Terms of service

Last updated: 5 September 2026

These terms govern your purchase and use of Deadswitch drives, the Deadswitch software and the Deadswitch cloud plan (together, "Deadswitch"). By buying or using Deadswitch you agree to them. Please read them — a few of them matter a great deal.

1. Who can use Deadswitch

You must be 18 or older. Purchases are for personal use, not resale.

2. What Deadswitch is, and is not

Deadswitch holds information you choose to store, encrypted with a passphrase only you know, and releases access to people you name if you stop responding to check-ins.

Deadswitch is not a will, a trust, a power of attorney or any other legal instrument. It does not transfer ownership of anything. It does not replace legal advice. It makes information available to the people you choose; what they are entitled to do with it is governed by law and by your estate arrangements, not by us. Keep your will.

3. Your passphrase

Your vault is protected by a passphrase we never receive. If you lose it, the contents of your vault are unrecoverable. We cannot reset it, recover it or bypass it, and we will not be liable for any loss that results from a forgotten passphrase. Write it down and store it somewhere safe and separate from the drive.

4. Check-ins and release

You choose how often Deadswitch checks in with you and how it reaches you. You are responsible for keeping those contact details current and for responding to check-ins. If you do not respond, reminders escalate on the schedule described in the product, and then a release occurs.

A release is triggered by missed check-ins, not by verified death or incapacity. Deadswitch cannot know why a check-in was missed. It is your responsibility to respond when reminded, to nominate a backup contact, and to keep beneficiaries' contact details accurate. We are not liable for a release that occurs because check-ins were not answered, nor for a release that fails to occur because contact details were wrong or messages were not received.

5. Beneficiaries

You must have a reasonable basis for providing a beneficiary's contact details, and you are responsible for the accuracy of what you assign to them. You must not use Deadswitch to deliver anything unlawful, or anything intended to harm the recipient or a third party.

6. Cloud plan

The cloud plan is a monthly subscription, billed in advance until cancelled. You can cancel at any time; access continues to the end of the paid period, after which check-ins stop and no release will occur. Prices may change with 30 days' notice by email.

7. Orders, prices and payment

Prices are in US dollars and may change without notice; the price at checkout is the price you pay. We may cancel an order and refund it in full if a listing error, suspected fraud or stock problem prevents fulfilment. Shipping and returns are governed by our Shipping Policy and Refund Policy, which form part of these terms.

8. Acceptable use

You must not attempt to reverse-engineer, tamper with or circumvent the security of Deadswitch software or hardware; use Deadswitch to store or transmit material you have no right to; or use it in a way that breaks the law. Drives are sold with a tamper-evident seal; a drive that has been opened cannot be returned.

9. Intellectual property

The Deadswitch software, name, mark and website are ours. Buying a drive gives you a licence to use the software on that drive for personal purposes, for as long as you own it. It does not transfer any other right.

10. Warranties and disclaimers

Deadswitch is provided as described on the product page and in these terms. To the fullest extent the law allows, we make no other warranties, express or implied, including as to fitness for a particular purpose or uninterrupted operation. Statutory rights that cannot be excluded are not affected.

11. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent the law allows, our total liability to you for anything arising from Deadswitch is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim. We are not liable for indirect, consequential or special loss, including loss of data, loss of access to accounts or assets, or any consequence of a release occurring or failing to occur, except where caused by our fraud or wilful misconduct.

12. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify us against claims arising from your breach of these terms, including claims by beneficiaries or third parties about the information you chose to store or release.

13. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of Oregon, United States, and disputes will be resolved in the courts of Oregon Consumers in other jurisdictions keep any mandatory protections of their home law.

14. Changes

We may update these terms. Material changes will be posted on the website and, where we have an address for you, sent by email. Continued use after a change means you accept it.

15. Contact

support@dead-switch.com

Deadswitch