Terms of Service

1. Operator

Service name: Studio HAKO

Operator: VLC International

Address: Tokyo, Japan

Contact: info.studiohako@gmail.com

2. Definitions

In these Terms:

• “Client”, “you” — the business or authorized representative applying for or using the Services.
• “End customer” — a guest who books through your booking page.
• “Preview” — a staging site built from your intake data, provided free of charge for evaluation.
• “Launch” — connecting your domain, enabling production hosting, and making the site publicly available.
• “Build fee” — the one-time Standard or Premium website construction fee.
• “Hosting fee” — the recurring monthly fee for hosting, operations, and platform maintenance.

3. Eligibility & authority

You must be at least 18 years old and have authority to contract on behalf of the business you represent.

You represent that all information submitted in the intake form is accurate and that you will keep it updated.

You may not use the Services for unlawful purposes, fraudulent bookings, spam, or activities that harm third parties.

4. Free preview

We may provide one Preview per application at no charge. The Preview is for evaluation only and is not a production environment.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, a Preview includes: one staging URL, one-page layout, booking widget for testing, admin access, application of intake data, and one round of copy/menu revisions.

A Preview does not include: custom domain setup, production launch, Premium custom design, bilingual production copy, photo retouching, Google Maps/SEO setup, or unlimited redesigns.

Previews are valid for 14 days from delivery unless extended in writing. If we receive no response within 14 days, we may take the Preview offline without notice.

You must not publicly advertise the staging URL, share it as your official website, or use it to accept real paid bookings unless we explicitly authorize production use.

If you choose not to Launch, no Build fee or Hosting fee is charged for the Preview period.

5. Fees & payment

Build fees and plan details are shown on our website at the time of application. All listed prices include Japanese consumption tax unless stated otherwise.

The Build fee is invoiced only after you approve the Preview and confirm that you wish to Launch.

Hosting is billed in advance for the period you select at launch approval (12 months standard with a discount, 6 months, or 1 month on request). Renewal is by bank transfer unless otherwise agreed.

Payment is by bank transfer unless we separately agree otherwise. Build fee and selected prepaid Hosting are due in one combined transfer unless we state otherwise on your payment page. You are responsible for bank transfer fees charged by your financial institution.

Guest bookings are for reservation only. End customers pay at your shop when they visit unless you separately arrange otherwise. We do not charge a per-booking commission.

If payment is overdue by more than 14 days after the due date, we may suspend the Preview or production site, withhold Launch, or terminate the Services after written notice.

6. Refunds & cancellation before Launch

Because the Preview is provided without a Build fee, there is no Build fee to refund if you decline to Launch.

If you have prepaid a Build fee under a separate written agreement, refund eligibility will be governed by that agreement.

After Launch, Build fees are non-refundable except where required by applicable law or where we failed to deliver the agreed Launch scope through our fault.

Hosting prepaid periods are non-refundable for unused months except where required by applicable law.

7. Client responsibilities

• Provide accurate business, menu, hours, contact, and branding information.
• Supply photos, logos, and text you have the legal right to use.
• Review the Preview promptly and communicate approval or requested changes within the Preview period.
• Maintain confidentiality of admin credentials and notify us promptly if credentials are compromised.
• Ensure your use of booking notifications complies with email/marketing laws applicable to your business.
• Inform end customers of your own shop policies, cancellation rules, and privacy practices.

8. Content, intellectual property & indemnity

You retain ownership of content you provide (text, photos, logos, trademarks), subject to the licenses below.

You grant us a non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, adapt, and display your content solely to provide the Preview, Launch, and ongoing Services.

You represent and warrant that your content does not infringe third-party rights and does not violate law or public order.

You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from claims, damages, and costs arising from your content, your business operations, your end-customer disputes, or your breach of these Terms.

Our platform, templates, underlying software, workflows, and non-client-specific materials remain our intellectual property. You receive a license to use the delivered site for your business while Hosting is active and fees are current.

Until Build fee payment and Launch, Preview materials may remain our property. After Launch and payment, the delivered site content is yours subject to platform components and third-party licenses.

9. Booking & business data

Booking records, customer names, contact details submitted by end customers, and operational data generated for your shop are your business data.

We process such data as a service provider to operate the booking system, send notifications you configure, and provide admin tools.

We do not sell your booking data to third parties.

You are responsible for handling end-customer inquiries, cancellations, refunds between you and your customers, and compliance with applicable privacy laws for your end customers.

We may create anonymized or aggregated statistics that do not identify you or your customers.

10. Support & changes

Support scope depends on your plan (Standard vs Premium) as described on our website at the time of Launch.

We may improve, modify, or replace features for security, legal compliance, or operational reasons. We will use reasonable efforts to avoid removing core booking functionality without notice.

Requests outside plan scope, emergency changes, or repeated revision rounds beyond included support may be billed separately if agreed in advance.

11. Disclaimers

• We do not guarantee specific booking volume, revenue, search rankings, map visibility, or business results.
• The Services are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis to the maximum extent permitted by law.
• We are not responsible for failures caused by third-party services (hosting infrastructure, email delivery, DNS providers, payment processors, internet outages).
• You are responsible for backups of business-critical information beyond what we explicitly include in your plan.

12. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, we are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or lost-profit damages.

Our total liability for any claim relating to the Services is limited to the total fees you paid to us for the Services in the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim.

Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.

13. Suspension & termination

You may cancel Hosting by giving us written notice. Cancellation stops future Hosting billing; access may continue until the end of the current billing period unless otherwise agreed.

We may suspend or terminate Services if you breach these Terms, fail to pay, misuse the platform, provide unlawful content, or create security or legal risk.

Upon termination, we may take the site offline. You may request a reasonable export of your business data within 30 days, subject to outstanding fees and technical feasibility.

After the export window, we may delete data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and operational schedules.

14. Privacy

Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle personal information. By using the Services, you also agree to the Privacy Policy.

15. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms by posting a revised version on our website with a new effective date.

Material changes will be communicated by reasonable means. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance, except where applicable law requires explicit consent.

16. Governing law & disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of Japan.

Unless mandatory law provides otherwise, the 東京地方裁判所 shall have exclusive jurisdiction for the first instance for disputes relating to these Terms.

17. General

• If any provision is invalid, the remaining provisions remain in effect.
• Failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver.
• These Terms and any written estimate/order form approved by both parties constitute the entire agreement regarding the Services, unless otherwise stated in writing.
• You may not assign these Terms without our consent. We may assign these Terms in connection with a business transfer.