Terms of Service

1. Accepting these terms

By creating an account or using PurplePlug you agree to these terms. If you do not agree with them, please do not use the app.

2. Who can use PurplePlug

PurplePlug is for NWU Potchefstroom students aged 18 and older, and for landlords, residences and local businesses who serve that community. You need a valid account and an email address you control. We may ask you to confirm details such as your student number or NSFAS status.

3. Your account

• Give accurate information and keep it up to date.
• Keep your password to yourself — you are responsible for activity on your account.
• One account per person. Do not create accounts to spam, dodge a ban or impersonate someone else.
• Tell us immediately if you think someone else has access to your account.

4. What you may post

You may post hustles, residences, study resources, jobs and rides that are genuine and that you are entitled to advertise. Everything you post must be accurate, including the price, what is included, who owns the business and where students collect or apply.

You may not post: anything illegal, stolen, counterfeit or pirated; weapons, drugs or alcohol sold unlawfully; exam answers sold as a way to cheat; any content that harasses, threatens or discriminates against others; or the same listing over and over to crowd the feed.

You keep ownership of what you post, and you give us permission to display it in the app. We may remove any listing that breaks these terms, and we may suspend accounts that repeatedly break them.

5. Deals happen between you and the other user

PurplePlug is a noticeboard. We do not own the businesses listed, we are not a party to any sale, lease, job or lift you arrange through the app, and we do not handle payments between users.

That means you must do your own checks: view a room before paying a deposit, meet a buyer or seller in a public place, confirm a ride and its cost directly with the driver, and be careful with anyone who pressures you to pay upfront. Accreditation and NSFAS claims are the responsibility of the landlord who makes them — always confirm with the residence.

6. Reseller plans and fees

Every seller gets the first month free. After that the reseller plan is R50 per month for student sellers and R100 per month for Potch businesses. Where a fee applies we will show you the price before you are charged, and you can stop at the end of a billing period.

7. Staying safe

• Never share a banking OTP, PIN or full card number with anyone you meet in the app.
• Prefer cash on delivery or in-person payment after you have seen the item or room.
• Use the Potch SOS contacts in the app in an emergency, and contact campus security or the police where a crime has been committed.
• Report scams, fake listings and abusive behaviour to us so we can act.

8. Our content and branding

The PurplePlug name, its design and the content we write are ours or licensed to us. You may not copy the app or pass it off as your own. Content posted by other students belongs to those students.

9. Suspension and termination

You may close your account at any time by contacting us. We may suspend or close an account that breaks these terms, puts other users at risk, or that we reasonably believe is being used fraudulently. Where we can, we will tell you why.

10. Availability and liability

We work to keep PurplePlug available and accurate, but it is provided as is. We do not guarantee that every listing is genuine, that a room, job or seat will still be available, or that the app will be free of interruptions. To the extent the law allows, we are not liable for losses arising from dealings between users, from content posted by users, or from your use of the app.

Nothing in these terms limits rights you have under South African consumer law that cannot be limited.

11. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of South Africa, and disputes are subject to the jurisdiction of the South African courts.

12. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms as PurplePlug grows. We will post the new version here with the updated date, and where a change materially affects you we will tell you in the app. If you keep using PurplePlug after that, the new terms apply.