Terms of Service

1. What Spooniversity is

Spooniversity is an independent online learning platform operated by Roi Shternin, an individual based in Austria. It is not an accredited institution of higher education. No academic degrees are conferred. All credentials issued are professional learning certifications from Spooniversity.

These terms form the contract between you and Spooniversity when you create an account or subscribe.

2. Your account

Course content is free to read and requires no account. To create an account and purchase a certificate, you must be at least 18 years old. Under Austrian law (ABGB), individuals under 18 require parental or guardian consent to enter into contracts. If you are 16 or 17, you may create an account with the consent of a parent or legal guardian.

You are responsible for keeping your login credentials secure. Accounts are for individual use — you may not share your account with others. Each purchase covers one person.

3. Pricing and payment

All course content on Spooniversity — every lesson, in every course, in every pathway — is free to read. No purchase or account is required to access it.

Spooniversity sells certificates of completion, issued once you have finished every lesson in a course or pathway:

• Course certificate — €19 (EUR), inclusive of any applicable VAT. One-time purchase, issued on completion of that course, yours for life once issued.

• Pathway certificate — €59 (EUR), inclusive of any applicable VAT. One-time purchase, issued on completion of every course in that pathway at the time of purchase.

There is no subscription, no renewal charge, and no expiry. Future courses we add to the catalog will remain free to read; a certificate for them is a separate purchase.

All prices are in EUR. If you are located outside Austria, your local VAT rate may differ and will be applied at checkout as required by EU regulations on digital services (EU VAT Directive 2006/112/EC).

We may, at our discretion, offer higher-priced products in the future (for example, advanced credentials or diplomas). Any such product will be a separate purchase, clearly priced, and will not affect your existing certificates.

4. Your right to withdraw (Widerrufsrecht / Right of Withdrawal)

Under the EU Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU), as implemented in Austria by the Fern- und Auswärtsgeschäfte-Gesetz (FAGG), you have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days of your purchase, without giving a reason.

To exercise this right, email hello@spooniversity.org within 14 days of purchase. We will refund your payment in full, unconditionally, within that window — course content is free regardless of your certificate purchase, so we do not treat access to it as forfeiting your withdrawal right, and this holds even if your certificate has already been issued.

We understand that chronic illness doesn't follow tidy timelines. If you missed the 14-day window because of a flare or a health crisis, email us anyway — we look at these as humans, not as a policy document. Our general refund policy (below) provides additional flexibility.

5. 14-day refund policy

In addition to your legal withdrawal right, we offer a simple refund policy: if you purchase a certificate and decide within 14 days that it isn't right for you, email hello@spooniversity.org and we will issue a full refund. Course content itself is free and unaffected by a certificate refund.

After 14 days, purchases are non-refundable except at our discretion. If life happened — a crash, a hospitalisation, something unexpected — email us. We will look at it fairly.

6. Course content and intellectual property

All course content — lessons, materials, frameworks, and curricula — is the intellectual property of Spooniversity and Roi Shternin. You may use what you learn in your own work and life. You may not reproduce, distribute, or resell course materials without written permission.

Content may be updated, improved, or restructured at any time. Core track content and your learning progress are always preserved.

7. Community conduct

Spooniversity is a space for chronically ill people. Community members are expected to treat each other with dignity and respect.

We reserve the right to remove content or suspend accounts that are abusive, discriminatory, or harmful to the community. We do not apply these standards lightly or without warning. If you receive a warning or suspension and believe it was an error, email us — we will listen.

8. Medical disclaimer

Nothing on Spooniversity constitutes medical advice. Course content is for educational purposes only. Always consult your own healthcare providers for medical decisions.

Spooniversity does not claim to treat, cure, or improve any medical condition. "Healing modules" within the curriculum refer to self-knowledge, emotional skills, and adaptive strategies — not medical treatments.

9. Availability

We aim for consistent availability but do not guarantee uninterrupted access. We may temporarily suspend access for maintenance. We will notify you in advance where possible. Planned maintenance periods do not entitle you to a refund for the period affected.

10. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Spooniversity is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages.

Important: Under Austrian consumer protection law (KSchG §6), we cannot exclude liability for intentional acts, gross negligence, or personal injury. This limitation applies only to the extent permitted by mandatory consumer protection rules in your country.

11. Governing law and EU consumer rights

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Austria.

If you are a consumer in an EU or EEA member state, you retain all mandatory consumer protections granted by the laws of your country of habitual residence, regardless of this governing law clause. These terms do not take away any rights you have under mandatory local consumer law.

12. Online Dispute Resolution (EU)

The European Commission provides an Online Dispute Resolution platform for consumers and online traders in the EU: https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr

We are required to provide this link. We are not obligated to participate in dispute resolution through this platform, but we are always willing to resolve concerns directly — email hello@spooniversity.org first.

13. Contact

Questions about these terms: hello@spooniversity.org