Terms of service

1. About these terms

These terms apply to everyone who uses www.helplift.co.za, with or without an account. By creating an account or making a contribution you agree to them. HelpLift Network is developed, operated and supported on its behalf by DigitalFlyer (Pty) Ltd while HelpLift's non-profit trust is being registered; "HelpLift", "we" and "us" mean both.

2. What HelpLift is, and what it is not

HelpLift connects verified community organisations with people and businesses who want to help them, and keeps an honest record that help actually arrived.

• HelpLift is not a charity collecting money for itself, and it never holds anyone's money. A cash contribution is split at the moment it is paid, and the organisation's share goes straight to the organisation.
• HelpLift is not a party to the gift. A contribution is between the giver and the organisation.
• HelpLift does not run the organisations listed on it, and does not deliver goods or services itself.

3. Your account

• You must be 18 or older, and the details you give must be true and your own.
• Keep your password to yourself. You are responsible for what is done with your account.
• One person may hold more than one role, for example a giver who also works for an organisation.

4. Giving

• Every contribution is voluntary. You may give part of what a need asks for.
• Before you pay, the screen shows exactly how much reaches the organisation and how much is the platform fee.
• A cash contribution cannot be refunded once it is paid. The money has already reached the organisation, and neither you nor HelpLift can reverse it. Why there are no refunds
• Goods and services are arranged directly between you and the organisation.
• You may cancel something you committed to that has not yet been confirmed as delivered, with a short reason the organisation will see. Once delivery is confirmed it is a permanent record.
• A Section 18A tax certificate is issued by the organisation, only if it is approved to issue one, and only for cash or goods. It is never available for a service; that is a SARS rule.

5. Payments and the platform fee

HelpLift's platform fee is 7.5% of a cash contribution. It is shown in rand before you pay, and it is the only deduction from your contribution: the organisation receives the rest, and the payment provider's own charges come out of the fee, not out of the organisation's share.

Payments are processed securely by Paystack through the payment gateway of DigitalFlyer (Pty) Ltd, HelpLift's appointed technology partner, so your bank statement may show DigitalFlyer. HelpLift never sees or stores your card details.

The organisation's share settles to its own bank account on Paystack's normal settlement cycle. HelpLift does not hold, delay or release it.

6. What organisations agree to

• To be a genuine non-profit, to give true registration details and documents, and to keep them up to date. A person at HelpLift checks every application before an organisation can ask for anything.
• To capture a person only with that person's permission, to keep their details private, and to ask only for what that person really needs.
• To use what is given for the need it was given for.
• To confirm deliveries honestly. Confirmation is the record HelpLift exists to keep.
• If a need is cancelled after money was paid towards it, the money has already reached the organisation. HelpLift has no refund process; the organisation contacts the giver directly to agree what happens to it.
• To issue Section 18A certificates only if it is approved to, and to take responsibility for them.
• To keep its public profile free of any beneficiary's details.

7. Drop or Collect

Items and services listed on Drop or Collect are offered as they are. HelpLift does not inspect them and gives no guarantee about their condition or safety. Arrange handovers in a safe place, and never share more personal information than the handover needs.

8. What nobody may do on HelpLift

• Post a false need, a false listing or a false confirmation.
• Capture or publish anyone's personal information without their permission.
• Harass, threaten or deceive anyone.
• Use HelpLift to raise money for anything other than the stated need.
• Copy, scrape or interfere with the platform, or try to get around its security.

9. Suspension and removal

HelpLift may suspend an organisation, a giver's account or a missionary listing at once if these terms are broken or if we have good reason to believe someone may be harmed. A suspended organisation's needs leave public view straight away. Records already made, such as contributions and confirmations, are kept, because they are the history of what happened.

10. Disagreements

If something goes wrong between a giver and an organisation, contact them first. If that does not resolve it, write to us at info@digitalflyer.co.za or through the contact form on our home page. Each case is looked at individually by a person; there is no automated dispute or refund process.

11. Responsibility

We work hard to keep HelpLift accurate, available and safe, but it is provided as it is. To the extent the law allows, HelpLift is not responsible for what organisations, givers or other users do or fail to do, for the quality of goods or services given through it, or for losses caused by events outside our reasonable control. Nothing in these terms limits any right you have under the Consumer Protection Act or other law that cannot be limited.

12. Changes, and the law that applies

We may update these terms as HelpLift grows. The date at the top will change, and account holders will be told by email about any change that affects them. These terms are governed by the law of the Republic of South Africa.

How personal information is handled is set out in the Privacy policy.