Reader Terms & Conditions

1. Parties and Acceptance

These Reader Terms and Conditions (Terms) form a legally binding agreement between (a) you (Reader, you, your) and (b) Suspense Club, operated by Thomas Mai (Suspense Club, we, us, our).

By accessing or using any part of Suspense Club (including browsing, creating an account, reading stories, commenting, rating, messaging, joining community features, or purchasing any Paid Services), you agree to be bound by these Terms.

If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use Suspense Club.

2. Definitions

• Account means a registered profile on Suspense Club.
• Content means any text, audio, video, images, data, or other material available on Suspense Club, including stories published by writers.
• Reader Content means any content you submit to Suspense Club, including comments, ratings, reviews, messages, forum posts, and feedback.
• Paid Services means any paid memberships, add-ons, or other paid features offered by Suspense Club from time to time.
• Services means the Suspense Club website, platform features, and related communications.
• Writer Content means stories and related materials uploaded by writers.

3. Eligibility

Suspense Club is a platform where writers publish suspense stories and readers discover, read, and participate through community features.

If you are under 18, you confirm you have permission from a parent or guardian to use the Services.

4. Accounts and Security

• You must provide accurate and current information and keep it updated.
• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials.
• You must not share or transfer your Account to someone else.
• You must notify us promptly if you suspect unauthorised access.

5. Reader Content

You remain responsible for your Reader Content. You must ensure it is lawful and does not infringe any person's rights.

You grant Suspense Club a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, transferable, sublicensable licence to host, store, reproduce, display, distribute, and otherwise make your Reader Content available in connection with operating, improving, and promoting the Services.

6. Community Rules

You must use the Services respectfully and safely. You must not:

• Post content that is defamatory, harassing, threatening, hateful, discriminatory, or unlawful
• Bully, doxx, stalk, impersonate others, or encourage harm
• Spam, scam, or mislead others
• Manipulate ratings, reviews, leaderboards, or referrals
• Interfere with the Services or introduce malware

7. Intellectual Property

Writer Content is owned by the writer or other rights holder. You may access and read Content for personal, non-commercial use only.

You must not copy, reproduce, distribute, repost, publish, sell, or create derivative works from Writer Content without permission.

8. Spoilers, Piracy, and Fair Play

• Clearly label spoilers where the platform provides spoiler tools
• Do not upload or share pirated material
• Report content that infringes copyright

9. Automation and Scraping

You must not use bots, scrapers, or automated tools to extract Content, harvest user data, or degrade performance. You must not bypass access controls or use Content to train AI systems without permission.

10. Badges and Points

Badges, points, ranks, and leaderboards are community features with no cash value. They are non-transferable and may be changed or discontinued at any time.

11. Paid Services

Paid Services may be offered from time to time. Unless required by Australian Consumer Law, Paid Services are non-refundable once a billing period has started or a digital benefit has been delivered.

12. Moderation and Enforcement

We may remove or restrict Content, restrict features, or take other action to protect the community, comply with law, or enforce these Terms.

13. Suspension and Termination

You may stop using the Services at any time. We may suspend or terminate your Account if you breach these Terms or create risk to the community.

14. Disclaimers

The Services are provided "as is" and "as available". We do not guarantee uninterrupted access or that Content will remain available.

15. Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, we exclude liability for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive loss. Our total aggregate liability is limited to AUD $50 or amounts paid in the prior 3 months.

16. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Suspense Club from claims arising from your Reader Content, breach of Terms, or harmful use of the Services.

17. Privacy

Our collection and use of personal information is governed by the Suspense Club Privacy Policy.

18. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If changes are material, we will provide notice via email or in-platform notification.

19. Disputes and Governing Law

The parties agree to try to resolve disputes informally first, then through mediation in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. These Terms are governed by the laws of Queensland, Australia.

20. Contact

Have questions? Email Thomas Mai directly at thomas@suspenseclub.com