Terms of service

Merit is operated by [COMPANY LEGAL NAME] (ABN [ABN]) ("Merit", "we", "us"). These terms govern your use of Merit. By creating an account or booking a consultation you agree to them. Our Privacy policy explains how we handle your personal information, including your resume.

Merit is a marketplace: we connect customers with recruiters and industry professionals ("consultants") for paid one-on-one career consultations, and we process the payment. Consultants are independent professionals, not employees or agents of Merit. The advice given in a consultation is the consultant's own professional opinion. Merit does not guarantee any outcome: a consultation is candid feedback, not a promise of interviews, offers or employment.

• You can browse consultants and start a booking without an account; you create your account at the review step, before payment.
• You must provide accurate details and keep your login credentials secure.
• You are responsible for activity that happens under your account.
• You can delete your account at any time from your profile, subject to first cancelling any upcoming bookings (and, for consultants, any payout in transit being paid out).

• Prices are shown in Australian dollars before you confirm a booking and are charged when you book. Payment is processed by Stripe; we never see or store your card number.
• Your chosen time slot is held while you complete payment. If payment is not completed within about 45 minutes, the booking expires automatically and the slot is released for others.
• A booking is confirmed once payment settles. Sessions run as scheduled video consultations on Merit.
• Uploading a resume is optional at booking time; you can add it afterwards from your bookings page so your consultant can prepare.
• Consultants are paid through the platform after a session completes. Merit retains a platform fee from each consultation.

You may cancel an upcoming booking at any time before it starts, from your bookings page. A cancelled paid booking is refunded in full to the original payment method (processing times are the card issuer's). If a session has already taken place, use "Report a problem" on the booking instead; we review disputes individually. Nothing in this section limits your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.

• If your consultant does not show up to a session, report it from your bookings page; a confirmed consultant no-show is refunded in full.
• If you book a session and do not attend, the session fee stands. Consultants reserve that time for you; cancel or reschedule before the session starts instead.
• Any problem with a session (either party) must be reported within 72 hours of its scheduled end, using "Report a problem" on the booking. After 72 hours the booking settles as completed and can no longer be disputed.
• Merit reviews each report, including whether each party joined the video room, and decides the outcome: the session either stands (and the consultant is paid) or the booking is cancelled and refunded. Both parties are notified of the decision by email. Nothing in this section limits your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.

• Only upload a resume that is yours, or that you are authorised to share.
• Do not harass, threaten or discriminate against consultants or customers, in sessions or anywhere on Merit.
• Do not record a session without the other party's consent.
• Do not misuse the platform: no scraping, probing, reselling access, circumventing payment, or using Merit for anything unlawful.
• Consultants must keep customer resumes and session content confidential and use them only to deliver the consultation.

We may suspend or close accounts that breach these terms.

You keep all rights to your resume and anything else you upload. You grant Merit a limited licence to store it and share it with the consultants you book, solely to provide the service. We delete resumes per the retention rules in the Privacy policy.

Nothing in these terms excludes, restricts or modifies any consumer guarantee, right or remedy under the Australian Consumer Law that cannot lawfully be excluded. Subject to that: Merit provides the platform "as is"; we are not liable for the content of any consultation or for decisions you make based on it; and our total liability arising out of the service is limited, at our election, to re-supplying the service or refunding the amount you paid for the booking giving rise to the claim. We are not liable for indirect or consequential loss.

We may update these terms; the "Last updated" date above will change and material changes will be notified to account holders. Continued use after a change is acceptance of the new terms. These terms are governed by the laws applying in the state or territory where [COMPANY LEGAL NAME] is registered, and you submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts there.

[COMPANY LEGAL NAME] (ABN [ABN]), [CONTACT EMAIL].