These Terms and Conditions (the “Terms”) govern your access to and use of the HKODO website, learning centre and related services (the “Services”), operated by LumiTalk Limited (Business Registration No. 75252654) (“LumiTalk”, “we”, “us”, “our”), a company based in Hong Kong. “HKODO” (Hong Kong Oracy Dojo) is the learning centre and brand operated by LumiTalk. Please read these Terms with our Privacy Policy, which forms part of them.
1. Acceptance
1.1 By creating an account, subscribing, or using the Services, you agree to these Terms and the Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Services.
1.2 If you are under 18, you may use the Services only with the consent and supervision of a parent or legal guardian, who accepts these Terms on your behalf and is responsible for the account and all activity on it.
1.3 If there is any conflict, the order of precedence is: plan-specific terms shown at purchase, then these Terms, then the Privacy Policy.
2. Definitions
“Content” — all curriculum, the belt system, rubrics, materials, text, graphics, audio and software in the Services.
“Coach” — a human tutor engaged by LumiTalk to provide feedback and sessions.
“Submission” — any recording, transcript, text or material you provide, including speaking-practice recordings.
“Session Recording” — a recording of a live coaching or group mock session.
“Subscription” — a paid plan giving access to member features.
3. Eligibility; parents and minors
3.1 The Services are educational support for students preparing for the HKDSE English Language Paper 4 (Speaking), and for their parents/guardians.
3.2 A parent or guardian who registers or supervises an under-18 account is the account holder, accepts these Terms, is responsible for all use and payment, and is responsible for supervising the student's participation.
3.3 You agree to provide accurate, current and complete registration information and to keep it up to date.
3.4 At registration you confirm that you are at least 18, or that you are a parent or guardian registering on behalf of a student. We may take reasonable steps to verify age or consent.
4. Accounts and security
4.1 Keep your login credentials confidential; you are responsible for activity under your account. Notify us promptly of any unauthorised use.
4.2 Do not share, sell or transfer your account. We may suspend or close accounts that breach these Terms (clause 20).
5. The Services; educational disclaimers
5.1 LumiTalk provides, under the HKODO brand, an online learning centre: a structured self-study curriculum, practice materials, feedback from human Coaches on recorded speaking practice, and — for certain plans — group mock sessions.
5.2 No guarantee of results. We do not guarantee any examination result, grade, band or level. All feedback is a coaching draft for learning purposes; it is not an official mark, assessment, or prediction of examination performance.
5.3 Not affiliated with the HKEAA. LumiTalk and HKODO are independent and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (“HKEAA”) or any examination body. References to the HKDSE and to assessment criteria are for educational reference only and remain the property of their respective owners.
5.4 We may add, change, suspend or withdraw features, plans or materials from time to time, and may offer early/beta features which are provided without warranty.
6. Subscriptions, fees and payment
6.1 Our plans and their fees are as shown on the HKODO website. Fees are in Hong Kong Dollars and may change from time to time; the price displayed on the website at the time of your purchase or renewal is final and prevails. Any applicable taxes are as indicated.
6.2 Paid Subscriptions are billed in advance through our payment processor, Stripe. By subscribing you authorise recurring charges to your payment method for each billing period until you cancel.
6.3 Subscriptions renew automatically each period unless cancelled before the next billing date. You can cancel at any time in your account settings (or by contacting us).
6.4 If a payment fails, we may retry and/or suspend member access until payment is made.
6.5 We may change fees or plan features; changes take effect at your next renewal, and continued use constitutes acceptance.
7. Cancellation and refunds
7.1 You may cancel a Subscription at any time; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period and you keep access until then.
7.2 Except where required by applicable law, fees already paid are non-refundable. We may, at our discretion, offer a pro-rata or goodwill refund.
7.3 One-off sessions or group mocks may be rescheduled with at least 3 hours' notice; sessions cancelled or missed with less than 3 hours' notice may not be refunded or rescheduled.
7.4 Nothing in these Terms affects any statutory rights you have as a consumer that cannot be lawfully excluded.
8. Bookings and session recordings
8.1 Coaching sessions and mocks are scheduled through a third-party tool (Calendly). Please attend on time. Rescheduling requires at least 3 hours' notice. If you cancel or reschedule with less than 3 hours' notice, we may retain a reasonable cancellation charge (not exceeding any deposit paid) reflecting our reasonable costs, and any balance is refunded; the charge is shown to you before you book.
8.2 Live sessions may be recorded for feedback, quality assurance, training and participant safety. Session Recordings are our Content. By joining a session you consent to being recorded; if you do not consent, please do not join. Recordings are handled under the Privacy Policy.
9. Your Submissions and content licence
9.1 You may provide Submissions (including speaking-practice recordings) so that Coaches can give feedback and track your progress.
9.2 You keep ownership of your Submissions. You grant LumiTalk a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, store, process and use your Submissions solely to provide the Services. Only where you (or, for a minor, a parent/guardian) have given separate consent, we may use anonymised Submissions to improve our materials and to develop or evaluate future features.
9.3 You confirm you have the right to provide each Submission and that it does not infringe any third party's rights or contain another person's personal data without their consent.
10. Acceptable use and restrictions
You must not: use the Services unlawfully; share, resell or provide access to others; copy, distribute, publish, scrape, data-mine or create derivative works from the Content; reverse-engineer or attempt to bypass any paywall or security; upload unlawful, infringing, harassing or offensive material; impersonate others; or interfere with or disrupt the Services. In group settings, treat Coaches and other students with respect.
11. Learner safety and safeguarding
11.1 The safety of young learners is a priority. Coaches are engaged subject to our conduct standards and are expected to behave professionally and appropriately at all times.
11.2 Parents/guardians are responsible for supervising an under-18 student's participation, including in live sessions.
11.3 We may monitor sessions and Submissions for safety and quality, may remove content, and may report suspected harm to a child to the appropriate authorities. If you have a safety concern, contact us immediately at info@hkodo.com.
12. Interactions with other users
Group sessions may involve other students. We are not responsible for the conduct of other users, and you interact with them at your own risk. Report any inappropriate behaviour to us and we will take reasonable action.
13. Intellectual property
13.1 All Content — including the curriculum, belt system, rubrics, materials, Session Recordings, website design and branding — is owned by LumiTalk or its licensors and is protected by law.
13.2 We grant you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use the Content for your own study only. You may not copy, resell, redistribute, publish or create derivative works without our written permission.
14. Copyright complaints
If you believe Content on the Services infringes your copyright, contact us at info@hkodo.com with: your details; identification of the work and the material; and a statement that you believe the use is unauthorised. We will review and take appropriate action, which may include removing the material.
15. Third-party services and links
The Services use third-party providers (including Stripe for payments and Calendly for scheduling) and may link to external sites. Their own terms and privacy policies apply, and we are not responsible for third-party services or content outside our control.
16. AI features and AI-generated content
16.1 The Services currently rely on human Coaches. If we introduce AI-assisted features, we will provide notice, seek any consent required (including parental consent for minors), and update these Terms and the Privacy Policy before those features process your personal data.
16.2 Any content produced by AI-assisted features is generated automatically and does not represent the views, opinions or statements of LumiTalk. LumiTalk provides only the prompts and operating framework for such features and does not author, verify or endorse AI-generated output, which may be inaccurate or inappropriate. To the fullest extent permitted by law, LumiTalk is not responsible or liable for AI-generated content, or for any loss, damage or offence arising from it — including, but not limited to, any offence under the laws of Hong Kong, such as the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (the “National Security Law”). You must not use the Services to generate, request or disseminate any unlawful content, and you are solely responsible for how you use any output.
17. Feedback
If you send us ideas or suggestions about the Services, you agree we may use them without restriction or obligation to you.
18. Disclaimers
The Services and Content are provided “as is” and “as available”. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we make no warranties, express or implied, including as to results, accuracy, availability, or fitness for a particular purpose. The Content is educational and is not professional, legal or examination advice.
19. Limitation of liability; indemnity
19.1 To the fullest extent permitted by Hong Kong law, we are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special or consequential loss, or for loss of results, opportunity or data.
19.2 Our total aggregate liability arising out of or in connection with the Services is limited to the fees you paid to us in the 3-month period before the event giving rise to the claim.
19.3 Nothing excludes or limits any liability that cannot be excluded under applicable Hong Kong law (including for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for fraud).
19.4 You agree to indemnify us against claims, losses and costs arising from your breach of these Terms or misuse of the Services.
20. Suspension and termination
20.1 We may suspend or terminate access if you breach these Terms, or where necessary for safety or legal reasons. You may close your account at any time.
20.2 On termination your right to use the Services ends; clauses that by their nature survive (including 9.2, 13, 14, 16.2, 18, 19 and 23) continue to apply.
21. Communications
You agree we may communicate with you electronically (by email or through the Services) and that electronic notices satisfy any legal requirement for writing. You can opt out of non-essential/marketing messages at any time.
22. Changes to these Terms
We may update these Terms and will post the updated version with a new effective date; for material changes we will take reasonable steps to notify you. Continued use after changes take effect constitutes acceptance.
23. General
23.1 Entire agreement. These Terms and the Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Services.
23.2 Severability. If any provision is unenforceable, the rest remains in effect.
23.3 Waiver. A failure to enforce a right is not a waiver of it.
23.4 Assignment. You may not assign these Terms; we may assign them to a successor of our business.
23.5 Force majeure. We are not liable for delay or failure caused by events beyond our reasonable control.
23.6 Third-party rights. A person who is not a party has no right under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Ordinance (Cap. 623) to enforce these Terms.
23.7 Language. If these Terms are provided in more than one language, the English version prevails.
24. Governing law and disputes
If you have a complaint, please contact us first at info@hkodo.com and we will try to resolve it promptly. These Terms are governed by the laws of Hong Kong. The parties will first try to resolve any dispute in good faith and may agree to mediation. Failing resolution, the courts of Hong Kong have jurisdiction, subject to any non-excludable rights you may have.
25. Contact
LumiTalk Limited — email info@hkodo.com.