Terms of Service

You need to be at least 18 (or the legal age in your area) and able to enter a contract. Keep your account info accurate and use HiveShare for personal, non-commercial purposes. We may refuse or close any membership if we need to.

HiveShare matches you with a real, working hive cared for by a partner beekeeper. You'll receive updates, photos, videos, and (depending on your tier) raw honey from the apiary looking after that hive. Multiple members may support the same hive.

A HiveShare membership is a content, sponsorship, and honey-goods experience. It does not give you any ownership, title, possession, partnership, investment, or security interest in any bees, hive, honey, equipment, apiary, land, or business. It also does not give you the right to visit, inspect, handle, or move any hive.

Keep your login info secure and let us know quickly at joinhiveshare@gmail.com if you think someone else is using your account. We aren't responsible for losses caused by your not protecting your credentials.

We offer three tiers — Worker, Forager, and Queen — with the benefits shown on the Site when you sign up. Tier benefits, pricing, delivery frequency, and inclusions may change, but changes won't reduce benefits you've already paid for during your current billing period.

Premium features like hive naming, certificates, handwritten notes, priority contact, and extra honey shipments are provided as a courtesy and may not follow a fixed schedule. Names must meet our content standards; we may refuse or revoke names that are offensive, infringing, or inappropriate.

Recurring billing. Memberships are monthly subscriptions (or otherwise shown at checkout) billed through Stripe. By subscribing, you authorize us and Stripe to charge your payment method on a recurring basis until you cancel.

Auto-renewal. Your subscription renews automatically at the then-current price until you cancel. You can cancel anytime through the billing portal in your confirmation email or by emailing joinhiveshare@gmail.com.

Price changes. We may raise prices with at least 30 days' notice by email. Continuing to use the service after the new price takes effect means you accept it.

Taxes. Prices don't include applicable sales, VAT, GST, or similar taxes, which may be added at checkout where required.

Failed payments. If a charge fails, we may retry, suspend delivery, or cancel the membership without refund for the affected period.

Changing tiers. We don't offer in-place plan swaps or prorated changes. To switch tiers, cancel your current membership and resubscribe at the new tier. Your current membership runs through the end of its billing period, and the new tier starts when you subscribe at its then-current price. Benefits and hive assignments do not transfer automatically between memberships.

You can cancel anytime. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period; you'll keep access through that period and won't be billed again.

All fees are non-refundable in whole or in part, including partial periods, unused benefits, undelivered courtesy items, missed harvests, shipping delays, or dissatisfaction, except (a) where required by law, or (b) if we choose to issue a refund or credit in our sole discretion. Issuing a credit in one case doesn't mean we'll do it again.

Chargebacks started without first contacting us at joinhiveshare@gmail.com may result in immediate account termination and loss of remaining benefits.

We ship physical items only to addresses within the delivery regions shown at checkout. You're responsible for providing an accurate, deliverable address and for someone being able to receive the shipment.

Delivery windows are estimates, not guarantees. We aren't responsible for delays or losses caused by carriers, weather, customs, address errors, theft after delivery, or force majeure events (Section 20).

Risk of loss and title pass to you when we hand the package to the carrier. If something arrives damaged, report it within 14 days of the carrier's delivery scan with photos. We'll decide, at our sole discretion, whether to replace it or give you store credit.

Members have no right to visit, contact, photograph, film, or try to identify any apiary, hive location, beekeeper, or farm. Doing so is a serious breach of these Terms and may result in immediate termination without refund, and could expose you to liability under trespass, nuisance, or agricultural-security laws. Hive locations are kept confidential for the safety and welfare of the bees, beekeepers, landowners, and members.

Beekeeping is outdoor, weather-dependent, and biological. Colonies can weaken, swarm, leave, die from disease, pests, pesticides, predators, weather, or theft, and honey yields vary each season. You accept these risks and understand that we can't guarantee the survival, productivity, or specific location of any matched hive, or that any particular update, photo, video, or honey shipment will happen on a specific date or at all. If a matched hive is lost, we may re-match you to another hive at our discretion; that's your only remedy for hive loss.

Honey shipped by HiveShare is a raw, minimally processed agricultural product. It may naturally contain pollen, wax, propolis, or crystallization. Color, flavor, and consistency vary by season and floral source.

Infants. Do not feed honey (raw or pasteurized) to children under 12 months of age. Raw honey can contain Clostridium botulinum spores that cause infant botulism, a potentially fatal illness.

Allergies. Honey may contain traces of pollen, bee parts, or other allergens and is packaged in facilities that handle bee products. If you have a known or suspected allergy to bee stings, pollen, or bee products, consult a physician before consuming.

Storage. Store sealed at room temperature away from direct sunlight. Don't consume it if the seal is broken on arrival, if it shows signs of fermentation or spoilage, or after any "best by" date printed on the label.

By purchasing, you assume all risk associated with eating a raw agricultural product and agree to follow the guidance above.

By giving us your email or phone number, you agree to receive transactional messages from us (order confirmations, shipping updates, membership updates, cancellation and billing notices) at that email or number, including through automated systems. Message and data rates may apply. Marketing messages are separate and require your opt-in; you can opt out anytime using the unsubscribe link in any marketing email or by replying STOP to a marketing text. You can't opt out of transactional messages while your membership is active.

You agree not to use the Services for anything unlawful, fraudulent, harmful, or infringing; to resell or commercially exploit any HiveShare content, honey, or membership; to reverse engineer, scrape, or bulk-download the Site except as allowed by robots.txt; to upload malware, try to gain unauthorized access, or interfere with the Services; to impersonate anyone or misrepresent your affiliation; to harass, threaten, or contact our beekeepers or staff outside authorized channels; or to use the Services in violation of any law, export control, or sanction.

All content on the Site and in the Services (including text, photos, videos, updates, logos, designs, and the HiveShare name and marks) is owned by HiveShare or its licensors and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws. We give you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and view the content for your personal, non-commercial enjoyment of your membership. All other rights are reserved.

You may not download, copy, redistribute, publicly display, or create derivative works from HiveShare content except as expressly permitted or allowed by law.

If you submit reviews, photos, messages, or other content to us or through the Services ("User Content"), you grant HiveShare a worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, sublicensable, transferable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, distribute, and display that User Content for any purpose related to operating, marketing, or improving the Services. You represent that you own or have all rights needed to grant this license and that your User Content doesn't infringe or violate any third-party rights.

The Services rely on third-party providers, including Stripe (payments), our email delivery provider, our hosting provider, and shipping carriers. Your use of those providers is subject to their own terms and privacy policies. We aren't responsible for the acts, omissions, outages, or data practices of third parties.

The services, the site, all content, honey, and all physical and digital items are provided "as is" and "as available," with all faults, and without warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, statutory, or otherwise. To the maximum extent permitted by law, hiveshare disclaims all warranties, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, non-infringement, uninterrupted or error-free operation, accuracy, and any warranty arising from course of dealing or usage of trade.

We don't warrant that any specific hive will survive, produce honey, or be available for match; that any update, photo, video, or shipment will arrive on a specific date; or that the Site will be secure, uninterrupted, or free of errors, viruses, or harmful components.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, hiveshare and its officers, directors, employees, contractors, partner beekeepers, agents, suppliers, and licensors will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, revenue, data, goodwill, or business opportunity, arising out of or relating to the services, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

Our total aggregate liability to you for all claims arising out of or relating to the services in any 12-month period will not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid to hiveshare in the 12 months preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred u.s. dollars ($100).

These limitations apply regardless of the theory of liability (contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or otherwise) and are a fundamental basis of the bargain between you and HiveShare. Some jurisdictions don't allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages; in those jurisdictions our liability will be limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless HiveShare and its officers, directors, employees, contractors, partner beekeepers, agents, suppliers, and licensors from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your use of the Services; (b) your breach of these Terms; (c) your violation of any law or third-party right; (d) your User Content; or (e) your consumption or handling of honey or other physical items shipped to you.

You can terminate your membership anytime as described in Section 6. We may suspend or terminate your access at any time, with or without notice, for breach of these Terms, non-payment, chargeback, fraud, abusive conduct, or if continued service isn't practical. When terminated, your license to use the Services ends immediately; sections that should survive by their nature (including Sections 2, 6, 8–10, 13–14, 16–22) will survive.

We aren't liable for any failure or delay in performance caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including acts of God, weather, disease or pest outbreaks (including CCD), fire, flood, war, terrorism, civil unrest, labor disputes, government action, carrier failures, internet or utility outages, pandemics, and supply-chain disruptions.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, USA, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. Subject to Section 22, any action not subject to arbitration will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Delaware, and you consent to personal jurisdiction there. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods does not apply.

Please read this section carefully. It requires you and HiveShare to resolve most disputes through binding individual arbitration instead of in court and waives your right to a jury trial and to participate in a class action.

Informal resolution. Before starting arbitration, you agree to first send a written Notice of Dispute to joinhiveshare@gmail.com describing the claim and what you're asking for, and to negotiate in good faith for at least 60 days.

Arbitration. All disputes, claims, or controversies arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Services that can't be resolved informally will be resolved by final and binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, before a single arbitrator in Delaware (or by video or phone if you prefer). Judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction. The Federal Arbitration Act governs this section.

Class action waiver. Disputes must be brought in an individual capacity only. You and HiveShare each waive the right to participate as a plaintiff or class member in any class, collective, consolidated, or representative proceeding. If a court decides this waiver is unenforceable as to any claim, that claim must be severed and litigated in court while all other claims proceed in arbitration.

Exceptions. Either party may (a) bring a qualifying individual claim in small-claims court, and (b) seek injunctive or other equitable relief in court to protect intellectual property or confidential information.

30-day opt-out. You can opt out of this arbitration agreement by emailing joinhiveshare@gmail.com with the subject line "Arbitration Opt-Out" within 30 days of first accepting these Terms, including your full name and email on file. Opting out won't affect any other provision of these Terms.

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we'll notify you by email or by posting a notice on the Site at least 30 days before the changes take effect for existing members. Your continued use after the effective date means you accept the changes. If you don't agree, cancel your membership before the effective date.

Entire agreement. These Terms and the Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and HiveShare regarding the Services and supersede all prior agreements.

Severability. If any provision is held unenforceable, the remainder will remain in full force and effect.

No waiver. Our failure to enforce a provision isn't a waiver of our right to do so later.

Assignment. You may not assign these Terms without our consent; we may assign them freely (including in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets).

No third-party beneficiaries. These Terms don't create any third-party beneficiary rights.

Headings. Headings are for convenience only and don't affect interpretation.

Questions about these Terms? Email joinhiveshare@gmail.com.