Terms of Service | The Ground

Welcome to The Ground ("The Ground," "we," "us," or "our"), a social sports and wellness community platform operating under the domain theground.io and its associated applications, subdomains, and services (collectively, the "Services").

These Terms of Service (the "Terms") form a binding agreement between you and The Ground and govern your access to and use of the Services. By accessing or using the Services, creating an account, publishing an event, or purchasing a ticket, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use the Services.

Please read Section 6 (Platform Integrity and Anti-Circumvention), Section 7 (Physical Activity, Risk, and Liability), and Section 12 (Limitation of Liability) carefully. These sections limit our liability to you and impose important obligations on you.

1. Definitions

In these Terms:

"Attendee" means any user who registers for, joins a waitlist for, or purchases a ticket to an Event.
"Content" means any text, photographs, images, video, event descriptions, form responses, remarks, contact data, or other material uploaded, submitted, or transmitted through the Services.
"Event" means any session, class, activity, gathering, or programme listed, promoted, or managed through the Services.
"Event Page" means any page, listing, link, QR code, embed, or shortlink generated by or hosted on the Services in relation to an Event.
"Organizer" means any user who creates, publishes, hosts, or administers an Event or a community through the Services.
"User," "you," or "your" means any person accessing or using the Services, whether as an Organizer, an Attendee, or otherwise.

2. Eligibility and Acceptance

2.1 Purpose. The Services are provided to help social sports, fitness, and wellness communities in Hong Kong connect, grow, and manage Events.

2.2 Age. You must be at least 18 years of age to create an account or act as an Organizer. Users aged 13 to 17 may use the Services only with the verifiable consent and supervision of a parent or legal guardian, who accepts these Terms on their behalf and remains responsible for their use of the Services. We do not knowingly permit users under 13 to register.

2.3 Capacity. If you accept these Terms on behalf of a company, club, or other organisation, you represent that you have authority to bind that entity, and "you" refers to that entity.

2.4 Related Policies. Our Privacy Policy and any community guidelines published on the Services are incorporated into these Terms by reference.

3. User Accounts

3.1 Registration. To access certain features you must register for an account. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information and to keep it updated.

3.2 Account Security. You are responsible for safeguarding your credentials and for all activity occurring under your account. You must notify us promptly at info@theground.io if you become aware of any unauthorised use. The Ground will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to maintain account security.

3.3 Profile Display. For multi-user functionality and community interaction, we may display your User ID, display name, avatar, and Event participation natively on the platform to other users of the same community or Event.

3.4 One Account. You may not maintain multiple accounts for the purpose of evading fees, suspension, or any restriction under these Terms.

4. Acceptable Use

4.1 General. You agree not to use the Services for any unlawful, harmful, or prohibited purpose.

4.2 Prohibited Conduct. Without limiting the above, you must not:

(a) list, promote, or facilitate any Event that is unlawful in Hong Kong SAR, or that involves weapons, controlled substances, gambling, or adult services;

(b) publish Content that is fraudulent, misleading, defamatory, harassing, hateful, or that infringes any third party's intellectual property or privacy rights;

(d) scrape, crawl, harvest, or systematically extract data from the Services, or use any automated means to access the Services except as expressly permitted by us in writing;

(e) reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to derive the source code or underlying logic of the Services;

(f) circumvent, disable, or interfere with security features, rate limits, capacity controls, or fee mechanisms;

(g) use the Services to distribute malware, spam, or unsolicited commercial communications; or

(h) resell, sublicense, or make the Services available to any third party except as expressly permitted under these Terms.

4.3 Enforcement. We may investigate suspected breaches and may remove Content, unpublish Events, restrict features, withhold payouts, or suspend or terminate accounts in accordance with Section 13.

5.1 Organizer as Data User. Where an Organizer collects, imports, or processes personal data of Attendees or prospective Attendees through the Services, that Organizer acts as a data user under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) in respect of that data and is responsible for its own compliance.

5.2 Consent Warranty. The Ground provides tools for Organizers to manage contact lists, perform email list uploads, and dispatch WhatsApp and email invitations. If you import, upload, or otherwise introduce any third-party personal data (including names, phone numbers, or email addresses) into the Services, you represent and warrant that:

(a) you have collected that data lawfully and have provided the individuals with a compliant Personal Information Collection Statement;

(b) you have obtained explicit, lawful consent from each individual to store their data and to send them the communications you intend to send; and

(c) your use of the Services to contact those individuals complies with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486), the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Ordinance (Cap. 593), and any applicable platform terms of the underlying messaging channel.

5.3 Opt-Outs. You must honour any unsubscribe, opt-out, or do-not-contact request promptly, and you must not use the Services to contact any individual who has opted out.

5.4 Consequences. Breach of this Section 5 may result in immediate suspension or termination of your account without notice, and you will indemnify us for any resulting claim under Section 11.

5.5 Our Handling of Data. Our own collection and use of personal data is described in our Privacy Policy.

6. Platform Integrity and Anti-Circumvention

6.1 No External Redirection. Event Pages and links generated through the Services must resolve to and complete on the Services. You must not, without our prior written permission:

(a) redirect, forward, cloak, or point any Event Page, registration link, button, QR code, or shortlink to an external ticketing, registration, or payment platform, or to any other website;

(b) embed, frame, or surface a third-party checkout, booking widget, or registration form within or through an Event Page;

(c) publish on an Event Page any link, instruction, contact detail, or call to action whose purpose or effect is to move registration or payment for that Event off the Services; or

(d) list an Event on the Services principally as a means of directing prospective Attendees to complete registration or payment elsewhere.

6.2 No Fee Circumvention. You must not use the Services to source, discover, or communicate with Attendees and then transact with those Attendees outside the Services for the purpose of avoiding platform fees. Where an Attendee first discovers or registers for an Event through the Services, registration and payment for that Event must be completed through the Services.

6.3 Contact Data. Contact details obtained through the Services (including through registration forms, attendee lists, and waitlists) may be used to administer and communicate about your own Events on the Services, and for lawful marketing in accordance with Section 5. They must not be used to solicit those individuals to a competing ticketing or registration platform.

6.4 Permitted Exceptions. Nothing in this Section restricts you from:

(a) linking to your own informational website, social media profiles, venue information, maps, or sponsor pages, provided registration and payment for the Event remain on the Services;

(b) operating events entirely independently of the Services that were never listed on, promoted through, or sourced from the Services; or

6.5 Remedies. If we reasonably determine that you have breached this Section, we may (in addition to our rights under Section 13) unpublish the affected Event Page, disable the offending link, withhold or offset payouts, invoice you for platform fees that would have been payable on the diverted transactions, and suspend or terminate your account. These remedies are cumulative and without prejudice to any other right or remedy available to us.

7. Physical Activity, Risk, and Liability

7.1 Assumption of Risk

YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT ALL SPORTS, FITNESS, AND WELLNESS ACTIVITIES ARRANGED OR FACILITATED THROUGH THE GROUND CARRY INHERENT RISKS OF PROPERTY DAMAGE, PERSONAL INJURY, ILLNESS, OR DEATH.

You voluntarily participate in any Event at your own risk. You are solely responsible for ensuring that you are physically fit, medically cleared where appropriate, and properly equipped for the activities you choose to attend.

7.2 The Ground Is Not the Event Host

The Ground acts strictly as a technology platform for listing, managing, and processing registrations for Events. The Ground is not an event host, organiser, promoter, instructor, coach, or venue operator, and does not supervise, inspect, vet, or control any Event, Organizer, venue, or participant. We do not verify the qualifications, certifications, insurance, or competence of any Organizer.

The Ground expressly disclaims all liability for any loss, injury, illness, damage, or death sustained by any person arising out of or in connection with participation in, or attendance at, any Event listed on the Services. Any dispute between an Attendee and an Organizer is solely between those parties.

7.3 Organizer Responsibilities

If you are an Organizer, you are solely responsible for:

(a) the planning, execution, supervision, and safety of your Events;

(b) the suitability, condition, licensing, and permitted use of any venue;

(d) maintaining accurate capacity limits, attendance records, and waitlists through the platform;

(e) accurately describing the intensity, prerequisites, equipment, and risks of your Events; and

(f) responding to incidents, injuries, and emergencies at your Events.

Insurance. We strongly recommend that Organizers hold appropriate public liability insurance, and that all participants hold appropriate personal accident and health insurance, relevant to the activities they organise or attend. We may require evidence of insurance as a condition of continued access to Organizer features.

8. Content and Intellectual Property

8.1 Your Content. You retain ownership of all Content you upload or transmit through the Services.

8.2 Licence to Us. You grant The Ground a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, sublicensable licence to host, store, reproduce, adapt (for formatting and display purposes), publish, and display your Content for the purposes of operating, securing, marketing, and promoting your Events and the Services. This licence ends when you delete the Content, except that (a) it continues for Content shared with other users who have not deleted it, and (b) we may retain backup or cached copies for a reasonable period and as required by law.

8.3 Warranties. You represent and warrant that you own or have all necessary rights to your Content and that it does not infringe any third-party right.

8.4 Community Standards. The Ground is a platform for genuine sports and wellness communities. We reserve the right to remove any Content that violates our community standards, applicable law, or these Terms.

8.5 Our Intellectual Property. The Services, including all layout and interface designs, dashboards, reservation and waitlist logic, software, databases, logos, and branding, are the exclusive property of The Ground and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. No rights are granted to you except as expressly set out in these Terms.

8.6 Feedback. If you send us suggestions or feedback, you grant us an unrestricted, perpetual, royalty-free right to use it without obligation to you.

9. Financial Terms

9.1 Free Events

There are no platform fees or processing fees for Events with no paid tickets.

9.2 Platform Fees

By using our integrated checkout to sell tickets or take paid registrations, Organizers agree to the fee schedule published at join.theground.io/pricing, which forms part of these Terms.

As at the Last Updated date, the standard fee for paid tickets is:

Ticket fee: 5% of the ticket price plus HKD 2.35 per ticket, inclusive of third-party payment processing fees (currently processed by Stripe).

No fee applies to payments that an Organizer collects offline and verifies manually (for example FPS, PayMe, or bank transfer).

Fees are deducted from the face value of each ticket sold, unless the Organizer has enabled the "Pass Fees to Buyers" option, in which case they are added at checkout and borne by the Attendee.

We may from time to time offer promotional or reduced rates. Promotional rates apply only for the period stated at the time of the offer and revert to the standard rates on expiry.

9.3 Changes to Fees

We may modify our fees or introduce subscription tiers for premium Organizer features on not less than 30 days' notice by email or in-platform notice. Changes do not apply to tickets already sold. Your continued use of paid checkout after the notice period constitutes acceptance.

9.4 Merchant of Record and Stripe Connect

Online card payments are processed by third-party providers (currently Stripe). The Organizer, not The Ground, is the seller and merchant of record for each ticket sold. Organizers using Stripe Connect must accept and comply with Stripe's applicable terms and are responsible for their own payment ecosystem, including account verification, tracking dashboard records, and handling Attendee billing enquiries.

9.5 Payouts, Holds, and Offsets

Payouts are made on the schedule configured through Stripe Connect. We may delay, withhold, or reverse a payout, or set off amounts owed to us, where we reasonably suspect fraud, a breach of these Terms, an unresolved dispute, an elevated chargeback risk, or where required by law or by our payment provider.

9.6 Cancellations and Refunds

(a) Organizer Autonomy. Organizers are solely responsible for setting, publishing, and honouring their event-specific refund and cancellation policies.

(b) Event Cancellations. If an Organizer cancels an Event, that Organizer is obligated to initiate and issue full refunds to ticket purchasers promptly.

(c) Non-Refundable Fees. You acknowledge that platform fees and payment processing fees are non-refundable. On a refund or cancellation, the Organizer bears the cost of the underlying fees, unless we determine otherwise in our sole discretion.

(d) Our Role. The Ground does not hold Organizer funds and is not responsible for issuing refunds. Where an Organizer fails to refund an Attendee, the Attendee's recourse is against the Organizer.

9.7 Chargebacks

Organizers are responsible for all chargebacks, disputes, and associated fees arising from their ticket sales. We may recover such amounts by offset against future payouts or by invoice. Repeated chargebacks may result in suspension of paid checkout.

9.8 Tax and Regulatory Compliance

Organizers are solely responsible for compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and tax obligations in Hong Kong SAR, including business registration where required and the reporting and remittance of any taxes or duties applicable to ticket sales and Event revenue. Fees quoted are exclusive of any applicable taxes.

10. Third-Party Services and Availability

10.1 Third-Party Services. The Services integrate with third-party providers including Stripe and WhatsApp. Your use of those services is subject to their own terms, and we are not responsible for their acts, omissions, availability, or fees.

10.2 No Warranty. THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE." TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. We do not warrant that the Services will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or that any Event will proceed as listed.

10.3 Changes to the Services. We may modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Services. Where a change is material and adverse to active Organizers, we will give reasonable notice.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless The Ground and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in connection with:

(a) your access to, use of, or misuse of the Services;

(b) your breach of these Terms, including Sections 5 and 6;

(d) any Event you organise, host, promote, or participate in, including any injury, illness, death, or property damage arising from it; or

(e) your violation of any law or of the rights of any third party.

12. Limitation of Liability

12.1 TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE GROUND WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, GOODWILL, OR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

12.2 TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE GROUND'S TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICES WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE TOTAL PLATFORM FEES PAID BY YOU TO THE GROUND IN THE THREE (3) MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM, OR (B) HKD 1,000.

12.3 Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

12.4 The limitations in this Section apply even if a limited remedy fails of its essential purpose, and reflect the allocation of risk between the parties.

13. Suspension and Termination

13.1 By You. You may stop using the Services and close your account at any time. Closure does not relieve you of obligations in respect of Events already sold or fees already incurred.

13.2 By Us. We may suspend or terminate your account and access to the Organizer portal, with or without notice, if you breach these Terms, if we reasonably suspect fraud or unlawful activity, if required by law or by our payment provider, or if your use poses a risk to other users or to the Services.

13.3 Effect of Termination. On termination:

(a) your right to access the Services ceases immediately;

(b) Events already sold remain your responsibility, and you must fulfil or refund them;

(d) Sections 5.4, 6.5, 8.2, 8.5, 9.6, 9.7, 11, 12, 14, and 15 survive termination.

13.4 Data Export. Where practicable, we will allow you a reasonable period after termination to export your Event and attendee data, except where withholding it is necessary to prevent harm or is required by law.

14. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

14.1 Governing Law. These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

14.2 Escalation. In the event of a dispute, the parties agree first to attempt resolution through good-faith negotiation for a period of 30 days. If unresolved, the parties agree to submit the dispute to mediation in Hong Kong administered by the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre before commencing litigation.

14.3 Jurisdiction. Subject to Section 14.2, you agree that any legal action or proceeding arising out of these Terms will be brought exclusively in the courts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and you submit to their exclusive jurisdiction.

14.4 Injunctive Relief. Nothing in this Section prevents either party from seeking urgent injunctive or equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction, including to enforce Section 6 or to protect intellectual property.

15. General

15.1 Changes to Terms. We may modify these Terms at any time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated document on the Services and, where the change materially affects Organizers, by email at least 14 days before it takes effect. Your continued use of the Services after the effective date constitutes acceptance. If you do not accept the revised Terms, you must stop using the Services.

15.2 Entire Agreement. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and the published fee schedule, constitute the entire agreement between you and The Ground and supersede all prior understandings.

15.3 Severability. If any provision is held invalid or unenforceable, it will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force.

15.4 No Waiver. Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of our right to do so later.

15.5 Assignment. You may not assign or transfer these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.

15.6 No Agency. Nothing in these Terms creates any partnership, joint venture, employment, or agency relationship between you and The Ground.

15.7 Force Majeure. We are not liable for any failure or delay caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, typhoons, public health measures, utility or internet failure, or acts of government.

15.8 Third-Party Rights. A person who is not a party to these Terms has no right under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Ordinance (Cap. 623) to enforce any of its terms, except that our officers, directors, employees, and agents may enforce Sections 11 and 12.

15.9 Notices. We may give notice by email to the address on your account or by in-platform notification. You may give notice to us at info@theground.io.

15.10 Language. These Terms are drafted in English. Any translation is for convenience only, and the English version prevails.

16. Contact

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

Email: info@theground.ioAddress: 708, 7/F, Building 19W, 19 Science Park West Avenue, Sha Tin, Hong Kong SAR

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Terms ofService.