Creator Scout Policies

1Who This Agreement Applies To

This Agreement applies to all entities registering as a Brand or Advertiser on Creator Scout, including D2C brands, companies, marketing agencies, and any individual or business seeking to commission content from creators through the platform. If you are registering on behalf of a company or agency, you represent and warrant that you have the full legal authority to bind that entity to this Agreement.

2Campaign Creation & Posting Rules

The following rules govern all campaigns posted on Creator Scout:

• Accuracy of Campaign Briefs — The Brand is solely responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and legality of all information in campaign briefs, custom offers, and any content submitted to the platform.
• No Misleading Briefs — Briefs must not misrepresent the product, overstate features, or instruct creators to make false, unsubstantiated, or unlawful claims. All claims must be capable of substantiation by the Brand.
• Pre-Approval of Claims — Where briefs require specific performance, health, comparative, or statistical claims, the Brand warrants those claims have been reviewed and can be substantiated.
• Campaign Modifications — Once a campaign has been accepted by a creator, the Brand may not unilaterally modify brief, deliverables, or compensation without the creator’s written consent via the platform.
• Communication — All campaign-related communication must be conducted exclusively through the Creator Scout in-platform chat. Off-platform solicitation is a breach of this Agreement.

3Escrow & Payment Obligations

• Upfront Escrow Deposit — The Brand agrees to deposit the full agreed campaign fee into Creator Scout’s escrow before any campaign is activated. A campaign is not considered live until escrow is confirmed.
• Full Buyout Add-on — Where a Full Buyout Add-on is purchased, the Full Buyout fee must be deposited separately. IP does not transfer until both fees have been disbursed from escrow.
• Platform Commission — Creator Scout charges a commission on total campaign value, displayed at campaign creation. Rates are locked at campaign activation and cannot be retroactively changed.
• GST & Tax Handling — Creator Scout Technologies Pvt. Ltd. is GST-registered and will issue a valid GST invoice for all platform commission charges. The Brand is solely responsible for its own GST compliance.
• TDS — Section 194-O — Creator Scout deducts TDS at the applicable rate under Section 194-O of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The compensation stated in the brief is the gross amount from which statutory deductions are made.
• Payment Gateway — All payments are processed in INR via authorised payment gateway partners. Creator Scout is not responsible for payment failures caused by banking infrastructure.
• Chargeback Policy — Initiating a chargeback without exhausting Creator Scout’s dispute resolution process is a material breach. Creator Scout may suspend the account, recover the chargeback amount plus bank fees, and pursue legal action.

4Content Approval Responsibilities

• 72-Hour Approval Window — Upon deliverable submission, the Brand has 72 hours to approve or submit a revision request or dispute. No action within 72 hours = content deemed approved and payment auto-disbursed.
• Revision Requests — Must be submitted within the 72-hour window, must be specific and within the scope of the original brief. The revision process may not be used to materially change the scope or concept.
• Good Faith Approval Standard — The Brand must evaluate submissions in good faith. Bad faith conduct includes: rejecting content on subjective grounds not in the brief; revisions that change original scope; repeated baseless disputes; withholding approval to delay payment.
• Publishing — Creators may not publish before receiving approval. The Brand must complete the approval process in time to enable the creator to meet the agreed Go-Live Date.

5Creator Non-Performance — Full Refund Guarantee

Creator Scout operates an escrow-based payment model to protect Brands. If a creator fails to fulfil their obligations for any of the following reasons, the Brand is entitled to a full refund with zero deductions — no amount will be withheld from any source, including the Brand’s bank account or Creator Scout Wallet:

• Order not accepted or rejected — The creator does not accept the collaboration request within the acceptance window, or explicitly rejects it.
• Creator goes silent (ghosting) — The creator becomes unresponsive after accepting and fails to communicate or deliver without explanation.
• Missed deadline — The creator fails to deliver by the confirmed deadline without an approved extension.

Non-performance refund claims may be raised from the order page or by contacting support@creatorscout.in. At Creator Scout’s discretion, where a suitable replacement creator is available, Creator Scout may offer reassignment. The Brand is not obligated to accept and may opt for a full refund.

6Refund Policy Summary

Creator Scout’s refund structure covers three broad scenarios:

• Creator non-performance — Full refund with zero deductions if the creator fails to accept, goes silent, or misses a deadline without submitting work. Substandard delivery is handled via dispute (Type G), not automatic refund (see Clause 5).
• Brand-initiated cancellation — A kill fee applies, varying by the campaign stage at which the Brand cancels. The kill fee is lower when the refund is credited to the Brand’s Creator Scout Wallet rather than the original bank account.
• Post-final-deliverable — No refund is available once the creator submits the final deliverable. The Brand has 72 hours to approve or raise a formal dispute before payment is auto-disbursed.

7IP Usage Rights & Restrictions

• Standard Licence — Non-exclusive, time-bound licence for the duration specified in the brief. Brand may use content for marketing, social media, paid advertising (whitelisting), and offline materials during the licence period. Continued use beyond the licence period constitutes copyright infringement.
• Full Buyout — Where the Full Buyout Add-on has been purchased and fees disbursed, full IP ownership transfers permanently to the Brand for any lawful purpose in perpetuity.
• No Unlicensed Use — Brand must not use content beyond the agreed scope: no use beyond licence period, no sublicensing to third parties under a Standard Licence, no modification damaging the creator’s reputation.
• Campaign Data Ownership — Creator Scout retains platform-generated data (metrics, analytics). Brand retains ownership of campaign brief content. Creator Scout may use aggregated anonymised data for internal product improvement only — not sold or shared with third parties without consent.
• Third-Party Claims — Where the Brand directs use of specific third-party elements (music, footage, logos), the Brand is solely responsible for obtaining all necessary licences.

8Prohibited Campaign Categories

The Brand warrants that no campaign will relate to or promote any of the following:

• Alcohol & Tobacco — including direct or surrogate advertising of alcoholic beverages, tobacco, gutka, pan masala, e-cigarettes, or vaping products (Cable TV Networks Act 1995, COTPA 2003).
• Gambling — including online gambling, sports betting, and casino products. Fantasy sports may be permitted subject to prior written approval and mandatory ASCI disclaimers.
• Cryptocurrency & Unregulated Financial Products — including exchanges, tokens, NFTs, unregulated investment schemes, or any product not regulated by SEBI or RBI.
• Political Content — including campaigns promoting parties, candidates, ideologies, or electoral outcomes.
• Adult Content — including sexually explicit or suggestive products or platforms.
• Pharmaceutical & Prescription Drugs — including prescription-only medicines or controlled substances. OTC products subject to mandatory disclaimers and prior platform approval.
• Multi-Level Marketing & Pyramid Schemes — including any model compensating participants primarily for recruitment (Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act, 1978).
• Fake or Misleading Health Claims — including unsubstantiated disease cure or treatment claims (Drugs & Magic Remedies Act 1954, ASCI guidelines).
• Baby Food & Infant Formula — in violation of the IMS Act, 1992.
• Unregulated Lending Apps — not registered with RBI or operating outside RBI’s digital lending guidelines.

Adjacent or borderline categories (dietary supplements, weight loss products, financial advisory, educational institutions, astrology) may be subject to additional review before activation.

9Dispute Resolution Framework

• Step 1 — Internal Mediation: Either party must raise a formal dispute via the Creator Scout dispute resolution interface within 7 days of the triggering event. Creator Scout will acknowledge within 2 business days and issue a mediation decision within 7 business days of acknowledgment.
• Step 2 — Final Decision: Creator Scout’s mediation decision on fund disbursement is final and binding for purposes of escrow release. Neither party may initiate a chargeback in lieu of this process.
• Escalation: Where a party believes the decision is manifestly erroneous, they may escalate by writing to legal@creatorscout.in within 5 business days. The secondary review outcome is final for platform purposes.

10Brand Conduct, Off-Platform Circumvention & Risk Monitoring

• Professional Conduct — Harassment, threatening language, discriminatory conduct, or abusive behaviour toward creators results in immediate account suspension.
• Off-Platform Circumvention — The Brand must not solicit or transact with creators outside the platform for campaigns that originated on Creator Scout. Proven circumvention triggers financial recovery of the applicable commission plus equivalent liquidated damages, and account suspension.
• No Artificial Inflation — The Brand must not instruct creators to artificially inflate engagement metrics or purchase fake followers. Liability rests solely with the Brand.
• Accurate Business Information — All registration information (company name, GST, address, representative) must be accurate and kept current.
• Reputation & Public Conduct — The Brand may not make defamatory or false statements about creators or Creator Scout on any public channel. This does not restrict good-faith complaints through internal channels.
• Platform Risk Monitoring — Creator Scout may internally assess Brand behaviour and assign risk classifications. Creator Scout may restrict features or suspend accounts where Brand conduct poses risk, with reasonable notification.

11Regulatory Compliance & Brand Liability

• Brand’s Full Liability — The Brand is solely responsible for ensuring all campaigns comply with the Consumer Protection Act 2019, ASCI Code, Drugs & Magic Remedies Act, IT Act 2000, and all sector-specific regulations.
• ASCI & Regulatory Proceedings — The Brand is solely liable for responding to and resolving any regulatory challenge or investigation. Creator Scout cooperates with authorities as required by law.
• Indemnification — The Brand agrees to fully indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Creator Scout, its directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, penalties, or liabilities arising from Brand campaigns, false claims, regulatory violations, or breach of this Agreement.
• Content Takedown Rights — Creator Scout may require removal of content where it poses legal, regulatory, or reputational risk. The Brand must ensure creator removes content within 24 hours of notification.
• Intermediary Safe Harbour — Creator Scout is an intermediary under Section 2(1)(w) of the IT Act 2000 and does not initiate or modify content transmissions.

12Platform SLA & Service Commitments

• Support Response — Creator Scout commits to acknowledging support requests within 2 business days. Dispute acknowledgements within 2 business days; mediation decisions targeted within 7 business days.
• Uptime — Creator Scout will make reasonable commercial efforts to maintain platform availability but does not guarantee uninterrupted access. No liability for downtime from maintenance, third-party failures, or force majeure.
• No SLA for Campaign Outcomes — Creator Scout makes no commitment regarding creator performance, campaign reach, engagement rates, or commercial outcomes.

13Force Majeure

Neither party shall be liable for delays or failures resulting from circumstances beyond reasonable control, including natural disasters, pandemics, war, government actions (platform bans, internet shutdowns), third-party infrastructure failures (social media outages, payment gateway failures), or power failures. The affected party must notify the other as soon as practicable. Campaign deadlines affected by a verified force majeure event may be extended by mutual agreement.

14Account Suspension & Termination

Creator Scout may suspend or terminate a Brand’s account in: posting prohibited campaigns; off-platform circumvention; false registration information; chargebacks in breach of Clause 3; repeated bad faith disputes; non-payment; reputational or legal risk; or violation of Indian law. Upon termination, escrowed funds are handled per the Refund Policy. Account access ceases immediately. Clauses 7, 3.7, 10.2, 10.5, 11.3, 15, and 17 survive termination.

15Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by Indian law, Creator Scout shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages from the Brand’s use of the platform, including campaign failures, creator non-performance beyond the guarantees in Clause 5, regulatory action, payment gateway delays, or platform downtime. Creator Scout’s total aggregate liability shall not exceed total platform fees paid by the Brand in the three months preceding the claim.

16Amendments

Creator Scout may update this Agreement at any time. The Brand will be notified of material changes via email or platform notification at least 30 days before they take effect. Commission rate changes apply only to campaigns created after the effective date and do not affect active campaigns. Continued use of the platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

17Governing Law & Jurisdiction

This Agreement is governed by the laws of India. Disputes not resolved through the internal process in Clause 9 shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in [City, State], India.

18Entire Agreement & Survival

This Agreement, together with the Creator Scout Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Refund Policy (available at creatorscout.in), constitutes the entire agreement between the Brand and Creator Scout. It supersedes all prior representations and agreements. The following clauses survive termination indefinitely: Clause 7 (IP Usage Rights), Clause 3 (Chargeback Policy), Clause 10.2 (Off-Platform Circumvention), Clause 10.5 (Reputation & Public Conduct), Clause 11.3 (Indemnification), Clause 11.4 (Content Takedown Rights), Clause 15 (Limitation of Liability), and Clause 17 (Governing Law).