Terms of Service — Steel Box

Welcome to Steel Box. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Steel Box mobile application and website at steel-box.in (collectively, the "Service"). By using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms.

1. Who Can Use Steel Box

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account and use the Service. By using Steel Box, you represent that you meet this requirement.

2. Your Account

You are responsible for keeping your account credentials safe.
You must provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration.
You are responsible for all activities that occur under your account.
Do not create multiple accounts or use another person's identity.
Notify us immediately of any unauthorized access.

3. Nature of the Service — Community Sharing, Not Commerce

Steel Box is a community platform for sharing surplus home-cooked food at no cost between users. It is not a food delivery, restaurant, catering, or e-commerce service. Food is not sold, purchased, or exchanged for money through the Service.

Any donations made through the Donate feature are voluntary contributions to the operation of the Service and are not payment for food.

4. Food Safety — Your Responsibility

This is the most important section of these Terms. Please read it carefully.

As a person posting food ("Host"), you are solely responsible for ensuring the food is fresh, hygienically prepared, and safe to eat. When you post food, you explicitly confirm this via the in-app pledge.
As a person picking up food ("Guest"), you are responsible for assessing the food's suitability for your own dietary needs, allergies, and health conditions before consuming it.
Steel Box does not inspect, verify, or certify any food shared through the platform. We are a facilitator that connects neighbors — nothing more.
Neither Steel Box nor its operators shall be liable for any illness, allergic reaction, injury, or harm arising from food shared through the Service.
You use the Service at your own risk. When in doubt, do not consume food from strangers.

5. Prohibited Content and Conduct

You agree not to:

Post food that is spoiled, contaminated, past its expiry, or unsafe.
Post food not intended for human consumption.
Post packaged commercial food, restaurant leftovers, or items purchased for resale.
Sell food or attempt to charge users for food.
Post false, misleading, or offensive content, images, or descriptions.
Harass, threaten, spam, or impersonate other users.
Use the Service for any illegal or unauthorized purpose.
Attempt to bypass or interfere with the Service's security or functionality.
Scrape, copy, or extract data from the Service through automated means.
Upload viruses, malware, or any other harmful code.

6. User-Generated Content

You retain ownership of the content you post (food descriptions, photos, messages, reviews). By posting, you grant Steel Box a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, display, and distribute your content within the Service for the purpose of operating it.

You are solely responsible for the content you post and any consequences of doing so. We reserve the right to remove any content that violates these Terms.

7. Reviews and Ratings

Reviews must be honest, based on personal experience, and free from personal attacks. We reserve the right to remove reviews that violate these guidelines or appear to be manipulative or fraudulent.

8. Privacy

Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy. Please review it carefully.

9. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR FREE OF HARMFUL COMPONENTS. WE MAKE NO WARRANTIES REGARDING THE ACCURACY, QUALITY, OR SAFETY OF FOOD OR CONTENT POSTED BY USERS.

10. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, STEEL BOX AND ITS OPERATORS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO FOOD-RELATED ILLNESS OR HARM, DAMAGES ARISING FROM INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER USERS, OR LOSS OF DATA.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Steel Box, its operators, employees, and partners from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your infringement of any third party's rights.

12. Account Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account at any time, with or without notice, if we believe you have violated these Terms or if we discontinue the Service. You may delete your account at any time from within the app or by emailing privacy@steel-box.in.

13. Changes to These Terms

We may modify these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be notified in the app or by email. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

14. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by the laws of India. Any disputes shall be resolved exclusively in the courts of Hyderabad, Telangana.

15. Contact Us

Questions about these Terms? Reach out at:

Operator: Shivaramakrishna Dyavanapelli
Address: Classic Enclave, Madhuranagar, Hyderabad 500038, India
Email: hello@steel-box.in
Phone: +91 94900 84376
Website: steel-box.in