These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of Auto AI Studio's websites, web applications, mobile applications (iOS and Android), APIs, and related services (the "Service"). By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

1) Eligibility & Accounts

1.1 Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old (or the minimum age of digital consent in your jurisdiction) to use the Service. If you are under 18, you represent you have parental/guardian consent.

1.2 Account

You must provide accurate information and keep your credentials secure. You are responsible for all activity under your account. Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use.

1.3 Organizational Use

If you use the Service on behalf of a company or organization, you represent you have authority to bind that entity, and "you" refers to that entity.

1.4 Dealership Accounts

Dealership accounts are organizational accounts designed for automotive dealerships and professional photographers. When you create or join a dealership account:

• The dealership organization owns all projects, images, and data created by any team member.
• Access is controlled by the dealership administrator(s) who can invite users, assign roles (Admin, Manager, Photographer, Viewer), and remove team members.
• Your access and permissions are determined by your assigned role. Admins have full control; Managers can manage projects and team; Photographers can create and process projects; Viewers can only view completed projects.
• If your access is removed by an administrator or your employment/contract ends, you immediately lose access to all dealership projects and data.
• You may belong to multiple dealership organizations (e.g., as a freelance photographer). Each organization's data is kept separate.

2) The Service

2.1 Description

Auto AI Studio provides tooling to upload or capture images, apply AI-powered edits or transformations, and download results (the "Outputs"). The Service includes:

• Consumer Web Application: Image editing and creative projects for personal use.
• Dealership Platform: Professional vehicle photography processing, including VIN decoding, batch project management, guided photo capture, background removal, image categorization, and team collaboration tools.
• Mobile Applications: iOS and Android apps providing camera-based capture, VIN scanning, guided photo workflows, offline storage, and background upload capabilities.

2.2 Changes

We may add, remove, or modify features at any time, including beta or experimental features. We may impose or change usage limits (e.g., quotas, edits, points, credits) with notice.

2.3 Availability

We use commercially reasonable efforts to keep the Service available and secure, but downtime, maintenance, and outages may occur. Mobile app functionality may be limited by device capabilities, operating system restrictions, and network connectivity.

3) Plans, Billing, and Usage Metering

3.1 Plans

We offer both consumer and dealership plans:

• Consumer Plans: Free and paid plans with limits on edits/credits, project counts, retention periods, and features.
• Dealership Plans: Professional subscription plans ($389-$1,199/month) with monthly point allocations (750-2,500 points), unlimited project storage, team management, and advanced features. Dealership plans require payment during onboarding—no free trial is offered.

Plan details are described at checkout or on our pricing pages (app.autoai.studio for consumers, dealers.autoai.studio for dealerships).

3.2 Billing via Stripe

Paid plans are billed by Stripe. You authorize us and Stripe to charge your payment method for recurring fees, taxes, and any add-ons/overages. We do not store full card numbers.

3.3 Auto-Renewal

Subscriptions auto-renew at the end of each billing cycle unless you cancel before renewal. You can manage or cancel in the app or via Stripe's Customer Portal (when enabled).

3.4 Trials & Promotions

If a trial is offered (consumer plans only), you'll be charged at the end of the trial unless canceled beforehand. Dealership plans do not offer free trials. We may modify or end promotions at any time.

3.5 Upgrades/Downgrades

Upgrades may take effect immediately and be prorated. Downgrades generally take effect at the next renewal. Feature limits apply after downgrade.

3.6 Taxes

Fees are exclusive of taxes. Where required, applicable taxes (e.g., VAT/GST) will be charged and remitted by us or Stripe.

3.7 Refunds

3.8 Non-Payment

If a charge fails, we may suspend or limit your account until payment is completed. You remain responsible for amounts due.

3.9 Usage Metering: Edits, Credits, and Points

Consumer accounts use edits/credits to meter usage. Dealership accounts use a points-based system where each AI-processed image consumes one point from your monthly allocation. Images processed in "enhance only" mode (lightweight auto-enhance without AI background removal) do not consume points.

Dealership Overages: If you exceed your monthly point allocation, additional points are charged at $0.60 per point. Overage charges are billed at the end of your billing cycle.

Usage metrics (edits, credits, points) may expire or be adjusted for abuse, fraud, or system changes. They have no cash value and are non-transferable.

4) Your Content, License to Us, and Outputs

4.1 User Content

"User Content" includes images, prompts, text, metadata, Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs), vehicle information, and other materials you submit. You retain ownership of your User Content, subject to the licenses granted in these Terms.

Dealership Content Ownership: For dealership accounts, all User Content, projects, and Outputs created by any team member belong to the dealership organization, not individual users. This includes vehicle photos, VIN data, processed images, and project metadata. Content ownership remains with the dealership organization even if team members leave or are removed.

4.2 License to Auto AI Studio

You grant Auto AI Studio a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, cache, process, modify, reproduce, and display your User Content solely to provide and maintain the Service (e.g., run edits, generate Outputs, decode VINs, categorize images, store history/undo, deliver downloads, ensure security, prevent abuse).

4.3 Outputs Ownership

As between you and us, you own the Outputs to the extent permitted by law. For dealership accounts, the dealership organization owns all Outputs. Outputs may be similar to content generated for others. We do not claim ownership of your Outputs.

4.4 Review and Compliance

You are solely responsible for the review, vetting, and lawful use of User Content and Outputs, including any rights clearance (e.g., copyright, trademarks, design rights, publicity/likeness, property/venue rules). For vehicle photography, you represent that you have authorization to photograph and process the vehicles in question.

4.5 Backups & Deletions

Deleting content removes active copies; residual copies may persist in backups for a limited time. We may remove content that violates these Terms.

5) Acceptable Use

You agree not to use the Service to:

• Violate any law, contract, or third-party right.
• Upload or process content you do not have rights or permission to use.
• Photograph or process vehicles without proper authorization.
• Use VIN data in violation of applicable privacy, consumer protection, or automotive industry regulations.
• Infringe or misappropriate intellectual property, privacy, or publicity/likeness rights.
• Generate defamatory, harassing, hateful, or illegal content.
• Create or disseminate sexually explicit, exploitative, or otherwise harmful content.
• Attempt to re-identify private individuals without consent.
• Remove or alter copyright/trademark notices or use Outputs to imply false endorsement or sponsorship.
• Abuse, probe, or interfere with the Service, its infrastructure, or third-party providers (e.g., rate limit evasion, reverse engineering, automated scraping outside allowed APIs).
• Circumvent usage limits, edits/credits/points, or paywalls.
• Upload malware or engage in fraudulent or deceptive practices.
• Access content, projects, or data beyond your assigned role permissions (for dealership users).
• Share dealership account credentials or impersonate other team members.

We may investigate and take appropriate action (including removal, suspension, or termination).

6) Third-Party Services

The Service integrates or relies on third-party services including:

• Stripe for payment processing
• Google OAuth for optional authentication
• Apple App Store and Google Play Store for mobile application distribution
• Cloud infrastructure, database, and storage providers
• AI model providers for image analysis, segmentation, and categorization
• VIN decoding services (for dealership users)
• Email delivery services for transactional and marketing communications

These services may have their own terms and privacy policies. We are not responsible for third-party services, and no third party provides any warranty on our behalf. When using our mobile applications, you also agree to the applicable app store's terms of service.

For a complete list of third-party service providers and how they handle your data, please see our Privacy Policy.

7) Intellectual Property; Feedback

7.1 Our IP

The Service, software, documentation, and brand elements are owned by Auto AI Studio and its licensors and are protected by IP laws. We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use the Service as permitted by these Terms.

7.2 Feedback

If you provide ideas or suggestions ("Feedback"), you grant us a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license to use the Feedback for any purpose without restriction or compensation.

9) Privacy

Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy, available at /privacy. The Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and disclose personal information.

10) Disclaimers

Some jurisdictions do not allow disclaimers of certain warranties; in those cases, the disclaimers apply to the maximum extent permitted by law.

11) Limitation of Liability

Some jurisdictions do not allow limitations of certain damages; in those cases, the limitations apply to the maximum extent permitted by law.

12) Indemnification

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Auto AI Studio LLC and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your User Content, prompts, or Outputs; (b) your use of the Service; (c) your violation of these Terms or applicable law; or (d) your violation of any third-party rights, including intellectual property, privacy, or publicity rights.

13) Export, Sanctions, and Compliance

You must comply with all applicable export, sanctions, and embargo laws and regulations. You represent you are not located in, under the control of, or a national/resident of any country or entity subject to U.S. sanctions or on restricted lists. You will not use the Service for prohibited purposes.

14) Mobile Application Terms

When using our mobile applications (iOS and Android), the following additional terms apply:

14.1 Device Permissions

The mobile app requires certain device permissions to function:

• Camera: Required for photo capture and VIN scanning.
• Photo Library: Required to select and upload existing photos.
• Device Sensors: Accelerometer and gyroscope data are used locally on your device for camera angle detection during guided capture. Sensor data is not transmitted to our servers.
• Notifications: Optional, used to alert you when image processing completes or for team-related activities.

14.2 Offline Storage

The mobile app stores data locally on your device including authentication sessions, project metadata, captured photos awaiting upload (up to 10 vehicles, approximately 2-3GB), and upload queue status. You are responsible for ensuring your device has adequate storage space. We are not liable for data loss due to device issues, uninstallation, or storage limitations.

14.3 Background Processing

The app may continue uploading photos in the background when minimized. Background processing is subject to operating system limitations (e.g., iOS limits background tasks to approximately 30 seconds). Uploads may pause when the app is closed and resume when reopened or when connectivity is restored.

14.4 Connectivity Requirements

While the mobile app supports offline photo capture, full functionality requires internet connectivity for VIN decoding, image upload, AI processing, and real-time sync. Data charges may apply based on your mobile carrier's plan.

14.5 App Store Terms

Your use of the mobile app is also subject to the terms of service of the applicable app store (Apple App Store Terms and Conditions or Google Play Terms of Service). In the event of any conflict between these Terms and the app store terms, the app store terms will control with respect to your use of the app store.

14.6 Updates

We may release updates to the mobile app from time to time. Updates may be required for continued use. You are responsible for installing updates in a timely manner.

15) Dealership Account Terms

The following additional terms apply to dealership accounts:

15.1 Team Management

Dealership administrators have full control over team access and can:

• Invite new team members and assign roles (Admin, Manager, Photographer, Viewer)
• Change team member roles at any time
• Remove team members, immediately revoking their access to all dealership data
• View all projects and activity within the dealership organization

15.2 Role-Based Access

Your permissions within a dealership account are determined by your assigned role:

• Admin: Full access including billing, team management, all projects, and settings
• Manager: Can create/process projects, manage team members (except other Admins/Managers), and view analytics
• Photographer: Can create projects, upload/capture photos, and process images
• Viewer: Can only view completed projects; no creation, upload, or processing permissions

You must not attempt to access features or data beyond your assigned role permissions. Violation may result in immediate removal from the dealership organization.

15.3 Data Ownership

All projects, images, VIN data, and Outputs created within a dealership account belong to the dealership organization, not individual team members. When you create content as part of a dealership, you acknowledge that:

• The dealership organization owns all rights to the content
• Content remains accessible to the dealership after you leave or are removed
• You cannot take dealership projects or data with you when your access ends
• Other team members with appropriate permissions can view, modify, and use your projects

15.4 Termination of Team Member Access

When a team member is removed from a dealership (voluntarily or by an administrator):

• Their access to all dealership projects and data terminates immediately
• They lose the ability to view, download, or process any dealership content
• Projects they created remain with the dealership organization
• Their authorship attribution remains in project metadata for audit purposes

15.5 Multi-Dealership Users

If you belong to multiple dealership organizations (e.g., as a freelance photographer), you acknowledge that:

• Each organization's data is kept completely separate
• You must respect the confidentiality of each organization's data
• You cannot share content between organizations without explicit permission
• You are responsible for ensuring you're working within the correct dealership context

15.6 Points and Usage

Dealership plans include monthly point allocations. Points are consumed by AI-processed images (one point per image). "Enhance only" images do not consume points. Points are organization-level resources and are not allocated to individual team members. The dealership administrator is responsible for monitoring usage and managing overages.

16) Suspension & Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service (and delete content) at our discretion if we believe you violated these Terms, pose a risk to others or the Service, fail to pay, or as required by law. You may stop using the Service at any time. Sections that by nature should survive termination (e.g., ownership, payments due, disclaimers, limitations, indemnities) shall survive.

Dealership Account Termination: If a dealership account is terminated (by cancellation or non-payment), all team members immediately lose access to the organization's projects and data. The dealership administrator is responsible for downloading any needed data before termination. After termination, dealership data may be retained for a limited period as specified in our Privacy Policy, then permanently deleted.

17) Governing Law; Dispute Resolution

17.1 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to conflicts of law principles.

17.2 Venue

Subject to the arbitration provision below, courts in Travis County, Texas will have exclusive jurisdiction, and you consent to personal jurisdiction there.

18) Beta Features

We may label certain features as alpha, beta, or preview. These may be incomplete, change at any time, and may be subject to additional rules. You use them at your own risk and agree to provide feedback if requested.

19) Communications; Notices; Marketing List

You can opt out of non-essential marketing emails at any time by using the unsubscribe link in any marketing email or by contacting us at pepper@autoaistudio.com. However, you cannot opt out of essential transactional emails while maintaining an active account.

Legal notices may be sent to the email address associated with your account and will be deemed delivered when sent.

20) Modifications to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Effective Date" above and may provide additional notice for material changes. Your continued use of the Service after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

21) General

21.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, along with any referenced policies (e.g., Privacy Policy), constitute the entire agreement between you and Auto AI Studio regarding the Service.

21.2 Severability

If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in effect.

21.3 No Waiver

Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of our right to do so later.

21.4 Assignment

You may not assign these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign them to an affiliate or in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.

21.5 Force Majeure

We are not liable for delays or failures due to events beyond our reasonable control (e.g., outages, natural disasters, war, labor disputes, governmental actions).

21.6 Headings

Headings are for convenience and do not affect interpretation.