Terms of Service

Last Updated: January 23, 2026

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using Archivis ("Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you disagree with any part of these terms, you may not access the Service.

2. Description of Service

Archivis provides professional biography writing and digital preservation services. We create, store, and display life stories in written form with associated photographs.

3. User Accounts

3.1 Account Creation

• You must provide accurate, complete information during registration
• You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials
• You must be at least 18 years old to create an account
• One person may only create one account

3.2 Account Security

• You are responsible for all activities under your account
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized access
• We are not liable for losses caused by unauthorized use of your account

4. Orders and Payment

4.1 Order Process

• Orders are confirmed upon successful payment processing
• Pricing is displayed clearly during checkout
• All prices are in USD
• Payment may be processed via credit card, debit card, or financing partners (e.g., Affirm)

4.2 Refund Policy

4.3 Cancellation

You may request cancellation at any time by contacting support@archivis.org. Refunds will be processed according to section 4.2 above within 7-10 business days.

5. Service Delivery

5.1 Timeline

• Estimated completion timelines are provided at order placement
• Timelines are estimates, not guarantees
• Delays may occur due to customer responsiveness, complexity, or unforeseen circumstances

5.2 Customer Responsibilities

You agree to:

• Respond to questionnaires and requests for information within 14 days
• Provide truthful, accurate information for your biography
• Review drafts and provide feedback within 14 days of delivery
• Cooperate in the revision process

5.3 Our Responsibilities

We agree to:

• Make good-faith efforts to meet estimated timelines
• Deliver work that meets the specifications of your chosen package
• Provide the number of revision rounds included in your package
• Maintain professional communication throughout the process

6. Content and Intellectual Property

6.1 Your Content

• You retain ownership of the information, stories, and photos you provide
• You grant Archivis a license to use this content solely to create your biography
• You represent that you have the right to share all content provided
• You are responsible for ensuring content doesn't infringe on others' rights

6.2 Completed Biography

• Upon full payment, you receive full ownership of the completed written biography
• You may publish, share, or reproduce your biography freely
• You grant Archivis the right to display your biography on archivis.org if you choose to publish it
• You may request removal of your public biography at any time

6.3 Sample Work

With your permission, we may use portions of your biography as anonymous samples for marketing purposes. You may opt out at any time.

7. Data Storage and Preservation

7.1 Storage Commitment

• We maintain your biography and associated files on secure cloud infrastructure (AWS)
• We implement industry-standard security practices and backup procedures
• We make commercially reasonable efforts to preserve your content long-term

7.2 No Absolute Permanence Guarantee

7.3 Data Export

• You may request a complete export of your biography and files at any time
• We strongly recommend maintaining your own backups
• Export requests are fulfilled within 7 business days

7.4 Account Inactivity

• Accounts inactive for 5+ years may be archived
• We will attempt to contact you at the email address on file before archiving
• Archived content can be restored upon request

8. Business Continuity and Changes

8.1 Service Modifications

• We reserve the right to modify or discontinue the Service with 90 days notice
• Existing paid orders will be completed or refunded proportionally
• Terms may be updated; continued use constitutes acceptance

8.2 Business Transfer

In the event of acquisition, merger, or sale:

• Your data may be transferred to the acquiring entity
• You will be notified of the transfer and new ownership
• You will have 60 days to request data export and account deletion
• The acquiring entity must honor existing terms or offer refunds

8.3 Business Closure

If Archivis ceases operations:

• We will provide 90 days notice when possible
• You will have 90 days to download your complete data
• After this period, we cannot guarantee data availability
• Partial refunds may be issued for incomplete work at our discretion

9. Prohibited Uses

You may not use the Service to:

• Violate any laws or regulations
• Infringe on intellectual property rights
• Impersonate others or provide false information
• Harass, abuse, or harm others
• Distribute malware or engage in malicious activity
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems

10. Content Guidelines

Your biography must not contain:

• Defamatory, libelous, or fraudulent content
• Content that infringes on others' rights
• Explicit or gratuitously violent content
• Hate speech or discriminatory content
• Content promoting illegal activities

We reserve the right to refuse service or remove content that violates these guidelines.

11. Limitation of Liability

11.1 Service "As-Is"

The Service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, express or implied.

11.2 Liability Cap

Our total liability for any claim arising from these Terms or the Service shall not exceed the amount you paid for the specific order in question.

11.3 Excluded Damages

We are not liable for:

• Indirect, incidental, or consequential damages
• Lost profits, data, or business opportunities
• Damages resulting from third-party services (AWS, payment processors)
• Unauthorized access to your account due to your negligence

11.4 Force Majeure

We are not liable for failures caused by circumstances beyond our reasonable control (natural disasters, pandemics, infrastructure failures, etc.).

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Archivis, its employees, and contractors from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from:

• Your violation of these Terms
• Content you provide that infringes on others' rights
• Your misuse of the Service

13. Dispute Resolution

13.1 Informal Resolution

Before filing any claim, you agree to contact us at support@archivis.org to resolve the dispute informally.

13.2 Arbitration

If informal resolution fails, disputes will be resolved through binding arbitration rather than court proceedings, except for small claims court matters.

13.3 Class Action Waiver

You agree to resolve disputes individually, not as part of a class action or consolidated proceeding.

13.4 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles.

14. Privacy

Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy, available at archivis.org/privacy. By using the Service, you consent to our data practices as described in the Privacy Policy.

15. Third-Party Services

We use third-party services including:

• AWS (hosting and storage)
• Stripe and Affirm (payment processing)
• Google Workspace (email communications)
• OpenAI (AI-assisted content generation where applicable)

These services have their own terms, and we are not responsible for their actions or policies.

16. AI-Assisted Content

Some service tiers may include AI-assisted biography generation:

• AI is used to structure and draft content based on your provided information
• AI-generated content may include hallucinations
• You retain the same ownership rights as professionally written content
• We make reasonable efforts to ensure accuracy, but you should review all content carefully

17. Severability

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

18. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms:

• Email: support@archivis.org
• Website: archivis.org

19. Entire Agreement

These Terms, along with our Privacy Policy and Data Processing Agreement, constitute the entire agreement between you and Archivis regarding the Service.