Terms & Conditions

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using PawAddress in any capacity — as a visitor, Pet Parent, or Provider — you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions, our Privacy Policy, and all applicable policies. If you do not agree, you must immediately cease use of the Platform.

You must be at least 18 years of age to create an account or transact on PawAddress. By creating an account, you represent that you meet this requirement.

2. PawAddress as a Marketplace Intermediary

PawAddress is a marketplace intermediary that provides the technology platform through which Pet Parents and Providers connect, communicate, and transact. PawAddress is not a party to any service contract between a Pet Parent and a Provider. Accordingly:

• PawAddress does not guarantee the quality, safety, suitability, or lawfulness of any services listed.
• PawAddress does not guarantee that any Provider is licensed, insured, or compliant with applicable laws.
• PawAddress does not guarantee the accuracy of any Provider description, photo, review, or rating.
• PawAddress is not liable for any loss, injury, illness, death, or damage to any animal, person, or property arising from services booked through the Platform.
• PawAddress is not liable for any Provider's failure to show up, cancel, or perform services satisfactorily.
• Any dispute arising from a service must be resolved between the Pet Parent and Provider directly; PawAddress may, at its sole discretion, provide a mediation service but is not obligated to do so.

3. User Accounts

• You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials.
• You must not share your account with any other person.
• You must notify PawAddress immediately at support@pawaddress.in if you suspect unauthorised access.
• PawAddress reserves the right to suspend or terminate any account at its sole discretion, with or without notice, for any breach of these Terms.
• Accounts found to be operating commercially (booking on behalf of third parties, reselling services) without prior written approval will be immediately terminated.

4. Pet Parent Terms

4.1 Your Responsibilities

• Provide accurate information about your pet including health conditions, vaccinations, dietary needs, and behavioural traits.
• Ensure your pet is up to date on all required vaccinations before any boarding, sitting, or group service.
• Disclose any history of aggression, anxiety, or special medical needs — failure to disclose may void any claim against the Provider for incidents arising from undisclosed conditions.
• Ensure your pet is in good health at drop-off. Providers may refuse a visibly ill animal — this does not entitle you to a refund.
• Be reachable during the service period and provide an emergency contact.
• Collect your pet at the agreed time. Late collection may result in additional charges at the Provider's standard rate.

4.2 Pet Abandonment

4.3 Restricted Breeds

Bookings involving dog breeds subject to India's 2024 Central Directive (including but not limited to Pit Bull Terrier, Rottweiler, Mastiff, Dogo Argentino, Cane Corso, Boerboel, Kangal, and American Bulldog) are flagged for mandatory manual review before a Provider may confirm the booking. PawAddress reserves the right to reject bookings involving restricted breeds at its sole discretion. Providers may also decline such bookings independently.

5. Provider Terms

5.1 Independent Contractor Status

By registering as a Provider, you confirm that you are an independent service provider and not an employee, agent, or partner of INTINT (OPC) Pvt. Ltd. You are solely responsible for the services you provide, your compliance with all applicable laws, and the safety and welfare of all animals in your care.

5.2 Provider Obligations

• Maintain accurate availability on the PawAddress calendar — repeated overbooking may result in account suspension.
• Respond to booking requests within 12 hours. Failure to respond results in automatic decline and may affect search ranking.
• Provide services exactly as described in your profile. Material misrepresentation is grounds for immediate termination.
• Maintain all required licences, registrations, and insurance for your type of service.
• Comply with all applicable animal welfare laws including the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
• Immediately notify PawAddress at support@pawaddress.in within 1 hour if any animal in your care becomes seriously ill, injured, or dies.
• Never request that a Pet Parent transact outside the PawAddress Platform ("off-platform dealing" is a material breach subject to permanent suspension).

5.3 Provider Conduct — Prohibited

• Abandoning or neglecting any animal in your care — may result in criminal liability and immediate permanent ban.
• Providing false information in your profile, KYC, or to Pet Parents.
• Soliciting off-platform payments or bookings.
• Retaliating against Pet Parents who leave negative reviews.
• Sharing Pet Parent contact information with third parties.
• Accepting bookings you do not have capacity to fulfil.

5.4 KYC & Verification

All Providers must complete KYC verification (government-issued ID and PAN). Providers offering boarding or overnight services must meet additional verification requirements. PawAddress reserves the right to withhold payouts and suspend accounts pending KYC completion.

6. Payments, Commission & Fees

6.1 Commission Structure

PawAddress charges a platform commission of 15% of the booking subtotal on all online bookings completed through the Platform. This commission is deducted from the Provider's payout. Walk-in and manual bookings entered by the Provider incur 0% commission.

6.2 Convenience Fee

A convenience fee of ₹49 + ₹8.82 GST (18%) is charged per booking to Pet Parents. It covers payment processing, platform infrastructure, and dispute resolution. It is non-refundable when the Pet Parent cancels, but is always refunded on Provider cancellations.

6.3 GST on Commission

GST at 18% is charged on PawAddress's commission (SAC 998599). GST is not charged on the pass-through service amount paid to the Provider. Providers with turnover exceeding ₹20 lakh per annum must be GST-registered and issue monthly B2B invoices to PawAddress.

6.4 Payout Schedule

• Payouts are processed within 5 business days of booking completion (status = COMPLETED).
• Payouts are made via NEFT/IMPS to the bank account registered in the Provider dashboard.
• Minimum payout threshold: ₹500. Amounts below this are held and paid with the next eligible payout.
• Payouts are held if: (a) a dispute is open on the booking, (b) Provider account is under review, (c) KYC is incomplete.
• Payouts are released within 7 days of service completion, or earlier if the pet parent leaves a 3-star or higher review.

6.5 Payment Processing

All payments are processed through Razorpay (Razorpay Software Pvt. Ltd.), a PCI-DSS compliant payment gateway. PawAddress does not store card numbers, CVVs, or bank credentials. Payment gateway processing fees (approximately 2% + GST) are borne by the Platform and are not separately charged to users.

7. Provider Subscription Services

PawAddress offers optional paid subscription tiers for Providers:

Subscription fees are billed monthly via Razorpay recurring subscriptions. Subscriptions are non-refundable mid-cycle. You may cancel at any time; access continues until the end of the current billing period, after which the account reverts to the Free plan. PawAddress reserves the right to modify pricing with 30 days notice.

7.1 Other Paid Features

• Verified Badge: ₹3,999/year. Annual subscription. Non-refundable. Subject to KYC review and approval.
• Featured Listing: ₹499/month. Boosts visibility in search results for up to 3 pincodes. Non-refundable mid-cycle.
• Spotlight Boost: ₹199–₹799 one-time. Short-term visibility boost. Non-refundable.

8. Bookings

A booking is confirmed only after the Provider accepts it and (for online bookings) payment is successfully collected via Razorpay. Booking requests that are not accepted within 12 hours are automatically declined.

PawAddress uses a QR code-based handoff system to verify service delivery. A unique QR code is generated per booking and must be scanned by the Provider at drop-off (and at pickup for boarding). This constitutes primary proof of service delivery.

9. Cancellations & Refunds

Please refer to our Refund & Cancellation Policy for full details. In summary:

• Pet Parent cancels 48+ hours before service: 100% refund of service fee (convenience fee non-refundable).
• Pet Parent cancels 24–48 hours before: 50% refund of service fee.
• Pet Parent cancels less than 24 hours before: No refund.
• Provider cancels (any time): 100% refund to Pet Parent including convenience fee.
• Refunds are processed within 5–7 business days to the original payment method.

10. Reviews & Ratings

Reviews may only be submitted by verified Pet Parents for completed bookings on PawAddress. Fabricated, incentivised, or retaliatory reviews are prohibited and will be removed. PawAddress reserves the right to moderate reviews that violate our content policies.

Provider search rankings are influenced by: rating, review volume, review recency, KYC verification status, profile completeness, and paid placement subscriptions. PawAddress does not guarantee any specific search position for free-tier Providers.

11. Prohibited Conduct

All users must not:

• Post false, misleading, or defamatory reviews or content.
• Engage in harassment, abuse, or threatening behaviour toward other users.
• Attempt to circumvent PawAddress's commission by transacting off-platform after initial contact through PawAddress.
• Use the Platform for any unlawful purpose including fraud, money laundering, or violation of animal welfare laws.
• Scrape, copy, or reproduce any content from the Platform without prior written consent.
• Attempt to reverse-engineer, hack, or disrupt the Platform's technical systems.
• Create multiple accounts to circumvent suspensions or bans.

12. Intellectual Property

All content on PawAddress including text, images, logos, software, and the PawAddress brand is owned by INTINT (OPC) Pvt. Ltd. or its licensors and is protected under Indian and international intellectual property laws.

By uploading content (photos, descriptions, reviews) to the Platform, you grant INTINT (OPC) Pvt. Ltd. a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to use, display, and distribute that content in connection with the Platform's services and marketing.

13. Limitation of Liability

14. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless INTINT (OPC) Pvt. Ltd., its directors, officers, and employees from and against any claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including legal fees) arising out of: (a) your use of the Platform; (b) your breach of these Terms; (c) your violation of any applicable law; (d) any service you provide or receive through the Platform; or (e) any content you submit.

15. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of India. Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Platform shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Hyderabad, Telangana, India.

Before initiating legal proceedings, both parties agree to attempt good-faith resolution through PawAddress's internal dispute resolution process. Formal dispute notices should be sent to support@pawaddress.in. PawAddress will respond within 48 hours of receipt.

Users may also approach the relevant Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, for disputes within its jurisdiction.

16. Grievance Officer

In accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, the following officer has been designated to address user grievances:

Grievance Officer details will be updated once formally designated. In the interim, all grievances may be directed to support@pawaddress.in.

17. Changes to These Terms

PawAddress reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email and in-app notification at least 15 days before taking effect. Your continued use of the Platform after that period constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.