1. Terms and conditions

Terms and Conditions

Privacy Policy Summary

Personal information is collected to create and fund relevant and useful services for students.

Collection of personal information is transparent and controlled by you.

Privacy Guarantee:

  • StudentVIP complies with the Privacy Act (2008), The National Privacy Principles and the Spam Act (2003).

  • You can see why each piece of personal information is collected on the join page.

  • Some personal information is displayed publicly when you choose to use Textbooks, Tutors and other services. You will know which information is seen publicly and which is not.

  • When we send you StudentVIP email Alerts on behalf of another organisation, that organisation does not have your personal information. Your personal information is only held by us and our service providers directly required to provide our services.

  • All email correspondence sent to you will identify who it is from and will have a functional unsubscribe link in the footer. You can unsubscribe from the entire family of StudentVIP site at any time.

  • StudentVIP has a Privacy Officer: Andrew Maloney. Please contact Andrew with any questions or concerns regarding StudentVIP and privacy. Andrew is contactable via email. firstname [at] studentservices.com.au or by the "Feedback" link at the bottom of each page.

Our full Privacy Policy is here.

Terms and Conditions

Please read and agree to the following Terms and Conditions before joining StudentVIP.

Updated July 7th 2019

  1. Purpose

    The purpose of these Websites and Apps is to create and fund relevant and useful services for students.

  2. Parties

    Student Services Australia Pty Ltd, ACN 100 372 156, ABN 19 100 372 156 (subsequently referred to as "SSA") is the owner of the Websites and Apps. By joining the StudentVIP you are entering into an agreement with SSA to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.

  3. StudentVIP scope

    StudentVIP consists of a family of student-related Websites and mobile applications (subsequently referred to as either "StudentVIP" or "Websites" or "Apps").

    Sites that form part of StudentVIP and are covered by these Terms and Conditions include;

  4. Eligible users

    The Website may only be used by current or recent graduates of Australian universities. Eligible users may only act on their own behalf as private individuals. It is a breach of these terms to act on behalf, or for the benefit of third parties, including but not limited to corporations and other websites.

  5. Variation

    SSA may modify these Terms and Conditions from time to time and that such modifications will be effective and binding on you when posted on StudentVIP.

  6. Decline discretion

    SSA may decline to accept any person for registration. SSA may also cancel and delete an existing account for, but not limited to, not providing appropriate identification or not complying with the site terms and conditions. SSA has sole discretion to determine membership of StudentVIP.

  7. Email and password

    To access the Websites, you must provide an email address and password. You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your email and password. You must notify SSA immediately of any unauthorised use of your email and password. You are responsible for any authorised or unauthorised actions undertaken using your email address and password.

  8. Misuse

    You must not attempt to mislead or deceive by posting inaccurate, incomplete or false material to the Websites or by impersonating any person on the Websites. You must not post to the Websites, material which infringes the intellectual property rights of any third party (including electronic textbooks).

    You must not post any illegal, threatening, abusive, harmful, obscene or otherwise objectionable material to the Websites. You must not use the Websites for or to encourage any unlawful action, including but not limited to, cheating by students. You must not post material which consists of exam answers, assignments or work that a student is required to complete in order to fulfil a course of study.

    You must not post to the Websites, material which contains or is a virus, worm, Trojan horse, spyware or other contaminating or destructive code. You must not use any device, routine or software to reduce the functionality of the Website or disrupt its users.

  9. Misuse liabilities

    You will indemnify SSA, its officers, employees and agents against all loss, damage, costs, professional fees and expenses (including legal fees), actions, claims and liability arising directly or indirectly from or in relation to your use or misuse of the Websites. The termination of your use of the Websites will not terminate your obligations under these Terms and Conditions.

  10. Use and disclosure of material

    You consent to SSA collecting, using and disclosing material in accordance with our Privacy Policy. SSA cannot guarantee that this material will not be unlawfully accessed or altered by a third party during transit over the Internet or while on the Website.

  11. Third party service providers

    To enable delivery of some services to you, you acknowledge that SSA may provide your personal information and other material from you to specified contracted third party service providers. SSA enters into contractual arrangements with these service providers to maintain the confidentiality of your personal information.

    It is a condition of use that you read and agree to the third party's terms and conditions in addition to these terms and conditions. Third party terms form part of these terms and conditions. Current third party service providers are;

  12. Join form opt-in partner memberships

    After you have completed the StudentVIP join form, you may be invited to join other relevant membership programs.

    If you chose to join by ticking the relevant opt-in box, you understand you are joining a separate membership program and agree to that program’s terms. If subsequently you no longer wish to be a member of that program, you will need to contact that organisation directly to unsubscribe.

  13. Services changes

    SSA reserves the right to change, add or cancel services or features of StudentVIP, as well as reformat material which you have posted to the Websites without prior notice.

  14. Service availability

    SSA does not guarantee that StudentVIP services will be provided uninterrupted or error-free. The Websites may be temporarily unavailable.

  15. No warranties

    The contents of these Websites are intended for general information only. SSA does not make any warranties or representations, express or implied, in relation to the completeness, accuracy or timeliness of the information contained in these Websites. To the extent permitted by law, SSA excludes all liability for any direct, indirect or consequential damage, loss or costs caused by or in connection with your use of or inability to use the Websites or SSA's breach of contract or statute, negligence or misrepresentation.

  16. Links to other sites

    You acknowledge that any links from StudentVIP to third party sites do not indicate that SSA has any control over or responsibility for the contents of such sites. SSA excludes all liability for any direct or indirect damage, loss or costs of any kind arising in any way out of or in connection with your access and/or use of third party sites.

  17. Subsequent transaction parties

    Some of the Websites provided as part of StudentVIP connect you with other parties who you may later enter into an agreement with (for example, but not limited to; buying and selling textbooks on studentvip.com.au, buying items from Apple after visiting studentvip.com.au/apple, or applying for a job via lode.com.au. SSA is not a party in these transactions.

  18. Ancillary services

    By utilising ancillary services introduced to you by StudentVIP, including lode.com.au, you are agreeing that all data created as part of the use of those ancillary services is considered material posted by you to StudentVIP.

  19. Waiver

    A failure or delay by SSA in exercising a right under these Terms and Conditions does not result in a waiver of that right. A waiver of any right under these Terms and Conditions must be made in writing.

  20. Severability

    If any part of these Terms and Conditions is held to be invalid or unenforceable that part shall be severed and the remaining Terms and Conditions will continue to be valid and enforceable.

  21. Applicable law

    These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of New South Wales and you submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of New South Wales and any courts which may hear appeals from these courts in respect of proceedings regarding these Terms and Conditions.

  22. Additional Terms for users of StudentVIP Notes

    StudentVIP Notes is a platform made available by Student Services Australia Pty Ltd, ABN 19 100 372 156 (“SSA”) for students who wish to buy or sell subject notes (“Notes”) and other materials that has been prepared by them in relation to the subjects they study.

    22A. StudentVIP Notes - Terms for Buyers, Sellers & other third parties

    Liability
    SSA is not a party to contracts formed between a person who uploads, offers to sell and sells Notes (“Seller”) and a person who buys Notes (“Buyer”) using the StudentVIP Notes platform. SSA does not have any legal interest in, or claim any ownership of the Notes, whether in whole or in part. StudentVIP Notes is merely a platform on which Sellers list Notes for Buyers to purchase. Legal rights to the Notes, including intellectual property rights, do not pass to or vest in SSA at any time. SSA excludes its liability to the fullest extent permitted by law, and is not responsible for the conduct of any user of StudentVIP Notes, whether being a Buyer, Seller, or independent third party.

    Rights of use
    Insofar as the Notes constitute original copyright works in which copyright subsists pursuant to the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) (Copyright Act), all rights of exploitation of the Notes remain with the author of the Notes (subject to any licenses or assignments of the copyright in the Notes having occurred, arrangements to which SSA will not be and is not privy to).

    Credit card queries
    Any questions or issues relating to the use of the secure payment gateway should be made in writing via the online feedback page (studentvip.com.au/feedback).

    22B. StudentVIP Notes - Terms for Listing Notes (Sellers)

    Ownership
    As a Seller, you warrant that you:

    1. are the sole owner of the copyright (and other relevant intellectual property rights) subsisting in the Notes; and
    2. have all legal rights required to offer the Notes for sale, as well as sell the Notes, via StudentVIP Notes.

    You acknowledge that SSA reserves the rights to pass on your contact details to a third party that disputes your ownership or makes claims of intellectual property infringement in relation to any document you submit.

    Accuracy, responsibility and liability
    As a Seller, you warrant that all supporting information you provide in connection with the Notes or otherwise to SSA, such as related subject, university, title, description, and grades are correct.

    You warrant that the Notes do not consist of exam answers, assignments or work that a student is required to complete in order to fulfil a course of study. All published Notes are intended to assist students with their studies and not be used to facilitate cheating.

    You acknowledge and agree that you assume all responsibility and liability in relation to accuracy of the Notes and any representations that you make in relation to the Notes, as well as any loss or damage suffered by a Buyer (or any other third party) in connection with the Notes, including in relation to any allegation(s) of intellectual property infringement and actions taken in relation to such allegations.

    You acknowledge and agree that SSA is not liable for any conduct in relation to the Notes, and has expressly excluded all liability to the fullest extent as permitted by law.

    Moderation
    SSA does not verify the accuracy of the contents of the Notes, the rights or abilities of Sellers to legally sell the Notes, or the subsistence, validity or otherwise of any intellectual property rights that may subsist in the Notes.

    While SSA does not have any obligation to moderate the Notes listed on StudentVIP Notes, SSA reserves the right to accept or reject any Notes based on any criteria of its choosing, or remove any Notes from StudentVIP Notes at its own discretion.

    Exclusive representation and damages
    Sellers agree not to list their Notes for sale and/or sell their Notes via any other service, whether electronic or otherwise, other than StudentVIP Notes.

    Further, as a Seller, you warrant to SSA that you will not sell, supply or otherwise provide your Notes, in whole or part, to any other party via any means, and regardless of whether or not payment is received.

    Sellers agree to not include any form of their direct contact details in the Notes nor in the description fields accompanying the Notes, as listed on StudentVIP Notes. This includes, but is not limited to, email addresses, telephone numbers, and website links.

    Withdrawal
    As a Seller, you may withdraw your Notes from StudentVIP Notes at anytime. However, removing your Notes from StudentVIP Notes will not prevent Buyers who have previously purchased your Notes from access to those notes via the Buyer’s My Activity page on StudentVIP Notes. Withdrawn Notes will not otherwise be accessible via StudentVIP Notes.

    Commission
    SSA collects 30% commission on each and every individual sale of the Notes. Each commission is collected by SSA immediately upon receipt of payment by the Buyer.

    Discount codes
    At its discretion, SSA may issue discount codes to the public for the purposes of encouraging additional purchases of Notes from StudentVIP Notes. Sellers agree that on transactions where these discount codes are available and used by Buyers, Sellers will be required to accept the reduced post-discount sale price paid by the Buyer, rather than the price the Seller would have expected to receive had a discount code not been used. The maximum discount code issued will be 30%.

    Effect of refunds
    The Seller agrees that when a refund is required for a transaction involving their Notes, the sale is reversed and no funds are due to the Seller. (see StudentVIP Notes - Terms for Purchasing Notes (Buyers): Refund Policy for more information).

    Distribution of funds
    Sellers may request their total available funds balance be transferred to an Australian bank account of their choosing anytime after 4 days from the date of sale. SSA will transfer the full amount (less commission and any refunds) within 14 days from the request date. At any time, Sellers can see the total sales made, past balance transfers and current available balances under the My Activity page on StudentVIP Notes.

    22C. StudentVIP Notes - Terms for Purchasing Notes (Buyers)

    Payments
    SSA will accept payment for Notes via a secure payment gateway. Immediately after a successful payment is received, the Notes purchased will be available for the Buyer to download via the Buyer’s My Activity page on StudentVIP Notes. The Notes will remain available for download under the My Activity page, until the Buyer terminates their membership with StudentVIP.

    Personal use
    The Buyer shall not duplicate, disseminate or publicly display any Notes purchased via StudentVIP Notes. Individual duplicates (e.g. copies and printouts of the Notes), may only be made for private individual, personal use, and on the terms outlined in section 40 of the Copyright Act – Fair dealing for purpose of research or study.

    Liability
    The Buyer acknowledges and agrees that it will not hold SSA liable for any consequences arising out of defects in the content or accuracy of the Notes, including representations made in connection with the Notes, whether in relation to intellectual property rights, ownership, or otherwise.

    SSA is not liable for any loss of money, reputation, or special, indirect or consequential damages or effects arising directly or indirectly out of your use of the Notes. The Seller bears all responsibility and liability in that regard.

    SSA is merely a trading platform, and excludes all liability in relation to the Notes to the furthest extent as permitted by law.

    Refund policy
    If the Buyer is not happy with the quality of the Notes purchased, they can make a written refund request, via the online feedback page after logging into the site (studentvip.com.au/feedback), stating and providing specific examples of evidence, within 2 days of purchasing the Notes.

    SSA will endeavour to refund the purchase amount paid for the Notes to the Buyer’s credit card within 4 business days only if the case qualifies for a refund.

    SSA may not provide a refund if:

    1. The Buyer requests a refund after 2 days of purchasing the Notes
    2. The Notes contain outdated information
    3. The Buyer makes an accidental purchase

    (This policy does not make a “magic loophole” for ripping off fellow students by getting piles of free high quality Notes. If we believe you are fraudulently claiming multiple refunds unrelated to their quality... we just tell you to GTFO. That is not a legal term).

    22D. Intellectual Property Dispute - Terms for all parties

    If you believe any Notes listed on StudentVIP Notes may infringe your intellectual property rights (including copyright) please notify SSA in writing via the online feedback page (studentvip.com.au/feedback), and provide details including the Note’s document title, associated university, associated subject code and the document-specific url, the subject of the allegation, the grounds for the potential infringement and your contact details (Notice). Acknowledgement of receipt of your Notice will be sent to you within 48 hours.

    Removal of notes
    SSA will review your Notice and if it believes necessary, remove the allegedly infringing Notes from StudentVIP Notes. SSA reserves the right to refuse to take down Notes if it is unable to satisfy itself that there is or is likely to be an intellectual property infringement in connection with the Notes. SSA’s objective in operating StudentVIP Notes is to assist and encourage students with their studies, and operate a fair and efficient trading platform for educational aids and materials.

    Communication of Notice and disputes
    SSA will communicate the Notice to the Seller as soon as reasonably possible after receiving a Notice:

    1. If the Notice is disputed by the Seller, SSA may request further information from you, including the document(s) or other material(s) which you allege the Notes to infringe the intellectual property right(s) in, and those documents or materials may be passed on to the Seller so the Seller can seek independent legal advice.
    2. If the Notice is not disputed, the Notes will be immediately removed and the Seller’s contact details will be provided to you.

    Any decision by SSA to remove any Notes is a preventative measure only, and should not be taken as an admission by SSA that any claim for infringement would be upheld by an Australian Court. SSA expressly reserves the right to challenge any infringement claim made in any Notice, and/or assist any Seller in any such claim, if it so chooses, but bears no obligation to do so.

    Liability and wrongful removal of Notes
    The Notes will only be removed from StudentVIP Notes by SSA if SSA believes there are reasonable grounds for doing so. SSA does not bear any liability in relation to any losses or damages suffered by a Seller as a result of the removal of the Notes after receipt of a Notice. The issuer of the Notice will be liable for any losses or damages suffered by a Seller as a result of a wrongful removal of the Notes from StudentVIP Notes.

    A ‘wrongful removal’ of Notes includes but is not limited to a Court judgment finding the Notes do not constitute an intellectual property infringement, and/or a formal written legal opinion by an intellectual property lawyer that the Notes do not constitute an infringement.

  23. Additional Terms for users of StudentVIP Tutors

    SSA is not a party to contracts formed between a person who offers to tutor and provides tutoring services (“Tutor”) and a person who engages the Tutor to provide tutoring services (“Student”) using the StudentVIP Tutors platform.

    Liability
    StudentVIP Tutors is merely a platform on which Tutors may list their services to Students. SSA is not responsible for any feedback provided by a Student in relation to a Tutor.

    The parties acknowledge that the Tutor is not an employee, franchisee or contractor of SSA and is entirely independent of SSA. SSA excludes its liability to the fullest extent permitted by law, and is not responsible for the conduct of any user of StudentVIP Tutors, whether as a Tutor, Student, or independent third party.

    No warranties
    SSA does not make any warranties or representations, express or implied, in relation to the accuracy of the information submitted by Tutors in their profile, or in relation to the material and information provided by the Tutor during tutoring sessions. To the extent permitted by law, SSA excludes all liability for any direct, indirect or consequential damage, loss or costs caused by or in connection with your use of StudentVIP Tutors or SSA's breach of contract or statute, negligence or misrepresentation.

    No cheating
    SSA has full discretion to ban Students or Tutors from StudentVIP Tutors and take steps which SSA exercising its full discretion deems appropriate including notifying the relevant university, where:

    1. a Student asks a Tutor to complete an assignment on their behalf;
    2. a Tutor offers to complete an assignment on behalf of the Student;
    3. a party otherwise acts inappropriately or engages in illegal conduct when arranging a tutoring session or during a tutoring session.