THE HUG← Back to site

HUG

Website Terms of Use

Effective July 1 2026 · Version 1.0

These Website Terms of Use (Terms) govern your access to and use of the website located at thehugapp.com.au (Website), which is operated by The Hug App Pty Ltd (ACN 690 031 102 / ABN 26 690 031 102) (we, us or our).

The Website is the online home of HUG, a family support and carpool matching platform that helps parents and other adults responsible for Children to coordinate child caring requests, shared school and activity transport, and other family support arrangements through the HUG App. The Website provides information about HUG, allows you to learn about the service, manage your Account, and access selected features through the Website or the HUG App.

By accessing or using the Website, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use the Website.

These Terms should be read together with our Website Disclaimer, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Acceptable Use Policy, and (where you use the HUG App) our Mobile App Terms of Use. If there is any inconsistency between these Terms and another document we make available in relation to the Website, these Terms prevail to the extent of the inconsistency, unless the other document expressly states otherwise.

In these Terms, you and your refers to you as a user of the Website.

OPERATIVE PROVISIONS

1. DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION

Definitions

In these Terms, the following definitions apply:

Account means a user account created by an Eligible Adult to access and use the Website and the HUG App, as described in clause 4.
Carpool Feature means the carpool matching functionality made available through the Platform that connects Eligible Adults sharing school, activity, or other family-related journeys, as further described in our Acceptable Use Policy.
Child means a person under the age of 18 in respect of whom an Eligible Adult uses the HUG App to coordinate care, transport, or family support.
Content means all text, images, graphics, logos, audio, video, data, software, listings, profiles, and other material displayed on, or available through, the Website.
Eligible Adult means a person who is at least 18 years of age and who is the parent, guardian, or other adult lawfully responsible for a Child to whom a request for care, transport, or family support relates.
Force Majeure Event has the meaning given in clause 11.3.
HUG App means the HUG mobile application made available through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, including all updates, upgrades, and new versions.
Intellectual Property means all intellectual property rights, including patents, trade marks, designs, copyright, trade secrets, know-how, domain names, and any application or right to apply for registration of any of those rights.
Loss means any loss, liability, cost, claim, expense, damage, charge, penalty, outgoing, or payment however arising, whether present, unascertained, immediate, future, or contingent, including reasonable legal costs on a solicitor and own client basis.
Platform means the Website and the HUG App, taken together.
Terms means these Website Terms of Use, as amended from time to time in accordance with clause 11.
Third Party Content means any content, materials, links, advertisements, or resources provided by third parties and accessible through or linked from the Website.
Website means the website located at thehugapp.com.au, including all pages, subdomains, and content accessible through that address.

Interpretation

In these Terms, unless the context otherwise requires:

  1. headings are for convenience only and do not affect interpretation;

  2. the singular includes the plural and vice versa;

  3. a reference to a person includes a corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, government body, or other entity;

  4. a reference to a statute, regulation, or other law includes all amendments, consolidations, and replacements;

  5. a reference to writing includes email; and

  6. where a word or expression is given a particular meaning, other parts of speech and grammatical forms of that word or expression have a corresponding meaning.

2. ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS

  1. By accessing, browsing, or otherwise using the Website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms.

  2. You must be at least 18 years of age, and be an Eligible Adult in respect of any Child whose information you submit through the Website, to create an Account through the Website. If you are under 18, you must not create an Account, submit personal information about yourself or about a Child, or otherwise transact through the Website.

  3. You may only submit information about a Child through the Website where you are the parent, guardian, or other adult lawfully responsible for that Child and where you have authority to provide that information on the Child’s behalf. The handling of Children’s personal information is further described in our Privacy Policy.

  4. We may require you to agree to additional terms and conditions that apply to specific features or services available through the Website (including the Carpool Feature and in-app payment arrangements). Any such additional terms supplement and are to be read together with these Terms.

3. ACCESS TO THE WEBSITE

  1. We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access and use the Website for your personal, non-commercial purposes, including to learn about HUG, create and manage your Account, and access information and features made available to Eligible Adults.

  2. We do not guarantee that the Website will be available at all times or that access will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free. We may suspend, restrict, or discontinue the Website or any feature of it at any time without notice to you.

  3. You are responsible for making all arrangements necessary for you to access the Website, including obtaining a suitable internet connection and any hardware or software required to access and use the Website.

  4. We may, at our sole discretion, restrict or terminate your access to the Website at any time if we reasonably believe you have breached these Terms, have provided false or misleading information, have engaged in conduct that poses a risk to a Child or another user, or for any other reason we consider appropriate, without liability to you.

4. NATURE OF THE HUG SERVICE

  1. HUG is a technology platform that helps Eligible Adults connect with other Eligible Adults to coordinate family support, child caring requests, and shared school, activity, or family-related transport. We provide the technology only; we do not provide childcare, transport, or family support services ourselves.

  2. You acknowledge and agree that:

    1. we are not a childcare provider, education and care service, transport operator, or commercial ride-sharing service, and we are not authorised, licensed, or registered to provide any of those services;

    2. we do not employ, engage, or otherwise contract with any user, and no user is authorised to act on our behalf;

    3. any arrangement for care, transport, or other support facilitated through the Platform is a private arrangement between the Eligible Adults involved, and any journey, drop-off, pick-up, or care session takes place at the sole risk of the participants;

    4. we do not verify the identity, character, background, qualifications, working with children check status, driver licence, insurance, or fitness of any user, and we do not pre-screen or vet users beyond the limited account checks described in our Acceptable Use Policy and Privacy Policy;

    5. you are solely responsible for assessing the suitability of any other user, vehicle, or arrangement before agreeing to a request or providing any service, and for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of any Child in your care;

    6. use of the Carpool Feature is subject to our Acceptable Use Policy, which sets out conduct, eligibility, vehicle, and child safety requirements; and

    7. in-app payments processed through the HUG App (including cost-sharing for carpool journeys and payment for caregiving requests) are governed by our Mobile App Terms of Use.

5. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

  1. All Intellectual Property in and to the Website and its Content (including text, graphics, logos, images, software, and the design, selection, and arrangement of those materials) is owned by or licensed to us. Nothing in these Terms transfers any Intellectual Property to you.

  2. You must not, without our prior written consent:

    1. reproduce, copy, distribute, republish, download, display, post, or transmit any Content, except as permitted by these Terms;

    2. modify, adapt, translate, reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble any part of the Website;

    3. create derivative works based on the Website or any Content;

    4. frame or mirror any part of the Website on any other website or platform;

    5. use any data mining, robots, scraping, or similar data gathering or extraction methods on the Website, including for the purpose of collecting information about users, Children, or family arrangements;

    6. use the Website or any Content to develop, train, or fine-tune any competing product or service, or any machine learning model; or

    7. remove, alter, or obscure any copyright, trade mark, or other proprietary notice on the Website or in any Content.

  3. You may view and print Content from the Website for your own personal, non-commercial use, provided that you do not remove or alter any copyright, trade mark, or other proprietary notices.

  4. If you provide us with any feedback, suggestions, or ideas about the Website or the HUG service, you assign to us all Intellectual Property rights in that feedback and we may use it for any purpose without compensation or attribution to you.

6. USER CONDUCT

  1. When using the Website, you must:

    1. comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and these Terms;

    2. not use the Website for any unlawful, fraudulent, harmful, or exploitative purpose, including any purpose that puts a Child at risk of harm;

    3. not transmit any material that is defamatory, offensive, obscene, threatening, harassing, discriminatory, sexual, or otherwise objectionable, or that exploits, sexualises, or facilitates the abuse of a Child in any way;

    4. not impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your relationship to a Child, your qualifications, or your suitability to provide care or transport;

    5. not introduce any virus, trojan horse, worm, logic bomb, or other material that is malicious or technologically harmful;

    6. not attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Website, the server on which the Website is stored, or any server, computer, or database connected to the Website; and

    7. not interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the Website or any feature of the Platform.

  2. We reserve the right to investigate any suspected breach of this clause 6 and to take any action we consider appropriate, including suspending or terminating your Account, removing content, and reporting suspected unlawful conduct or child safety concerns to relevant law enforcement authorities, child welfare bodies, or the eSafety Commissioner.

7. DISCLAIMERS

  1. The Website and all Content are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. To the maximum extent permitted by law, we disclaim all representations, warranties, and conditions of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement.

  2. Without limiting clause 7.1, we do not warrant or represent that:

    1. the Content on the Website (including user profiles, listings, and requests) is accurate, complete, reliable, current, or free from errors;

    2. the Website will be available without interruption or that any defects will be corrected;

    3. the Website, the servers that make it available, or any communications through the Website are free of viruses or other harmful components; or

    4. any user, vehicle, arrangement, or service facilitated through the Platform meets your requirements or is safe, suitable, or appropriate for you, your family, or any Child in your care.

  3. Any Content provided on the Website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. You should not rely on any Content as a substitute for obtaining appropriate professional advice (including medical, psychological, child welfare, legal, transport, or insurance advice) from a qualified practitioner. Further detail is set out in our Website Disclaimer.

8. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

  1. To the maximum extent permitted by law, we exclude all liability (whether in contract, tort (including negligence), statute, or otherwise) for any Loss arising out of or in connection with your access to or use of, or inability to access or use, the Website, including any Loss arising from:

    1. any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in any Content, user profile, request, or arrangement;

    2. any reliance placed on any Content;

    3. the acts or omissions of any user, including any conduct of a user before, during, or after a care session, journey, or pick-up or drop-off;

    4. any injury, death, abuse, loss, damage, or other harm suffered by you, by a Child, or by any other person in connection with an arrangement facilitated through the Platform;

    5. any interruption, suspension, or discontinuation of the Website or any feature of the Platform;

    6. any viruses or other harmful components transmitted through the Website;

    7. any unauthorised access to or use of our servers or any personal information stored on them; or

    8. any Third Party Content accessed through or linked from the Website.

  2. To the extent that our liability cannot be excluded by law, our total aggregate liability to you for all claims arising out of or in connection with the Website (other than any claims relating to a paid transaction processed through the HUG App, which are dealt with in our Mobile App Terms of Use) is limited, at our option, to the resupply of the relevant services or the payment of AUD $100.

  3. Nothing in these Terms excludes, restricts, or modifies any consumer guarantee, right, or remedy conferred on you by the Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2 to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)) or any other applicable law that cannot be excluded, restricted, or modified by agreement.

9. THIRD PARTY LINKS AND CONTENT

  1. The Website may contain Third Party Content or links to third party websites, resources, or services that are not owned or controlled by us, including payment processors, app stores, mapping providers, identity verification providers, and government child safety resources. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any Third Party Content or third party websites.

  2. The inclusion of any link or item of Third Party Content on the Website does not imply our endorsement, sponsorship, or recommendation of the linked website or the relevant third party, or any association with its operators.

  3. You acknowledge and agree that we are not responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any Loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any Third Party Content.

10. PRIVACY

  1. We collect, use, and disclose personal information (including the personal information of Children, where submitted by an Eligible Adult) in accordance with our Privacy Policy, which is available at thehugapp.com.au/legal/privacy. By using the Website, you consent to the collection and use of your information, and the information of any Child for whom you are an Eligible Adult, as described in our Privacy Policy.

  2. Our Privacy Policy forms part of these Terms. If there is any inconsistency between these Terms and the Privacy Policy in relation to the handling of personal information, the Privacy Policy prevails to the extent of the inconsistency.

11. MODIFICATIONS AND FORCE MAJEURE

  1. We reserve the right to amend, modify, or replace these Terms at any time at our sole discretion. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting the updated Terms on the Website. It is your responsibility to review these Terms periodically. Your continued use of the Website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. Where the changes are material, we will use reasonable endeavours to provide notice by posting a prominent notice on the Website or by other appropriate means.

  2. We are not liable for any failure or delay in making the Website available or performing any obligation in connection with these Terms to the extent that the failure or delay is caused directly by a Force Majeure Event, provided that we use reasonable endeavours to minimise the impact and to resume normal service as soon as practicable.

  3. Force Majeure Event means any event or circumstance beyond our reasonable control, including acts of God, flood, earthquake, storm, cyclone or other natural disaster, epidemic, pandemic or public health emergency, war, invasion, acts of terrorism, riot or civil unrest, government action, law, regulation, order or embargo, failure of third party infrastructure (including telecommunications, power networks, or cloud computing services), and cyberattack, distributed denial of service attack, or other malicious interference with digital infrastructure. A Force Majeure Event does not include financial difficulty or inability to pay.

12. GENERAL

  1. Governing Law: these Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Victoria, Australia. You irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Victoria and any courts entitled to hear appeals from those courts.

  2. Severability: If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that provision will be severed from these Terms and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

  3. Waiver: A failure or delay by us in exercising any right, power, or remedy under these Terms does not operate as a waiver of that right, power, or remedy. A single or partial exercise of any right, power, or remedy does not preclude any other or further exercise of that right or any other right, power, or remedy.

  4. Entire Agreement: these Terms, together with our Website Disclaimer and Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy and Acceptable Use Policy and Mobile App Terms of Use (where applicable) constitute the entire agreement between you and us in relation to your access to and use of the Website and supersede all prior agreements, representations, and understandings.

  5. Assignment: You may not assign or transfer any of your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign or transfer our rights and obligations under these Terms to any third party without your consent.

  6. Contact: The Hug App Pty Ltd can be contacted at wegotyou@thehugapp.com.au or by writing to Level 10, 369 Royal Parade, Parkville VIC 3052.