Website Terms of Use

1. Definitions and Interpretation

1.1Definitions. In these Terms, unless the context otherwise requires:

1.1.1“Applicable Law” means all laws, regulations, codes, and orders applicable to a party or to the use of the Website, including the laws of the Province of British Columbia and the federal laws of Canada applicable in that province.

1.1.2“Company IP” means all Intellectual Property Rights owned or licensed by the Company, including the Website, the Website Content, the GradCollective name and logo, the 15-Point Diagnostic, and all templates, frameworks, worksheets, methodologies, curricula, and Program materials.

1.1.3“Inquiry Data” means the information you submit to us through any form on the Website, including your name, email address, telephone number, and the information you provide about your academic program and circumstances.

1.1.4“Intellectual Property Rights” means all present and future rights in respect of copyright, trade marks, service marks, designs, patents, trade secrets, know-how, and all other rights of an intellectual property nature, whether registered or unregistered.

1.1.5“Personal Information” has the meaning given at Clause 12 and in the Privacy Policy.

1.1.6“Privacy Policy” means the Company’s Privacy Policy as published on the Website from time to time, which forms part of these Terms by reference.

1.1.7“Program” means any coaching, mentorship, or academic-development program offered by the Company to PhD and doctoral candidates, including the program currently offered under the name The Strong Finish – Dissertation Coaching Program.

1.1.8“Coaching Services Agreement” means the separate agreement between the Company and a Client governing the delivery of, and participation in, a Program, accepted by the Client at onboarding.

1.1.9“Services” means the Programs and all coaching, mentorship, feedback, and academic-development services provided by the Company.

1.1.10“User”, “you” or “your” means any person who accesses or uses the Website in any capacity, including browsing, viewing content, submitting an inquiry, or applying for a Program.

1.1.11“Website Content” means all text, graphics, images, video, audio, data, code, design, layout, testimonials, case studies, articles, and other material published on or made available through the Website.

1.1.12“Digistore24” means Digistore24 Inc., 360 Central Avenue, Suite 800, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA, the reseller and seller of record for the Programs.

1.2Interpretation. In these Terms, unless the context requires otherwise:

1.2.1headings are for convenience only and do not affect construction or interpretation;

1.2.2the singular includes the plural and vice versa;

1.2.3a reference to a statute or regulation includes all amendments, consolidations, re-enactments, and successor legislation in force from time to time;

1.2.4“including” means “including without limitation” and does not limit the generality of any preceding words;

1.2.5a reference to “writing” includes email correspondence; and

1.2.6where a period is expressed in days, it refers to calendar days unless stated to be business days.

2. Acceptance of Terms

2.1By accessing or using the Website in any manner, including browsing any page, viewing any video, or submitting any form, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and by the Privacy Policy.

2.2If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, you must immediately cease accessing and using the Website.

2.3These Terms apply to all Users of the Website, including visitors who browse without submitting any information, inquirers, applicants, prospective Clients, and existing Clients when accessing the Website.

2.4If you are accessing the Website on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that organization to these Terms.

2.5We reserve the right to update or amend these Terms in accordance with Clause 21. By continuing to use the Website after an amendment takes effect, you accept the amended Terms.

3. Access to the Website

3.1Subject to these Terms, the Company grants you a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, and non-transferable right to access and use the Website for your own personal, non-commercial, informational purposes.

3.2This right of access does not include the right to:

3.2.1reproduce, copy, publish, distribute, or commercially exploit any Website Content without our prior written consent;

3.2.2use the Website in any manner that could damage, disable, overburden, impair, or compromise its security or performance;

3.2.3use any automated tool, scraper, bot, crawler, spider, data-mining software, or similar technology to access the Website or any Website Content;

3.2.4frame or deep-link to any part of the Website without our prior written consent; or

3.2.5access the Website in any manner that violates Applicable Law.

3.3We do not guarantee that the Website will be available at all times. The Website may be unavailable due to scheduled maintenance, technical failure, third-party platform outage, or other causes.

3.4We reserve the right to modify, update, expand, restrict, or discontinue the Website or any feature of it at any time, with or without notice.

3.5We reserve the right to suspend, restrict, or terminate your access to the Website at any time, without notice, if you breach these Terms or if we reasonably suspect misuse of the Website or the Website Content.

4. Relationship to the Coaching Services Agreement

4.1These Terms govern use of the Website only. They do not govern the purchase of, enrollment in, or participation in a Program.

4.2Programs are sold by Digistore24 as seller of record. Your purchase is made at a checkout page hosted by Digistore24 and is governed by Digistore24’s own terms of sale, which cover price, payment, payment plans and returns. How we deliver the Program to you is governed by a separate Coaching Services Agreement, which is linked on the enrollment page before purchase and which you accept at onboarding before your first session. That agreement addresses the scope and duration of coaching, scheduling and attendance, intellectual property in Program materials, recording consent, limitation of liability, and dispute resolution.

4.3Nothing on the Website constitutes an offer capable of acceptance. Information about a Program, including any price, inclusion, or timeline referred to on the Website, is an invitation to inquire only. No contract for the supply of a Program is formed until your purchase is completed at Digistore24’s checkout and you have accepted the Coaching Services Agreement.

4.4Price, payment and returns are governed by Digistore24’s terms of sale. The Refund and Cancellation Policy published on the Website explains how returns work in practice and what happens between you and the Company when a refund is given. These Terms do not themselves create any right to a refund.

4.5In the event of any inconsistency, the Coaching Services Agreement prevails over these Terms in relation to the Program, and these Terms prevail to the extent the inconsistency relates solely to access to and use of the Website.

5. Intellectual Property

5.1Ownership. All Company IP is and remains the sole and exclusive property of the Company. Nothing in these Terms transfers, assigns, or grants any Intellectual Property Right to you.

5.2Website Content. All Website Content, including text, graphics, images, video, audio, data, design, layout, code, trade marks, and logos, is owned by or licensed to the Company and is protected by copyright, trade mark, and other Intellectual Property laws.

5.3Permitted use. Subject to these Terms, you may access and view Website Content for your own lawful informational purposes, and may print or download a single copy of any page for personal, non-commercial reference, provided you do not modify it and you retain all proprietary notices.

5.4Prohibited use. You must not, without our prior written consent:

5.4.1reproduce, copy, republish, upload, post, transmit, or distribute any Website Content for commercial purposes;

5.4.2sell, sublicense, transfer, or assign any Website Content or any right to access or use it;

5.4.3modify, adapt, translate, reverse-engineer, or create derivative works from any Website Content;

5.4.4remove or alter any proprietary notice, watermark, copyright notice, or attribution;

5.4.5use any Website Content to train, develop, test, validate, or build any artificial intelligence model, machine learning algorithm, or large language model; or

5.4.6frame, deep-link, or incorporate any Website Content into any other website or digital environment.

5.5Trade marks. The GradCollective name, logo, and associated trade marks are proprietary to the Company. Nothing in these Terms grants you any right to use them.

5.6Third-party content. The Website may display content, marks, or materials belonging to third parties, including institution names appearing in testimonials. All such content remains the property of its respective owner.

5.7Infringement notifications. If you believe that any Website Content infringes your Intellectual Property Rights, please contact us at [email protected] with sufficient detail to allow us to investigate.

6. Website Content - Accuracy and Disclaimer

6.1General information only. All Website Content is provided for general informational and promotional purposes. It does not constitute academic, professional, legal, financial, career, or immigration advice, and must not be relied upon as such.

6.2No advisory relationship. Accessing the Website, viewing any video, downloading any material, or submitting an inquiry does not create a coaching, advisory, or professional relationship between you and the Company. Such a relationship arises only upon acceptance of the Coaching Services Agreement.

6.3No warranty as to accuracy. We make no representation, warranty, or guarantee that any Website Content is accurate, complete, current, or fit for any particular purpose, or that the Website is free from error, defect, or security vulnerability.

6.4Statistics and third-party research. Where the Website refers to completion rates, attrition figures, cost of delay, salary data, or other statistics drawn from third-party research, that material is reproduced for general context. We do not warrant its accuracy or its applicability to your circumstances, and it is not a prediction of your outcome.

6.5Independent advice. You are encouraged to seek independent advice, and to consult your institution, supervisor, and committee, before making any decision concerning your candidature or academic work.

6.6Updates. Website Content may be updated, changed, withdrawn, or suspended at any time without notice.

7. Testimonials, Reviews and Results Disclosure

7.1The Website displays testimonials, reviews, case studies, and statements from past and current clients. These reflect the individual experience of the person giving them.

7.2Results are not typical and are not guaranteed. Individual results vary considerably and depend on factors outside our control, including your institution’s requirements, your supervisor and committee, your discipline, the state of your research, the time you are able to commit, and your personal circumstances. You should not assume that you will achieve comparable results.

7.3Compensation disclosure. We disclose whether any contributor received compensation, a discount, or any other incentive in exchange for a testimonial or review, where that is the case. Where no such disclosure appears, no compensation or incentive was given.

7.4Institution names. Where a testimonial refers to a university, institute, or program, that reference identifies only the contributor’s own affiliation. It does not indicate that the institution has endorsed, approved, sponsored, reviewed, or is in any way affiliated with GradCollective, and no such endorsement or affiliation should be inferred.

7.5Testimonials from earlier programs. Some testimonials published on the Website relate to earlier GradCollective programs and to clients who were not PhD or doctoral candidates. Those testimonials are labeled accordingly. The Strong Finish – Dissertation Coaching Program is offered to PhD and doctoral candidates located in the United States and Canada.

7.6Marketplace reviews. Reviews reproduced from third-party marketplace platforms are reproduced as published on those platforms. Those platforms operate their own review, verification, and dispute processes, and we do not control them.

7.7We retain substantiation records for the testimonials and reviews we publish.

8. No Academic Outcome Guarantee

8.1The Company provides coaching, structured feedback, mentorship, accountability, and academic-development support. Our commitment is to the quality of that work and to the revisions described in the Coaching Services Agreement.

8.2We do not guarantee any academic outcome. In particular, we do not guarantee that you will submit, that you will pass, that you will be awarded any degree, that your dissertation will be approved, or that you will achieve any particular grade, defense result, committee or supervisor decision, publication, funding award, visa outcome, or employment outcome.

8.3Any guarantee offered by the Company is a guarantee as to the standard of our work and revisions, and is expressly not a guarantee of any academic result. The scope and terms of any such guarantee are set out in the Coaching Services Agreement.

8.4Responsibility for your candidature, your submissions, your compliance with your institution’s requirements, and your academic decisions remains with you at all times.

9. Academic Integrity

9.1The Company does not provide ghostwriting, contract cheating, or any service intended to facilitate academic misconduct. We do not write dissertations, chapters, assignments, or examinations for submission as a person’s own work.

9.2You remain solely responsible for the content, originality, authorship, citation, data integrity, and academic integrity of everything you submit, and for compliance with the policies of your institution.

9.3Coaching, feedback, editing, templates, frameworks, and examples provided by the Company are educational support. They must not be represented as your own original work where doing so would breach your institution’s rules.

9.4We may refuse, suspend, or discontinue any inquiry, application, or engagement where a request appears intended to facilitate plagiarism, impersonation, fabrication or falsification of research or data, unauthorized completion of academic work, or any other form of academic misconduct.

10. Inquiry and Application Forms

10.1The Website provides forms through which you may submit an inquiry or apply for a Program. By submitting a form, you warrant that the information you provide is accurate, current, and complete, that you are at least eighteen (18) years of age, and that you are a PhD or doctoral candidate enrolled at a recognized institution.

10.2Our Programs are offered exclusively to PhD and doctoral candidates located in the United States and Canada. We do not market our Programs to individuals located in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, and you should not submit an inquiry if you are located in those regions.

10.3Submitting a form does not create any obligation on the Company to accept your application, to offer you a place in any Program, or to provide any Service.

10.4Inquiry Data is collected, used, and disclosed in accordance with the Privacy Policy.

10.5Where you provide a telephone number and give the separate consent presented at the point of collection, you may receive marketing calls and messages as described at Clause 13. Consent to receive marketing messages is not a condition of purchasing any Program.

10.6You must not submit through any form the personal information of another individual unless you are authorized to do so, and you must not submit any password, government-issued identification number, or payment card detail.

11. Prohibited Conduct

11.1You must not use the Website in any manner that:

11.1.1violates Applicable Law, including privacy, anti-spam, consumer protection, or intellectual property laws;

11.1.2is fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading, or is likely to mislead or deceive any person;

11.1.3infringes the Intellectual Property Rights, privacy rights, or other rights of the Company or any third party;

11.1.4transmits any virus, malware, ransomware, spyware, or other malicious code;

11.1.5interferes with, disrupts, or damages the Website or any connected network or system;

11.1.6involves automated or high-volume access, including scraping, crawling, or data harvesting, without our express prior written consent;

11.1.7attempts to gain unauthorized access to any part of the Website or any connected system;

11.1.8impersonates any person or misrepresents your affiliation with any person or institution;

11.1.9could harm, defame, or disparage the Company, its personnel, or its clients;

11.1.10is undertaken for competitive intelligence purposes, including to benchmark, replicate, or reverse-engineer our methodology, diagnostic, or Program structure; or

11.1.11seeks to obtain assistance with academic misconduct, contrary to Clause 9.

11.2We reserve the right to investigate and to take appropriate action in respect of any suspected breach of this Clause, including suspension or termination of access, removal of content, and referral to law enforcement or to a relevant institution.

12. Privacy and Data

12.1The Company collects, uses, and discloses personal information in accordance with the Privacy Policy, which is published on the Website and forms part of these Terms by reference.

12.2The Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, with whom we share it, how long we retain it, and the rights available to you under Canadian and United States privacy law, together with how to exercise those rights.

12.3Cookies and tracking. The Website uses cookies, pixels, tags, and similar technologies, including Google Analytics 4, the Google Ads conversion tag, and the Meta pixel. Full details, including how to opt out of the sharing of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising and how to use the “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” link, are set out in the Privacy Policy.

12.4Cross-border processing. The Company is established in Canada and uses service providers located principally in the United States. Personal information is therefore stored and processed in both countries. The Privacy Policy sets out further detail.

12.5Where you provide the personal information of a third party to us, you warrant that you are authorized to do so and that you have provided any notice and obtained any consent required by Applicable Law.

13. Marketing Communications

13.1With the consent required by Applicable Law, we may use the contact details you provide to send you marketing communications by email, SMS, and WhatsApp about our Programs, resources, and offers.

13.2Because the Company is a Canadian sender, Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation applies to our commercial electronic messages in addition to the CAN-SPAM Act. Every commercial email we send will:

13.2.1clearly identify GradCollective as the sender;

13.2.2include our current contact details; and

13.2.3include a clear, functional, and accessible unsubscribe mechanism provided at no cost to you.

13.3Unsubscribe requests are actioned promptly and in any event within ten (10) business days.

13.4SMS and WhatsApp. Marketing SMS and WhatsApp messages are sent only where you have given prior express written consent through a separate, unticked consent box that is not bundled with acceptance of these Terms or of the Coaching Services Agreement. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Message and data rates may apply. You may opt out at any time by replying STOP, and may obtain assistance by replying HELP.

13.5Transactional messages. Messages relating to scheduling, session reminders, delivery, payment, and account administration are sent in connection with Services you have purchased and are not marketing communications. You may continue to receive them after opting out of marketing.

13.6We do not share your contact details with third parties for those third parties’ own direct marketing purposes.

14. Links to Third-party Websites and Services

14.1The Website may contain hyperlinks to third-party websites, scheduling tools, payment pages, video platforms, social media, and marketplace profiles. These links are provided for convenience only.

14.2We do not control, endorse, or accept responsibility for the content, accuracy, security, availability, or privacy practices of any third-party website or service. The inclusion of a link does not imply endorsement.

14.3Your use of any third-party website or service is governed by that third party’s own terms and privacy policy, and is at your own risk.

14.4Purchases and payments. Programs are sold and payments are taken by Digistore24 as seller of record, in accordance with Digistore24’s own terms and privacy policy. We do not receive or store your payment card details.

15. Disclaimers

15.1To the maximum extent permitted by Applicable Law, the Website and all Website Content are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis, without warranty, representation, or condition of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory.

15.2Without limiting Clause 15.1, we do not warrant that the Website will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, error-free, or free from viruses or other harmful components, or that any defect will be corrected.

15.3You access and use the Website at your own risk, and you are responsible for maintaining your own device security and for making your own backups of any material you download.

15.4Nothing in these Terms excludes, restricts, or modifies any guarantee, warranty, right, or remedy conferred on you by Applicable Law which cannot lawfully be excluded, restricted, or modified, including any non-excludable right under applicable consumer protection legislation.

16. Limitation of Liability

16.1Exclusion of indirect loss. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Company, together with its directors, officers, employees, contractors, coaches, and agents, is not liable to you for any indirect, consequential, incidental, special, exemplary, or punitive loss or damage; any loss of profit, revenue, anticipated savings, opportunity, goodwill, reputation, or data; or any business interruption loss, in each case however arising, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), statute, equity, or otherwise, and whether or not foreseeable.

16.2Exclusion of academic outcome liability. Without limiting Clause 16.1, the Company is not liable for any loss arising from or in connection with any academic outcome, including failure to submit, failure to pass, non-award of a degree, rejection or non-approval of a dissertation, any grade, defense result, committee or supervisor decision, publication outcome, funding outcome, visa or immigration consequence, or employment consequence.

16.3Cap on liability. Subject to Clause 16.4, the total aggregate liability of the Company arising out of or in connection with these Terms and your use of the Website is limited to:

16.3.1where you have paid fees to the Company, the total fees actually paid by you to the Company in the twelve (12) month period immediately preceding the event giving rise to the liability; and

16.3.2where you have paid no fees to the Company, the Company’s aggregate liability is excluded to the maximum extent permitted by law.

16.4Carve-outs. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits the liability of the Company for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, for willful misconduct, for death or personal injury caused by its negligence, or for any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited under Applicable Law.

16.5You acknowledge that the allocation of risk in this Clause is reasonable having regard to the fact that access to the Website is provided without charge.

17. Indemnity

17.1To the maximum extent permitted by law, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and its directors, officers, employees, contractors, coaches, and agents from and against any loss, liability, cost, claim, damage, or reasonable expense arising out of or in connection with:

17.1.1your breach of these Terms;

17.1.2your use of the Website or any Website Content in a manner not permitted by these Terms;

17.1.3any infringement by you of the Intellectual Property Rights or other rights of any third party;

17.1.4any unlawful act or omission by you in connection with your use of the Website; or

17.1.5any personal information of a third party that you submit to us in breach of Clause 12.5.

17.2This indemnity does not apply to the extent the relevant loss or liability is directly and solely caused by the gross negligence, fraud, or willful misconduct of the Company.

18. Termination and Suspension

18.1We may suspend or terminate your access to the Website at any time, without notice, if you breach these Terms or if we reasonably suspect misuse of the Website or the Website Content.

18.2On termination of your access, all licenses granted to you under these Terms cease immediately, and you must cease all use of the Website Content and destroy any copies in your possession.

18.3Clauses 5 (Intellectual Property), 6 (Website Content - Accuracy and Disclaimer), 7 (Testimonials, Reviews and Results Disclosure), 8 (No Academic Outcome Guarantee), 9 (Academic Integrity), 11 (Prohibited Conduct), 15 (Disclaimers), 16 (Limitation of Liability), 17 (Indemnity), 20 (Governing Law and Dispute Resolution), and 22 (General Provisions) survive termination.

18.4Termination of your access to the Website does not affect any rights or obligations that accrued before termination, and does not affect the Coaching Services Agreement, which is governed by its own provisions.

19. Force Majeure

19.1We are not liable for any failure or delay in performing any obligation under these Terms to the extent that the failure or delay is caused by an event beyond our reasonable control, including acts of God, natural disaster, fire, flood, epidemic or pandemic, war, civil unrest, terrorism, strike or labor dispute, governmental action, power failure, internet or telecommunications failure, cyber-attack, or the failure or outage of a third-party platform or hosting provider.

19.2We will use reasonable endeavors to restore access to the Website as soon as practicable following such an event.

20. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

20.1Governing law. These Terms and any dispute arising out of or in connection with them or your use of the Website are governed by the laws of the Province of British Columbia and the federal laws of Canada applicable in that province, without regard to conflict of laws principles.

20.2Jurisdiction. Subject to Clause 20.3, you irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Province of British Columbia.

20.3Non-excludable consumer rights. Nothing in this Clause deprives you of the benefit of any mandatory consumer protection provision of the law of the country or state in which you are habitually resident, or of any right to bring proceedings in the courts of that place where Applicable Law confers that right and it cannot lawfully be excluded.

20.4Informal resolution. Before commencing any proceeding, you agree to contact us at [email protected] and to attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute informally for a period of thirty (30) days from the date of that notice.

20.5Small claims. Nothing in this Clause prevents either party from bringing an individual claim in a small claims court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction, or from seeking urgent injunctive or declaratory relief.

20.6Disputes arising out of the purchase of or participation in a Program are governed by the dispute resolution provisions of the Coaching Services Agreement, and not by this Clause.

21. Changes to These Terms

21.1We reserve the right to update, amend, or replace these Terms at any time to reflect changes to the Website, our practices, our Services, or Applicable Law.

21.2When we make changes, we will revise the “Last Updated” date at the top of these Terms and publish the revised version on the Website.

21.3Your continued use of the Website after the revised Terms are published constitutes acceptance of them. If you do not agree with the revised Terms, you must cease using the Website.

21.4An amendment to these Terms does not amend the Coaching Services Agreement applicable to a Program you have already purchased.

22. General Provisions

22.1Entire agreement. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and the Company in relation to your use of the Website, and supersede all prior representations, understandings, and agreements in relation to that subject matter.

22.2Severability. If any provision of these Terms is found by a court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void, or unenforceable, that provision is severed to the minimum extent necessary and the remaining provisions continue in full force and effect.

22.3Waiver. No failure or delay by the Company in exercising any right or remedy under these Terms operates as a waiver of that right or remedy, and no single or partial exercise prevents any further exercise.

22.4Assignment. You may not assign or transfer any right or obligation under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign or transfer our rights and obligations, including in connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets.

22.5Relationship. Nothing in these Terms creates a partnership, joint venture, employment relationship, franchise, or agency between you and the Company.

22.6No third-party rights. A person who is not a party to these Terms has no right to enforce any of their provisions.

22.7Electronic acceptance and communications. You consent to receiving communications from us in electronic form, and agree that your acceptance of these Terms by accessing or using the Website constitutes valid and binding acceptance.

22.8Language. These Terms are drawn up in the English language. Any translation is provided for convenience only, and the English version prevails.

Contact Details

For all inquiries relating to these Terms, including intellectual property notifications, complaints, and legal notices, please contact:

1543120 B.C. LTD., carrying on business as GradCollective

Unit 318 - 10168 149 Street, Surrey, British Columbia V3R 0E9, Canada

Legal notices: [email protected]

Privacy requests: [email protected]