Terms & Conditions (T&C)

1.1 Contracting Parties

The Study Boost Marketplace platform ("Platform") is operated by Sertac Store OG. The Platform is a mediation service between students ("Users") and private tutors ("Tutors").

1.2 Platform Role

The Platform is NOT a contracting party in the tutor-student relationship. It acts as a pure intermediary and:

• Provides technical infrastructure
• Mediates contact between tutors and students
• Processes payments (escrow model)
• Arbitrates disputes per Section 8
• Is not liable for teaching content or service quality

1.3 Scope

These T&C regulate all rights and obligations of all users on the Platform. By registering, the user accepts these conditions in full.

2.1 Student Registration

Students can register for free. The following data is required:

• Full Name
• Valid Email Address
• Phone Number (for tutor contact after booking)
• Password (minimum 8 characters)

All data is stored in compliance with GDPR guidelines and not shared with third parties.

2.2 Tutor Registration & Activation

To offer courses, a user must explicitly register as a tutor via the "Become a Tutor" button. The tutor role is then permanently stored in the profile.

Tutors must additionally provide:

• Bank details (for payouts)
• Qualifications / Expertise areas
• Profile picture

2.3 Administration

Sertac Store OG reserves the right to set up admin access to the Platform for moderation, technical maintenance, and dispute resolution.

3.1 Course Creation

Tutors can create unlimited courses. Each course must contain the following required information:

• Title: Course description (Max. 100 characters)
• Description: Detailed learning objectives & content (Min. 50 characters)
• Subject: From existing list or create new
• Course Date: One or multiple (with time)
• Participant Limit: 1–50 persons
• Price per Person: €5–500 (After 30% platform fee)
• Course Type: Online (e.g., Zoom) or In-person (with address, only visible after booking)
• Level: Short (30 min) / Standard (60 min) / Intensive (120+ min)
• Course Images: Min. 1, Max. 5 (JPG/PNG, max. 5MB per image)

3.2 Location Guidelines (In-Person Courses)

Important: The meeting location is only provided to the studentAFTER successful payment and course registration. This prevents cash payments and protects the tutor.

• Address is stored as text or Google Maps link
• Tutor's email is shown to student after booking
• All communication is through the Platform or after booking via email
• Tutors must not reveal the meeting location before booking

3.3 Additional Materials

After booking, tutors can provide students with links to OneDrive folders, PDF files or other resources. These are only visible to registered course participants.

3.4 Course Deletion

Tutors can delete their courses themselves, only if:

• The course has not been booked yet, OR
• The course has already been completed (after course date)

Active courses (with bookings) can only be deleted by administration with valid reason (e.g., rule violation).

4.1 Booking Process

Students can reserve courses via the booking interface. Required:

• Selection of course & date
• Confirmation of participant count (1–limit)
• Acceptance of these T&C + Privacy Policy

4.2 Payment Model (Escrow System)

Payment works as follows:

1. Student pays: Full amount (course price × participant count) via Stripe/PayPal
2. Platform receives: 30% fee (administration, payment processing, support)
3. Money in escrow: 70% of total amount is held in trust (not paid to tutor)
4. After course completion: If no complaint within 48h → 70% to tutor
5. Complaint filed: Money remains in escrow until resolution

4.3 Order Number & Invoice

After successful booking, the student receives an order number and the course date is transferred to their personal dashboard. An automatically generated invoice is sent by email.

4.4 Digital Service & Right of Withdrawal

Tutoring courses are classified as digital services. Before completing the booking, the student can accept a waiver:

☑ "I understand that the course is a digital service and waive the 14-day right of withdrawal."

If accepted: No right of withdrawal after booking.
If not accepted: 14-day right of withdrawal (course must not have started).

5.1 Tutor Cancellation

Tutor cancels course → Refund to student:

5.2 Student Cancellation

Student cancels booking:

5.3 Strike System (Tutors)

Tutors get 3 strikes and then face consequences:

• 1 Strike: Warning (visible in tutor profile)
• 2 Strikes: Profile suspension for 7 days (no new courses)
• 3 Strikes: Permanent suspension & account closure

5.4 Complaint After Course Date

Students can file complaints/issues within 48 hours after course endvia "Report Problem". The complaint is processed by platform administration within 5 business days.

6.1 Create New Subjects

Users can add new subjects during course creation if they don't exist in the dropdown list. The new subject is added to the global list and is then available to all users.

6.2 Subject Deletion (Admin Right)

Platform administration can delete erroneous, duplicate, or inappropriate subjects. This has no effect on already created courses.

7.1 Data Collection

The Platform stores the following data:

• Name, email, phone number (required)
• Bank details (tutors only, for payout)
• Profile picture (optional)
• Payment history
• Ratings & reviews

7.2 Data Visibility (IMPORTANT!)

7.3 GDPR Compliance

The Platform stores data exclusively on EU servers (Supabase - Germany). Data is not shared with third parties and deleted 90 days after account closure. A complete privacy guide is available at:

selim.cloud/privacy

8.1 Report Problem Process

If something goes wrong:

1. Student clicks "Report Problem" within 48h after course date
2. Student describes the issue (min. 50 characters)
3. Platform automatically notifies tutor (gives tutor 48h to respond)
4. Admin reviews the situation
5. Decision is made by Platform

8.2 Possible Solutions

• Problem not justified: Money released to tutor
• Partial fault: Money split 50/50
• Tutor at fault: Full refund + 1 strike
• Tutor didn't show up: Full refund + 2 strikes

8.3 Admin Decisions Are Binding

Platform administration makes decisions at its discretion. Decisions are binding and cannot be appealed.

9.1 Platform Liability

The Platform is not liable for:

• Quality or effectiveness of tutoring
• School grades or academic results
• Tutor behavior or qualifications
• Safety at in-person courses
• Technical failures or connection issues during online courses

9.2 Direct Legal Recourse

The Platform is a mediator, not a party to the contract. Any claims are directed directly against the tutor (not the Platform).

10.1 What Is Not Allowed?

• Cash payments outside the Platform
• Sharing contact details before booking
• Fake profiles or multiple accounts
• False qualification claims
• Spam, harassment, or hate speech
• Sexual content or child exploitation
• Copyright infringement (e.g., illegal learning materials)
• Fraud or scam attempts

10.2 Consequences

Violations result in:

• Warning (first offense)
• Temporary suspension (7–30 days)
• Permanent suspension & account closure
• Possible legal action (police, lawyer)

12.1 Legal Jurisdiction

These T&C are governed by Austrian law (Sertac Store OG is registered in Austria).

12.2 Court Jurisdiction

All disputes are subject to the courts of Austria. BUT: Consumers can also sue in the courts of their place of residence.

12.3 Severability Clause

Should any provision of these T&C be invalid, the remaining provisions remain valid.