Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions form a binding agreement between you and Fred Connect, including its founder, volunteers, partners, and any affiliated parties, governing your access to and use of the Fred Connect website, AI assistant, WhatsApp and other community channels, personal guidance and mentorship sessions, workshops, and events (collectively, the "Services").

By accessing the website, joining any Fred Connect community channel, booking or attending a mentorship session, or registering for or attending any event, you confirm that you have read, understood, and unconditionally agree to be bound by these Terms in full, together with our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, you must not use the Services.

You must be at least 16 years old to use the Services independently. If you are under 18, you confirm you have obtained the permission of a parent or legal guardian, who also accepts these Terms on your behalf.

These Terms apply regardless of how you access or interact with Fred Connect, whether through the website, in writing, by message, by phone, or in person, and continued use of any part of the Services constitutes ongoing acceptance of these Terms as they may be updated from time to time.

Fred Connect exists to provide informal, practical, and social support to international students adjusting to life in the Netherlands. The Services are explicitly limited to peer mentorship, informational guidance, community-building, and social or recreational activities.

Fred Connect does not provide, and at no point holds itself out as providing, legal, medical, psychiatric, psychological, financial, immigration, tax, or any other form of licensed or regulated professional advice or service. Nothing communicated through the Services, whether by the founder, any volunteer, the AI assistant, or any community member, should be interpreted as professional advice of any kind.

Any information, opinion, or suggestion provided through the Services is offered for general informational and motivational purposes only, is not tailored to your individual circumstances in a professional capacity, and must not be relied upon as a substitute for independent judgment or qualified professional consultation.

Fred Connect, the AskFred AI assistant, and Fred personally do not provide legal, immigration, tax, or financial advice of any kind, and are not licensed or authorised to do so. This applies regardless of the channel through which information is shared (website, AI assistant, WhatsApp, sessions, events, email, or any other form of communication).

Any information shared through the Services about topics such as municipal registration with a gemeente (including the Hague International Centre or any other registration point), the BSN, DigiD, residence permits, visas, the IND, the 30% ruling, taxes, the Belastingdienst, health insurance, tenancy or housing law, banking, or any other regulated, official, or administrative matter is general, informal guidance only. It is provided to help you orient yourself and is not tailored to your individual circumstances.

Procedures, fees, required documents, timelines, and eligibility rules in the Netherlands change frequently and vary by personal situation. Before relying on any such information, and especially before any appointment, application, deadline, payment, or signature, you must independently confirm the current requirements with the relevant official authority or a qualified licensed professional. This includes, where applicable, the IND (ind.nl), the Belastingdienst (belastingdienst.nl), your gemeente or the Hague International Centre, your university's international office, a licensed immigration lawyer, a registered tax adviser, or a regulated financial adviser.

Fred Connect accepts no responsibility or liability for any decision, action, omission, cost, penalty, refusal, delay, or other consequence arising from your reliance on any general information shared through the Services. By using the Services you confirm that you understand and accept this.

This section is fundamental to your relationship with Fred Connect and must be read carefully.

Personal guidance sessions offered by Fred Connect (whether delivered in person, by phone, by video call, by message, or in any other format, and whether described as "personal guidance," "mentorship," "coaching," "a chat," or any similar term) are, and are intended to be, informal peer mentorship and friendly conversation only.

These sessions are explicitly not therapy, counselling, psychotherapy, psychological treatment, psychiatric care, social work, or any other form of regulated mental health service. Fred Connect's founder and any associated volunteers are not licensed therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, or healthcare professionals, and do not claim to be, regardless of any personal experience, training, or knowledge they may have.

The purpose of these sessions is limited to offering a friendly, supportive ear, sharing practical, lived experience of settling into the Netherlands, and helping participants feel less alone in their adjustment process. At no point does Fred Connect diagnose, treat, or manage any mental health condition, and at no point should a participant treat these sessions as such.

If, during a session, a participant discloses thoughts of self-harm, suicide, abuse, or any other matter indicating a need for urgent professional or medical attention, Fred Connect's sole responsibility is to encourage and direct the participant toward appropriate professional help (such as a general practitioner, a university wellbeing service, a crisis line, or emergency services). Fred Connect accepts no responsibility or liability for the outcome of any such situation, for any action or inaction by the participant following such encouragement, or for any failure by the participant to seek further help.

In the Netherlands, mental health emergencies can be referred to 113 Zelfmoordpreventie (0800-0113, or 113 by text) or to emergency services by calling 112. Participants are strongly encouraged to save these numbers and to contact a licensed professional for any matter beyond informal peer support.

By booking or attending a personal guidance or mentorship session, you explicitly acknowledge and accept that: (a) the session is not therapy or any other licensed service; (b) you are not relying on the session as a substitute for professional help; (c) any decisions you make following or based on a session are made entirely at your own discretion and risk; and (d) Fred Connect bears no liability whatsoever for the content, outcome, or consequences of any guidance or mentorship session.

The Fred Connect website may include an AI-based assistant that generates responses based on data and prompts it has been provided.

The AI assistant is a general informational tool only. It is not a substitute for professional advice of any kind, and it is not a substitute for personal guidance from Fred Connect's founder or volunteers. It may produce information that is incomplete, outdated, generic, or simply incorrect. You must independently verify any information obtained from the AI assistant through official or professional sources before relying on it for any decision, and Fred Connect accepts no liability for any action taken in reliance on output generated by the AI assistant.

From time to time, Fred Connect organizes, co-organizes, or promotes social events, meetups, workshops, and recreational or physical activities for international students (including, without limitation, activities such as bouldering, sports, or other group outings, whether hosted by Fred Connect directly or by a third-party venue or partner).

Participation in any Fred Connect event or activity is entirely voluntary. By registering for, attending, or participating in any such event, you acknowledge that physical and social activities carry inherent risks, including but not limited to the risk of physical injury, property damage, illness, or loss, and you voluntarily assume all such risks.

To the fullest extent permitted under the laws of the Netherlands, Fred Connect, its founder, volunteers, partners, and any co-organizers shall not be liable for any injury, illness, death, loss, theft, or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with participation in any event or activity, except to the extent such liability arises from gross negligence (grove schuld) or intentional misconduct (opzet) directly attributable to Fred Connect.

Where an event takes place at, or is hosted by, a third-party venue (such as a bouldering or climbing gym, sports facility, restaurant, or other location), the rules, terms, and any liability waivers of that venue apply in addition to these Terms, and participants are solely responsible for reviewing and complying with them. Fred Connect is acting solely as an organizer or facilitator connecting participants to such venues and is not responsible for the acts, omissions, equipment, premises, or safety practices of any third-party venue.

Participants are solely responsible for assessing their own health, fitness, and suitability for any activity before taking part, and for disclosing any relevant health conditions to the relevant venue where required. Fred Connect strongly recommends that participants hold appropriate personal liability and/or health insurance valid in the Netherlands.

Fred Connect reserves the right to require participants to sign a separate liability waiver before taking part in certain events, and reserves the right to refuse participation to anyone who does not sign such a waiver where required.

By using the Services, including any community channel such as WhatsApp groups, you agree to:

Treat other members, the founder, volunteers, and any third parties with respect and courtesy at all times; Refrain from harassment, bullying, discrimination, hate speech, threats, or any abusive, unlawful, or offensive behavior; Refrain from sharing false, misleading, defamatory, or harmful information within the community; Provide accurate and truthful information when registering for the Services, a session, or an event; Not use the Services to promote unrelated commercial products or services without prior written permission from Fred Connect; Comply with all applicable laws in connection with your use of the Services.

Fred Connect reserves the right, at its sole and absolute discretion and without obligation to provide a reason, to remove, suspend, or permanently ban any user from any community channel, session, or event if it reasonably believes that user's conduct violates these Terms, is harmful to other users, or is otherwise inappropriate.

Fred Connect collects and processes personal data (which may include your name, contact details, nationality, university affiliation, and information shared during mentorship sessions or community interactions) in order to provide and improve the Services.

We process personal data in accordance with our separate Privacy Policy and in compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable Dutch data protection law. We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

Information shared by you during a personal guidance or mentorship session is treated as confidential by Fred Connect, save where disclosure is necessary to protect your safety or the safety of others, or where disclosure is required by law. However, Fred Connect is not a licensed professional service and therefore cannot offer the same legal confidentiality protections (such as therapist-patient privilege) that apply to licensed healthcare providers.

You have the right to access, correct, restrict, or request deletion of your personal data at any time by contacting us using the details in Section 16. Communication conducted through third-party platforms such as WhatsApp is additionally subject to that platform's own privacy practices, over which Fred Connect has no control.

All content made available through the Services, including but not limited to text, graphics, guides, logos, the Fred Connect name, and any associated branding, is the property of Fred Connect or its licensors and is protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from this content without Fred Connect's prior written consent.

The Services are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis, without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including but not limited to any implied warranty of accuracy, completeness, reliability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

Fred Connect does not warrant that the Services will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free, or that any information provided through the Services (including by the founder, volunteers, or the AI assistant) will be accurate, complete, or suitable for your specific situation.

To the fullest extent permitted under applicable Dutch law, Fred Connect, its founder, volunteers, and any affiliated parties shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for any loss of income, opportunity, data, goodwill, or other intangible loss, arising out of or in any way connected with your access to or use of, or inability to access or use, the Services, including but not limited to personal guidance sessions, the AI assistant, community channels, or events.

Without limiting the foregoing, and to the maximum extent permitted by law, Fred Connect's total aggregate liability to you for any claim arising out of or relating to the Services, however arising, shall not exceed the total amount, if any, paid by you to Fred Connect for the Services in the twelve (12) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or one hundred euros (€100), whichever is lower.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited under Dutch law, including liability for death or personal injury caused by gross negligence or intentional misconduct, or liability for fraud.

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Fred Connect, its founder, and any volunteers from and against any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your violation of these Terms, your misuse of the Services, or your participation in any event or activity, except to the extent such claims arise from Fred Connect's own gross negligence or intentional misconduct.

The Services may reference, link to, or recommend third-party products, services, organizations, or venues (such as banks, telecom providers, housing platforms, universities, or event venues). Fred Connect may, in some cases, receive a referral fee or other benefit from such third parties.

Fred Connect does not endorse, guarantee, or accept responsibility for the products, services, conduct, or practices of any third party. Any transaction or interaction you have with a third party referenced through the Services is solely between you and that third party, and is governed by that third party's own terms.

Fred Connect reserves the right to suspend, restrict, or terminate your access to any part of the Services at any time, with or without prior notice and at its sole discretion, including where it reasonably believes you have violated these Terms, engaged in harmful conduct, or otherwise misused the Services.

You may stop using the Services and leave any community channel at any time. Sections of these Terms which by their nature should survive termination (including but not limited to liability, indemnification, and intellectual property provisions) shall continue to apply after termination.

Fred Connect may amend these Terms from time to time to reflect changes to the Services, legal requirements, or operational needs. The updated Terms will be posted on the Fred Connect website with a revised "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the Services after such changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you must stop using the Services.

These Terms, and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them or the Services, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Netherlands, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Any dispute that cannot be resolved informally between you and Fred Connect shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent court in the Netherlands, save where mandatory consumer protection law provides for a different forum.

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Fred Connect regarding the Services and supersede any prior agreements or understandings, whether written or oral.

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us at:

Fred Connect Email: info@fredconnect.nl Website: fredconnect.nl