Terms of Use

The short version

This summary is here to help you understand the agreement. It is not a substitute for it. The full terms below are what you are agreeing to.

The Community Closet is a free service that helps students give and receive clothing at school.
We connect students to each other. We do not own, inspect, clean, or guarantee any item.
Anything you get from another student, you accept as-is. Check it and wash it before you wear it.
Meet only at the official school booth during official hours.
Be honest, be kind, and do not list anything unsafe, dirty, or stolen.
Buttons are a thank-you, not money. They have no cash value.
If you are under 18, your parent or guardian needs to be okay with you using this.

1. Who we are and what this is

The Community Closet ("we," "us," or "the Platform") is a student-run service that helps students at participating schools share clothing with each other at no cost. It is operated by student volunteers and administrators in cooperation with participating schools.

These Terms of Use are a legal agreement between you and The Community Closet. They cover our mobile application, any related website, our text messages, our support assistant, and every related feature. Together, these are the "Platform."

By tapping "I Agree and Continue," creating an account, or using any part of the Platform, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.

2. We are a platform, not a party to your exchanges

This is the most important thing in this document. Please read it carefully.

The Community Closet is a venue that connects students with one another. When one student lists an item and another student claims it, that exchange is between those two students. We are not a party to it.

We do not own the items listed on the Platform. We do not buy, sell, manufacture, import, distribute, inspect, test, launder, sanitize, repair, or take physical custody of them as a merchant. We do not act as an agent, broker, consignee, or representative for any user.

We do not verify, and we make no promise about:

who any user actually is, or anything they tell you about themselves;
whether a description, size, brand, photo, or condition rating is accurate;
whether an item is clean, sanitary, undamaged, safe, authentic, or free of allergens, pests, mold, chemicals, or defects;
whether a user actually owns the item they listed or has the right to give it away;
whether any user will show up, behave appropriately, or follow these Terms.

Any dispute between you and another user is between the two of you. We are not obligated to become involved, mediate, investigate, or resolve it, although we may choose to act to protect the Platform or its users.

The Platform is designed for high school students and therefore is used by minors. That places real responsibilities on everyone involved.

You may use the Platform only if all of the following are true:

you are a current student, staff member, or authorized volunteer at a participating school, or are otherwise authorized by us;
you are at least 13 years old;
if you are under 18, your parent or legal guardian has reviewed and consented to these Terms and to your use of the Platform, including your receipt of text messages and your participation in in-person item handoffs;
your use is permitted by your school and by applicable law.

The Platform is not directed to and may not be used by children under 13. If we learn that we have collected information from a child under 13, we will delete that account and its information.

If you are a parent or legal guardian: by permitting your student to use the Platform, you agree to these Terms on their behalf and accept responsibility for their use of it. You may withdraw consent and request deletion of your student's account at any time by contacting us at the address in the final section. We encourage you to review these Terms together with your student.

Nothing here overrides your school's own rules, supervision responsibilities, or policies, which continue to apply.

4. Your account

You must provide accurate, current, and complete information, and keep it up to date. You must sign in with your own school-issued or otherwise authorized account.

You are responsible for everything that happens under your account. Do not share your login, do not let anyone else use your account, and do not use anyone else's. Tell us right away if you believe your account has been used without your permission.

You may not create an account for someone else, create multiple accounts to get around limits, or create an account using false information.

5. Listing, claiming, and picking up items

When you list an item, you represent and warrant that:

you own it and have the full right to give it away;
it is clean and in the condition you described;
your photos are of the actual item;
the item is not counterfeit, recalled, stolen, hazardous, or prohibited under Section 8;
the item is appropriate for a school setting.

When you claim an item, you agree that claiming reserves it for you and that you will actually pick it up during the scheduled window. Claims may be limited in number over a period of time. Items you do not pick up may be released back to the community, and repeatedly failing to pick up items may cost you access.

Pickups and drop-offs happen at a school booth at times we publish. Schedules, locations, and procedures may change or be canceled for operational, weather, staffing, school, or safety reasons. We do not guarantee that any item will still be available, or that any pickup will occur as scheduled.

6. Item condition, cleanliness, and safety: no warranty

ALL ITEMS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "WITH ALL FAULTS," WITH NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties regarding any item obtained through the Platform, whether express, implied, or statutory. This includes any implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, non-infringement, and any warranty that an item is clean, sanitary, hygienic, hypoallergenic, undamaged, durable, authentic, safe, or suitable for any person or purpose.

Used clothing carries inherent risks. It may have been worn, stored, or handled in ways nobody can verify. It may carry allergens, irritants, residues, odors, pests, bacteria, fungi, or defects that are not visible, and it may not meet current safety standards.

Because of this, you agree that before wearing or using any item you obtain through the Platform, you are solely responsible for inspecting it and for laundering, cleaning, or sanitizing it appropriately. We strongly recommend washing every item before you wear it.

If you have allergies, sensitivities, a skin condition, a compromised immune system, or any other health consideration, you are responsible for deciding whether to accept an item at all. If you are unsure, do not take it.

We do not inspect items for safety and do not screen for recalls. If you believe an item is unsafe or has been recalled, stop using it and tell us.

7. In-person handoffs and your personal safety

The Platform arranges exchanges that happen in person, between real people, on or near school grounds. You are responsible for your own conduct and safety during those interactions.

You agree to:

complete pickups and drop-offs only at the designated school booth, during the published, supervised hours;
never arrange to meet another user off school grounds, after hours, in private, or through any channel outside the Platform for the purpose of exchanging an item;
never share your home address, personal contact details, social media, or other private information with another user in order to arrange an exchange;
follow all instructions from school staff, volunteers, and Platform administrators;
report to us and to school staff any behavior that is threatening, harassing, inappropriate, or unsafe.

We do not supervise, chaperone, or provide security for interactions between users, and we do not conduct background checks on any user. Supervision at a booth, where it exists, is provided by the school or by volunteers under school policy, not as a guarantee by us.

If you ever feel unsafe, leave and tell a trusted adult or school staff member immediately. In an emergency, contact local emergency services first.

8. Acceptable use: what you may not do

You agree not to:

list or exchange anything other than appropriate clothing and permitted accessories: no weapons, no alcohol, tobacco, vapes, drugs or paraphernalia, no medication, no food, no live animals, no recalled or hazardous goods, no counterfeit goods, no stolen property, and nothing prohibited by your school or by law;
list items that are soiled, wet, moldy, infested, torn beyond use, or that you would not accept yourself;
sell, trade for money, barter, or commercialize anything on the Platform, or resell items obtained through it;
harass, bully, threaten, intimidate, stalk, demean, or discriminate against anyone;
upload content that is sexual, violent, hateful, harassing, discriminatory, or otherwise inappropriate for a school environment;
upload photos of any person without their permission, or any image of a minor other than appropriate photos of the clothing itself;
impersonate anyone, misrepresent your school or affiliation, or lie about an item;
hoard items, claim items you do not intend to pick up, or manipulate claim limits, rewards, or queues;
attempt to access another user's account or data, probe or bypass our security, scrape the Platform, or interfere with its operation;
use the Platform for any commercial, political, or promotional purpose, or in violation of any law or school policy.

9. Buttons and rewards have no cash value

The Platform may award "buttons" or similar recognition for participation, and may let you redeem them for occasional rewards.

Buttons are a thank-you, nothing more. They are not money, currency, credit, securities, gift cards, or property. They have NO CASH VALUE, cannot be purchased, sold, transferred, gifted, exchanged for cash, or converted into anything of monetary value, and they are not redeemable except as we expressly offer within the Platform.

We may change, limit, suspend, expire, revoke, or discontinue buttons and rewards at any time, including for suspected manipulation or abuse. Reward availability is never guaranteed. If your account is terminated, any unredeemed buttons are forfeited.

10. Text messages (SMS)

If you provide your phone number and opt in, you consent to receive recurring automated service text messages from us, for example phone verification codes, claim confirmations, pickup and drop-off reminders, and schedule or cancellation notices.

Consent to receive texts is not a condition of using the Platform generally, but some features depend on a verified phone number and will not work without one.

Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply through your carrier. We do not control carrier delivery and do not guarantee that any message will arrive on time or at all.

To stop receiving texts, reply STOP to any message. For help, reply HELP or email us. If you are under 18, you confirm that your parent or guardian has consented to your receiving these messages. If you give us a phone number that is not yours, or you stop using that number, tell us immediately.

11. The AI support assistant

The Platform includes an automated support assistant powered by artificial intelligence. It exists to answer routine questions quickly.

You should understand its limits:

It is software, not a person, and not a school official, counselor, medical professional, lawyer, or emergency service.
It can be wrong. AI systems can produce inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated answers stated confidently. Do not rely on it for anything important without confirming with a human.
It does not provide medical, legal, mental-health, safety, or emergency advice, and its answers are not official decisions by us or by your school.
If it conflicts with these Terms or with instructions from a school administrator, these Terms and the administrator control.

Do not send the assistant sensitive personal information, and never use it to report an emergency or a safety concern. In an emergency, contact local emergency services. For a safety concern, contact school staff and us directly.

Your conversations with the assistant may be processed by a third-party AI provider on our behalf, and may be reviewed and retained by us to operate and improve support and to investigate misuse. See the Privacy Policy.

12. Content you submit

You keep ownership of the photos and text you submit. By submitting them, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, store, reproduce, adapt, and display that content for the purpose of operating, supporting, moderating, and promoting the Platform within participating school communities. This license ends when you delete the content, except for copies retained as described in the Privacy Policy or required for legitimate operational or legal reasons.

You represent that you have the rights to everything you submit and that it does not violate anyone's rights or these Terms.

We may review, moderate, refuse, or remove content at any time, including through automated screening. We are not obligated to monitor content, and moderation does not make us responsible for user content.

13. Suspension and removal

We may warn, restrict, suspend, or permanently remove your account, with or without notice, if we reasonably believe you have violated these Terms, created a safety, legal, operational, or reputational risk, interfered with the Platform or its users, or if a school asks us to.

Because this Platform serves minors, we will act quickly and may act on suspicion alone where safety is involved.

You may stop using the Platform and request deletion of your account at any time. Some information may be retained as described in the Privacy Policy.

14. Intellectual property

Except for content submitted by users, everything associated with The Community Closet (its name, logo, branding, design, text, graphics, layouts, workflows, and software) is owned by Alexander Messerlian and The Community Closet or used with permission, and is protected by intellectual property law.

You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, publish, modify, display, create derivative works from, or otherwise exploit any part of the Platform without prior written permission, except as permitted by law.

15. Disclaimer of warranties

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITH ALL FAULTS AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.

We disclaim all warranties, express, implied, or statutory, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, accurate, or error-free, that defects will be corrected, or that any message, listing, claim, or reminder will be delivered.

This is a free service run largely by student volunteers. It may go down, lose data, or behave unexpectedly.

16. Limitation of liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, The Community Closet, Alexander Messerlian, and our respective volunteers, student administrators, operators, advisors, representatives, and service providers will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for any loss of data, goodwill, or opportunity.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we will also not be liable for any damages arising out of or relating to:

any item obtained through the Platform, including its condition, cleanliness, safety, fit, authenticity, or any injury, illness, allergic reaction, irritation, or property damage connected to it;
the conduct, statements, or acts of any user, including in-person interactions, no-shows, harassment, or misrepresentation;
any missed, delayed, canceled, or rescheduled pickup or drop-off, or any undelivered or delayed message;
reliance on the AI support assistant;
unauthorized access to your account or data, or any service interruption, technical failure, or loss of data.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, our total aggregate liability for all claims relating to the Platform will not exceed one hundred United States dollars (US $100.00) or the amount you paid us to use the Platform (which is normally zero), whichever is greater.

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations or exclusions, including limitations on liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or willful misconduct. Where that is the case, those limitations do not apply to you, and nothing in these Terms limits any right you cannot waive by law. Nothing in these Terms limits the rights of a minor to the extent those rights cannot be waived or limited under applicable law.

17. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms. When we make material changes, we will publish a new version with a new effective date and version number, and ask you to review and accept them again the next time you open the app.

The version you accepted is recorded on your device so we can tell which version applies to you. Continuing to use the Platform after new Terms take effect means you accept them.

18. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict-of-law rules, except where applicable law requires otherwise. Any dispute will be brought in the state or federal courts located in San Mateo County, California, unless applicable law provides otherwise.

If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the rest remains in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of it.

19. How to reach us

Questions, concerns, safety reports, or requests about these Terms:

The Community Closet

Email: thecommunitycloset.team@gmail.com

We aim to respond within a reasonable time. For anything urgent or unsafe, contact school staff or local emergency services first.