1. Introduction

Welcome to shop.hstart.co, operated by Head Start Education Technologies (Pty) Ltd, a private company registered in the Republic of South Africa (“Head Start”, “we”, “us”, “our”).

These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of:

• our website shop.hstart.co,
• any related platforms,
• the purchase and use of digital products including voucher codes, QR-based access codes, digital licenses, educational software subscriptions, and other digital services (collectively, the “Services”).

By accessing or using our Services, you:

• acknowledge that you have read and understood these Terms;
• agree to be legally bound by them;
• consent to our processing of personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy, GDPR (where applicable), CPA, POPIA, and other privacy laws; and
• represent that you have the legal authority to buy, subscribe, or act on behalf of any organisation, if applicable.

If you do not agree with these Terms, you must immediately stop using our Services.

2. Company Information

Head Start Education Technologies (Pty) Ltd
Registration Country: Republic of South Africa
Email: support@hstart.co
Website: www.hstart.co / shop.hstart.co
Registered Address: Seven Miles South, 3 Old Stanhope Road, Claremont, Cape Town, 7708, South Africa[

Head Start is a reseller and distributor of EdTech tools, software, and digital learning products. We are not the creator of third-party platforms unless expressly stated.

3. Definitions

For the purposes of these Terms:

• “Digital Product” means any voucher code, subscription license, QR code, software activation code, downloadable content, or digital service sold through our platform.
• “Publisher / Vendor / EdTech Provider” means a third-party technology provider whose products we distribute.
• “User”, “you”, “your” means any individual or organisation accessing or purchasing through our Services.
• “Personal Data” means any information relating to an identifiable person, processed in line with GDPR, POPIA, and other data laws.
• “GDPR” means the EU General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679).

4. Eligibility & User Accounts

To Purchase our Services, you must:

• be at least 18 years old (or legal majority in your jurisdiction),
• have the capacity to enter into binding contracts, and
• provide accurate, truthful information.

When creating an account, you agree:

• to keep your information up to date,
• to maintain the confidentiality of your login credentials,
• not to share your account with others,
• to notify us immediately of unauthorized access.

We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

5. Digital Product Nature, Licensing & Limitations

5.1 Digital product nature

Our products are digital licenses, not physical goods. Delivery is completed via:

• email,
• digital download, or
• dashboard access.

5.2 License, not ownership

When you purchase a Digital Product:

• you receive a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to use it;
• you do not obtain ownership of the software or digital content.

5.3 Restrictions

You may not:

• resell, redistribute, share, sublicense, or publicly post voucher codes;
• tamper with, reverse engineer, modify, or duplicate any digital product;
• sell codes to third parties;
• activate codes outside permitted usage regions;
• bypass or misuse access limitations.

Violation may result in:

• code deactivation,
• account suspension,
• refusal of refunds,
• legal action.

5.4 Third-party terms apply

Some products require you to accept the Publisher’s terms.
Publisher actions (such as bans, changes to software, downtime, or discontinuation) are outside our control.

6. Prohibited Conduct

You must not:

1. interfere with website performance or security;
2. introduce viruses, bots, or malicious code;
3. scrape or use automated tools to access our data;
4. impersonate others or provide false information;
5. manipulate pricing or exploit promotions;
6. attempt unauthorized access to networks or accounts;
7. use products in violation of third-party provider rules;
8. resell or publish codes on social media, marketplaces, or forums;
9. violate any applicable laws (CPA, ECTA, POPIA, GDPR).

7. Orders, Pricing & Payments

7.1 Order acceptance

Order confirmation does not guarantee acceptance.
We reserve the right to:

• cancel orders,
• restrict quantities,
• refuse suspicious or fraudulent transactions.

7.2 Payments

We accept:

• debit/credit cards
•  
• local payment gateways
• bank transfers (if enabled)

Third-party payment processor terms also apply.

7.3 Price changes

Prices may change at any time.

7.4 Currency

Charges are typically in ZAR, or as otherwise indicated.
Your bank may apply additional fees or currency conversion costs.

8. Taxes

Where applicable:

• VAT or other taxes will be added at checkout.
• Taxes depend on your location and local law.

You are responsible for complying with tax laws in your jurisdiction.

9. Delivery of Digital Products

Digital products are usually delivered immediately or within a few hours via:

• email,
• dashboard, or
• automated systems.

If you do not receive your product within 24 hours, contact us.

10. Refunds & Cancellations Policy (CPA + ECTA + GDPR Integrated)

This section reflects your legally compliant Refund & Cancellation Policy.

10.1 Scope

Applicable to all digital products, including voucher codes and subscription licenses.

10.2 Cooling-off periods

1. a) Online Purchases – ECTA Section 44

You may cancel within 7 days of receiving the product IF:

• the digital product has NOT been activated, redeemed, or used.

Full refund within 30 days.

1. b) Direct Marketing – CPA Section 16

If purchased through direct marketing, you may cancel within 5 business days, provided the digital product has NOT been activated, redeemed, or used.

Full refund within 30 days.

10.3 Defective Products (CPA Sections 55 & 56)

If a product is defective or fails to function as intended, you may request within 6 months:

• a repair (replacement code),
• a replacement product, or
• a full refund.

Refund issued within 30 days.

We may request verification from the third-party provider.

10.4 Products Not Fit for Purpose – CPA Section 55(3)

If you confirmed the product was needed for a specific purpose, and it fails to meet that purpose:

• you may return it within 10 business days for a full refund.

10.5 Misrepresentation

If the product was purchased due to misleading information or false claims, you may request a refund with evidence.

10.6 Non-Returnable Situations

Refunds are not available if:

• the code has been activated or used;
• you changed your mind;
• it was purchased by mistake;
• you lack the technical ability to use the product;
• the third-party provider discontinues or alters the product;
• you shared or exposed your code;
• the code expired;
• you violated the Publisher’s terms;
• you violated our Terms;
• your account was suspended for misconduct.

We may verify usage logs.

10.7 Refund Request Process

To request a refund, contact:

• support@hstart.co
• +27 66 230 3614

Provide:

• proof of purchase,
• description of issue,
• applicable evidence (screenshots, logs, etc.).

Response time: within 5 business days.

Refund processing time: 5–7 business days after approval, depending on bank.

10.8 Chargebacks

If you file a chargeback:

• product access is immediately suspended;
• we cannot issue refunds until the dispute is resolved;
• fraudulent or unjustified disputes may result in permanent bans;
• if resolved in our favour, we may block future purchases.

11. Third-Party Tools, Limitations & Disclaimers

Many digital products are issued by external EdTech providers. Therefore:

• we cannot guarantee uptime, service continuity, or feature availability;
• we are not responsible for third-party outages, updates, pricing changes, bans, or discontinuations;
• all third-party terms apply.

Our liability is limited solely to the value of the product purchased.

12. Intellectual Property Rights

All content on the website—including:

• text,
• graphics,
• logos,
• images,
• product listings,
• code,
• layout—

is owned by Head Start or licensed from partners.

You may not reproduce, modify, distribute, or reverse-engineer any part of our content or products.

13. Privacy, Data Protection & GDPR Compliance

We are fully committed to complying with:

• GDPR (EU General Data Protection Regulation)
• POPIA (South Africa Protection of Personal Information Act)
• global privacy laws

13.1 Personal Data We Collect

We may collect:

• name, email, phone, address
• purchase history
• IP address and device data
• logs to verify code activation
• payment-related information (via secure third-party processors)
• customer support communications

13.2 Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR Article 6)

We process your data under:

• Contract necessity – to fulfil your order
• Legal obligation – accounting, tax, verification
• Legitimate interests – fraud prevention, product delivery
• Consent – for marketing communications
• Public interest – where required by law enforcement

13.3 Rights Under GDPR

If you are in the EU/UK, you have rights including:

• Right to access
• Right to rectification
• Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”)
• Right to restrict processing
• Right to data portability
• Right to object
• Right to withdraw consent
• Right to lodge complaints with your supervisory authority

13.4 International Data Transfers (GDPR Chapter V)

Data may be transferred to:

• South Africa (primary processing location)
• Third-party service providers in other countries

Transfers occur only with appropriate safeguards, including:

• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)
• Adequacy decisions (where available)
• Contractual protections

13.5 Data Retention

We retain data:

• as long as necessary to fulfil purchases,
• for legal record-keeping (typically 5–7 years),
• or until deletion is requested (where permitted by law).

13.6 Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies for:

• authentication
• analytics
• security
• improving user experience

You may opt out via browser settings or cookie banners (if applicable).

14. Suspension & Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access if:

• you violate these Terms;
• you misuse or share codes;
• fraudulent activity is detected;
• you initiate a chargeback;
• a third-party vendor bans or restricts your use.

Suspension may be temporary or permanent.

15. Disclaimer of Warranties

We provide all Services on an:

“AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis.

We do not guarantee:

• uninterrupted website access;
• third-party provider availability;
• future compatibility;
• error-free performance.

Nothing in this clause limits rights under South African consumer law (CPA).

16. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

• we are not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages;
• our total liability is limited to the total amount you paid for the affected digital product;
• we are not responsible for third-party service issues, bans, or discontinuations.

17. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Head Start, its employees, suppliers, and partners from:

• losses, claims, and damages arising from your misuse of products;
• violation of these Terms;
• violation of third-party terms;
• illegal or fraudulent activity.

18. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the:

Republic of South Africa

Courts of Cape Town have exclusive jurisdiction.

If unresolved through our support team, you may escalate to:

• National Consumer Commission (NCC)
• Consumer Goods and Services Ombudsman (CGSO)

19. Changes to These Terms

We may update or modify these Terms at any time.
Updated versions will be published on shop.hstart.co with a “Last Updated” date.

Continued use of our Services means you accept the updated Terms.

20. Contact Us

For queries, disputes, or data requests:

Head Start Education Technologies (Pty) Ltd
Email: support@hstart.co
Website: shop.hstart.co
Address: Seven Miles South, 3 Old Stanhope Road, Claremont, Cape Town, 7708, South Africa