Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By downloading, installing, or using Kounga TripMate, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our services.

2. Description of Service

Kounga TripMate is an offline-first group travel coordination application that enables users to:

• Create and manage travel trips
• Collaborate with group members in real-time
• Plan itineraries and activities
• Track and split group expenses
• Share photos, notes, and documents
• Access trip information offline

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of our services at any time with or without notice.

3. User Accounts

3.1 Account Creation

To use Kounga TripMate, you must create an account by providing:

• Valid email address
• Secure password
• Accurate personal information

You may also sign in using Google or Apple authentication services.

3.2 Account Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to use Kounga TripMate. If you are under 18, you must have parental or legal guardian consent.

3.3 Account Security

You are responsible for:

• Maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials
• All activities that occur under your account
• Notifying us immediately of any unauthorized access
• Using a strong, unique password

3.4 Account Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account if you violate these Terms or engage in fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity.

4. User Responsibilities

4.1 Acceptable Use

When using Kounga TripMate, you agree to:

• Provide accurate and truthful information
• Comply with all applicable laws and regulations
• Respect other users' rights and privacy
• Use the service for its intended purpose
• Not attempt to harm or exploit the service

4.2 Prohibited Conduct

You must not:

• Violate any laws or regulations
• Infringe on intellectual property rights
• Transmit malicious code or viruses
• Harass, threaten, or harm other users
• Impersonate others or misrepresent your identity
• Scrape, data mine, or reverse engineer the app
• Interfere with the service's operation
• Use the service for commercial purposes without permission
• Share inappropriate, offensive, or illegal content

5. Content and Intellectual Property

5.1 Your Content

You retain ownership of content you upload to Kounga TripMate (photos, notes, trip data, etc.). By uploading content, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to store, process, and display your content solely to provide our services.

5.2 Content Responsibility

You are solely responsible for:

• The accuracy and legality of your content
• Ensuring you have rights to upload content
• Backing up your important data
• Content shared within trip groups

5.3 Our Intellectual Property

Kounga TripMate's app, design, features, and branding are owned by Kounga Solutions and protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, or distribute our intellectual property without permission.

6. Trip Groups and Collaboration

6.1 Group Interactions

When you create or join a trip group, you agree to collaborate respectfully with other members. Trip creators have administrative rights to manage the group.

6.2 Shared Content

Content shared within a trip group is visible to all group members. You should only share information you're comfortable with other members seeing.

6.3 Group Expenses

Kounga TripMate provides expense tracking tools but does not facilitate payments. Users are responsible for settling expenses outside the app. We are not liable for financial disputes between users.

7. Data and Privacy

Your use of Kounga TripMate is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which explains how we collect, use, and protect your information. Please review it carefully.

7.1 Offline Storage

Kounga TripMate stores data locally on your device for offline access. You are responsible for the security of your device. We recommend using device encryption and passcodes.

7.2 Data Backup

While we implement backup procedures, you should maintain your own backups of important data. We are not liable for data loss.

8. Fees and Payment

Kounga TripMate is currently free to download and use. We reserve the right to introduce paid features or subscriptions in the future. Any pricing changes will be communicated in advance.

9. Disclaimers and Limitations

9.1 Service Availability

Kounga TripMate is provided "as is" and "as available." We do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free service. Maintenance, updates, or technical issues may cause temporary unavailability.

9.2 No Travel Advice

Kounga TripMate is a planning tool only. We do not provide travel advice, recommendations, or guarantees. Users are responsible for their own travel decisions and safety.

9.3 Third-Party Services

Our app may integrate with third-party services (Google, Apple, Firebase). We are not responsible for their availability, accuracy, or policies.

9.4 Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Kounga Solutions shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenues, whether incurred directly or indirectly, or any loss of data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses resulting from:

• Your use or inability to use the service
• Unauthorized access to your data
• Errors, bugs, or inaccuracies in the service
• Loss of data or content
• Interactions with other users

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Kounga Solutions, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, losses, damages, liabilities, and expenses (including legal fees) arising from:

• Your use of Kounga TripMate
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any rights of another party
• Your content uploaded to the service

11. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms periodically. Material changes will be communicated via email or in-app notification at least 30 days before taking effect. Continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

12. Termination

12.1 By You

You may terminate your account at any time through the app settings. Upon termination, your data will be deleted according to our Privacy Policy.

12.2 By Us

We may suspend or terminate your access immediately if you violate these Terms or for any reason at our discretion. We will provide notice when reasonably possible.

12.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination, your right to use the service ceases immediately. Provisions that should survive termination (indemnification, limitation of liability, etc.) will remain in effect.

13. Dispute Resolution

13.1 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of New Zealand, without regard to conflict of law provisions.

13.2 Dispute Process

If you have a dispute, please contact us first at info@koungasolutions.co.nz. We will attempt to resolve the matter informally.

13.3 Arbitration

If informal resolution fails, disputes will be resolved through binding arbitration in Auckland, New Zealand, in accordance with New Zealand arbitration law.

14. General Provisions

14.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Kounga Solutions regarding Kounga TripMate.

14.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full effect.

14.3 Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision does not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.

14.4 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms without our written consent. We may assign our rights and obligations without restriction.

14.5 Force Majeure

We are not liable for delays or failures in performance due to causes beyond our reasonable control (natural disasters, wars, pandemics, etc.).

15. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms, please contact us: