Terms of service

1. Who we are

Au Pair Nation (“we”, “us”) is a company registered in South Africa that operates the website aupairnation.com (the “Service”). These terms are a contract between you and us. By creating an account you agree to them.

2. What the Service is, and is not

The Service introduces families seeking an au pair to people offering au pair services, and provides tools such as profiles, matching and messaging to help them get to know each other.

We are not an employment agency, a placement agency, a labour broker or a visa sponsor. We do not employ au pairs, we do not place them, and we are not a party to any arrangement between a family and an au pair. Any agreement about work, pay, accommodation or conduct is solely between the family and the au pair.

3. Eligibility

• You must be at least 18 years old.
• You must have, or independently obtain, the legal right to live and work in the country where the family lives before starting any placement. We do not arrange or advise on visas.
• You may hold one account, as either a family or an au pair.
• We may refuse or close an account at our discretion, including where identity verification fails.

4. Identity verification

To keep the Service safe, all users must verify their identity through our verification partner before their profile is shown to others. You consent to us sharing the information needed for that check with the partner. Verification confirms identity only; it is not a background check, a criminal record check or a guarantee of character.

5. Your responsibilities

You agree to:

• give accurate, current information in your profile;
• upload only photos you have the right to use, and never photos showing children’s faces;
• treat other users respectfully and follow our community guidelines;
• take your own reasonable precautions before meeting anyone in person or entering a placement, including interviewing, checking references and putting your agreement in writing;
• comply with all laws that apply to you, including employment and tax laws in your country.

You agree not to:

• use the Service for any purpose other than finding or offering au pair services;
• harass, threaten, discriminate against or exploit any user;
• request or offer payment for anything other than a genuine au pair arrangement;
• scrape, copy or resell any part of the Service or its data;
• create a false identity or impersonate anyone.

6. Fees

The Service is currently free for families and au pairs. If we introduce fees for families in future, we will publish them clearly before they apply. Au pairs will not be charged for using the Service.

7. Content and licence

You own the content you post. You grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide licence to store, display and share it within the Service for the purpose of operating the Service. You can delete your content or your account at any time, after which we will remove your profile from view and delete your data as described in our privacy policy.

8. Safety and moderation

We may review reports, remove content, suspend or close accounts and cooperate with law enforcement where we reasonably believe the rules have been broken or someone is at risk. We do not monitor every conversation and cannot guarantee the conduct of any user.

9. Disclaimer and limitation of liability

The Service is provided “as is”. We do not guarantee that you will find a match, that any user is suitable, or that any placement will succeed. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for any loss or harm arising from your use of the Service, from any arrangement between users, or from the conduct of any user. Nothing in these terms excludes liability that cannot be excluded under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 or other applicable law.

10. Changes

We may update these terms. We will notify you of material changes by email or a notice in the Service at least 14 days before they take effect. Continued use after that date means you accept the new terms.

11. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Disputes will be heard in the courts of South Africa, unless the law of your country of residence gives you the right to have them heard elsewhere.

12. Contact

Questions about these terms: hello@aupairnation.com.