Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using the Alga Ale platform (website, mobile, or any associated service), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, please do not use our platform. These terms apply to all visitors, registered users, and verified providers.

2. Eligibility & Account Security

• You must be 18 years of age or older to create an account or make a booking on Alga Ale.
• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account.
• You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete contact information and to keep it up to date.
• You must notify us immediately at team@yichalal.ai if you suspect unauthorised access to your account.

3. Platform Role & Third-Party Providers

Alga Ale acts as a trusted digital companion and booking facilitator. We connect you with verified third-party hotels, tour operators, restaurants, and transport providers — but we do not directly own or operate these physical services.

Our rigorous verification process includes AI photo verification and manual reviews conducted by our team. However, we cannot guarantee the actions of individual third-party providers after a booking is confirmed. Alga Ale is not liable for any losses, delays, personal injury, property damage, or service disruptions caused by third-party providers.

4. Bookings & Payments

• All bookings are subject to the specific cancellation and refund policies set by the individual verified provider (hotel, tour operator, or transport service).
• Alga Ale facilitates payment via Telebirr, CBE Birr (local) and Stripe (international). By completing a payment, you agree to the terms of the relevant payment processor.
• Alga Ale is not liable for immediate refunds where a dispute arises with the physical provider. However, we operate a Dispute Resolution Centre to actively assist affected travelers.
• Prices displayed on the platform are inclusive of all applicable fees unless stated otherwise. Exchange rates for ETB/USD are indicative and may vary at payment.

5. User Conduct

You agree not to:

• Use the platform for any unlawful purpose or in violation of Ethiopian law.
• Post false, misleading, or fraudulent reviews or listings.
• Attempt to circumvent the platform to deal directly with providers to avoid fees.
• Scrape, crawl, or automate access to the platform without written consent.
• Harass, threaten, or harm other users or providers.

Violations may result in immediate account suspension and, where applicable, referral to relevant authorities.

6. Intellectual Property

All content on the Alga Ale platform — including logos, text, graphics, UI design, and software — is the property of Alga Ale / Yichalal Family Initiative and is protected under applicable copyright and trademark law. You may not reproduce, redistribute, or create derivative works without prior written consent.

7. AI Travel Planner

Our AI Travel Planner provides suggestions based on your stated preferences and available platform data. AI-generated recommendations are for informational purposes only. Alga Ale does not guarantee the accuracy of AI-generated content and recommends verifying critical travel details (visa requirements, safety conditions, operating hours) independently.

8. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Alga Ale and the Yichalal Family Initiative are not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the platform or any third-party service booked through it. Our total liability for any direct claim shall not exceed the amount you paid for the specific booking in dispute.

9. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Any disputes shall be resolved through our Dispute Resolution Centre in the first instance, and thereafter in the competent courts of Addis Ababa.

10. Changes to These Terms

We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time. Continued use of the platform after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. We will notify registered users of material changes by email.