Terms of Service

Draft — under legal review, not in effect. This page describes how HermesLines works today and marks every point that still needs a legal decision.

[LAWYER REVIEW: effective date and version]

Proposed wording from an earlier draft (commit afb0d76) — NOT IN EFFECT, for lawyer review only

“By creating an account or buying a plan you agree to these terms.”

1. Who we are

What the site does today

• The website is branded HermesLines.
• Payments are taken through a Stripe account whose business name is currently Gridiron Analytics; customers see that name on Stripe's checkout, receipts and billing pages.
• Contact: [NOT SET: support email address — set SUPPORT_EMAIL]

[LAWYER REVIEW: legal entity name, business address and registration details; which name (HermesLines / Gridiron Analytics) is the contracting party]

2. Who can use the service

What the site does today

• Anyone can create an account with an email address and password. The site does not ask for age or location.

[LAWYER REVIEW: minimum age and how it is confirmed]

Proposed wording from an earlier draft (commit afb0d76) — NOT IN EFFECT, for lawyer review only

“You must be 21 or older, or the legal betting age where you live if that is higher, and only bet where sports betting is legal for you. One account per person.”

[LAWYER REVIEW: permitted territories; whether any jurisdictions must be blocked]

3. What the service is

What the site does today

• Picks: NFL player-prop "under" selections produced by a statistical / machine-learning model, with a confidence rating, the sportsbook and the price available when the pick was posted. NBA and NHL boards are seasonal.
• NHL player ratings, a trade analyzer and team-fit tools (NHL plans).
• A parlay calculator and free Premier League match forecasts.
• A free account shows 3 picks from each board. Paid plans show every pick for the sports in the plan.
• The site does not take bets, hold funds or place wagers for users.

[LAWYER REVIEW: sports betting advice disclaimer]

Proposed wording from an earlier draft (commit afb0d76) — NOT IN EFFECT, for lawyer review only

“HermesLines, run by [business name] ("we"), publishes sports betting picks and forecasts for information and entertainment. We don't take bets, hold money for betting, or act as a sportsbook. Any bet you place is between you and your sportsbook.”

[LAWYER REVIEW: the footer currently says "For entertainment only, not financial advice" — is this wording appropriate?] [LAWYER REVIEW: whether selling paid picks is permitted where we intend to operate, and any licensing or registration needed]

4. Results, performance and no guarantee

What the site does today

• The site publishes win rates and return on investment (ROI) for past picks, with sample sizes, and separates live results from backtests (results computed after the fact on historical data).
• Some published figures come from rules that were designed on the same season they are scored on (the Record page says so).
• The site describes confidence as "the model's view, not a guaranteed win rate".

[LAWYER REVIEW: performance and historical-results disclaimer; how backtest vs live results must be presented] [LAWYER REVIEW: no-guarantee / accuracy disclaimer]

Proposed wording from an earlier draft (commit afb0d76) — NOT IN EFFECT, for lawyer review only

“Picks can and do lose. Past results, including every number on our record page, don't guarantee future results. Nothing on this site is financial, legal or tax advice. Only bet what you can afford to lose. If gambling stops being fun, call 1-800-GAMBLER.”

5. Accounts

What the site does today

• One account per email address. Passwords must be at least 8 characters, may not be a common password, and are stored hashed.
• Password reset links are emailed, expire after 1 hour and work once.

[LAWYER REVIEW: account security obligations; account sharing]

6. Subscriptions, billing and cancellation

What the site does today

• Plans: one sport $20, two sports $30, all sports $50, billed monthly.
• Prices are charged in the currency of the Stripe price (currently Canadian dollars in the test account); the site shows "$".
• Subscriptions renew automatically every month until cancelled.
• Cancellation is done in Stripe's billing page (Account → Manage subscription). A cancelled subscription keeps access until the end of the period already paid for, then ends; no further charges are made.
• Plan changes take effect immediately. Stripe shows the price difference before the change is confirmed and charges or credits the prorated amount on an invoice straight away.
• If a renewal payment fails, paid picks are locked until the payment succeeds.
• One subscription per account. Card details are entered on Stripe's pages and are not received by HermesLines.

[LAWYER REVIEW: refund/cancellation language]

Proposed wording from an earlier draft (commit afb0d76) — NOT IN EFFECT, for lawyer review only

“Payments aren't refundable, including for part of a period, except where the law requires a refund. If we change a price, we'll tell you before it applies to your next renewal.”

[LAWYER REVIEW: recurring-subscription (auto-renewal) disclosures and consent at checkout] [LAWYER REVIEW: currency display ("$" on the site vs CAD charged)] [LAWYER REVIEW: Canadian / Ontario consumer-protection requirements for online subscriptions]

7. Acceptable use

[LAWYER REVIEW: rules on copying, reselling or redistributing picks; automated access; misuse]

Proposed wording from an earlier draft (commit afb0d76) — NOT IN EFFECT, for lawyer review only

“Keep your password to yourself. Paid picks are for your own use: don't resell, republish or share them outside your account. We may suspend or close accounts that break these terms.”

8. Third parties

What the site does today

• The site names sportsbooks (DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars) and data providers (Opta) when describing prices and forecasts.
• Payments: Stripe. Transactional email: SendGrid (when configured).
• The code contains no affiliate links or referral tracking.

[LAWYER REVIEW: trademark use and non-affiliation statement for named sportsbooks and data providers] [LAWYER REVIEW: affiliate relationships, if any are planned]

9. Suspension and termination

[LAWYER REVIEW: account termination / suspension, and what happens to a paid subscription]

10. Limitation of liability

[LAWYER REVIEW: limitation of liability]

Proposed wording from an earlier draft (commit afb0d76) — NOT IN EFFECT, for lawyer review only

“The site is provided as is. To the extent the law allows, we aren't liable for betting losses or for indirect losses from using the site, and our total liability to you is limited to what you paid us in the last 12 months.”

11. Governing law and disputes

[LAWYER REVIEW: jurisdiction / governing law]

Proposed wording from an earlier draft (commit afb0d76) — NOT IN EFFECT, for lawyer review only

“These terms are governed by the laws of [state or province].”

[LAWYER REVIEW: dispute resolution]

12. Changes to these terms

[LAWYER REVIEW: how changes are made and notified]

Proposed wording from an earlier draft (commit afb0d76) — NOT IN EFFECT, for lawyer review only

“We may update these terms; the date at the top shows the latest version, and we'll email paid members about material changes.”

13. Responsible gambling

What the site does today

• The footer currently says "Bet what you can afford to lose" and lists 1-800-GAMBLER (a US helpline).

[LAWYER REVIEW: which responsible-gambling messages and helplines to show for the territories served]