Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By purchasing, downloading, or using DeadSwitch ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, do not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

DeadSwitch provides an encrypted USB vault application and an associated dead man's switch check-in service. The USB application stores your sensitive data in an encrypted format on a portable USB drive. The check-in service monitors your periodic confirmations and, if you fail to check in within the configured timeframe, delivers access instructions to your designated beneficiaries.

3. Purchases and Payments

One-Time Purchases

DeadSwitch USB vault licenses are sold as one-time purchases at the prices listed on our pricing page. Prices are in US dollars and may change without notice for future purchases. Your purchase price is locked at the time of checkout.

Subscriptions

Cloud backup storage is offered as a monthly subscription. Subscriptions auto-renew until cancelled. You may cancel at any time through the Stripe Customer Portal; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. When a subscription ends, cloud backup access is revoked, but you retain any data already downloaded to your USB drive.

Refunds

We offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee on USB vault purchases. If you are not satisfied, contact us within 30 days of purchase for a full refund. Subscription fees are non-refundable for partial billing periods. Refund requests should be sent to support@dead-switch.com.

4. Your Responsibilities

• Master password: You are solely responsible for your master password. We cannot recover, reset, or bypass it. If you lose your master password and do not have an alternative recovery method configured, your vault data is permanently inaccessible.
• USB drive care: You are responsible for the physical security and integrity of your USB drive. We recommend maintaining a backup USB or using the cloud backup feature to protect against drive failure or loss.
• Check-in compliance: The dead man's switch operates based on your check-in behavior. If you fail to respond to check-in reminders, the system will proceed through its escalation stages and ultimately release access to your beneficiaries. You are responsible for keeping your contact information current and responding to check-ins.
• Beneficiary accuracy: You are responsible for providing correct beneficiary contact information and keeping it up to date. We cannot verify that beneficiary email addresses or phone numbers are correct.
• Emergency cards: You are responsible for securely distributing emergency cards to your beneficiaries. Without their emergency card secret, beneficiaries cannot decrypt the key shares delivered by the release system.
• Lawful use: You agree to use DeadSwitch only for lawful purposes. You will not store illegal content or use the Service to facilitate illegal activity.

5. Zero-Knowledge Limitations

DeadSwitch is designed as a zero-knowledge system. This means:

• We cannot access, read, or recover your vault contents under any circumstances
• We cannot reset your master password or bypass encryption
• We cannot selectively prevent the release of specific vault items once the switch triggers
• We cannot verify the accuracy or completeness of information you store in your vault
• Law enforcement requests for vault contents cannot be fulfilled because we do not possess the decryption keys

The TRIGGERED state of the dead man's switch is irreversible by design. Once the grace period expires without a response, the release process cannot be stopped or recalled.

6. Service Availability

The USB vault application operates entirely offline and does not depend on our servers. The check-in service, cloud backup, and web dashboard require internet connectivity and server availability. We strive for high availability but do not guarantee uninterrupted service. Scheduled maintenance will be announced in advance when possible.

In the event that DeadSwitch ceases operations, we will provide at least 90 days' notice to all registered users and ensure that the dead man's switch triggers for all active accounts, delivering access to designated beneficiaries. The USB vault application will continue to function indefinitely regardless of server status, as it operates offline.

7. Intellectual Property

The DeadSwitch software, website, documentation, and branding are the property of DeadSwitch. Your purchase grants you a perpetual, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the USB vault application for personal use. You may not reverse-engineer, redistribute, or resell the software.

8. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, DeadSwitch and its operators shall not be liable for:

• Loss of data due to USB drive failure, corruption, or loss
• Inability to access vault contents due to a lost or forgotten master password
• Failure of the check-in system to trigger due to server outages, email delivery failures, or incorrect contact information
• Unintended triggering of the dead man's switch due to missed check-ins
• Actions taken by beneficiaries after receiving access to vault contents
• Any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages

Our total liability for any claim arising from the Service shall not exceed the amount you paid for your DeadSwitch purchase in the 12 months preceding the claim.

9. Disclaimer of Warranties

DeadSwitch is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Service will be error-free, uninterrupted, or free of harmful components.

DeadSwitch is not a substitute for professional estate planning, legal advice, or financial planning. We recommend consulting qualified professionals for comprehensive estate planning.

10. Account Termination

You may delete your account at any time. We may suspend or terminate your account if you violate these terms or use the Service for illegal purposes. Upon termination, your server-side data (check-in status, beneficiary registrations, cloud backups) will be deleted within 30 days. Your USB vault remains yours and continues to function offline.

11. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the United States. Any disputes arising from these terms or the Service shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except that either party may seek injunctive relief in any court of competent jurisdiction.

12. Changes to These Terms

We may update these terms from time to time. We will notify registered users of material changes via email at least 30 days before they take effect. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

13. Contact

If you have questions about these terms, contact us at support@dead-switch.com.