Terms of Service
Clear, transparent terms for our European tutoring platform community
1. Company Information & Contact
iTutorOnline.com
Legal Entity: Sole Proprietorship
Registration Number: 0801.470.814
VAT Number: BE0801.470.814
Registered Address: Belgium (full address available upon request)
Contact Email: legal@iTutorOnline.com
Support Email: support@iTutorOnline.com
2. Definitions & Scope
Important: Our Role as Marketplace Facilitator
iTutorOnline operates as an online marketplace that connects students with independent tutors. iTutorOnline does not itself provide tutoring services. When you book a lesson through iTutorOnline, you enter into a direct agreement with the tutor for the provision of tutoring services. iTutorOnline facilitates the transaction by providing the platform, messaging tools, scheduling functionality, and payment processing (via our payment partner, Stripe), but the tutoring service is provided by the tutor, not by iTutorOnline.
3. User Accounts & Eligibility
Age Requirements
- Tutors must be 18+ years old
- Students must be 16+ years old (or have parental consent if under 16)
- Users under 18 require parental supervision for account management
Account Responsibilities
- Provide accurate, truthful, and complete information
- Maintain one account per person (no multiple accounts)
- Keep login credentials secure and confidential
- Update information promptly when changes occur
- No impersonation or false identity representation
4. Platform Use Rules
Acceptable Use
- Use our platform for legitimate educational purposes only
- Respect other users and maintain professional conduct
- Comply with all applicable EU and local laws
- Respect intellectual property rights
Prohibited Activities
Harassment & Abuse
No hate speech, bullying, discrimination, or threatening behavior
Illegal Content
No content that violates EU laws or promotes illegal activities
Privacy Violations
No sharing personal information without consent
Spam & Misuse
No spam, excessive messaging, or platform manipulation
5. Our Role & Liability Limitations
Platform Facilitator Role
- We provide technology infrastructure to connect tutors and students
- We do not employ tutors or provide tutoring services directly
- We do not guarantee learning outcomes or tutor performance
- Tutoring contracts are formed directly between tutors and students
Liability Limitations
Subject to EU consumer protection laws, we limit our liability for:
- Technical issues, downtime, or service interruptions
- Disputes between tutors and students
- Quality or outcomes of tutoring services
- User-generated content or conduct
Note: This limitation does not apply to our gross negligence, willful misconduct, or violations of mandatory consumer rights under EU law.
Tutor Quality, Scheduling, Lateness & No-Show Policy
- Independent Tutors: Tutors act in their own name and on their own account. We do not warrant or guarantee any tutor’s qualifications, availability, punctuality, teaching style, or results.
- No-Show Definitions: A tutor no-show means the tutor fails to join within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time. A student no-show means the student fails to join within 15 minutes.
- Lateness: If a tutor is late but attends, the session may continue. Any make-good time or partial credit is at the parties’ discretion or our discretionary policy.
- Cancellations: Each session may be subject to a cancellation window (shown during booking). Cancellations outside the window may be charged in full. Repeated late cancellations or no-shows may lead to account restrictions.
- Remedies & Credits: Where a verified tutor no-show occurs, our sole obligation (to the extent permitted by law) is to facilitate a reschedule or issue a platform credit/refund limited to the affected session fee actually paid by the student on the Platform. We do not cover consequential or indirect losses.
- Reporting Window: Issues must be reported via support within 24 hours of the scheduled session end time, with reasonable evidence (e.g., screenshots, chat logs).
- Repeated Breaches: Repeated no-shows, chronic lateness, or quality violations may result in reduced visibility, temporary suspension, or account termination.
6. Payments, Fees & Commission
Payment Processing
- All payments processed securely through Stripe
- We do not store payment card information
- Payments comply with EU PSD2 regulations
Commission Structure
- Tutor Commission: 15% of session fee (plus applicable VAT for Belgian tutors)
- Tutors receive: The session fee minus the commission
- Commission covers platform maintenance and support
Student Booking Fee
- Booking fee: €5.00 per hour of lessons (inclusive of VAT)
- This fee compensates iTutorOnline for providing matching, messaging, and scheduling services
- If your booking is confirmed, this fee is credited toward your lesson payment
Payment Processing for Tutors (Stripe Connect)
Payment processing services for tutors on iTutorOnline are provided by Stripe and are subject to the Stripe Connected Account Agreement, which includes the Stripe Terms of Service (collectively, the "Stripe Services Agreement"). By agreeing to these terms or continuing to operate as a tutor on iTutorOnline, you agree to be bound by the Stripe Services Agreement, as the same may be modified by Stripe from time to time. As a condition of iTutorOnline enabling payment processing services through Stripe, you agree to provide iTutorOnline accurate and complete information about you and your business, and you authorise iTutorOnline to share it and transaction information related to your use of the payment processing services provided by Stripe.
Booking Fee Terms
When you submit a booking request, you authorise iTutorOnline to charge a non-refundable booking fee of €5.00 per hour of lessons (inclusive of applicable VAT). This fee compensates iTutorOnline for providing the matching, messaging, and scheduling services that enable your booking request. If your booking is confirmed by the tutor, this fee will be credited toward your lesson payment. If your booking is not confirmed, iTutorOnline retains this fee as payment for services rendered.
VAT & Taxes
All displayed prices include applicable VAT where required by EU law. For tutors established outside Belgium but within the EU, the reverse charge mechanism applies to commission invoices. Users are responsible for their own tax obligations in their respective jurisdictions.
7. Dispute Resolution
Direct Resolution
Students and tutors should first attempt to resolve disputes directly through our platform messaging system.
Platform Mediation
If direct resolution fails, contact our support team for mediation assistance.
Legal Jurisdiction
Unresolved disputes fall under Belgian law and EU consumer protection regulations.
8. Data Protection & Privacy
We are committed to protecting your personal data in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable privacy laws.
- We collect and process personal data as outlined in our Privacy Policy
- You have rights to access, correct, delete, and port your data
- We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures
- Data is processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently
Your GDPR Rights
Activity Monitoring & Status Indicators
- What we show: The Platform may display indicators such as “online,” “last seen,” “typing,” and read-receipts to improve scheduling, trust, and safety.
- What we process: Minimal technical signals (e.g., login timestamps, app foreground activity, secure heartbeat/realtime pings, and session/network metadata) necessary to provide these indicators and prevent fraud/abuse.
- Legal basis: Legitimate interests under GDPR Article 6(1)(f) to ensure service reliability, user safety, and effective communication. See our Privacy Policy for details.
- Retention: “Last seen” timestamps are typically retained for a limited period needed to operate the feature (e.g., up to 30 days), with longer retention only for security logs where legally necessary.
- Controls: Where required by law, users may limit visibility of certain indicators (which may reduce functionality). Some security logging is essential to provide the Services.
- No ads profiling: We do not use these signals for interest-based advertising.
9. Intellectual Property & Content
User Content Ownership
- You retain ownership of content you create (profiles, materials, communications)
- You grant us limited license to display your content on our platform
- You are responsible for ensuring you have rights to content you share
Platform IP Protection
- Our platform technology, design, and branding are protected by intellectual property laws
- Users may not copy, modify, or reverse engineer our platform
- Respect copyrights and do not share unauthorized educational materials
10. EU Digital Services Act (DSA) Compliance
Content Moderation & Reporting
- Report illegal content or violations using our reporting system
- We will review reports and take appropriate action within reasonable time
- Users will be notified of content removal or account restrictions with clear reasoning
Transparency
- Search results and tutor rankings are based on relevance, ratings, and availability
- No paid promotion affects organic search results (promotional content is clearly marked)
- Content moderation decisions are made based on these Terms and applicable EU law
11. Account Termination & Suspension
Our Rights
- Suspend accounts for Terms violations
- Remove content that violates policies
- Terminate accounts for serious or repeated violations
- Provide clear explanation for any actions taken
Your Rights
- Delete your account at any time
- Export your data before account closure
- Appeal suspension or termination decisions
- Receive notice of any account restrictions
12. Changes to These Terms
- We may update these Terms to reflect changes in law, regulations, or platform features
- Significant changes will be communicated via email or platform notification
- Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance
- You may terminate your account if you disagree with updated Terms
13. Governing Law & Contact Information
Governing Law
These Terms are governed by Belgian law and EU regulations. Disputes will be resolved in Belgian courts, subject to EU consumer protection rights.
Questions or Concerns?
Contact us at legal@iTutorOnline.com for any questions about these Terms or your rights.
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