Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your use of the AskCher website and services. AskCher ("we", "us", "our") is a Singapore-based tuition marketplace.

These Terms should be read together with our Privacy Policy.

AskCher introduces parents to independent tutors and is not the tuition provider. See Section 2 (Our Role) for the full distinction.

By creating an account or using AskCher, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the platform.

AskCher operates a tuition marketplace that connects parents with independent tutors. AskCher is not the tuition provider; the independent tutor is responsible for conducting the lesson, teaching quality, punctuality, communication, and all matters relating to the tuition service.

Tutors listed, recommended, shortlisted, or introduced through AskCher's marketplace are independent service providers. They are not employees, agents, partners, or representatives of AskCher unless expressly stated otherwise.

Parents are responsible for deciding whether a tutor is suitable before confirming a lesson. AskCher assists with matching, communication, collection of the marketplace fee described in Section 8, and dispute handling, but this assistance does not make AskCher the tuition provider.

Parents and tutors are responsible for reading the booking description and the WhatsApp and email confirmations sent by AskCher.

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account on AskCher. If you are under 18, you may only use the platform with the consent and supervision of a parent or legal guardian.

By signing up, you confirm that the information you provide is accurate and that you meet the eligibility requirements above.

Tutors sign up for an account on AskCher. Parents do not need an account - parents post tuition requests via a public form using their name, email, and phone number, and an AskCher administrator coordinates matching off-platform.

Each tutor may hold only one account. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account and for all activity that occurs under it. You must provide truthful, accurate, and complete information during sign-up and keep it up to date.

We authenticate tutors via email magic links. You are responsible for maintaining access to the email address associated with your account.

As a tutor on AskCher, you agree to:

• Provide accurate and truthful information in your profile, including qualifications, experience, subjects, and tutor type
• Make truthful applications to tuition requests - your proposed rate, available timings, available days, start date, and pitch
• Honour bookings confirmed through the platform and deliver lessons as agreed when applying
• Agree to the marketplace fee model (see Section 8) at the time of sign-up
• Conduct yourself professionally in all interactions with parents and students
• Not use contact information obtained through the platform for purposes unrelated to the booked lesson

AskCher reserves the right to remove profiles or applications that contain misleading or inaccurate information.

As a parent on AskCher, you agree to:

• Provide accurate information when posting a request and confirming a booking, including your name, phone number, your child's name, school, and earliest start date
• Attend or ensure your child attends booked lessons as scheduled
• Pay AskCher (not the tutor) for every lesson conducted in the first two weeks of a marketplace engagement, via PayNow within 3 days after the LAST in-window lesson - one due date per booking (see Section 8)
• Communicate respectfully with tutors and provide reasonable notice to AskCher via WhatsApp if you need to cancel or reschedule

The safety of students is of utmost importance. All users of the platform must adhere to the following:

• Tutors must conduct themselves professionally at all times when interacting with students
• Any form of inappropriate behaviour, harassment, or abuse towards students is strictly prohibited
• AskCher reserves the right to immediately terminate the account of any tutor found to have engaged in inappropriate conduct
• AskCher will cooperate fully with law enforcement authorities in any investigation involving the safety of a child

AskCher's marketplace fee model does not increase the hourly rate payable by parents. For marketplace arrangements, parents pay the tutor's proposed hourly rate for lessons actually conducted within the first 14 calendar days from the first lesson date - which, for regular schedules, equals roughly 50% of the first month's lesson fees - but this amount is collected by AskCher instead of the tutor as AskCher's marketplace fee. Posting a request, applying as a tutor, and signing up on the platform are free.

Worked examples (the canonical rule remains "actual lessons in the 14-day window"; the 50%-of-monthly-fees figure is a rule of thumb that holds for regular schedules):

• Weekly engagement at $60/hr × 1.5h per lesson: 2 lessons fall in the 14-day window. AskCher collects $60 × 1.5 × 2 = SGD $180. Lessons from week 3 onwards are paid directly to the tutor at the same rate
• Twice-weekly engagement at $60/hr × 1.5h: 4 lessons fall in the 14-day window. AskCher collects $60 × 1.5 × 4 = SGD $360
• Fortnightly engagement at $60/hr × 1.5h: 1 lesson falls in the 14-day window. AskCher collects $60 × 1.5 × 1 = SGD $90

Tutors agree that lesson fees for lessons conducted within this first 14-day window are payable to AskCher as the marketplace fee, not to the tutor. From day 15 onwards, parents pay the tutor directly unless otherwise agreed.

Tutors are not allowed to collect the agency commission on behalf of AskCher.

Payment Mechanics

• AskCher collects the marketplace fee for every lesson actually conducted within the first 14 calendar days from the first lesson date. The amount equals the tutor's proposed hourly rate multiplied by the agreed lesson duration multiplied by the number of in-window lessons (1 if fortnightly, 2 if weekly, 4 if twice a week). Lessons that do not take place are excluded
• Payment is due via PayNow within 3 days after the last in-window lesson has been conducted. The parent screenshots the PayNow confirmation back to AskCher so the transfer can be reconciled
• Payment is by PayNow only. AskCher does not store your card or bank details
• AskCher emails a PayNow receipt PDF to the parent once payment is reconciled
• From day 15 onwards, the parent pays the tutor directly. AskCher is no longer involved in payment for marketplace lessons after the two-week window

Because payment is only collected after a lesson has been conducted, no refund arises. If a tutor does not show up to a scheduled lesson, no lesson has taken place and no payment is due for that slot.

For Cancellations, both parties contact AskCher (hello@askchersg.com or via WhatsApp) and an administrator executes the cancellation on their behalf. A reason is required for every cancellation, and the other party is notified by AskCher via WhatsApp.

For any lesson within the first two-week window that has not yet taken place, no fee is charged. Lessons already conducted within that window remain owed to AskCher (see Section 8).

Repeated or last-minute tutor-initiated cancellations may, at AskCher's sole discretion, result in the tutor account being banned from the platform under Section 11.

For marketplace bookings, AskCher includes the matched parent's and tutor's phone numbers in the confirmation email sent to each party at the time of match. The parent's email shows the tutor's number; the tutor's email shows the parent's number, so the matched pair can coordinate logistics for the booked lesson directly.

You must not use phone numbers obtained through AskCher for any purpose other than coordinating the booked lesson. Misuse of contact information may result in account suspension.

Users must not circumvent AskCher's platform to avoid the marketplace first two weeks fee (Section 8). This includes but is not limited to:

• Using contact information obtained through AskCher to arrange any lesson within the first two-week window outside the platform
• Cancelling a confirmed booking after receiving the tutor's or parent's contact details in order to rebook lessons within the first two-week window privately
• Tutors soliciting parents off-platform after seeing their request through the broadcast
• Re-posting an effectively identical request after a confirmed booking is cancelled, in order to reset the two-week window with the same tutor
• Tutors abandoning a confirmed booking mid-window (silent no-shows or unresponsive messages) in order to continue with the same parent privately, without paying the first-two-weeks fee owed to AskCher - see also Section 9 (Tutor abandonment)

Violation of this clause may result in immediate account suspension and/or permanent ban.

AskCher reserves the right to recover any fees owed through appropriate legal channels, including the Small Claims Tribunals of Singapore where applicable.

AskCher and the tutors connected through the platform will make reasonable efforts to provide suitable educational support. AskCher does not guarantee any specific academic result, grade improvement, school admission outcome, examination performance, or other learning outcome.

AskCher intends to operate in compliance with applicable Singapore laws and regulations.

AskCher does not host in-app reviews. Parents who wish to share their experience are invited to leave a review on the AskCher Google Business Profile. Reviews submitted there are public on Google Maps and Google Search and are subject to Google's own review policies.

Reviews must be honest and based on your genuine experience. Defamatory, abusive, discriminatory, or off-topic reviews may be reported to Google for removal under their policies.

AskCher does not control Google's review surface and is not liable for the content of any review. We may, post-launch, surface Google-sourced reviews on tutor profiles within AskCher; our Privacy Policy and these Terms will be updated if and when that happens.

The AskCher platform, including its design, branding, code, and content created by us, is owned by AskCher. You may not copy, reproduce, or redistribute any part of the platform without our written permission.

Tutors retain ownership of the content they create and upload to the platform (such as profile bios and application pitches). By posting content on AskCher, you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to display that content on the platform for the purpose of operating the service.

AskCher operates a tuition marketplace and is not the tuition provider.

AskCher may carry out basic profile, application, or suitability checks, but does not employ, endorse, or guarantee the quality, suitability, teaching style, punctuality, or conduct of any independent tutor. Independent tutors are responsible for the lessons they conduct.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, AskCher is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential losses, service interruptions, technical issues, or disputes between parents and independent tutors.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for fraud, death or personal injury caused by negligence, or any matter which cannot be excluded or limited under applicable Singapore law.

You use AskCher at your own risk. We provide the platform on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied.

AskCher may suspend or terminate your account at any time if you violate these Terms, engage in fraudulent or harmful behaviour, or misuse the platform. We will make reasonable efforts to notify you, but we are not obligated to do so in cases of serious violations.

You may stop using AskCher at any time. However, accounts cannot be unilaterally closed while you have active classes, outstanding payments, or unresolved disputes - these obligations survive any request to stop using the platform. To request that we stop processing your personal data, see Section 12 of our Privacy Policy.

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Singapore. Any disputes arising from or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Singapore.

We may update these Terms from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. Your continued use of AskCher after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

For significant changes, we may notify you by email or through a notice on the platform.

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

hello@askchersg.com