Terms of Service

Welcome to Zuuzer. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the Zuuzer platform operated by Zuuzer LLC, a North Carolina limited liability company ("Zuuzer," "we," "us," or "our"). By accessing or using our platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

1. Description of Service

Zuuzer is an online marketplace that connects customers seeking appointments with service providers. We provide the technology platform that enables booking, scheduling, payment processing, reviews, and communication. Zuuzer does not provide, control, or endorse any services offered by providers on our platform.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old or the age of majority in your jurisdiction to use Zuuzer. By creating an account, you represent that you meet this requirement and that all information you provide is accurate and complete.

3. Accounts

3.1 Account Creation

You may create a customer account or a provider (business) account. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activities under your account. You agree to provide a valid email address and phone number. You agree that Zuuzer may use these contact methods for transactional communications related to your bookings, account security, and platform updates.

3.2 Account Suspension

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, engage in fraudulent activity, abuse the platform, accumulate excessive no-shows, harass other users, or at our sole discretion. Suspended users will be notified of the reason for suspension and may contact support to appeal.

4. Communications

4.1 Email Communications

By creating an account, you consent to receive transactional emails including booking confirmations, appointment reminders, cancellation notices, deposit receipts, reliability score updates, waitlist notifications, support ticket updates, and account security alerts. These transactional emails are necessary for the operation of the Service and cannot be opted out of while your account is active.

4.2 SMS / Text Messages

SMS notifications are entirely optional and are not required to use Zuuzer. During account creation or booking, you may voluntarily opt in to SMS messages by checking the clearly labeled, unchecked-by-default checkbox: "Send me SMS appointment reminders and booking updates (optional)." By checking that box you consent to receive transactional SMS messages from Zuuzer including booking confirmations, appointment reminders, cancellation notices, and waitlist alerts. No marketing or promotional messages will be sent. Standard messaging rates may apply. You may withdraw consent and stop receiving SMS at any time by replying STOP to any message or by updating your notification preferences in your account settings. Opting out of SMS does not affect your ability to use any part of the Service.

5. Bookings and Appointments

5.1 Booking Process

When you book an appointment through Zuuzer, you enter into a direct arrangement with the service provider. Zuuzer facilitates the booking but is not a party to the service agreement between you and the provider. By completing a booking, you agree to attend the appointment at the scheduled date and time, or to cancel in accordance with the applicable cancellation policy.

5.2 Booking for Others

You may book appointments on behalf of another person (a "beneficiary"). By doing so, you represent that you have authority to make the booking and accept full responsibility for the appointment, including any deposit, cancellation, or no-show consequences.

6. Reliability Score

6.1 What It Is

The Zuuzer Reliability Score is an internal trust metric assigned to each customer based on booking behavior, including completed appointments, timely cancellations, late cancellations, and no-shows. It is calculated using a proprietary Bayesian algorithm with a statistical prior to ensure fairness for new users. The Reliability Score is used solely to determine deposit requirements — it is entirely separate from the Zuuz Rewards system described in Section 7.

6.2 Deposit Requirements

Customers with a Reliability Score of 90 or above are not required to pay a deposit. As the score falls below 90, the required deposit increases proportionally, up to 100% of the service price at a score of 0. Deposits are designed to protect providers from losses due to no-shows and are not a penalty.

6.3 Score Visibility

Your Reliability Score is visible to you in your account dashboard. Providers never see your score — they see only whether a deposit is required for your booking. Zuuzer administrators may view scores for support and dispute resolution purposes.

7. Zuuz Rewards

7.1 What Zuuz Is

Zuuz is Zuuzer's loyalty rewards currency and is entirely separate from the Reliability Score. You earn Zuuz simply by showing up — every completed appointment earns Zuuz points regardless of your Reliability Score or deposit history. Zuuz rewards attendance and loyalty with tangible value.

7.2 Earning Zuuz

Zuuz points are credited to your account automatically when an appointment is marked completed. Zuuzer may offer bonus Zuuz for referrals, platform milestones, or promotional events at its discretion. Points are not earned for cancelled or no-show appointments.

7.3 Redeeming Zuuz — Gift Cards

Accumulated Zuuz points may be converted to a Zuuzer Gift Card at the exchange rate published in your account dashboard. Gift Cards may be applied as credit toward future bookings made through the Zuuzer platform. The exchange rate is set by Zuuzer and may be updated with 30 days' notice. The rate in effect at the time of conversion applies and is final.

7.4 Provider Loyalty Programs

Individual providers may, at their sole discretion, offer their own loyalty rewards or incentives to returning customers independently of the Zuuz system. Such programs are the provider's sole responsibility. Zuuzer does not administer, co-sponsor, guarantee, or assume any liability for provider-run loyalty programs.

7.5 Limitations

Zuuz points and Gift Cards have no cash value and cannot be redeemed for cash, transferred between accounts, or sold. Gift Card credit cannot be applied to deposits. Unused points expire if your account is deleted or terminated. Zuuzer reserves the right to modify earning rates, redemption rates, eligible redemption categories, or to discontinue the Zuuz Rewards program entirely with 30 days' notice. Any accrued points at the time of discontinuation will be honoured for 60 days after notice.

8. Cancellations and No-Shows

8.1 Cancellation Policy

Each provider may set their own cancellation policy, including a cutoff window (e.g., 24 hours before the appointment). Cancellations made before the cutoff are considered "timely" and may result in a full deposit refund and minimal impact on your Reliability Score. Cancellations made after the cutoff are considered "late" and may result in partial or full deposit forfeiture and a reduction in your Reliability Score.

8.2 No-Shows

Failure to attend a confirmed appointment without prior cancellation constitutes a no-show. No-shows result in: (a) forfeiture of any deposit paid, (b) a significant reduction in your Reliability Score, (c) increased deposit requirements for future bookings, and (d) no Zuuz points earned for that appointment. Repeated no-shows may result in account suspension.

8.3 Provider Cancellations

If a provider cancels your appointment, you will receive a full refund of any deposit paid, your Reliability Score will not be affected, and you will be notified promptly via email and, if you have opted in to SMS, via text message.

9. Waitlist

When a provider's schedule is full, you may join a waitlist. If a slot becomes available, waitlisted customers are notified in order of Reliability Score (highest first). Placement on the waitlist does not guarantee an appointment. The first customer to complete a booking after notification secures the slot. A platform commission may apply to waitlist bookings.

10. Payments and Billing

10.1 Payment Processing

All payments are processed through Stripe, a PCI Level 1 certified payment processor. By making a payment or saving a payment method, you also agree to Stripe's terms of service. Zuuzer does not store your full credit card number or bank account details.

10.2 Payment Authorization

By creating an account and agreeing to these Terms, you authorize Zuuzer to charge your saved payment method for: (a) required booking deposits based on your Reliability Score, (b) service fees at the time of booking, (c) no-show penalties as described in Section 8, (d) platform fees and commissions as applicable, and (e) any other charges you expressly authorize through the platform. You will be notified of the amount before any charge is processed at the time of booking.

10.3 Pricing

Service prices are set by providers. Zuuzer displays prices as listed by providers and charges a platform commission on transactions. All prices are in US Dollars unless otherwise specified.

11. Refund Policy

11.1 Deposit Refunds

Deposits for timely cancellations (before the provider's cutoff window) are eligible for a full refund. Deposits for late cancellations may be partially or fully forfeited based on the provider's cancellation policy. No-show deposits are not refundable.

11.2 Service Refunds

Refunds for services rendered are at the discretion of the provider. If you are dissatisfied with a service, contact the provider directly first. If the issue is unresolved, you may submit a support ticket through our Help Center and Zuuzer will mediate. Zuuzer reserves the right to issue refunds in cases of provider misconduct, verified service failures, or extenuating circumstances.

11.3 Platform Fee Refunds

Platform fees and commissions are generally non-refundable. In exceptional circumstances (e.g., system errors, duplicate charges), Zuuzer will refund platform fees upon verification.

11.4 Refund Processing

Approved refunds are processed within 5–10 business days and credited to the original payment method. Processing time may vary depending on your financial institution. You will receive email confirmation when a refund is initiated.

12. Provider Terms

12.1 Provider Responsibilities

Providers are responsible for the accuracy of their profile information, service descriptions, pricing, availability, and for delivering services as described. Providers must maintain all necessary licenses, certifications, and insurance required by applicable law. Healthcare providers must comply with all applicable healthcare regulations independently of Zuuzer.

12.2 Platform Fees

Providers agree to pay Zuuzer platform fees as described in their provider agreement, including subscription fees (if applicable) and per-transaction commissions. Fee structures are communicated during provider onboarding and may be updated with 30 days notice.

12.3 Provider Payment Authorization

By creating a provider account and connecting their Stripe account, providers authorize Zuuzer to deduct platform commissions, subscription fees, and any applicable charges from their transaction proceeds before disbursement.

12.4 Independent Contractor Status

Providers are independent contractors, not employees, agents, or representatives of Zuuzer. Nothing in these Terms creates an employment, partnership, joint venture, or agency relationship between Zuuzer and any provider.

13. Reviews

Customers may leave reviews for providers after completed appointments. Reviews must be honest, accurate, and based on genuine experiences. We reserve the right to remove reviews that contain hate speech, personal attacks, false information, spam, or content that violates these Terms. Providers may not incentivize or manipulate reviews.

14. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to: use the Service for any unlawful purpose; provide false or misleading information; harass, abuse, or threaten other users; attempt to manipulate reliability scores or reviews; interfere with the security or operation of the platform; scrape, harvest, or collect data from the Service without permission; use automated systems (bots) to interact with the Service; circumvent deposit or payment requirements; impersonate another person or entity; create multiple accounts to evade suspension or manipulate the system; or use the platform to facilitate transactions outside of Zuuzer to avoid fees.

15. Intellectual Property

The Zuuzer name, logo, branding, software, and content are the property of Zuuzer LLC and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works from our intellectual property without written permission.

16. Third-Party Service Providers

Zuuzer integrates with the following third-party services to operate the platform. By using Zuuzer, you acknowledge that certain data may be transmitted to and processed by these providers under their own terms of service and privacy policies. Zuuzer is not responsible for the data practices of these third parties and encourages you to review their policies independently.

16.1 Stripe — Payment Processing

All payment transactions are processed by Stripe, Inc. (stripe.com), a PCI DSS Level 1 certified payment processor. When you make a payment or save a payment method, your card and financial data is transmitted directly to and stored by Stripe. By making any payment through Zuuzer, you agree to Stripe's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Providers who receive payouts through Zuuzer must additionally agree to the Stripe Connected Account Agreement, which is presented during provider onboarding. Zuuzer never stores full card numbers, CVVs, or bank account details.

16.2 Twilio — SMS Delivery

For users who have opted in to SMS notifications, messages are delivered via Twilio, Inc. (twilio.com). Twilio receives your phone number and message content solely for the purpose of delivering those messages. Twilio's use of your data is governed by Twilio's Privacy Policy. SMS delivery through Twilio only occurs if you have explicitly opted in as described in Section 4.2.

16.3 Resend — Email Delivery

Transactional emails (booking confirmations, reminders, password resets, and other account notifications) are delivered via Resend (resend.com). Resend receives your email address and message content for delivery purposes. Resend's data practices are governed by their privacy policy available at resend.com/legal/privacy-policy.

16.4 Cloudinary — Media Storage

Provider profile images and cover photos are stored and served via Cloudinary (cloudinary.com). Image files uploaded by providers are transmitted to and stored on Cloudinary's infrastructure. This service is used by providers only; customers do not upload content to Cloudinary.

16.5 Cloud Infrastructure

The Zuuzer platform is hosted on Render (render.com) for backend services and Vercel (vercel.com) for the customer-facing frontend. These providers supply the servers and infrastructure on which Zuuzer operates. Your data is stored and processed on servers operated by these providers in the United States, subject to their respective data processing agreements with Zuuzer.

16.6 Changes to Third-Party Providers

Zuuzer may add, remove, or replace third-party service providers from time to time. Material changes that affect how your personal data is processed will be communicated via the platform or email with reasonable notice.

17. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. ZUUZER DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR SECURE. ZUUZER DOES NOT ENDORSE, GUARANTEE, OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE QUALITY, SAFETY, OR LEGALITY OF SERVICES OFFERED BY PROVIDERS. ZUUZER IS NOT A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER AND DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. ANY SERVICES OBTAINED THROUGH THE PLATFORM ARE AT YOUR OWN RISK.

18. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, ZUUZER LLC, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES, WHETHER INCURRED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, OR ANY LOSS OF DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES. IN NO EVENT SHALL ZUUZER'S TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNTS PAID BY YOU TO ZUUZER IN THE SIX (6) MONTHS PRIOR TO THE CLAIM, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100).

19. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Zuuzer LLC, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms, your violation of any third-party rights, or any dispute between you and a provider.

20. Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina. Any dispute shall be resolved by binding arbitration conducted in Cumberland County, North Carolina, in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. You agree to waive any right to a jury trial or to participate in a class action. Either party may seek injunctive relief in a court of competent jurisdiction for intellectual property matters. Claims eligible for small claims court may also be brought there.

21. Modifications

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated through the platform or via email at least 15 days before taking effect. Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.

22. Termination

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting support. We may terminate or suspend your account at any time for any reason, including violation of these Terms. Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately, your Reliability Score is forfeited, any unconverted Zuuz points expire, and any outstanding obligations survive.

23. Severability & Entire Agreement

If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force. These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Zuuzer.

24. Contact