1. The short version
- Consulting work happens under a written scope of work that we both sign. It sets the work, price, schedule and payment. These terms cover the rest.
- Software is sold by subscription or per use and billed through Stripe. You can cancel a subscription at any time, and it ends at the close of the period you’ve paid for.
- Prices are in US dollars and don’t include sales tax, which we add where the law requires it.
- We don’t promise particular business results, and our liability is limited as section 9 explains.
- Questions go to hello@ethoic.com.
2. Who we are and what these terms cover
Ethoic Inc is a Tennessee corporation at 313 Ebenezer Rd, Knoxville, TN 37923. “Ethoic,” “we” and “us” mean Ethoic Inc. “You” means the person using ethoic.com or buying from us, and the business you act for. If you accept these terms for a business, you confirm you’re allowed to bind it.
These terms apply when you use ethoic.com, hire us for consulting, or buy Ethoic software by subscription or per use. You accept them by using the site, by signing a scope of work, or by checking out or paying an invoice that links to them. Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle information.
Some products have their own terms, such as Stratumus. A product’s own terms govern that product, including its billing and how disputes about it are resolved where they cover those. These terms cover anything they don’t.
If documents conflict, this order decides: first a scope of work or other agreement signed by both of us, then a product’s own terms, then these terms, then an invoice or order page.
3. Using ethoic.com
You may use ethoic.com for lawful purposes. Please don’t interfere with the site or its forms, try to get into systems you aren’t given access to, send spam or harmful code through it, or pretend to be someone else.
The Journal and other articles share information and opinions. They aren’t legal, tax, financial or other professional advice for your situation. Links to other websites aren’t endorsements, and we aren’t responsible for those sites.
4. Consulting
Scope of work
Before we start, we agree in writing on a scope of work: what we’ll do and deliver, the price, the schedule, how you’ll pay, how the work is accepted, and what isn’t included. We both sign it. Work outside the scope needs a written change with its own price before we do it.
Our consulting is for businesses, not consumers. We choose which projects we take on and may decline any inquiry.
Your part
You agree to give us, on time, the access, information and decisions the scope of work needs, and to make sure you have the right to share them with us. If something on your side is late, the schedule may move.
How we work in your systems
We work in accounts your business owns, with access you grant and can remove at any time. We make changes in your systems only with your approval. Where we use AI tools, a person reviews the work, and nothing goes to your customers without your approval.
You remain responsible for your own accounts, software subscriptions, data and backups, and for the decisions you make using our work. Other companies’ tools and platforms we work in are covered by their own terms.
Results
We do the work carefully and as described in the scope of work. We don’t promise specific business results, such as more customers, revenue or search rankings.
Ending consulting work
The scope of work says how either of us can end the work. If it doesn’t say, either of us can end it with written notice, and you pay for work done and approved costs up to that point.
5. Software subscriptions and per-use purchases
Plans and prices
Before you subscribe, the checkout or order page shows the plan, the price, how often you’ll be charged, any usage charges, that the subscription renews until you cancel, and how to cancel. You agree to those terms there, and we confirm them by email after you subscribe.
Renewal
Subscriptions renew automatically at the end of each billing period, monthly or yearly as you chose, and we charge the payment method on file until you cancel. For yearly plans, we email you a reminder 15 to 45 days before each renewal. Per-use charges are billed as the product’s pricing describes.
Free trials
If we offer a free trial, checkout shows when it ends and what you’ll pay after it. For trials longer than 31 days, we email you a reminder 3 to 21 days before the trial ends. Cancel before then and you won’t be charged.
Cancelling
You can cancel at any time from your account, if the product offers one, or by emailing hello@ethoic.com. If you signed up online, you can cancel online too. Cancelling stops the next renewal. You keep access until the end of the period you’ve paid for.
Price changes
We’ll email you at least 30 days before a new price applies to your subscription. The new price starts at your next renewal after that, and you can cancel before then.
Your account
Keep your sign-in details safe and tell us if you think someone else has used your account. You’re responsible for what happens under your account.
Using the software
While your subscription or purchase is active, we give you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use the software for its intended purpose. Please don’t copy, resell or sublicense it; take it apart to get its source code, except where the law allows; get around its limits or security; or use it to break the law or harm others.
Your content
What you put into the software stays yours. You let us store and process it only to provide the service to you, as the product’s privacy policy describes.
AI can be wrong
Some Ethoic software uses AI. Its output can be incomplete or wrong, so check anything important before you rely on it.
Changes and suspension
We improve the software over time and may change or remove features. If we stop offering a paid product, we’ll tell you in advance and refund any prepaid fees for time you won’t be able to use. We may suspend access if a payment fails and isn’t fixed, or if an account is used in a way that breaks these terms or puts others at risk.
6. Payment, taxes and refunds
How you pay
Stripe processes our payments by card, digital wallet or bank debit (ACH). If you pay by ACH, you authorize the debit when you accept Stripe’s authorization at payment. You can withdraw that authorization for future debits by emailing hello@ethoic.com; it doesn’t cancel amounts you already owe. Invoices are due by the date shown on them. If a payment is late or fails, we may pause work or access until it’s paid.
Taxes
Prices are in US dollars and don’t include taxes. Where the law requires it, we add sales tax to the invoice or checkout, and you pay it.
Refunds
Consulting: the scope of work sets refund terms. If it says nothing, fees for work already delivered aren’t refundable, and if we can’t start or finish the work, we refund what you paid for the part we didn’t deliver.
Subscriptions: we don’t refund part of a billing period after cancelling, except where the law requires it or where these terms say so.
Mistakes: if you think we charged you in error, tell us within 60 days at hello@ethoic.com and we’ll fix any mistake. Please write to us before disputing a charge with your bank; most problems are quick to sort out.
7. Ownership and confidentiality
What’s yours
You own your business’s data. Once you’ve paid for consulting work, you own the deliverables made specifically for you, unless the scope of work says otherwise.
What’s ours
We keep ownership of our software, and of the templates, prompts, tools, methods and know-how we bring to or develop during the work. Where any of them are part of your deliverables, you get a perpetual, non-exclusive license to use them as part of those deliverables. Ethoic™, Stratumus™, FeeHarbor™, CivicFormat™ and stay_human are our brands, and these terms don’t give you rights to use them.
Confidentiality
Each of us will keep the other’s non-public business information confidential and use it only for the work or service. This doesn’t cover information that is already public, that the other side already had or developed on its own, or that the law requires to be disclosed.
Feedback
If you send us suggestions about our services or software, we may use them without owing you anything.
8. Disclaimers
Apart from what a signed scope of work or these terms expressly promise, ethoic.com, our services and our software are provided “as is” and “as available.” To the extent the law allows, we disclaim all other warranties, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement, and we don’t promise that the site or software will be uninterrupted or error-free.
We don’t give legal, tax, accounting, financial or regulatory compliance advice. Get that advice from a licensed professional.
9. Limits on liability
To the extent the law allows:
- Neither of us is liable to the other for indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or for lost profits, revenue or data, even if warned they were possible.
- Ethoic’s total liability for all claims about the site, services or software is limited to the amount you paid Ethoic for the service or software involved in the 12 months before the event that led to the claim.
These limits don’t apply where the law doesn’t allow them, and they don’t limit your obligation to pay for what you’ve bought.
10. Claims caused by your use
If someone makes a claim against Ethoic because of content you gave us, instructions you gave us that we followed, or your breaking these terms or the law, you’ll cover Ethoic’s reasonable costs of that claim, including reasonable attorneys’ fees. If you use our software as a consumer, this section applies only as far as the law allows.
11. Disputes and governing law
If there’s a problem, please email hello@ethoic.com first, and we’ll both try in good faith to settle it within 30 days.
Tennessee law governs these terms, without regard to its conflict-of-law rules. Any court case goes to the state or federal courts in Knox County, Tennessee, and we both agree to those courts’ jurisdiction. Either of us can use small-claims court if the case qualifies.
12. Changes to these terms
We may update these terms. We’ll post the new version here with its date, and email active clients and subscribers at least 30 days before a change that matters to them takes effect. A signed scope of work stays on the terms in effect when it was signed, unless we both agree otherwise in writing. We keep earlier versions and will send you any of them on request.
13. General
- Whole agreement. These terms, with any signed scope of work and a product’s own terms, are the whole agreement between us on their subject.
- Public agencies. If you’re a government agency and a law that applies to you conflicts with these terms, for example on public records, indemnities or automatic renewal, that law controls for you.
- Independent business. Ethoic Inc provides its services as an independent business, not as your employee, agent or partner.
- Transfer. You may not transfer these terms without our written OK. We may transfer them as part of a merger, sale or reorganization of our business.
- Events beyond control. Neither of us is responsible for delays caused by events outside reasonable control, such as outages, disasters or government action.
- Severability and waiver. If part of these terms can’t be enforced, the rest still applies. Not enforcing a term right away doesn’t waive it.
- Notices. We send notices to the email on your account, invoice or scope of work. Send yours to hello@ethoic.com.
14. Contact
Ethoic Inc
313 Ebenezer Rd, Knoxville, TN 37923
hello@ethoic.com
(865) 358-5266