Comp World Terms of Service

Effective Date: 28 April 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to Comp World ("Comp World", "we", "our", "us"). These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Comp World website, mobile applications, and related services (collectively, the "Service").

Comp World is headquartered in New Zealand and provides the Service to Users in New Zealand and other countries from time to time. By accessing, downloading, installing, registering for, or using the Service, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not use the Service. Some terms that apply to you may depend on the country in which you are located ΓÇö see clause 26 (Country-Specific Terms).

These Terms form a binding contract between you and Comp World. If you are using the Service on behalf of an organisation, school, studio, or other legal entity, you confirm that you are authorised to bind that entity, and "you" includes that entity.

2. Definitions

Service means the Comp World website, mobile applications (including any version distributed via the Apple App Store or Google Play Store), APIs, and all related features.
User means any person who accesses or uses the Service.
Host means a User who creates, manages, advertises, or runs Competitions on Comp World.
Adjudicator means a User invited or appointed by a Host to score, critique, or judge entries in a Competition.
Participant means a User who enters or participates in a Competition (including, where the Participant is a minor, the parent or guardian acting on the minor's behalf).
Competition means any event, contest, eisteddfod, festival, exam, or other activity created or managed through the Service.
Entry means a registration to participate in a Competition.
Entry Fee means any fee charged for an Entry.
Service Fee means the fee Comp World charges in connection with payments processed through the Service, including any administration fee.
User Content means any content, data, text, images, audio, video, sheet music, performance recording, profile information, or other material that you upload, submit, or transmit through the Service.
Stripe means Stripe, Inc. and its affiliates, our third-party payment processor.

3. Eligibility and Accounts

3.1 Age and Capacity

The Service is intended for users aged 18 and over. Persons under 18 may only use the Service through an account held and operated by a parent or legal guardian, who is responsible for all activity on that account and for ensuring it is used in accordance with these Terms.

If you are a parent or guardian registering a Participant who is a minor, you confirm that:

You are the parent or legal guardian of that minor and have the legal authority to register them;
You consent on the minor's behalf to the collection, use, and disclosure of their personal information as described in these Terms, including their name, date of birth, photograph, performance recordings, and competition results;
You consent to the publication of the minor's name and competition results in connection with the Service; and
You are responsible for the minor's conduct on the Service.

Hosts may set additional age requirements for individual Competitions. Comp World does not independently verify the age of any User.

3.2 Account Registration

Most features of the Service require an account. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information when registering and to keep that information up to date. You must not register more than one account, register an account on behalf of someone other than yourself (except as a parent or guardian under clause 3.1), or use another User's account without permission.

3.3 Account Security

You are responsible for safeguarding your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You must notify us immediately at support@compworld.co.nz of any unauthorised use of your account or any other suspected security breach. Comp World is not liable for any loss arising from your failure to keep your credentials secure.

3.4 Account Closure

You may stop using the Service at any time. To request closure of your account or deletion of your personal information, contact us at support@compworld.co.nz. Some information (including financial records, audit logs, and information necessary to complete or resolve outstanding Competitions, Entries, payments, or disputes) may be retained for as long as required by law or for legitimate operational purposes.

4. Use of the Service

You agree to use the Service only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms.

4.1 Prohibited Conduct

You must not:

Impersonate any other person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity;
Harass, threaten, abuse, defame, bully, stalk, or discriminate against any other User, including any Adjudicator, Participant, Host, or staff member;
Upload or transmit viruses, malware, or other harmful code;
Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Service or to any account, system, or data;
Probe, scan, reverse engineer, decompile, or otherwise attempt to discover the source code of the Service, except to the extent expressly permitted by law;
Interfere with, disrupt, or place an unreasonable load on the Service;
Use the Service to transmit unsolicited commercial communications;
Scrape, harvest, or collect data about other Users by automated means;
Use the Service in a way that could harm a child or otherwise breach any law relating to the safeguarding of children;
Use the Service to engage in conduct that is illegal, fraudulent, or that breaches the rights of any third party.

4.2 Reporting Misconduct

If you become aware of any breach of this clause 4 or any other safety, safeguarding, or integrity concern, please contact us immediately at support@compworld.co.nz.

5. Competitions, Payments, and Fees

5.1 Platform Payments

All Competitions created, advertised, or managed through Comp World must process Entry Fee payments through Comp World's integrated payment systems, unless explicitly approved by Comp World in writing.

5.2 Service Fees

Comp World charges a Service Fee on Entries processed through the platform. The Service Fee may include a percentage component, a fixed component, and an administration fee, and may vary by payment method and country. Hosts acknowledge and agree that the Service Fee is an essential part of Comp World's business model.

5.3 No Off-Platform Payments

Hosts must not require, request, encourage, or facilitate Participants to pay Entry Fees outside the Comp World platform (including by bank transfer, cash, invoice, or any other method) for Competitions listed on Comp World.

5.4 Payment Processing by Stripe

Payments through the Service are processed by Stripe. By making or receiving a payment through the Service, you also agree to Stripe's applicable terms, including the Stripe Services Agreement and (for Hosts) the Stripe Connected Account Agreement, available at https://stripe.com/legal. Comp World is not a bank, deposit-taker, or licensed financial institution. Funds processed through the Service are handled in accordance with Stripe's terms.

5.5 Currency, Tax, and Invoicing

Entry Fees are listed in the currency selected by the Host for the relevant Competition. You are responsible for any taxes that apply to you (including GST, VAT, sales tax, income tax, or equivalent), other than taxes on Comp World's own income. Hosts are responsible for determining the correct tax treatment of their Competitions and for issuing any tax invoices to Participants where required by the law that applies to them.

5.6 Chargebacks and Disputes

If a payment made through the Service is reversed, charged back, or otherwise disputed by the payer or their bank, the corresponding Entry may be cancelled and any amount paid out to the relevant Host may be reclaimed by Comp World. Hosts are responsible for the underlying transaction and may be required to repay disputed amounts (together with any associated fees).

6. Fee Circumvention Prohibited

Hosts must not take any action, directly or indirectly, to circumvent, avoid, or attempt to avoid the Service Fee.

This includes, but is not limited to:

Offering or suggesting off-platform payments for Comp World Competitions;
Issuing 100% discount codes with the expectation that Participants will pay the Host directly;
Refunding or discounting Entries in order to move payment outside the platform;
Creating alternative payment arrangements after a Participant has registered or expressed intent to enter via Comp World;
Listing the same Competition through Comp World and a competing platform with the intent of routing payments away from Comp World.

Any attempt to bypass the Service Fee constitutes a material breach of these Terms and may result in immediate suspension or termination of the Host's account and any associated Competitions.

7. Discount Codes

7.1 Permitted Use

Discount codes may be used to reduce Entry Fees within the Comp World platform only.

7.2 Prohibited Use

Discount codes must not be used to:

Enable or facilitate payment outside the platform;
Misrepresent the true cost of Entry;
Avoid or reduce the Service Fee.

Comp World reserves the right to disable, revoke, or limit discount codes at any time.

8. Refunds, Cancellations, and Withdrawals

8.1 No Refunds from Comp World

Comp World does not offer refunds. All payments made through the Service ΓÇö including Entry Fees, optional extras, and any other amounts collected from Participants ΓÇö are non-refundable by Comp World.

8.2 Refunds Are the Host's Responsibility

Any refund of Entry Fees or other amounts paid by a Participant is the sole responsibility of the relevant Host. Hosts:

Set, communicate, and administer their own refund and withdrawal policy for each Competition;
Are responsible for receiving payouts from Stripe before issuing any refund;
Are responsible for processing refunds manually, outside the Comp World platform, after the Host has received the relevant payout from Stripe; and
Remain responsible for honouring any refund commitment they have made to a Participant, whether expressed in the Competition listing, the Host's own terms, or otherwise.

Comp World is not a party to the refund arrangement between a Host and a Participant. Comp World does not hold funds on trust for Participants and is under no obligation to process, mediate, or guarantee any refund.

8.3 Service Fees Are Non-Refundable

The Service Fee (including the administration fee and any payment-processing component) is non-refundable in all circumstances, including where a Host elects to refund all or part of an Entry Fee, where a Competition is cancelled or rescheduled, or where a Participant withdraws from a Competition.

8.4 Cancellations and Postponements

If a Host cancels, postpones, or materially changes a Competition, the Host is solely responsible for communicating the change to affected Participants and for handling any resulting refund or credit in accordance with clause 8.2. Comp World may, in its discretion, assist with communications but is under no obligation to do so.

8.5 Consumer Law

Nothing in this clause 8 limits any rights you have under any consumer-protection law that cannot be excluded by agreement. Where such rights apply, they are owed by the supplier of the relevant good or service (typically the Host in respect of the Competition) and not by Comp World in respect of the underlying Competition.

9. User Content

9.1 Responsibility for User Content

You are solely responsible for User Content that you upload, submit, or transmit through the Service. You confirm and warrant that:

You own, or have all necessary rights, licences, consents, and permissions to upload and use the User Content (including any music, sheet music, audio recordings, video recordings, choreography, photographs, and personal information);
The User Content does not infringe the intellectual property, privacy, publicity, or other rights of any person;
Where the User Content includes the image, voice, performance, or personal information of any other person (including a minor), you have obtained all necessary consents from that person (or their parent or guardian) for that User Content to be uploaded, used, and shared as contemplated by these Terms;
The User Content complies with all applicable laws, including copyright laws and any music-licensing requirements that apply in the country in which the Competition is held (for example, APRA AMCOS, OneMusic, PPCA, PRS for Music, or any equivalent collecting society or licensing body for the public performance of music at events).

9.2 Music and Performance Rights

Music played at a Competition, sheet music uploaded into the Service, and recordings of performances may be subject to copyright. You are responsible for obtaining any synchronisation, mechanical, master-use, public-performance, or other licences required for your use of music in connection with a Competition. Comp World does not provide and does not procure any music licence on your behalf. Hosts are responsible for ensuring that the venue at which a Competition is held holds the public-performance and any other music licences required under the laws of the country in which the Competition is held.

9.3 Licence to Comp World

By submitting User Content, you grant Comp World a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, sub-licensable licence to host, store, copy, transmit, transcode, modify (for technical purposes such as resizing, transcoding, or generating thumbnails), display, and distribute that User Content for the purpose of operating, providing, and improving the Service. This licence includes the right to allow Adjudicators, event-day staff, and our third-party service providers to access User Content as reasonably required to operate the Service. The licence continues for as long as is required for those purposes and survives termination of your account to the extent the User Content is part of a Competition record.

9.4 Image, Likeness, and Results

You acknowledge and agree (and, where the Participant is a minor, you confirm on the minor's behalf) that:

A Participant's name, performance title, and competition results may be displayed on the Service, including in published results, schedules, leaderboards, and public profile pages;
Comp World may display this information to other Users and, where the Host has elected to make such information publicly available, to the public;
Hosts and event-day staff may record performances at a Competition.

9.5 Moderation and Takedown

Comp World may, but is not obliged to, monitor User Content. We may remove, restrict, or disable access to any User Content at our discretion, including User Content that we reasonably believe breaches these Terms or any law.

If you believe that any User Content infringes your copyright or other rights, please contact us at support@compworld.co.nz with: (a) a description of the work or right that has been infringed; (b) the location of the infringing material on the Service; (c) your contact details; and (d) a statement that you are the rights holder or are authorised to act on behalf of the rights holder. We will review and respond within a reasonable time.

10. Adjudicators

If you are appointed as an Adjudicator, you agree that you will:

Score, critique, and judge Entries honestly, in good faith, and to the best of your professional ability;
Disclose to the relevant Host any actual or perceived conflict of interest;
Keep confidential all Participant information and pre-publication results, and use that information only for the purpose of adjudicating the Competition;
Not disclose, share, or publish any pre-publication results;
Not retain or use Participant information for any purpose unrelated to the Competition.

You grant Comp World and the Host a perpetual, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, display, and distribute any score, written critique, audio critique, or report sheet you produce through the Service in connection with the relevant Competition.

11. Host Obligations

In addition to the obligations elsewhere in these Terms, Hosts agree that they will:

Provide accurate and non-misleading information about each Competition (including dates, fees, sections, age categories, prizes, and refund and cancellation policies);
Comply with all laws applicable to the running of the Competition in the country in which it is held, including consumer-protection, fair-trading, health and safety, privacy and data-protection, anti-discrimination, and child-safeguarding laws;
Handle Participant personal information (including the personal information of minors) lawfully, securely, and only for the purposes for which it was provided;
Not use Participant personal information obtained through the Service for marketing or any other purpose unrelated to the relevant Competition without the Participant's separate consent;
Honour any refund, withdrawal, or cancellation commitment they have made to Participants, in accordance with clause 8;
Ensure that Adjudicators they appoint comply with clause 10.

12. Notifications and Communications

By using the Service, you agree that we may contact you electronically ΓÇö including by email, push notification, and in-app message ΓÇö for transactional and operational purposes connected with the Service (such as Entry confirmations, payment receipts, on-the-day information, schedule changes, account notices, and updates to these Terms).

Where required by law, marketing communications will only be sent with your consent and will include a means of unsubscribing.

13. Third-Party Services

The Service relies on third-party services, including (without limitation) Stripe (payments), AWS (hosting and storage), Firebase Cloud Messaging and SendGrid (notifications), and Google Maps (location data). Your use of those third-party services through the Service may also be subject to those providers' own terms. Comp World is not responsible for the acts or omissions of those third parties.

14. Mobile Applications and App Stores

If you download our mobile application from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, you agree to comply with the applicable store's terms in addition to these Terms.

14.1 Apple App Store

You acknowledge that these Terms are between you and Comp World, not between you and Apple Inc. ("Apple"), and that Apple is not responsible for the Service or its content. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Apple has no warranty obligation in respect of the Service, and any claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs, or expenses attributable to a failure of the Service to conform to any warranty are Comp World's sole responsibility. Apple is not responsible for addressing any claims you have relating to the Service, including (a) product liability claims; (b) any claim that the Service fails to conform to any applicable legal or regulatory requirement; (c) claims arising under consumer protection or similar legislation; and (d) claims that the Service infringes a third party's intellectual property rights. You confirm that you are not located in a country subject to a US Government embargo and are not on any US Government list of prohibited or restricted parties. Apple and Apple's subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these Terms and may enforce them against you.

14.2 Google Play Store

If you download the application from the Google Play Store, you agree to Google's Google Play Terms of Service. Google is not responsible for the Service or any claim relating to it.

14.3 Updates

The mobile application may be updated automatically, including by means of over-the-air updates that change features, fix issues, or update content. By using the application, you consent to those updates being applied.

15. Intellectual Property

All content, features, and functionality of the Service (other than User Content) are owned by Comp World or its licensors and are protected by intellectual property and other laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, lease, sublicense, reverse engineer, or create derivative works of any part of the Service without our prior written consent.

We grant you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access and use the Service in accordance with these Terms.

If you provide us with feedback, ideas, or suggestions about the Service, you grant us a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free licence to use them for any purpose, without any obligation to you.

16. Indemnity

To the maximum extent permitted by law, you indemnify Comp World, its affiliates, and their respective directors, officers, employees, and agents against all loss, damage, liability, claim, action, cost, or expense (including reasonable legal costs) arising out of or in connection with:

Your User Content;
Your use of the Service;
Your breach of these Terms;
Your breach of any law or any third-party right (including intellectual property, privacy, and music-licensing rights);
For Hosts, the conduct of your Competition (including venue safety, refund handling, advertising, and adjudication); and
For Participants, any false or misleading information you provide.

17. Disclaimer of Warranties

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Service is provided "as is" and "as available". We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, including any warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, or that the Service will be uninterrupted, secure, accurate, or error-free.

If you are acquiring the Service for the purposes of a business, you agree that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, any consumer guarantees, warranties, or implied terms that would otherwise apply (including under the New Zealand Consumer Guarantees Act 1993) do not apply.

17.1 Event-Day Operation and Outages

The Service is an online platform and depends on internet connectivity, third-party infrastructure (including Stripe, AWS, Firebase Cloud Messaging, and SendGrid), and the operation of devices that Comp World does not control. The Service may be unavailable, slow, or impaired from time to time, including during a Competition.

Hosts acknowledge and agree that:

It is the Host's responsibility to plan and run the Competition, including by maintaining offline back-ups of schedules, running orders, entry lists, scoring sheets, payment records, and other materials necessary to operate the event without the Service;
It is the Host's responsibility to have appropriate contingency arrangements in place for any failure, outage, slowdown, or disruption of the Service, internet connectivity, the venue's network, or any third-party service the Host relies on;
The Service is not a substitute for the Host's own event-day procedures and is not represented to be available, complete, accurate, or fit for use at any particular time, including during a Competition; and
Comp World is not responsible for, and is not a provider of, the Competition itself.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Comp World is not liable to any Host, Participant, Adjudicator, sponsor, vendor, venue, or other person for any loss, damage, cost, or expense arising out of or in connection with:

Any unavailability, slowdown, error, bug, downtime, outage, scheduled or unscheduled maintenance, deploy, or other disruption of the Service (whether or not caused by an event within Comp World's control);
Any failure, delay, or error in any third-party service that the Service relies on (including Stripe, AWS, Firebase Cloud Messaging, SendGrid, Google Maps, internet service providers, mobile carriers, or venue Wi-Fi);
Any loss of, delay in, or inability to access schedules, running orders, entry lists, payment records, scoring data, results, reports, on-the-day links, push notifications, emails, or other Service data on or around the date of a Competition;
Any loss of revenue, ticket sales, sponsorship, prize-money, goodwill, or attendance, or any wasted venue, staffing, or third-party costs, suffered by a Host as a result of any matter described in this clause; or
Any claim brought against a Host by a Participant, Adjudicator, sponsor, venue, or third party arising out of any such matter.

The losses described in this clause 17.1 are agreed to be of the type that the parties have specifically considered and excluded, and Hosts will not argue that any such loss is "direct" loss for the purposes of clause 18.

18. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

Comp World is not liable for any loss, damage, cost, or expense arising out of or in connection with any unavailability, outage, slowdown, error, or disruption of the Service or any third-party service it relies on, whether occurring before, during, or after a Competition (see also clause 17.1);
Comp World is not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, revenue, data, goodwill, or business opportunity, arising out of or in connection with the Service or these Terms; and
Comp World's total aggregate liability to you in respect of all claims arising out of or in connection with the Service or these Terms is limited to the greater of (a) the total Service Fees paid by or in respect of you to Comp World in the 12 months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claimand (b) NZD $100.

Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes any liability that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded under the law that applies to you, including any rights you have under mandatory consumer-protection legislation (such as the New Zealand Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, the Australian Consumer Law, or equivalent legislation in your country).

19. Suspension and Termination

We may suspend, restrict, or terminate your access to the Service, disable features (including discount codes), remove Competitions, or cancel Entries if:

You breach these Terms;
We reasonably suspect fraud, misuse, or risk to other Users or to the integrity of the Service;
We are required to do so by law; or
We discontinue all or part of the Service.

Where it is reasonable and safe to do so, we will give you notice and an opportunity to remedy the issue before suspending or terminating your account. Where the breach is serious, ongoing, or involves fraud, safety, or security, we may suspend or terminate your account immediately and without notice.

On termination, your right to use the Service ends, but the following clauses survive: 5 (to the extent of accrued fees), 6, 8, 9.3, 9.4, 10 (final paragraph), 15, 16, 17, 17.1, 18, 22, and any other clause which by its nature should survive.

20. Service Changes and Discontinuation

We may add to, modify, suspend, or discontinue any feature of the Service at any time. We will use reasonable efforts to give notice of material changes that adversely affect Users. We are not liable for any modification, suspension, or discontinuation of the Service.

21. Force Majeure

Neither party is liable for any failure or delay in performing its obligations under these Terms (other than payment obligations) to the extent caused by an event beyond its reasonable control, including natural disasters, pandemics, government action, civil unrest, strikes, internet or utility outages, or failures of third-party service providers.

22. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of New Zealand, without regard to any conflict-of-laws principles. Subject to any country-specific terms in clause 26 and to any mandatory rights you have under the law of your country, you and Comp World submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the New Zealand courts. Comp World may also bring proceedings against you in the courts of the country in which you are located.

Before commencing any proceeding, you agree to first contact us at support@compworld.co.nz and to attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute informally for a period of at least 30 days.

23. General

Entire agreement. These Terms (together with any policy or schedule referred to in them) are the entire agreement between you and Comp World in relation to the Service and supersede all prior agreements, representations, and understandings.
Assignment. You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign or transfer our rights and obligations to any affiliate or to any party acquiring all or substantially all of our business.
Severability. If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable, and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.
No waiver. Our failure to enforce any provision of these Terms is not a waiver of that or any other provision.
Notices. We may give you notice by email to the address associated with your account, by in-app notification, or by posting on the Service. You must give us notice at support@compworld.co.nz.
No agency. Nothing in these Terms creates a partnership, joint venture, employment, or agency relationship between you and Comp World.
Acceptance. By creating an account, registering an Entry, or otherwise using the Service, you are deemed to have accepted these Terms.

24. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make changes that materially and adversely affect your rights, we will give you at least 30 days' notice (by email, in-app notice, or by posting on the Service) before they take effect. Your continued use of the Service after the changes take effect constitutes acceptance. If you do not accept the changes, you must stop using the Service before they take effect.

25. Contact Us

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

Comp World Email: support@compworld.co.nz

26. Country-Specific Terms

If you are located in a country for which Comp World has published country-specific terms (a "Country Schedule"), the Country Schedule applies in addition to these Terms. Where a Country Schedule conflicts with these Terms, the Country Schedule prevails for Users in that country, but only to the extent of the conflict.

Comp World may publish, update, or withdraw Country Schedules from time to time as the Service expands. Country Schedules are available on our website.

Where no Country Schedule has been published for your country, these Terms apply in full, subject to any rights you have under the mandatory laws of your country that cannot be excluded by agreement.