Terms of Service

By creating an account or using eGate, you agree to these terms. If you don't agree, don't use the app. Simple as that.

We might update these terms as we add features or if something changes. When we do, we'll notify you through the app. Continuing to use eGate after changes means you accept the new terms.

eGate is built for University of Buea students. To use the app, you need to:

• Be a current or former UB student
• Provide a valid UB matricule number for verification
• Be at least 18 years old (or have parental consent if under 18)
• Provide accurate information when creating your account

If we find out you lied about being a UB student or provided fake information, we'll delete your account. No refunds if you paid for anything.

You're responsible for:

• Keeping your password secure
• Any activity that happens on your account
• Making sure your contact info is up to date
• Not sharing your account with anyone else

If someone gets access to your account, let us know immediately. We'll help you secure it, but we're not responsible for what happens before you tell us.

You agree NOT to:

• Post fake listings in the marketplace
• Scam other students through eBuddy or marketplace transactions
• Harass, threaten, or bully other users
• Post illegal content or promote illegal activities
• Spam the app with irrelevant posts or messages
• Try to hack, break, or reverse engineer the app
• Create multiple accounts to manipulate ratings or reviews
• Use the app for commercial purposes without permission
• Collect other users' information for purposes outside the app
• Post someone else's lost item as yours to claim a reward

Basically, don't be a jerk. Use common sense. If you wouldn't want someone doing it to you, don't do it to others.

The marketplace is for UB students to buy and sell items to each other. Here's what you need to know:

• You're responsible for your listings: Make sure descriptions are accurate and prices are clear
• We're not involved in transactions: eGate connects buyers and sellers. We don't handle payments or deliveries.
• Meet safely: Use public places on campus for meetups. Don't share your room number or home address unless you know the person.
• No prohibited items: Don't sell anything illegal, stolen, or dangerous
• Be honest: Don't post fake photos or misleading descriptions
• Disputes: Sort them out between yourselves. We can ban users who repeatedly cause problems, but we can't force refunds or returns.

We're not a store. We're a platform. Transactions are between students. We just make introductions easier.

eBuddy lets students hire each other for tasks. Both parties need to follow these rules:

• Clear agreements: Make sure both people understand what needs to be done, when, and for how much
• Fair payment: Pay what you agreed to. Don't try to negotiate down after the task is done.
• Do what you agreed to: If you accept a task, complete it properly
• Communication: Keep each other updated. If something changes, say so immediately.
• Safety first: Don't accept tasks that seem sketchy or unsafe
• No exploitation: Don't underpay people or demand unreasonable work

Payment disputes are between you and the other person. We can ban users who repeatedly don't pay or don't complete tasks, but we don't handle the money.

This feature helps students reunite with lost items. Here's how it works:

• Honest reporting: Only post items you actually lost or found
• Verification required: Owners must prove the item is theirs before meetup (describe contents, show purchase receipt, etc.)
• Rewards are optional: You can offer a reward, but you're not required to
• Meet safely: Use public campus locations for exchanges
• No scamming: Don't claim someone else's item just to get a reward

If someone finds your item and you offered a reward, pay it. If you find something and there's a reward, don't demand more. Be decent humans.

Your content:

• You own the content you post (listings, photos, descriptions, etc.)
• By posting, you give us permission to display it in the app
• You're responsible for making sure you have the right to post it
• Don't post other people's copyrighted stuff without permission

Our content:

• The eGate app, design, and features belong to us
• Don't copy, modify, or redistribute our code or design
• We grant you permission to use the app, not to steal from it

Important legal stuff:

eGate is provided "as is." We're students building an app in our free time. We do our best to make it work well, but we can't guarantee it'll be perfect, always available, or bug free.

We're not responsible for:

• Transactions between students (marketplace, eBuddy, Lost & Found)
• Disputes over payments, items, or services
• Lost, stolen, or damaged items during exchanges
• Inaccurate listings or false information posted by users
• Missed notifications if your phone settings block them
• Academic consequences if you rely solely on the app for deadline tracking
• Data loss if you switch phones (academic data is stored locally)

Use the app to help yourself, but don't blame us if a marketplace deal goes wrong or you still miss registration because you ignored the notification.

You can delete your account anytime:

• Go to settings and request account deletion
• Your data gets removed from our servers within 30 days
• Active marketplace or eBuddy transactions should be completed first

We can suspend or ban your account if:

• You violate these terms repeatedly
• You scam other students
• You post illegal or harmful content
• You harass or threaten other users
• You try to hack or break the app

We'll usually warn you first unless it's something serious like scamming. If we ban you, you can't create a new account.

We're constantly improving eGate. We might add features, remove features, or change how things work. We'll try to give you notice for big changes, but sometimes we need to move fast to fix bugs or security issues.

We reserve the right to shut down the app if we graduate and can't maintain it anymore, though we'd give you plenty of warning and help you export your data first.

If you have an issue with another user (scam, unpaid task, fake listing, etc.), try to sort it out between yourselves first. If that doesn't work, contact us with evidence (screenshots, receipts, etc.) and we'll investigate.

We can ban users who repeatedly cause problems, but we can't force refunds, returns, or payments. We're a platform, not a court.

For questions about these terms or to report a violation, contact us at advocate@egateub.online or WhatsApp +237 650 981 130.