Terms of Service

Welcome to onthebell. By creating an account or using our platform, you agree to the following terms. Please read them carefully.

1. About onthebell

onthebell is a hyper-local platform for the community of the Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria, Australia. We provide features including community groups (including encrypted private groups), job listings with in-app applications, events with RSVP and recurring schedules, local deals, a business directory with reviews and ratings, a discover feed, a people directory, member follows, a referral programme, and community feedback. Marketplace features include local listings, offers, and buyer-seller messaging. Household registration and verification are available for address-based access and community trust. Paid memberships and subscription tiers are also available. Eligible members may participate in the monthly members giveaway. Push notifications are available where enabled and opted in.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 16 years of age to create an account. By registering you confirm that:

• You are 16 years of age or older.
• You reside on or have a genuine connection to the Bellarine Peninsula.
• All information you provide is accurate and up to date.
• You will maintain only one personal account.

3. Account Responsibilities

You are responsible for keeping your login credentials confidential and for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us immediately at support@onthebell.com.au if you suspect any unauthorised use.

4. Membership & Payments

Certain features require a paid membership. onthebell offers six subscription tiers: Free ($0), Starter ($2.50/month or $25/year), Plus ($5/month or $50/year), Premium ($10/month or $100/year), Business Lite ($25/month or $250/year), and Business ($50/month or $500/year). All paid plans include a 14-day free trial. Payments are processed securely via Stripe. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled before the renewal date. You may cancel at any time from your account settings and retain access until the end of the billing period. Household subscriptions allow benefits to be shared across all members of a verified household. All prices are in Australian dollars and include GST where applicable.

5. User Content

You retain ownership of content you post on onthebell. By posting, you grant onthebell a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to display and distribute that content within the platform. You agree not to post content that:

• Is unlawful, defamatory, harassing, or threatening.
• Infringes any third-party intellectual property rights.
• Contains spam, misleading advertising, or unsolicited commercial messages.
• Violates the privacy or personal information of others.
• Is sexually explicit or involves minors in any inappropriate way.

We reserve the right to remove content that violates these terms and to suspend or terminate accounts where serious or repeated violations occur.

6. Community Standards & AI Moderation

onthebell is built on respect and community spirit. You agree to interact with other members honestly and courteously. Harassment, hate speech, and discrimination of any kind are not tolerated and may result in immediate account termination.

We use automated AI tools to review user-generated content for compliance with these community standards. Content flagged by automated systems may be temporarily withheld pending human review. We aim to resolve all moderation reviews promptly. If you believe your content has been incorrectly flagged, you may contact us at support@onthebell.com.au.

7. Marketplace, Events & Listings

Marketplace listings, job listings, events, and deals are made available as a convenience between community members and local businesses. onthebell is not a party to any transaction and accepts no liability for the quality, safety, legality, or availability of any listed goods, services, or events. You are responsible for complying with all applicable Australian Consumer Law obligations. Event organisers are responsible for the accuracy of event details, capacity management, and any safety requirements.

Marketplace offers (including make, accept, decline, and counter actions) and buyer-seller messaging are provided for convenience. onthebell does not guarantee the completion of any transaction and is not responsible for disputes between buyers and sellers. Listing bumping is available to paid members to increase the visibility of their listings; bumped listings are subject to the same content standards as all other listings.

Job applications submitted through the platform (including resumes and cover letters) are shared directly with the listing employer. onthebell is not responsible for employer hiring decisions or the handling of application materials by the employer.

8. Business Accounts & Advertising

Business accounts and advertising placements are subject to separate terms agreed to at the time of registration or ad purchase. onthebell reserves the right to refuse or remove any advertisement that conflicts with these Terms or our editorial standards. Ad billing is based on tracked impressions and clicks up to the advertiser's chosen budget. Refund requests for unused ad budget may be submitted for review; approval is at onthebell's discretion. A full history of ad modifications is retained for audit purposes.

9. Address Verification

To access location-specific features you may be asked to submit supporting documentation to verify a Bellarine Peninsula address. Documents are reviewed manually and then permanently deleted from our storage. We retain only a verification status flag. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

10. Push Notifications

If you opt in, onthebell may send push notifications for relevant updates such as replies, activity alerts, and service announcements. You can disable push permissions at any time via your device settings.

11. Giveaway Eligibility

Participation in giveaway campaigns may be limited by plan eligibility, account standing, and campaign-specific conditions published at the time of entry.

Intellectual Property

All platform design, branding, code, and original content produced by onthebell are owned by onthebell and may not be reproduced, distributed, or modified without prior written consent.

Disclaimers

The platform is provided "as is". While we work hard to keep onthebell reliable, we do not warrant uninterrupted or error-free operation. To the extent permitted by Australian law, onthebell excludes all implied warranties.

Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by the Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010), onthebell's liability for any claim arising out of the use of the platform is limited to the greater of (a) the amount you paid to onthebell in the 12 months preceding the claim, or (b) $100 AUD. Nothing in these Terms limits liability for death, personal injury, or fraudulent misrepresentation.

Termination

You may delete your account at any time from your account settings. Account deletion permanently removes your profile and authentication credentials. We may suspend or terminate your account if you materially breach these Terms. Upon termination, your content may be removed in accordance with our data retention practices.

Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you via email and in-app notification of material changes at least 14 days before they take effect. Continued use of the platform after that date constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Victoria, Australia. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Victoria.

Contact Us

Questions about these Terms? Reach us at support@onthebell.com.au.