1. About VINdicated.ai

VINdicated.ai ("VINdicated," "we," "us," or "our") is a car-buying education platform that provides consumers with information, tools, and advisory services designed to help them make more informed decisions when purchasing or leasing a vehicle. Our services include, but are not limited to:

• Free educational tools (budget calculators, lease vs. buy analyzers, dealer fee guides, negotiation scripts, and similar resources)
• Expert concierge and strategy session services
• A forthcoming AI-powered car-buying application
• Educational content distributed across digital platforms

VINdicated.ai is not a car dealership, lender, financial institution, licensed financial advisor, or licensed law firm. We do not sell vehicles, arrange financing, or provide legal, financial, or professional advice. All information, tools, and guidance we provide are for general educational and informational purposes only. You are solely responsible for verifying all information and making your own independent decisions.

2. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using any part of VINdicated.ai, you confirm that you:

• Are at least 18 years of age (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction);
• Have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement;
• Have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy;
• Will use the services only for lawful purposes.

If you are accessing the services on behalf of a business or organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that entity to these Terms.

3. Services and Limitations

3.1 Educational Tools

Our free tools - including budget calculators, APR comparison tools, and negotiation guides - are provided for general informational purposes only. Outputs are estimates based on user-provided inputs and publicly available data. They do not constitute financial, legal, or professional advice. Results may vary based on your individual circumstances, credit profile, and local market conditions. Always verify any figures independently before making financial decisions.

3.2 Concierge and Advisory Services

Our paid concierge and strategy session services are educational and advisory in nature. We provide general guidance on car-buying strategy, dealer tactics, and negotiation approaches based on experience and publicly available information. We do not guarantee specific pricing outcomes, savings amounts, approval of financing, or dealership cooperation. Our advisors are not licensed attorneys, financial advisors, or certified automotive appraisers.

3.3 AI Application (Forthcoming)

The VINdicated.ai application is designed to assist consumers with car-buying questions and guidance. It is trained specifically on automotive consumer topics and does not provide advice outside that domain. AI-generated responses are informational only and should not be the sole basis for major financial decisions. Always consult qualified professionals as appropriate for your situation.

3.4 No Guarantee of Results

While we strive to provide accurate, up-to-date, and useful information, we make no warranty that use of our services will result in any specific outcome, savings, or negotiation result. Vehicle pricing, dealer practices, and market conditions change constantly and vary significantly by geography and dealer.

4. Payments and Refunds

4.1 Paid Services

Certain services - including Expert Strategy Sessions and Full Concierge packages - require payment. All fees are stated in U.S. dollars and are due at the time of booking. We use secure third-party payment processors; we do not store your full payment card information.

4.2 Refund Policy

Due to the time-sensitive, advisory nature of our services:

• Expert Strategy Sessions ($399): Fully refundable if canceled at least 48 hours before the scheduled session. No refund for cancellations within 48 hours or no-shows.
• Full Concierge ($1,099): A 50% refund is available if no substantive work has begun (typically within 24 hours of payment). Once work has commenced, fees are non-refundable.
• App Subscriptions: Refund policy for the forthcoming app will be published prior to launch.

Refund requests must be submitted in writing to the contact email listed in Section 15. We reserve the right to determine whether refund conditions have been met.

5. User Conduct and Prohibited Uses

You agree that you will not use VINdicated.ai to:

• Violate any applicable federal, state, or local law or regulation;
• Reproduce, redistribute, resell, or commercially exploit our tools, content, or proprietary materials without written permission;
• Reverse-engineer, scrape, or systematically extract data from our platform;
• Impersonate any person or entity, or falsely represent your affiliation;
• Transmit malware, spam, or any harmful or disruptive code;
• Circumvent any security, authentication, or access controls;
• Use our services on behalf of, or to benefit, any automotive dealership, manufacturer, or competitor without our express written consent.

We reserve the right to terminate or restrict access for any user who violates these prohibitions, without notice and without refund where applicable.

6. Intellectual Property

All content on VINdicated.ai - including text, graphics, logos, calculators, scripts, guides, videos, and software - is the proprietary property of VINdicated.ai or its licensors and is protected by U.S. and international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use our content for your own personal, non-commercial car-buying purposes. You may not copy, modify, distribute, display, publish, sell, or create derivative works from our content without our prior written consent.

User-submitted content (such as questions, deal details submitted through our tools, or feedback) remains your property but you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use it for service delivery, quality improvement, and platform development. We will not publicly identify you or share your deal-specific data with third parties for commercial purposes without your consent.

7. Third-Party Links and Services

Our platform may link to third-party websites, tools, or resources - including vehicle valuation services, lenders, and automotive data providers. These links are provided for convenience and informational purposes only. VINdicated.ai has no control over, and assumes no responsibility for, the content, privacy practices, or accuracy of third-party sites. The inclusion of any link does not constitute an endorsement. Your interactions with third-party services are governed by their respective terms and privacy policies.

8. Disclaimer of Warranties

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, VINDICATED.AI AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AND LICENSORS PROVIDE THE SERVICES ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS, WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT: (A) THE SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR SECURE; (B) ANY INFORMATION OR CONTENT IS ACCURATE, COMPLETE, OR CURRENT; (C) ANY SPECIFIC RESULT OR OUTCOME WILL BE ACHIEVED THROUGH USE OF OUR SERVICES.

9. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, VINDICATED.AI AND ITS AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES - INCLUDING LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, OR GOODWILL - ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF, OR INABILITY TO USE, THE SERVICES, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT SHALL OUR TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIMS ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICES EXCEED THE GREATER OF: (A) THE TOTAL AMOUNT PAID BY YOU TO VINDICATED.AI IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM; OR (B) ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100.00).

SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY. IN SUCH CASES, LIABILITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE MINIMUM EXTENT REQUIRED BY LAW.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless VINdicated.ai and its officers, directors, employees, contractors, and agents from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to: (a) your use of the services; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of any third-party rights; or (d) your violation of any applicable law or regulation.

11. Dispute Resolution and Governing Law

11.1 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Indiana, without regard to its conflict of law principles.

11.2 Informal Resolution

Before initiating any formal dispute, you agree to first contact us at the email below and attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute informally. We will make reasonable efforts to resolve disputes within 30 days.

11.3 Binding Arbitration

If informal resolution fails, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the services (other than small claims court matters and intellectual property claims) shall be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, then in effect. The arbitration shall be conducted in English. Judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Class Action Waiver: You agree that any dispute shall be brought in your individual capacity only, and not as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class, collective, or representative proceeding.

11.4 Exceptions

Notwithstanding the above, either party may seek emergency injunctive or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to protect intellectual property rights or prevent irreparable harm pending arbitration.

12. Modifications to Terms

We reserve the right to update or modify these Terms at any time. If we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and, where feasible, provide additional notice (such as by email or a notice on our homepage). Your continued use of the services after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. We encourage you to review these Terms periodically. If you do not agree to the modified Terms, you should stop using our services.

13. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the services at any time, with or without cause, and with or without notice, including if we reasonably believe you have violated these Terms. Upon termination, your right to use the services will cease immediately. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination will survive, including but not limited to Sections 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11.

14. Miscellaneous

Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and VINdicated.ai regarding the services and supersede all prior agreements, representations, and understandings.

Severability: If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

Waiver: Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of those rights.

Assignment: You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your rights under them without our prior written consent. We may assign our rights and obligations without restriction.

Force Majeure: We will not be liable for any failure or delay in performance resulting from causes beyond our reasonable control, including acts of God, natural disasters, war, terrorism, strikes, or government actions.

15. Contact Information

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

1. Who We Are

VINdicated.ai ("VINdicated," "we," "us," or "our") is a consumer car-buying education platform headquartered in Crown Point, Indiana. We operate the website at vindicated.ai, associated tools, and a forthcoming mobile application. Our services are strictly educational and informational. We are not a car dealership, lender, financial institution, licensed financial advisor, or law firm.

If you have questions about this policy, please contact us using the information in Section 14.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information in three ways: information you provide directly, information collected automatically, and information from third parties.

2.1 Information You Provide

• Contact and Account Information: Name, email address, and phone number when you sign up for early access, book a service, or contact us.
• Payment Information: Billing details processed through our third-party payment processor (e.g., Stripe). We do not store full credit card numbers on our servers.
• Tool Inputs and Deal Details: Budget figures, trade-in information, vehicle preferences, dealer quotes, Carfax uploads, and other financial or vehicle-related inputs you enter into our tools or share with advisors. This data is used only to generate your results and improve our educational services.
• Communications: Messages, emails, or inquiries you send us.
• User-Generated Content: Feedback, reviews, or responses you submit.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website or use our services, we may automatically collect:

• Log Data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, time and date of visit, referring URL.
• Device Information: Device type, operating system, unique device identifiers.
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: See Section 7.
• Usage Data: How you interact with our tools and features.

2.3 Information from Third Parties

• Payment processors (limited billing confirmations).
• Analytics providers (aggregated, anonymized usage data).
• Scheduling or calendar tools (appointment details).

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect only for the following purposes:

• Provide, operate, and improve our educational tools and services.
• Process payments and fulfill booked services.
• Send service-related communications (confirmations, updates).
• Respond to inquiries and provide support.
• Analyze usage trends to improve our platform (in aggregated or anonymized form).
• Detect, prevent, and address fraud, security, or technical issues.
• Comply with legal obligations.
• Enforce our Terms of Use.

We will not use your personal information for purposes materially different from those described above without first notifying you and, where required, obtaining your consent.

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We do not share your deal-specific financial details, vehicle preferences, or Carfax uploads with dealerships, manufacturers, or auto industry advertisers.

We may share your information only in these limited circumstances:

4.1 Service Providers

Trusted vendors who perform services on our behalf (payment processing, hosting, analytics, email delivery, scheduling). These providers are contractually required to use your data only for the services they provide to us and to maintain appropriate security.

4.2 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you before any such transfer.

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or government regulation, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our legal rights, user safety, or to investigate fraud/security issues.

4.4 With Your Consent

We may share information for any other purpose only with your explicit consent.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy or as required by law.

• Account/contact information: While your account is active + a reasonable period afterward.
• Tool inputs and deal details: Up to 30 days after session completion, then deleted from active systems (unless you request earlier deletion).
• Transaction records: Minimum 7 years for tax/accounting compliance.
• Communications: Up to 3 years for quality and compliance purposes.
• Analytics data: Retained in aggregated/anonymized form for product improvement.

You may request deletion of your data at any time (see Section 9). We may retain certain information as required by law or for legitimate business purposes even after a deletion request.

6. Data Security

We implement commercially reasonable technical, administrative, and physical safeguards to protect your information, including HTTPS encryption, access controls, and secure third-party processors. However, no system is 100% secure. In the event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you as required by applicable law.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies for essential site functionality, analytics, and limited personalization. You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling strictly necessary cookies may affect site functionality. We currently limit marketing cookies and will provide notice before implementing broader tracking.

8. Third-Party Links and Services

Our site may contain links to third-party resources. This Privacy Policy applies only to VINdicated.ai. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties.

9. Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access and portability
• Correction of inaccurate data
• Deletion (subject to legal and legitimate business exceptions)
• Opt-out of marketing communications

We honor these rights for all users to the extent practicable. California residents have additional rights under CCPA/CPRA (right to know, delete, opt-out of sale/sharing, limit sensitive data use). Residents of other states with comprehensive privacy laws (Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, etc.) have similar rights.

To exercise any rights, contact us at [email protected]. We will verify your identity and respond within required timeframes. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.

10. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected such information, we will delete it promptly.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be posted with a new "Last Updated" date and, where feasible, notified by email. Your continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

12. International Users

VINdicated.ai is operated in the United States. If you access our services from outside the U.S., your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States. We do not currently target users in the EEA, UK, or other GDPR jurisdictions. If this changes, we will update this policy.

13. Do Not Track

We currently do not respond to "Do Not Track" signals in a standardized way due to lack of industry consensus.

14. Contact Us

For privacy questions or requests: