Terms of Use & Legal

1. Medical Disclaimer & Peer Support Only

Dude2Dude is a digital peer support community designed to connect cardiac surgery patients and their supporters with others who share similar lived experiences. Nothing on this Platform — including content, posts, messages, Trail Guide conversations, community discussions, resource listings, videos, or any other material — constitutes medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or a patient-provider relationship.

Trail Guides are volunteer members who have chosen to share their personal recovery journeys. They are not licensed medical professionals, clinicians, counselors, therapists, or healthcare providers of any kind. Their contributions reflect personal experience only and must never substitute for the advice of your physician, surgeon, cardiologist, mental health provider, or other licensed clinician.

By using the Platform, you acknowledge and agree that:

• You will consult a licensed healthcare provider for all medical and clinical decisions
• Dude2Dude, Woodsage Partners, Inc., and their respective officers, employees, agents, Trail Guides, and volunteers are not liable for any health outcomes, decisions, or actions taken based on content or conversations on this Platform
• This Platform is a supplement to — not a replacement for — your medical care team
• You are solely responsible for your health and recovery decisions
• Resource directory listings are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or referral by Dude2Dude or Woodsage Partners, Inc.

2. Eligibility & Account Terms

The Platform is intended for individuals 18 years of age or older. By creating an account, you represent and warrant that you are at least 18 years old and that the information you provide during registration is accurate, current, and complete. Dude2Dude does not knowingly collect information from individuals under 18. If we become aware that a user is under 18, we will terminate their account.

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You agree to notify us immediately at support@dude2dude.com if you suspect unauthorized access to your account. Dude2Dude is not liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to maintain account security.

We reserve the right to suspend or permanently terminate any account at any time, with or without notice, for any violation of these Terms or for any other reason at our sole discretion.

3. Subscriptions & Billing

Dude2Dude offers paid membership plans billed on a monthly or annual basis. By subscribing, you authorize Woodsage Partners, Inc. to charge your payment method on a recurring basis at the rate applicable to your selected plan. All fees are stated in U.S. dollars and are exclusive of any applicable taxes, which are your responsibility.

Auto-Renewal. Subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each billing period unless you cancel before the renewal date. You may cancel at any time through the billing management section of your account profile. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the then-current billing period; no partial-period refunds are issued.

Refunds. All sales are final. Dude2Dude does not issue refunds for unused portions of a subscription period, except where required by applicable law or at our sole discretion in exceptional circumstances.

Price Changes.We reserve the right to change subscription pricing at any time. We will provide at least 30 days' notice of any price change to active subscribers. Continued use of the Platform after a price change constitutes acceptance of the new pricing.

Payment processing is handled by Stripe, Inc. By providing payment information, you also agree to Stripe's Terms of Service. Dude2Dude does not store full credit card numbers or payment credentials.

4. User Content & License

You retain ownership of any content you submit, post, or transmit through the Platform (“User Content”), including posts, messages, journal entries, and profile information. By submitting User Content, you grant Woodsage Partners, Inc. a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, sublicensable license to use, reproduce, distribute, display, and adapt your User Content solely for the purposes of operating and improving the Platform and, with your separate consent, for marketing or promotional purposes.

You represent and warrant that: (a) you own or have the rights to all User Content you submit; (b) your User Content does not infringe the intellectual property, privacy, or other rights of any third party; and (c) your User Content does not contain Protected Health Information (PHI) of any third party.

Dude2Dude does not endorse any User Content and expressly disclaims all liability in connection with User Content. We reserve the right — but assume no obligation — to review, edit, or remove any User Content at our sole discretion and without notice.

5. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Post or transmit content that is abusive, harassing, threatening, obscene, defamatory, discriminatory, or otherwise objectionable
• Impersonate any person or entity, or falsely represent your affiliation with a person or entity
• Solicit other members for commercial purposes, including but not limited to sales, marketing, or recruitment
• Collect or harvest information about other members without their explicit consent
• Share another member's personal information without their consent
• Post content that promotes or glorifies harmful behaviors, including substance use, self-harm, or dangerous medical practices
• Upload or transmit viruses, malware, or any other malicious code
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Platform or its related systems
• Use automated tools, bots, or scrapers to access or extract data from the Platform
• Interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the Platform
• Use the Platform for any illegal purpose or in violation of any applicable law or regulation
• Reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell, or exploit any portion of the Platform without express written permission from Woodsage Partners, Inc.

Violations may result in immediate account termination and, where appropriate, referral to law enforcement.

6. Intellectual Property

The Platform and all of its content, features, and functionality — including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, icons, images, audio clips, software, code, and the selection and arrangement thereof — are the exclusive property of Woodsage Partners, Inc. or its licensors and are protected by United States and international copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, and other intellectual property laws.

The “Dude2Dude” name, logo, and all related marks, trade names, and slogans are trademarks of Woodsage Partners, Inc. You may not use any Dude2Dude marks without our prior written consent. Nothing in these Terms grants you any right, title, or interest in the Platform or our intellectual property other than the limited right to use the Platform in accordance with these Terms.

If you believe any content on the Platform infringes your copyright, please see Section 9 (DMCA) below.

7. HIPAA & Health Information

Dude2Dude and Woodsage Partners, Inc. are not a “covered entity” or “business associate” as those terms are defined under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and its implementing regulations. The Platform is not designed, certified, or intended to store, process, or transmit Protected Health Information (PHI).

You agree not to submit PHI — including medical records, insurance information, lab results, or the identifiable health information of any third party — through the Platform. Any health-related information you voluntarily share (such as your surgery type, recovery milestones, or journal entries) is shared at your own discretion and risk.

Your use of Dude2Dude does not create a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) or any HIPAA-covered relationship between you and Woodsage Partners, Inc.

8. Partner & Resource Directory

The Dude2Dude resource directory lists third-party service providers (“Partners”) who have self-registered and agreed to the Dude2Dude Partner Code of Conduct. Listing in the directory does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, certification, or referral by Dude2Dude or Woodsage Partners, Inc. We do not verify the credentials, licenses, or qualifications of any listed Partner, and Partners bear sole responsibility for the accuracy of their listings.

Dude2Dude does not facilitate direct communications between Partners and members through the Platform. Any engagement between a member and a Partner occurs entirely outside the Dude2Dude Platform and is solely the responsibility of the member and the Partner.

Woodsage Partners, Inc. is not a party to any agreement, transaction, or relationship between a member and a Partner and assumes no liability for the services provided by, or the conduct of, any Partner.

9. Copyright & DMCA

Woodsage Partners, Inc. respects intellectual property rights and expects users to do the same. If you believe that content on the Platform infringes your copyright, you may submit a written notice to our designated agent that includes:

• A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or authorized agent
• Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed
• Identification of the allegedly infringing material and its location on the Platform
• Your contact information (name, address, telephone number, and email address)
• A statement that you have a good faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law
• A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the above information is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on their behalf

DMCA notices should be sent to: legal@dude2dude.com — Attn: DMCA Agent, Woodsage Partners, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana.

10. Third-Party Services

The Platform relies on third-party services including Supabase (data storage and authentication), Stripe (payment processing), Twilio (SMS communications), Resend (transactional email), and Anthropic (the AI assistant behind the Get Your Bearings feature). Your use of these services through the Platform is subject to their respective terms of service and privacy policies. Dude2Dude is not responsible for the availability, security, or performance of any third-party service.

Get Your Bearings (AI assistant).When you use the Get Your Bearings feature, the message you type is sent to our AI provider (Anthropic) to generate personalized guidance. We do not send your name, location, or journal entries to the AI provider — only your message and general recovery context (such as your recovery stage). Your entries are stored privately to your account, are visible only to you, are used solely to power the feature, are never sold or used for advertising, and are not used to train the AI provider’s models. Entries clear automatically after 30 days, and you can delete them at any time from your dashboard.

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites or resources. These links are provided for convenience only. Dude2Dude does not endorse and is not responsible for any third-party content, products, services, or websites.

11. Disclaimer of Warranties & Limitation of Liability

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, OR UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE OPERATION. DUDE2DUDE DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE PLATFORM WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS OR THAT ANY DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED.

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, WOODSAGE PARTNERS, INC. AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, VOLUNTEERS, AND LICENSORS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES — INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, GOODWILL, OR HEALTH OUTCOMES — ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE PLATFORM, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

IN NO EVENT SHALL WOODSAGE PARTNERS, INC.'S TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE PLATFORM EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE TOTAL AMOUNT YOU PAID TO DUDE2DUDE IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM OR (B) ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100.00).

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Woodsage Partners, Inc. and its officers, directors, employees, agents, Trail Guides, and volunteers from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your use of the Platform; (b) your User Content; (c) your violation of these Terms; (d) your violation of any applicable law or regulation; or (e) your violation of any third-party rights, including intellectual property or privacy rights.

13. Privacy & Data

No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.

Our full Privacy Policy — covering what we collect, how we use it, data retention, cookies, and our SMS/text messaging privacy practices — is the authoritative document and is available at https://dude2dude.com/legal/privacy.

Text Messaging (SMS) Program

Consent.By providing your mobile number and opting in — in your account notification settings or on our sign-up page — you consent to receive recurring automated text messages from Dude2Dude at that number. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Message frequency varies.

What we send.Recovery goal and check-in reminders, peer meetup reminders, milestone celebrations, buddy-message alerts, re-engagement nudges, and account & billing notices. You choose which categories you receive in your notification settings.

How mobile information is used and shared. No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Text messaging originator opt-in data and consent will not be shared with any third parties. We do not sell, rent, or share your mobile phone number or your SMS opt-in and consent information with any third parties or affiliates for their own marketing or promotional purposes. Mobile information is used solely to deliver the Dude2Dude messages you have opted into, and is only processed by our messaging provider (Twilio) as needed to transmit those messages on our behalf.

Opting out. Reply STOP to any message to unsubscribe from Dude2Dude texts at any time. You may also turn off text messages in your account notification settings. After you opt out you will receive one confirmation message and then no further texts unless you re-subscribe.

Help. Reply HELP to any message for assistance, or contact us at support@dude2dude.com.

Rates. Message and data rates may apply, depending on your mobile carrier and plan. Dude2Dude is not responsible for carrier charges.

Delivery.Message delivery is subject to your mobile carrier’s network; carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages, and supported carriers may change without notice.

Full SMS Terms: https://dude2dude.com/legal/sms. Full Privacy Policy: https://dude2dude.com/legal/privacy.

14. Dispute Resolution & Governing Law

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or relating to them or the Platform shall be governed by the laws of the State of Indiana, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Informal Resolution. Before initiating any formal proceeding, you agree to contact us at legal@dude2dude.com and give us 30 days to attempt to resolve the dispute informally.

Venue. If informal resolution fails, any legal action or proceeding arising out of or related to these Terms shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Hamilton County, Indiana, and you irrevocably consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.

Class Action Waiver. You agree that any dispute resolution proceedings will be conducted only on an individual basis and not as part of a class, consolidated, or representative action.

15. Changes to These Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify active subscribers by email. Your continued use of the Platform after any changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, you must stop using the Platform and may cancel your subscription as described in Section 3.

16. Contact

Questions about these Terms may be directed to:

Woodsage Partners, Inc.
d/b/a Dude2Dude
Indianapolis, Indiana
legal@dude2dude.com