VortAR — Terms of Service

1. Purpose of these Terms

These Terms set out the conditions for using the location-based social app “VortAR” (the “Service”) provided by T Experience LLC (Tエクスペリエンス合同会社; “we”, “us”; company details are in Article 13). Anyone who uses the Service (a “User”) is deemed to have agreed to these Terms.

2. Application of and consent to these Terms

These Terms apply to all relationships between us and Users concerning the use of the Service.

• Users begin using the Service after agreeing, on the consent screen shown when the app is first used, to three things: these Terms, the Privacy Policy, and being 18 or older.
• We record the fact of consent (the date and time and the version of the Terms agreed to).
• The consent screen in the app shows the key points of these Terms and a link to this page. The full text is published on this page.

3. The Service, changes and interruptions

The Service is a matching/social service for people seeking to meet other men (including gay and bisexual men, transgender men, and non-binary people). It may not be used to look for a partner of the opposite sex. You can look for connections beyond the people near you, and some features use location information. We do not ask what you call your sexual orientation or about your current relationships (such as whether you have a partner).

• We may change or add to all or part of the Service.
• We may temporarily suspend the Service because of maintenance, system failures, interruption of communication lines, natural disasters or other unavoidable reasons.
• We may end all or part of the Service. If we do, we will announce it in the app or by email in advance whenever possible.
• To the extent set out in Article 9 (Disclaimers), we are not liable for any damage to Users caused by such changes, interruptions or termination.

4. Accounts

• The Service is for people aged 18 or older. Anyone under 18 may not use the Service.
• Entering your date of birth is required at registration, and an account cannot be created if you are determined to be under 18. If we find that someone under 18 has registered, we will delete the account and related data.
• Users must not enter false information when registering. Note that the Service also has features for blurring or hiding information you don’t want others to know.
• Only one account per person may be created. However, the Service has a feature that lets you appear across space and time within the app.
• Users are responsible for managing their own account information (email address, password, etc.). It may not be lent, transferred or shared with any third party.

For our policy on child safety, see our Child Safety Standards.

5. Prohibited conduct

When using the Service, Users must not do any of the following.

5-1. Conduct toward other Users

• Defaming, threatening or harassing other users
• Fraud or requests for money
• Sending obscene images or videos without consent
• Inappropriate contact with minors
• Impersonating other Users, or obtaining or disclosing other people’s personal information without permission
• Publishing other Users’ location, photos or conversations outside the Service, or providing them to third parties, without their consent
• Recording, filming or capturing calls (voice or video) without the other person’s consent (including screenshots and filming with another device)

5-2. Conduct concerning use of the Service

• Use for sales or solicitation purposes
• Seeking partners for relationships with the opposite sex, or looking for people who would accept such invitations
• Conduct that violates laws or public order and morals
• Interfering with the operation of the Service, unauthorized access, reverse engineering, or mass access using automated tools
• Faking your location (GPS spoofing, etc.)
• Any other conduct we reasonably judge to be inappropriate

5-3. Messages to people who have blocked you, etc.

• Messages, Sparks and Ignites sent to someone you are blocked by, or to someone whose settings do not accept Signals, may not reach them even if shown as sent. In such cases, uses and purchased slots are not returned.

6. Handling of content

• Copyright in content you post belongs to you.
• We may use posted content to the extent necessary to provide and improve the Service.
• We may remove inappropriate content without notice.
• We review reported content and, where necessary, take action such as removal, warnings or account suspension.
• As a rule, we review reported content within 24 hours.
• Depending on the severity and number of violations, action may be taken in stages: a warning, suspension of some features for a set period, then account suspension.

7. Paid plans and subscriptions

The Service has a free tier and paid ranks (plans). There are five ranks, as follows. Amounts are the prices shown in the app; the actual amount charged, currency and tax treatment follow the display of the app store that processes the payment.

• VortAR Free — Free
• VortAR Aurora — ¥690 per month / ¥1,700 for 3 months (about 18% off) / ¥5,500 per year (about 34% off)
• VortAR Star — ¥1,280 per month / ¥3,200 for 3 months (about 17% off) / ¥9,800 per year (about 36% off)
• VortAR Galaxy — ¥1,980 per month / ¥4,900 for 3 months (about 18% off) / ¥15,800 per year (about 34% off)
• VortAR Universe — ¥2,980 per month / ¥7,400 for 3 months (about 17% off) / ¥23,800 per year (about 33% off)

Discount rates compare with paying the monthly price of the same rank for 3 or 12 months. In addition, there is “Founding Member” (a one-time payment), which lets the first 100 people use a rank equivalent to Galaxy for as long as the Service is provided (7-5).

7-1. Payment and billing platform

• Paid plans and individual purchases are provided through RevenueCat and payments are processed by the billing system of the app store you got the app from (Google Play or App Store).
• Purchases, renewals, cancellations and refunds are governed, for purchases on Google Play, by Google Play’s billing terms and refund policy, and for purchases on the App Store, by Apple’s App Store Terms of Service.

7-2. Automatic renewal and cancellation

• Subscriptions renew automatically at the end of each period unless cancelled. The 3-month plan is paid 3 months in advance and the annual plan 1 year in advance; unless cancelled, they renew automatically every 3 months and every year respectively.
• Cancel from the account settings of the app store you purchased from (Google Play “Subscriptions”, or on iPhone [Settings] → [your name] → [Subscriptions]). Uninstalling the app does not cancel your subscription.
• After cancelling, you can use the paid plan until the end of the period you have already paid for.
• Cancelling a 3-month or annual plan midway does not give a prorated refund for the remaining period (refunds follow the app store’s rules as described in 7-6).

7-3. Introductory prices and campaigns

• For annual plans, we may offer an introductory (discounted) price that applies only to your first subscription period. The introductory price applies only to the first subscription period; later automatic renewals are charged at the regular annual price. Setting and applying introductory prices depend on the app store’s features.
• If we run other campaigns, the conditions, eligibility and period will be shown in the app each time. A campaign ends when a set number of people is reached or on a set date, whichever comes first.
• Campaigns do not change the conditions of a period you have already paid for to your disadvantage.

7-4. Free grants by us

• For testing, as an apology for a defect, or for other operational reasons, we may grant a paid rank free of charge for a set period. In that case, the grant ends when the period expires and does not automatically turn into a paid subscription.

7-5. Founding Member (lifetime plan)

• We sell “Founding Member” to the first 100 people only: for a one-time payment (¥39,800), it lets you use a rank equivalent to VortAR Galaxy for as long as the Service is provided. Sales end when that number is reached; there will be no extension by date, additional sales or discounts.
• “Lifetime” means for as long as the Service is provided. If we end the Service, we will announce it in the app or on our website at least 3 months before the end date. No refund of all or part of the purchase price will be made when the Service ends.
• Founding Member is tied to the purchaser’s own account and cannot be transferred, lent, bought or sold to or from other accounts or third parties.
• It cannot be cancelled or refunded after purchase (refunds follow the app store’s rules). No refund is made either if we suspend or delete the account for a violation under Article 8.
• If we revise our ranks and a rank equivalent to VortAR Galaxy no longer exists, Founding Members will receive the paid rank closest to Galaxy as of the revision.
• Founding Members show a Founding Member badge and their purchase number (#1–#100) on their profile. Each can be hidden in settings. We never publish a list of Founding Members. The badge and number are different from marks of trust such as ID verification or recommendations, and do not affect the Trust Score.

7-6. Refunds

• We are not a party to the payment, so whether a refund is possible and how to request it follow the rules of the app store you purchased from. If you bought on Google Play, apply to Google Play under its refund policy; if you bought on the App Store, apply to Apple under its rules (“Report a Problem” reportaproblem.apple.com). You cannot request a refund directly from us.
• When you delete your account, we do not refund unused paid periods or unused items.

7-7. Individual purchases (consumable items)

Separately from subscriptions, we offer the following individual items. As a rule, they cannot be cancelled after purchase (refunds follow the rules of the app store you purchased from, as in 7-6).

• Nickname change ticket — ¥500
• One extra Spark — ¥120
• Pack of 5 Sparks — ¥500
• One extra Step Signal revival slot — ¥150
• Withdraw an approval — ¥200 (charged on the Free plan only; free on Aurora and above)
• Call extension (15 minutes × 3) — ¥150
• One extra call — ¥150
• Pack of 10 translations — ¥150 (plans other than VortAR Universe; usable after the month’s translations are used up, and kept until used)

In addition, we sell individual items whose prices are shown in the app, such as Warp highlighting, extra meet-up proposal slots, Secret Filter retakes and opens, and extra Ignite slots. Prices follow the display in the app.

We may change the structure, prices and features of plans. Conditions for a period already purchased remain until that period ends.

8. Account suspension, deletion and leaving

8-1. Suspension of accounts by us

• If a violation of the prohibited conduct is confirmed, we will suspend the account without notice.
• If a member whose use we have suspended tries to register again, depending on the violation we may refuse re-registration, or require the purchase of a paid plan we specify as a condition of starting to use the Service.
• Even if paid plans become unavailable because of a suspension, we do not refund anything.
• If you believe a warning, temporary suspension, suspension or other action was taken in error, contact within 14 days of the action at ops@vortar.jp (subject: “Appeal”). We will reply within 7 days of receipt.

8-2. Leaving by the User (account deletion)

• Users can request deletion of their account at any time from [My Page] → [⚙️ Settings] → [Delete account & data] in the app.
• Instead of leaving (deleting the account), there is also a feature to pause use of the Service temporarily while keeping data such as your profile.
• After a deletion request, there is a 30-day grace period. During it, you can cancel the request from the same screen and restore your account.
• After the grace period, the account, including profile, photos and location information, is deleted by our daily batch process.
• Instead of the whole account, you can also request deletion of only some data (photos, location history, messages, etc.).
• Of messages exchanged with other Users through Signal and similar features, those kept on the other person’s side are not deleted.

For the deletion steps and details of what is deleted, see About account deletion.

9. Disclaimers

• The Service provides a place for Users to meet and interact. We are not a party to, and are not responsible for, any trouble between Users (money lending, personal relationships, accidents when meeting in person, etc.).
• We make no express or implied warranty that the Service is free from defects in fact or in law.
• The Service may not work properly depending on the network environment, device, positioning accuracy and so on. Location and distance displays include errors.
• Except in cases of our intent or gross negligence, we are not liable for damage to Users arising from use of the Service. However, this does not apply where our liability cannot be excluded under the Consumer Contract Act or other laws.
• When meeting in person, please take care of your own safety, for example by choosing a public place for the first meeting.

10. Handling of personal information

How we collect, use, provide to third parties, retain and delete personal information and location information in the Service is set out in the Privacy Policy. The Privacy Policy forms part of these Terms.

11. Governing law and jurisdiction

• These Terms are governed by the laws of Japan.
• Any dispute between us and a User concerning the Service or these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction, in the first instance, of the district court having jurisdiction over the location of our head office.

12. Revisions and inquiries

We may revise these Terms in response to changes in laws or new features of the Service. When we do, we will post the revised text and the last updated date on this page. For important changes, we will notify you in the app or by email. If you use the Service after a revision, you are deemed to have agreed to the revised Terms.

For inquiries about these Terms, contact the address in Article 13 (Company information).

13. Company information