Terms of Service

Effective Date: June 25, 2026

Operator: Whisker Tech LLC

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Groundwave ("the Service"), operated by Whisker Tech LLC ("we," "us," or "our"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service. These Terms of Service, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Whisker Tech LLC regarding the Service, and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

2. Description of Service

Groundwave is a web-based platform for amateur radio clubs that provides member management, event scheduling, net logging, document storage, elections, messaging, dues tracking, and club directory services. The Service is available at groundwavehq.com.

3. Modifications to Service

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service (or any part thereof) at any time. We shall not be liable to you or any third party for any modification, suspension, or discontinuation of the Service. We will make reasonable efforts to notify users of significant changes in advance.

Service discontinuation: If we permanently discontinue the Service, we will provide at least 90 days' advance notice via email to all registered users. During that notice period, club administrators will be able to request an export of their club's data in a machine-readable format. We will maintain read-only access to the Service for the duration of the notice period where feasible.

4. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years of age to use the Service. By creating an account, you represent that you meet this requirement. Club administrators are responsible for ensuring their club's use of the Service complies with applicable laws.

5. Accounts

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. You agree to provide accurate information when creating an account. You may not share your account or use another person's account without permission.

We use magic link email authentication. You are responsible for maintaining access to the email address associated with your account.

We reserve the right to suspend or delete accounts that have been inactive for more than 12 consecutive months, after providing 30 days' notice via email. An account is considered "inactive" if the account holder has not logged in to the Service during that period.

6. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

Use the Service for any unlawful purpose
Upload malicious files, viruses, or harmful content
Impersonate another person or misrepresent your amateur radio callsign
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to other users' accounts or data
Use the Service to send spam or unsolicited messages
Scrape, crawl, or harvest data from the Service without written permission
Interfere with the proper functioning of the Service
Upload content that infringes on the intellectual property rights of others
Use the Service to distribute illegal, defamatory, harassing, or obscene material

7. Club Content and Intellectual Property

Club administrators are responsible for the content posted within their clubs, including documents, messages, events, and club page content. We do not pre-screen content but reserve the right to remove content that violates these terms.

You retain ownership of content you upload to the Service. By uploading content, you grant Whisker Tech LLC a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to store, reproduce, display, transmit, and sublicense (solely to service providers such as hosting and CDN providers) that content as necessary to provide, maintain, and improve the Service. This license terminates when you delete the content or your account, except for copies retained in backups (which are purged within 30 days) or content that has been shared within a club (which persists in anonymized form).

8. Copyright and DMCA

We respect the intellectual property rights of others and expect users to do the same. If you believe content on the Service infringes your copyright, you may submit a takedown notice to our designated DMCA agent:

DMCA Agent
Whisker Tech LLC
1235 East Blvd Ste. E #1683
Charlotte, NC 28203
dmca@groundwavehq.com

Your notice must include:

Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed
Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing, with enough detail to locate it on the Service
Your contact information (name, address, phone number, email)
A statement that you have a good faith belief that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner
A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on their behalf
Your physical or electronic signature

Upon receiving a valid takedown notice, we will remove or disable access to the allegedly infringing material and notify the user who posted it. Users may submit a counter-notification if they believe the content was removed in error.

9. Callsign Verification

Groundwave offers callsign verification through a vouch system. Users claim their callsign using FCC ULS public data, then get verified when another verified ham confirms their identity using a challenge code. A verified badge indicates that at least one verified user has vouched for the callsign holder's identity. Verification may be revoked by site administrators if trust is found to be compromised.

10. Subscriptions and Payments

Some features require a paid subscription. Subscriptions are billed monthly or annually through Stripe. You may cancel at any time; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period.

We offer a 30-day free trial for General and Extra plans. At the end of the trial, your club will automatically downgrade to the Starter (free) plan unless you provide a payment method. No credit card is required to start a trial or to use the free Starter plan.

Clubs that collect dues through Groundwave's Stripe Connect integration are subject to a 1.8% platform fee plus standard Stripe processing fees. Clubs on the Extra plan are exempt from the platform fee and pay only Stripe's standard processing fees. The club is responsible for its own tax obligations related to dues collection. We are not a party to the transaction between the club and its members. We are not responsible for payment processing errors, chargebacks, refund disputes, or disagreements between clubs and their members regarding dues payments. Clubs using Stripe Connect are also subject to Stripe's Connected Account Agreement.

11. Refunds

Subscription fees are non-refundable except where required by law. If you experience a billing error, contact us at hello@groundwavehq.com within 30 days and we will work to resolve it.

12. Data and Privacy

Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. By using the Service, you consent to the collection and use of information as described in that policy.

13. Club Data Stewardship

Groundwave stores club data on behalf of clubs and their members. Both Groundwave and club administrators have responsibilities regarding this data:

Our Commitments

No monetization of club data. We will not sell, license, or share club member rosters, operational data, or communications with third parties for any purpose other than providing the Service.
No advertising or profiling. We will not use club data to build advertising profiles, target marketing, or train machine learning models.
Access controls. Club data (member lists, documents, messages, financial records, meeting minutes, net logs) is protected by role-based access controls and is accessible only to authenticated club members with appropriate permissions.
Data portability. Club administrators may request an export of their club's data by contacting hello@groundwavehq.com. We will provide the data in a machine-readable format within 30 days.

Club Administrator Responsibilities

Appropriate use of member data. Club administrators and officers who have access to member email addresses and other personal information must use that information only for legitimate club purposes (club communications, event coordination, membership management). Administrators must not share member contact information with third parties, use it for personal solicitation, or distribute member rosters outside the Service without member consent.
Content responsibility. Club administrators are responsible for ensuring that content posted within their club complies with applicable laws and these Terms.
Member removal. When a member is removed from a club or leaves voluntarily, administrators must not retain or use that member's personal information obtained through the Service for any purpose.

Violations of these data stewardship responsibilities may result in suspension or termination of the offending user's account or the club's access to the Service.

Limitation of liability for administrator actions: Whisker Tech LLC is not liable for any misuse of member data by club administrators or officers, including unauthorized sharing of member contact information, roster distribution, or use of member data for purposes outside club activities. Club administrators act on behalf of their club, not on behalf of Whisker Tech LLC. Members who believe an administrator has misused their data should report the issue to hello@groundwavehq.com.

14. Document Storage

Documents uploaded to the Service are stored on DigitalOcean Spaces. Individual files are limited to 25 MB. We are not responsible for the content of uploaded documents. Club administrators are responsible for ensuring uploaded content does not violate copyright or other laws. We do not guarantee the availability or durability of uploaded files and recommend maintaining your own backups.

15. Elections and Voting

Groundwave provides tools for club elections and voting. We facilitate the voting process but do not certify, validate, or guarantee the accuracy of results. Clubs are responsible for ensuring their use of the voting features complies with their own bylaws, articles of incorporation, and applicable regulations. Individual ballots are confidential; only aggregated results are disclosed.

16. Termination

You may delete your account at any time from the Account page. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms, with or without notice. Club owners may delete their club, which permanently removes all associated data. When a club owner initiates club deletion, all current club members will be notified via email at least 7 days before the deletion takes effect, giving members time to export or save any personal records (such as dues payment history) they wish to retain.

Upon account deletion, your personal data will be removed in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Content you posted in clubs (messages, documents, check-ins) may persist in anonymized form.

The following sections survive termination: 7 (Content and IP), 8 (DMCA), 13 (Club Data Stewardship), 17 (Warranties), 18 (Liability), 19 (Indemnification), 20 (Arbitration), and 22 (Governing Law).

17. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR SECURE. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DATA LOSS. YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK.

18. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, WHISKER TECH LLC, ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, USE, OR GOODWILL, ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES ARE BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, TORT, STATUTE, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, AND WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100).

19. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Whisker Tech LLC, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from or related to: (a) your use of the Service; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of any rights of a third party; or (d) content you upload to the Service.

20. Dispute Resolution and Arbitration

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. IT AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING YOUR RIGHT TO FILE A LAWSUIT IN COURT.

You and Whisker Tech LLC agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be resolved through binding individual arbitration, rather than in court, except that either party may bring claims in small claims court if they qualify.

Arbitration shall be administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules. The arbitration shall take place in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, or at another mutually agreed location. The arbitrator's decision shall be final and binding, and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.

For claims under $10,000, you may choose whether the arbitration proceeds in person, by phone, or based only on written submissions.

Opt-out: You may opt out of this arbitration provision by sending written notice to hello@groundwavehq.com within 30 days of creating your account. If you opt out, disputes will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.

21. Class Action Waiver

YOU AND WHISKER TECH LLC AGREE THAT ANY PROCEEDINGS TO RESOLVE DISPUTES WILL BE CONDUCTED ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT IN A CLASS, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. If for any reason a claim proceeds in court rather than in arbitration, both parties waive the right to a jury trial. If a court finds that the class action waiver in this section is unenforceable as to a particular claim or request for relief, then that claim or request shall be severed and resolved in court, while the remaining claims shall be resolved in arbitration.

22. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any legal action not subject to arbitration shall be brought in the state or federal courts located in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.

23. Force Majeure

Whisker Tech LLC shall not be liable for any delay or failure in performance resulting from causes beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to: natural disasters, war, terrorism, labor disputes, government actions, internet or infrastructure failures, power outages, or acts of third-party service providers.

24. Changes to Terms

We may update these terms from time to time. We will notify registered users of material changes at least 30 days in advance via email or in-app notification. Continued use of the Service after the effective date of changes constitutes acceptance of the updated terms. If you do not agree to the changes, you must stop using the Service and may delete your account.

25. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be enforced to the maximum extent permissible, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

26. Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. Any waiver must be in writing and signed by Whisker Tech LLC.

27. Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your rights under them without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms without restriction, including in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.

28. Contact

For questions about these terms, contact us at:

Whisker Tech LLC
hello@groundwavehq.com