Terms & Conditions

1. Introduction

Welcome to TripMate.

TripMate is a travel technology platform designed to help travellers discover destinations, find guides and travel agencies, explore travel packages, plan trips, collaborate with other travellers and manage estimated travel budgets.

These Terms & Conditions govern access to and use of TripMate and its available services. By creating an account or using TripMate, users agree to comply with these Terms. If a user does not agree with these Terms, they should not use the platform.

2. Eligibility & Accounts

Users must be legally capable of entering into a binding agreement under the laws applicable to them.

Users are responsible for:

• Providing accurate account information
• Keeping profile information reasonably current
• Maintaining the confidentiality of passwords and login credentials
• Activities performed through their account
• Immediately reporting suspected unauthorised account access
• Not impersonating another individual or organisation
• Not creating accounts for fraudulent or abusive purposes

TripMate may take reasonable security measures when suspicious account activity is detected.

3. TripMate's Role

TripMate provides technology that allows travellers to discover and communicate with independent guides and travel agencies and to use travel-planning tools.

Unless explicitly stated otherwise:

• TripMate is not a travel agency.
• TripMate is not a tour operator.
• TripMate does not itself provide guide services.
• TripMate does not itself provide accommodation or transportation.
• Guides and agencies operate independently.
• Agreements for services are between the traveller and the relevant guide or agency.

TripMate provides the platform through which these parties can discover, evaluate and communicate with each other.

4. Guides & Travel Agencies

Guides and travel agencies using TripMate are responsible for the accuracy of the information they publish. This may include:

• Profile information
• Services offered
• Tour and package descriptions
• Availability
• Pricing
• Locations
• Experience
• Credentials
• Images
• Terms specific to their services
• Quotations

Partners must not intentionally publish false, misleading or deceptive information. TripMate may review, restrict, remove or request correction of information that violates platform rules.

5. Bookings & Quotations

Travellers may use TripMate to send booking requests, enquiries or quotation requests to guides and travel agencies.

A booking, quotation or service arrangement is between the traveller and the relevant guide or agency. TripMate is not automatically a party to that agreement. A booking or quotation request is an enquiry until the relevant guide or agency responds to it — sending a request does not by itself create a confirmed booking.

Users should carefully review the following before agreeing to a service:

• Services included
• Price
• Travel dates
• Cancellation conditions
• Refund conditions
• Meeting arrangements
• Transportation
• Accommodation
• Additional charges

6. Prices & Budget Estimates

Guide & agency prices

Prices displayed by guides or agencies are provided by those respective service providers. They are responsible for keeping their prices and service information accurate.

TripMate Budget Planner

Budget calculations, suggested expenses and similar planning figures generated by TripMate are estimates for informational and planning purposes only. Actual travel costs can change because of factors including:

• Season
• Availability
• Transportation prices
• Accommodation prices
• Local conditions
• Taxes and charges
• Traveller preferences
• Changes made by service providers

7. Verification

TripMate may verify certain identity, registration or supporting documents submitted by guides and travel agencies. A verification badge indicates that TripMate has reviewed specified information or documentation according to its verification process.

However, verification:

• Is not an endorsement
• Is not a guarantee of service quality
• Is not a guarantee of safety
• Is not a guarantee of future behaviour
• Is not a guarantee of availability
• Does not transfer responsibility for the provider's services to TripMate

Users should still exercise reasonable judgement before engaging any provider.

8. Reviews & User Content

Reviews on TripMate can be submitted only for a completed booking, and each booking can be reviewed once. This keeps ratings tied to genuine, first-hand experiences.

Users submitting reviews must:

• Describe genuine experiences
• Avoid fabricated claims
• Avoid abusive or threatening content
• Avoid discriminatory content
• Avoid publishing unnecessary personal information
• Avoid spam or promotional content
• Avoid manipulating ratings

TripMate may moderate, reject, hide or remove content that violates platform rules.

Content ownership

Users retain ownership of the original content they submit. However, by publishing content on TripMate, users grant TripMate a reasonable licence to host, store, display and distribute that content as required to operate the platform.

9. Acceptable Use

Users must not misuse TripMate. Prohibited behaviour includes:

• Attempting unauthorised access to accounts or systems
• Accessing data that does not belong to the user
• Uploading malware or malicious files
• Attempting to bypass security controls
• Scraping the website without authorisation
• Sending spam
• Creating fraudulent accounts
• Impersonating another person or organisation
• Harassing or threatening users
• Publishing deliberately false information
• Manipulating reviews or ratings
• Attempting to disrupt TripMate infrastructure
• Using automated tools that place unreasonable load on the platform
• Using TripMate for unlawful activities

Violations may result in content removal, feature restrictions, suspension or account termination.

10. Safety & User Responsibility

Travel inherently involves circumstances outside TripMate's control. Users are responsible for making reasonable decisions regarding:

• Destinations
• Guides
• Agencies
• Transportation
• Accommodation
• Local conditions
• Weather
• Required documentation
• Personal safety
• Health and travel requirements
• Local laws and regulations

Users should independently verify important information before travelling.

11. Intellectual Property

TripMate's own materials may be protected by applicable intellectual-property laws, including its:

• Branding
• Logo
• Website design
• Original graphics
• Software
• Platform functionality
• Original written content

Users may not reproduce, redistribute, sell or commercially exploit TripMate-owned materials without appropriate permission.

Content uploaded by users, guides and agencies — such as profile details, images, descriptions and reviews — remains the responsibility of, and where applicable owned by, those who submit it. It is not TripMate-owned material.

12. Third-Party Services & Links

TripMate may contain links or references to external websites, businesses or services. Third-party services operate independently and may have their own:

• Terms
• Privacy policies
• Pricing
• Cancellation rules
• Security practices

TripMate does not control independently operated third-party websites. Users should review the applicable terms before using external services.

13. Account Suspension & Termination

TripMate may restrict, suspend or terminate accounts when reasonably necessary, including for:

• Violation of these Terms
• Fraudulent activity
• Security threats
• Platform abuse
• Repeated harassment
• Malicious activity
• Fake reviews
• Attempts to compromise the platform
• Serious misuse of TripMate services

Where appropriate, reasons may be maintained in administrative or audit records.

Users who wish to close their account can request deletion through the Contact page or support team, and an administrator can then remove the account. Individual profile details, trips and budgets can be edited or removed from the relevant account pages at any time.

14. Availability of the Platform

TripMate aims to provide reliable access but cannot guarantee uninterrupted availability. The platform may occasionally become unavailable because of:

• Maintenance
• Updates
• Technical problems
• Hosting or network interruptions
• Security incidents
• Third-party service failures
• Circumstances outside TripMate's reasonable control

TripMate may modify, improve or discontinue platform features when reasonably necessary.

15. Disclaimer & Limitation of Liability

TripMate provides its platform and planning tools subject to applicable law.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, TripMate is not responsible for losses resulting solely from:

• Services independently provided by guides or agencies
• Travel cancellations or disruptions
• Weather
• Transportation delays
• Incorrect information supplied by third-party providers
• User decisions based solely on estimated budget figures
• Circumstances outside TripMate's reasonable control

Nothing in these Terms is intended to exclude or limit any rights or liabilities that cannot legally be excluded or limited under applicable law.

16. Privacy

User privacy is governed separately by the TripMate Privacy Policy, which explains what information is collected, why, and how it is protected.

17. Changes to These Terms

TripMate may update these Terms when necessary because of:

• New platform features
• Operational changes
• Security requirements
• Legal requirements
• Changes to TripMate services

When the Terms materially change, the "Last updated" date shown at the top of this page is revised, and material changes may be communicated through the platform where appropriate. Continued use of TripMate following applicable notice of updated Terms may constitute acceptance where permitted by law.

18. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the applicable laws of India, subject to any mandatory rights or protections available under applicable law.