Terms of Service

1. Platform Purpose

AFRO BRAIDERS provides a platform that facilitates connections between clients and independent beauty professionals—including braiders, beauticians, barbers, and related services—worldwide. Our mission is to make these services discoverable and accessible, especially for travelers visiting new places who would otherwise find it difficult to locate quality beauty services.

2. Independent Business Operators

Important: All professionals listed on our platform operate as independent businesses. They:

• Set their own prices, policies, and service terms
• Manage bookings, payments, and client relationships independently
• Are not employees, agents, or representatives of AFRO BRAIDERS

AFRO BRAIDERS does not control how these businesses operate, deliver services, or conduct themselves. Each professional is responsible for their own business practices, compliance with local laws, licensing requirements, insurance coverage, and service quality.

These individuals are unique businesses that function on their own terms, independent of the AFRO family culture and rules. As much as we provide rules of conduct for our platform, we cannot in any way, shape, or form dictate how these individual businesses carry out their services or behave.

3. Platform Limitations & Disclaimers

No Guarantees

AFRO BRAIDERS does not guarantee:

• Service quality, availability, or outcomes
• Professional qualifications, licensing, or insurance coverage
• Pricing accuracy or consistency
• Business practices or conduct of listed professionals

No Liability

AFRO BRAIDERS is not liable for:

• Disputes between clients and professionals
• Service quality issues or unsatisfactory results
• Injuries, damages, or losses arising from services received
• Payment disputes or financial transactions between users
• Professional misconduct or violations of local laws
• Any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages

4. Quality Assurance Measures

To help maintain platform quality and protect our community, we provide:

• Review System: Clients can leave written reviews about their experiences with professionals
• Rating System: A 5-star rating system to help others make informed decisions

These tools are community-driven and reflect individual experiences. AFRO BRAIDERS does not verify or endorse individual reviews or ratings. The best we've done to provide quality service as far as our platform is concerned, even against bad actors, is this written review system as well as a rating system.

5. Community Standards & Removal Policy

AFRO BRAIDERS Culture

We expect all users to respect the AFRO BRAIDERS community values of professionalism, respect, quality service, and inclusivity. Our platform is built on the foundation of the AFRO family culture—a culture of mutual respect, excellence, and community support.

Removal Policy

We reserve the right to remove any business or individual from our platform if:

• They operate in bad faith or violate community standards
• They act in ways inconsistent with AFRO BRAIDERS/Afro culture values
• We receive genuine, verifiable complaints about misconduct
• They violate these Terms of Service or engage in fraudulent activity
• They engage in discriminatory practices or harassment
• They provide false or misleading information

If a business or individual isn't operating in good faith or in accordance with the AFRO BRAIDERS/Afro culture, we will not hesitate to remove them from our platform upon hearing from genuine, verifiable complaints. Removal decisions are at our sole discretion and may occur without prior notice.

6. User Responsibilities

Clients

When using our platform, clients agree to:

• Conduct due diligence before booking services
• Verify professional qualifications, licensing, and insurance as needed for their specific requirements
• Read and understand service terms before booking
• Communicate clearly about expectations and requirements
• Leave honest, fair reviews based on actual experiences
• Respect professionals' time, policies, and business practices
• Not engage in harassment, discrimination, or abusive behavior

Professionals

When listing on our platform, professionals agree to:

• Maintain accurate profile information
• Comply with all local laws, regulations, and licensing requirements
• Obtain necessary insurance and permits for their jurisdiction
• Provide services as described in their profile
• Respond professionally to client inquiries and concerns
• Honor bookings and commitments made through the platform
• Not engage in fraudulent, misleading, or deceptive practices
• Respect client privacy and confidentiality

7. Account Registration & Security

To use certain features of our platform, you may be required to create an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information
• Maintain and update your information as necessary
• Maintain the security of your account credentials
• Accept responsibility for all activities under your account
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized access

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms or engage in fraudulent activity.

8. Content & Intellectual Property

Your Content

By posting content (reviews, photos, profiles) on our platform, you grant AFRO BRAIDERS a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, display, and distribute your content for platform purposes.

Platform Content

All content on the AFRO BRAIDERS platform—including logos, designs, text, software, and graphics—is the property of AFRO BRAIDERS or its licensors. Users may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or use our content without written permission.

9. Dispute Resolution

Between Users

Disputes between clients and professionals should be resolved directly between the parties. AFRO BRAIDERS is not a mediator, arbitrator, or party to any transaction or agreement between users. We encourage open communication and professional resolution of conflicts.

With Platform

If you have concerns about platform functionality, user conduct, or Terms violations, please contact us at afrobraidersfam@gmail.com. We will investigate verifiable complaints and take appropriate action in accordance with these terms.

10. Prohibited Activities

Users are prohibited from:

• Posting false, misleading, or fraudulent information
• Harassing, threatening, or abusing other users
• Engaging in discriminatory practices
• Violating any applicable laws or regulations
• Attempting to circumvent platform security or access controls
• Using automated systems to scrape or collect data
• Impersonating others or misrepresenting identity
• Spamming or sending unsolicited communications

11. AFRO RATE IT! Competition Terms & Conditions

The AFRO RATE IT! competition is a worldwide digital contest hosted on AFRO BRAIDERS to discover, showcase, and celebrate top braiders, barbers, beauticians, and hairstylists globally.

11.1 Eligibility & Entry Submission

• Registered Accounts: To submit an entry to AFRO RATE IT!, participants must be registered users on AFRO BRAIDERS.
• Required Submission Details: Each entry must include the contestant's name, country of representation, city, salon or business name, hairstyle name, up to three (3) high-resolution photographs showcasing the hairstyle, and a required introductory video (15–30 seconds) introducing the stylist and their artistry.
• One Entry Per Round: Contestants may participate in active rounds according to platform guidelines and round capacity limits.

11.2 Image & Video Submission, Ownership & Media License

• Originality & Legal Rights: Contestants warrant and represent that all submitted photographs and video recordings are their original work, or that they have obtained all necessary licenses, releases, and permissions from models, clients, and videographers. Submitting copyrighted, stolen, or unauthorized imagery/video is strictly prohibited and results in immediate disqualification.
• Promotional License Granted: By uploading and submitting images and videos to AFRO RATE IT!, contestants grant AFRO BRAIDERS an irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, display, reproduce, broadcast, edit, publish, and distribute the submitted media across the platform, social media channels, advertisements, and marketing campaigns to promote the contestant, the competition, and the platform.
• Editorial & Moderation Rights: AFRO BRAIDERS reserves the right to review, approve, reject, or remove any submission, image, or video at any time for non-compliance with quality standards, offensive content, copyright concerns, or violation of community standards.

11.3 Voting Rules & Fair Play Policy

• One Vote Per User: Voting is open to authenticated users. To ensure integrity and fairness, each registered user is entitled to cast only one (1) vote per competition round.
• Anti-Fraud & Fair Play: Any use of automated voting scripts, bots, click farms, multiple fake accounts, incentivized voting schemes, or vote manipulation is strictly prohibited.
• Audit & Disqualification: All votes are subject to automated and manual audit. AFRO BRAIDERS reserves the right to invalidate fraudulent votes and disqualify any contestant engaging in or benefiting from dishonest voting practices without prior notice.

11.4 Competition Rounds, Winner Determination & Prize Payouts

• Round Structure: Competition rounds fill sequentially with registered contestants. When positions are filled, the voting window opens for the designated duration.
• Winner Determination: At the close of the voting period, the contestant with the highest number of verified, legitimate votes is declared the Champion of that round.
• Prize Vault & Sponsor Contributions: Winners receive the accumulated prize pool for that round, comprising the base prize and any contributions added by active sponsors.
• Payout Process: Winning contestants must verify their identity and provide valid payout details (such as bank transfer or verified payment service) within thirty (30) days of notification. Any taxes or transaction fees applicable in the winner's jurisdiction are the sole responsibility of the winner.
• Sponsorship Terms: Sponsor contributions to the prize pool are non-refundable and are dedicated directly to boosting the competition jackpot and supporting winning professionals. A percentage of all sponsorship contributions is deducted and allocated towards platform administration, technology infrastructure, and ongoing site operations.

11.5 Supporter Comments & Community Interaction

• Constructive Support: Comments left on contestant profiles must remain positive, encouraging, and respectful of all participants.
• Prohibited Comment Behavior: Hate speech, defamation, harassment, commercial spam, competitor disparagement, and offensive language will result in immediate comment deletion and possible account suspension.
• Official Platform Comments: Official comments from AFRO BRAIDERS serve to welcome contestants and uphold community standards.

12. Modifications to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms of Service at any time. Material changes will be communicated through platform notifications or email. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated terms. If you do not agree to the modified terms, you must stop using the platform.

13. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to the platform at any time, with or without cause or notice, for any reason including violation of these terms. You may also terminate your account at any time by contacting us or using account deletion features.

14. Governing Law

These Terms of Service are governed by and construed in accordance with applicable laws. Any disputes arising from these terms or your use of the platform shall be resolved in the appropriate courts of jurisdiction.

15. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

16. Contact & Support

For questions about these Terms of Service, the platform, or to report violations, please contact us:

• Email: afrobraidersfam@gmail.com
• Website: AFRO BRAIDERS