Guide Subscription, Cancellation & Refund Policy

Effective date: August 20, 2026
Last updated: August 21, 2026
Version: 1.0

This Guide Subscription, Cancellation & Refund Policy (the “Policy”) explains GuideMeet’s current Guide plans, recurring billing, plan changes, cancellation, refunds, failed payments and the plan-based limits that apply to the Guide Collaboration and Network module.

It also explains the image-protection requirements and processing practices that apply when Guides upload images for public display on GuideMeet.

GuideMeet.com and its related websites, applications and dashboards (collectively, the “Platform”) are operated by Guidemeet Private limited, a company registered in Nepal (“GuideMeet,” “we,” “us” or “our”).

This Policy forms part of the GuideMeet Terms of Use. By purchasing or renewing a paid Guide subscription, uploading an image for public display, or continuing to use the applicable features, you agree to this Policy, the Terms of Use, the commercial terms shown at checkout and any applicable feature-specific terms. Capitalized terms not defined here have the meanings given in the Terms of Use.

1. Scope

This Policy applies to:

• Free, Professional, Growth and Elite Guide plans;
• eligible Launch Anchor Offers;
• recurring subscription payments, upgrades, downgrades, cancellations and refunds;
• Guide Collaboration and Network limits; and
• public images uploaded or displayed through GuideMeet.

GuideMeet is free for Travelers for guide discovery, profile viewing, Guide Insights, eligible Inquiries and messaging. This Policy does not create a Traveler subscription.

Payments that may later be made by Travelers for Consultations or Services, or payouts to Guides, are not governed by this Policy unless GuideMeet expressly incorporates it into a feature-specific checkout. Separate booking, payment, cancellation, refund and payout terms will apply before those features are activated.

2. Current Guide Plans and Prices

The current Guide plan structure is:

Prices are stated in United States dollars unless checkout expressly offers another currency. Applicable taxes, duties, bank charges, card charges or currency-conversion costs may be added or separately charged as disclosed at checkout.

The Plans and Pricing page and checkout will show the currently available plan, billing period, price, currency, tax treatment, promotion, renewal terms and material feature limits before purchase. The retainable order confirmation controls the price and billing period accepted for that subscription. If a general plan summary conflicts with the completed checkout confirmation, the checkout confirmation controls for that billing transaction, subject to applicable law.

3. Plan Overview

3.1 Free Guide Profile

The Free Guide Profile is not a paid subscription. It currently includes:

• one approved public Guide Profile;
• one Guide category;
• one primary destination;
• up to three profile photographs;
• basic messaging;
• up to three new Traveler Inquiry threads per month;
• basic profile approval only;
• limited travel styles, specialty tags and route/place tags; and
• limited Guide Network access when that module is enabled and eligibility requirements are met.

Free does not include Verified Guide eligibility, Guide Insight publishing, Consultation listings, Service listings, analytics or the paid visibility benefits described for eligible paid plans.

3.2 Professional Guide

The Professional Guide plan currently includes:

• up to three Guide categories;
• up to five primary destinations;
• up to twenty profile photographs and an intro video;
• Verified Guide eligibility, subject to verification;
• GuideMeet messaging;
• opt-in Consultation eligibility where enabled;
• up to two Service listings where enabled;
• up to four Guide Insights per month;
• eligible engagement features on Guide Insights;
• basic analytics;
• limited Featured Guide eligibility;
• higher visibility among similarly relevant Guides;
• limited priority support;
• expanded travel styles, specialty tags and route/place tags; and
• standard Guide Collaboration and Network limits when enabled.

3.3 Growth Guide

The Growth Guide plan currently includes:

• up to ten Guide categories;
• up to fifteen primary destinations;
• up to fifty profile photographs and an intro video;
• Verified Guide eligibility;
• Featured Guide eligibility;
• Destination Expert eligibility;
• GuideMeet messaging;
• Consultation eligibility where enabled;
• up to ten Service listings where enabled;
• up to ten Guide Insights per month;
• eligible engagement features on Guide Insights;
• basic and advanced analytics;
• monthly profile suggestions;
• priority placement among similarly relevant Guides;
• priority support;
• expanded profile classification limits; and
• higher Guide Collaboration and Network limits when enabled.

3.4 Elite Guide

The Elite Guide plan currently includes:

• up to twelve active Guide categories;
• up to thirty active primary destinations;
• up to fifty profile photographs and an intro video;
• Verified Guide eligibility;
• Featured Guide eligibility;
• Destination Expert eligibility;
• GuideMeet messaging;
• Consultation eligibility where enabled;
• up to fifteen Service listings where enabled;
• up to twenty Guide Insights per month;
• eligible engagement features on Guide Insights;
• basic and advanced analytics;
• monthly profile suggestions;
• the highest visibility boost among similarly relevant Guides;
• the highest support level;
• the highest standard profile-classification limits;
• additional category or destination coverage by administrative review;
• personal website design, SEO setup and monthly website updates, subject to Section 20; and
• the highest standard Guide Collaboration and Network limits when enabled.

Plan benefits provide tools, eligibility and usage limits. They do not guarantee profile approval, verification, featured placement, Destination Expert status, a particular search position, profile views, Inquiries, Consultations, Service requests, reviews, bookings, revenue or income.

4. Feature Availability and Eligibility

A plan may include access or eligibility for a feature that is:

• being developed;
• available only in a controlled pilot;
• activated only in selected countries, categories or accounts;
• subject to verification, profile completion, safety or compliance requirements; or
• dependent on a third-party provider.

Consultations, Services, Traveler payments, Guide payouts and parts of the Guide Collaboration and Network module may not be available at the start of a subscription. A plan listing describes the entitlement if and when the applicable feature is enabled for the Guide; it does not promise a specific activation date unless checkout expressly guarantees one.

GuideMeet may use feature flags for global, country, plan, pilot-account or individual safety control. Temporarily disabling a feature should preserve associated records unless deletion is required by law or the applicable retention policy.

If GuideMeet permanently discontinues a material paid feature during a prepaid term, GuideMeet may provide a reasonable substitute, account credit or proportionate refund where appropriate or legally required. No refund is due merely because a future or pilot feature was clearly disclosed as unavailable or conditional when the Guide subscribed.

5. Guide Collaboration Is Included Within Existing Plans

Guide Collaboration and Network access is not a separately priced subscription plan at this time. When enabled, it forms part of the Free, Professional, Growth and Elite plans according to the limits below.

The module is a permission-based professional network for approved Guides. Guides must establish an accepted connection before Guide-to-Guide messaging, Referrals or Collaboration Proposals become available.

Network access may additionally require:

• an active Guide account;
• an approved or live Guide Profile;
• active network-access status;
• completed identity verification for outgoing connection requests, Referrals and Collaboration Proposals;
• at least seventy percent profile completion for sending connection requests;
• compliance with safety and anti-spam controls; and
• availability of the module for the relevant country, plan or account.

Paid plans do not bypass identity, profile, recipient-preference, privacy, moderation or safety requirements.

6. Guide Collaboration Plan Limits

When the Guide Collaboration and Network module is enabled, the following standard plan limits apply:

Limits use rolling periods rather than calendar months unless the Platform states otherwise.

For the first fourteen days after network access is activated, a new-Guide probation limit may override the normal plan allowance:

• one outgoing connection request per day;
• five total outgoing connection requests during the probation period; and
• five maximum pending requests.

Incoming connection requests do not use the recipient’s outgoing allowance. Accepting an incoming connection does not consume an outgoing quota.

A sent connection request counts against the rolling allowance even if it is later declined, withdrawn, expired or blocked. This prevents repeated withdrawal or resending from circumventing limits.

There is no normally marketed plan-based hard cap on accepted connections. GuideMeet may apply a reasonable technical or safety limit to prevent automation, spam or abuse.

7. Guide Collaboration Records and Plan Changes

An upgrade, downgrade, cancellation or payment restriction will not automatically delete:

• existing Guide connections;
• Guide-to-Guide message history;
• Referral history;
• accepted or active Referrals;
• confirmed or active collaborations;
• private relationship notes, subject to retention rules; or
• required moderation and audit records.

After a downgrade:

• new outgoing actions use the lower plan limits;
• current rolling-period usage does not reset;
• no additional connection request, Referral or Collaboration Proposal may be created while usage is above the new active limit;
• existing connected-Guide messaging may continue while both accounts remain eligible, connected and unrestricted; and
• existing relationships and historical records remain subject to the Terms, Community & Messaging Guidelines, Privacy Policy and retention rules.

A Referral does not consume the receiving Guide’s Traveler Inquiry allowance until Traveler consent is granted and a new Traveler-Guide Inquiry is actually created. Inquiry capacity may be checked before consent is requested and again immediately before creation.

GuideMeet may separately restrict network access for spam, safety, fraud, privacy or other violations regardless of subscription status.

8. Checkout Disclosure and Subscription Consent

Before GuideMeet charges a recurring subscription, checkout will clearly display the material commercial terms, including:

• plan name;
• price and currency;
• monthly or annual billing period;
• applicable taxes or disclosed fees;
• any trial or promotional period;
• automatic-renewal terms;
• renewal price;
• material feature limits;
• cancellation method;
• when cancellation takes effect; and
• applicable refund rules.

A Guide must take an affirmative action to authorize recurring charges. Subscription consent must not be inferred from inactivity, a pre-selected optional checkbox or creation of a Free Guide Profile.

By completing checkout, the Guide authorizes GuideMeet and its payment provider to charge the displayed subscription amount at the stated interval until cancellation takes effect.

GuideMeet will provide a retainable confirmation containing or linking to the plan, amount, billing interval, renewal information, cancellation method and applicable Policy version.

9. Monthly and Annual Billing

9.1 Monthly subscriptions

A monthly subscription is charged at the beginning of each monthly billing period and renews automatically each month until cancelled.

9.2 Annual subscriptions

An annual subscription is charged in advance for the full annual billing period and renews automatically each year until cancelled. The annual price is not a month-to-month installment arrangement unless checkout expressly states otherwise.

9.3 Billing dates

Renewal normally occurs on the corresponding calendar date on which the paid subscription began. Where a later month does not contain that date, the payment provider may process renewal on the last day of that month or according to its documented billing method.

Processing time, time zones, bank delays and payment-provider procedures may affect when a pending charge appears. The account dashboard or confirmation should identify the applicable renewal date.

10. Launch Anchor Offer

Eligible early Guides may receive the Launch Anchor prices listed in Section 2 during the GuideMeet launch period.

The Launch Anchor Offer:

• changes only the applicable subscription price unless the offer expressly states otherwise;
• provides the same plan features and limits as the corresponding regular plan;
• is available only to eligible Guides and for the enrollment period stated with the offer;
• does not create a public Anchor badge;
• does not grant automatic verification, Featured Guide or Destination Expert status;
• does not guarantee visibility, Inquiries, bookings or income; and
• is not a lifetime price unless checkout expressly says so.

GuideMeet may close Anchor enrollment for new subscriptions or change the offer for future purchasers. For an existing Anchor subscription, the accepted renewal price and any conditions will continue as disclosed at checkout until GuideMeet provides advance notice of an eligible future change and obtains renewed consent where required by law.

If an Anchor subscription is cancelled, expires for non-payment or is changed to an ineligible plan, the Guide may lose eligibility for the former Anchor price. A later subscription or reactivation may use the then-current price unless GuideMeet expressly restores the offer.

11. Payment Methods and Providers

GuideMeet may accept subscription payments through Stripe and supported Nepal or international payment providers.

The payment provider may collect and process payment credentials, authentication information, billing details, transaction identifiers and fraud signals under its own terms and privacy notice.

GuideMeet normally does not receive or store complete payment-card numbers. GuideMeet may receive limited billing information such as the payer’s name and contact details, payment method type, amount, currency, transaction identifier, payment status, renewal date, refund status and dispute status.

The availability of a payment method depends on the Guide’s location, provider support, applicable law and GuideMeet’s approved merchant arrangements.

12. Taxes, Invoices and Currency Conversion

The Guide is responsible for applicable taxes, duties, bank charges and currency-conversion costs unless checkout states that GuideMeet collects or includes them.

GuideMeet may collect billing-location, tax-identification or business information necessary to determine tax treatment and issue a receipt or tax invoice.

Where a bank or payment provider converts currency, it may apply its own rate and fee. GuideMeet does not control an external provider’s exchange rate or foreign-transaction charge.

Guides are responsible for their own income, business and professional tax obligations arising from guiding activities or private arrangements. A Guide subscription payment does not make GuideMeet responsible for the Guide’s taxes.

13. Upgrades

A Guide may request an upgrade through available account settings or another disclosed method.

Before confirming an upgrade, GuideMeet will display the new plan, applicable charge, credit or proration treatment, billing period and next renewal date.

Unless checkout states otherwise:

• the upgraded features and higher limits apply after successful payment;
• current rolling-period usage does not reset;
• existing profile content, connections, messages, Referrals and collaborations remain; and
• the subscription renews at the price and interval shown in the upgrade confirmation.

Verification, Featured Guide and Destination Expert benefits remain eligibility features. An upgrade does not automatically grant a trust signal.

14. Downgrades

A Guide may request a downgrade through available account settings or another disclosed method. Unless checkout or applicable law states otherwise, the downgrade takes effect at the end of the current paid billing period.

After the downgrade becomes effective:

• the lower plan’s active feature and usage limits apply;
• categories, destinations, travel styles, specialties, route/place tags, photographs, Services, Guide Insights or other items above the lower limit may become inactive or unavailable rather than being deleted;
• existing Guide connections, messages, accepted Referrals and active collaborations are preserved as described in Section 7;
• new network actions are blocked while rolling usage exceeds the lower limit;
• analytics, priority support, visibility eligibility and other higher-plan benefits may end;
• public display of a verification or trust signal may change according to the Guide Standards & Verification Policy; and
• Elite website services are handled under Section 20.

The Guide may be asked to select which profile items remain active. If the Guide does not make a selection, GuideMeet may apply a reasonable default based on existing primary settings, recency or another disclosed rule.

A downgrade normally does not produce a refund or credit for the current billing period because higher-plan access continues until the downgrade date, except where required by law or expressly offered.

15. Cancellation

A Guide may cancel a paid subscription through the billing or subscription settings available in the Guide account or through another clearly disclosed method.

An online subscription will not require an unnecessary telephone call, in-person visit, unrelated purchase or explanation to cancel. GuideMeet may present an optional retention offer, but rejecting it must not prevent cancellation.

Cancellation must be completed before the next renewal charge is submitted to the payment provider. GuideMeet will display or confirm the cancellation effective date.

Unless a mandatory legal rule or checkout term provides otherwise:

• cancellation stops future automatic renewal;
• the subscription remains active until the end of the current paid billing period;
• the Guide retains eligible paid features until that date, subject to safety, fraud or Terms enforcement;
• monthly or annual fees already paid are not prorated merely because the Guide stops using the Platform; and
• the account normally moves to the Free Guide Profile or another available status at the end of the paid period.

GuideMeet will provide a retainable cancellation confirmation. A Guide should contact support@guidemeet.com if confirmation is not received or the account continues to show an unexpected renewal.

16. Account Deletion Does Not Automatically Cancel Billing

Deleting, deactivating, hiding or abandoning a Guide Profile does not automatically cancel a paid subscription unless the Platform expressly confirms both account closure and subscription cancellation.

Before completing account deletion, GuideMeet should present any active subscription and provide a direct cancellation method. The Guide remains responsible for charges properly incurred before cancellation takes effect.

Where GuideMeet processes an account-deletion request while a subscription remains active, GuideMeet may cancel future renewal as part of the verified closure process and notify the Guide of the outcome. The Guide should retain that confirmation.

17. Refund Policy

Subscription fees are non-refundable after a billing period begins, except where:

• applicable law requires a refund, withdrawal right or cooling-off remedy;
• checkout or a specific promotion expressly promises a refund;
• GuideMeet confirms a duplicate or incorrect charge;
• GuideMeet approves a refund for a verified billing or technical error;
• GuideMeet permanently discontinues a material prepaid feature and a substitute or credit is not appropriate; or
• GuideMeet approves an exceptional circumstance in its reasonable discretion.

Cancellation ordinarily prevents the next renewal but does not create a prorated refund for the unused portion of a monthly or annual period.

A claim that the Platform produced fewer views, Inquiries, connections, Referrals, collaborations, bookings or earnings than expected does not create refund eligibility because GuideMeet does not guarantee those results.

A Guide requesting a refund should contact support@guidemeet.com promptly and provide the account email, transaction date, amount, payment-provider reference and reason for the request. GuideMeet may request information reasonably necessary to verify the payer and transaction.

Approved refunds are returned through the original payment method where reasonably possible. Provider processing and banking times may apply. GuideMeet is not responsible for exchange-rate differences or external bank charges unless required by law.

Nothing in this Policy limits any cancellation, refund, charge-dispute or consumer remedy that cannot lawfully be excluded under applicable law. If a mandatory legal right conflicts with this Policy, the mandatory legal right will apply.

18. Failed Payments and Grace Periods

If a renewal or other authorized subscription payment fails, GuideMeet or its payment provider may:

• notify the Guide;
• retry the charge according to the disclosed payment process;
• request an updated payment method;
• place the subscription in a past-due or grace-period state;
• restrict new paid-plan actions;
• downgrade the account; or
• suspend paid features.

For paid-plan Guide Collaboration and Network actions, GuideMeet will normally apply a seven-day grace period before restricting new paid-plan network actions following an ordinary payment failure.

During that network grace period, GuideMeet should not delete existing connections, Guide messages, Referral history or collaboration history. After the grace period, the Guide may be unable to create new actions above the Free or otherwise applicable limits until payment is resolved.

The seven-day network grace period does not apply where immediate action is reasonably necessary because of fraud, unauthorized payment, chargeback abuse, legal requirement, safety risk, account compromise or a serious Terms violation.

Resolution of a failed payment does not reset rolling usage counters. Restored features remain subject to the current plan and safety limits.

19. Chargebacks and Payment Disputes

Guides should contact support@guidemeet.com first where reasonably possible so GuideMeet can investigate a suspected duplicate, unauthorized or incorrect charge. This request does not waive any lawful right to contact a bank or payment provider.

When a charge is disputed or reversed, GuideMeet may provide the payment provider with relevant transaction, subscription-consent, cancellation, account and usage records as permitted by law and the Privacy Policy.

GuideMeet may suspend paid features or the subscription while a chargeback is pending. Fraudulent, abusive or knowingly false chargebacks may result in account restriction or recovery of amounts lawfully owed.

Winning or losing a payment-provider dispute does not independently determine every contractual or legal right between the Guide and GuideMeet.

20. Elite Personal Website Services

Elite may include personal website design, website SEO setup and monthly website updates. These services must not be activated until GuideMeet presents an applicable Website Service Schedule or equivalent written terms covering, at minimum:

• scope and deliverables;
• design and revision limits;
• domain-name ownership and renewal responsibility;
• hosting ownership and fees;
• website content responsibility;
• intellectual-property ownership and licences;
• third-party themes, plugins, software and accounts;
• SEO scope and the absence of ranking guarantees;
• monthly update allowances;
• security, backup and maintenance responsibilities;
• suspension, cancellation and handoff; and
• what happens to the website after downgrade or termination.

Unless the applicable Website Service Schedule states otherwise, ongoing SEO support and monthly updates end when Elite access ends. GuideMeet must not delete, transfer, disable or retain control of a Guide-owned domain or website contrary to the applicable schedule or law.

No search-engine ranking, traffic, Inquiry, booking or revenue result is guaranteed.

21. Public Image Protection and Processing

21.1 Images covered

GuideMeet applies layered protection to public copies of:

• Guide Profile gallery images;
• Guide Profile cover images;
• Guide Service or package images;
• Guide Insight images; and
• other future public Guide content.

For profile avatars, GuideMeet may use no visible watermark or a very small watermark because avatars are frequently displayed at small sizes.

GuideMeet will not publicly watermark or expose:

• identity documents;
• licences and certificates;
• verification photographs;
• report evidence;
• private-message attachments;
• consultation documents;
• payment documents; or
• images marked private.

These materials must remain subject to the applicable privacy, security, access-control and retention requirements.

21.2 Upload-processing pipeline

GuideMeet may process an uploaded image using the following sequence:

1. validate the format, MIME type, dimensions and file size;
2. perform malware and malformed-file checks;
3. apply EXIF orientation;
4. store the encrypted original in private storage;
5. strip metadata from the processing copy;
6. generate public image sizes;
7. add a visible GuideMeet watermark where applicable;
8. add a signed invisible asset identifier after resilience testing has passed;
9. compress into JPEG, WebP or AVIF;
10. add approved IPTC/XMP rights metadata; and
11. store public derivatives in the CDN.

The original upload must never use a publicly accessible URL.

21.3 Visible GuideMeet watermark

For applicable public images, GuideMeet may add a visible watermark using:

• the GuideMeet logo;
• bottom-right placement by default;
• an adaptive white or dark version;
• approximately 8–12% of image width;
• approximately 40–60% opacity;
• safe margins from the image edge; and
• sufficient visibility without covering faces or important information.

For very small images, GuideMeet may automatically omit the visible watermark if it becomes unreadable.

The watermark identifies GuideMeet as the hosting platform. It does not identify the copyright owner and does not indicate verification, certification or endorsement.

The watermark must not say:

• “Verified by GuideMeet”;
• “GuideMeet Approved”;
• “GuideMeet Certified”; or
• “© GuideMeet”.

A watermark does not transfer ownership of an image to GuideMeet.

21.4 Signed invisible asset identifier

After resilience testing, GuideMeet may embed a signed, opaque asset token in applicable public images in the following form:

GM1:{public_asset_token}:{signature}

Example:

GM1:7F82A91C:4D29

The token must resolve internally to the asset record and must not contain personal information.

GuideMeet may use an HMAC-generated signature:

signature = HMAC_SHA256(asset_token, server_secret)

This is intended to prevent third parties from generating valid GuideMeet identifiers.

Before describing the invisible identifier publicly as a reliable ownership-protection mechanism, GuideMeet must test recovery after:

• 50–90% JPEG compression;
• WebP and AVIF conversion;
• 25–75% resizing;
• moderate cropping;
• screenshots;
• brightness and contrast changes;
• minor filters; and
• social-media recompression.

If the identifier does not survive the agreed test thresholds, GuideMeet must not describe it publicly as a reliable ownership-protection mechanism. It may still be used internally as a limited forensic or asset-tracking signal.

21.5 Metadata handling

GuideMeet must sanitize original metadata before creating a public copy. Public copies should have original metadata removed, including:

• GPS coordinates;
• camera serial number;
• device-owner information;
• private filenames;
• contact details;
• embedded thumbnails; and
• editing history.

GuideMeet may then inject controlled IPTC/XMP rights metadata, including:

• Creator: [Photographer, if supplied and verified]
• Copyright Notice: [Actual rights holder, if known]
• Credit Line: Displayed via GuideMeet
• Source: GuideMeet
• Image Unique ID: [Opaque public asset token]
• Usage Terms: Reuse may require permission from the applicable rights holder.

GuideMeet must not identify itself as the copyright owner unless GuideMeet actually owns the image.

21.6 Storage and delivery

GuideMeet maintains separate storage classes:

private-originals/

Original upload

Encrypted

No public access

Authorized backend access only

public-renditions/

Resized and sanitized

Visible/invisible watermark where applicable

CDN-delivered

No sensitive metadata

GuideMeet may create fixed public sizes such as:

GuideMeet must not provide a “view original” endpoint.

The original image remains protected from public access even if a public derivative is copied, downloaded or indexed.

21.7 CDN and WAF scraping controls

GuideMeet may configure CDN and web-application firewall controls to:

• rate-limit excessive image downloads;
• detect sequential profile harvesting;
• block abusive user agents and IP addresses;
• challenge suspicious automated requests;
• prevent access to private storage;
• restrict excessive hotlinking;
• log downloads and suspicious patterns; and
• temporarily block repeated violations.

These controls are intended to reduce abusive automated collection. They cannot guarantee that every image will be prevented from being copied or downloaded.

GuideMeet will not globally block Google Images solely because image protection is enabled, where search visibility is part of GuideMeet’s acquisition strategy.

Example crawler-management rules may include:

User-agent: Googlebot-Image
Allow: /media/public/
User-agent: *
Disallow: /media/private/
Disallow: /media/originals/
Disallow: /verification/
Disallow: /reports/

robots.txt is used for crawler management, not security. Private directories must also be technically inaccessible through authentication, authorization and storage controls.

21.8 Right-click and image-dragging behavior

GuideMeet will not disable right-click globally. Such a control is easily bypassed and may interfere with accessibility and ordinary browser functionality.

GuideMeet may optionally disable image dragging as a casual deterrent, for example:

<img
src="/media/public/example.webp"
alt="Guide in Kathmandu"
draggable="false"
>

Image dragging controls do not prevent copying, screenshots or other forms of reuse. The watermark, protected originals, metadata controls, hashing and CDN/WAF measures provide more meaningful protection.

21.9 Image asset records and hashing

GuideMeet may maintain an image-asset record containing fields similar to:

ImageAsset
id
public_token
uploader_user_id
guide_profile_id optional
content_type
original_storage_key
rights_holder_name optional
creator_name optional
rights_status
original_sha256
perceptual_hash
watermark_version
invisible_signature
metadata_sanitized_at
processed_at
published_at optional
deleted_at optional
created_at
updated_at

GuideMeet may use cryptographic hashes and perceptual hashes to:

• identify duplicate uploads;
• connect public derivatives to the relevant asset record;
• investigate unauthorized reuse;
• support moderation, fraud prevention and abuse investigations; and
• manage asset lifecycle and deletion.

Sequential database IDs must not be exposed in public image URLs. Public URLs should use opaque public tokens or equivalent non-sequential identifiers.

Hashes and asset records do not establish ownership by themselves. Copyright and other rights remain with the applicable rights holder unless transferred by a separate written agreement.

21.10 Deletion and image lifecycle

When an image is deleted, GuideMeet should:

1. immediately remove it from the Guide Profile, Service, Guide Insight or other applicable public content;
2. invalidate or purge public CDN copies;
3. mark the asset as deleted;
4. remove the private original according to the applicable retention schedule;
5. preserve it only where required for an active report, dispute, legal hold or security investigation; and
6. record the deletion in the audit log.

Account closure should trigger the same process for the account’s public images, subject to legal, safety, dispute, reporting and retention requirements.

Deletion from GuideMeet does not necessarily remove copies previously saved, cached, indexed, screenshotted or reposted by third parties.

21.11 User-facing upload notice and rights confirmation

GuideMeet should place the following notice directly below the image uploader:

Public images may be resized, optimized and displayed with visible or invisible GuideMeet platform identifiers and standardized rights metadata. These measures identify GuideMeet as the hosting platform and help investigate unauthorized reuse. They do not transfer ownership of the image to GuideMeet or constitute verification or endorsement.

Before a Guide submits an image for public display, the Guide must confirm:

I confirm that I own this image or have the permissions and consents necessary to upload and publicly display it.

GuideMeet may reject, remove or restrict an image where it reasonably suspects that the Guide lacks the required rights, permissions or consents, or where the image violates the Terms, privacy requirements, safety rules or applicable law.

21.12 Rights and responsibilities

The Guide remains responsible for:

• owning the image or holding the necessary licence;
• obtaining required permissions and consents;
• avoiding unlawful use of another person’s likeness, confidential material or protected content;
• identifying the actual rights holder where requested;
• ensuring that public display does not violate privacy, publicity, copyright, trademark or other rights; and
• responding to rights-related inquiries concerning the uploaded image.

Uploading an image does not transfer ownership to GuideMeet. The Guide grants GuideMeet the licences described in the Terms of Use that are necessary to host, process, resize, optimize, display, distribute through the Platform and protect the image.

GuideMeet does not promise that watermarking, metadata, hashing, access controls, crawler controls, CDN/WAF controls or other measures will prevent every download, screenshot, copy, modification or unauthorized reuse.

22. Image Protection Rollout

GuideMeet intends to implement image-protection measures in the following order:

1. update the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy;
2. add the upload notice and rights confirmation;
3. build private-original and public-rendition storage;
4. implement metadata sanitization;
5. add visible watermarking;
6. add controlled IPTC/XMP metadata;
7. add hashes and asset records;
8. test invisible watermark technology;
9. enable the invisible watermark after passing resilience testing;
10. configure CDN/WAF controls;
11. process new uploads; and
12. notify existing Guides and regenerate existing public images after the updated Terms take effect.

This system is intended to provide practical, legally clearer and technically defensible protection without claiming that downloading or copying can be completely prevented.

23. Elite Personal Website Services

Elite may include personal website design, website SEO setup and monthly website updates. These services must not be activated until GuideMeet presents an applicable Website Service Schedule or equivalent written terms covering, at minimum:

• scope and deliverables;
• design and revision limits;
• domain-name ownership and renewal responsibility;
• hosting ownership and fees;
• website content responsibility;
• intellectual-property ownership and licences;
• third-party themes, plugins, software and accounts;
• SEO scope and the absence of ranking guarantees;
• monthly update allowances;
• security, backup and maintenance responsibilities;
• suspension, cancellation and handoff; and
• what happens to the website after downgrade or termination.

Unless the applicable Website Service Schedule states otherwise, ongoing SEO support and monthly updates end when Elite access ends. GuideMeet must not delete, transfer, disable or retain control of a Guide-owned domain or website contrary to the applicable schedule or law.

No search-engine ranking, traffic, Inquiry, booking or revenue result is guaranteed.

24. Trials, Promotions and Credits

GuideMeet does not offer a free trial unless one is expressly presented at checkout.

Any trial, coupon, credit or promotion may have separate eligibility, duration, conversion, expiry and renewal terms. Before collecting payment details for a trial that converts into a paid subscription, GuideMeet will disclose the conversion date, price, billing frequency and cancellation method and obtain any required consent.

Promotional credits:

• are not redeemable for cash unless required by law;
• may expire as disclosed;
• may be limited to a particular plan, country or account;
• may not be transferred or combined unless permitted; and
• do not create a right to future promotional pricing.

GuideMeet may reject or withdraw a promotion obtained through fraud, duplicate accounts, false eligibility or misuse.

25. Billing Records and Subscription History

GuideMeet may retain subscription, invoice, tax, consent, cancellation, refund, payment-status and dispute records for the period required or permitted by applicable financial, accounting, tax, fraud-prevention and legal obligations.

GuideMeet may also retain image-asset records, hashes, processing records, watermark versions, deletion records, rights confirmations and related security or moderation records as necessary for the purposes described in this Policy, the Privacy Policy or applicable law.

Subscription acceptance, renewal notices, invoices, cancellation confirmations and refund communications may be provided electronically and retained as transaction records.

Guides should have access to available billing history, plan status, renewal date and cancellation status through account settings or support.

The Privacy Policy explains how billing-related and image-related personal information is collected, used, disclosed, secured and retained.

26. Suspension or Termination for Violations

A paid subscription does not prevent GuideMeet from moderating, restricting or terminating an account, profile, message, content, image, verification signal, Guide Network feature, Consultation or Service for violation of the Terms, Community & Messaging Guidelines, Guide Standards & Verification Policy, image-rights requirements or applicable law.

Where GuideMeet terminates or restricts an account for a serious or repeated violation, unused subscription fees are not refundable unless required by law or GuideMeet determines otherwise. This does not permit GuideMeet to retain money where doing so would be unlawful.

GuideMeet may preserve billing, consent, image, moderation, safety and other records as described in the Privacy Policy.

27. Changes to Plans, Features, Prices and Image Controls

GuideMeet may change plans, limits, features, image-processing methods or prices to reflect product development, provider costs, market conditions, safety requirements, security improvements or law.

A change does not retroactively alter a charge already completed.

For an active recurring paid subscription, GuideMeet will provide reasonable advance notice before a material price increase or material reduction in core paid benefits takes effect at a future renewal. The notice should state the new price or change, effective renewal date and cancellation method.

Where applicable law requires renewed affirmative consent, GuideMeet will obtain it before charging the changed amount. If the Guide does not accept a required change, GuideMeet may allow the subscription to end at the close of the current term.

Safety limits, anti-spam controls, legal restrictions, image-security controls and temporary emergency controls may change without advance notice where reasonably necessary to protect users or the Platform.

28. Country-Specific Rights

This Policy applies globally wherever Guide subscriptions are offered, but mandatory consumer, subscription, tax, payment or electronic-contract rules may vary by jurisdiction.

GuideMeet’s intended country coverage may include Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Vietnam, the United States, Malaysia, Thailand, Bhutan, Japan, India and Tibet/China. Listing a country or destination does not mean that subscriptions or every payment method are legally or technically available there.

Before activating paid subscriptions in a new country, GuideMeet may implement additional checkout disclosures, tax treatment, invoice requirements, renewal reminders, cooling-off rights, payment methods, cancellation procedures, local contacts or other safeguards.

If applicable law provides a non-waivable right that is more favorable than this Policy, that legal right controls.

For legal and operational purposes, Tibet is addressed under the applicable requirements of China rather than treated as a separate legal jurisdiction.

29. Relationship to Other GuideMeet Policies

This Policy should be read together with:

• the Terms of Use at https://guidemeet.com/terms;
• the Privacy Policy at https://guidemeet.com/privacy;
• the Cookie Policy at https://guidemeet.com/cookies;
• the Community & Messaging Guidelines at https://guidemeet.com/community-messaging-rules;
• the Guide Standards & Verification Policy at https://guidemeet.com/guide-standards-verification; and
• the Plans and Pricing page at https://guidemeet.com/for-guides/plans-pricing.

The checkout confirmation controls the accepted plan price, currency and billing interval. This Policy controls subscription administration, cancellation and refunds. The Terms of Use control general Platform use. A feature-specific agreement controls only for the applicable feature where it expressly states that it supersedes this Policy.

30. Changes to This Policy

GuideMeet may update this Policy to reflect changes in plans, billing practices, payment providers, Platform features, image-processing practices, security controls or law.

We will publish the updated version and revise the Last updated date. Material changes affecting an active paid subscription will be notified as described in Section 27 and as required by law.

Continued use of free features or continued upload and display of public images after an update constitutes acceptance where permitted by law. A material change to recurring charges will not be imposed solely through silence where fresh consent is legally required.

31. Billing, Image and Legal Contact

For subscription, cancellation, invoice, payment or refund questions, contact:

Guidemeet Private limited

Company registration number: 39018/82/83
PAN/VAT number: 623613331
Registered address: KOTESHWAR, KATHMANDU 44600, NEPAL
Email: info@guidemeet.com
Website: https://guidemeet.com

For privacy questions, image-rights matters or legal requests, contact legal@guidemeet.com.