Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using PricklyMails, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you are using the service on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have the authority to bind that organization to these terms.

2. Service Description

PricklyMails provides an email verification API that checks email addresses for syntax validity, MX record existence, disposable provider detection, typo detection, and other configurable checks. The service returns a deliverability score from 0 to 100. Results are provided on a best-effort basis and do not guarantee email deliverability.

3. Account Registration

To use the API, you must create an account with a valid email address and a secure password. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access.

4. API Keys

API keys are personal and non-transferable. Live keys (pm_live_*) provide production access; test keys (pm_test_*) provide sandbox access. You must not share, publish, or embed API keys in client-side code. Compromised keys should be revoked immediately from your dashboard.

5. Credits and Billing

The service operates on a credit-based system. Each email verification consumes 1 to 5 credits depending on the checks enabled. Credits are purchased through monthly plans or one-time top-ups. When your credits are exhausted, the API returns a 429 status code. There is no automatic billing or overage charges. Unused credits from monthly plans do not roll over. Refunds are handled on a case-by-case basis.

6. Prohibited Use

You agree not to:

• Use the service to send spam, phishing, or unsolicited communications.
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the source code of the service.
• Resell, redistribute, or sublicense access to the API without written authorization.
• Use the service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of applicable laws.
• Circumvent rate limits, authentication, or any security mechanism of the service.
• Use the service for benchmarking or to develop a competing product.

7. Data Processing

Email addresses submitted for verification are processed in real time and immediately discarded. PricklyMails does not store, log, or retain any verified email address. Only irreversible hashes of domain names are kept for aggregate statistics. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

8. Intellectual Property

All rights, title, and interest in the PricklyMails software, API, documentation, algorithms, and branding remain the exclusive property of Hugo Deltour. These terms do not grant you any ownership rights or implied licenses. You may not copy, modify, or create derivative works of the service.

9. Service Availability

We strive to maintain high availability but do not guarantee uninterrupted service. Planned maintenance will be announced in advance when possible. We are not liable for downtime caused by third-party infrastructure, network issues, or force majeure events.

10. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NONINFRINGEMENT. VERIFICATION RESULTS ARE INFORMATIONAL AND DO NOT GUARANTEE EMAIL DELIVERABILITY.

11. Limitation of Liability

IN NO EVENT SHALL PRICKLYMAILS OR ITS AUTHOR BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE. TOTAL LIABILITY SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID FOR THE SERVICE IN THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM.

12. Termination

Either party may terminate this agreement at any time. You may cancel your account from your dashboard. We may suspend or terminate your access if you violate these terms or engage in abusive behavior. Upon termination, your right to use the service ceases immediately. Sections 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 13 survive termination.

13. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of France. Any disputes arising from or related to these terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of France.

14. Contact

For questions about these terms, contact Hugo Deltour at hugodeltour.pro@gmail.com.