1. Who we are and this agreement
These terms govern access to the Helpfully website and our own conversational products, including WhatsApp assistants, JotAlong, FaithTether, GoodUs, NightWatch and subscription services. Helpfully is a brand of ANTI.Social Collective (Pty) Ltd (“we”, “us”). Contact us at help@helpfully.co.za.
Please read the terms and the product or checkout information before using a service or placing an order. A paid agreement is formed when your order is accepted through the relevant sign-up or written confirmation, not merely by browsing this website. We make applicable terms available for you to save. If you do not agree, do not place an order or continue using the affected service.
A specific plan, order or signed business agreement may add terms. Its expressly agreed provisions take priority for that service where they conflict with these general terms. Mandatory law always takes priority.
2. Eligibility and account security
Our general services are intended for people aged 18 or older who can enter a binding agreement. A service expressly offered to younger users requires the appropriate consent and safeguards. If you act for a business, you must have authority to bind it.
Give accurate contact and billing information and keep your device, WhatsApp account and any service credentials secure. Tell us promptly about suspected unauthorised use. Do not share PINs, passwords, one-time codes or card details in a chat. We will assess disputed activity fairly; you are not automatically liable for every action taken through a compromised account.
3. Services, features and product limits
Features, supported channels, usage limits, availability and charges are described on the relevant product or sign-up page. Some services operate in WhatsApp; others, including NightWatch, use a website. A product page is not a promise that every feature is available on every plan or in every country.
- JotAlong: helps capture and organise notes or reminders. Keep your own copy of important information; it is not an emergency alert or guaranteed delivery system.
- FaithTether: offers faith-based reflection and support. Interpretations may vary and responses do not replace personal pastoral care or qualified professional help.
- GoodUs: offers practical food and meal guidance. Verify ingredients, allergies and dietary suitability; it does not diagnose conditions or replace a dietitian or medical advice.
- NightWatch: provides temporary mood check-ins and emoji encouragement on a public globe. It is not a crisis line, monitored clinical service or emergency response system. Do not rely on a post to obtain urgent help.
For urgent needs, contact an appropriate local emergency service or qualified person directly. Website examples and conversation previews illustrate a service; actual responses and outcomes depend on the feature and your input.
4. WhatsApp, messaging and third-party services
You need the relevant device, connectivity and, for WhatsApp features, a valid WhatsApp account. Your network provider’s data charges apply. WhatsApp, Meta, payment processors and other external providers have their own terms. Helpfully is independent of them and cannot guarantee their availability or override their policies.
Messages may be automated or AI-generated. We follow applicable messaging permissions and respect opt-outs. Use the controls offered by the assistant or contact us to stop optional messages. Blocking a WhatsApp number, deleting a chat or leaving a conversation does not by itself cancel a paid subscription or erase records already held by a service.
Delivery can be delayed or prevented by connectivity, device settings, platform rules, blocked numbers or outages. Check important dates and tasks independently. Read WhatsApp’s Terms of Service before using that platform.
5. AI responses and human support
AI can misunderstand a request or produce inaccurate, incomplete, unsuitable or out-of-date information. Verify important facts and outputs before acting on them. Helpfully does not offer medical, legal, financial or other regulated professional advice through general automated responses.
Do not use a bot as the sole basis for a decision with significant consequences for you or another person. Request human assistance through Contact Us when you need account, billing, privacy or service support. Support availability and response times depend on the service; we do not promise continuous human monitoring of chats.
These limits explain the intended use of the service. They do not remove our duty to provide services with the care and quality required by applicable law.
6. Prices, payments, trials and renewal
Before you commit to a paid service, the order or checkout must state the supplier, service, total price and currency, applicable taxes or additional charges, billing frequency, term, renewal arrangements and cancellation method. You must have an opportunity to review the order and correct errors. Do not pay if essential information is unclear; ask us first.
Recurring payment is authorised only through the applicable subscription process. A free trial converts to a paid plan only on terms clearly disclosed and accepted at sign-up. We will not treat silence or an unsolicited message as acceptance of a paid service.
Payment providers process payment details under their own terms. Keep payment information current. If a payment fails, we may contact you and, where lawful and after appropriate notice, pause the paid feature. Any pricing change applies prospectively with the notice and choice required by your agreement and law; it does not retrospectively change an accepted charge.
7. Cancellation, refunds and consumer rights
You can request cancellation using the method given at sign-up or email help@helpfully.co.za with your product and subscription identifier. We will confirm the effective date and any lawful amounts or refund due. A marketing opt-out and a subscription cancellation are separate requests.
Your rights under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (“CPA”) and Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (“ECTA”), where applicable, are preserved:
- Electronic transactions: where ECTA section 44 applies, you may cancel a service transaction without reason or penalty within seven days after concluding the agreement; a qualifying refund is due within 30 days of cancellation. Statutory exclusions apply, including services begun with your consent before that period ends. We will explain an applicable exclusion rather than apply a blanket “digital services” exception.
- Direct marketing: where CPA section 16 applies, you may rescind the resulting transaction within five business days after the later of conclusion or delivery, without reason or penalty. That section does not apply where ECTA section 44 applies.
- Qualifying fixed-term agreements: CPA section 14 allows cancellation on 20 business days’ recorded notice, subject to any reasonable cancellation charge permitted by law, and requires applicable expiry and renewal notices. Ordinary amounts lawfully owed to the cancellation date remain payable.
Where no statutory refund right applies, the accepted plan terms govern unused periods; we assess duplicate charges, non-delivery, service defects and billing errors on their facts. No term creates an absolute no-refunds rule or takes away remedies for inadequate service. Contact us promptly about an unexpected charge so we can investigate.
8. Acceptable use
Use Helpfully lawfully and respectfully. You must not:
- Harass, threaten, exploit or impersonate another person, or submit unlawful, abusive or rights-infringing material.
- Share another person’s personal or sensitive information without lawful authority, or upload information you are not entitled to use.
- Send spam, purchase or upload unlawful contact lists, bypass message consent, or misuse a business assistant for unsolicited marketing.
- Attempt unauthorised access, introduce malicious code, disrupt a service, evade safeguards or usage limits, or extract private information.
- Present an automated reply as verified professional advice or use a service for an unlawful or prohibited purpose.
Report abuse or security concerns through Contact Us. We may restrict harmful activity proportionately and as permitted by law.
9. Your content and intellectual property
You retain any rights you hold in the content you submit. You give us a limited permission to receive, process, store and transmit that content, including through relevant providers, only as needed to provide and protect the requested service and fulfil lawful obligations. This does not transfer ownership or permit unrelated advertising use.
You must have permission to submit the content and should remove unnecessary details about other people. Our Privacy Policy governs personal information; these terms do not replace a consent or other lawful processing ground.
Helpfully’s names, logos, software, designs and original materials belong to us or our licensors. We grant a limited right to use them as part of the service. Do not copy, resell or exploit them outside that permission. AI output may not be unique or eligible for exclusive intellectual property protection; check third-party rights before publishing or commercially using it.
10. Public check-ins and community content
Information submitted to a public feature, including a NightWatch mood and approximate location, may be visible to other people. Avoid identifying details and do not post on someone else’s behalf without authority. An anonymous design cannot prevent identification from information you voluntarily reveal.
Temporary visibility does not prevent screenshots or external copies. We may remove abusive or unlawful content and restrict misuse. We cannot promise that every item is reviewed before publication or that encouragement will arrive. Expiry and retention are explained in our Privacy Policy.
11. Privacy and business data responsibilities
Our Privacy Policy explains what we collect, why, recipients, international processing, retention, security, message choices and POPIA rights. Starting a conversation is not blanket consent to every use of your data. We request specific permissions where required.
Business customers must have a lawful basis to provide customer information, give appropriate notices, secure required marketing opt-ins, respect opt-outs and give accurate instructions. Where Helpfully acts as an operator, the parties must agree appropriate written processing, confidentiality, security, incident and return or deletion obligations. Helpfully remains responsible for its own obligations; a customer’s responsibilities do not excuse ours.
12. Custom business projects
Custom work requires a separate accepted proposal, order or signed agreement setting out scope, deliverables, fees, milestones, approvals, intellectual property arrangements, hosting, support and termination. A website enquiry does not itself commission a project.
Customers must provide accurate approved content, necessary permissions and timely decisions. Changes to agreed scope, integrations or costs need agreement. Platform approval, message-template acceptance or a particular commercial result cannot be guaranteed. Any service level or ongoing maintenance commitment must be expressly agreed.
13. Availability, suspension and ending a service
We take reasonable care to operate the services, but maintenance, faults, network disruption and third-party changes can affect availability. We will communicate material planned changes where reasonably practicable and as required by law.
We may suspend access where reasonably necessary to address security threats, unlawful activity, a material breach or unpaid charges, with notice and an opportunity to remedy where required. Urgent protection may require immediate temporary action. You may contact us to query a restriction.
If we discontinue a paid service, we will give appropriate notice and address prepaid unused service and other remedies under your agreement and applicable law. Ending access does not remove accrued lawful rights or privacy obligations. Keep a copy of important notes and request assistance with available records before closure.
14. Responsibility and lawful limits
We remain responsible for our conduct and the service standards required by law. Nothing in these terms excludes liability for fraud, gross negligence, wilful misconduct or any liability or consumer remedy that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.
We cannot promise a particular personal, health, spiritual or business outcome, uninterrupted third-party delivery or perfectly accurate AI output. Responsibility for a loss depends on the facts, causation, the agreement and applicable law. Any lawful limitation must be interpreted fairly and cannot deprive you of mandatory rights. These terms do not impose an unlimited indemnity on consumers.
15. Complaints, governing law and disputes
For a service complaint, contact help@helpfully.co.za with the product, a brief description and the outcome you seek. Include payment references where relevant, but no payment secrets. We will investigate and explain the response.
South African law governs these terms, subject to mandatory protections that apply to you. You may approach a competent court, the National Consumer Commission, an applicable consumer ombud or the Information Regulator for a privacy matter. You are not required to give up a statutory complaint route, agree to compulsory private arbitration or use a foreign court.
If a provision is unlawful or unenforceable, it is limited or severed to the extent necessary while the lawful remainder continues. A failure to enforce a right immediately is not a waiver.
16. Changes and contact details
The date above identifies this version. We may update these terms prospectively and will provide appropriate notice of material changes. Existing paid commitments and mandatory rights are respected. Where a change requires your acceptance, we will obtain it; publishing a revision does not authorise a new charge or retrospectively change a concluded order.
Company: ANTI.Social Collective (Pty) Ltd, South Africa.
Helpfully support and privacy enquiries: help@helpfully.co.za.
Helpfully is a brand of ANTI.Social Collective (Pty) Ltd and is not a separate registered legal entity. Further business details are available on request by emailing help@helpfully.co.za.
Related resources: Privacy Policy, Help Centre, the Consumer Protection Act and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act.
