Terms of Service

Wello ("the Platform") is a community credit exchange that connects Bay Area neighbors for peer-to-peer exchanges of everyday help. Wello is a platform, not a service provider. When you arrange an exchange through Wello, you are entering into a voluntary agreement with another individual member — not with Wello. Wello facilitates the connection; it does not provide, supervise, direct, or guarantee any service performed by any member.

You may join Wello if you:

• Are 18 years of age or older (or 13–17 with verified parental consent)
• Live in, work in, or have a genuine connection to the San Francisco Bay Area
• Can verify your identity with a valid phone number
• Agree to these Terms in full

Wello credits ("Credits") are a community accounting unit used to track the exchange of help between members. Credits are not money, currency, wages, or a financial instrument of any kind. Specifically:

• Credits have no cash value and cannot be redeemed for money
• Credits cannot be sold, transferred, or gifted to other members outside of a completed exchange
• Credits cannot be used outside the Wello platform
• Credits do not constitute income, compensation, or payment for services rendered

Wello makes no representation that Credits constitute taxable or non-taxable consideration. Members are solely responsible for understanding and complying with any applicable tax obligations arising from their exchanges.

Wello's role is limited to providing software that allows members to post, discover, and coordinate exchanges; maintaining a credit ledger that tracks exchanges between members; providing a reporting and moderation system for community safety; and facilitating dispute resolution through community moderators.

By using Wello, you acknowledge and agree that you are arranging voluntary exchanges with other private individuals, that you assume full responsibility for your own safety and judgment, and that any dispute arising from an exchange is primarily between you and the other member.

Nothing in these Terms limits liability for gross negligence, willful misconduct, or fraud.

By joining Wello, you agree to:

• Provide accurate information about yourself and your offerings
• Honor commitments you make to other members
• Conduct yourself with honesty, respect, and care for others' safety
• Use your personal judgment about who you exchange with, especially for higher-stakes exchanges (rides, in-home help, childcare, elder care)
• Carry any legally required insurance if you use your personal vehicle in a Wello exchange (California law requires valid automobile liability insurance)
• Comply with all applicable laws and regulations in connection with any exchange
• Report safety concerns promptly through the Wello platform

Members may not use Wello to:

• Exchange anything illegal, including controlled substances, weapons, or stolen goods
• Solicit cash payments in connection with a Wello exchange
• Harass, threaten, discriminate against, or stalk another member
• Misrepresent their identity, qualifications, or the nature of an exchange
• Create duplicate accounts or attempt to manipulate the credit system
• Solicit members to leave the Wello platform for off-platform transactions
• Use Wello for commercial or business purposes unrelated to personal community exchange

Wello reserves the right to suspend or permanently remove any member who violates these Terms or the Community Guidelines, poses a credible safety risk to other members, engages in repeated or serious misconduct, or accumulates a significantly negative credit balance with no demonstrated effort to contribute.

Wello may act on its own initiative or in response to member reports. Removal decisions made in response to urgent safety reports may be immediate and without prior notice.

Any dispute between a member and Wello arising from these Terms shall first be submitted to good-faith negotiation. If unresolved within 30 days, disputes shall be submitted to binding arbitration in San Francisco, California, except that either party may seek injunctive relief in a California court for intellectual property claims or urgent safety matters.

You agree to waive any right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration against Wello.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Wello may update these Terms. Members will be notified of material changes via the app and/or email with at least 14 days' notice. Continued use of Wello after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

All exchanges begin at 1 credit by default. Credits increase in 0.5-credit increments based on the nature and scope of the task.

When posting or accepting an exchange, the requester may offer more than the base credit amount if the task is clearly larger than standard. This upfront generosity is a signal of respect and sets clear expectations before the exchange begins.

After a task is marked complete, both the requester and helper enter a 12-hour confirmation window. During this window:

• Either party may confirm the exchange as agreed, triggering immediate credit transfer
• Either party may propose a credit adjustment (upward only) if circumstances changed — the task took significantly longer, was more complex, or required substantially more effort than anticipated
• If one party proposes an adjustment, the other party must review and accept or decline
• If the other party accepts, credits transfer at the new amount
• If neither party takes any action within 12 hours of task completion, credits transfer automatically at the original agreed amount

Credit adjustments must be proposed in good faith and reflect genuine changes in the scope of the exchange. Adjustments may not be proposed more than once per exchange.

After every completed exchange, both parties may leave an optional note for each other. Notes are:

• Visible to both parties in their exchange history
• Not a rating or review system
• A place to capture the human experience of the exchange — a thank-you, a memory, a detail that mattered

Notes are permanent and cannot be edited after 48 hours. Notes that violate community guidelines may be removed by moderators.

Wello mediation is triggered when:

• One party proposes a credit adjustment and the other explicitly declines
• One party proposes an adjustment and the other does not respond within 12 hours of the proposal

Wello moderators are trusted community members selected for their judgment, fairness, and commitment to community values. Moderators:

• Are not paid employees of Wello (they earn credits for moderation work)
• Recuse themselves from any dispute involving a member they know personally
• Apply the principle of fairness and community good faith, not strict legalism
• Document their decisions for Wello's internal review

Wello does not mediate, arbitrate, or adjudicate any dispute involving money. Wello credit disputes are limited to the credit system. Any claim for monetary damages must be pursued through appropriate legal channels.

Wello's safety approach is based on:

• Member verification — all members verify a valid phone number at signup
• Community accountability — mutual notes and exchange history create a record of conduct
• Rapid response — safety reports are triaged within hours, not days
• Clear escalation — serious incidents are escalated immediately, including to law enforcement when appropriate

Members may report another member or an exchange at any time via the in-app "Report" function. Reports should include the member being reported, a brief description of what happened, and any supporting context (messages, exchange details). Reports are received by Wello's moderation team and triaged by urgency.

For urgent safety reports, Wello may immediately suspend the reported member's ability to initiate new exchanges, block direct messaging between the reporting and reported member, and escalate to a senior moderator for review. Protective measures may be applied before a full investigation is complete when member safety is at risk.

Following a report, possible outcomes include:

• No action (report unfounded)
• Warning issued to the reported member
• Temporary suspension (1–30 days)
• Permanent removal from the community
• Referral to law enforcement (for serious criminal conduct)

Wello cooperates with law enforcement investigations when legally required or when member safety demands it.

Members subject to suspension or removal may submit a written appeal within 14 days. Appeals are reviewed by a senior moderator not involved in the original decision. Appeal decisions are final.

Wello moderates conduct within the platform. Wello is not a law enforcement agency and cannot guarantee the safety of members outside the platform. Members remain responsible for their own safety and judgment in all exchanges.