Terms of Service

Effective Date: December 11, 2025

Welcome to Pet Chommie (the “Site” or “Service”), operated by Pet Chommie (“we,” “us,” or “our”). Pet Chommie is a platform where pets and their humans connect through community features, marketplaces, directories, events, news, and more. These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of our website at https://pet.chommie.site, including all content, features, and services (collectively, the “Service”). By accessing or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old or the age of majority in your jurisdiction to use the Service, create an account, post content, or engage in transactions. By using the Service, you represent that you meet these requirements. Parents or guardians may supervise minors but are responsible for their actions.

2. User Accounts and Profiles

• To access features like the Pet Community (e.g., profiles, activity feeds, messaging via Better Messages or BuddyBoss), Marketplace, Directory, Events, or submissions, you must create an account.
• You agree to provide accurate information and keep it updated. You are responsible for your account’s security and all activities under it.
• We may suspend or terminate accounts for violations, including spam, harassment, or false information.

3. Content and Intellectual Property

• Our Content: All Site content, including text, images, pet tips, news, event listings, and logos, is owned by us or our licensors and protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws.
• User-Generated Content (UGC): You may submit content such as pet photos, posts, reviews, directory listings, event details, marketplace items, or comments. By submitting UGC, you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual license to use, display, modify, and distribute it on the Service. You represent that your UGC does not infringe third-party rights, promote animal cruelty, or violate laws.
• Prohibited UGC: No illegal, harmful, abusive, discriminatory, or misleading content (e.g., false pet health advice, scams, or explicit material unrelated to pets).
• We may remove or edit UGC at our discretion but are not obligated to monitor it.

4. Pet Community Features

• Use BuddyBoss-powered features like profiles, feeds, messaging, and notifications responsibly. No harassment, spam, or solicitation.
• Private messaging is for pet-related discussions; we may access it for moderation or legal reasons.

5. Pet Marketplace

• Powered by WooCommerce and WCFM, the Marketplace allows buying/selling pet-related items (e.g., products, services) from vendors.
• Transactions are between buyers and sellers; we facilitate but are not liable for disputes, quality, or fulfillment. Use at your own risk.
• Vendors must comply with laws (e.g., no illegal pet sales, accurate descriptions). We may charge fees or commissions.
• Payments: Processed via [Insert Payment Gateway, e.g., Stripe or PayPal]. Refunds follow our policy or vendor terms.

6. Pet Directory

• Using Directorist, users can list pet businesses (e.g., vets, groomers). Listings must be accurate and not misleading.
• We do not endorse listings; users rely on them at their own risk.

7. Pet Events

• Via The Events Calendar, users can create or attend events like adoption drives, playdates, competitions, shows, workshops, or social gatherings.
• Event organizers are responsible for safety, compliance (e.g., permits, animal welfare), and attendee conduct. We are not liable for event outcomes, injuries, or cancellations.
• Tickets or RSVPs may involve fees; refunds per event terms.

8. Pet News and Competitions

• News articles and competitions (e.g., pet photo contests via TotalContest) are for entertainment. Entries become UGC.
• Winners are selected fairly; prizes are as described, with no cash alternatives.

9. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Violate laws, including animal welfare regulations (e.g., no promotion of illegal breeding or fighting).
• Engage in fraud, scams, or unauthorized commercial activities.
• Interfere with the Service (e.g., hacking, DDoS) or use automated tools (e.g., bots).
• Post spam, viruses, or harmful links.
• Impersonate others or misrepresent affiliations.

10. Third-Party Integrations and Links

• We integrate with services like PetPoint/PetFinder via PetPress for adoptions, Elementor for design, and others. Their terms apply.
• Links to third-party sites (e.g., affiliates) are not endorsed; we are not responsible for their content or privacy.

11. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided “as is” without warranties. We do not guarantee accuracy (e.g., pet advice is general; consult vets), completeness, or pet safety.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, including lost profits or pet-related issues.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify us against claims from your use, UGC, transactions, or violations.

14. Termination

We may terminate your access for any reason. Sections surviving termination include IP, disclaimers, and liability.

15. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms; continued use constitutes acceptance. We’ll notify via email or Site notice.

16. Governing Law

Governed by the laws of the State of Western Cape, South Africa.

17. Dispute Resolution

Disputes resolved via arbitration in South Africa or courts if arbitration inapplicable.

18. Contact Us

For questions, email hello@pet.chommie.site or use our contact form.

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Privacy Policy

Effective Date: December 11, 2025

At Pet Chommie (“we,” “us,” or “our”), we value your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when using https://pet.chommie.site or our services (the “Service”), including community, marketplace, directory, events, and news features. By using the Service, you consent to these practices.

1. Information We Collect

• Personal Information: Name, email, address, phone, payment details (for marketplace via WooCommerce), pet details (e.g., photos, breeds), and profile info (via BuddyBoss).
• Usage Data: IP address, browser, device, pages visited (e.g., event RSVPs), and interactions (e.g., messages, likes).
• UGC Data: Submissions like directory listings (Directorist), event details (The Events Calendar), marketplace posts, or adoption inquiries (PetPress).
• Cookies and Tracking: Via plugins like LiteSpeed Cache, All in One SEO, and analytics tools for site performance and ads.
• Payment Data: Handled by third-party processors (e.g., not stored by us).
• We do not collect sensitive data like health info unless voluntarily provided (e.g., pet medical history in posts).

2. How We Use Your Information

• To operate features: e.g., community profiles, marketplace transactions, directory searches, event management, news delivery.
• Communications: Newsletters, notifications (BuddyBoss), event reminders, or transaction confirmations.
• Improvements: Analytics on pet trends, site optimization (e.g., via Hostinger Tools).
• Marketing: Personalized pet recommendations or promotions (opt-out available).
• Legal: Compliance, fraud prevention, or dispute resolution.

3. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell data. We may share with:

• Service providers: e.g., email (WP Mail SMTP), forms (Fluent Forms/WPForms), hosting (Hostinger), payments.
• Partners: For integrations like PetFinder (PetPress) or vendors (WCFM).
• Legal entities: If required by law, subpoenas, or to protect rights.
• Business transfers: In mergers or sales.

4. Data Security

We use measures like encryption and access controls, but no system is fully secure. Report issues to hello@pet.chommie.site.

5. Data Retention

Retained as needed (e.g., active accounts indefinitely; transaction data for 7 years) or per legal requirements.

6. Your Rights

• Access, correct, delete data.
• Opt out of marketing or cookies.
• Withdraw consent (may limit Service access).
• For GDPR/CCPA: Additional rights like portability; contact us to exercise.

7. Children’s Privacy

Not for children under 13 (or 16 in some areas). We do not knowingly collect their data; parents contact us for removal.

8. International Transfers

Data may be transferred to [Your Country, e.g., US] with safeguards like standard contractual clauses.

9. Third-Party Practices

Plugins like EmbedPress or third-party links have their own policies; review them.

10. Changes to This Policy

Updates posted here; major changes notified via email.

11. Contact Us

For questions or rights requests, email hello@pet.chommie.site or use our contact form.

Who we are

Our website address is: https://pet.chommie.site.

Comments

When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.

An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.

Media

If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.

Cookies

If you leave a comment on our site you may opt-in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.

If you visit our login page, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.

When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.

If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after 1 day.

Embedded content from other websites

Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Who we share your data with

If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email.

How long we retain your data

If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.

For users that register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.

What rights you have over your data

If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

Where your data is sent

Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.

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