Snapshot of the source text at fetch time, not a live mirror of the policy page.
Plain-English summary
The TubeBuddy Affiliate Program's terms contain several clauses that could unfavorably impact users. The company retains the right to terminate accounts without notice and forfeit commissions if account terms are violated (risk_flags-1). Furthermore, TubeBuddy can terminate accounts and the entire program at any time for any reason, which includes the forfeiture of all future and recurring commissions (risk_flags-2, risk_flags-3). The terms also severely limit the company's liability for various damages (risk_flags-4) and require mandatory confidential arbitration for disputes, restricting legal recourse to traditional courts (risk_flags-5). Additionally, terms of service can be changed without direct notice to users (risk_flags-6), and continued use of the program implies consent to any modifications (risk_flags-10). There's also a minimum payout threshold for commissions (risk_flags-7), a 30-day waiting period for commission payments (risk_flags-8), and commissions are exclusively paid via PayPal (risk_flags-9).
90% confidence
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Risk Flags
10 findings
These are policies that could be harmful to you. They may limit your rights, make it difficult to recover money, or expose you to privacy risks.
high95% confidence
Account termination without notice or refund of commissions
TubeBuddy can terminate your account and forfeit any commissions earned during a violation of account terms.
Why it matters: If you violate any account terms, TubeBuddy may terminate your affiliate account without notice and you could lose any outstanding commissions.
Violation of any of the Account Terms below may result in the termination of your Affiliate Account and forfeiture of any outstanding affiliate commission payments earned during the violation.
Company can terminate your account for any reason at any time
TubeBuddy has the right to suspend or terminate your account for any reason at any time, which may lead to forfeiture of commissions if earned through questionable methods.
Why it matters: TubeBuddy can decide to suspend or terminate your account for any reason at any time, potentially causing you to lose access to the service and forfeit commissions earned through methods they deem questionable.
TubeBuddy, in its sole discretion, has the right to suspend or terminate your account and refuse any and all current or future use of the PROGRAM, or any other TubeBuddy service, for any reason at any time. Such termination of the Service will result in the deactivation or deletion of your Account or your access to your Account, and the forfeiture and relinquishment of all potential or to-be-paid commissions in your Account if they were earned through fraudulent, illegal, or overly aggressive, questionable sales or marketing methods. TubeBuddy reserves the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason at any time.
Program termination means loss of all future and recurring commissions
If TubeBuddy terminates the program, all payments of future commissions, including recurring payments for past referrals, will also be terminated.
Why it matters: If The Program is ended by TubeBuddy, you will lose all future and recurring commission payments, even for referrals you have already made.
Additionally, TubeBuddy in its sole discretion has the right to terminate the PROGRAM at any time. If the PROGRAM is terminated, payment of any future commissions are terminated including recurring payments for prior referral purchases.
Limited liability for company; no liability for indirect, special, or consequential damages
The company will not be held liable for indirect, special, or consequential damages, including loss of revenue, profits, or data, even if they were informed of the possibility of such damages.
Why it matters: You cannot claim damages for indirect, special, or consequential losses, such as lost revenue or data, even if the company was aware these might occur.
We will not be liable for indirect, special, or consequential damages (or any loss of revenue, profits, or data) arising in connection with this Agreement or the PROGRAM, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.
Any dispute related to the agreement or activities under the program must be submitted to confidential arbitration in San Diego, California, under the rules of the American Arbitration Association.
Why it matters: You must resolve any disputes through private arbitration in San Diego, California, and cannot pursue them in court unless the company's intellectual property rights are violated.
Any dispute relating in any way to this Agreement (including any actual or alleged breach hereof), any transactions or activities under this Agreement or your relationship with us or any of our affiliates shall be submitted to confidential arbitration in San Diego, California USA, except that, to the extent you have in any manner violated or threatened to violate our intellectual property rights, we may seek injunctive or other appropriate relief in any state or federal court in the state of Washington (and you consent to non-exclusive jurisdiction and venue in such courts) or any other court of competent jurisdiction.
Commissions are only paid once you have earned more than $10 in affiliate income; if this threshold is not met, commissions will not be paid.
Why it matters: You will only receive commission payments if your earned affiliate income exceeds $10, otherwise, they will not be paid.
**For Affiliates, payments only begin once you’ve earned more than $10 in affiliate income.**If your Standard or VIP affiliate account never crosses the $10 threshold, your commissions will not be realized or paid. We are only responsible for paying accounts that have cr ossed the $10 threshold.
Affiliate commissions are only paid after the referred license has been active for more than 30 days.
Why it matters: You will not receive commissions for a referral until the license has been active for over 30 days, which delays your payment.
Any affiliate commissions are only paid after the license has been active for more than 30 days, to protect against any customer cancellations, refunds, or chargebacks.
Commissions are exclusively paid via PayPal, and a PayPal account is required to receive payments.
Why it matters: You can only receive commission payments through PayPal and must have an account to get paid.
Commissions are paid via PayPal and only via PayPal. We cannot send checks, pre-paid credit cards, or cash. You are required to have a PayPal account to receive commissions. If you don’t have a PayPal account you can sign up for one at any time, but you will not be paid until you have one.
Continued participation in the affiliate program after modifications are posted indicates agreement to the changes.
Why it matters: If you continue using the affiliate program after changes to the terms are posted, you are considered to have agreed to those changes, even if you did not explicitly accept them.
Your continued participation in TubeBuddy.com’s Affiliate Program following the posting of the change notice or new Agreement on our site will indicate your agreement to the changes.
These clauses describe how the company collects, uses, and shares your data.
?
Not clearly stated
No cited data-use findings — wording is unclear
The document primarily focuses on affiliate program terms and does not explicitly detail the collection, use, or sharing of personal data, beyond requiring a legal full name and valid email address for signup. The term 'data' is mentioned in the limitation of liability, but not in the context of user data handling.
Cancellation and Renewal
Not clearly stated
These clauses describe how you or the company can cancel the service, and how renewals are handled.
?
Not clearly stated
No cited billing terms — wording is unclear
The policy discusses termination of accounts and the program, but does not include explicit clauses regarding the user's ability to cancel the service or how renewals for any services might be handled for the affiliate.
Gotchas
Not clearly stated
Hidden clauses or tricky wording that might be unfavorable to you.
?
Not clearly stated
No cited gotchas — wording is unclear
The document contains several clauses that could be considered unfavorable but are explicitly stated and covered in other sections, such as the company's right to terminate the account or program and limitations on liability.
Protections
Not clearly stated
These are policies and features that are designed to protect you.
?
Not clearly stated
No cited protections — wording is unclear
No explicit consumer protections were identified in the provided clauses that meet the criteria for this section, such as clear refund windows, advance notice before material changes, meaningful user deletion/export controls, or explicit data-minimization commitments. The notification for contract modifications is present but is not considered a strong protection on its own.
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