Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Ask Kinsley ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

Ask Kinsley provides a platform connecting current and prospective college students with alumni who can share their experiences and advice through paid video calls. We also provide college ROI data including Value Scores, earnings projections, and cost comparisons.

3. User Accounts

• You must provide accurate and complete information when creating an account.
• You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials.
• You must be at least 13 years old to use the Service.
• One person may not maintain more than one account.

4. Alumni Experts

If you register as an alumni expert, you agree to:

• Provide truthful information about your education, career, and experience.
• Respond to booking requests in a timely manner.
• Conduct calls professionally and respectfully.
• Not provide financial, legal, medical, or other professional advice for which a license is required.
• Complete Stripe onboarding to receive payouts.

Alumni profiles may include a verification badge indicating that their identity and/or credentials have been verified through LinkedIn or other means. Verification does not constitute an endorsement by Ask Kinsley.

5. Students & Bookings

If you book a call as a student, you agree to:

• Show up on time for confirmed calls.
• Treat alumni experts with respect during calls.
• Understand that alumni share personal experiences and opinions, not professional advice.

6. Payments, Escrow & Refunds

• All payments are processed securely through Stripe. By making a payment, you agree to Stripe's terms of service.
• Call prices are displayed before booking. The total amount includes a platform fee retained by Ask Kinsley, with the remainder going to the alumni expert.
• Escrow: When a student pays for a call, the funds are held in escrow by Ask Kinsley. Payment is not released to the alumni expert until the call has been verified.
• Call verification: After a call ends, our system analyzes the conversation to confirm it was a genuine, complete discussion. High-quality calls where the student indicated they were satisfied are verified automatically.
• Student review window: If a call is not automatically verified, the student has 72 hours to review the call from their dashboard. They can approve the call to release payment, or report an issue for our team to review. If no action is taken within 72 hours, payment releases automatically.
• Disputes: If a student reports an issue, the Ask Kinsley team will review the call and make a determination. Disputed calls are reviewed manually at support@askkinsley.com.
• Refunds: Refunds are issued if an expert fails to confirm or attend a scheduled call, or if a dispute is upheld after review. Refunds are not available for completed, verified calls or for dissatisfaction with the opinions shared, as alumni provide personal experiences, not professional advice.
• Expert payouts: Alumni experts receive their payout within 72 hours after a verified call via their connected Stripe account.

7. Data & Value Scores

College ROI data, Value Scores, earnings projections, and cost estimates are provided for informational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy using data from the U.S. Department of Education and other sources, we do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of this information. These metrics should not be the sole basis for educational or financial decisions.

8. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Use the Service for any illegal purpose.
• Harass, threaten, or intimidate other users.
• Impersonate another person or misrepresent your credentials.
• Scrape, crawl, or use automated means to access the Service without permission.
• Attempt to circumvent the platform to arrange off-platform payments.
• Share another user's personal information without their consent.
• Upload malicious content or attempt to compromise the Service's security.

9. Intellectual Property

The Ask Kinsley name, logo, website design, and original content are the property of Ask Kinsley. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works without our written permission. User-submitted content (bios, reviews) remains the property of the respective users, with a license granted to Ask Kinsley to display it on the platform.

10. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure. We do not endorse or guarantee any advice given by alumni experts on the platform.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Ask Kinsley shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Service. Our total liability shall not exceed the amount you paid to Ask Kinsley in the twelve months preceding the claim.

12. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at any time for violation of these terms or for any other reason at our sole discretion. You may delete your account at any time by contacting us.

13. Changes to Terms

We may modify these Terms of Service at any time. Material changes will be communicated by posting the updated terms on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us at support@askkinsley.com.