Terms, privacy, refunds and guidelines

Terms of use

Dostbox (dostbox.com) is a friendship-first community run as a STARTIONS startup. Packages, payments to STARTIONS and GST invoices are handled by STARTIONS LLP. By using Dostbox you agree to these terms.

Who may use Dostbox

• You must be 18 or older. Dostbox is for adults only: nobody under 18 may create or use an account.
• Give your true date of birth and identity. One account per person. If we find that an account belongs to someone under 18, we close it at once and delete its data.
• Duo Mode (one-to-one meetups) is only for verified members who hold an active Ultra Premium package and switch it on.

Meeting in person

• Plans are arranged by members and partners. Dostbox is an intermediary: we provide the tools and safety features, but we do not run members' plans and cannot guarantee anyone's conduct.
• Meet in public places, use the Safe Meet kit and leave if you feel unsafe. In an emergency call 112.
• Adventure activities (trekking, kayaking, river rafting, camping) carry risk. Paid adventure activities are sold only by partners whose licence or safety certificate we have reviewed; you take part at your own risk and under the partner's terms.

Partners and bookings

• Partners (vendors, merchants and mentors) sell their own experiences. A booking is a contract between you and the partner, paid directly to the partner's payment gateway. Dostbox never holds that money.
• Partners must hold the licences, insurance and permissions their activity needs, and are approved after a KYC and safety review. Low quality scores lead to warnings and delisting.

Your content and account

• You own what you post. You let Dostbox show it to the people you share it with, for running the service.
• We may remove content and warn, suspend or ban accounts that break the community guidelines, under our strike system.
• You can delete your account at any time from Me › Settings.

These terms are governed by the laws of India, with courts at Mumbai having jurisdiction. Questions: hub@startions.com.

Privacy policy

We follow India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act). We collect as little as we can, never sell personal data, and keep it only as long as we need it.

What Dostbox stores

• Account: name or nickname, email or phone, date of birth (to confirm you are 18 or older), city and neighbourhood, password (hashed).
• Dost Card: photo, bio, interests, vibe answers, languages, college or profession, availability. You choose what to fill in.
• Activity: groups, plans and RSVPs, mutual taps, messages, attendance and feedback (for the reliability score), reports and blocks.
• Verification: selfie and ID or college check images, seen only by our reviewers to confirm who you are and that you are 18 or older, and deleted after the check, keeping only the result.
• Safety: live location only while you share it during a plan, check-ins and SOS alerts.
• Payments: package orders and GST invoices (kept as tax law requires). Card and UPI details stay with the payment gateway.
• Partners: business details, PAN and GSTIN (encrypted, used only to check the business), licences and venue photos.

No children's data

• Dostbox is not meant for anyone under 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal data of children (anyone under 18, as the DPDP Act defines them).
• Sign-up is refused when the date of birth shows someone under 18. If we learn that an account belongs to a child (from verification, a report or a parent), we close it and delete its data without delay.
• A parent or guardian who believes their child has an account can write to support@startions.com and we will delete it.

How we use and share data

• To run Dostbox: matching by shared interests, vibe, distance and free time; showing your neighbourhood (never your exact location); safety and moderation.
• Shared only with service providers who help us run Dostbox (hosting in India, payments, email and notifications), with partners you book (your name and booking details), and with authorities when the law requires.
• Cookies: only the ones Dostbox needs to work (sign-in and security). No advertising cookies.

Your rights

You can access, correct and delete your data, withdraw consent, and nominate someone to act for you. Delete your account at once from Me › Settings; it removes your profile, photos, chats and connections, keeping only records the law requires (such as invoices). Write to our grievance contact at support@startions.com; we reply within the time the DPDP Act sets. You may also complain to the Data Protection Board of India.

Refund policy

• Monthly packages (Standard, Premium, Ultra Premium) can be cancelled any time. They stay active until the end of the month you paid for; the current month is not refunded.
• Yearly packages: if you cancel within 14 days of paying, we refund the unused full months. After 14 days, the package runs to the end of the year.
• Free trial: the 7-day Premium trial is free and ends by itself.
• Failed payments keep your account on Free; nothing is charged.
• Partner bookings (treks, screenings, gaming slots, villas, workshops, courses) are refunded by the partner under the policy shown on their listing, because you pay them directly.
• Partner packages are billed yearly by STARTIONS LLP; refunds follow the terms shown at checkout.

Refunds go back to the original payment method, usually within 5 to 7 working days. Ask at support@startions.com.

Community guidelines

Dostbox works when everyone feels safe to show up. Break these and you may get a strike, a suspension or a ban.

• Be real. Your own photos, your real age, no fake profiles or catfishing.
• Be kind. No harassment, hate, bullying, threats or sexual content. No unwanted advances: one-to-one interest belongs in Duo Mode, and only when both people opt in.
• Adults only. Dostbox is for people aged 18 and above. Never bring anyone under 18 to a plan, and report any account that seems to belong to someone under 18. We report child safety concerns to the authorities.
• Show up, or say so. Cancel if you can't make it. No-shows lower your reliability score.
• Meet safely. Public places first. No drugs, and no plans that break the law.
• No spam or selling. Only approved partners promote, and only through the tools their package gives them.
• Respect privacy. Don't share other people's photos, numbers or locations without their consent.
• Report problems. Use Report or Block. Safety reports are reviewed by a person, with a target of one hour.