Terms of Service

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the Ashio platform (the “Service”), operated by COWBOYS AND WITCHES OÜ (“we”, “us”, “our”). By creating an account, accessing the dashboard, or otherwise using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

Ashio provides a confidential and anonymous end-to-end encrypted whistleblower reporting channel. The Service allows employees, contractors, suppliers and other stakeholders to submit reports of misconduct to a designated recipient organisation. Reports are encrypted in the reporter’s browser before they reach Ashio’s servers; only the intended recipient organisation can decrypt and read them.

The Service is a software-as-a-service platform. We do not provide legal advice, do not investigate reports on your behalf, and do not act as a regulator or ombudsman.

You must be at least 18 years old and legally able to enter into a binding contract. Organisation administrators register an account on behalf of their employer or client. You agree to provide accurate, current and complete information at registration and to keep it updated.

You agree not to:

• use the Service to harass, defame, or unlawfully discriminate against any person;
• attempt to access the Service by means other than the interface we provide (no scraping, reverse engineering, or automated bulk access);
• transmit malicious code through the Service, attempt to disrupt the Service, or bypass our security measures;
• share account credentials or transfer your account to a third party.

Reporters are responsible for the accuracy and lawfulness of the content they submit. Reporters retain authorship of the content they submit. You grant Ashio a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, transmit, store, encrypt and process report content solely for the purpose of operating the Service and routing reports to the designated recipient organisation.

We do not read, decrypt, or analyse the content of reports. Reports are end-to-end encrypted in the reporter’s browser; the ciphertext is stored on our servers but is inaccessible to us.

Paid plans and pricing are described on our pricing page. Fees are charged in advance for the billing period you select (monthly or yearly). All fees are non-refundable except where required by law or where we explicitly offer a refund.

Prices may be changed for future billing periods with at least 30 days’ notice. Continued use of a paid plan after a price change constitutes acceptance of the new price.

You authorise us (or our payment processor) to charge your payment method for all applicable fees. Failed payments may result in suspension of paid features after a grace period of at least 7 days.

New accounts may receive a 14-day free trial. No payment is required during the trial. If you do not cancel before the end of the trial, you will be charged for the plan you selected at sign-up. Trial eligibility is determined by us in our sole discretion; we may limit trials to prevent abuse.

Reports and messages are processed as confidential communications between the reporter and the recipient organisation. The end-to-end encryption architecture means that Ashio cannot read report content.

We process personal data in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and our Privacy Policy. Data is hosted in ISO 27001-certified data centres in Switzerland. Cross-border transfers to non-EEA jurisdictions are governed by Standard Contractual Clauses.

We aim for high availability but do not guarantee uninterrupted access. We may modify, suspend or discontinue any part of the Service at any time, with reasonable notice where practical. Where a modification materially reduces functionality, you may terminate the affected subscription within 30 days for a pro-rata refund.

We may perform maintenance outside business hours (UTC) and will use commercially reasonable efforts to notify you of planned downtime in advance.

We may suspend or terminate your account if you materially breach these Terms, fail to pay fees, or use the Service in a manner that poses a security or legal risk. Where reasonable we will give you advance notice and an opportunity to cure.

You may terminate your subscription at any time from the dashboard. Termination takes effect at the end of the current paid billing period. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination remain in effect.

The Service, including its software, design, trademarks and documentation, is owned by Ashio and its licensors. You may use the Service in accordance with these Terms but you may not copy, modify, resell or create derivative works of it except as expressly permitted.

Feedback you provide about the Service may be used by us without restriction or compensation.

The Service is provided “as is” and “as available”. To the maximum extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, our aggregate liability for any claim arising out of or relating to the Service is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim, or EUR 100, whichever is greater. We are not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages.

Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law (such as liability for gross negligence, wilful misconduct, or personal injury).

You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from any claim brought by a third party arising out of your breach of these Terms, your misuse of the Service, or your violation of any law.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Estonia, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service will be resolved exclusively in the courts of Estonia, except where mandatory consumer-protection laws of your country of residence apply.

We will first try to resolve any dispute informally. Contact us at legal@ashio.eu before filing any formal claim. Either party may then refer the dispute to the competent court.

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by email and by posting a notice in the dashboard at least 30 days before they take effect. Continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree, you may terminate your subscription and receive a pro-rata refund.

The Service is operated by COWBOYS AND WITCHES OÜ, a private limited company registered in the Estonian Commercial Register under registration number 16770622, with its registered office at Tornimäe tn 5, 10145 Tallinn, Estonia. The managing director is Leonard Ginters.

For questions about these Terms, contact us at legal@ashio.eu or by post at the registered office above.