1. About these terms
These terms form the agreement between you and HostEthical ("HostEthical", "we", "us") for every product we sell: domain registrations and transfers, web hosting, business email, SSL certificates, cloud servers (VPS) and DNS hosting (together, the "services"). By creating an account, placing an order or using a service you agree to these terms, our Acceptable Use Policy, our Privacy Policy and our Refund Policy, which are part of this agreement.
If you accept these terms on behalf of a company or other organisation, you confirm that you have authority to bind it, and "you" means that organisation.
2. Your account
- You must be at least 18 years old and able to enter into a binding contract under Indian law.
- Keep your account details — name, email, phone and address — accurate and up to date. We use them for billing, service notices and, for domains, as the registrant contact.
- You are responsible for everything done through your account, including by anyone you share access or API tokens with. Use a strong, unique password and turn on two-factor authentication.
- Tell us immediately at admin@hostethical.com if you suspect unauthorised access.
- We may ask you to verify your identity, address or payment method before activating a service or when we detect unusual activity, and may decline or cancel orders we reasonably believe are fraudulent.
3. Orders, prices and taxes
Prices are shown in the currency you choose (INR by default) at checkout, together with the renewal price where it differs from the first-term price. Orders, invoices and renewals stay in the currency the order was placed in; prices in other currencies are converted from INR at our published rate. Applicable taxes, including GST, are shown on the checkout page and on your invoice. An order is accepted when we send an invoice and it is paid; we start provisioning once payment is confirmed.
We may change prices for future terms. Changes never affect a term you have already paid for, and we give at least 30 days' notice by email before a higher price applies to an existing service's renewal. Domain prices can change at shorter notice when a registry changes its own fees.
4. Billing and auto-renewal
- Services renew automatically for the same billing cycle unless you cancel them or switch off auto-renew for a domain.
- We issue renewal invoices in advance — currently around 14 days before the due date for hosting and servers and around 30 days before expiry for domains — and send reminders until they are paid.
- We do not charge a saved card or bank account without your action unless you have explicitly set up a recurring mandate with a payment provider.
- Renewing a domain early adds the renewal years to the current expiry date; you never lose time by renewing early.
- It is your responsibility to keep services you need renewed. We are not liable for loss caused by a service or domain expiring because an invoice was not paid.
5. Non-payment and suspension
If a renewal invoice is not paid by its due date, the service is overdue. We may suspend an overdue hosting, email or server service 5 days after the due date and restore it automatically once the balance is paid. Data on a suspended service is retained for a limited period, after which the service may be terminated and its data permanently deleted.
Domains that are not renewed expire on their expiry date. Most registries then provide a short grace period in which the domain can be renewed at the normal price, followed by a redemption period in which it can only be restored for an additional restore fee set by the registry. After that the domain is released and may be registered by anyone. Grace and redemption periods vary by extension and are not guaranteed.
6. Domain registrations
We register domains through accredited registrars and the registries that operate each extension (for example .com, .in or .co.in). Every registration is subject to the rules of the relevant registry and, for generic extensions, to the policies of ICANN, as well as to these terms.
Registrant information
- You must provide accurate and complete registrant contact information and keep it current for as long as the domain is registered. ICANN rules require this, and registries may suspend or delete domains with false or unverifiable details.
- For some extensions you will receive a verification email after registration or a contact change. If you don't confirm it within the deadline (often 15 days), the registry may suspend the domain until you do.
- Registrant details are shared with the registrar and registry, may be escrowed as required by ICANN, and — unless WHOIS privacy is enabled and supported — published in public WHOIS / RDAP records. See our Privacy Policy.
Rights and disputes
- Registering a domain gives you the right to use it for the registered term, not ownership of the name. You confirm that the registration and use of the name does not infringe anyone else's rights.
- Domains are subject to dispute-resolution policies, including the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) for generic extensions and the .IN Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (INDRP) for .in domains. We will follow decisions made under those policies and orders from competent courts.
Transfers
- You may transfer a domain away at any time, subject to registry rules. Many registries block transfers for 60 days after registration, a previous transfer, or a registrant change.
- Keep the transfer lock on unless you are transferring out. You can unlock the domain and get its EPP / auth code yourself from the dashboard.
- We will not refuse a valid transfer-out request because of an unrelated unpaid invoice, but we may decline transfers of domains under dispute, under legal hold or involved in abuse investigations.
7. Hosting, email and VPS
- Resources. Plans include the resources described on the plan page. "Unmetered" or "unlimited" features are subject to fair use as described in our Acceptable Use Policy.
- Backups. Where a plan includes backups we make reasonable efforts to keep them, but they are not guaranteed. You are responsible for keeping your own independent copies of your website, email and data.
- Cloud servers (VPS). VPS plans are unmanaged unless stated otherwise. You have full administrative access and are responsible for the operating system, software, updates, firewall and security of the server.
- Email. Mail services are subject to sending limits that protect our network's reputation. Bulk or marketing email must follow our Acceptable Use Policy.
- SSL certificates. Certificates are issued by third-party certificate authorities after domain or organisation validation. Issuance times depend on the authority and on how quickly validation is completed.
8. Your content and data
You keep all rights in the websites, files, email and other content you store with us. You give us only the permission we need to host, transmit, back up and display that content in order to provide the services. You are responsible for your content and for having the rights to use it.
We do not access the content of your services except to provide them, to investigate abuse or a security incident, when you ask us to (for example in a support ticket), or when required by law. How we handle personal data is described in our Privacy Policy.
9. Availability and maintenance
We work to keep services available around the clock but do not promise uninterrupted service. We carry out planned maintenance with advance notice where practical, and may perform emergency maintenance without notice to protect the security or stability of our platform. Any uptime commitment or service credit applies only if it is stated in writing for your specific plan.
10. Cancellation and termination
- You can request cancellation of a hosting, email or server service from its page in the dashboard. It stays active until the end of the term you have paid for and then ends; it will not renew. Download any data you need before then.
- Domains are cancelled by switching off auto-renew and letting them expire, or by transferring them to another registrar.
- We may suspend or terminate a service immediately for serious or repeated breaches of these terms or the Acceptable Use Policy, for fraud, or where required by law, a registry or a court order. Where practical, we will tell you why and give you a chance to fix the issue first.
- Refunds on cancellation follow our Refund Policy.
11. Liability
Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited by law. Otherwise, to the extent permitted by law: we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, loss of profits, revenue, data or goodwill; and our total liability arising out of or in connection with a service in any 12-month period is limited to the amount you paid us for that service in that period.
You agree to indemnify us against claims by third parties arising from your content, your use of the services in breach of these terms, or your infringement of someone else's rights.
12. Changes to these terms
We may update these terms to reflect changes in our services, in law or in registry rules. For material changes we will give at least 30 days' notice by email or in your dashboard. If you do not agree, you may cancel the affected services before the change takes effect.
13. Governing law and disputes
These terms are governed by the laws of India. Before starting formal proceedings, please contact us so we can try to resolve the issue. Subject to any domain dispute policy that applies, the courts at [city], India have exclusive jurisdiction.
14. Contact
General and support: admin@hostethical.com
Billing: admin@hostethical.com
Abuse reports: admin@hostethical.com