1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using My Life's History ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use our Service.

2. Description of Service

My Life's History provides memoir and life story preservation services. We conduct phone interviews with your family members, transcribe and edit those conversations, and deliver professionally written chapters and books that preserve their authentic voice. Our services include:

Phone interviews conducted by our trained interviewers
Professional transcription of recorded conversations
Editing for clarity while preserving authentic voice
Delivery of written chapters, complete books, and audio recordings

3. User Accounts

To use our services, you must create an account. You agree to:

Provide accurate and complete registration information
Maintain the security of your account credentials
Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account
Be responsible for all activities that occur under your account

4. Consent for Interview Subjects

By purchasing our services, you represent that:

The family member being interviewed has consented to participate
The family member understands the call will be recorded
You have authority to purchase this service on behalf of your family
You will inform the interview subject about the nature of the project

We reserve the right to verify consent directly with the interview subject at the beginning of each call.

5. Content Ownership

You own your stories. All recordings, transcripts, and finished written materials belong to you. We retain no ownership interest in your family's stories or the finished memoir. You are free to:

Share, publish, or distribute the materials as you see fit
Request all files at any time
Request deletion of all materials from our systems

6. Our Editing Philosophy

We edit for clarity, not for style. Our goal is to make the stories readable while preserving your family member's authentic voice, phrasing, and personality. We do not:

Rewrite stories to sound "more professional"
Remove characteristic speech patterns or expressions
Add content that wasn't expressed in the interview
Use AI to generate or substantially rewrite content

7. Revisions and Approval

You will receive draft chapters for review before finalization. You may request reasonable revisions to:

Correct factual errors
Remove sensitive information
Clarify unclear passages
Adjust tone or emphasis

Final approval rests with you. Nothing goes into the finished book that you haven't approved.

8. Sensitive Content

Life stories sometimes include difficult topics. Our interviewers are trained to handle sensitive subjects with care. However:

You may specify topics to avoid before interviews begin
You may remove any content during the review process
We will not pressure interview subjects to discuss uncomfortable topics

9. Payment Terms

Sample Chapter ($500): Payment is due at time of purchase. This fee covers one interview and one professionally edited chapter. If you proceed to a full book, this payment applies toward your total.

Full Book Projects: Pricing is provided after the sample chapter based on the scope of your project. Full projects may be paid in installments as milestones are completed.

Refunds: If the sample chapter doesn't meet your expectations, we'll work with you to make it right. If we cannot produce something you're satisfied with, we will provide a refund for the sample chapter.

10. Timeline

Sample chapters are delivered within 7 days of the interview. Complete book timelines vary based on scope and are agreed upon before project start. We will communicate proactively about any delays.

11. Cancellation

You may cancel your project at any time. If you cancel:

Before any interviews: Full refund
After interviews but before editing: Partial refund based on work completed
After editing has begun: Payment for completed chapters only

In all cases, you receive copies of all recordings and any completed work.

12. Limitation of Liability

Our service captures stories as told by your family member. We cannot verify the historical accuracy of memories shared. We are not responsible for:

Factual inaccuracies in stories as told
Family disputes arising from content
Emotional distress from revisiting difficult memories

Our total liability shall not exceed the amount paid for the specific service in question.

13. Confidentiality

We treat your family's stories as confidential. Our team members sign confidentiality agreements. We will never share your family's stories publicly without explicit written permission.

14. Termination

We may decline or discontinue service if:

The interview subject withdraws consent
We cannot establish contact with the interview subject
The project involves illegal activity
Payment obligations are not met

15. Changes to Terms

We may modify these terms with notice. Existing projects continue under the terms in effect at project start.

16. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States.

17. Contact

For questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us at hello@mylifeshistory.com.