1. Acceptance of Terms
These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of tipssw.organd any services provided by Texas Indo-American Physicians Society Southwest ("TIPS-SW", "we", "our", or "us"), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. By using the website you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the site.
2. Membership
Membership in TIPS-SW is open to physicians and other eligible individuals as described on the membership page. Membership is contingent on payment of applicable dues, accuracy of the information you provide, and adherence to these Terms and any TIPS-SW bylaws or codes of conduct. We may suspend or terminate membership for nonpayment, misrepresentation, or conduct inconsistent with our mission, in our reasonable discretion.
For purposes of these Terms:
- “Membership” means a paid affiliation with TIPS-SW that grants access to the benefits described on the membership page.
- “Lifetime Membership” means a Membership purchased through a single one-time payment that, subject to these Terms, does not require renewal.
3. Accounts & Security
- You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.
- You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
- Notify us promptly at [email protected] of any unauthorized access.
4. Acceptable Use
You agree not to:
- Use the site for any unlawful purpose or in violation of these Terms.
- Scrape, harvest, or otherwise extract data from the physician directory or other members-only areas for solicitation, marketing, or any commercial purpose not authorized by TIPS-SW.
- Interfere with or disrupt the website, servers, or networks.
- Upload or transmit malware, spam, or content that is defamatory, harassing, infringing, or otherwise objectionable.
- Impersonate any person or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity.
5. Membership and Payment
5.1 Membership tiers and pricing
TIPS-SW Membership is offered in tiers as listed on the membership page. As of the effective date of these Terms, the only tier offered is the Lifetime Membership at $400 USD, payable as a single one-time charge. We may add, modify, or retire tiers for future members at our discretion; pricing and benefits in effect at the time of your purchase apply to your Membership. Existing Lifetime Members are grandfathered at the price and benefits in effect on their purchase date; a subsequent change to tier pricing or benefits will not revoke or alter benefits already granted to you.
5.2 Membership benefits
Lifetime Membership benefits include, subject to these Terms:
- Access to the TIPS-SW physician directory.
- Invitations to TIPS-SW member events.
- Access to member-only resources and communications.
- Other benefits as described on the membership page from time to time.
5.3 Accepted payment methods
TIPS-SW accepts Membership dues, event fees, and donations only through the following two manual / out-of-band channels:
- Zelle — sent to [email protected]. By using Zelle, you also agree to your bank's Zelle terms and the Zelle Service Terms, available at https://www.zelle.com/legal.
- PayPal — sent to [email protected]. By using PayPal, you agree to PayPal's User Agreement, available at https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/useragreement-full.
TIPS-SW does not collect or process payment-card or bank-account credentials on this website. See our Privacy Policy for details on what the two platforms share with us.
5.4 Manual reconciliation and activation timing
Because both accepted methods are out-of-band, your Membership is not activated automaticallyon payment. After your funds land in the TIPS-SW Zelle or PayPal recipient account, an administrator manually reconciles the payment and activates your Membership — typically within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt. To minimize reconciliation delay, please include your full name (matching the name on your TIPS-SW account) in the payment note.
5.5 Refunds
All Lifetime Membership payments are non-refundable. Full details, including the limited carve-outs for fraudulent or unauthorized transactions, are set out in our Refund Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.
Membership dues, event fees, and donations are processed through third-party payment providers. Except where required by law and except as set forth in the Refund Policy, dues and donations are non-refundable. Event-fee refunds may be available on a case-by-case basis if requested in writing at least seven (7) days prior to the event.
5.6 Suspension or termination for cause
TIPS-SW reserves the right to suspend or terminate a Membership for cause, including violations of these Terms, the TIPS-SW code of conduct, fraudulent payment, or material misrepresentation on a member application. No refund of paid dues is owed in connection with a for-cause suspension or termination.
5.7 Non-transferability and cancellation
Membership is personal to you and is non-transferable. You may not sell, assign, gift, or otherwise transfer your Membership to another person. You may cancel your Membership at any time by emailing [email protected] and requesting account deactivation. Cancellation does not entitle you to a refund of paid dues; see the Refund Policy.
6. User Content
If you submit content to the website (including practice advertisements, profile information, photos, or messages), you grant TIPS-SW a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute that content in connection with TIPS-SW programs and communications. You represent that you have all necessary rights to grant this license and that the content does not violate any third-party rights or applicable law.
7. Intellectual Property
The TIPS-SW name, logo, website design, text, graphics, and other materials are owned by or licensed to TIPS-SW and protected by intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works from them without our prior written consent, except for personal, non-commercial use of website content.
8. Medical Disclaimer
Content on this website is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultation with a qualified healthcare professional. TIPS-SW does not endorse or warrant the services of any individual physician listed in the directory.
9. Third-Party Links & Services
The website may link to third-party websites and services (including payment processors, partner organizations, and event platforms). TIPS-SW is not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or availability of those third parties.
10. Disclaimer of Warranties
The website and all services are provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. TIPS-SW does not warrant that the site will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free.
11. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, TIPS-SW and its officers, directors, members, employees, and volunteers shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or relating to your use of the website or services. Our total cumulative liability shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amounts paid by you to TIPS-SW in the prior twelve months, or (b) USD $100.
12. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless TIPS-SW and its officers, directors, members, employees, and volunteers from any claims, damages, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your use of the website, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any third-party right.
13. Termination
We may suspend or terminate your access to the website or membership at any time, with or without notice, for any reason, including breach of these Terms.
14. Governing Law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the website shall be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Harris County, Texas, and you consent to personal jurisdiction in those courts.
15. Changes to These Terms
We may modify these Terms at any time by posting the revised version on this page with a new effective date. Your continued use of the website after the changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
16. Contact
Questions about these Terms? Contact us at [email protected].