The Ground – Terms of Service

Last Updated: July 3, 2026

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 (collectively, the "Services").  

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of The Ground Services. By accessing or using the Services, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not access or use the Services.

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1. Acceptance of Terms

The Services are provided to help social sports, fitness, and wellness communities in Hong Kong connect, grow, and manage events. You acknowledge that you are at least 18 years of age or have legal parental or guardian consent to enter into these Terms.  

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2. User Accounts and Eligibility

• Registration: To access certain features, you must register for an account. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during the registration process and to keep it updated.
• Account Security: You are responsible for safeguarding your password. The Ground cannot and will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to maintain account security.
• User ID Display: For multi-user functionality and community interaction, we may display your User ID or profile information (such as name or avatar) natively on the platform.  

3. Use of the Services & Smart Outreach Consent

You agree not to use the Services for any illegal or prohibited purpose.

Important Data Consent Rule: The Ground provides tools for organizers to manage contact lists, perform seamless email uploads, and dispatch WhatsApp quick invites. If you import or upload any third-party data (names, phone numbers, or emails) into the platform, you represent and warrant that you have obtained explicit, lawful consent from those individuals to store their data and send them automated communications. Violation of this policy will result in the immediate suspension of your account.  

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4. Community and Content

• Your Content: You retain ownership of all Content (text, photos, custom form remarks) that you upload or transmit through the Services. You grant The Ground a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, host, reproduce, and display your Content solely for the purpose of operating, marketing, and promoting your events and the Services.  
• 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, local regulations, or these Terms.

5. Physical Activity, Liability, and Organizer Duties

5.1 Liability Disclaimer

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, OR DEATH.

• Assumption of Risk: You voluntarily participate in any event at your own risk. You are solely responsible for ensuring that you are physically fit and properly equipped for the activities you choose to attend.  
• Disclaimer: The Ground acts strictly as a technology platform for managing events and is not an event host. The Ground expressly disclaims all liability for any loss, injury, or damage sustained by any person as a result of participation in any event listed on the Services.

5.2 Organizer Responsibilities

If you are an organizer or community owner:

• You are solely responsible for the planning, execution, safety, and venue suitability of your events.  
• You must manage accurate capacity limits, attendance records, and waitlists via the platform.  
• We strongly recommend that Organizers and all participants obtain appropriate personal liability and health insurance coverage relevant to the activities they organize or attend.

6. Financial Terms and Payment

6.1 Pricing and Platform Fees

The Ground operates an integrated checkout infrastructure to facilitate seamless ticket sales and registrations. By utilizing our payment pipelines, Organizers agree to the following pricing structure:  

• Platform Fee: A service fee of 3% of the total transaction value plus the standard third-party payment processing fee (Stripe fee of 3.4% + HKD 2.45) will be deducted from the face value of each ticket sold through the platform.
• Changes to Fees: The Ground reserves the right to modify its transaction fees or introduce subscription tiers for premium organizer features upon reasonable notice to users.  

6.2 Stripe Connect Integration

All online credit card payments are processed via third-party providers (e.g., Stripe). Organizers utilizing Stripe Connect are responsible for all aspects of their payment ecosystem, including tracking dashboard records and handling any potential user billing inquiries.  

6.3 Cancellations and Refund Policy

• Organizer Autonomy: Organizers are solely responsible for setting and communicating their event-specific refund and cancellation policies to attendees.
• Event Cancellations: In the event that an organizer cancels a session, the organizer is obligated to initiate and issue full refunds to the ticket purchasers.
• Non-Refundable Processing Fees: You explicitly acknowledge that The Ground platform fees and Stripe transaction processing fees are non-refundable. In the case of an event cancellation or customer refund, the Organizer will bear the cost of the underlying processing fees unless otherwise determined by The Ground in its sole discretion.

6.4 Local Tax and Regulatory Compliance

Organizers are solely responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and tax obligations in Hong Kong SAR, including reporting and remitting any local taxes or business duties applicable to ticket sales and event revenues.  

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7. Intellectual Property

The Services, including all layout designs, dashboards, custom reservation software logic, logos, and branding, are the exclusive property of The Ground and are protected by copyright, trademark, and intellectual property laws.  

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8. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless The Ground and its officers, directors, and employees from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, or expenses (including legal fees) arising out of: (a) your access to or misuse of the Services; (b) your violation of these Terms; or (c) your physical safety, coordination, or participation in any community event facilitated through the platform.  

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9. Termination

We may terminate or suspend your account and deny access to the organizer portal immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any reason, including if you breach these Terms or leverage the platform with malicious intent.

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10. Governing Law, Jurisdiction, and Dispute Resolution

• Governing Law: These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HK SAR).  
• Dispute Resolution: In the event of a dispute, the parties agree to first attempt to resolve it through good-faith negotiation. If it cannot be resolved informally, the parties agree to enter into formal mediation in Hong Kong before pursuing litigation.
• Jurisdiction: You agree that any legal action or proceeding arising out of these Terms will be brought exclusively in the courts of Hong Kong.  

11. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated document on our platform or via direct email notifications. Your continued use of the platform after updates are published constitutes an automatic acceptance of the revised terms.  

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12. Contact Information

If you have any questions or require support regarding these updated Terms of Service, please contact us at:

• Email: info@theground.io  
• Location: 708, 7/F., Building 19W, 19 Science Park West Avenue, Sha Tin

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