These Terms of Membership govern your membership of Straits & Canton and your use of the Straits & Canton website, private member area, videos, posts, comments, chat and related services.

Please read these terms before purchasing a membership. By creating an account and joining Straits & Canton, you agree to these terms.

1. Who we are

Straits & Canton is a private, member-only media house providing access to independent creators, member-only videos, posts, comments, chat and related community features.

The membership service is operated by:

[Full legal company name]
Trading as Straits & Canton
Registered address: [Registered office address]
Email: [support@straitsandcanton.com]

In these terms, “Straits & Canton”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to the organisation above.

2. Membership eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to become a member.

By joining, you confirm that:

• the information you provide is accurate;
• you are legally able to enter into this agreement;
• you will use the platform lawfully;
• you will comply with these Terms of Membership and the Community Rules.

Membership is personal to you. You may not sell, transfer or share your account with another person.

3. What membership includes

An active membership may provide access to:

• member-only videos;
• creator posts and updates;
• comments beneath videos and posts;
• private member chat and discussion;
• approved creator profiles;
• new creators added to the platform;
• platform announcements and updates;
• the ability to apply for creator access after meeting the required membership period;
• other features introduced as the platform develops.

One membership provides access to the wider Straits & Canton member platform. It is not a separate subscription to one individual creator.

Features, creators and content may change over time. Membership does not guarantee that any particular creator, video, post or feature will remain available permanently.

4. Early access

Straits & Canton may initially operate in early access.

Early access means that:

• the platform is still being developed;
• some sections may be incomplete;
• features may be introduced, changed or removed;
• creator numbers and content may initially be limited;
• technical interruptions or errors may occur;
• members are joining a growing platform rather than a finished service.

We will take reasonable steps to provide the membership service described at the time you join.

5. Membership price

The current membership price is:

$11 per month

The price payable at checkout will be shown clearly before you confirm your membership.

Unless stated otherwise:

• membership renews monthly;
• payment is collected automatically using your chosen payment method;
• membership continues until cancelled;
• there are no fixed-term commitments;
• you may cancel at any time.

Taxes or payment-processing arrangements may vary depending on your country and payment provider.

6. Automatic renewal

Your membership automatically renews at the end of each monthly billing period unless you cancel before the next renewal date.

By joining, you authorise our payment provider to collect each recurring membership payment from your selected payment method.

You are responsible for keeping your payment details current.

If a payment fails, we may:

• retry the payment;
• ask you to update your payment information;
• temporarily restrict your account;
• end your membership if payment remains outstanding.

7. Cancelling your membership

You may cancel your membership at any time through your account area or by contacting member support.

Cancellation stops future renewal payments.

Unless required otherwise by law, you will normally retain access until the end of the billing period you have already paid for. Your membership will then expire.

We will not impose a cancellation fee.

Deleting the app, leaving the chat or no longer using the platform does not by itself cancel your subscription. You must use the cancellation process provided.

8. Cooling-off and statutory cancellation rights

Nothing in these terms affects your statutory consumer rights.

Where applicable, you may have a legal right to cancel an online contract within 14 days of entering into it.

Because Straits & Canton provides immediate access to digital content and membership services, we may ask you during checkout to:

• expressly request that access begins immediately; and
• acknowledge how beginning access may affect your statutory cancellation rights.

Where the law requires it, any refund or deduction will be handled according to the services or digital content already supplied and your statutory rights.

9. Refunds

Except where required by law, membership payments are generally non-refundable once the relevant membership period has started and access has been provided.

We may consider a refund where:

• you were charged after completing a valid cancellation;
• a duplicate payment was taken;
• access could not be provided because of a fault on our side;
• the law requires a refund;
• we decide that exceptional circumstances justify one.

Refund requests should be sent to support@straitsandcanton.com with your account email and payment details.

Refunds are not normally available because:

• you did not use the service;
• you changed your mind after using member content;
• a particular creator did not publish;
• content did not match your personal preferences;
• your account was restricted following a serious breach of the rules.

This section does not limit any rights that cannot legally be excluded.

10. Your account

You are responsible for:

• keeping your password secure;
• all activity carried out through your account;
• maintaining accurate account information;
• notifying us promptly about suspected unauthorised access.

You must not:

• share your login details;
• allow multiple people to use one membership;
• create accounts using false information;
• attempt to bypass payment or access restrictions;
• interfere with platform security.

We may require you to reset your password or verify your identity where reasonably necessary to protect the platform.

11. Member conduct

Straits & Canton is intended to support honest, independent and serious discussion.

You must not use the platform to:

• threaten, harass or deliberately intimidate another person;
• publish another person’s private information without permission;
• impersonate another person or organisation;
• commit fraud or promote scams;
• distribute malware or harmful code;
• spam members or repeatedly post irrelevant promotions;
• manipulate votes, views, referrals or engagement;
• encourage illegal activity;
• upload content you do not have the right to use;
• evade an account restriction or suspension;
• disrupt the platform or interfere with another member’s access.

Disagreement and strong opinions are permitted. Abuse, deception and unlawful behaviour are not.

Further standards may be set out in the Community Rules.

12. Member-only content and privacy

The platform is private and member-only, but complete confidentiality cannot be guaranteed.

You must not, without permission:

• reproduce or redistribute member-only videos;
• record or republish private chat discussions;
• share screenshots intended to expose another member’s private information;
• provide non-members with access to paid content;
• copy substantial parts of creator posts;
• upload member-only material to public platforms.

Members should avoid sharing highly sensitive information in comments or chat.

We may take action against accounts that deliberately leak, copy or redistribute protected member content.

13. Comments and chat

Members may be able to comment on content and take part in private chat.

You remain responsible for anything you post.

We may:

• review reported content;
• remove content that breaches the rules;
• restrict comments or chat access;
• preserve evidence needed to investigate misconduct;
• cooperate with lawful requests from authorities.

We are not obliged to pre-approve every comment or message before publication.

14. Your content

You retain ownership of original content you submit.

By posting content to Straits & Canton, you give us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to:

• host it;
• store it;
• reproduce it within the platform;
• display it to members;
• format or technically adapt it;
• moderate it;
• use it as reasonably necessary to operate the service.

This licence continues for as long as your content remains on the platform. Reasonable backup, legal and moderation copies may remain after deletion where necessary.

You confirm that:

• you own the content or have permission to use it;
• it does not infringe another person’s rights;
• it does not breach the law;
• it complies with these terms.

15. Straits & Canton content

The Straits & Canton name, branding, website design, platform materials and content produced by us are owned by us or licensed to us.

Membership gives you a limited, personal, non-transferable right to view and use the service for private purposes.

It does not give you ownership of the platform, creators’ content or any intellectual property.

16. Creator eligibility

Every creator begins as a member.

Under the current model, members become eligible to apply for creator access after maintaining membership for three months.

Reaching three months does not guarantee approval.

We may consider:

• participation history;
• compliance with the rules;
• content quality;
• subject matter;
• authenticity;
• previous moderation issues;
• whether the proposed content offers genuine member value.

Creator access is governed by separate Creator Terms.

17. Creator content

Creators are responsible for their own statements, opinions and content.

The presence of creator content on Straits & Canton does not mean that we endorse every view expressed.

Creators may leave, be suspended or stop publishing. We do not guarantee:

• a minimum publication schedule;
• permanent access to one creator;
• agreement between creators;
• that all content will suit every member.

18. Voting, reports and creator reviews

Members may be invited to provide feedback, submit reports or vote on creator quality.

Member feedback may inform a creator review, but it does not automatically determine the outcome.

Straits & Canton retains final responsibility for:

• creator approval;
• moderation;
• suspension;
• removal;
• platform access.

We may take into account rule compliance, genuine member value, engagement, reports and the overall interests of the platform.

19. Third-party services

Straits & Canton may use third-party services for:

• payment processing;
• video hosting;
• account management;
• chat;
• email;
• analytics;
• customer support.

Those services may be subject to their own terms and privacy policies.

We are not responsible for external websites or services that we do not control.

20. Suspension and termination

We may restrict, suspend or terminate an account where we reasonably believe that:

• these terms have been seriously or repeatedly breached;
• payment has failed;
• the account presents a security risk;
• the member has engaged in fraud, abuse or unlawful behaviour;
• the member has leaked or redistributed protected content;
• continued access could harm members, creators or the platform;
• we are required to do so by law.

Where appropriate, we may first issue a warning or temporary restriction.

For serious misconduct, immediate suspension or termination may be necessary.

Where an account is terminated because of a serious breach, the member may not create a replacement account without written permission.

21. Ending the service

We may discontinue Straits & Canton or a substantial part of the membership service.

Where reasonably possible, we will give members advance notice.

If we end a paid service before the end of a billing period, we will provide any refund required by law and may provide a proportionate refund for the unused period.

22. Changes to membership features

We may update the platform and change its content, appearance or features.

Minor changes may be made without notice.

For significant changes that materially reduce the paid service, we will provide reasonable notice where possible.

If a significant change takes effect before your next renewal, you may cancel before being charged again.

23. Changes to pricing

We may change the membership price in the future.

A price change will not be applied retrospectively to a billing period already paid for.

We will provide reasonable notice before a new price applies to your renewal. You may cancel before the new price takes effect.

24. Availability

We aim to keep the platform available, but uninterrupted access cannot be guaranteed.

Access may be affected by:

• maintenance;
• hosting failures;
• security incidents;
• internet or network problems;
• third-party service failures;
• events outside our reasonable control.

We will take reasonable steps to restore service where a problem is within our control.

25. Information and opinions

Straits & Canton contains independent opinions, commentary and personal experiences.

Content is provided for general information and discussion. It should not automatically be treated as:

• legal advice;
• financial advice;
• tax advice;
• immigration advice;
• medical advice;
• investment advice;
• a guarantee about any country, service or outcome.

You remain responsible for your own decisions and should obtain appropriate professional advice where necessary.

26. Our responsibility to you

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability where doing so would be unlawful, including liability for:

• death or personal injury caused by negligence;
• fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
• breach of rights that cannot legally be excluded.

Subject to those protections, we are not responsible for losses that:

• were not reasonably foreseeable;
• result from your own breach of these terms;
• arise from reliance on a creator’s personal opinion;
• arise from a third-party service outside our control;
• relate to business use where you joined as a consumer.

These terms do not affect your statutory consumer rights.

27. Complaints

Please contact us first if you have a problem with your membership.

Email: [support@straitsandcanton.com]

Please include:

• your account email;
• a clear description of the issue;
• relevant dates;
• any supporting screenshots or payment references.

We will aim to acknowledge complaints promptly and respond within a reasonable period.

28. Privacy

Our handling of personal information is explained in the Straits & Canton Privacy Policy.

By using the platform, you acknowledge that personal information will be processed as described in that policy.

29. Other terms

These Terms of Membership should be read together with:

• the Privacy Policy;
• the Community Rules;
• the Creator Terms, where applicable;
• the Cookie Policy, where applicable;
• any checkout information shown when you join.

If there is a conflict, specific Creator Terms will govern creator activity, while these Terms of Membership will govern ordinary membership access.

30. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

If you are a consumer living elsewhere in the United Kingdom or another country, you may also benefit from mandatory consumer protections that apply where you live.

The courts with jurisdiction will be determined by applicable consumer law.

31. Contact

Questions about these Terms of Membership should be sent to:

Straits Canton Helliwell Limited
Trading as Straits & Canton
Email: [support@straitsandcanton.com]