Terms of Service

These Terms of Service are a binding agreement between you and Inklena ("Inklena", "we", "us") and apply to everyone who uses the Inklena website, apps and services, whether as a client who requests cleaning or as a contractor who performs it.

By creating an account, accepting a job, posting a job or otherwise using Inklena, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use Inklena.

If you use Inklena on behalf of a business, you confirm you have authority to bind that business, and "you" includes it.

You must be at least 18 years old and able to form a binding contract to hold an account. Each person may hold one account per role unless we agree otherwise.

You agree to give accurate, current information, including your name, phone number and address, and to keep it up to date. Changing your name, phone number or address may trigger re-verification, and some features may be paused until it is complete.

You are responsible for keeping your login credentials secure and for all activity under your account. Tell us promptly if you suspect unauthorized use.

Inklena is an online marketplace. Clients post cleaning jobs, and verified contractors choose to accept them. When a contractor accepts a job, a booking is formed directly between the client and that contractor.

Inklena is not a cleaning company, employer or staffing agency, and does not perform cleaning services. We provide the platform, contractor verification, payment processing and support tools. Contractors decide which jobs to accept and how to perform them.

We do not guarantee that any job will be accepted, or that any client or contractor will use the platform in a particular way.

When you post a job, you agree to describe it accurately, including the address, size, rooms, tasks, pets, special instructions and any hazards, so the contractor can price and plan the work.

You must provide safe access to the property at the scheduled time, and you must have the right to authorize cleaning at that address. A job that cannot be completed because access was unavailable or details were materially wrong may be treated as a late cancellation or no-show under Section 6.

A valid payment method is required before a contractor is confirmed. By adding one, you authorize Inklena and its payment processor to charge it for the job price, agreed add-ons, and any fees or penalties described in these Terms.

Contractors are independent businesses or individuals, not employees, agents or partners of Inklena. You control how, when and with what tools you work, and you are responsible for your own taxes, licenses, permits and equipment.

To accept jobs you must complete verification, including identity checks and proof of insurance, which Inklena's admin team reviews. We may approve, reject or revoke verification at our discretion. Insurance must remain valid while you are active.

Accepting a job is a commitment to perform it at the agreed time and price. By accepting, you authorize Inklena to charge your saved card for any cancellation or no-show penalty under Section 6.

If you operate a team or crew, you are responsible for every member you assign to a job, including their conduct, qualifications and compliance with these Terms.

Cancelling a confirmed job less than 48 hours before its scheduled start time may result in a cancellation fee. A fee may also apply when a client is unavailable or unable to provide access to the property, a contractor fails to arrive as agreed, or another circumstance covered by Inklena's applicable policies occurs.

Inklena determines whether a fee applies and calculates the applicable amount based on the circumstances of the incident and its applicable platform policies. The amount of any fee, charge, or adjustment will be communicated to the affected client or contractor through the platform, together with the applicable transaction details or receipt.

By providing a payment method or accepting a job, as applicable, you authorize Inklena and its payment processor to process charges for fees that are validly applicable under these Terms and the relevant platform policies.

Repeated cancellations, no-shows, or other violations may affect a user's rating, access to jobs, or account status, including restriction or suspension under Section 10.

Cancellations made more than 48 hours before the scheduled start time will not incur a cancellation fee under this Section, unless another applicable provision of these Terms or platform policy expressly provides otherwise.

If you believe a fee or charge was applied incorrectly, you may contact support@inklena.com within 7 days of receiving notice of the charge. Inklena will review the matter and communicate its decision.

Payments are processed through Stripe or another payment service provider designated by Inklena. Your use of the payment services is also subject to the applicable payment service provider's terms. Inklena does not store full payment card numbers.

When a client books a job, the client's payment method may be authorized for the applicable booking amount. The payment will generally be charged when the job is completed, unless these Terms or the applicable payment arrangements provide otherwise. Prices and charges are denominated in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated.

Inklena may charge service fees and other applicable charges in connection with the use of the platform. The amount payable by a client and the earnings payable to a contractor may differ. Inklena determines applicable pricing, fees, adjustments, and contractor earnings through its platform systems in accordance with its applicable policies.

Before accepting a job, a contractor will be shown the amount the contractor is expected to earn for that job. The contractor's displayed earnings do not necessarily represent the amount charged to the client. Inklena is not required to disclose its internal pricing formulas, fee-calculation methods, or allocation of amounts between the client, contractor, and platform, except where disclosure is required by applicable law.

Contractor payouts are processed through Stripe or another designated payment service provider to the payout account configured by the contractor. Payout timing depends on the payment service provider, the contractor's financial institution, and any applicable verification, review, or processing requirements. Payouts may be delayed or withheld where reasonably necessary to address a payment dispute, suspected fraud, an applicable fee or adjustment, a verification issue, or another legitimate concern, subject to applicable law.

Inklena may apply cancellation fees, no-show fees, incident-related charges, adjustments, or other amounts permitted under these Terms and applicable platform policies. When such an amount is assessed, the affected user will be notified of the amount and provided with the applicable transaction details or receipt through the platform.

If a job is not completed as agreed, a client may submit a report or request a refund through the available reporting tools. Inklena will review the circumstances and determine whether a full or partial refund, cancellation of a pending payment authorization, or another appropriate resolution is warranted. Where permitted by applicable law and these Terms, Inklena may recover amounts attributable to a contractor's responsibility from the contractor's earnings or payouts.

The Financial Activity page, where available, displays relevant earnings, payments, fees, adjustments, and penalties.

Clients and contractors may rate each other after a job. Ratings and reviews must be honest, based on your own experience, and free of abuse, personal information or discriminatory language.

We may remove reviews that break these Terms. We do not edit reviews to change their meaning, and we do not allow payment or other incentives in exchange for a particular rating.

A contractor's rating, along with cancellations and no-shows, may affect their access to jobs.

Clients and contractors must treat each other, and each other's property, with respect and follow applicable laws.

• Harass, threaten, discriminate against or endanger anyone, or enter a property or take items without permission.
• Provide false identity, insurance, address or job information.
• Move bookings, payments or communication off Inklena to avoid fees or to circumvent these Terms.
• Create duplicate or fake accounts, or share your account with others.
• Scrape, reverse-engineer, disrupt or attempt unauthorized access to the platform.
• Use Inklena for anything unlawful or for services other than cleaning.

You may close your account at any time, but you remain responsible for jobs already confirmed and for any fees or penalties owed.

We may restrict, suspend or terminate an account, with or without notice, if we reasonably believe you broke these Terms, put others at risk, committed fraud, repeatedly cancelled or missed jobs, or failed verification. Where practical, we will tell you why and how to respond.

Sections that by their nature should survive termination, including payment obligations, liability limits and dispute terms, continue after your account ends.

Inklena is provided "as is" and "as available". We do not guarantee uninterrupted service, and we do not guarantee the quality, safety, timing or legality of any cleaning work. Contractor verification reduces risk but does not eliminate it.

To the fullest extent the law allows, Inklena is not liable for indirect, incidental or consequential damages, or for loss, damage or injury arising from work done by contractors or from client property conditions. Our total liability to you for any claim is limited to the greater of the amount you paid or received through Inklena in the 12 months before the claim, or $100.

Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be limited by law. Insurance claims for property damage should be made with the contractor's insurer, and we will help where we reasonably can.

Before starting a formal claim, you agree to contact us at support@inklena.com and try to resolve the issue informally for 30 days.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Any dispute that cannot be resolved informally will be brought in the state or federal courts located in Cook County, Illinois, and you consent to that venue.

Disputes between a client and a contractor about a specific job are between those two parties; Inklena may help mediate but is not obliged to.

We may update these Terms from time to time. For material changes we will notify you by email or in the app at least 14 days before they take effect. Continuing to use Inklena after that date means you accept the updated Terms.