Terms and Conditions

1. Welcome

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of www.yellowtreereading.com (the "Website") and your purchase of products from Yellow Tree Reading (PTY) LTD, trading as Yellow Tree Reading Academy ("Yellow Tree", "we", "us", "our").

By browsing the Website, creating an account, subscribing to a Membership, or purchasing a Digital Resource, you ("you", "your", the "Customer") agree to be bound by these Terms, our Privacy Policy, and our Cookie Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Website.

If you are using the Website on behalf of a school, organisation, or other entity, you confirm you have the authority to bind that entity to these Terms.

2. Who We Are

• Legal Entity: Yellow Tree Reading (PTY) LTD
• Trading As: Yellow Tree Reading Academy
• Registered Address: 49 Hibiscus Way, Halali, Cape Town, 7550, South Africa
• Email: support@yellowtreereading.com
• Phone: +27 82 331 3096
• Information Officer: Tania Roux, Co-Founder & CEO

These Terms are governed primarily by South African law, including the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 ("CPA"), the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 ("ECTA"), and the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 ("POPIA"). Where you are purchasing from outside South Africa, mandatory consumer protection laws of your own country may also apply and will take precedence over any conflicting provision in these Terms. Where you are located in the European Union, European Economic Area, or United Kingdom, the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR") also governs how we handle your personal information — see our Privacy Policy for full details.

3. What We Currently Sell

As at the date of this version of these Terms, Yellow Tree Reading Academy offers two categories of product through the Website:

(a) Digital Resources — downloadable literacy games, activities, and structured reading intervention bundles (including Venture into Vowels and its Afrikaans counterpart, Vlymskerp Vokale), delivered electronically as instant digital downloads.

(b) Membership — tiered, recurring-subscription access to our online member resource library and associated benefits, currently structured as Root, Bloom, Grove, and Canopy tiers, priced according to learner count and currency region (ZAR, USD, or EUR).

We do not currently sell Online Courses or live/recorded Masterclasses through this Website. If and when we introduce these, we will update these Terms, our pricing pages, and our refund arrangements accordingly before making them available for purchase.

4. Eligibility and Use by Minors

Our resources are designed to be used by children, but accounts, purchases, and Membership sign-ups must be completed by an adult (18 or older) — a parent, legal guardian, or an educator acting with the necessary institutional authority.

Where a child under 18 uses our Digital Resources or Membership materials:

• A parent, legal guardian, or supervising educator must authorise the child's use and any associated processing of the child's information;
• We collect and use a child's personal information only to the extent necessary for the educational purpose for which it was provided, and only with appropriate consent obtained as described above; and
• We do not knowingly contract directly with minors, and we do not use children's information for marketing or profiling purposes.

By purchasing, registering, or permitting a child to use our Digital Resources or Membership, you confirm that you are a competent person as defined under POPIA, and that you have provided lawful consent for any processing of a child's information involved.

5. Formation of Contract

When you make a purchase or subscribe to Membership on the Website:

1. You make an offer to purchase the relevant Digital Resource or Membership tier;
2. A binding contract is formed once we (or, where applicable, our payment partner Paddle) confirm your payment and send confirmation of access; and
3. All purchases concluded electronically are valid and binding in accordance with Chapter 7 of ECTA.

6. Pricing, Currency, and Payment

Prices are displayed in your selected currency (ZAR, USD, or EUR) and the total amount payable, including any applicable tax, is shown at checkout before you confirm your order.

We use two payment routes, depending on your location and currency:

South African Rand (ZAR) purchases are processed via PayFast (Pty) Ltd, a licensed South African payment gateway. Yellow Tree Reading (PTY) LTD remains the seller of record for these transactions. Prices for ZAR purchases are stated exclusive of VAT, as Yellow Tree Reading (PTY) LTD is not currently a VAT-registered entity in South Africa.

International (USD/EUR and other) purchases are processed via Paddle (Paddle.com Market Ltd, or its relevant regional entity), our appointed Merchant of Record for international sales. When you purchase through Paddle:

• Paddle becomes the seller of record for that transaction, and Paddle's name will appear on your card or bank statement;
• Paddle calculates, collects, and remits any applicable VAT, sales tax, or similar consumption tax on the transaction, in accordance with the laws of your country;
• Your purchase is also governed by Paddle's Buyer Terms and Paddle's Privacy Policy, in addition to these Terms; and
• Yellow Tree Reading (PTY) LTD remains the supplier of the underlying Digital Resource or Membership and is responsible for its content, quality, and delivery.

Where Paddle's Buyer Terms grant you a statutory right that is broader than what is stated in these Terms (for example, certain withdrawal rights for EU/EEA/UK consumers), the broader right will apply to your Paddle-processed purchase.

7. Membership Subscriptions

Membership (Root, Bloom, Grove, or Canopy) is a recurring subscription that renews automatically for further periods equal to your initial subscription term, until cancelled.

• Cancellation: You may cancel your Membership at any time. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current paid billing period — you will retain access until that date and will not be charged again afterwards.
• Multi-seat tiers: Grove and Canopy tiers are licensed for a stated number of learner seats. Use beyond the licensed seat count requires an upgrade to the next applicable tier or a custom institutional licence (see clause 9).
• Price changes: If we change Membership pricing, we will notify you in advance. If required by law in your territory, we will seek your consent before applying an increased price to your next billing cycle. If you do not accept a price increase, you may cancel before it takes effect.
• Failed payments: If a renewal payment fails, we (or Paddle, for international subscribers) may retry the charge. If payment cannot be collected, your Membership access may be suspended until payment is resolved.

Section 14 of the CPA gives South African consumers the right to cancel a fixed-term or recurring agreement on reasonable notice; this is reflected in the cancellation right above.

8. Refunds and Cancellations

We want you to feel confident purchasing from us. The following applies to all purchases, regardless of whether you paid via PayFast or Paddle:

8.1 Digital Resources (one-time purchases)

If you are not satisfied with a Digital Resource for any reason, contact us at support@yellowtreereading.com within 14 days of your purchase date, and we will issue a full refund. After this 14-day window has passed, the sale is final, in line with the digital-content provisions of Section 44 of ECTA and equivalent international digital-content rules.

8.2 Membership (first payment only)

New Membership subscribers receive the same 14-day money-back guarantee on their first Membership payment. If you cancel and request a refund within 14 days of your first charge, we will refund that payment in full and end your access immediately. After the first 14 days, ongoing renewal payments are non-refundable, but you may cancel future renewals at any time as described in clause 7.

8.3 How to request a refund

• For PayFast (ZAR) purchases: email support@yellowtreereading.com with your order reference.
• For Paddle (international) purchases: use the link in your Paddle purchase confirmation email, or see Paddle's Refund Policy, or contact us directly and we will action it via Paddle on your behalf.

8.4 Faults and non-delivery

This 14-day policy is in addition to, and does not limit, your right to a replacement, repair, or refund where a Digital Resource or Membership is faulty, not as described, or not delivered due to a technical issue within our control. If you have not received access within 2 hours of a successful purchase, please contact support@yellowtreereading.com.

9. Licence of Use

When you purchase a Digital Resource or subscribe to Membership, you receive a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use the content for your own classroom, therapy practice, homeschool, or individual teaching purposes, for the number of learners covered by your purchase or Membership tier.

You may not:

• Share, copy, distribute, upload, resell, or sub-license any part of the content;
• Use the content beyond the licensed learner/seat count for your Membership tier; or
• Use the content for commercial resale or redistribution.

For school-wide, district-wide, multi-school, or other custom institutional licensing beyond our standard Membership tiers, contact support@yellowtreereading.com to discuss a custom arrangement.

10. Intellectual Property

All content on the Website and within our Digital Resources and Membership materials — including text, illustrations, games, activities, audio, and course materials — is the exclusive intellectual property of Yellow Tree Reading (PTY) LTD and is protected under South African and international copyright law. Unauthorised reproduction, distribution, or commercial use is strictly prohibited.

11. Acceptable Use

You agree to use the Website only for lawful, personal, and educational purposes. You may not:

• Use the Website for any fraudulent, unlawful, or commercial resale purpose;
• Interfere with the Website's operation, servers, or networks; or
• Reproduce, scrape, or distribute Website content without our written permission.

We may suspend or terminate your account or access for breach of these Terms.

12. Product Updates

From time to time we may update or expand a Digital Resource or Membership's content. Customers who have purchased a Digital Resource, or who hold an active Membership, will receive access to reasonable updates at no additional cost via their account or registered email address.

13. Warranties and Liability

Every learner progresses differently. While we stand behind the quality, accuracy, and Science of Reading grounding of our materials, we do not guarantee specific educational or developmental outcomes, as these depend on each learner's individual circumstances, effort, and support environment.

Except where prohibited by South African law or the mandatory consumer law of your territory:

• Our Digital Resources and Membership content are provided "as is", without warranties of fitness for a particular purpose beyond what is expressly stated;
• We are not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential loss arising from use of our products; and
• Our total liability for any claim is limited to the amount you paid for the relevant Digital Resource or Membership period.

14. Governing Law and Disputes

For purchases processed via PayFast (South African Rand), these Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa, and any dispute falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court of South Africa, Western Cape Division, or a competent consumer tribunal, including the National Consumer Commission (Tel: 012 428 7000, www.thencc.gov.za).

For purchases processed via Paddle (international), Paddle's own Buyer Terms govern the payment relationship and dispute process for that transaction, while these Terms continue to govern your use of the underlying Digital Resource or Membership content. Nothing in this clause limits any mandatory consumer protection right available to you in your country of residence.

15. Updates to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page reflects the latest revision. Material changes affecting active Membership subscribers will be communicated by email in advance.

16. Contact Us

Yellow Tree Reading (PTY) LTD
49 Hibiscus Way, Halali, Cape Town, 7550, South Africa
Email: support@yellowtreereading.com
Phone: +27 82 331 3096

For data protection queries specifically, contact our Information Officer, Tania Roux, at the same email address, or see our Privacy Policy.