Terms & Conditions

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing, browsing, or using the Thirst Academy platform at thirstacademy.com(the “Platform”), you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions and all applicable laws and regulations. If you do not agree with any of these terms, you are prohibited from using or accessing this Platform. These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Thirst Academy.

2. Description of Service

Thirst Academy is an education platform and job marketplace serving the beverage and hospitality industry. Our services include:

• Online courses and instructional content covering wine, spirits, sake, and related hospitality topics
• Professional certification programs recognized within the beverage industry
• A job board connecting employers in the beverage and hospitality sectors with qualified professionals
• A talent network and profile system for job seekers to showcase their credentials
• API access for authorized employers to submit and manage job listings programmatically

Thirst Academy reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Platform at any time without notice.

3. User Accounts and Responsibilities

To access certain features of the Platform, you must create an account. By registering, you agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and keep your account information updated
• Maintain the security of your account, including keeping your password confidential and restricting access to your account
• Accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account
• Notify Thirst Academy immediately of any unauthorized use of your account

The Platform supports the following account types, each with distinct permissions and obligations:

• Student — Access to courses, quizzes, and certifications
• Instructor — Ability to create and publish course content subject to Thirst Academy review
• Employer — Ability to post job listings and access the talent network
• Admin — Administrative access to manage platform content and users

4. Job Board — Employer Responsibilities

4.1 Accuracy and Responsibility for Postings

Employers are solely responsible for the accuracy, legality, truthfulness, and content of their job postings. By submitting a job listing, employers represent and warrant that all information contained in the posting is accurate, not misleading, and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

4.2 Compliance with Employment Laws

Employers must comply with all applicable employment laws when using the job board, including but not limited to:

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
• The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)
• All applicable state and local anti-discrimination laws
• The Equal Pay Act and all pay transparency laws in jurisdictions where applicable

4.3 Non-Discrimination in Job Postings

Employers must not post job listings that discriminate, directly or indirectly, based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Job requirements must be based solely on bona fide occupational qualifications and the legitimate needs of the position.

4.4 Genuine Job Postings Required

Employers represent and warrant that each job posting reflects a genuine, currently open position with actual intent to hire. The following practices are expressly prohibited:

• “Ghost job” postings — listings posted with no genuine intent to fill the position in the near term, including postings maintained solely to build a candidate pipeline with no active hiring process
• Posting a position that has already been filled without promptly removing the listing
• Posting fictitious positions for market research, competitive intelligence, or any purpose other than active recruitment
• Misrepresenting the nature, compensation, location, or requirements of a position

4.5 Moderation and Removal

All employer-submitted job listings are subject to moderation review before publication. Thirst Academy reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to remove any listing that appears fraudulent, discriminatory, misleading, or in violation of these Terms. Thirst Academy may also suspend or terminate employer accounts for repeated or egregious violations. Removal of a listing does not constitute a waiver of any rights or remedies available to Thirst Academy.

5. Job Board — Job Seeker Acknowledgments

By using the Thirst Academy job board as a job seeker, you acknowledge and agree to the following:

• Thirst Academy does not guarantee the accuracy of any job listing. Job descriptions, compensation ranges, location details, and requirements are provided by employers and have not been independently verified by Thirst Academy.
• Some listings may be sourced from external job boards (such as Adzuna and other third-party aggregators) and Thirst Academyhas not independently verified these employers or the accuracy of their listings.
• Job seekers should exercise due diligence before applying, including independently researching employers and not providing sensitive personal or financial information unless you have verified the legitimacy of the employer.
• Thirst Academy is not a party to any employment relationship between a job seeker and an employer. Any hiring decision, offer of employment, or employment agreement is solely between the job seeker and the employer.
• Thirst Academy is not responsible for the actions, omissions, or conduct of any employer listed on the Platform.

6. External Job Listings Disclaimer

Certain job listings displayed on the Thirst Academy Platform are aggregated from third-party sources, including but not limited to Adzuna and other job aggregation services. With respect to these externally sourced listings:

• Thirst Academy makes no representation regarding the accuracy, availability, or legitimacy of externally sourced listings.
• Thirst Academy does not control the content of external listings and is not responsible for errors, omissions, or misleading information they may contain.
• External listings link to third-party websites and application portals that are governed by the terms and privacy policies of those third parties, not Thirst Academy.
• You apply to externally sourced listings at your own discretion and risk. Thirst Academy recommends independently verifying any employer before submitting an application or personal information.

7. API Usage Terms

Thirst Academy provides API access to authorized employers for programmatic submission and management of job listings. Use of the Thirst Academy API is subject to the following terms:

• API keys are issued to specific authorized employer accounts and are for that account’s exclusive use. API keys must not be shared, transferred, published, or otherwise disclosed to any third party.
• All jobs submitted via API are subject to the same moderation review and anti-discrimination policies that apply to manually submitted listings. Automated submission does not exempt a listing from these requirements.
• Employers are responsible for all actions taken using their API key, regardless of whether the submission was intentional or the result of a third-party integration.
• Thirst Academy reserves the right to revoke API access at any time, with or without cause, including for violation of these Terms or for any other reason at Thirst Academy’s sole discretion.
• Rate limits apply to all API endpoints. Exceeding rate limits may result in temporary suspension of API access.
• The API must not be used to scrape, harvest, or otherwise collect data from the Platform beyond the scope of your authorized employer use case.

8. Intellectual Property

The Platform and its content are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

• Course content, video lessons, quiz materials, study guides, and related educational materials are owned by Thirst Academy or its licensed instructors. All rights are reserved.
• Users may not reproduce, distribute, publicly display, transmit, modify, or create derivative works from any course content without the prior written permission of Thirst Academy or the relevant content owner.
• Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of course content, including sharing login credentials to circumvent individual licensing, is a violation of these Terms and applicable copyright law.
• Certificates of completion issued by Thirst Academy are the property of the recipient. However, Thirst Academy retains the right to verify, audit, and, in cases of fraud or terms violation, revoke any certificate.
• The Thirst Academy name, logo, and associated brand marks are trademarks of Thirst Academy. You may not use these marks without prior written consent.

9. Payment and Refund Policy

9.1 Payment Processing

All course purchases and subscription payments are processed securely through Stripe. By making a purchase, you authorizeThirst Academy to charge your payment method through Stripe for the applicable fees. You agree to provide accurate and complete billing information.

9.2 Refund Policy

Refund requests for course purchases must be submitted within 14 days of the original purchase date. To request a refund, contact [email protected] with your order details. Refunds are issued at Thirst Academy’s discretion and may be denied if a substantial portion of the course content has been accessed or the certification exam has been attempted.

9.3 Subscription Cancellations

Subscription cancellations take effect at the end of the current billing period. You will retain access to all subscription benefits until the period ends. No partial refunds are issued for unused time in a billing period following cancellation. Subscriptions may be cancelled at any time through your account billing portal.

10. Privacy and Data Collection (CCPA/CPRA)

Thirst Academy is committed to protecting your privacy and complying with applicable data protection laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA).

10.1 Data We Collect

Thirst Academy collects personal information including but not limited to: name, email address, work history, resume information, professional certifications, payment information (processed by Stripe), course progress, and usage data collected through standard web technologies.

10.2 California Residents — Your CCPA/CPRA Rights

California residents have the following rights under the CCPA/CPRA:

• Right to Know — the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you
• Right to Delete — request deletion of your personal information subject to certain exceptions
• Right to Correct — request correction of inaccurate personal information
• Right to Opt-Out — of the sale or sharing of your personal information
• Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information

Important note for job applicants: The CCPA/CPRA employment and job applicant data exemption expired on January 1, 2023. Accordingly, job applicant data submitted through theThirst Academy Platform is subject to all CCPA/CPRA rights listed above.

Thirst Academy will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your privacy rights. To submit a data request, contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 45 days as required by law.

11. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW:

• Thirst Academy’s total aggregate liability for any claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Platform shall not exceed the greater of (a) the total amount paid by you toThirst Academy in the three-month period immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) $10.00 USD.
• Thirst Academy is not liable for any interactions, disputes, or transactions between users of the Platform, including employer-to-job-seeker relationships, hiring decisions, or employment outcomes.
• Thirst Academy disclaims all warranties, express or implied, regarding job listing accuracy, employment outcomes, third-party content, and the fitness of the Platform for any particular purpose.
• Thirst Academy is not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of profits, loss of data, or loss of goodwill, even ifThirst Academy has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
• The Platform is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. Thirst Academy does not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses or other harmful components.

12. Anti-Discrimination Policy

Thirst Academy is committed to equal opportunity and a discrimination-free platform. We do not tolerate discriminatory job postings, user conduct, or course content on our Platform.

• Job postings that contain discriminatory language, unlawful requirements, or that target or exclude applicants based on any protected characteristic will be removed immediately upon discovery.
• Employer accounts found to have submitted discriminatory listings may be suspended or permanently terminated.
• Thirst Academy cooperates with regulatory inquiries from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and other enforcement agencies.

To report a potentially discriminatory job posting or other policy violation, contact us at [email protected]. We take all reports seriously and will investigate promptly.

13. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Thirst Academy, its officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents, licensors, and service providers from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, awards, losses, costs, expenses, and fees (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating to: (a) your use of or access to the Platform; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of any third-party right, including any intellectual property right or privacy right; (d) any job posting you submit to the Platform; or (e) any claim that your content or conduct caused damage to a third party.

14. Termination

Thirst Academy may suspend or terminate your account and access to the Platform at any time, with or without notice, for any violation of these Terms, including but not limited to:

• Submitting fraudulent or discriminatory job postings
• Violating intellectual property rights
• Engaging in conduct harmful to other users or to Thirst Academy
• Misrepresenting your identity or credentials
• Any unauthorized use of API keys or access credentials

Upon termination, your right to access the Platform ceases immediately. Provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination (including limitation of liability, indemnification, intellectual property, and governing law) will continue to apply after termination.

15. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Oregon, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Platform that is not resolved informally shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Multnomah County, Oregon. You consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts and waive any objection to venue in such courts. Before initiating formal legal proceedings, you agree to attempt to resolve any dispute by contactingThirst Academy at [email protected].

16. Changes to These Terms

Thirst Academyreserves the right to update or modify these Terms at any time. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, provide notice through the Platform or by email. Your continued use of the Platform following the posting of revised Terms constitutes your acceptance of those changes. We encourage you to review these Terms periodically.

17. Contact Information

If you have questions about these Terms & Conditions, please contact us: