Terms and Conditions for Listeners

To become a Listener on Talksy, you must meet the following requirements:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Have the legal capacity to enter into binding agreements
• Provide accurate and complete registration information (phone, name, gender, language preferences)
• Pass our approval process, which may include identity verification and background checks
• Agree to comply with all applicable laws and regulations
• Meet any additional criteria we establish for listener quality and safety

Approval Process:

• All listener applications are subject to review and approval by Talksy
• Your status will be marked as "pending" during the review process
• Once approved, your status will change to "approved" and you can start accepting calls
• We reserve the right to reject any application without providing a reason
• We may request additional information or documentation during the approval process
• Approval is not guaranteed and is at our sole discretion

Independent Contractor:

You acknowledge and agree that you are an independent contractor and not an employee, agent, or representative of Talksy. Nothing in these Terms creates an employment, partnership, or agency relationship between you and Talksy.

"Platform" refers to the Talksy Listener mobile application, related services, and features.

"Services" means the listening and conversation services you provide to Callers through the Platform.

"Caller" or "User" means individuals who use Talksy to connect with Listeners for audio/video conversations.

"Call Session" means an audio or video conversation between you and a Caller.

"Earnings" refers to the money you receive for providing listening services, calculated based on call duration and your charge per minute rate.

"Charge Per Minute" means the rate you set for your services, which Callers pay using coins.

"Availability Status" means your online/offline status that controls whether you appear available to Callers.

As a Listener, you agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration
• Maintain and promptly update your profile information
• Keep your account credentials secure and confidential
• Not share your account with others or allow others to use your account
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account
• Take responsibility for all activities that occur under your account
• Set appropriate and reasonable charge per minute rates
• Accurately indicate your call preferences (audio, video, or both)
• Update your language preferences to match your actual language capabilities

Profile Visibility:

When you are online and available, your profile (name, rates, call preferences, language) will be visible to Callers looking for listeners. You control your visibility by toggling your online/offline status.

As a Listener on Talksy, you agree to:

Service Quality:

• Provide attentive, respectful, and empathetic listening services
• Maintain a professional and supportive demeanor during all calls
• Be available and responsive when you are marked as "online"
• Accept or decline incoming calls promptly
• Ensure good audio/video quality and a quiet environment for calls
• Communicate in the languages you have indicated in your profile

Scope of Services:

• You are NOT a licensed therapist, counselor, or medical professional (unless separately licensed)
• You provide casual conversation and empathetic listening only
• You may not provide medical, legal, financial, or professional advice
• You may not diagnose or treat mental health conditions
• If a Caller is in crisis or needs professional help, direct them to appropriate emergency services or professional resources

Availability Management:

• You control your availability by toggling your online/offline status
• When online, you should be ready to accept incoming calls
• You may decline calls, but excessive declinations may affect your ratings or account standing
• You may end calls early if a Caller violates our guidelines or behaves inappropriately

Prohibited Activities:

• Recording calls is strictly prohibited - You may not record, store, or share any part of your conversations
• Sharing personal contact information (phone, email, social media) with Callers
• Arranging to meet Callers in person or outside the Platform
• Engaging in romantic or sexual conversations
• Soliciting tips, payments, or services outside the Platform
• Discriminating against Callers based on protected characteristics
• Harassing, bullying, or being disrespectful to Callers

As a Listener, you earn money by providing listening services to Callers:

Earnings Calculation:

• You set your own "charge per minute" rate (subject to platform minimums/maximums)
• Callers pay using coins they have purchased on the platform
• Your earnings are calculated based on the actual call duration × your charge per minute rate
• Talksy takes a commission/platform fee from your earnings (fee structure will be disclosed separately)
• Earnings are tracked in real-time and visible in your account

Payouts:

• You can request payouts once you reach the minimum payout threshold
• Payouts are processed to your registered bank account or payment method
• Payout processing may take 3-7 business days
• You are responsible for any fees charged by your bank or payment provider
• You are responsible for paying applicable taxes on your earnings
• We reserve the right to withhold payouts if your account is under investigation for violations

Taxation:

You acknowledge that you are responsible for all taxes related to your earnings, including income tax, self-employment tax, and any other applicable taxes. Talksy does not withhold taxes on your behalf. You should consult with a tax professional regarding your tax obligations.

Platform Fees:

Talksy charges a platform fee/commission on your earnings to cover platform costs, payment processing, customer support, and technology infrastructure. The fee structure will be disclosed to you and may be updated with advance notice.

All Listeners must adhere to our community guidelines and professional standards:

Professional Conduct:

• Treat all Callers with respect, empathy, and non-judgment
• Maintain appropriate boundaries in all conversations
• Protect Caller confidentiality and privacy
• Be punctual and reliable when accepting calls
• Provide honest, genuine listening without judgment

Prohibited Behavior:

• Engaging in or requesting sexual or romantic conversations
• Sharing or requesting personal contact information
• Recording or storing conversation content in any form
• Discriminating against Callers based on race, religion, gender, sexuality, etc.
• Using the platform for commercial advertising or solicitation
• Providing professional services (therapy, legal, medical advice) without proper licensing
• Manipulating ratings or reviews
• Creating multiple accounts or sharing accounts
• Attempting to meet Callers outside the platform

Safety and Crisis Situations:

• If a Caller expresses suicidal thoughts or intent to harm themselves or others, direct them to emergency services (911, crisis hotline)
• You are not equipped or authorized to provide crisis intervention
• Report any concerning situations to Talksy support immediately
• You may end calls if you feel uncomfortable or if the Caller violates guidelines

Callers may provide ratings and feedback after call sessions:

• Ratings and feedback are visible to you and may influence your profile visibility
• Consistently low ratings may result in account review or suspension
• You may not manipulate, solicit, or incentivize positive ratings
• You may respond to feedback professionally and respectfully
• Talksy may remove inappropriate or false reviews

As a Listener, you agree to protect Caller privacy and confidentiality:

• All conversations with Callers are confidential
• You may not disclose, share, or discuss Caller conversations outside the platform
• We DO NOT record calls - Call content is not stored by Talksy
• Only call metadata (duration, time) is collected for billing and service purposes
• Your phone number is never shared with Callers
• Review our Privacy Policy for Listeners for complete details on data collection and use

Talksy may suspend or terminate your Listener account if you:

• Violate these Terms or Community Guidelines
• Engage in fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activities
• Receive consistently poor ratings or negative feedback
• Provide false information during registration or verification
• Fail to maintain professional standards
• Record or share conversations
• Harass or mistreat Callers
• Attempt to solicit or meet Callers outside the platform

Effect of Termination:

• Your access to the platform will be revoked
• Any pending earnings may be forfeited if termination was due to violations
• You may request final payout of legitimate earnings (subject to review)
• You may not create new accounts or re-apply as a listener

Voluntary Account Deletion:

• You may delete your account at any time through app settings
• Request final payout of any remaining earnings before deletion
• Your personal information will be anonymized (soft delete)
• Transaction history will be retained for legal compliance

To provide quality services, you must:

• Use a compatible device (smartphone or tablet) with the Talksy Listener app
• Maintain a stable internet connection for calls
• Ensure your device has working microphone and camera (for video calls)
• Keep your app updated to the latest version
• Use a quiet environment with minimal background noise
• Ensure adequate lighting for video calls
• Grant necessary permissions for notifications to receive incoming call alerts

Call Notifications:

We use FCM (Firebase Cloud Messaging) and VoIP push notifications to alert you of incoming calls when you are online. You must enable notifications to receive call requests.

All Talksy platform content, features, functionality, software, and design are owned by Talksy and protected by intellectual property laws. You may not:

• Copy, modify, or reverse engineer our software
• Use our trademarks, logos, or branding without permission
• Create derivative works based on our platform
• Extract or scrape data from the platform

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Talksy shall not be liable for:

• Interactions or disputes between you and Callers
• Lost earnings due to technical issues, platform downtime, or service interruptions
• Actions or behavior of Callers
• Any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages
• Issues with payout processing by third-party payment providers
• Tax liabilities or penalties related to your earnings

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Talksy from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from your use of the platform, violation of these Terms, or interactions with Callers.

These Terms are governed by the laws of India. You and Talksy agree that the courts of India will have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute.

Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall be referred to arbitration in Bengaluru in accordance with the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The arbitration shall be conducted in English, and the decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding.

If you have questions, concerns, or need support regarding:

• Technical issues with the app
• Account access or approval status
• Earnings or payout questions
• Reporting Caller violations or inappropriate behavior
• Privacy or data protection concerns

Please contact us at [email protected]. We aim to respond within 48 hours.

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by:

• Posting the updated Terms in the app with a new "Last Updated" date
• Sending a notification through the app or via SMS
• Requiring you to accept updated Terms before continuing to provide services

Your continued use of the platform after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.