Terms of Service Users outside of the EEA, UK, and Australia
Section 22 of these Terms contains an arbitration agreement and class action waiver that apply to all claims brought against Skyholiday in the United States. Please read them carefully.
Last Updated: January 25, 2024
Thank you for using Skyholiday!
These Terms of Service (“Terms”) are a binding legal agreement between you and Skyholiday that govern the right to use the websites, applications, and other offerings from Skyholiday (collectively, the “Skyholiday Platform”). When used in these Terms, “Skyholiday,” “we,” “us,” or “our” refers to the Skyholiday entity set out on Schedule 1 with whom you are contracting.
The Skyholiday Platform enables users (“Members”) to publish, offer, search for, and book services. Members who publish and offer services are “Hosts” and Members who search for, book, or use services are “Guests.” Hosts offer accommodations (“Accommodations”), activities, excursions, and events (“Experiences”), and a variety of travel and other services (collectively, “Host Services,” and each Host Service offering, a “Listing”). As the provider of the Skyholiday Platform, Skyholiday (or its affiliates) does not own, control, offer, or manage any Listings or Host Services. Skyholiday is not a party to the contracts entered into directly between Hosts and Guests, nor is Skyholiday a real estate broker, travel agency, or insurer. Skyholiday is not acting as an agent in any capacity for any Member, except as specified in the Payments Terms of Service (“Payment Terms”). To learn more about Skyholiday’s role see Section 15.
We maintain other terms and policies that supplement these Terms like our Privacy Policy, which describes our collection and use of personal data, and our Payments Terms, which govern any payment services provided to Members by the Skyholiday payment entities (collectively “Skyholiday Payments”).
Table of Contents for users outside of the EEA, UK, and Australia
Guest Terms
- Searching and Booking on Skyholiday.
- Cancellations, Reservation Issues, Refunds and Booking Modifications.
- Your Responsibilities and Assumption of Risk.
Host Terms 4. Hosting on Skyholiday. 5. Managing Your Listing. 6. Cancellations, Reservation Issues, and Booking Modifications. 7. Taxes.
General Terms 8. Reviews. 9. Content. 10. Fees. 11. Skyholiday Platform Rules. 12. Termination, Suspension and other Measures. 13. Modification. 14. Resolving Complaints and Damage Claims. 15. Skyholiday’s Role. 16. Member Accounts. 17. Disclaimer of Warranties. 18. Limitations on Liability. 19. Indemnification. 20. Contracting Entities. 21. United States Governing Law and Venue. 22. United States Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Agreement. 23. China Governing Law and Dispute Resolution. 24. Brazil Governing Law and Venue. 25. Rest of World Dispute Resolution, Venue and Forum, and Governing Law. 26. Miscellaneous.
Schedule 1 – Contracting Entities
Guest Terms
- Searching and Booking on Skyholiday.
1.1 Searching. You can search for Host Services by using criteria like the type of Host Service, type of listing, travel destination, travel dates, and number of guests. You can also use filters to refine your search results. Search results are based on their relevance to your search and other criteria. Relevance considers factors like price, availability, Reviews, customer service and cancellation history, popularity, previous trips and saved Listings, Host requirements (e.g. minimum or maximum nights), and more. Learn more about search results in our Help Center.
1.2 Booking. When you book a Listing, you are agreeing to pay all charges for your booking including the Listing price, applicable fees like Skyholiday’s service fee, offline fees, taxes, and any other items identified during checkout (collectively, “Total Price”). If you choose to pay using a currency that differs from the currency set by the Host for their Listing, the price displayed to you is based on a currency conversion rate determined by us. You are also agreeing that Skyholiday via Skyholiday Payments may charge the Payment Method (as defined in the Payment Terms) used to book the Listing in order to collect Damage Claim (as defined in Section 14) amounts.
When you receive the booking confirmation, a contract for Host Services (a “Reservation”) is formed directly between you and the Host. By making a Reservation you are agreeing to the terms of the contract. The terms of the contract include these Terms, all terms of the Reservation, including without limitation, the cancellation policy and any other rules, standards, policies, or requirements identified in the Listing or during checkout that apply to the Reservation. It is your responsibility to read and understand these terms of the contract including these Terms and all terms of the Reservation including all rules, standards, policies, and requirements prior to booking a Listing. Be aware that some Hosts work with a co-host or as part of a team to provide their Host Services.
1.3 Accommodation Reservations. An Accommodation Reservation is a limited license to enter, occupy, and use the Accommodation. The Host retains the right to re-enter the Accommodation during your stay, to the extent: (i) it is reasonably necessary, (ii) permitted by your contract with the Host, and (iii) permitted by applicable law. If you stay past checkout, the Host has the right to make you leave in a manner permitted with applicable law, including by imposing reasonable overstay penalties. You may not exceed the maximum number of allowed Guests.
1.4 Reservations for Experiences and Other Host Services. An Experience or other Host Service Reservation entitles you to participate in, attend, or use that Host Service. You are responsible for confirming that you, and anyone you invite, meet minimum age, proficiency, fitness, or other requirements. You are responsible for informing the Host of any medical or physical conditions, or other circumstances that may impact your ability to participate, attend, or use the Experience or Host Service. Except where expressly authorized, you may not allow any person to join an Experience or Host Service unless they are included as an additional guest during the booking process.
- Cancellations, Reservation Issues, Refunds and Booking Modifications.
2.1 Cancellations, Reservation Issues, and Refunds. In general, if you cancel a Reservation, the amount refunded to you is determined by the Host’s cancellation policy that applies to that Reservation. But, in certain situations, other policies take precedence and determine what amount is refunded to you. If something outside your control forces you to cancel a Reservation, you may be eligible for a partial or full refund under our Major Disruptive Events Policy. If the Host cancels, or you experience a Reservation Issue (as defined in our Rebooking and Refund Policy), you may be eligible for rebooking assistance or a partial or full refund under the Rebooking and Refund Policy. Different policies apply to certain categories of Listings; for example Experiences Reservations are governed by the Experiences Guest Refund Policy. See each Additional Legal Term or Policy for details about what is covered, and what refund applies in each situation. You may appeal a decision by Skyholiday by contacting our customer service.
2.2 Booking Modifications. Guests and Hosts are responsible for any booking modifications they agree to make via the Skyholiday Platform or direct Skyholiday customer service to make on their behalf (“Booking Modifications”), and agree to pay any additional amounts, fees, or taxes associated with any Booking Modification.
- Your Responsibilities and Assumption of Risk.
3.1 Your Responsibilities. You are responsible and liable for your own acts and omissions and are also responsible for the acts and omissions of anyone you invite to join or provide access to any Accommodation, all areas and facilities where the Accommodation is located that the Host and Guest are legally entitled to use in connection with the Accommodation (“Common Areas”), or any Experience or other Host Service. For example, this means: (i) you are responsible for leaving an Accommodation (and related personal property) or Common Areas in the condition it was in when you arrived, (ii) you are responsible for paying all reasonable Damage Claim amounts, and (iii) you must act with integrity, treat others with respect, and comply with applicable laws at all times. If you are booking for an additional guest who is a minor or if you bring a minor to a Host Service, you must be legally authorized to act on behalf of the minor and you are solely responsible for the supervision of that minor.
3.2 Your Assumption of Risk. You acknowledge that many activities carry inherent risks and agree that, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, you assume the entire risk arising out of your access to and use of the Skyholiday Platform and any Content (as defined in Section 9), including your stay at any Accommodation, participation in any Experience, use of any other Host Service, or any other interaction you have with other Members whether in person or online. This means it is your responsibility to investigate a Host Service to determine whether it is suitable for you. For example, Host Services may carry risk of illness, bodily injury, disability, or death, and you freely and willfully assume those risks by choosing to participate in those Host Services.
Host Terms
- Hosting on Skyholiday.
4.1 Host. As a Host, Skyholiday offers you the right to use the Skyholiday Platform in accordance with these Terms to share your Accommodation, Experience, or other Host Service with our vibrant community of Guests – and earn money doing it. It’s easy to create a Listing and you are in control of how you host – set your price, availability, and other conditions for your Host Service.
4.2 Listing Creation and Management. You are responsible for accurately describing your Listing and providing any information required by us for your Listing to be included on the Skyholiday Platform, including any legal or safety disclosures. You are also responsible for keeping your Listing information up to date. If you add or update a Listing, you are responsible for ensuring that the Listing meets all relevant legal requirements and does not infringe on any third-party rights.
4.3 Conditions for Hosting. To be a Host, you must: (i) comply with all applicable local laws, regulations, rules, and requirements in connection with hosting, including but not limited to any health and safety regulations, zoning laws, and rental laws, and (ii) provide and maintain valid and accurate documentation, such as permits or licenses, that may be required in your area to host.
4.4 Host Obligations. You agree to deliver the Host Services you offer in accordance with your Listing and Reservation, including providing accurate information, maintaining the condition of the Listing, and meeting all other contractual obligations. You are responsible for any harm caused by your Host Services, including any damage or injury to Guests or their property.
- Managing Your Listing.
5.1 Listing Information. You are responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and legality of your Listing information. This includes the description of the Accommodation or other Host Service, price, and any terms or conditions of the Listing. You must ensure that your Listing complies with applicable laws and does not infringe on the rights of any third party.
5.2 Booking and Cancellation Policies. You must set and clearly communicate your booking and cancellation policies to Guests. These policies must be applied consistently and in accordance with the terms of the Listing and the Skyholiday Platform.
5.3 Managing Reservations. You are responsible for managing your Reservations, including responding to booking requests, providing check-in instructions, and addressing any issues that arise during the Guest’s stay or use of the Host Service.
- Cancellations, Reservation Issues, and Booking Modifications.
6.1 Cancellations. You must honor the cancellation policy you set for your Listing. If you cancel a Reservation, you may be subject to penalties or consequences as described in the Skyholiday Platform policies.
6.2 Reservation Issues. If a Guest experiences a Reservation Issue, you are required to address the issue promptly and work with Skyholiday to resolve it in accordance with our Rebooking and Refund Policy.
6.3 Booking Modifications. You are responsible for any Booking Modifications agreed to with a Guest. Any changes to a Reservation must be documented and communicated through the Skyholiday Platform.
- Taxes.
7.1 Tax Responsibilities. You are responsible for determining and paying any taxes required by applicable laws in connection with your Host Services. This includes income tax, sales tax, and any other taxes applicable to your Host Services.
7.2 Tax Information. Skyholiday may collect and provide tax-related information to you and tax authorities as required by law. It is your responsibility to provide accurate tax information and to comply with any tax reporting obligations.
General Terms
- Reviews.
8.1 Review System. Skyholiday allows Guests and Hosts to leave Reviews about each other. Reviews are intended to help future Members make informed decisions and provide feedback on their experiences. You agree to provide honest and accurate feedback and to respect the integrity of the review system.
8.2 Review Moderation. Skyholiday reserves the right to remove or modify Reviews that violate our policies or are deemed inappropriate. You may request to have a Review removed if you believe it violates our guidelines.
- Content.
9.1 Content Ownership. You retain ownership of any content you submit to the Skyholiday Platform, including Listings, Reviews, and other materials. By submitting content, you grant Skyholiday a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, modify, and display that content in connection with the Skyholiday Platform.
9.2 Content Restrictions. You are responsible for ensuring that your content does not infringe on the rights of any third party or violate any applicable laws. Skyholiday reserves the right to remove or disable access to any content that violates our policies or is deemed inappropriate.
- Fees.
- Skyholiday Platform Rules.
11.1 Rules.
You must follow these rules and must not help or induce others to break or circumvent these rules.
Act with integrity and treat others with respect
Do not lie, misrepresent something or someone, or pretend to be someone else.
Be polite and respectful when you communicate or interact with others.
Do not attempt to evade enforcement of these Terms, our Additional Legal Terms, Policies, or our Standards, such as by creating a duplicate account or listings.
Follow our Nondiscrimination Policy and do not discriminate against or harass others.
Do not scrape, hack, reverse engineer, compromise or impair the Skyholiday Platform
Do not use bots, crawlers, scrapers, or other automated means to access or collect data or other content from or otherwise interact with the Skyholiday Platform.
Do not hack, avoid, remove, impair, or otherwise attempt to circumvent any security or technological measure used to protect the Skyholiday Platform or Content.
Do not decipher, decompile, disassemble, or reverse engineer any of the software or hardware used to provide the Skyholiday Platform.
Do not take any action that could damage or adversely affect the performance or proper functioning of the Skyholiday Platform.
Only use the Skyholiday Platform as authorized by these Terms or another agreement with us
You may only use another Member’s personal information as necessary to facilitate a transaction using the Skyholiday Platform as authorized by these Terms.
Do not use the Skyholiday Platform, our messaging tools, or Members’ personal information to send commercial messages without their express consent.
You may use Content made available through the Skyholiday Platform solely as necessary to enable your use of the Skyholiday Platform as a Guest or Host.
Do not use Content unless you have permission from the Content owner or the use is authorized by us in these Terms or another agreement you have with us.
Do not request, make, or accept a booking or any payment outside of the Skyholiday Platform to avoid paying fees, taxes or for any other reason. See our Offline Fee Policy for exceptions.
Do not require or encourage Guests to open an account, leave a review, complete a survey, or otherwise interact, with a third party website, application or service before, during or after a Reservation, unless authorized by Skyholiday.
Do not engage in any practices that are intended to manipulate our search algorithm.
Do not book Host Services unless you are actually using the Host Services.
Do not use, copy, display, mirror or frame the Skyholiday Platform, any Content, any Skyholiday branding, or any page layout or design without our consent.
Honor your legal obligations
Understand and follow the laws that apply to you, including privacy, data protection, and export laws.
If you provide us with someone else’s personal information, you: (i) must do so in compliance with applicable law, (ii) must be authorized to do so, and (iii) authorize us to process that information under our Privacy Policy.
Read and follow our Terms, Additional Legal Terms, Policies, and Standards.
Do not organize or facilitate unauthorized parties or events. You are responsible and liable for any party or event during your Reservation that violates our rules for parties and events, as incorporated by reference herein.
Do not use the name, logo, branding, or trademarks of Skyholiday or others without permission, and only as set forth in our Trademark Guidelines.
Do not use or register any domain name, social media handle, trade name, trademark, branding, logo, or other source identifier that is confusingly similar to any Skyholiday trademarks, logos or branding. See our Trademark Guidelines for additional details.
Do not offer Host Services that violate the laws or agreements that apply to you.
Do not offer or solicit prostitution or participate in or facilitate human trafficking.
11.2 Reporting Violations.
If you believe that a Member, Listing or Content poses an imminent risk of harm to a person or property, you should immediately contact local authorities before contacting Skyholiday. In addition, if you believe that a Member, Listing or Content has violated our Standards, you should report your concerns to Skyholiday. If you reported an issue to local authorities, Skyholiday may request a copy of that report. Except as required by law, we are not obligated to take action in response to any report.
11.3 Copyright Notifications.
If you believe that Content on the Skyholiday Platform infringes copyrights, please notify us in accordance with our Copyright Policy.
- Termination, Suspension and other Measures.
12.1 Term.
The agreement between you and Skyholiday reflected by these Terms is effective when you access the Skyholiday Platform (for example to create an account) and remains in effect until either you or we terminate the agreement in accordance with these Terms.
12.2 Termination.
You may terminate this agreement at any time by sending us an email or by deleting your account. Skyholiday may terminate this agreement and your account for any reason by providing you 30 days’ notice via email or using any other contact information you have provided for your account. Skyholiday may also terminate this agreement immediately and without notice and stop providing access to the Skyholiday Platform if you breach these Terms, you violate our Additional Legal Terms, or Policies, you violate applicable laws, or we reasonably believe termination is necessary to protect Skyholiday, its Members, or third parties. If your account has been inactive for more than two years, we may terminate your account without prior notice.
12.3 Member Violations.
If (i) you breach these Terms, our Additional Legal Terms, Policies, or our Standards, (ii) you violate applicable laws, regulations, or third-party rights, or (iii) Skyholiday believes it is reasonably necessary to protect Skyholiday, its Members, or third parties; Skyholiday (or its affiliates) may, with or without prior notice:
suspend or limit your access to or use of the Skyholiday Platform and/or your account;
suspend, remove, disable access to, or restrict visibility of Listings, Reviews, or other Content;
cancel pending or confirmed bookings; or
suspend or revoke any special status associated with your account.
For minor violations or where otherwise appropriate as Skyholiday (or its affiliates) determines in its sole discretion, you will be given notice of any intended measure by Skyholiday and an opportunity to resolve the issue. You may appeal actions taken by us under this Section by contacting customer service. If a Reservation is canceled under this Section, the amount paid to the Host will be reduced by the amount we refund or otherwise provide to the Guest, and by any other costs we incur as a result of the cancellation.
12.4 Legal Mandates.
Skyholiday may take any action it determines is reasonably necessary to comply with applicable law, or the order or request of a court, law enforcement, or other administrative agency or governmental body, including the measures described above in Section 12.3.
12.5 Effect of Termination.
If you are a Host and terminate your Skyholiday account, any confirmed booking(s) will be automatically canceled and your Guests will receive a full refund. If you terminate your account as a Guest, any confirmed booking(s) will be automatically canceled and any refund will depend upon the terms of the Reservation’s cancellation policy. When this agreement has been terminated, you are not entitled to a restoration of your account or any of your Content. If your access to or use of the Skyholiday Platform has been limited, or your Skyholiday account has been suspended, or this agreement has been terminated by us, you may not register a new account or access or use the Skyholiday Platform through an account of another Member.
12.6 Survival.
Parts of these Terms that by their nature survive termination, will survive termination of this agreement, including Sections 1 through 25.
- Modification.
Skyholiday may modify these Terms at any time. When we make material changes to these Terms, we will post the revised Terms on the Skyholiday Platform and update the “Last Updated” date at the top of these Terms. We will also provide you with notice of any material changes by email, notifications through the Skyholiday Platform, messaging service, or any other contact method made available by us and selected by you at least 30 days before the date they become effective. If you disagree with the revised Terms, you may terminate this agreement immediately as provided in these Terms. If you do not terminate your agreement before the date the revised Terms become effective, your continued access to or use of the Skyholiday Platform will constitute acceptance of the revised Terms. - Resolving Complaints and Damage Claims.
If a Member provides valid evidence that you, your guest(s), or your pet(s) have:
(i) damaged the complaining Member’s, or the Accommodation owner’s (where the Accommodation owner is not also the Host), real or personal property, or real or personal property the complaining Member is responsible for, or has an economic interest in; or
(ii) caused loss of booking income for bookings via the Skyholiday Platform or other consequential damages which result directly from the damage caused under (i) above; or
(iii) otherwise caused the complaining Member to incur cleaning costs in excess of the Member’s cleaning fee (each of (i), (ii), and (iii) being a (“Damage Claim”),
the complaining Member can notify Skyholiday and/or seek compensation through the Resolution Center. You will be notified of the Damage Claim and given an opportunity to respond. If you agree to pay, or if the Damage Claim is escalated to Skyholiday and Skyholiday determines in its sole discretion that the Damage Claim is valid and you are responsible for the Damage Claim, Skyholiday via Skyholiday Payments can collect the amount of the Damage Claim from you. You agree that Skyholiday may seek to recover from you under any insurance policies you maintain and that Skyholiday may also pursue against you any remedies it may have available under applicable law, including referral of the Damage Claim to a collections agency.
15. Skyholiday’s Role.
We offer you the right to use a platform that enables Members to publish, offer, search for, and book Host Services. While we work hard to ensure our Members have great experiences using Skyholiday, we do not and cannot control the conduct of Guests and Hosts. You acknowledge that Skyholiday (or its affiliates) has the right, but does not have any obligation, to monitor the use of the Skyholiday Platform and verify information provided by our Members. For example, we may review, disable access to, remove, or edit Content to: (i) operate, secure and improve the Skyholiday Platform (including for fraud prevention, risk assessment, investigation and customer support purposes); (ii) ensure Members’ compliance with these Terms; (iii) comply with applicable law or the order or requirement of a court, law enforcement or other administrative agency or governmental body; (iv) address Content that we determine is harmful or objectionable; (v) take actions set out in these Terms; and (vi) maintain and enforce any quality or eligibility criteria, including by removing Listings that don’t meet quality and eligibility criteria. Members acknowledge and agree that Skyholiday administers its Additional Legal Terms, Policies (such as our Major Disruptive Events Policy) and Standards (such as basic requirements for hosts), including decisions about whether and how to apply them to a particular situation, at its sole discretion. Members agree to cooperate with and assist Skyholiday (or its affiliates) in good faith, and to provide us with such information and take such actions as may be reasonably requested by us with respect to any investigation undertaken by us regarding the use or abuse of the Skyholiday Platform. Skyholiday is not acting as an agent for any Member except for where Skyholiday Payments acts as a collection agent as provided in the Payments Terms.
16. Member Accounts.
You must register an account to access and use many features of the Skyholiday Platform. Registration is only permitted for legal entities, partnerships and natural persons who are 18 years or older. You represent and warrant that you are not a person or entity barred from using the Skyholiday Platform under the laws of the United States, your place of residence, or any other applicable jurisdiction. You must provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and keep your account information up-to-date. You may not transfer your account to someone else. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality and security of your account credentials and may not disclose your credentials to any third party. You are responsible and liable for activities conducted through your account and must immediately notify Skyholiday if you suspect that your credentials have been lost, stolen, or your account is otherwise compromised. If and as permitted by applicable law, we may, but have no obligation to (i) ask you to provide identification or other information, (ii) undertake checks designed to help verify your identity or background, (iii) screen you against third-party databases or other sources and request reports from service providers, and (iv) obtain reports from public records of criminal convictions or sex offender registrations or their local equivalents.
17. Disclaimer of Warranties.
The Skyholiday Platform and all Content are provided “as is” without warranty of any kind and Skyholiday (or its affiliates) disclaim all warranties, whether express or implied. For example: (i) we do not endorse or warrant the existence, conduct, performance, safety, quality, legality or suitability of any Guest, Host, Host Service, Listing or third party; (ii) we do not warrant the performance or non-interruption of the Skyholiday Platform; and (iii) we do not warrant that verification, identity or background checks conducted on Listings or Members (if any) will identify past misconduct or prevent future misconduct. Any references to a Member or Listing being “verified” (or similar language) indicate only that the Member or Listing or Skyholiday (or its affiliates) has completed a relevant verification or identification process and nothing else. The disclaimers in these Terms apply to the maximum extent permitted by law. If you have statutory rights or warranties Skyholiday (or its affiliates) cannot disclaim, the duration of any such statutorily required rights or warranties, will be limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.
18. Limitations on Liability.
Neither Skyholiday (including its affiliates and personnel) nor any other party involved in creating, producing, or delivering the Skyholiday Platform or any Content will be liable for any incidental, special, exemplary or consequential damages, including lost profits, loss of data or loss of goodwill, service interruption, computer damage or system failure or the cost of substitute products or services, or for any damages for personal or bodily injury or emotional distress arising out of or in connection with (i) these Terms, (ii) the use of or inability to use the Skyholiday Platform or any Content, (iii) any communications, interactions or meetings you may have with someone you interact or meet with through, or as a result of, your use of the Skyholiday Platform, or (iv) publishing or booking of a Listing, including the provision or use of Host Services, whether based on warranty, contract, tort (including negligence), product liability or any other legal theory, and whether or not Skyholiday has been informed of the possibility of such damage, even if a limited remedy set out in these Terms is found to have failed of its essential purpose.
Except for our obligation to transmit payments to Hosts under these Terms, or make payments under the Skyholiday Host Damage Protection, in no event will Skyholiday’s aggregate liability for any claim or dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms, your interaction with any Members, or your use of or inability to use the Skyholiday Platform, any Content, or any Host Service, exceed: (A) to Guests, the amount you paid as a Guest during the 12-month period prior to the event giving rise to the liability, (B) to Hosts, the amount paid to you as a Host in the 12-month period prior to the event giving rise to the liability, or (C) to anyone else, one hundred U.S. dollars (US$100).
These limitations of liability and damages are fundamental elements of the agreement between you and Skyholiday. If applicable law does not allow the limitations of liability set out in these Terms, the above limitations may not apply to you.
19. Indemnification.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, you agree to release, defend (at Skyholiday’s option), indemnify, and hold Skyholiday (including Skyholiday Payments, other affiliates, and their personnel) harmless from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including, without limitation, reasonable legal and accounting fees, arising out of or in any way connected with: (i) your breach of these Terms (including any supplemental or additional terms that apply to a product or feature) or our Additional Legal Terms, Policies or Standards, (ii) your improper use of the Skyholiday Platform, (iii) your interaction with any Member, stay at an Accommodation, participation in an Experience or other Host Service, including without limitation any injuries, losses or damages (whether compensatory, direct, incidental, consequential or otherwise) of any kind arising in connection with or as a result of such interaction, stay, participation or use, (iv) your failure, or our failure at your direction, to accurately report, collect or remit Taxes, or (v) your breach of any laws, regulations or third party rights such as intellectual property or privacy rights.
20. Contracting Entities.
Based on your country of residence or establishment and what you are doing on the Skyholiday Platform, Schedule 1 below sets out the Skyholiday entity with whom you are contracting. If we identify through the Skyholiday Platform, a Skyholiday entity other than the one set out on Schedule 1 as being responsible for a product, feature or transaction, the Skyholiday entity so identified is your contracting entity with respect to that product, feature or transaction. If you change your country of residence or establishment, the Skyholiday company you contract with (as set out on Schedule 1) and the applicable version of the Terms of Service will be determined by your new country of residence or establishment, from the date on which your country of residence or establishment changes.
21. United States Governing Law and Venue.
If you reside or have your place of establishment in the United States, these Terms will be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of California and the United States of America, without regard to conflict-of-law provisions. Judicial proceedings (other than small claims actions) that are excluded from the arbitration agreement in Section 22 must be brought in state or federal court in San Francisco, California, unless we both agree to some other location. You and we both consent to venue and personal jurisdiction in San Francisco, California.
22. United States Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Agreement.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS CAREFULLY BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE THAT YOU AND SKYHOLIDAY AGREE TO RESOLVE ALL DISPUTES BETWEEN US THROUGH BINDING INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION AND INCLUDE A CLASS ACTION WAIVER AND JURY TRIAL WAIVER. This Arbitration Agreement supersedes all prior versions.
22.1 Application.
This Arbitration Agreement only applies to you if your country of residence or establishment is the United States. If your country of residence or establishment is not the United States, and you nevertheless attempt to bring any legal claim against Skyholiday in the United States, this Arbitration Agreement will apply for determination of the threshold issue of whether this Section 22 applies to you, and all other threshold determinations, including residency, arbitrability, venue, and applicable law.
22.2 Overview of Dispute Resolution Process.
Skyholiday is committed to participating in a consumer-friendly dispute resolution process. To that end, these Terms provide for a two-part process for individuals to whom this Section 22 applies: (1) an informal negotiation directly with Skyholiday’s customer service team (described in paragraph 22.3, below), and if necessary (2) a binding arbitration in accordance with the terms of this Arbitration Agreement. You and Skyholiday each retain the right to seek resolution of the dispute in small claims court as an alternative to arbitration.
22.3 Mandatory Pre-Arbitration Dispute Resolution and Notification.
At least 30 days prior to initiating an arbitration, you and Skyholiday each agree to send the other party an individualized notice of the dispute in writing (“Pre-Dispute Notice”) and attempt in good faith to negotiate an informal resolution of the individual claim. You must send your Pre-Dispute Notice to Skyholiday by mailing it to Skyholiday’s agent for service: CSC Lawyers Incorporating Service, 2710 Gateway Oaks Drive, Suite 150N, Sacramento, California 95833. Skyholiday will send its Pre-Dispute Notice to the email address associated with your Skyholiday account. A Pre-Dispute Notice must include: the date, your name, mailing address, your Skyholiday username, the email address you used to set up your Skyholiday account, your signature, a brief description of the dispute, and the relief sought. If the parties are unable to resolve the dispute within the 30-day period, only then may either party commence arbitration by filing a written demand for arbitration with the arbitration provider designated pursuant to Section 22.6, below. A claimant’s Pre-Dispute Notice requirement is a prerequisite to any arbitration, and a copy of the Pre-Dispute Notice and evidence that it was sent as required by this Section must be attached to any arbitration demand.
22.4 Agreement to Arbitrate.
You and Skyholiday mutually agree that any dispute, claim or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the applicability, breach, termination, validity, enforcement or interpretation thereof, or any use of the Skyholiday Platform, Host Services, or any Content (collectively, “Disputes”) will be settled by binding arbitration on an individual basis (the “Arbitration Agreement”). If there is a dispute about whether this Arbitration Agreement can be enforced or applies to a Dispute, you and Skyholiday agree that an arbitrator will decide that issue. For the avoidance of doubt, you and Skyholiday agree that any question regarding arbitrability and the formation, enforceability, validity, scope, or interpretation of all or part of this Section 22, including any dispute over compliance with the Pre-Dispute Notice requirement and a party’s responsibility to pay arbitration fees, shall be resolved exclusively by an arbitrator.
22.5 Exceptions to Arbitration Agreement.
You and Skyholiday each agree that the following causes of action and/or claims for relief are exceptions to the Arbitration Agreement and will be brought in a judicial proceeding in a court of competent jurisdiction (as defined by Section 22): (i) any claim or cause of action alleging actual or threatened infringement, misappropriation or violation of a party’s copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, patents, or other intellectual property rights; (ii) any claim or cause of action seeking emergency injunctive relief based on exigent circumstances (e.g., imminent danger or commission of a crime, hacking, cyber-attack); or (iii) a request for the remedy of public injunctive relief; (iv) any claim or cause of action for vexatious litigation; or (v) any individual claim of sexual assault or sexual harassment arising from your use of the Skyholiday Platform or Host Services. You and Skyholiday agree that any request for the remedy of public injunctive relief will proceed after the arbitration of all arbitrable claims, remedies, or causes of action, and will be stayed pending the outcome of the arbitration pursuant to section 3 of the Federal Arbitration Act.
22.6 Arbitration Forum Rules and Governing Law.
This Arbitration Agreement evidences a transaction in interstate commerce and the Federal Arbitration Act governs all substantive and procedural interpretation and enforcement of this Arbitration Agreement, and not state law. The arbitration will be administered by ADR Services, Inc. (“ADR”) (www.adrservices.com) in accordance with Rules 1, 6–7, 8–9, and 11–12, 45, 54, and 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (“Selected Federal Rules”) (https://www.uscourts.gov/rules-policies/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) and ADR’s Arbitration Rules then in effect (the “ADR Rules”), except as the Selected Federal Rules or ADR Rules are modified by or conflict with this Arbitration Agreement. The ADR Rules are available at www.adrservices.com. If an arbitration demand is submitted to ADR Services in accordance with this agreement and the ADR Rules, and ADR Services cannot or will not administer the arbitration, the arbitration will be administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) in accordance with the Selected Federal Rules and the AAA’s Consumer Arbitration Rules and/or other AAA arbitration rules determined to be applicable by the AAA (the “AAA Rules”) then in effect, except as modified here. The AAA Rules are available at www.adr.org. If the AAA cannot and will not administer the arbitration, you and Skyholiday shall confer and select an alternative arbitral forum, and if we are unable to agree, either you or Skyholiday may ask a court to appoint an arbitrator pursuant to 9 U.S.C. § 5. In that event, the arbitration will be conducted in accordance with the rules of the appointed arbitral forum, unless those rules are inconsistent with the provisions of this Arbitration Agreement.
22.7 Modification of Arbitration Rules – Arbitration Hearing/Location.
In order to make the arbitration most cost-effective, efficient, and convenient, any required arbitration hearing in an arbitration wherein the amount in controversy does not exceed $1,000,000 shall be conducted remotely via video conference except as otherwise agreed by the parties or instructed by the arbitrator. Any required arbitration hearing in an arbitration wherein the amount in controversy exceeds $1,000,000 shall be conducted in San Francisco County except as otherwise agreed by the parties or instructed by the arbitrator. If the amount in controversy is $10,000 or less, the parties agree to proceed solely on the submission of documents to the arbitrator.
22.8 Modification of Arbitration Rules – Arbitration Fees and Costs.
Your arbitration fees and your share of arbitrator compensation shall be governed by the ADR Rules and the ADR Services fee schedule (available at www.adrservices.com). If you have a gross monthly income of less than 300% of the federal poverty guidelines, you are entitled to a waiver of arbitration fees and costs, exclusive of arbitrator fees. You may request a fee waiver by providing the arbitration provider with a declaration under oath stating your monthly income and the number of persons in your household. If a fee waiver is granted by the arbitration provider and you provide Skyholiday with documents necessary to prove that your gross monthly income is less than 300% of the federal poverty guidelines, Skyholiday will pay your share of any arbitrator fees.
22.9 Modification of Arbitration Rules – Claims Brought for an Improper Purpose or In Violation of This Arbitration Agreement.
Either party may make a request that the arbitrator impose sanctions upon proving that the other party or its attorney(s) has asserted a claim or defense that is groundless in fact or law, brought in bad faith or for the purpose of harassment, or is otherwise frivolous. As allowed by applicable law, the arbitrator shall impose sanctions equal to the requesting party’s reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs upon finding that a claim or defense is groundless in fact or law, brought in bad faith or for the purpose of harassment, asserted in violation of Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(b) (treating the arbitrator as “the court”), or is otherwise frivolous. Either party may seek dismissal of any arbitration filed in violation of any provision of this Arbitration Agreement. Either party may assert in arbitration a counterclaim for the other party’s initiation of proceedings concerning an arbitrable Dispute without complying with or otherwise in violation of the requirements of this Arbitration Agreement. Upon finding that a party has initiated proceedings concerning an arbitrable Dispute without complying with or otherwise in violation of the requirements of this Arbitration Agreement, the arbitrator shall award the other party its actual damages, including but not limited to reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.
22.10 Arbitrator’s Decision.
The arbitrator will issue a written decision which shall include the essential findings and conclusions upon which the arbitrator based the award. Judgment on the arbitration award may be entered in any court with proper jurisdiction. The arbitrator may award any relief allowed by law or the ADR Rules, but declaratory or injunctive relief may be awarded only on an individual basis and only to the extent necessary to provide relief warranted by the claimant’s individual claim.
22.11 Jury Trial Waiver.
You and Skyholiday acknowledge and agree that both parties are each waiving the right to a trial by jury as to all arbitrable Disputes.
22.12 No Class Actions or Representative Proceedings.
You and Skyholiday acknowledge and agree that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, we are each waiving the right to participate as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class action lawsuit, class-wide arbitration, private attorney general action, or any other representative or consolidated proceeding. Unless we agree in writing or as provided in this agreement, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one party’s claims and may not otherwise preside over any form of any class or representative proceeding. If there is a final judicial determination that applicable law precludes enforcement of the waiver contained in this paragraph as to any claim, cause of action or requested remedy, then that claim, cause of action or requested remedy, and only that claim, cause of action or requested remedy, will be severed from this agreement to arbitrate and will be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction. In the event that a claim, cause of action or requested remedy is severed pursuant to this paragraph, then you and we agree that the claims, causes of action or requested remedies that are not subject to arbitration will be stayed until all arbitrable claims, causes of action and requested remedies are resolved by the arbitrator.