Terms of Service

1. Definitions

For purposes of these Terms:

• "Authentication" means a professional opinion rendered by the Partner, using the Platform, based on the evidence available at the time of inspection.
• "Item" means the physical object submitted by a User for review under the Service.
• "User" means any individual or entity that submits an Item to the Service or otherwise uses the Service.
• "Partner" means the Partner, the independent authentication specialist who performs the inspection and renders the Authentication Result.
• "Platform" means the Rinkya Authentic technology platform, including the submission system, record management, verification portal, and blockchain anchoring services operated by Rinkya, Inc.
• "Authentication Result" means the Partner's conclusion regarding an Item, which may include Authenticated, Not Authenticated, or Inconclusive / Unable to Authenticate.
• "Inconclusive" means that, based on the available evidence, the Partner cannot reasonably reach a definitive conclusion.
• "Record" means the digital verification record created through the Platform, which may include photographs, imaging data, descriptive metadata, hashes, timestamps, and verification status.
• "Seal" means a tamper-evident label or other physical indicator applied to an Item or its packaging.

2. Relationship of the Parties

2.1 The Partner is an independent specialist and is not an employee, agent, franchisee, or joint venturer of Rinkya. The Partner operates their own authentication business and uses the Platform under a separate agreement with Rinkya.

2.2 Rinkya provides the technology platform, infrastructure, data processing, record management, and verification systems. Rinkya does not perform the authentication inspection, render Authentication Results, or provide category-specific knowledge.

2.3 Partner Responsibility. The Partner is solely responsible for: (a) the professional content of their Authentication Results, including attribution, condition grading, catalogue notes, and commentary; (b) the accuracy of credentials and biographical information published on their profile; (c) the handling of any Item while in the Partner's physical custody; and (d) their own professional conduct in performing authentication services.

2.4 Rinkya Responsibility. Rinkya is solely responsible for: (a) the operation, security, and availability of the Platform; (b) the issuance and integrity of physical seals, QR hologram labels, and label numbering; (c) the blockchain anchoring and digital preservation of published Records; and (d) the Record publication workflow, including verification, transfer, and dispute flows.

2.5 Claims Against Authentication Results. Any claim, complaint, or dispute arising from the professional content of an Authentication Result — including but not limited to claims of incorrect attribution, incorrect grading, or professional negligence — must be directed to the Partner, who is the author of that opinion. Rinkya may, at its discretion, assist in mediating such disputes but assumes no liability for the professional content of the Partner's Authentication Results.

2.6 Claims Against the Platform. Any claim, complaint, or dispute arising from the operation of the Platform itself — including data loss, security incidents, failure to publish, blockchain anchoring errors, or misuse of seals — must be directed to Rinkya. The Partner is not liable for the operation of the Platform.

2.7 Mutual Non-Imputation. In no event shall Rinkya be liable for any act, error, or omission of the Partner, and in no event shall the Partner be liable for any act, error, or omission of Rinkya or of any other partner authenticator operating on the Platform. The Partner may maintain professional liability (errors and omissions) insurance, and Rinkya may require it for certain categories, item values, or program tiers. Rinkya does not guarantee the existence, sufficiency, coverage, or enforceability of any such insurance. Users are encouraged to consider the Partner's credentials, track record, and available recourse when relying on any Authentication Result.

3. Nature of the Service

3.1 The Service consists of the physical inspection of submitted Items by the Partner, evidence capture, documentation, and issuance of an Authentication Result and Record through the Platform.

3.2 Authentication is a professional opinion based on the evidence reasonably available at the time of inspection. It is not a statement of absolute fact, warranty, guarantee, or promise of authenticity, value, provenance, or condition — whether by the Partner or by Rinkya.

3.3 The Service does not certify monetary value, appraised value, investment performance, insurability, merchantability, or future market acceptance.

3.4 No Authentication Result shall be construed as legal advice, appraisal, or title verification.

4. Eligibility and Submission

4.1 The Partner and/or Rinkya may limit the categories of Items eligible for the Service and may reject any submission at their discretion.

4.2 Users represent and warrant that:

• They have the legal right to submit the Item.
• The Item submitted is the same Item described in the application.
• All information provided is accurate to the best of their knowledge.

4.3 Items submitted in a condition materially different from what was represented may be rejected or result in cancellation of the Service.

5. Handling, Inspection, and Repackaging

5.1 Users authorize the Partner and Rinkya to handle, inspect, photograph, image, and document the Item as reasonably necessary to perform the Service.

5.2 Certain Services may require opening, unsealing, or removing Items from existing packaging. Users acknowledge that Items may not be returnable to their original unopened state.

5.3 Except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct, neither the Partner nor Rinkya is responsible for changes in value resulting from necessary inspection or resealing.

6. Authentication Results and Reliance

6.1 Possible outcomes include: Authenticated, Not Authenticated, Inconclusive / Unable to Authenticate.

6.2 An Inconclusive result is not a failure and does not imply that an Item is inauthentic.

6.3 Authentication Results reflect the Partner's professional opinion at the time rendered. Users acknowledge that reasonable specialists may disagree and that conclusions may change if new or contradictory evidence becomes available.

6.4 Users agree not to rely on Authentication Results as the sole basis for any purchase, sale, insurance placement, valuation, or investment decision.

7. Fees, Refunds, and No Chargebacks

7.1 Users must pay all applicable Service fees as specified by the Partner and/or Rinkya.

7.2 Except where expressly stated otherwise, fees are non-refundable once inspection, evidence capture, or analysis has begun.

7.3 Users agree not to initiate chargebacks or payment disputes for Services properly rendered. Improper chargebacks may result in denial of future services.

8. Shipping, Insurance, and Risk of Loss

8.1 Users are responsible for proper packaging, declared value accuracy, and insurance coverage when shipping Items to the Partner or Rinkya.

8.2 Risk of loss transfers to the receiving party only upon confirmed physical receipt and transfers back to the User upon tender to the outbound carrier.

8.3 Neither the Partner nor Rinkya is an insurer. Neither assumes responsibility for carrier loss, customs seizure, delay, or damage except to the extent required by law.

8.4 International shipments, customs, and import charges. If your item travels to or from an address outside the United States, you are responsible for all customs duties, import taxes, VAT, brokerage charges, and any related government or carrier fees, in both directions. We declare international return shipments as your own property returned to you after an authentication service, not as a sale; customs authorities in some countries may nevertheless assess charges, and any such charges are yours. If a shipment is refused, returned, or abandoned because customs charges were not paid, any storage, return, or redelivery costs are also your responsibility.

9. Seals, Records, Verification, and Intellectual Property

9.1 If applied, Seals link an Item to its Record solely at the time of certification.

9.2 Any removal, damage, alteration, transfer, or attempted reuse of a Seal immediately voids the certified state of the Item.

9.3 Records may be publicly viewable. Neither the Partner nor Rinkya makes any representation regarding third-party interpretation, acceptance, or reliance on Records.

9.4 All photographs, imaging, documentation, Records, Platform technology, and verification systems created or used as part of the Service are the intellectual property of Rinkya, Inc. Users are granted a non-exclusive, revocable license to display Records only in direct connection with the certified Item and without modification.

9.5 The Partner's brand name, logo, and trade identity remain the intellectual property of the Partner.

10. Cancellations, Refusals, and Incomplete Submissions

10.1 The Partner or Rinkya may cancel or refuse the Service at any stage if:

• The Item does not meet eligibility requirements.
• The Item differs materially from the submission description.
• Required information, access, or documentation is missing.
• Fraud, misrepresentation, or prohibited conduct is suspected.

10.2 If inspection has not yet begun, fees may be refunded at the discretion of the Partner or Rinkya. Once inspection or evidence capture has begun, fees are non-refundable unless otherwise stated.

10.3 Returned Items shall be shipped at the User's expense unless otherwise agreed.

11. Prohibited Conduct

Users may not:

• Submit Items solely to obtain documentation, images, or Records without intent to retain certification.
• Submit altered, substituted, or intentionally misrepresented Items.
• Remove, transfer, or reuse Seals or labels on different items.
• Misuse Authentication Results or Records to deceive others or misrepresent scope, certainty, or endorsement.
• Represent the Service as a guarantee of value, provenance, or future resale success.
• Attempt to circumvent, reverse-engineer, or interfere with the Platform technology or verification systems.
• Access or use the Service by any automated means, including bots, scrapers, crawlers, scripts, or proxy networks; collect, harvest, extract, store, or redistribute Records, images, comparable-sales data, verification results, or any other content from the Service in bulk or on a systematic basis; or use any such content to build a dataset, a competing registry or database, or to train, fine-tune, or evaluate a machine-learning model, except as expressly authorized in writing by Rinkya. The registry exists so that anyone can verify a single piece, and viewing Records and using the verification tools for that purpose is permitted. Machine-readable summaries that Rinkya publishes for search engines and AI assistants are provided for discovery and for answering questions about the Service and may not be used for bulk collection. Rinkya may limit, suspend, or block access for any violation of this Section.

12. Data Processing and Privacy

12.1 Personal information and submission data collected through the Service is processed by Rinkya, Inc. on behalf of the Partner using the Platform's infrastructure.

12.2 Both Rinkya and the Partner may access submission data, photographs, and records as necessary to perform and support the Service.

12.3 Rinkya's handling of personal information is governed by its Privacy and Data Retention Policy, which is incorporated by reference.

12.4 Users consent to the storage and processing of their submission data, including photographs and personal information, on servers operated by or on behalf of Rinkya, Inc. in the United States.

12.5 Rinkya may use artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies, including services from third-party providers, in operating the Platform. Such providers process information on Rinkya's behalf and are not permitted to use it to train their own models, as described in the Privacy and Data Retention Policy. Personal information is not sold and is not provided to any third party to train artificial-intelligence or machine-learning models.

15. Indemnification

Users agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless both Rinkya, Inc. and the Partner, including their respective officers, directors, employees, advisors, and contractors, from any claims, losses, damages, or expenses arising out of:

• Submission of the Item;
• Use or misuse of Authentication Results or Records;
• Breach of these Terms; or
• Violation of any law or third-party rights.

17. Force Majeure and Changes to Terms

17.1 Neither the Partner nor Rinkya shall be liable for delays or failures caused by events beyond reasonable control, including natural disasters, labor disruptions, carrier failures, customs actions, or governmental orders.

17.2 Rinkya and/or the Partner may update these Terms at any time by posting revised Terms. Continued use of the Service constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

18. Abandoned Items

18.1 If a User fails to arrange return shipment, pay required fees, or accept delivery within thirty (30) days after notice, the Item may be deemed abandoned.

18.2 The Partner or Rinkya may, at their sole discretion, store, dispose of, donate, or otherwise handle abandoned Items without liability.

19. Assignment, Severability, and Survival

19.1 Users may not assign these Terms without prior written consent. Rinkya and the Partner may assign these Terms freely.

19.2 If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

19.3 Sections relating to liability, intellectual property, indemnification, data processing, dispute resolution, and abandoned Items shall survive termination.

20. Contact Information