Terms of Service
1. Agreement to Terms
These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of CaughtShipping (the "Service"), operated by CaughtShipping. By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to these Terms. If you don't agree, don't use the Service.
2. What CaughtShipping Is
CaughtShipping is a voluntary commitment device. You declare your own downtime hours and choose which apps to watch during that time. If a watched app comes to the foreground during your declared downtime and you don't stop within your grace period, that's logged as a "violation." CaughtShipping is designed to help you keep a promise to yourself — it watches and judges; it never blocks, restricts, or otherwise controls your device. You remain free to use your computer however you like; the only consequence of a violation is a record of it.
3. Accounts & Sign-In
You sign in by email magic link or by "Sign in with X" (Twitter OAuth). We don't use passwords. On sign-in we issue a session token and a refresh token to keep you logged in; you're responsible for keeping any device where you're signed in secure.
4. Subscription & Payments
CaughtShipping offers a free tier and a paid "Pro" plan. Pro is billed as a monthly subscription through Stripe, our payment processor. You can cancel at any time; your access continues through the end of the billing period you've already paid for. We do not store your card details — Stripe handles all payment card data on our behalf. We keep only a Stripe customer identifier and your subscription status.
Free accounts get two emergency overrides per month, which let you cancel an active countdown without it being logged as a violation. Overrides are a product feature, not a purchase — using one never triggers a charge.
5. Hardcore Mode & Stakes
Hardcore stakes are not currently open for activation; the terms below apply if and when they are.
Hardcore Mode is an optional feature where you put real money on the line as a commitment device. Here's what you're agreeing to:
- The commitment: You put a chosen amount ($1–$20) "on the line." If a verified fall is recorded during your declared curfew window, we charge your card that amount.
- Charge timing: A charge occurs only when a fall is recorded — that is, when a watched app is detected open past your declared curfew cutoff, after your grace period expires.
- Caps: Maximum one charge per night; maximum $60 forfeited per calendar month. Your nightly stake cap is $20.
- What never charges: Going dark (closing the app) is not a fall and does not trigger a charge. An account without stakes never charges.
- Revocation: You may revoke your stakes at any time. However, revocation never takes effect mid-curfew: if tonight's window has already started when you revoke, tonight still counts toward your commitment and may trigger a charge.
- Appeals & refunds: If a charge was made in error or you have a legitimate emergency, you may appeal within 7 days by emailing [email protected]. Legitimate emergencies are refunded as a charge-then-refund (we charge first, then process the refund).
- Non-pooling: Your stake is never a prize or wager for others. This is a self-directed commitment contract between you and CaughtShipping, not a pooled game or wager.
- Where the money goes: Forfeited stakes are kept by CaughtShipping. We do not use them for prizes, bonuses, or to subsidize other users' features.
6. The Wall Is Public
CaughtShipping is a public accountability product. When you create an account, your handle, display name, current and longest streaks, and your falls (violations, including the time they occurred and the streak you lost) are published on the Wall of Rest and the Blotter. This is the point of the product, and it is a condition of having an account. If you do not want a public record, do not create an account.
If you have a serious reason your data must not be public, contact us at [email protected] — we will review objections case by case and can withdraw a profile from public display. Deleting your account removes your profile and public entries per our Privacy Policy.
7. Acceptable Use
Don't use the Service to harass or impersonate others, to circumvent its intended purpose (e.g. falsifying your own downtime schedule to grief a public wall), or to attempt to access accounts or data that aren't yours. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate this section.
8. Your Data & Account Deletion
We store event metadata about which watched apps came to the foreground during your declared downtime — never window titles, file names, URLs, keystrokes, screenshots, or a continuous activity stream. See our Privacy Policy for full detail on what we collect and why. You may request deletion of your account at any time by contacting us; we purge your public history, falls, cards, and personal data within 24 hours.
9. Disclaimer of Warranties
The Service is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including fitness for a particular purpose or that the Service will be uninterrupted or error-free. CaughtShipping is a self-accountability tool, not professional advice of any kind.
10. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, our aggregate liability arising out of or relating to the Service is limited to the amounts you paid us in the 12 months before the claim arose. We are not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages.
11. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we'll make a reasonable effort to notify you before they take effect. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect means you accept the updated Terms.
12. Governing Law
These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and any disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
13. Contact
Questions about these Terms? Reach us at [email protected].