Terms and Conditions

1. Acceptance of Terms

Welcome to Here With Friends (“HWF,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). By accessing or using our website and pen pal matching services (collectively, the “Service”), you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions (“Terms”). If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, please do not use the Service. These Terms apply to all visitors, members, and users of the Service.

2. Eligibility

The Here With Friends Pen Pal Club is intended for adults aged 18 and older. By using the Service, you represent and warrant that:

- You are at least 18 years of age;

- You have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement; and

- You are not barred from using the Service under any applicable law.

- We reserve the right to terminate accounts of any user found to be under 18 years of age.

3. Account Registration & Membership

To access certain features of the Service, you may be required to create an account. You agree to:

- Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration;

- Maintain and promptly update your account information;

- Keep your account credentials secure and confidential; and

- Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account.

- You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.

4. Pen Pal Matching Service

4.1 How Matching Works

HWF facilitates connections between members who wish to correspond via physical mail. We use information you provide—such as interests, location, and preferences—to suggest compatible pen pal matches.

4.2 Sharing of Mailing Addresses

By participating in the pen pal program, you acknowledge and agree that:

- Your personally identifiable information such as name and address will not be shared with your pen pal by HWF;

- You may voluntarily share your personally identifiable information such as name, email address, and/or social media handles another member;

- HWF is not responsible for any mail you receive or for the conduct of other members;

- You may use a P.O. Box or alternative mailing address if you prefer not to share your home address; and

- You should never share financial information, passwords, or other sensitive details with a pen pal.

4.3 No Guarantee of Matches

HWF does not guarantee that you will be matched with a pen pal, that any match will result in an ongoing correspondence, or that a particular match will be suitable for you. You are required to complete the Prompts, an email survey sent to all paid members, by the published deadline date in order to be matched with a pen pal and in order to receive a letter. Refunds will not be issued if you do not complete the Prompts by the published deadline.

5. User Conduct & Community Standards

Here With Friends is a community built on kindness, connection, and mutual respect. All members are expected to treat one another with warmth and dignity. You agree not to:

- Harass, threaten, or intimidate any other member;

- Use the Service for any unlawful purpose;

- Solicit money, gifts, or financial information from other members;

- Send unsolicited commercial messages or spam;

- Impersonate any person or entity;

- Share another member’s personal information without their consent; or

- Post or transmit any content that is hateful, discriminatory, obscene, or otherwise objectionable.

HWF reserves the right to suspend or terminate the account of any member who violates these standards, at our sole discretion. HWF reserves the right to remove letters containing any language that does not abide by these standards from pen pal eligibility.

6. User-Generated Content

The Service may allow you to post, upload, or share content such as profile information, photos, and community posts (“User Content”). By submitting User Content, you:

- Represent that you own or have the rights to share such content;

- Grant HWF a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, display, and reproduce your User Content for purposes of operating and promoting the Service; and

- Acknowledge that HWF may remove any User Content that violates these Terms or our community guidelines.

- You retain ownership of your User Content. HWF does not claim ownership of content you submit.

7. Payments & Fees

Certain features of the Service may require payment. If you purchase a membership, subscription, or any product through HWF:

- All fees are stated in U.S. dollars and are non-refundable unless otherwise specified;

- You authorize HWF to charge your selected payment method for all applicable fees;

- Payment information is processed by a third-party payment processor; HWF does not store your full payment card details; and

- We reserve the right to modify pricing with reasonable advance notice.

If you believe you have been charged in error, please contact us within 30 days of the charge.

8. Privacy & Data

Your privacy is important to us. Our Privacy Policy, incorporated herein by reference, describes how we collect, use, and protect your personal information—including email addresses, mailing addresses, payment information, and User Content.

Key points:

- We collect and use your information to operate the Service and facilitate pen pal matching;

- We will never sell your personal information to third parties;

- Mailing addresses and names are not shared with matched pen pals without your consent; initial correspondence letters are sent anonymously; and

- You may request deletion of your account and personal data at any time.

Please review our full Privacy Policy for complete details.

9. Intellectual Property

All content, branding, graphics, logos, and design elements of the Here With Friends website and Service are owned by or licensed to HWF and are protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works without our express written permission. This includes and is not limited to AI use and/or repurposing of any and all content, branding, graphics, logos, and design elements of the website and Service.

10. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. HWF DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR FREE OF HARMFUL COMPONENTS.

HWF is not responsible for:

- The conduct, online or offline, of any member;

- Any correspondence, packages, or interactions between matched pen pals;

- Any loss or damage arising from your use of the Service; or

- Third-party websites or services linked from our platform.

By participating in the pen pal program, you acknowledge and agree that all views and opinions expressed in any correspondence are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, values, or position of Here With Friends, its employees, owners, or stakeholders.

11. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, HWF AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Our total liability to you for any claim arising from these Terms or the Service shall not exceed the total amount you paid to HWF in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.

12. Termination

You may cancel your account at any time by contacting us or using the account settings page. HWF may suspend or terminate your account at any time, with or without notice, for conduct that we determine violates these Terms or is harmful to other members, the Service, or HWF.

Upon termination, your right to use the Service will immediately cease. Sections that by their nature should survive termination (including Sections 6, 9, 10, 11, and 13) shall survive.

13. Governing Law & Disputes

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Any dispute arising from these Terms or your use of the Service shall be resolved through good-faith negotiation first. If a resolution cannot be reached, disputes shall be submitted to binding arbitration in New Jersey, except that either party may seek injunctive relief in court for intellectual property matters.

14. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Effective Date” at the top of this page and notify members by email or a notice on the Service. Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us at:

Here With Friends

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.herewithfriends.com

Thank you for being part of our community — we’re so glad you’re here.