Terms and Conditions

1. Introduction & Acceptance

Welcome to Hoodex, a real-time workforce marketplace operated by Skyhood, a company incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013, with its registered office at Basement, 21C, Block E, Sector 8, Noida, GAUTAM BUDDHA NAGAR - 201301. These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern all access to and use of the Hoodex mobile application, website, APIs, and associated services (collectively, the "Platform").

Your use of the Platform constitutes your free, informed, and unconditional acceptance of these Terms, the Privacy Policy, Worker Agreement, Employer Agreement, and all other policies published on this Platform.

2. Definitions

Term	Definition
Platform / Hoodex	The Hoodex app, website, web portal, APIs, and all associated technology infrastructure operated by Skyhood.
User / You	Any individual or entity who accesses, registers on, or uses the Platform, including Workers and Employers.
Worker	Any individual registering to offer services — including gig workers, freelancers, daily wage workers, or skilled professionals.
Employer	Any individual, business, SME, shop, household, or contractor registering to hire Workers.
Service / Job	Any task, assignment, or engagement listed, accepted, or completed through the Platform.
Platform Commission	Fee charged by Hoodex for facilitating the connection and transaction.
KYC	Know Your Customer identity and document verification process.
Wallet	In-Platform digital account for holding, receiving, or disbursing funds.
Content	Any information, text, photos, reviews, ratings, or messages posted by Users.
Prohibited Activity	Any activity listed in Section 11 of these Terms.
DPDP Act	Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
IT Act	Information Technology Act, 2000, as amended.
Labour Codes	The four Labour Codes enacted by GOI, including the Code on Social Security, 2020.

3. Eligibility

3.1 General

• You must be at least 18 years of age and legally competent to contract under the Indian Contract Act, 1872.
• You must hold a valid Indian mobile number and government-issued identity document.
• You must not be previously suspended or banned from the Platform.
• Business Employers must hold valid registration under applicable Indian law.

3.2 Worker Eligibility

• Workers must be 18+ years, complete full KYC, and hold all licences/permits required for their offered services.
• Workers in regulated professions must hold valid, current professional licences.

3.3 Employer Eligibility

• Employers must provide accurate business/personal details and comply with all applicable labour laws.
• Employers must not post jobs requiring illegal, hazardous, or unethical activities.

Hoodex reserves the sole right to determine eligibility and may reject any registration without providing reasons.

4. Account Registration & KYC

• Users must provide accurate, complete, and current information at registration.
• Each person/entity may maintain only one Account. Multiple accounts are prohibited.
• Account credentials are personal and non-transferable.
• Workers must submit: Government ID (Aadhaar/PAN/Passport/DL), selfie/facial verification, and bank account details.
• Employers must submit: Government ID or business registration, GST number (if applicable).
• Submission of false, forged, or AI-generated documents is a ground for immediate termination and potential criminal prosecution.
• Biometric/facial data collected for verification is governed by the Privacy Policy.
• You must immediately notify Hoodex at support@hoodex.work of unauthorized Account access.

5. Platform Nature — Intermediary & No Employer Status

• Hoodex is a technology platform facilitating connections between independent Workers and Employers.
• Hoodex is NOT a party to any service agreement between a Worker and Employer.
• Hoodex does NOT employ, supervise, direct, or control Workers.
• Hoodex does NOT guarantee job availability, earnings, quality, safety, legality, or suitability of any Worker or Employer.
• Any contract for services is formed directly and solely between the Worker and Employer.

6. User Obligations

6.1 All Users

• Provide true, accurate, and complete information at all times.
• Comply with all applicable Indian laws and regulations.
• Not conduct off-platform transactions with users discovered through the Platform ("Transaction Bypass").
• Cooperate with Hoodex's fraud investigation, safety, and verification processes.
• Report suspicious activity immediately.

6.2 Worker Obligations

• Perform services with reasonable care, skill, and diligence. Arrive on time or notify in advance.
• Maintain professional conduct; not consume alcohol or intoxicants during a job.
• Not misrepresent skills, qualifications, or identity.
• Handle Employer property with due care; immediately report damage.
• Report accidents, injuries, or safety concerns immediately.
• Pay all applicable taxes on earnings received through the Platform.

6.3 Employer Obligations

• Post only accurate, lawful, and genuine job listings.
• Ensure a safe, legal, and dignified working environment.
• Comply with all applicable labour laws; pay Workers promptly and fully.
• Not harass, abuse, exploit, or discriminate against Workers in any form.
• Report Worker misconduct or safety incidents to Hoodex immediately.

7. Payments & Platform Commission

• Hoodex charges a Platform Commission on transactions, as disclosed at job posting.
• Commission rates may be revised with reasonable notice; continued use constitutes acceptance.
• All payments must be made through the Platform. Off-platform payments are prohibited and unprotected.
• Each User is solely responsible for their own tax obligations including income tax and GST.
• Hoodex may deduct TDS under Section 194O of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

8. Geolocation Tracking Consent

By using the Platform, you expressly consent to:

• Real-time GPS location tracking during active jobs.
• Location data shared with the matched counterparty for coordination.
• Location data used for fraud detection, safety monitoring, and algorithm improvement.
• Background location access during active job sessions (subject to device permissions).

9. Ratings, Reviews & Content

• Ratings and reviews must be honest, factual, and non-defamatory.
• Fake, incentivized, retaliatory, or manipulated ratings are strictly prohibited.
• By posting content, you grant Hoodex a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual licence to use, display, and distribute such content.
• Hoodex may remove any content violating Platform policies at its sole discretion.

10. AI & Automated Decision-Making

• The Platform uses AI and automated systems for matching, fraud detection, account moderation, and ranking.
• Automated systems may flag, restrict, or suspend accounts based on detected patterns without prior human review in high-risk scenarios.
• Significant automated decisions may be reviewed through the Appeals Process.
• Hoodex continuously improves its AI systems; decisions may change without notice.

11. Prohibited Activities

• Impersonating another person or using forged/AI-generated identity documents.
• Creating multiple accounts or sharing your account with others.
• Posting false, misleading, or fraudulent job listings or Worker profiles.
• Off-platform transactions with users first contacted through the Platform.
• Harassment, abuse, sexual harassment, or threatening behaviour toward any User.
• Discrimination based on caste, religion, gender, age, disability, or any protected characteristic.
• Submitting fake background check documents or AI-generated documents.
• Scraping, crawling, or extracting Platform data systematically.
• Introducing malware, viruses, or malicious code into the Platform.
• Manipulating ratings, reviews, or rankings through fraudulent means.
• GPS/location spoofing.
• Using the Platform to recruit Workers for employment outside the Platform.
• Engaging in pyramid schemes, referral abuse, or incentive fraud.
• Using deepfake technology or synthetic identity documents.
• Any illegal activity during or in connection with a Platform-facilitated job.
• Organising Worker collusion to fix prices or manipulate Platform dynamics.

12. Account Suspension & Termination

12.1 Termination by You

You may delete your Account at any time through Platform settings, subject to settling all pending obligations.

12.2 Suspension / Termination by Hoodex

Hoodex reserves the right to suspend or terminate any Account at any time, with or without prior notice, including for:

• Violation of any Term, policy, or applicable law.
• Suspected fraud, identity theft, or platform abuse.
• Receipt of safety, misconduct, or harassment complaints.
• Suspicious activity patterns detected by automated systems.
• Regulatory, legal, or law enforcement requirements.
• Commercial or operational reasons at Hoodex's sole discretion.

12.3 Emergency Suspension

For imminent safety threats, serious fraud, or criminal activity, Hoodex may effect immediate automated suspension without prior notice, ratified subsequently by human review.

12.4 Appeals

Users may appeal a suspension within 14 days at support@hoodex.work. Hoodex reviews appeals within 30 business days. Hoodex's decision is final.

13. Platform Abuse Monitoring & Digital Evidence

• Hoodex continuously monitors Platform activity for fraud, abuse, and policy violations via automated and human review.
• Hoodex maintains comprehensive digital audit trails of all transactions, communications, locations, and user actions.
• Digital records maintained by Hoodex constitute valid evidence in disputes, investigations, and legal proceedings (IT Act, Section 65B).
• By using the Platform, you consent to monitoring of your Platform activity for safety, fraud prevention, and compliance.
• Hoodex may share audit trail data with law enforcement, courts, regulators, and government authorities as required by law.

14. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Hoodex, its directors, officers, employees, agents, and assigns from all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including legal fees) arising from:

• Your breach of these Terms or any Platform policy.
• Your violation of any applicable law or regulation.
• Your content posted on the Platform.
• Your interactions with other Users.
• Any services performed by or for you through the Platform.
• Any injury, accident, or incident occurring during a Platform-facilitated service.
• Any tax liabilities arising from your Platform activities.

15. Limitation of Liability

• Aggregate Liability Cap: Hoodex's total liability for any claim shall not exceed the Platform Commission paid by you in the 3 months preceding the claim, or INR 5,000, whichever is lower.
• Hoodex is NOT liable for indirect, consequential, punitive, or exemplary damages of any kind.
• Hoodex is NOT liable for Worker injury, death, or property damage during a job.
• Hoodex is NOT liable for Worker no-shows, cancellations, or poor performance.
• Hoodex is NOT liable for Employer non-payment, exploitation, or unsafe workplaces.
• Hoodex is NOT liable for payment gateway failures or bank delays.
• Hoodex is NOT liable for network outages, Platform downtime, or technical errors.

16. Force Majeure

Hoodex shall not be liable for failure or delay in obligations caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, natural disasters, pandemics, wars, government actions, internet outages, power failures, cyberattacks, or regulatory actions.

17. Intellectual Property

• All Platform intellectual property — design, algorithms, brand, trademarks, software, content — is owned by or licensed to Hoodex.
• You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to use the Platform for its intended purpose only.
• You may not copy, modify, reverse-engineer, or create derivative works from any part of the Platform.
• 'Hoodex' and associated logos are trademarks of Skyhood. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

18. Communications Consent

By registering, you consent to receive communications from Hoodex via SMS, WhatsApp, email, push notifications, and voice calls for transactional, safety, promotional, and regulatory purposes. You may opt out of non-essential communications as permitted by law.

19. Electronic Consent & E-Sign

Click-to-accept, in-app acceptance, or continued use of the Platform constitutes a binding electronic signature under the Information Technology Act, 2000. All electronic records and contracts created through the Platform are valid and enforceable.

20. Governing Law, Arbitration & Class Action Waiver

20.1 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of India. The courts of Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India shall have exclusive jurisdiction over disputes not subject to arbitration.

20.2 Mandatory Arbitration

Any dispute arising out of these Terms or Platform use shall be resolved exclusively through binding arbitration under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, by a sole arbitrator appointed by Hoodex. Seat: Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. Language: English. Award: final and binding.

20.3 Class Action Waiver

21. Miscellaneous

• Severability: If any provision is held invalid, remaining provisions continue in full force.
• Entire Agreement: These Terms and all Platform policies constitute the entire agreement between You and Hoodex.
• No Partnership: Nothing herein creates employment, agency, franchise, or partnership between You and Hoodex.
• Amendments: Hoodex may amend these Terms at any time. Continued use after amendment constitutes acceptance.
• Waiver: Failure by Hoodex to enforce any provision does not waive its right to enforce it in the future.