Bloom Terms of Service

Last Updated: 07/31/2020

Welcome, and thank you for your interest in Together Project, Inc. (d/b/a "Bloom," "we," or "us") and our website at www.joinbloom.community, along with our related websites, networks, applications, mobile applications, and other services provided by us (collectively, the "Service"). These Terms of Service are a legally binding contract between you and Bloom regarding your use of the Service.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING TERMS CAREFULLY.

BY CLICKING "I ACCEPT," OR BY OTHERWISE ACCESSING OR USING THE SERVICE , YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD, AND, AS A CONDITION TO YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY, THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS, INCLUDING BLOOM'S PRIVACY POLICY (TOGETHER, THESE "TERMS"). If you are not eligible, or do not agree to the Terms, then you do not have our permission to use the Service. YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, AND BLOOM'S PROVISION OF THE SERVICE TO YOU, CONSTITUTES AN AGREEMENT BY BLOOM AND BY YOU TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS.

Arbitration NOTICE. Except for certain kinds of disputes described in Section 17, you agree that disputes arising under these Terms will be resolved by binding, individual arbitration, and BY ACCEPTING THESE TERMS, YOU AND BLOOM ARE EACH WAIVING THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY OR TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY CLASS ACTION OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. YOU AGREE TO GIVE UP YOUR RIGHT TO GO TO COURT to assert or defend your rights under this contract (except for matters that may be taken to small claims court). Your rights will be determined by a NEUTRAL ARBITRATOR and NOT a judge or jury. (See Section 17.)

SAFETY NOTICE. The Service allows you to meet and interact with strangers. There is no substitute for acting with caution when communicating with any stranger who wants to meet you. Never include your last name, e-mail address, home address, phone number, place of work, or any other identifying information in your profile. Stop communicating with anyone who pressures you for personal or financial information or attempts in any way to trick you into revealing it. If you choose to have a face-to-face meeting with someone you meet using the Service, always tell someone in your family or a friend where you are going and when you will return. Never agree to be picked up at your home. Always provide your own transportation to and from your date and meet in a public place with many people around. Anyone can falsify a dating profile. BLOOM DOES NOT PERFORM CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS ON ITS MEMBERS.

  1. Bloom Service Overview. We provide a platform for users ("Members") to meet other Members with the goal of finding mutual interest in a social connection ("Match"). Members will be given the opportunity to view a selection of profiles ("Profile") of other Members and may choose to indicate an interest in such Members ("Liked Members"). Based on the location and availability of you and other Members, Bloom will facilitate group dates ("Group Dates"), on which at least one of your Liked Members will be invited. You will not be required to travel more than 100 miles for any Group Date. Following each Group Date you, and all other Members on the Group Date, will have an opportunity to indicate interest in any other Member on the Group Date. If two Members mutually indicate interest after a Group Date, it will result in a Match and Bloom will provide your Match's contact information (including phone number) to you and your contact information (including phone number) to your Match. You hereby authorize us to provide such contact information to any Match.

  2. Eligibility. You must be at least 18 years old to use the Service. By agreeing to these Terms, you represent and warrant to us that: (a) you are at least 18 years old; (b) you have not previously been suspended or removed from the Service; and (c) your registration and your use of the Service is in compliance with any and all applicable laws and regulations.

  3. Accounts and Registration. To access most features of the Service, you must register for an account. When you register for an account, you may be required to provide us with some information about yourself, such as your name, email address, phone number, or other contact information which will be used to verify your account. You will also be asked to provide your date of birth, location information, and other personal and relationship information. You agree that the information you provide to us is accurate and that you will keep it accurate and up-to-date at all times. When you register, you may be asked to provide a password. You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and password, and you accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account. If you believe that your account is no longer secure, then you must immediately notify us at legal@joinbloom.community.

  4. General Payment Terms. Certain features of the Service may require you to pay fees. Before you pay any fees, you will have an opportunity to review and accept the fees that you will be charged. All fees are in U.S. Dollars and are non-refundable.

    • 4.1 Price. Bloom reserves the right to determine pricing for the Service. If you are located in New York, in no event will the price charged for the Service exceed $1,000 over a two year period. Bloom will make reasonable efforts to keep pricing information published on the website up to date. We encourage you to check our website periodically for current pricing information. Bloom may change the fees for any feature of the Service, including additional fees or charges, if Bloom gives you advance notice of changes before they apply. Bloom, at its sole discretion, may make promotional offers with different features and different pricing to any of Bloom's customers. These promotional offers, unless made to you, will not apply to your offer or these Terms.
    • 4.2 Authorization. You authorize Bloom to charge all sums for the orders that you make and any level of Service you select as described in these Terms or published by Bloom, including all applicable taxes, to the payment method specified in your account. If you pay any fees with a credit card, Bloom may seek pre-authorization of your credit card account prior to your purchase to verify that the credit card is valid and has the necessary funds or credit available to cover your purchase.
    • 4.3 Subscription Service. The Service may include automatically recurring payments for periodic charges ("Subscription Service").If you activate a Subscription Service, you authorize Bloom to periodically charge, on a going-forward basis and until cancellation of either the recurring payments or your account, all accrued sums on or before the payment due date for the accrued sums. The "Subscription Billing Date" is the date when you purchase your first subscription to the Service. For information on the "Subscription Fee", please visit our website. Your account will be charged automatically on the Subscription Billing Date all applicable fees and taxes for the next subscription period. The subscription will continue unless and until you cancel your subscription or we terminate it. You must cancel your subscription before it renews in order to avoid billing of the next periodic Subscription Fee to your account. Bloom will bill the periodic Subscription Fee to the payment method you provide to us during registration (or to a different payment method if you change your payment information). You may cancel the Subscription Service by contacting us at: legal@joinbloom.community.
    • 4.4 Referrals. If you are located in New York and your fees exceed $25 per month, Bloom guarantees you will be shown at least five new Profiles of other Members per month. If Bloom fails to show you at least five new Profiles for two consecutive months, you will be entitled to terminate this agreement and receive a refund of all fees paid under these Terms less the greater of a 15% cancellation fee or a pro rata amount for the number of new Profiles actually shown to you.
    • 4.5 Delinquent Accounts. Bloom may suspend or terminate access to the Service, including fee-based portions of the Service, for any account for which any amount is due but unpaid. In addition to the amount due for the Service, a delinquent account will be charged with fees or charges that are incidental to any chargeback or collection of any the unpaid amount, including collection fees.
  5. Licenses

    • 5.1 Limited License. Subject to your complete and ongoing compliance with these Terms, Bloom grants you, solely for your personal, non-commercial use, a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, revocable license to: (a) install and use one object code copy of any mobile application associated with the Service obtained from a legitimate marketplace (whether installed by you or pre-installed on your mobile device by the device manufacturer) on a mobile device that you own or control; and (b) access and use the Service.
    • 5.2 License Restrictions. Except and solely to the extent such a restriction is impermissible under applicable law, you may not: (a) reproduce, distribute, publicly display, or publicly perform the Service; (b) make modifications to the Service; or (c) interfere with or circumvent any feature of the Service, including any security or access control mechanism. If you are prohibited under applicable law from using the Service, you may not use it.
    • 5.3 Feedback. If you choose to provide input and suggestions regarding problems with or proposed modifications or improvements to the Service ("Feedback"), then you hereby grant Bloom an unrestricted, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, fully-paid, royalty-free right to exploit the Feedback in any manner and for any purpose, including to improve the Service and create other products and services.
  6. Ownership; Proprietary Rights. The Service is owned and operated by Bloom. The visual interfaces, graphics, design, compilation, information, data, computer code (including source code or object code), products, software, services, and all other elements of the Service ("Materials") provided by Bloom are protected by intellectual property and other laws. All Materials included in the Service are the property of Bloom or its third party licensors. Except as expressly authorized by Bloom, you may not make use of the Materials. Bloom reserves all rights to the Materials not granted expressly in these Terms.

  7. Third Party Terms

    • 7.1 Third Party Software. The Service may include or incorporate third party software components that are generally available free of charge under licenses granting recipients broad rights to copy, modify, and distribute those components ("Third Party Components"). Although the Service is provided to you subject to these Terms, nothing in these Terms prevents, restricts, or is intended to prevent or restrict you from obtaining Third Party Components under the applicable third party licenses or to limit your use of Third Party Components under those third party licenses.
  8. Member Content

    • 8.1 Member Content Generally. Certain features of the Service may permit Members to upload content to the Service, including messages, photos, video, images, data, text, and other types of works ("Member Content") and to publish Member Content on the Service. You retain any copyright and other proprietary rights that you may hold in the Member Content that you post to the Service. Bloom will not, without your prior, written consent, sell, assign, or otherwise transfer any Member Content you provide.

    • 8.2 Limited License Grant to Bloom. By providing Member Content to or via the Service, you grant Bloom a worldwide, non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free, fully paid right and license (with the right to sublicense) to host, store, transfer, display, perform, reproduce, modify for the purpose of formatting for display, and distribute your Member Content, in whole or in part, in any media formats and through any media channels now known or hereafter developed.

    • 8.3 Limited License Grant to Other Members. By providing Member Content to or via the Service to other Members of the Service, you grant those Members a non-exclusive license to access and use that Member Content as permitted by these Terms and the functionality of the Service.

    • 8.4 Member Content Representations and Warranties. Bloom disclaims any and all liability in connection with Member Content. You are solely responsible for your Member Content and the consequences of providing Member Content via the Service. By providing Member Content via the Service, you affirm, represent, and warrant that:

      • a. you are the creator and owner of the Member Content, or have the necessary licenses, rights, consents, and permissions to authorize Bloom and Members of the Service to use and distribute your Member Content as necessary to exercise the licenses granted by you in this Section, in the manner contemplated by Bloom, the Service, and these Terms;
      • b. your Member Content, and the use of your Member Content as contemplated by these Terms, does not and will not: (i) infringe, violate, or misappropriate any third party right, including any copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, moral right, privacy right, right of publicity, or any other intellectual property or proprietary right; (ii) slander, defame, libel, or invade the right of privacy, publicity or other property rights of any other person; or (iii) cause Bloom to violate any law or regulation; and
      • c. your Member Content could not be deemed by a reasonable person to be objectionable, profane, indecent, pornographic, harassing, threatening, embarrassing, hateful, or otherwise inappropriate.
    • 8.5 Member Content Disclaimer. We are under no obligation to edit or control Member Content that you or other Members post or publish, and will not be in any way responsible or liable for Member Content. Bloom may, however, at any time and without prior notice, screen, remove, edit, or block any Member Content that in our sole judgment violates these Terms or is otherwise objectionable. You understand that when using the Service you will be exposed to Member Content from a variety of sources and acknowledge that Member Content may be inaccurate, offensive, indecent, or objectionable. You agree to waive, and do waive, any legal or equitable right or remedy you have or may have against Bloom with respect to Member Content. If notified by a Member or content owner that Member Content allegedly does not conform to these Terms, we may investigate the allegation and determine in our sole discretion whether to remove the Member Content, which we reserve the right to do at any time and without notice. For clarity, Bloom does not permit copyright-infringing activities on the Service.

    • 8.6 Monitoring Content. Bloom does not control and does not have any obligation to monitor: (a) Member Content; (b) any content made available by third parties; or (c) the use of the Service by Members. You acknowledge and agree that Bloom reserves the right to, and may from time to time, monitor any and all information transmitted or received through the Service for operational and other purposes. If at any time Bloom chooses to monitor the content, Bloom still assumes no responsibility or liability for content or any loss or damage incurred as a result of the use of content. During monitoring, information may be examined, recorded, copied, and used in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

  9. Communications.

    • 9.1. Text Messaging. Bloom and those acting on our behalf may send you text (SMS) messages at the phone number you provide us. These messages may include information necessary to register for an account, operational messages about your use of the Service, messages from other Members, notifications regarding your and others' posts, and marketing messages about the Service. You may opt out of receiving marketing text messages at any time by sending an email to legal@joinbloom.community indicating that you no longer wish to receive marketing texts along with the phone number of the mobile device receiving the texts. You may continue to receive text messages for a short period while we process your request, and you may also receive text messages confirming the receipt of your opt-out request. Operational and informational text messages, including registration messages and other messages about Group Dates, are essential to the Service. If you do not wish to receive non-marketing text messages from us, do not use the Service. Text messages may be sent using an automatic telephone dialing system. Your agreement to receive marketing text messages is not a condition of any purchase or use of the Service. Standard data and message rates may apply whenever you send or receive such messages, as specified by your carrier.
    • 9.2 Push Notifications. When you install our app on your mobile device, you agree to receive push notifications, which are messages an app sends you on your mobile device when the app is not on. You can turn off notifications by visiting your mobile device's "settings" page.
    • 9.3 Email. We may send you emails concerning our products and services, as well as those of third parties. Operational emails, including registration messages and other messages about events, are essential to the Service. If you do not wish to receive operational emails from us, do not use the Service. You may opt out of promotional emails by following the unsubscribe instructions in the promotional email itself.
  10. Prohibited Conduct. BY USING THE SERVICE YOU AGREE NOT TO:

    1. violate any of our Community Agreements;
    2. violate any applicable law or regulation in your interactions with other Members or on any Group Date;
    3. use the Service for any illegal purpose or in violation of any local, state, national, or international law;
    4. harass, threaten, demean, embarrass, or otherwise harm any other Member of the Service;
    5. violate, or encourage others to violate, any right of a third party, including by infringing or misappropriating any third party intellectual property right;
    6. interfere with security-related features of the Service, including by: (i) disabling or circumventing features that prevent or limit use or copying of any content; or (ii) reverse engineering or otherwise attempting to discover the source code of any portion of the Service except to the extent that the activity is expressly permitted by applicable law;
    7. interfere with the operation of the Service or any Member's enjoyment of the Service, including by: (i) uploading or otherwise disseminating any virus, adware, spyware, worm, or other malicious code; (ii) making any unsolicited offer or advertisement to another Member of the Service; (iii) collecting personal information about another Member or third party without consent; or (iv) interfering with or disrupting any network, equipment, or server connected to or used to provide the Service;
    8. perform any fraudulent activity including impersonating any person or entity, claiming a false affiliation, accessing any other Service account without permission, or falsifying your age or date of birth;
    9. sell or otherwise transfer the access granted under these Terms or any Materials or any right or ability to view, access, or use any Materials; or
    10. attempt to do any of the acts described in this Section 10 or assist or permit any person in engaging in any of the acts described in this Section 10.
  11. Digital Millennium Copyright Act

    • 11.1 DMCA Notification. We comply with the provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act applicable to Internet service providers (17 U.S.C. §512, as amended). If you have an intellectual property rights-related complaint about material posted on the Service, you may contact our Designated Agent at the following address:

    Together Project, Inc. (d/b/a Bloom)

    ATTN: Legal Department (Copyright Notification)

    101 Broadway, Suite 201
    Oakland CA 94607

    Email: legal@joinbloom.community

    Any notice alleging that materials hosted by or distributed through the Service infringe intellectual property rights must include the following information:

    1. an electronic or physical signature of the person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright or other right being infringed;
    2. a description of the copyrighted work or other intellectual property that you claim has been infringed;
    3. a description of the material that you claim is infringing and where it is located on the Service;
    4. your address, telephone number, and email address;
    5. a statement by you that you have a good faith belief that the use of the materials on the Service of which you are complaining is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and
    6. a statement by you that the above information in your notice is accurate and that, under penalty of perjury, you are the copyright or intellectual property owner or authorized to act on the copyright or intellectual property owner's behalf.
    • 11.2 Repeat Infringers. Bloom will promptly terminate the accounts of Members that are determined by Bloom to be repeat infringers.
  12. Modification of these Terms. We reserve the right to change these Terms on a going-forward basis at any time upon 7 days' notice. Please check these Terms periodically for changes. If a change to these Terms materially modifies your rights or obligations, we may require that you accept the modified Terms in order to continue to use the Service. Material modifications are effective upon your acceptance of the modified Terms. Immaterial modifications are effective upon publication. Except as expressly permitted in this Section 12, these Terms may be amended only by a written agreement signed by authorized representatives of the parties to these Terms. Disputes arising under these Terms will be resolved in accordance with the version of these Terms that was in effect at the time the dispute arose.

  13. Term, Termination and Modification of the Service

    • 13.1 Term. These Terms are effective beginning when you accept the Terms or first download, install, access, or use the Service, and ending when terminated as described in Section 13.2. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if you are located in New York and have paid a fee for the Service, these Terms will terminate two years from the first date on which fees are due.
    • 13.2 Termination. If you violate any provision of these Terms, your authorization to access the Service and these Terms automatically terminate. In addition, Bloom may, at its sole discretion, terminate these Terms or your account on the Service, or suspend or terminate your access to the Service, at any time for any reason or no reason, with or without notice. You may terminate your account and these Terms at any time by contacting customer support at legal@joinbloom.community. If you have paid a fee for the Service, you may terminate these terms within three business days of the effective date of these terms and receive a full refund of all fees paid by providing written notice to Bloom.
    • 13.3 Effect of Termination. Upon termination of these Terms: (a) your license rights will terminate and you must immediately cease all use of the Service; (b) you will no longer be authorized to access your account or the Service; (c) you must pay Bloom any unpaid amount that was due prior to termination; and (d) all payment obligations accrued prior to termination and Sections 5.3, 6, 8, 13.3, 15, 16, 17, and 18 will survive. If you are terminating these Terms because you are moving outside of the United States, you will not be obligated to pay any additional fees.
    • 13.4 Membership Holds. If you are located in New York and have paid a fee for the Service, you may put your account on hold for up to one year by providing written notice to Bloom or by emailing us at legal@joinbloom.community.
    • 13.5 Modification of the Service. Bloom reserves the right to modify or discontinue the Service at any time (including by limiting or discontinuing certain features of the Service), temporarily or permanently, without notice to you. Bloom will have no liability for any change to the Service or any suspension or termination of your access to or use of the Service.
  14. Indemnity. To the fullest extent permitted by law, you are responsible for your use of the Service, and you will defend and indemnify Bloom and its officers, directors, employees, consultants, affiliates, subsidiaries and agents (together, the "Bloom Entities") from and against every claim brought by a third party, and any related liability, damage, loss, and expense, including reasonable attorneys' fees and costs, arising out of or connected with: (a) your unauthorized use of, or misuse of, the Service; (b) your violation of any portion of these Terms, any representation, warranty, or agreement referenced in these Terms, or any applicable law or regulation; (c) your violation of any third party right, including any intellectual property right or publicity, confidentiality, other property, or privacy right; or (d) any dispute or issue between you and any third party. We reserve the right, at our own expense, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter otherwise subject to indemnification by you (without limiting your indemnification obligations with respect to that matter), and in that case, you agree to cooperate with our defense of those claims.

  15. Disclaimers; No Warranties

    THE SERVICE AND ALL MATERIALS AND CONTENT AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SERVICE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND ON AN "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS. BLOOM DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, RELATING TO THE SERVICE AND ALL MATERIALS AND CONTENT AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SERVICE, INCLUDING: (A) ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, QUIET ENJOYMENT, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT; AND (B) ANY WARRANTY ARISING OUT OF COURSE OF DEALING, USAGE, OR TRADE. BLOOM DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE OR ANY PORTION OF THE SERVICE, OR ANY MATERIALS OR CONTENT OFFERED THROUGH THE SERVICE, WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE, OR FREE OF ERRORS, VIRUSES, OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS, AND BLOOM DOES NOT WARRANT THAT ANY OF THOSE ISSUES WILL BE CORRECTED.

    NO ADVICE OR INFORMATION, WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, OBTAINED BY YOU FROM THE SERVICE OR BLOOM ENTITIES OR ANY MATERIALS OR CONTENT AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SERVICE WILL CREATE ANY WARRANTY REGARDING ANY OF THE BLOOM ENTITIES OR THE SERVICE THAT IS NOT EXPRESSLY STATED IN THESE TERMS. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE THAT MAY RESULT FROM THE SERVICE AND YOUR DEALING WITH ANY OTHER MEMBER. YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT YOU USE ANY PORTION OF THE SERVICE AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION AND RISK, AND THAT WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR PROPERTY (INCLUDING YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM OR MOBILE DEVICE USED IN CONNECTION WITH THE SERVICE) OR ANY LOSS OF DATA, INCLUDING MEMBER CONTENT.

    THE LIMITATIONS, EXCLUSIONS AND DISCLAIMERS IN THIS SECTION APPLY TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. Bloom does not disclaim any warranty or other right that Bloom is prohibited from disclaiming under applicable law.

  16. Limitation of Liability

    TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL THE BLOOM ENTITIES BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, OR ANY OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSS) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE OF, OR YOUR INABILITY TO ACCESS OR USE, THE SERVICE OR ANY MATERIALS OR CONTENT ON THE SERVICE, WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STATUTE, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, AND WHETHER OR NOT ANY BLOOM ENTITY HAS BEEN INFORMED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGE.

    EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SECTION 17.5 AND TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF THE BLOOM ENTITIES TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE USE OF OR ANY INABILITY TO USE ANY PORTION OF THE SERVICE OR OTHERWISE UNDER THESE TERMS, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE, IS LIMITED TO THE GREATER OF: (A) THE AMOUNT YOU HAVE PAID TO BLOOM FOR ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE SERVICE IN THE 12 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE EVENT OR CIRCUMSTANCE GIVING RISE TO CLAIM; OR (B) $100.

    EACH PROVISION OF THESE TERMS THAT PROVIDES FOR A LIMITATION OF LIABILITY, DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES, OR EXCLUSION OF DAMAGES IS INTENDED TO AND DOES ALLOCATE THE RISKS BETWEEN THE PARTIES UNDER THESE TERMS. THIS ALLOCATION IS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF THE BASIS OF THE BARGAIN BETWEEN THE PARTIES. EACH OF THESE PROVISIONS IS SEVERABLE AND INDEPENDENT OF ALL OTHER PROVISIONS OF THESE TERMS. THE LIMITATIONS IN THIS SECTION 16 WILL APPLY EVEN IF ANY LIMITED REMEDY FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE.

  17. Dispute Resolution and Arbitration

    • 17.1 Generally. In the interest of resolving disputes between you and Bloom in the most expedient and cost effective manner, and except as described in Section 17.2 and 17.3, you and Bloom agree that every dispute arising in connection with these Terms will be resolved by binding arbitration. Arbitration is less formal than a lawsuit in court. Arbitration uses a neutral arbitrator instead of a judge or jury, may allow for more limited discovery than in court, and can be subject to very limited review by courts. Arbitrators can award the same damages and relief that a court can award. This agreement to arbitrate disputes includes all claims arising out of or relating to any aspect of these Terms, whether based in contract, tort, statute, fraud, misrepresentation, or any other legal theory, and regardless of whether a claim arises during or after the termination of these Terms. YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT, BY ENTERING INTO THESE TERMS, YOU AND BLOOM ARE EACH WAIVING THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY OR TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION.
    • 17.2 Exceptions. Despite the provisions of Section 17.1, nothing in these Terms will be deemed to waive, preclude, or otherwise limit the right of either party to: (a) bring an individual action in small claims court; (b) pursue an enforcement action through the applicable federal, state, or local agency if that action is available; (c) seek injunctive relief in a court of law in aid of arbitration; or (d) to file suit in a court of law to address an intellectual property infringement claim.
    • 17.3 Opt-Out. If you do not wish to resolve disputes by binding arbitration, you may opt out of the provisions of this Section 17 within 30 days after the date that you agree to these Terms by sending a letter to Bloom Project, Inc., Attention: Legal Department – Arbitration Opt-Out, 101 Broadway, Suite 201, Oakland, CA 94607 that specifies: your full legal name, the email address associated with your account on the Service, and a statement that you wish to opt out of arbitration ("Opt-Out Notice"). Once Bloom receives your Opt-Out Notice, this Section 17 will be void and any action arising out of these Terms will be resolved as set forth in Section 18.2. The remaining provisions of these Terms will not be affected by your Opt-Out Notice.
    • 17.4 Arbitrator. Any arbitration between you and Bloom will be settled under the Federal Arbitration Act and administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") under its Consumer Arbitration Rules (collectively, "AAA Rules") as modified by these Terms. The AAA Rules and filing forms are available online at www.adr.org, by calling the AAA at 1-800-778-7879, or by contacting Bloom. The arbitrator has exclusive authority to resolve any dispute relating to the interpretation, applicability, or enforceability of this binding arbitration agreement.
    • 17.5 Notice of Arbitration; Process. A party who intends to seek arbitration must first send a written notice of the dispute to the other party by certified U.S. Mail or by Federal Express (signature required) or, only if that other party has not provided a current physical address, then by electronic mail ("Notice of Arbitration"). Bloom's address for Notice is: Together Project, Inc. (d/b/a Bloom), 101 Broadway, Suite 201, Oakland, CA 94607. The Notice of Arbitration must: (a) describe the nature and basis of the claim or dispute; and (b) set forth the specific relief sought ("Demand"). The parties will make good faith efforts to resolve the claim directly, but if the parties do not reach an agreement to do so within 30 days after the Notice of Arbitration is received, you or Bloom may commence an arbitration proceeding. All arbitration proceedings between the parties will be confidential unless otherwise agreed by the parties in writing. During the arbitration, the amount of any settlement offer made by you or Bloom must not be disclosed to the arbitrator until after the arbitrator makes a final decision and award, if any. If the arbitrator awards you an amount higher than the last written settlement amount offered by Bloom in settlement of the dispute prior to the award, Bloom will pay to you the higher of: (i) the amount awarded by the arbitrator; or (ii) $10,000.
    • 17.6 Fees. If you commence arbitration in accordance with these Terms, Bloom will reimburse you for your payment of the filing fee, unless your claim is for more than $10,000, in which case the payment of any fees will be decided by the AAA Rules. Any arbitration hearing will take place at a location to be agreed upon in Oakland, California, but if the claim is for $10,000 or less, you may choose whether the arbitration will be conducted: (a) solely on the basis of documents submitted to the arbitrator; (b) through a non-appearance based telephone hearing; or (c) by an in-person hearing as established by the AAA Rules in the county (or parish) of your billing address. If the arbitrator finds that either the substance of your claim or the relief sought in the Demand is frivolous or brought for an improper purpose (as measured by the standards set forth in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(b)), then the payment of all fees will be governed by the AAA Rules. In that case, you agree to reimburse Bloom for all monies previously disbursed by it that are otherwise your obligation to pay under the AAA Rules. Regardless of the manner in which the arbitration is conducted, the arbitrator must issue a reasoned written decision sufficient to explain the essential findings and conclusions on which the decision and award, if any, are based. The arbitrator may make rulings and resolve disputes as to the payment and reimbursement of fees or expenses at any time during the proceeding and upon request from either party made within 14 days of the arbitrator's ruling on the merits.
    • 17.7 No Class Actions. YOU AND BLOOM AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. Further, unless both you and Bloom agree otherwise, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims, and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative or class proceeding.
    • 17.8 Modifications to this Arbitration Provision. If Bloom makes any future change to this arbitration provision, other than a change to Bloom's address for Notice of Arbitration, you may reject the change by sending us written notice within 30 days of the change to Bloom's address for Notice of Arbitration, in which case your account with Bloom will be immediately terminated and this arbitration provision, as in effect immediately prior to the changes you rejected will survive.
    • 17.9 Enforceability. If Section 17.7 or the entirety of this Section 17 is found to be unenforceable, or if Bloom receives an Opt-Out Notice from you, then the entirety of this Section 17 will be null and void and, in that case, exclusive jurisdiction and venue described in Section 18.2 will govern any action arising out of or related to these Terms.
  18. Miscellaneous

    • 18.1 General Terms. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any other agreements expressly incorporated by reference into these Terms, are the entire and exclusive understanding and agreement between you and Bloom regarding your use of the Service. You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your rights under these Terms, in whole or in part, by operation of law or otherwise, without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms at any time without notice or consent. The failure to require performance of any provision will not affect our right to require performance at any other time after that, nor will a waiver by us of any breach or default of these Terms, or any provision of these Terms, be a waiver of any subsequent breach or default or a waiver of the provision itself. Use of section headers in these Terms is for convenience only and will not have any impact on the interpretation of any provision. Throughout these Terms the use of the word "including" means "including but not limited to". If any part of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, the unenforceable part will be given effect to the greatest extent possible, and the remaining parts will remain in full force and effect.
    • 18.2 Governing Law. These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California without regard to conflict of law principles. You and Bloom submit to the personal and exclusive jurisdiction of the state courts and federal courts located within Alameda County, California for resolution of any lawsuit or court proceeding permitted under these Terms. We operate the Service from our offices in California, and we make no representation that Materials included in the Service are appropriate or available for use in other locations.
    • 18.3 Privacy Policy. Please read the Bloom Privacy Policy carefully for information relating to our collection, use, storage, disclosure of your personal information. The Bloom Privacy Policy is incorporated by this reference into, and made a part of, these Terms.
    • 18.4 Additional Terms. Your use of the Service is subject to all additional terms, policies, rules, or guidelines applicable to the Service or certain features of the Service that we may post on or link to from the Service (the "Additional Terms"). All Additional Terms are incorporated by this reference into, and made a part of, these Terms.
    • 18.5 Consent to Electronic Communications. By using the Service, you consent to receiving certain electronic communications from us as further described in our Privacy Policy. Please read our Privacy Policy to learn more about our electronic communications practices. You agree that any notices, agreements, disclosures, or other communications that we send to you electronically will satisfy any legal communication requirements, including that those communications be in writing.
    • 18.6 Contact Information. The Service is offered by Together Project, Inc. (d/b/a Bloom), located at 101 Broadway, Suite 201, Oakland, CA 94607. You may contact us by sending correspondence to that address or by emailing us at legal@joinbloom.community.
    • 18.7 Notice to California Residents. If you are a California resident, under California Civil Code Section 1789.3, you may contact the Complaint Assistance Unit of the Division of Consumer Services of the California Department of Consumer Affairs in writing at 1625 N. Market Blvd., Suite S-202, Sacramento, California 95834, or by telephone at (800) 952-5210 in order to resolve a complaint regarding the Service or to receive further information regarding use of the Service.
    • 18.8 No Support. We are under no obligation to provide support for the Service. In instances where we may offer support, the support will be subject to published policies.
    • 18.9 International Use. The Service is intended for visitors located within the United States. We make no representation that the Service is appropriate or available for use outside of the United States. Access to the Service from countries or territories or by individuals where such access is illegal is prohibited.
  19. Notice Regarding Apple. This Section 19 only applies to the extent you are using our mobile application on an iOS device. You acknowledge that these Terms are between you and Bloom only, not with Apple Inc. ("Apple"), and Apple is not responsible for the Service or the content thereof. Apple has no obligation to furnish any maintenance and support services with respect to the Service. If the Service fails to conform to any applicable warranty, you may notify Apple and Apple will refund any applicable purchase price for the mobile application to you; and, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Apple has no other warranty obligation with respect to the Service. Apple is not responsible for addressing any claims by you or any third party relating to the Service or your possession and/or use of the Service, including: (a) product liability claims; (b) any claim that the Service fails to conform to any applicable legal or regulatory requirement; or (c) claims arising under consumer protection or similar legislation. Apple is not responsible for the investigation, defense, settlement and discharge of any third party claim that the Service and/or your possession and use of the Service infringe a third party's intellectual property rights. You agree to comply with any applicable third party terms when using the Service. Apple and Apple's subsidiaries are third party beneficiaries of these Terms, and upon your acceptance of these Terms, Apple will have the right (and will be deemed to have accepted the right) to enforce these Terms against you as a third party beneficiary of these Terms. You hereby represent and warrant that: (i) you are not located in a country that is subject to a U.S. Government embargo, or that has been designated by the U.S. Government as a "terrorist supporting" country; and (ii) you are not listed on any U.S. Government list of prohibited or restricted parties.