Terms of Service

# Perfection Dynamics — Terms of Service

**Effective date:** 2026-05-25
**Version:** v1.0-2026-05-25

These Terms govern your use of Perfection Dynamics ("the Platform", "we", "us"), a software-only routing venue for residential maintenance, repair, and improvement work. By creating an account or using the Platform, you agree to these Terms.

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## 1. The Platform's role

Perfection Dynamics is a **neutral software routing venue** between homeowners ("Homeowners") and independent service providers ("Tradesmen"). The Platform:

- Facilitates job posting, claim, escrow, capture, and payout between the parties.
- Does **not** employ Tradesmen. Tradesmen are independent contractors directly engaged by Homeowners.
- Does **not** warrant the quality, safety, legality, or licensure of work performed.
- Does **not** insert itself into the substantive merits of work performed; the Platform only evaluates whether the parties have followed the documented dispute process (Section 7).

The contractual relationship for any job is between the Homeowner and the Tradesman who claims that job. The Platform is not a party to that contract.

## 2. Geographic scope

The Platform operates throughout the United States, with the exception of states whose legal frameworks structurally prevent the marketplace-facilitator model from operating efficiently. As of the effective date of these Terms, the **excluded states are California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont**. Accounts registered with a ZIP code resolving to an excluded state are not eligible to sign up; the rejection page at `/signup/unavailable` explains the basis. The exclusion list may change as those states' regulatory frameworks change; the current list is authoritative.

The Platform is not designed for users outside the United States; users abroad should not register accounts.

## 3. Accounts and eligibility

To post jobs or claim jobs, you must:

- Be at least **18 years of age**.
- Provide accurate identification and contact information.
- Maintain a single account per person. Creating multiple accounts to circumvent suspension, evade bans, or manipulate platform mechanics is grounds for permanent termination of all related accounts (see Section 13).
- **For Tradesmen:** complete Stripe Connect identity verification (legal name, address, date of birth, Social Security Number or EIN, bank account ownership). Tradesmen who have not completed this process cannot claim jobs.
- **For Tradesmen:** attest, at onboarding, whether you carry general liability insurance. If you carry it, you provide the policy number for our records. **We do not independently verify policy validity, and Homeowners are told this.** Not every job requires insurance; you are responsible for your own due diligence, your local laws, and any licensure or insurance requirements that apply to the work you accept.

## 4. The job posting is the contract

When a Homeowner posts a job, the posting becomes the operative contract between the parties. The Homeowner is required to enumerate, in writing within the posting, every distinct task they expect performed and any specific materials, finishes, or outcomes they require.

**Anything not listed in the posting cannot be the basis of a dispute.** There is no "implied" work. If a task was not stated, the Tradesman has no obligation to perform it, and the Homeowner has no defensible claim that it was unsatisfied. Both parties are responsible for reading the posting carefully before claim or completion.

## 5. Payment, escrow, and the 8% platform fee

- When a Tradesman claims a job, the Homeowner's payment method is authorized for the agreed bounty as a Stripe destination-charge PaymentIntent. The Tradesman's Stripe Connect account is named as the destination of the eventual capture; the Platform's `application_fee_amount` carries the 8% platform fee minus any account credits the Homeowner has chosen to redeem.
- If the authorization fails or expires before the job is dispatched, the Homeowner has a 12-hour window to repair their payment method. If the window elapses without resolution, the job reopens to other Tradesmen and the original Tradesman is released.
- On Homeowner release (or auto-release after 72 hours; see Section 6), the PaymentIntent captures. The Tradesman's Connect account receives 92% of the bounty (minus any agreed materials reconciliation); the Platform retains 8% as the application fee.
- The **8% platform fee** is flat and binding. No tiered carve-outs, no escalations, no hidden fees.
- Account credits (Section 10) may reduce the Homeowner's effective out-of-pocket cost while preserving the Tradesman's 92% take.

Stripe is the processor of record for all card-network transactions. Stripe's pricing, fraud protection, and chargeback procedures apply. Perfection Dynamics is not a money transmitter; Stripe holds funds in escrow-equivalent state.

## 6. Completion and release timeline

- **Tradesman marks complete.** The Tradesman marks the job complete in the Platform and attaches documentation (photos and written notes) for the Platform's records.
- **The Homeowner inspects in person.** Completion photos uploaded by the Tradesman are **not shown to the Homeowner** before they decide to release or dispute. The Homeowner is expected to physically inspect the work and judge it against the original posting. This rule exists to prevent deception by selective photography — a party could photograph only the parts of the work that look good while leaving defects out of frame.
- **72-hour Homeowner review window.** From the Tradesman's mark-complete timestamp, the Homeowner has 72 hours to either release funds explicitly or open a formal dispute.
- **Automatic release.** If 72 hours elapse with no Homeowner action, funds release automatically. Capture executes; the 8/92 split occurs.

## 7. Disputes

When a Homeowner opens a dispute within the 72-hour review window, the Platform operates as the sole arbiter on **independent evidence**. The parties do not see each other's submissions; the Platform reviewer sees both.

- **Homeowner submission.** At dispute open, the Homeowner submits a written statement of which specific items from the original posting were not satisfactorily completed, plus optional photos or video.
- **Tradesman submission.** The Tradesman is notified and is encouraged to submit their own written response and optional documentation. The two submissions are stored in segregated evidence pools — the Tradesman never sees the Homeowner's photos or notes; the Homeowner never sees the Tradesman's. Both parties continue to see the work-completion photos the Tradesman uploaded at mark-complete time.
- **72-hour evaluation window.** Each dispute reaches evaluation maturity at the earlier of two triggers: (a) both parties have submitted their evidence, or (b) 72 hours have elapsed since the dispute was opened. The 72 hours is the Platform's evaluation timeline — a ceiling, not a deadline the parties must meet. The Tradesman is encouraged to submit their side before evaluation; if they do not, the Platform evaluates on whatever evidence exists at the deadline. The absence of a Tradesman response is itself part of the record.
- **Platform decision.** At the 72-hour mark, the Platform principal reviews the available evidence — the original posting, the Homeowner's submission, the Tradesman's submission (if any), and the work-completion photos — and renders a binding decision in one of three forms:
  - **Full release to Tradesman.** The work satisfied the posting; the Homeowner's claim is denied. Capture executes at 8/92.
  - **Full refund to Homeowner.** The work substantially failed to satisfy the posting; no capture occurs.
  - **Partial release.** A percentage of the bounty is released to the Tradesman; the remainder is refunded to the Homeowner. The Platform's 8% fee applies only to the released portion.
- **No party-to-party communication during disputes.** All dispute submissions route through the Platform exclusively. The Platform does not provide messaging, contact information, or any other channel between the parties during a dispute. This rule exists to keep decisions grounded in evidence rather than escalating exchanges.

Platform decisions on disputes are final and binding.

## 8. Chargebacks

A chargeback occurs when a Homeowner disputes a charge with their card issuer directly, bypassing the Platform's dispute process.

- **Tradesman liability.** Tradesmen are contractually liable for refunding the Platform's share if a chargeback succeeds on work they performed. By accepting these Terms, Tradesmen authorize the Platform to recover such amounts (a) from the Tradesman's Stripe Connect balance and (b) from future captured payouts to that Tradesman by application_fee_amount adjustment on subsequent jobs. Recovery is limited to those two mechanics; the Platform does not pursue collections, sale to a third-party collector, or other extra-judicial recovery.
- **Connect balance hold.** A short hold may be configured on Tradesman payouts after capture so that captured funds remain in the Tradesman's Connect balance and are available to absorb chargebacks before they reach the Platform's reserve.
- **Chargeback response.** The Platform contests chargebacks when work is documented as completed against the posting, using the original posting, completion documentation, and dispute records (if any).

## 9. Licensure

The Platform's "general tradesman" scope is intended for work that does not require state licensure. Several trades (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, structural, roofing in some jurisdictions) require state licensure, and the specific list and thresholds vary by state.

**Homeowners are responsible for verifying that any work requiring a licensed trade is performed by an appropriately licensed provider for their state.** The Platform does not verify state trade licenses. Tradesmen are responsible for knowing and complying with the licensure requirements that apply in the state they accept work in. License verification is on the roadmap; in the interim, this responsibility sits with the parties.

## 10. Account credits

The Platform issues non-transferable account credits in two circumstances:

- **Referral credits.** When you refer a friend who signs up and reaches $125 cumulative captured spend, your reserve is credited with $10. Referral credits are redeemable against any job at the platform's discretion; redemption funds from the Platform treasury so the Tradesman still receives 92% of the base bounty. You may not pay yourself a referral credit by creating a secondary account; doing so terminates both accounts.
- **Bug-bounty credits.** If you submit a support ticket that is confirmed by us as a real software defect, we may credit your account at our discretion. The amount is determined by us and is not contractually owed.

Credits have no cash value, are non-transferable, do not expire, and exist only within the Platform's ledger. We may freeze or zero out credits associated with abuse, fraud, or violations of these Terms.

## 11. Featured-work content (Hall of Fame)

The Platform's `/feed` surface has two distinct columns. The **Neighborhood Activity** column is a text-only listing of recent completed work (title, description, what got done, city, rounded price) — no photos are shown there. The **Hall of Fame** column is a curated editorial display that DOES include the work-completion photos, alongside the title, description, rounded price, and an editor's note about why the work is notable. Names, addresses, exact prices, and party identifiers are never shown on either column.

The photo distinction matters because completion photos can incidentally reveal identifying details (house numbers, license plates, visible mail or paperwork) that no anonymization-by-projection step can fully strip. We therefore default to no-photos on Neighborhood Activity, and gate the Hall of Fame photo display behind explicit consent (below).

**Featuring requires your affirmative consent.** We do not feature your work on the basis of these Terms alone. When we identify a job we'd like to feature, we will contact the involved parties — the Homeowner who posted it and the Tradesman who completed it — through the email on file or through an in-Platform message, describe the proposed featured display, and request permission.

- **You may decline.** Declining a feature request does not affect your account in any way. There is no obligation to participate.
- **Credit compensation.** At our discretion, we may award an account credit to the consenting parties as recognition for their participation. The amount, if any, is determined by us and is not contractually owed.
- **Scope of consent.** Your consent applies to the specific job feature we describe in our outreach. We will not extend that license to other materials, repurpose the content in materially different ways, or feature an additional job without a fresh consent request.
- **Removal.** If you previously consented and wish a specific featured entry removed, email **support@perfectiondynamics.com** with the job reference. We will remove it within a reasonable period.

## 12. Communication policy

The Platform exposes **structured-only** coordination between the parties:

- Arrival-window selection (date + time range, or "immediate")
- Running-late pulse (preset reason + delay bucket)
- Mark-complete + photos
- Dispute submission + tradesman response (Section 7)

The Platform does **not** provide free-form messaging between the parties. We do this deliberately: messaging surfaces are a known vector for negotiation off-platform, harassment, doxing, and disputes that escalate beyond what evidence supports.

If you need to coordinate something not covered by a structured field, escalate through the Platform's support widget. We will route or resolve appropriately.

## 13. Prohibited conduct

You may not:

- Misrepresent your identity, qualifications, license status, or insurance.
- Use the Platform to facilitate work prohibited by law.
- Solicit, exchange, or accept off-Platform payment for jobs first surfaced through the Platform. The 8% fee is the operating margin that funds the marketplace; circumventing it is grounds for termination.
- Share personal contact information through the Platform's job postings, task lists, or other free-text fields with intent to move communication or payment off-Platform.
- Harass, threaten, defame, or discriminate against other users.
- Reverse-engineer, scrape, or programmatically access the Platform without authorization.
- Create multiple accounts to evade suspension or bans, manipulate referral credits, or otherwise circumvent Platform mechanics.
- Reproduce, redistribute, or commercially exploit Platform content (including Hall of Fame entries) without permission.

We use multiple signals — IP address, device characteristics, identity attestations, address overlap, and Stripe Connect identity verification — to detect circumvention. **A confirmed circumvention attempt results in permanent termination of all related accounts and forfeiture of any pending payouts or credits.** We do not announce or detail our detection thresholds.

## 14. Suspension and termination

Either party may terminate the account at any time.

The Platform may suspend or terminate accounts at our discretion for: breach of these Terms, prohibited conduct (Section 13), failure to pass Stripe Connect verification, a pattern of disputes resolved against you, indications of fraud, or operational risk to other users.

Outstanding obligations — pending payouts, chargeback liability, indemnification, and license grants on Hall of Fame content — survive termination.

## 15. Tax reporting

Tradesmen are independent contractors and are responsible for reporting their income. Stripe issues 1099-K forms to Tradesmen directly when applicable; the Platform does not separately issue tax forms.

## 16. Dispute venue

Two distinct tiers of dispute apply, with different venues:

**1. Disputes against the Platform** (about these Terms, the Platform's fees, account status, dispute-resolution outcomes, refunds processed by the Platform, or any other matter where the Platform itself is the counterparty): resolved in the state or federal courts of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, applying South Carolina law. The parties waive any objection to venue or forum for this tier. The Platform is based in South Carolina and cannot reasonably defend itself in every state its users happen to reside or operate in.

**2. Disputes between a Homeowner and a Tradesman** about the underlying work (quality, timeliness, materials, deposit handling outside the Platform, or any other matter pertaining to the direct service relationship): the Platform is not a party. These disputes are first subject to the dispute process in Section 7; if not resolved through the Platform, they are between the two parties directly. Venue and governing law for these direct disputes are determined by the job posting (which is the operative contract per Section 4) and the law of the state where the work was performed — typically the Homeowner's state. Nothing in these Terms compels parties outside South Carolina to litigate work-quality disputes against each other in South Carolina.

## 17. Liability limitation

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Platform's aggregate liability to any user shall not exceed the platform fees actually retained by the Platform on jobs involving that user within the preceding 90 days, or $100, whichever is greater. The Platform shall not be liable for indirect, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages — including loss of profit, business interruption, or loss of data — even if advised of the possibility.

The Platform is provided **"AS IS"** without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including without limitation any warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

## 18. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Platform from any claim arising from:

- Your breach of these Terms.
- A Tradesman's performance or non-performance of work for a Homeowner.
- A Homeowner's failure to provide accurate information in a job posting.
- Your violation of applicable law.
- Any content you submit (job postings, dispute submissions, completion photos) that infringes a third party's rights.

## 19. Changes to these Terms

The Platform may revise these Terms. Material changes will be announced via email and Platform notification at least 14 days before they take effect. Continued use of the Platform after revisions take effect constitutes acceptance.

## 20. Severability and entire agreement

If any provision of these Terms is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in force. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any service-specific terms you accept at onboarding, constitute the entire agreement between you and the Platform regarding your use of the Platform.

## 21. Starter Kit Program (optional, Tradesman-only)

During signup as a Tradesman, you may opt in to receive a **starter kit** valued at $32 — tools sufficient to perform AC condenser coil cleaning jobs on the Platform. Opting in requires an explicit checkbox and a separate acceptance of the terms below. The kit is yours to keep the moment it arrives, regardless of how the cost is later settled.

You agree to the following terms when you opt in:

1. **Front-the-cost provision.** The Platform fronts the kit cost so you can start earning immediately. You own the tools the moment they arrive. The $32 is settled later — either deducted from your first payout or paid via the card on file.

2. **Qualifying job.** A qualifying job is any handyman job you complete and capture through the Platform after your kit is delivered. Bounty amount does not matter — any completed and captured job qualifies.

3. **Payout-deduction path (preferred).** If you complete a qualifying job within 7 days of delivery, $32 is deducted from your first payout on that job. The remainder of your earnings is paid normally.

4. **Card-charge path.** If you don't take any work inside the 7-day window, $32 is charged to the payment method on file the day after the deadline. At that point you have simply purchased a starter kit at retail — yours to keep, yours to use whenever you want.

5. **Failed-charge resolution.** If the card charge cannot go through, your account is paused while we sort it out with you. In-progress jobs are unaffected; you can still complete and capture work you have already claimed. Contact support and we will resume your account.

6. **Notification cadence.** Tracking information will be provided after we ship your kit. You will receive a notification when the kit ships and again when it is delivered, which is the event that starts the 7-day window.

7. **Decline option.** You may decline the kit and source your own tools. The kit is a head start, not a requirement; the rest of the signup proceeds identically without it.

**Payment-method storage.** The payment method you provide at kit-request signup is stored via Stripe (off-session usage) so the card-charge backstop can fire without you being present at the deadline. The Platform does not store your card details; Stripe does, per Stripe's PCI-compliant infrastructure.

**Terms versioning.** Each kit grant records the version of these terms that you accepted at signup. Future revisions to the Starter Kit Program terms apply only to grants created after the revision; they do not retroactively change the terms you agreed to.

**Eligibility.** The Starter Kit Program is open to any Tradesman signup who opts in via the checkbox. There is no demographic, age, or student-verification filter.

The full, canonical terms text presented at signup acceptance is identical to the seven numbered items above. The version slug under which a given grant was accepted is recorded in the Platform's database for audit (e.g., `v1.0-2026-05-28`).

## 22. Contact

Questions about these Terms: **support@perfectiondynamics.com**

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Perfection Dynamics · Upstate South Carolina