Terms of Service
The terms, kept readable.
These Terms explain what GarbaMate is, what we expect from members, and what we can and cannot promise when you use the service to meet people in real life.
Last updated · Version 2026.10-pre-launch
Introduction and agreement scope
These Terms of Service govern your use of the GarbaMate web app, its installable PWA and the public pages on this site. By creating an account or using the service, you agree to these Terms and to the Privacy Policy.
GarbaMate is pre-launch. This version describes the current build and is pending final legal review. The operating entity, jurisdiction and formal notices will be confirmed before public registration opens, as described in the legal-review checklist referenced at the end.
Platform purpose
GarbaMate helps adults discover Garba events, find people attending the same nights, join Garba Circles and agree on a public meeting point. It is a community and coordination platform. It is not a dating guarantee, an event organiser, a ticketing service or a safety service.
GarbaMate does not organise events, sell tickets, verify venues, or supervise what happens at any event. Always confirm event details, passes and timings with the organiser.
Eligibility and age requirements
You must be 18 years or older and legally able to agree to these Terms. The current build records an adult self-declaration during onboarding; it does not collect a date of birth or verify age with an identity document.
One account per person. Do not create accounts for others or on behalf of someone under 18. We may remove an account and its data if we learn it belongs to an underage person.
Open product-policy decision
The age-assurance approach is pending approval. No adult-to-minor matching is intended or enabled in the current build.
Account registration
- Register with a mobile number you control. You are responsible for the accuracy of what you provide.
- Use your own name and identity. Do not impersonate another person, a host, an organiser or a venue.
- Keep your profile current. Do not use another person’s photos or claim their details.
- Registration is free. The current build does not charge for accounts.
Account security and responsibility
You are responsible for activity under your account. Keep your one-time codes and session private, and sign out on shared devices.
Tell us through the published support channel if you believe your account has been accessed without your permission. We may end sessions or restrict an account if we believe it is compromised or being misused.
User-generated content
You keep ownership of the content you create, such as your display name, messages, notes and plans. You grant GarbaMate the limited licence needed to store, process and display that content to operate the service and to review safety reports.
Do not post or send content that is unlawful, hateful, threatening, sexually explicit and unwanted, deceptive, or that belongs to someone else. Profile photos are subject to review, and we may remove content or restrict an account that breaks these rules.
Acceptable conduct
The community standards published on our Safety page form part of these Terms. In short: be respectful, no harassment or threats, no impersonation, no inappropriate messages, no pressure to meet, no unsolicited sharing of private details, and no scams or unauthorised sales.
The venue’s rules and staff instructions apply at every event. GarbaMate may remove content or restrict access when conduct puts other members at risk.
Connection and group participation
- A connection request is an invitation. The recipient is free to accept or decline, and declining needs no explanation.
- A chat exists only after acceptance, and either person can withdraw or end the connection.
- A Circle has a host. Asking to join sends a request to the host, and the host decides who joins.
- Plans, quotas and Circle rules may change as the product develops, and we will describe them in the app when they do.
Do not use GarbaMate to send unsolicited marketing, to sell tickets or services, or to contact people who have declined or blocked you.
In-person meetings and personal safety
GarbaMate creates a digital introduction; it does not supervise a meeting. An accepted connection, an event plan and a venue check-in are each separate steps, and none of them is a promise that someone will behave well.
You decide whether and where to meet. Prefer public festival spaces, tell someone you trust, and leave any situation that feels wrong. GarbaMate cannot guarantee anyone’s identity, intentions, sobriety or behaviour, and is not responsible for the conduct of members or third parties at an event.
Location and check-in functionality
- Location sharing during onboarding is optional and is used to place you in a city.
- The venue check-in is voluntary, records the venue only, and expires at the earlier of one hour or the end of the event.
- Only members with whom you have an accepted plan and connection can see an active check-in.
- GarbaMate does not stream live location or provide a public people map.
Do not use location features to track, follow or locate another person against their wishes.
Contact sharing and WhatsApp integration
GarbaMate does not currently offer member-to-member contact sharing. Phone numbers are not revealed to other members, and there is no paid contact unlock. If a consent-based contact share is introduced, it will require the other person’s explicit permission, and payment will not override it.
If WhatsApp delivery is enabled in your region, GarbaMate may use the WhatsApp Business API to send your own one-time sign-in code. That is a service message from GarbaMate, not a contact handoff between members.
Paid features and payment processing
The current build does not process real payments. Some flows may show a simulated payment step for development and demonstrations; no money is charged, no payment processor is connected, and no card, UPI, bank or wallet data is collected.
Before paid features launch
Before any paid feature goes live, these Terms will state the price, what the purchase includes, the payment provider, when fulfilment begins, and the refund process. We will not treat a payment as a promise that another member will meet you.
Cancellation and refund policies
Because no real payment can currently be made, there is nothing to cancel or refund today. No refund rules are published while no real purchase exists.
The future commercial terms — including who the seller is, what is purchased, and the refund window — will be added to this section before any real payment is enabled.
Suspension and account termination
You can stop using GarbaMate at any time. The current build does not include self-serve account deletion; deletion is operator-assisted through the published privacy contact until that flow ships.
We may restrict or remove an account that breaks these Terms or the community standards, that puts other members at risk, or that is used fraudulently. Where it is safe and practical to do so, we will explain the reason.
Privacy and data protection
Our Privacy Policy explains what data the current build collects, why, where it is stored, which providers process it, and the choices you have. It forms part of these Terms.
We aim to follow applicable Indian data-protection law, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act framework as it applies to the service. The privacy policy and grievance process are pending final legal review.
Third-party services
GarbaMate relies on providers such as Google Firebase, Meta’s WhatsApp Business API, Ably, managed database hosting, and cloud hosting. Their availability and terms may affect the service, and their use of data is described in the Privacy Policy.
Event information may come from public sources or organisers. It can change without notice, so confirm details with the organiser before you travel or pay anyone for a pass.
Service availability
GarbaMate is an evolving pre-launch service. Features can change, pause, or be withdrawn, and we do not promise uninterrupted availability or a specific feature set. We do not offer an uptime guarantee.
Some features depend on configuration that differs by region, such as WhatsApp code delivery and realtime chat. We will not present a feature as available when it is not configured in your region.
Disclaimers and applicable liability provisions
GarbaMate is provided on an “as available” basis. To the extent permitted by law, we are not liable for the conduct of members or third parties, for events organised by others, or for losses connected to a meeting arranged through the service.
Nothing in these Terms is intended to exclude or limit any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited, including statutory consumer protections. The exact liability wording is pending review by qualified counsel.
Open legal-review item
Final liability, indemnity and governing-law clauses require Indian counsel review before publication as a binding policy.
Changes to these terms
We version these Terms and show the last-updated date at the top of the page. Material changes will be announced on this site and, where appropriate, in the app before they take effect. Continued use after a change means you accept the updated Terms.
Applicable law and dispute resolution
These Terms are intended to be governed by the laws of India. The courts and the specific city of jurisdiction, together with the operating entity, are pending legal review and will be published before public registration opens.
Before starting formal proceedings, please raise the issue through the contact published below so we can try to resolve it directly.
Contact information
Formal notices, support questions and complaints can be sent to the contact once it is published. A grievance officer will be named here as required by applicable Indian law.
Contact details pending legal review
GarbaMate is in pre-launch. The operating entity, registered address, support and grievance contacts, and jurisdiction are being finalised with legal review, and will be published here before public registration opens. No contact details are invented or approximated in the meantime.
For emergency assistance, contact national emergency services directly. See our Safety page for helpline numbers.
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