Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("Customer," "you," or "your") and RitualBookings ("Platform," "we," "us," or "our"). By creating an account, booking a service, or using our platform in any way, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and ourPrivacy PolicyandCancellation & Refund Policy.

2. Platform Description and Role

2.1 Nature of Service

RitualBookings is a technology platform and marketplace that connects customers with independent spiritual service providers ("Pandits" or "Service Providers"). We are an intermediary and do NOT:

• Employ pandits as our employees or agents
• Provide spiritual services directly
• Control how pandits perform their services
• Guarantee specific spiritual or religious outcomes
• Act as a religious authority or spiritual advisor

2.2 Services Facilitated

Our platform facilitates:

• Discovery and booking of verified pandits
• Secure payment processing
• Pandit assignment and coordination
• Customer-pandit communication facilitation
• Booking management and support

2.3 Independent Contractor Relationship

All pandits on our platform are independent contractors, not employees, partners, or agents of RitualBookings. They are responsible for their own actions, tax compliance, and professional conduct. We verify credentials but do not supervise their work or control their methods.

3. Eligibility and Account Requirements

3.1 Age Requirement

You must be at least 18 years old to use our services. By using this platform, you represent and warrant that you meet this age requirement and have the legal capacity to enter into binding contracts.

3.2 Account Registration

• You may create an account via Google OAuth or email registration
• You may also book as a guest without creating an account
• You must provide accurate, current, and complete information
• You must maintain and promptly update your account information
• You may not create multiple accounts for the same person
• You may not share your account credentials with others

3.3 Account Security

You are solely responsible for:

• Maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials
• All activities that occur under your account
• Notifying us immediately of any unauthorized access
• Preventing unauthorized use of your account

We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to protect your account credentials.

4. Booking Process and Service Delivery

4.1 Booking Procedure

1. You select a spiritual service, date, time, location, and provide required details
2. You pay the 50% booking advance to initiate the booking
3. We assign a suitable, verified Pandit within 8 hours of receiving payment
4. The assigned pandit contacts you to confirm ceremony details ahead of the scheduled date
5. The pandit performs your ritual on the scheduled date and time
6. Once the ritual is complete, the pandit confirms completion with you via a one-time verification code (see Section 4.6), which triggers your final payment request for the remaining 50% balance
7. You complete the balance payment to settle your booking in full

4.2 Final (Balance) Payment

4.3 Booking Confirmation

A booking is considered confirmed once:

• The 50% advance payment has been received, and
• A pandit has been assigned and has confirmed availability for your scheduled date

A confirmed booking's ritual will be performed as scheduled; it does not depend on the balance being paid in advance. Separately, a booking is considered fully settled once the remaining 50% balance has been paid following completion of the ritual, per Section 4.2.

Before advance payment is received, a booking request is provisional and not guaranteed.

4.4 Customer Obligations

You agree to:

• Provide accurate address, contact information, and ceremony details
• Ensure the service location is safe, accessible, and appropriate
• Provide adequate space, water, and basic facilities for the ceremony
• Arrange visitor parking if required by your building/society
• Be present or have an authorized representative at the scheduled time
• Treat the pandit with respect and dignity
• Follow reasonable instructions from the pandit regarding ceremony setup
• Complete the balance payment promptly once your ritual has been performed
• For e-pujas, also follow the responsibilities in Section 4.7

4.5 Pandit Substitution

We reserve the right to assign a different pandit if the originally assigned pandit becomes unavailable due to emergency, illness, or other unforeseen circumstances. The substitute pandit will have equal or better qualifications. This substitution does not entitle you to a refund.

4.6 Completion Verification

To confirm that your ritual has actually been performed before final payment is requested, we use a one-time verification code:

• Once your pandit finishes performing the ritual, we send you a verification code alongside your final payment link
• You share this code with your pandit as confirmation the service was delivered
• The pandit enters the code in their portal to mark the booking complete
• The code is generated solely for this purpose, tied to your specific booking, and is not used for account access or authentication
• Completion is marked once the pandit submits a valid code, independent of whether your balance payment has cleared yet — your booking is not held up waiting on payment

4.7 E-Puja (Live Online Ceremonies)

An e-puja is a ceremony performed live by a verified Pandit in India while you and your family join over video from wherever you are. Everything in these Terms applies to e-pujas — including the 50% advance, the 50% balance after the ritual, and completion verification (Sections 4.1, 4.2 and 4.6) — together with the following:

• Live, not pre-recorded: the ceremony is performed in real time. No address is needed. We email you a video-call link (for example Zoom or Google Meet) before the ceremony.
• Time zones: ceremony times follow the auspicious muhurat and are set in India Standard Time (IST). We show the available slots in your local time as a convenience; your booking confirmation shows both. Please double-check the time in your own location before the ceremony.
• Your responsibilities: a working device, internet connection, camera and audio; joining the call on time; having the items the Pandit asks you to arrange; and making sure family members who join know the ceremony is being conducted over video.
• Family and guests: you may invite family members to join. You are responsible for the people you invite and for their conduct on the call.
• Optional recording: a recording of the ceremony is available only if you select the "Ceremony Recording" add-on at checkout. By selecting it you confirm that you and anyone joining from your side agree to being recorded. The recording is delivered to you for your personal, non-commercial use.
• Third-party video platforms: calls run on third-party services we do not control. We are not responsible for outages or quality problems on those services or on your own connection, except as described in Section 6.5.
• Payment currency: payments are in Indian Rupees (see Section 5.3).

5. Pricing, Payments, and Fees

5.1 Price Structure

All prices displayed on our platform are in Indian Rupees (INR) and include:

• Pandit service fee (compensation for the service provider)
• Platform facilitation fee
• Payment processing charges
• Applicable taxes (GST as per Indian law)

5.2 Payment Terms

5.3 Payment Methods

We accept payments via Razorpay, including:

• Credit/Debit Cards (Visa, Mastercard, RuPay, Amex)
• UPI (Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, etc.)
• Net Banking
• Digital Wallets (Paytm, PhonePe, Amazon Pay, etc.)
• EMI options (for eligible bookings)

Customers outside India: at present all payments are taken in Indian Rupees (INR) using instruments issued in India (UPI, netbanking, or an Indian debit/credit card, including NRE/NRO accounts). You will need to be able to receive your bank's OTP to complete a payment. Your bank may apply its own currency-conversion or foreign-usage charges, which we do not control.

5.4 Price Changes

We reserve the right to modify prices at any time. However, price changes will not affect confirmed bookingswhere the advance payment has been received. Prices may vary based on:

• Service type and complexity
• Date and time (peak seasons, auspicious dates)
• Location and travel requirements
• Pandit experience and specialization
• Additional materials or special requests

5.5 Payment Processing

Payment processing is handled by Razorpay, a third-party payment gateway. By making a payment, you agree to Razorpay's terms and conditions. We do not store your complete credit card information on our servers.

Payment gateway charges (approximately 2-3%) are non-refundable even if you cancel your booking, as these fees are charged by Razorpay and cannot be recovered.

5.6 Invoices and Receipts

You will receive:

• Payment confirmation via email/SMS immediately after payment
• Tax invoice (GST-compliant) within 48 hours of payment
• Access to all invoices in your account dashboard

5.7 E-Puja Charges

E-pujas include additional platform charges, shown as separate lines in your price breakdown before you pay:

• Virtual Puja Care Charge — applied to every e-puja to cover the arrangements for delivering a live online ceremony.
• Ceremony Recording — optional; added only if you select it at checkout.

The amounts are the ones shown at checkout and are fixed for your booking once your advance is received (Section 5.4). Their refund treatment is set out in Section 6.5.

6. Cancellation, Rescheduling, and Refunds

Detailed cancellation and refund policies are available in our Cancellation & Refund Policy. By using our platform, you agree to those terms. Key points:

6.1 Cancelling Before Your Ritual

Since the balance is no longer collected before your ritual, cancellation refunds are calculated on the advance you've paid, based on how much notice you give before your scheduled date:

• Before pandit assignment: 100% refund of advance
• After pandit assignment, more than 48 hours before your scheduled ritual: 85% refund of advance
• 24–48 hours before your scheduled ritual: 50% refund of advance
• Less than 24 hours before your scheduled ritual, or no-show: No refund

6.2 After Your Ritual Has Been Performed

Once your pandit has performed the ritual, the service has been delivered and the booking can no longer be cancelled or refunded — this applies whether or not the balance payment has been completed yet. The remaining 50% balance remains due per Section 4.2, and we'll follow up with reminders until it's settled.

6.3 Refund Processing

• Refunds processed to original payment method within 5-7 business days
• Bank processing may take additional 3-5 days
• Payment gateway charges (2-3%) are non-refundable
• Refund percentages calculated on actual amount paid, not original price

6.4 No-Show Policy

If you or your representative are not present at the scheduled location and time, and you do not notify us at least 24 hours in advance, it will be considered a no-show and:

• No refund of the advance will be issued
• The pandit will be compensated in full
• You remain responsible for the full remaining balance as though the ritual had been performed

For an e-puja, "present at the scheduled location" means joining the live video call at the scheduled time.

6.5 E-Puja Cancellations, Add-On Charges, and Rescheduling

• Same refund schedule: the tiers in Section 6.1 apply to e-pujas. The notice period is counted from the ceremony's scheduled start time in India Standard Time (IST).
• Add-on charges: before a pandit is assigned, the Virtual Puja Care Charge and any Ceremony Recording charge are refunded along with your advance. Once a pandit has been assigned, these charges are non-refundable and are not counted in the amount on which the refund percentages in Section 6.1 are calculated.
• If we cannot hold the ceremony: if the ceremony cannot take place at the scheduled time because of a cause on our side (for example the pandit becomes unavailable or does not attend, or the live link fails on our end), we will reschedule it for you at no extra cost to a suitable available slot. If we cannot offer any suitable new slot, we will refund the amounts you have paid for that booking.
• Issues on your side: problems with your device, internet connection, camera, audio or invited guests do not entitle you to a refund. Once the pandit has performed the ceremony, it is treated as delivered even if you joined late, left early, or had connection problems.
• Recording: the Ceremony Recording add-on is non-refundable once a pandit is assigned (above). If a recording you paid for cannot be delivered because of a problem on our side, contact us and we will review the matter.

7. User Conduct and Prohibited Activities

7.1 Acceptable Use

You agree to use the platform only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms.

7.2 Prohibited Activities

You expressly agree NOT to:

• Provide false, inaccurate, or misleading information
• Impersonate any person or entity
• Use the platform for any illegal, fraudulent, or unauthorized purpose
• Harass, threaten, abuse, or harm pandits, staff, or other users
• Discriminate against pandits based on caste, religion, region, or language
• Make payments outside the platform to avoid fees
• Directly contact pandits after booking to negotiate lower prices
• Use automated systems, bots, or scrapers to access the platform
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the platform
• Interfere with the platform's operation, security, or integrity
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or extract code from the platform
• Post or transmit viruses, malware, or harmful code
• Collect or harvest user data without permission
• Use the platform to send spam or unsolicited communications
• Violate any applicable local, state, national, or international law

7.3 Consequences of Violations

Violation of these terms may result in:

• Immediate termination of your account without notice
• Forfeiture of any pending bookings without refund
• Banning from future use of the platform
• Legal action and reporting to law enforcement authorities
• Liability for damages caused by your violations

8. Platform Rights, Responsibilities, and Disclaimers

8.1 Our Rights

RitualBookings reserves the right to:

• Refuse service to anyone for any reason at any time
• Modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the platform without notice
• Change prices, features, or services at any time
• Suspend or terminate accounts for violations of these Terms
• Remove or edit any content on the platform
• Assign a different pandit if the original becomes unavailable
• Monitor communications for quality and compliance purposes
• Update these Terms at any time with reasonable notice
• Investigate suspicious activity and cooperate with law enforcement
• Withhold refunds in cases of fraud or abuse
• Pursue collection of unpaid balances owed for services already delivered

Every pandit on RitualBookings goes through identity and credential verification before being listed (see Section 8.4). The disclaimers below are standard terms required for any marketplace connecting customers with independent service providers — they cover legal edge cases and don't reflect how we expect ceremonies to go.

8.2 Platform Disclaimers

8.3 No Guarantees

We do NOT guarantee:

• That pandits will meet your specific expectations or preferences
• That ceremonies will achieve desired spiritual or religious outcomes
• That the platform will be error-free, uninterrupted, or secure at all times
• That all information on the platform is accurate, complete, or current
• That defects will be corrected immediately
• Availability of specific pandits on specific dates

8.4 Pandit Verification

While we conduct background verification of pandits including identity, credentials, and references, we:

• Cannot guarantee the absolute accuracy of all information provided by pandits
• Do not continuously monitor pandit conduct outside our platform
• Are not responsible for false representations made by pandits
• Encourage you to communicate directly with assigned pandits before the ceremony

8.5 "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" Basis

The platform and all services are provided on an "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, including but not limited to:

• Merchantability
• Fitness for a particular purpose
• Non-infringement
• Accuracy or reliability of results
• Freedom from viruses or harmful components

9. Limitation of Liability

9.1 Maximum Liability Cap

Our total liability to you for any claims arising from or related to these Terms or your use of the platform, regardless of the form of action, shall not exceed the amount you actually paid to us in the 12 months preceding the claim, or ₹5,000 (whichever is less).

9.2 Jurisdictional Limitations

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages. In such jurisdictions, our liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless RitualBookings, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, and licensors from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, costs, expenses, and liabilities (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from or related to:

• Your use or misuse of the platform
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any rights of another person or entity
• Your violation of any applicable laws or regulations
• Any content you submit or transmit through the platform
• Your interaction with any pandit or other user
• False, inaccurate, or misleading information you provide
• Negligence or willful misconduct on your part

This indemnification obligation will survive termination of your account and these Terms.

11. Intellectual Property Rights

11.1 Platform Ownership

All content, features, and functionality on the platform, including but not limited to:

• Text, graphics, logos, images, and videos
• Software, code, and databases
• Trademarks, service marks, and trade names
• Design, layout, and compilation
• Proprietary algorithms and processes

are owned by or licensed to RitualBookings and are protected by Indian and international copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, and other intellectual property laws.

11.2 Limited License

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to:

• Access and use the platform for personal, non-commercial purposes
• Book services through the platform

This license does NOT include the right to:

• Modify, copy, distribute, transmit, display, reproduce, or create derivative works
• Use the platform for commercial purposes without our written consent
• Use automated systems to access or extract data
• Remove or alter any copyright, trademark, or proprietary notices
• Use our trademarks or branding without written permission

11.3 User Content

If you submit any content (reviews, feedback, photos, etc.), you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, transferable license to use, display, reproduce, modify, and distribute such content for platform operation, marketing, and improvement purposes.

12. Privacy and Data Protection

Your privacy is important to us. Our collection, use, and disclosure of personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

Key points:

• We collect information necessary to provide services
• We share minimal information with assigned pandits
• We use industry-standard security measures
• We comply with applicable data protection laws
• You have rights regarding your personal data

13. Dispute Resolution and Governing Law

13.1 Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India, without regard to conflict of law principles. The Indian Contract Act, 1872, Information Technology Act, 2000, and Consumer Protection Act, 2019 shall apply.

13.2 Jurisdiction

Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the platform shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. You irrevocably submit to the jurisdiction of these courts and waive any objection to venue.

13.3 Pre-Litigation Dispute Resolution

Before initiating any legal proceedings, you agree to:

1. Contact our customer support at contact@RitualBookings.com with a detailed description of the dispute
2. Provide us with 30 days to investigate and respond to your concerns
3. Participate in good faith negotiations to resolve the matter amicably
4. Consider mediation or arbitration if direct negotiations fail

13.4 Consumer Rights

Nothing in these Terms shall limit your statutory rights as a consumer under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, or other applicable consumer protection laws in India.

13.5 Waiver of Class Actions

You agree to bring claims only in your individual capacity and not as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class, representative, or collective proceeding. You waive any right to participate in a class action lawsuit against us.

13.6 Customers Outside India

If you book an e-puja from outside India, these Terms are still governed by the laws of India and Section 13.2 still applies. Nothing in these Terms removes any consumer right that you have under the mandatory laws of the country where you live and that cannot be waived by agreement.

14. Account Termination and Suspension

14.1 Termination by You

You may close your account at any time by:

• Contacting customer support at contact@RitualBookings.com
• Using the account deletion feature in your dashboard

Account closure does not cancel existing bookings or affect payment obligations, including any balance still owed for a ritual already performed.

14.2 Termination by Us

We may immediately suspend or terminate your account and access to the platform, without notice or liability, if:

• You violate these Terms or any applicable law
• You engage in fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity
• You harass or abuse pandits, staff, or other users
• You attempt to circumvent payment or fees
• You create multiple accounts or use fake identities
• We are required to do so by law or court order
• Your account has been inactive for over 2 years
• We suspect unauthorized access or security breach

14.3 Effects of Termination

Upon termination:

• Your right to access and use the platform immediately ceases
• Existing confirmed bookings will be honored unless you request cancellation
• Pending refunds will be processed according to our policies
• We may delete your account data per our data retention policy
• You remain liable for all outstanding obligations, including any unpaid balance for a ritual already delivered

14.4 Survival

The following provisions survive termination: Sections 9 (Limitation of Liability), 10 (Indemnification), 11 (Intellectual Property), 13 (Dispute Resolution), and any other provisions that by their nature should survive.

15. Modifications to Terms

15.1 Right to Modify

We reserve the right to modify, update, or replace these Terms at any time at our sole discretion. Material changes will be communicated via:

• Email notification to registered users
• Prominent notice on the platform homepage
• In-app notification
• Updated "Last updated" date at the top of this page

15.2 Acceptance of Changes

Your continued use of the platform after changes become effective constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the modified Terms, you must stop using the platform immediately.

15.3 Review Responsibility

It is your responsibility to review these Terms periodically. We recommend checking this page before each booking.

16. Miscellaneous Provisions

16.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and Cancellation Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and RitualBookings regarding use of the platform, superseding any prior agreements.

16.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect. The invalid provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

16.3 Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. Any waiver must be in writing and signed by an authorized representative.

16.4 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your rights hereunder without our prior written consent. We may assign our rights and obligations without restriction. Any attempted assignment in violation of this section is void.

16.5 Force Majeure

We shall not be liable for any failure to perform our obligations due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to: acts of God, natural disasters, war, terrorism, riots, embargoes, acts of civil or military authorities, fire, floods, accidents, pandemics, strikes, or internet failures.

16.6 Relationship

No joint venture, partnership, employment, or agency relationship exists between you and RitualBookings as a result of these Terms or your use of the platform.

16.7 Language

These Terms are drafted in English. In the event of any conflict between an English version and a translation, the English version shall prevail.

16.8 Third-Party Rights

These Terms do not confer any rights or remedies upon any person other than the parties to these Terms and their respective permitted successors and assigns.

17. Contact Information

For questions, concerns, or complaints regarding these Terms of Service: