Terms of Service

TGS Pen Pal — Effective: 3 November 2026

1. Welcome to TGS Pen Pal

TGS Pen Pal is a letter-exchange service operated by Julie at This Girl Shines. By registering for and using TGS Pen Pal, you consent to these terms. They are designed to keep the community safe, respectful, and friendly.

2. Intellectual Property — The "What's Mine is Mine" Rule

All original content provided by Julie within TGS Pen Pal — including written guidance, prompts, illustrations, audio, and any digital downloads we make available — receives copyright protection.

Personal use: Your membership grants a personal, non-exclusive license to use the content within the service.
No reselling: You may not resell, redistribute, or claim ownership of TGS Pen Pal materials without a separate written commercial licence.
Member content: You retain ownership of letters you write or stories you share, but grant TGS Pen Pal permission to deliver your letters to your matched pen pal and, where relevant, to display your shared content within the service.

3. Pen Pal Specific Conduct

TGS Pen Pal connects members for the purpose of friendly letter exchange. By using the service, you agree to:

Provide an accurate mailing address. False or incomplete addresses prevent matching and may result in account suspension.
Treat your matched pen pal with kindness and respect. Harassment, hate speech, threats, or unwelcome content are grounds for immediate suspension and, where appropriate, reporting to authorities.
Not use addresses or correspondence shared via TGS Pen Pal for any commercial, promotional, or unsolicited purpose.
Recognise that Julie facilitates the matching but is not responsible for the content of letters exchanged or for delivery by Australia Post or other carriers.

4. Community Guidelines — The "Be Kind" Rule

TGS Pen Pal prioritises connection over pressure. Members engaging in harassment, bullying, hate speech, spamming, unsolicited promotion, or sharing private correspondence externally without consent may be removed from the service.

5. Child Safety

TGS Pen Pal is for adults aged 18 years and over. We prohibit child sexual abuse and exploitation, child sexual abuse material, grooming, sextortion, trafficking, and any other content or conduct that sexually exploits or endangers a child. Our public Child Safety Standards explain how to report a concern and how we respond.

6. Payments and Refunds

Subscriptions: Cancel any time via your account settings. Access continues through the end of your current billing period.
Refunds: Subscription fees are generally non-refundable once a billing period has begun, except as required by Australian Consumer Law.

7. Disclaimer — The "Real Life" Rule

TGS Pen Pal content is provided for informational and inspirational purposes only and does not replace professional medical, mental-health, legal, or financial advice.

8. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, TGS Pen Pal and Julie shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or related to your use of the service. Liability limitations apply under the laws of Queensland, Australia.

9. Changes to Terms

We may update these terms as the service grows. Material changes will be communicated by email to the address registered to your account, or via an in-app notice. Continued use of TGS Pen Pal after a change indicates acceptance of the updated terms.

10. Contact Us

Questions? Email hello@thisgirlshines.com.au.