Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using the MakerBuddy website, products or services, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use our website or products.

These Terms of Service apply to all users of the MakerBuddy IoT Kit, including students, educators, professionals and hobbyists.

2. Description of Service

MakerBuddy provides:

• An open-source ESP32-based IoT learning kit with pre-soldered components and sensors
• A web-based dashboard for monitoring sensors and controlling actuators
• Educational resources, documentation and example projects
• Open-source hardware designs under CC BY-SA, firmware and web code under GPL
• Community support through GitHub, social media and other channels

Important: We are providing educational experience, not just the hardware. Our goal is to help you learn and innovate in the field of IoT and embedded systems.

3. Open Source Licenses

The MakerBuddy project uses different open source licenses for different components:

Firmware and Web Code - GPL (GNU General Public License)

• You are free to use, modify and distribute the firmware and web dashboard code
• If you distribute modified versions, you must also distribute the source code
• Modified versions must also be licensed under GPL
• You can use it for personal, educational or commercial projects

PCB Design - CC BY-SA (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike)

• You are free to share and adapt the PCB designs
• Attribution to MakerBuddy is required
• If you remix or modify the design, you must distribute under the same CC BY-SA license
• You can use it for personal, educational or commercial projects

All components are provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. For full license texts, please visit our GitHub repository.

4. User Responsibilities

When using the MakerBuddy IoT Kit, you agree to:

Safety and Proper Use

• Use the kit in accordance with provided instructions and guidelines
• Follow proper electrical safety practices
• Supervise children (aged 10+) when using the kit
• Not modify the hardware in ways that could cause safety hazards
• Use appropriate power sources (USB Type-C, 5V)

Responsible Usage

• Not use the kit for illegal, harmful or malicious purposes
• Respect others' privacy and security when deploying IoT projects
• Comply with local laws and regulations regarding wireless devices and data collection
• Not interfere with others' networks or devices

Community Conduct

• Be respectful and constructive when participating in community forums, GitHub or social media
• Not post spam, offensive content or harassment
• Respect intellectual property rights
• Share knowledge and help others in the spirit of open source

5. Product Sales and Distribution

Authorized Partners

MakerBuddy does not directly manufacture or sell IoT kits. We provide open-source hardware designs, software and educational resources. Physical MakerBuddy IoT Kits are produced and sold by our authorized partners and distributors, such as OR97.com in Pakistan.

Warranty and Support

Product warranty, returns, exchanges and technical support are provided by the vendor or distributor from whom you purchased the kit. MakerBuddy is not responsible for:

• Product warranties, defects or quality issues
• Product availability, pricing or stock levels
• Returns, refunds or exchanges
• Shipping, delivery or customs-related issues
• Any disputes between buyers and vendors

Please contact your vendor directly for all product-related inquiries, warranty claims and support.

Disclaimer of Warranties

THE MAKERBUDDY OPEN-SOURCE PROJECT, INCLUDING HARDWARE DESIGNS, SOFTWARE and DOCUMENTATION, IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE and NON-INFRINGEMENT.

We do not guarantee that:

• The kit will meet your specific requirements
• The operation will be uninterrupted or error-free
• All defects will be corrected
• The kit is suitable for production or critical applications

Educational Purpose

The MakerBuddy IoT Kit is designed for educational and prototyping purposes only. It is not intended for use in:

• Life-critical or safety-critical applications
• Medical devices or healthcare applications
• Industrial control systems requiring high reliability
• Security or surveillance systems where failure could cause harm

6. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, MAKERBUDDY SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR:

• Any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages
• Loss of profits, data, use or goodwill
• Damage to property or personal injury resulting from use of products purchased from third-party vendors
• Product defects, malfunctions or quality issues from kits sold by authorized partners
• Interruption of business or loss of revenue
• Issues arising from transactions between buyers and third-party vendors/distributors

Since MakerBuddy does not directly sell physical products, we have no liability for product-related claims. All product warranties and liabilities rest with the vendor or distributor from whom you purchased the kit. Any claims regarding product quality, defects or damages must be directed to your vendor.

7. Intellectual Property Rights

Our Content

The MakerBuddy brand name, logo, website design and original content are protected by copyright and trademark laws. The PCB designs are released under CC BY-SA, while firmware and web code are released under GPL.

Your Contributions

If you contribute to the MakerBuddy project (via GitHub, documentation or other means), you agree that:

• Code contributions will be licensed under GPL
• PCB design contributions will be licensed under CC BY-SA
• You have the right to make such contributions
• Your contributions do not infringe on others' intellectual property

8. Privacy and Data

Your use of the MakerBuddy website and services is also governed by our Privacy Policy. Key points:

• The MakerBuddy IoT Kit operates locally on your network
• We do not collect or transmit your sensor data to external servers
• No internet connection is required for the dashboard to function
• You have full control over all data generated by your device

9. Returns and Refunds

Returns, refunds and exchanges are handled exclusively by the vendor or distributor from whom you purchased the MakerBuddy IoT Kit. MakerBuddy does not process returns or issue refunds as we do not directly sell products.

For return and refund inquiries:

• Contact the vendor/distributor where you made your purchase (e.g. or97.com for Pakistan customers)
• Refer to your vendor's specific return and refund policy
• Follow your vendor's procedures for returns, exchanges or warranty claims
• Each vendor may have different policies regarding return timeframes, conditions and shipping costs

MakerBuddy is not responsible for processing returns or issuing refunds. Please direct all such requests to your vendor.

10. Shipping and Delivery

Shipping and delivery are managed by the vendor or distributor from whom you purchased the product. MakerBuddy does not handle shipping, logistics or delivery of physical products.

• Shipping times, costs and methods are determined by your vendor
• MakerBuddy is not responsible for shipping delays, lost packages or delivery issues
• Customs duties, import taxes and international shipping regulations are the buyer's responsibility
• For shipping inquiries, tracking or delivery issues, contact your vendor directly
• Inspect your package upon delivery and report any damage to your vendor immediately

All shipping-related concerns must be directed to the vendor from whom you purchased.

11. Educational and Institutional Use

The MakerBuddy IoT Kit is ideal for:

• STEM education and IoT workshops
• University courses in embedded systems and IoT
• Corporate innovation labs and training programs
• Maker spaces and hackathons
• Self-paced learning and hobbyist projects

For bulk orders, educational pricing or institutional partnerships:

• Contact our authorized vendors directly for volume discounts
• OR97.com (Pakistan) may offer special pricing for educational institutions
• Interested distributors can contact us to become authorized partners
• Educators can access free open-source resources, documentation and lesson plans

MakerBuddy provides educational support and resources, while physical product sales are handled by our authorized partners.

12. Third-Party Services and Links

Our website and services may contain links to third-party websites, services or resources (GitHub, YouTube, social media, etc.). We are not responsible for:

• The content, privacy policies or practices of third-party sites
• Any damages or losses caused by third-party services
• The availability or accuracy of third-party information

Your use of third-party services is subject to their respective terms and policies.

13. Modifications to Service and Terms

We reserve the right to:

• Modify or discontinue the MakerBuddy website, products or services at any time
• Update these Terms of Service as needed
• Change pricing, features or specifications of products

We will notify users of significant changes by posting updates on our website. Your continued use of our services after such changes constitutes acceptance of the new terms.

14. Termination

We may terminate or suspend your access to our website or services immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any reason, including:

• Breach of these Terms of Service
• Fraudulent or illegal activity
• Abusive or harmful conduct toward our community

Upon termination, your right to use the MakerBuddy website and services will cease immediately. However, you may continue to use any MakerBuddy hardware you have purchased under the applicable open source licenses (GPL for firmware/web code, CC BY-SA for PCB designs).

15. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms of Service shall be governed by and construed in accordance with applicable laws, without regard to conflict of law provisions.

Any disputes arising from these terms or your use of MakerBuddy products shall be resolved through:

• Good faith negotiations between the parties
• Mediation or arbitration if negotiations fail
• Legal proceedings in the appropriate jurisdiction as a last resort

16. Severability

If any provision of these Terms of Service is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

17. Entire Agreement

These Terms of Service, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and MakerBuddy regarding the use of our website, products and services.

18. Contact Information

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

• Website: Contact Form
• GitHub: github.com/MakerBuddy
• Social Media: Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube