Terms of Service

1. About Shoghlak

Shoghlak ("Shoghlak", "we") is an online marketplace operated by [Company legal name], commercial registration [Commercial registration no.], [Registered address, Egypt]. It connects clients with technology professionals and consultants in Egypt.

By creating an account or using Shoghlak, you agree to these Terms, the Privacy Policy and the Refund Policy. If you don't agree, please don't use the platform.

2. Your account

• You must be legally able to enter into contracts under Egyptian law to create an account. [Minimum age to be confirmed by counsel.]
• Give accurate information and keep it up to date. One person per account; accounts can't be sold or transferred.
• Keep your password private. You're responsible for activity on your account. Tell us at once if you suspect misuse.
• Administrators must use two-step sign-in. Any account can turn it on in Settings.

3. Our role

Shoghlak provides the marketplace, the agreement tools and the payment flow. The agreement for each job, service order or consultation is between the client and the professional. Shoghlak is not a party to the work itself, does not employ professionals, and does not guarantee the outcome of any work.

4. Jobs, services and consultations

• Clients can post jobs and receive proposals, order a professional's published service, or book a consultation.
• Hiring a proposal, placing an order or booking a consultation creates an agreement. Its price, milestones and terms are fixed when it's made and can't be changed by one side alone.
• Professionals deliver through the platform; clients approve each milestone or request changes as the agreement allows.

5. Payments and held funds

• Payments are made through Shoghlak and processed by our payment provider. Card details are entered on the provider's page; Shoghlak never stores them.
• When a client pays, the money is held. It becomes payable to the professional only when the work is accepted: a milestone is approved, or a consultation is completed.
• Payable earnings are paid out at the professional's request.
• Arranging or taking payment outside Shoghlak for work found on Shoghlak is not allowed and may lead to suspension.

6. Fees

Shoghlak charges professionals a commission, deducted from the amount they receive. The current rate is shown before an agreement is made and is fixed for that agreement when it's made; later changes don't affect existing agreements. When money is refunded, the matching share of the commission is reversed.

Clients pay a service fee on top of the agreed amount when they fund a milestone or a consultation (currently 3%). It's shown before paying, and when money is refunded, the matching share of the service fee is refunded too.

Each payout of earnings to a professional has a fixed payout fee (currently EGP 15), deducted from the amount sent and shown before the payout is requested.

Professionals can also pay for optional features: a featured placement for a service (shown first in search for a set number of days), Shoghlak Pro (a lower commission on agreements made while it's active, a Pro label and statistics, paid monthly with no automatic renewal), and verification checks. The price is shown before you pay. A verification fee is refunded if the check isn't approved or you withdraw it; other features take effect when paid and aren't refundable once they've started, except where the law requires.

7. Refunds, cancellations and disputes

Refunds, booking cancellations and disputes follow the Refund Policy, which is part of these Terms.

8. Acceptable use

You may not use Shoghlak to:

• break the law, or infringe anyone's intellectual property or privacy;
• harass, threaten, scam or mislead other users;
• post spam, fake reviews or misleading listings;
• ask for or take payment outside the platform;
• upload malware or try to break, overload or bypass the platform's security.

9. Content and intellectual property

• You keep ownership of the content you post. You allow Shoghlak to host and display it as needed to run the platform.
• Ownership of deliverables is governed by the agreement between the client and the professional. [Default rule, for example transfer upon full payment, to be confirmed by counsel.]
• Reviews must be honest and based on real work. They can't be bought, and they can't be removed in exchange for payment.

10. Reports, moderation and suspension

Anyone can report a profile, listing or message. Our administrators review reports and may hide content or suspend accounts that break these Terms. Administrator actions are recorded with a reason. Work already in progress is handled through refunds and disputes.

11. Closing your account

You can close your account at any time in Settings, unless work or money is still in progress (an active project or order, an upcoming booking, an open dispute, or a payment, refund, payout or unpaid earnings). Closure is permanent. What we delete and what we keep is described in the Privacy Policy.

12. Liability

Shoghlak is provided as is. To the extent Egyptian law allows, we are not liable for the work, conduct or content of users, or for indirect losses. Nothing in these Terms limits liability that can't be limited by law. [Liability terms to be completed by counsel.]

13. Changes

We may update these Terms. We'll show the new date at the top and tell you of significant changes before they apply. Continuing to use Shoghlak after that means you accept them.

14. Law and contact

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the courts of [city] have jurisdiction. Questions: [contact email].