation logs, virtual currency transaction logs, security logs, and administrative audit logs. Please review it for retention periods, your rights, and how we protect your information.

13. Termination

• By You: You may deactivate your account at any time.
• By Us: We may suspend or terminate your access for violations of these Terms or for any lawful reason, with or without notice.

14. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

15. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, PHOKASA AND ITS AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS ARE NOT LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, OR GOODWILL, ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE OR ANY IN-PERSON ACTIVITY, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) CAD $100 OR (B) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US FOR THE SERVICE IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM.

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations; in those cases, our liability is limited to the maximum permitted by law.

16. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Phokasa, its affiliates, officers, directors, and employees from any claim arising from your breach of these Terms, your Content, your Activities, or your use of the Service.

17. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada, without regard to conflict-of-law rules.

Informal resolution. Before filing a claim, you agree to contact legal@joiyin.com and attempt to resolve the dispute informally for at least 30 days.

Arbitration. Except for small claims court matters, disputes shall be resolved by final, binding arbitration under the Canadian Arbitration Association rules in Ontario, unless prohibited by applicable consumer protection law.

Small Claims. You may pursue individual claims in small claims court in Ontario if your claim qualifies.

Class actions. To the extent permitted by law, disputes are brought only on an individual basis.

18. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms to reflect changes in the Service or legal requirements. We will post the updated Terms with a new “Last updated” date and, where required, provide additional notice (e.g., in-app or email). Material changes may require your renewed acceptance where our systems support it. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance unless applicable law requires otherwise.

19. Severability & Entire Agreement

If any provision is invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Phokasa regarding the Service.

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