Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing and using Chefs.Video ("the Service"), you accept and agree to be bound by the terms and provision of this agreement. If you do not agree to these Terms of Service, please do not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

Chefs.Video is a live video collaboration marketplace that connects creators, entrepreneurs, and consultants ("Chefs") with talent ("Participants") for instant real-time collaboration. Chefs create rooms, Participants join instantly, and everyone collaborates via video and screen sharing.

3. User Roles and Responsibilities

For Chefs (Room Creators)

• You are responsible for creating clear room descriptions and requirements
• You understand that you will be charged for every second that Participants spend in your room
• You must have valid payment methods on file before creating rooms
• You are responsible for monitoring who joins your room and may remove unwanted Participants at any time
• You agree to pay for all time accrued during the session, calculated automatically by the platform
• You may not dispute legitimate charges for Participant time spent in your rooms

For Participants (Talent)

• You warrant that you have the skills and expertise relevant to rooms you join
• You understand that you earn money automatically for every second spent in rooms
• You agree to contribute meaningfully to sessions you join
• You may not join rooms solely to accumulate time without providing value
• You may be removed from rooms by Chefs at any time
• You must set up a valid Stripe Connect account to receive payouts

4. Pricing and Payment Terms

Pricing Model

• Usage-based pricing: $0.005 per second per Participant (equivalent to $0.30/minute or $18/hour per Participant)
• Example: A 2-hour session with 3 Participants costs the Chef $108 (3 Participants × $18/hour × 2 hours)
• Time is calculated from the moment a Participant joins until they leave the room
• The Chef who created the room is responsible for all Participant costs
• Chefs are NOT charged for their own time in the room, only for Participants' time

Platform Fees

• Chefs.Video charges a 40% platform fee on all earnings
• Participants receive 60% of the $0.005/second rate ($0.003/second net)
• Platform fee covers: video infrastructure, payment processing, recordings, referral program, and platform maintenance

Chef Payment Terms

• Chefs must have a valid payment method (credit card) on file via Stripe
• Charges are processed automatically after each session ends
• You will receive an itemized receipt showing total time and cost per Participant
• Failed payments may result in account suspension until resolved
• Chefs are billed for ALL Participant time, even if the room ends unexpectedly

Participant Payout Terms

• Earnings are calculated in real-time as you spend time in rooms
• Earnings become "pending" until the Chef's payment is successfully processed
• Once Chef payment succeeds, your earnings move to "ready for payout"
• Minimum payout amount: $10.00
• Payouts are processed via Stripe Connect to your connected bank account
• Payout requests are typically processed within 2-4 business days
• If a Chef's payment fails, associated Participant earnings may be delayed or forfeited (platform assumes no liability)

5. Referral Program

• Users may refer new Chefs (room creators) via unique referral links
• Referrers earn 10% of the platform's 30% fee when referred Chefs create rooms
• Referral earnings are tracked for 1 year from the referred Chef's first payment
• After 1 year, referred Chefs can choose to continue paying their referrer or not
• Referral earnings are paid monthly via Stripe Connect
• Minimum referral payout: $10.00
• Gaming the referral system (fake accounts, self-referrals) results in immediate termination and forfeiture of earnings

6. Recording and Privacy

• All video conference sessions are automatically recorded
• By joining any room, you explicitly consent to session recording
• Recordings are stored securely on Cloudflare R2
• Recordings are accessible to all Participants who were in the session
• The Chef who created the room has full access to all recordings
• Users must not share confidential information without proper agreements in place
• Chefs.Video is not responsible for information disclosed during sessions
• Recordings may be used by Chefs.Video for dispute resolution and quality assurance
• Users may not download or share recordings outside the platform without consent from all Participants

7. Intellectual Property

• Work created during sessions becomes the property of the Chef who paid for the session, unless otherwise agreed
• Participants may showcase work in portfolios unless NDA is in place
• Users retain ownership of any pre-existing intellectual property
• Users are responsible for negotiating separate IP agreements if needed
• Chefs.Video retains all rights to the platform, technology, and branding

8. Prohibited Conduct

Users may not:

• Use the Service for any illegal purpose
• Harass, abuse, or harm other users
• Join rooms solely to accumulate earnings without providing value
• Create rooms without intention to pay for Participant time
• Circumvent payment systems or dispute legitimate charges
• Create multiple accounts to abuse promotions, referrals, or services
• Share account credentials with others
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the platform
• Record sessions outside the platform's built-in recording
• Share session recordings without consent from all Participants
• Impersonate other users or misrepresent qualifications

9. Dispute Resolution

• Users agree to attempt good-faith resolution of disputes directly
• Session recordings serve as primary evidence in dispute resolution
• Disputes about time spent in rooms will be resolved using platform logs and recordings
• Chefs.Video reserves the right to mediate disputes and make final decisions
• Chefs may dispute charges within 7 days if they can prove Participants did not provide value
• Participants may dispute withheld earnings within 7 days
• Users may pursue legal action after exhausting platform dispute resolution

10. Chargebacks and Refunds

• All charges are final once a session ends
• Chefs acknowledge that time-based charges are non-refundable
• Filing a chargeback instead of using dispute resolution will result in immediate account termination
• Chefs.Video will provide transaction evidence (logs, recordings) to payment processors for chargeback disputes
• Refunds may be issued at Chefs.Video's sole discretion in cases of platform errors or technical failures

11. Limitation of Liability

Chefs.Video is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We are not responsible for:

• Quality of work or interactions between users
• Disputes between Chefs and Participants
• Loss of data, recordings, or service interruptions
• Failed payments or delayed payouts due to payment processor issues
• Participant earnings if Chef payment fails
• Accuracy of time tracking (though we make best efforts)
• Consequential damages arising from use of the Service
• Content shared or created during sessions
• Intellectual property disputes between users

Maximum Liability: Chefs.Video's total liability shall not exceed the fees paid by you in the 3 months prior to the claim.

12. Account Termination

Chefs.Video reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms of Service. Reasons for termination include but are not limited to:

• Repeated payment failures (for Chefs)
• Fraudulent activity or abuse of the platform
• Violation of prohibited conduct rules
• Gaming the referral system
• Harassment or abuse of other users

Users may close their accounts at any time. Upon closure:

• Pending earnings will be paid out if above minimum threshold
• Outstanding Chef payments must be settled before closure
• Access to session recordings will be revoked after 30 days

13. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms of Service at any time. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the new terms. Material changes will be communicated via email. Pricing changes will be announced at least 30 days in advance.

14. Contact

For questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us at support@chefs.video