Terms of Service

1. Introduction

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the NCEATutor NZ website and services (together, the "Platform"). By creating an account or using the Platform, you agree to these Terms.

In these Terms, "we", "us" and "our" mean NCEATutor NZ. "You" means the person using the Platform as a parent/caregiver, tutor, or prospective tutor.

2. Our role as a matching platform

NCEATutor NZ introduces parents/caregivers to tutors who offer tutoring for NCEA and related subjects. We provide tools to help you find, contact, and communicate with tutors, but:

• we are not a school or education provider;
• we are not a party to any tutoring agreement between you and a tutor;
• tutors listed on the Platform are independent contractors, not our employees or agents;
• we do not supervise lessons or guarantee academic outcomes.

Any agreement about lesson content, schedule, location, and payment is between the parent/caregiver and the tutor.

3. Who may use the Platform

4. Accounts and security

• You must provide accurate, current information when creating an account and keep it up to date.
• You are responsible for keeping your login details secure and for all activity that occurs under your account.
• You must tell us promptly if you suspect unauthorised access to your account.
• We may suspend or close accounts where we reasonably believe these Terms, our policies, or the law have been breached.

5. Responsibilities of parents and caregivers

• Use the Platform to request introductions and communicate with tutors in good faith.
• Discuss and agree lesson arrangements, pricing, cancellations, and any materials directly with the tutor.
• Supervise or arrange supervision for under-18 learners, and decide whether lessons occur online, in public spaces, or in your home.
• Contact us promptly if you have concerns about a tutor's behaviour on the Platform.

6. Responsibilities of tutors

• Provide honest, accurate information about your qualifications, experience, and suitability as a tutor.
• Deliver lessons professionally, safely, and in line with New Zealand law and any relevant professional obligations.
• Set and manage your own pricing, invoicing, and cancellations directly with parents/caregivers.
• Follow our acceptable use and safety expectations, especially when working with young people.

7. Behaviour and digital communications

All users must treat others with respect when using the Platform. You must not use the Platform to bully, harass, intimidate, or otherwise cause harm to others.

• No threats, hate speech, or discriminatory behaviour.
• No sharing of inappropriate, explicit, or illegal material, including images or recordings of young people.
• No attempts to bypass safety features, hack, or misuse the Platform.

We may restrict, suspend, or remove accounts and content where we reasonably believe there is harmful or unlawful behaviour, and we may cooperate with Netsafe, Police, or other agencies where appropriate.

8. Fees and payments

• For parents/caregivers, using the Platform to request tutor introductions is currently free. You pay tutors directly for lessons you agree with them.
• Tutors may pay subscription or visibility fees to use certain Platform features. These fees and any applicable taxes are shown at the point of purchase.
• We use third-party providers (for example, Stripe) to process tutor subscription payments. Those providers will have their own terms and privacy policies.

9. Privacy

We collect, use, and protect personal information in line with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 and our Privacy Policy. By using the Platform, you agree to that policy.

10. Intellectual property

• The Platform, including our name, logo, design, and underlying software, is owned by us or our licensors.
• You retain ownership of content you provide (for example, tutor profile text), but you grant us a licence to host, display, and use that content to operate the Platform.
• You must not copy, reverse engineer, or commercially exploit the Platform except as allowed by these Terms or New Zealand law.

11. Service availability and changes

• We aim to keep the Platform available and reliable, but we do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation.
• We may change, suspend, or withdraw parts of the Platform to improve it or for technical, security, or legal reasons.

12. Liability and consumer rights

To the extent permitted by New Zealand law, we are not liable for:

• any loss arising from tutoring agreements between parents/caregivers and tutors, including lesson outcomes, scheduling, or payment disputes; or
• indirect, consequential, or purely economic loss arising from your use of (or inability to use) the Platform.

Nothing in these Terms is intended to limit or exclude any rights you may have under New Zealand law that cannot lawfully be excluded, including under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 or Fair Trading Act 1986.

13. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will highlight them on the Platform or by email. If you continue to use the Platform after the changes take effect, you are taken to have accepted the updated Terms.

14. Governing law and how to contact us

These Terms are governed by New Zealand law. The New Zealand courts have non-exclusive jurisdiction in relation to any disputes about them.

If you have questions or concerns about these Terms or the Platform, please contact us at info@nceatutor.co.nz.