Terms & Conditions

AstarIQ is an online platform that connects students preparing for IGCSE, O Level, AS, A Level and similar examinations (“Students”) with independent teachers and tutors (“Teachers”). Through the Platform, Students can find Teachers, book and attend live online sessions, access learning materials, and track their progress.

These Terms form a binding agreement between you and The Foundry. They apply to everyone who uses the Platform, whether as a Student, a Teacher, a parent or guardian, or a visitor.

• “Student” means a person who uses the Platform to find Teachers and book or attend sessions.
• “Teacher” means an independent teacher or tutor who offers sessions, courses, or learning materials through the Platform.
• “Session” means any live tutoring activity booked through the Platform, including one-to-one lessons, group sessions, courses, revision sessions, and mock-exam reviews.
• “Content” means any material uploaded, shared, or created on the Platform, including profiles, messages, notes, past papers, worksheets, homework submissions, recordings, and reviews.
• “Booking” means a confirmed reservation of a Session.

AstarIQ provides the technology that lets Students and Teachers find each other and arrange Sessions. We are an intermediary. We do not provide the tutoring ourselves, we do not employ Teachers, and Teachers are independent providers responsible for their own services.

The agreement to deliver and receive a Session is made directly between the Student (or their parent or guardian) and the Teacher. While we facilitate booking, communication, and payment, we are not a party to that agreement and we do not control how a Teacher delivers a Session.

We do not guarantee any particular educational outcome, exam result, or grade. We carry out reasonable checks on Teachers before approving them, but we do not independently verify every qualification, and we are not responsible for a Teacher’s conduct, quality, or accuracy of information beyond the checks we describe.

Anyone may browse the public parts of the Platform, such as Teacher profiles and subject information, without an account. To save preferences and use logged-in features, you create an account by providing accurate, current information and keeping it up to date.

Many of our Students are under 18. We welcome them. However, to book a Session, join a live class, or make a payment, a Student who is under 18 must have a parent or guardian review and accept these Terms and consent to the use of the Platform on the Student’s behalf. This consent is collected at the point of booking or payment, not at sign-up, so younger Students can explore the Platform freely first.

Where a parent or guardian provides this consent, they accept these Terms on behalf of the Student, are responsible for the Student’s use of the Platform, and are responsible for any payments made. By providing consent, you confirm that you are the Student’s parent or legal guardian.

You are responsible for keeping your login details secure and for all activity that happens under your account. One person may hold one account. You must tell us promptly if you believe your account has been accessed without your permission.

When you book a Session, you reserve a specific time with a specific Teacher. Please arrive on time and ready. If you are late, the Session may still end at its scheduled time.

Cancellations and refunds are governed by the “Cancellations and refunds” section below. If a Teacher does not attend a booked Session, or a technical problem on our side prevents the Session from taking place, you are entitled to a full refund or a free reschedule.

If you offer Sessions as a Teacher, you agree to provide accurate information about your qualifications and experience, to deliver Sessions professionally and on time, and to treat Students with respect.

You are an independent provider, not an employee or agent of AstarIQ. You are responsible for your own taxes and for complying with all laws that apply to your activities. You set your own availability and rates within the options the Platform provides.

You warrant that you own, or have all necessary rights and permissions to share, every piece of Content you upload, and that your Content does not infringe anyone else’s rights. This is especially important for examination materials — see the “Content and intellectual property” section.

Some features of the Platform are paid. All prices on the Platform are shown and charged in Egyptian Pounds (EGP). When paid Sessions are available, the Student pays the price shown for the Session. We do not add a separate service fee on top of that price for Students.

AstarIQ collects the payment and passes it to the Teacher after deducting a commission. By offering paid Sessions, Teachers agree to this commission being deducted from their earnings on each completed Booking. The current commission rate is made available to Teachers within the Platform.

Payments are handled by a third-party payment provider. We do not store full card details ourselves. You agree to provide accurate payment information and confirm that you are authorised to use the payment method you provide.

We aim to be fair to both Students and Teachers. The following rules apply to paid Sessions:

• If a Teacher fails to attend, cancels, or a technical fault on our side prevents the Session, the Student receives a full refund or a free reschedule.
• If a Student cancels at least 24 hours before the Session start time, the Student receives a full refund.
• If a Student cancels less than 24 hours before the Session start time, the Session is not refundable, because the Teacher reserved that time.
• If a Session took place but the Student was not satisfied, any refund is at AstarIQ’s reasonable discretion and decided case by case.

Refund requests must be made within 7 days of the scheduled Session. After that, charges are treated as final. Teachers who repeatedly cancel or fail to attend may be suspended or removed from the Platform.

The Platform itself, including its design, software, branding, and the AstarIQ name and logo, belongs to The Foundry or its licensors and may not be copied or reused without permission.

You keep ownership of the Content you create or upload. By uploading Content, you grant AstarIQ a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, store, display, and use that Content as needed to operate and provide the Platform. This licence ends when your Content is removed, except where we must keep copies to comply with the law or resolve disputes.

You must not upload Content that infringes anyone else’s intellectual property or other rights. Examination papers, mark schemes, and similar materials produced by examination boards (such as Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel, and Oxford AQA) are protected by copyright owned by those boards. You may only upload or share such materials if you have the right to do so.

We respect the rights of copyright holders. If you believe Content on the Platform infringes your rights, contact us at Hello@thefoundry.run with details, and we will review and remove infringing Content where appropriate. Users who repeatedly infringe may be removed.

You agree to use the Platform lawfully and respectfully. In particular, you must not:

• Harass, bully, threaten, or abuse any other user, including in live Sessions and chat.
• Post or share content that is illegal, hateful, sexually explicit, or otherwise inappropriate for an educational setting.
• Impersonate another person or misrepresent your identity, qualifications, or affiliation.
• Share other users’ personal information, or record any Session or conversation, without consent.
• Arrange Sessions or take payment outside the Platform in order to avoid commission, after being introduced through the Platform.
• Upload malware, attempt to gain unauthorised access, scrape data, or otherwise interfere with the Platform.

Live Sessions take place over real-time video and audio provided through a third-party service. We may record Sessions for purposes such as safety, quality, training, and resolving disputes. Where we record a Session, we will make this clear. By using live Sessions, you consent to such recording when it takes place.

To keep the community safe, we may review reports, chat messages, and other Content, and take action where our rules are broken.

Students may leave reviews and ratings about Sessions they have attended. Reviews must be honest, based on genuine first-hand experience, and respectful. We may remove reviews that are fake, abusive, misleading, or that break these Terms, and we may remove attempts to manipulate ratings.

If another user behaves inappropriately, you can report them using the tools provided in the Platform. We take reports seriously and review them.

We may suspend or terminate your access, or remove Content, if you break these Terms or if we reasonably believe it is necessary to protect other users, the Platform, or to comply with the law. Depending on the seriousness, we may do this with or without prior notice.

You may stop using the Platform and close your account at any time. Some information may be retained after closure as described in our Privacy Policy or as required by law.

The Platform is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. We work hard to keep it running well, but we do not guarantee that it will always be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure.

We do not guarantee any specific exam result, grade, or educational outcome. The quality and delivery of each Session are the responsibility of the Teacher who provides it.

To the fullest extent permitted by Egyptian law, AstarIQ is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential losses arising from your use of the Platform, or for the acts or omissions of any Student or Teacher.

Where we are found liable, our total liability to you for any claim is limited to the total amount you paid through the Platform in the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim, or a nominal amount where you have not made any payment. Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot be excluded under Egyptian law.

You agree to cover AstarIQ for reasonable losses, costs, and claims that arise from your use of the Platform, your Content, or your breach of these Terms, to the extent permitted by law.

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will take reasonable steps to let you know, for example by posting the updated Terms on the Platform and updating the date below. If you continue to use the Platform after the changes take effect, you accept the updated Terms.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Arab Republic of Egypt. If a dispute arises, we encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve it in good faith. Any dispute that cannot be resolved this way will be subject to the jurisdiction of the competent courts of Egypt.

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us:

• Technology Foundry (trading as AstarIQ)
• 22B Taha Hussein, Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt
• Email: Hello@thefoundry.run
• Phone: +20 1125500511