Introduction
These Terms and Conditions govern your access to and use of Penpal America, a 1-to-1 penpal and social communication platform operated by Tick Waves Limited. By creating an account or using the service, you agree to these Terms.
Penpal America Legal
Terms and Conditions
Effective version: v1.0. Penpal America is operated by Tick Waves Limited. These Terms apply to users of the Penpal America website, app experience, messaging, voice call, video call, profile, gallery, reporting, blocking, moderation, and subscription features.
Eligibility and 18+ Requirement
Penpal America is for adults only. You must be at least 18 years old to create an account, use chat, upload content, make voice or video calls, or subscribe to paid features. We may suspend or remove accounts where we suspect an underage user.
Account Registration and Truthful Information
You agree to provide truthful, accurate, and current information during registration and while using your profile. You must not use fake, misleading, stolen, or impersonated profile information.
User Responsibility for Account Security
You are responsible for keeping your login details secure and for activity that occurs through your account. Notify us if you believe your account has been accessed without permission.
Acceptable Use of the Platform
You may use Penpal America to create a profile, discover users, send one-to-one messages, make voice and video calls, upload permitted profile/gallery content, report concerns, block users, and manage subscriptions in a lawful and respectful way.
Prohibited Behaviour
Users must not:
- harass, threaten, abuse, bully, intimidate, or exploit others
- send sexual, indecent, violent, hateful, discriminatory, illegal, or harmful content
- impersonate another person
- use fake, misleading, or stolen profile information
- scam, defraud, request money, or manipulate other users
- share another person's private information without consent
- upload malware, spam, or harmful links
- use the service for illegal activity
- attempt to bypass bans, moderation, payment systems, or security controls
User-Generated Content
You are responsible for the text, images, videos, voice notes, profile information, reports, and other content you submit. You must have the rights and permission needed to upload or share that content. We may review, restrict, remove, or reject content that appears unsafe, unlawful, misleading, abusive, or inconsistent with these Terms.
Messaging, Voice Calls, and Video Calls
Penpal America provides private one-to-one text chat, voice calls, and video calls. You must use these features respectfully. Do not pressure users, record calls without consent where prohibited, send indecent content, or use communication features to harass, scam, exploit, or threaten another person.
Safety, Meeting Other Users, and Background Checks
Penpal America is a social communication platform that allows users to meet and communicate with other users online. Tick Waves Limited does not carry out criminal record checks, identity verification checks, address checks, employment checks, financial checks, or any other background checks on users of the platform. Tick Waves Limited does not have the facility to carry out background checks on users.
Users are solely responsible for deciding whether to communicate with, trust, share personal information with, or meet another user. If a user chooses to meet another user in person, they do so entirely at their own risk and are responsible for carrying out their own checks, taking safety precautions, meeting in public places, informing friends or family, and using their own judgment.
Tick Waves Limited is not responsible or liable for any loss, harm, injury, damage, fraud, abuse, emotional distress, financial loss, or other consequence that may arise from a user's decision to communicate with or meet another user, especially where the user has not carried out their own checks or safety precautions.
No Background Check Disclaimer
Penpal America does not guarantee the identity, background, intentions, honesty, safety, conduct, location, employment, financial position, or personal circumstances of any user. Online interactions can involve risk. Use your own judgment and safety precautions at all times.
Reports, Blocking, Moderation, Suspension, and Account Termination
Tick Waves Limited may review reports, remove content, suspend or ban users, restrict access to features, and cooperate with lawful authorities where required. We may take action where we believe a user, profile, message, media item, call behaviour, payment activity, or account pattern creates risk or breaches these Terms.
Paid Subscriptions, Renewals, Cancellations, and Refunds
Penpal America may offer paid subscription features. Subscription prices, billing periods, renewals, limits, and included features are shown before purchase. Payments are processed by third-party payment providers such as Stripe. Subscriptions may renew automatically unless cancelled before renewal. Refunds are handled according to applicable law, payment provider rules, and any refund policy shown at the time of purchase.
Service Availability and Changes
We aim to provide a reliable service, but Penpal America may be unavailable, interrupted, updated, restricted, suspended, or changed from time to time. Features may be added, removed, limited, or modified for operational, safety, legal, or business reasons.
Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, Tick Waves Limited is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, punitive, or exemplary losses, or for loss of profits, data, reputation, goodwill, opportunity, or expected benefit arising from use of the platform.
Privacy and Data Protection
Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect personal data. By using Penpal America, you agree that your data will be handled in line with the Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws.
Changes to the Terms
Tick Waves Limited may update these Terms from time to time. Where changes are material, we may provide notice through the app, email, or another appropriate method. Continued use of Penpal America after changes take effect means you accept the updated Terms.
Contact Information
For questions about these Terms, contact Tick Waves Limited at support@penpalamerica.com. This contact address may be updated from time to time.
See also our Privacy Policy and Safety Center.