Firearms Mentorship Network Terms of Service

Firearms Mentorship Network Terms of Service Draft for Legal Review — Nationwide Controlled Pilot Proposed version: 2026-08-15 Effective date: To be established upon approval Applies to: Students, Professionals, and other registered users of Firearms Mentorship Network in the United States and Washington, D.C. 1. Agreement to These Terms These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern access to and use of the Firearms Mentorship Network platform (“FMN,” “Platform,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), including its website, accounts, profiles, Professional discovery tools, training-request system, messaging features, scheduling and booking tools, and related services. By creating an account, accessing the Platform, or using FMN services, you agree to these Terms and any policies or agreements incorporated into them. If you do not agree, you may not use the Platform. Certain activities require acceptance of additional agreements or acknowledgments. These may include Professional agreements, codes of conduct, training-request terms, booking terms, safety acknowledgments, waivers, releases, and cancellation policies. Acceptance of these Terms does not replace acceptance of any additional document required for a particular FMN activity. 2. What FMN Is Firearms Mentorship Network is a technology platform designed to help individuals discover and connect with participating firearms mentors, instructors, and other approved firearms-training Professionals. FMN may provide tools for: - Professional discovery; - Professional profiles and credentials; - training requests; - participant communication; - scheduling; - booking; - document acceptance; - attendance and completion records; - credential review; - moderation; - account administration; and - related platform functions. Unless expressly stated otherwise, FMN is not the provider of training performed by an independent Professional through the Platform. Professionals are responsible for the training and services they personally provide. FMN's review of credentials, applications, profiles, or other information does not constitute a guarantee of any Professional's ability, conduct, suitability, or performance. 3. No Firearms Sales or Transfers Through FMN FMN's mentorship and training Platform is not intended to function as a marketplace for the purchase, sale, or transfer of firearms or other regulated items. Users may not use FMN messaging, training requests, profiles, or other Platform features to circumvent laws governing firearms transactions. Nothing in these Terms authorizes conduct prohibited by federal, state, or local law. 4. Eligibility You must be legally permitted to use the Platform and participate in the activities you request or provide. Users must provide accurate information during registration and while maintaining an account. You may not: - impersonate another person; - create an account using materially false information; - use another person's account without authorization; - circumvent an account suspension or restriction; - misuse another user's personal information; or - use FMN for unlawful activity. Additional age, consent, supervision, or eligibility requirements may apply to particular training activities. Legal-review item: Counsel should establish the minimum account age and the exact rules for minors before publication. 5. User Roles FMN may support different user roles, including Students and Professionals. Professional roles may include mentors, instructors, or other classifications recognized by FMN. Different roles may have different eligibility, credential, conduct, and account requirements. Possession of an FMN account does not automatically authorize a user to act as a Professional. 6. Professional Applications and Credentials Users seeking Professional status may be required to submit: - application information; - qualifications; - references; - credentials; - certifications; - expiration information; and - other information reasonably necessary for FMN's review process. FMN may verify, reject, request additional information concerning, suspend, revoke, or require renewal of Professional qualifications according to applicable Platform policies. Professionals are responsible for keeping required credentials current. A Professional may remain publicly visible in a limited status while a credential requires renewal, but FMN may prevent new training requests for roles that are no longer supported by a current qualifying credential. A credential marked verified by FMN means that the credential satisfied FMN's applicable verification process at the time of review. It is not a guarantee or endorsement of the Professional's services or future conduct. 7. Professional Independence Unless a separate written agreement expressly provides otherwise, Professionals using FMN are independent participants and are not employees, agents, partners, or representatives of FMN. Professionals control the training services they agree to provide, subject to applicable law, these Terms, and FMN policies. Professionals are responsible for their own: - instruction; - professional conduct; - qualifications; - equipment; - insurance where applicable; - permits and licenses; - tax obligations; - business obligations; and - compliance with applicable law. Nothing on FMN creates an employment relationship between FMN and a Professional solely because the Professional uses the Platform. 8. Nationwide Platform and Local Law FMN is designed to support users throughout the 50 United States and Washington, D.C. Firearms laws, training requirements, age restrictions, possession rules, range requirements, transportation laws, and other regulations may vary substantially by jurisdiction. FMN does not represent that an activity is lawful merely because the Platform allows users to request, discuss, schedule, or record that activity. Each participant is responsible for complying with applicable federal, state, and local law. Professionals are additionally responsible for determining whether they may lawfully provide the services they offer in the jurisdiction where those services occur. FMN may restrict or disable Platform functionality in particular jurisdictions when reasonably necessary. 9. Professional Discovery FMN may allow Students to locate Professionals using location, distance, role, availability, credential status, or other criteria. Distances and locations displayed by FMN may be approximate. FMN may use generalized geographic information rather than a Professional's private residential address. Search rankings and search results do not constitute endorsements or recommendations. Users are responsible for evaluating whether another participant is appropriate for their particular needs. 10. Training Requests Students may submit training requests to eligible Professionals. A training request does not itself create a confirmed appointment or guarantee that a Professional will accept the request. Professionals may accept, decline, discuss, or otherwise respond to requests according to available Platform functionality. Additional terms may be presented and require acceptance before a training request may be submitted. 11. Communications FMN may provide participant messaging associated with training requests or bookings. Users must use communications appropriately and may not use FMN to: - threaten or harass others; - engage in unlawful discrimination; - solicit illegal activity; - facilitate prohibited firearms transactions; - distribute malicious or unlawful content; - expose another person's private information without authorization; - evade Platform safety controls; or - otherwise materially misuse the Platform. FMN may restrict communications that enter a moderation-required state. Authorized Administrators may review flagged communications according to FMN moderation policies and may allow or close affected communications or requests where supported by Platform rules. 12. Scheduling and Booking Participants may use FMN to propose and agree upon training dates, times, and locations. A booking is not confirmed until the Platform's required confirmation conditions are satisfied. These conditions may include: - participant agreement; - acceptance of required documents; - completion of required prerequisites; and - mutual acceptance of scheduling information. A proposed schedule may be replaced before final confirmation according to Platform rules. Participants should verify all final scheduling and location information before attending. 13. Required Documents and Electronic Acceptance FMN may require users to electronically accept documents before performing certain activities. Acceptance may be recorded with information including: - user identity; - document identifier; - document version; - acceptance timestamp; and - applicable transaction or account context. Your electronic acceptance is intended to have the same effect as your acceptance of an electronic agreement where permitted by applicable law. You are responsible for reviewing each document before accepting it. FMN will make applicable documents available for review through the Platform. 14. Safety Firearms and firearms-related training involve inherent risks, including serious bodily injury and death. All participants are responsible for following applicable safety rules, lawful instructions, range requirements, and reasonable firearms-handling practices. No Platform feature should be interpreted as overriding the instructions of a lawful range operator, qualified instructor, law-enforcement authority, emergency personnel, or other person having lawful authority over a training environment. Participants must not attend or continue an activity when they cannot safely and lawfully participate. Additional safety acknowledgments and waivers may be required before a booking can be confirmed. 15. Assumption of Risk and Waivers Participation in firearms-related activities may require separate assumption-of-risk, release, waiver, or acknowledgment documents. Those documents are separate from these Terms and must be reviewed and accepted when required. These Terms themselves should not be treated as the final participant liability waiver. The separate FMN Participant Waiver and Release will govern those matters when applicable. 16. Cancellations and Rescheduling Bookings may be cancelled or rescheduled according to the FMN Cancellation Policy and available Platform functionality. FMN may record information concerning: - which participant cancelled; - cancellation timing; - controlled cancellation reason; - participant-provided explanation where applicable; and - booking status. Participants should review the Cancellation Policy before confirming a booking. 17. Attendance and Completion FMN may permit participants to report attendance after a scheduled training activity. Participant reports may be used to determine whether a booking is completed or requires Administrator review. Conflicting reports, disputes, or reported no-shows may be referred to an authorized Administrator. FMN's administrative resolution of a Platform attendance record does not necessarily determine any separate legal dispute between participants. 18. Account Enforcement FMN may restrict or suspend accounts when reasonably necessary to enforce Platform rules, protect users, address suspected abuse, respond to safety concerns, or protect the integrity of the Platform. Suspended users may lose access to ordinary Platform functions. Authorized Administrators may review and, where appropriate, restore suspended accounts. Account enforcement does not automatically erase prior records, transaction history, credential history, moderation evidence, or other information FMN is permitted or required to retain. 19. User Content Users may submit profile information, messages, application information, references, and other content through FMN. You retain ownership of content you own. You grant FMN a limited license to host, store, process, display, transmit, and otherwise use that content as reasonably necessary to: - operate the Platform; - provide requested services; - display authorized public profile information; - maintain security; - moderate Platform activity; - comply with law; and - enforce these Terms. This license does not authorize FMN to publicly disclose information designated as private except as permitted by these Terms, the Privacy Policy, or applicable law. 20. Privacy FMN's collection, use, storage, and disclosure of personal information are governed by the FMN Privacy Policy. Sensitive information, including Professional credential evidence and private participant information, may receive additional access restrictions. Users should review the Privacy Policy before creating an account. 21. Platform Records and Audit Information FMN may maintain records necessary for security, safety, compliance, dispute handling, credential review, moderation, and Platform administration. These may include: - account-state history; - credential-review history; - document acceptance; - booking status history; - attendance records; - moderation decisions; and - administrative actions. Retention and handling of personal information remain subject to the Privacy Policy and applicable law. 22. Prohibited Conduct Users may not: - violate applicable law through the Platform; - threaten, harass, stalk, or abuse another person; - intentionally provide materially false credential information; - falsify identity or eligibility; - bypass account restrictions; - interfere with Platform security; - attempt unauthorized access; - scrape private user information; - distribute malware; - manipulate attendance, credential, or booking records; - use FMN to facilitate prohibited transactions; - misuse moderation or reporting systems; - infringe intellectual-property rights; or - use FMN in a manner that creates unreasonable safety or security risks. FMN may investigate suspected violations and take action permitted by these Terms and applicable policies. 23. No Guarantee of Professional or Participant Conduct FMN may perform credential or application review, but no review process can eliminate all risk. To the extent permitted by law, FMN does not guarantee: - a Professional's competence; - a Student's conduct; - the accuracy of every user statement; - the condition of equipment or facilities; - availability of a Professional; - suitability of training; - the outcome of training; - or that another user will comply with applicable law. Participants remain responsible for exercising reasonable judgment when interacting with others. 24. Third-Party Facilities and Services Training may occur at ranges, facilities, properties, or locations not owned or controlled by FMN. Those locations may impose separate rules, waivers, fees, eligibility requirements, or safety requirements. FMN is not responsible for third-party facilities merely because a training activity arranged through the Platform occurs there. Third-party services used by the Platform may also be governed by their own terms and privacy practices. 25. Platform Availability FMN may modify, suspend, maintain, or discontinue Platform functionality when reasonably necessary. We do not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation. During a controlled pilot, features may be adjusted as the Platform is evaluated and improved. Material changes affecting required agreements will be handled according to the applicable document-versioning and acceptance process. 26. Intellectual Property The FMN Platform, including its software, branding, design, original content, and related intellectual property, is owned by or licensed to FMN and is protected by applicable law. These Terms do not transfer ownership of FMN intellectual property to users. Users receive only the limited right to access and use the Platform in accordance with these Terms. 27. Disclaimer of Warranties Legal-review provision To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the Platform is intended to be provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis without warranties not expressly provided in an applicable written agreement. Counsel should finalize applicable express and implied warranty disclaimers and any state-specific limitations before publication. 28. Limitation of Liability Legal-review provision The final agreement should establish an appropriate limitation-of-liability framework covering Platform operation, participant interactions, third-party facilities, training activities, indirect damages, and legally non-waivable liabilities. Because FMN facilitates firearms-related training nationwide, I do not recommend inventing a liability cap or waiver language without counsel approving the entity-specific structure and applicable state-law treatment. 29. Indemnification Legal-review provision Counsel should determine the appropriate indemnification obligations, particularly for Professional conduct, unlawful Platform use, third-party claims, and violations of these Terms. This section should be coordinated with the Professional Agreement and Participant Waiver rather than drafted independently. 30. Dispute Resolution and Governing Law Legal-review provision Before publication, FMN must establish: - governing law; - venue; - whether disputes require arbitration; - arbitration administrator/rules if applicable; - small-claims treatment; - class-action treatment if legally appropriate; - opt-out rights and procedure if required; - and treatment of jurisdiction-specific consumer protections. We should not hardcode Alabama simply because the company/platform originated there without counsel confirming the appropriate nationwide structure. 31. Changes to These Terms FMN may update these Terms. Each published version should have a unique version identifier and effective date. When a change requires renewed consent, FMN may require users to accept the new version before continuing applicable Platform activity. Non-material changes may be handled differently where permitted by applicable law and the approved document-versioning policy. This section needs to be coordinated with the technical re-acceptance contract before launch. 32. Termination Users may stop using FMN at any time. Account closure, deactivation, suspension, or termination does not necessarily require immediate deletion of records FMN is permitted or required to retain for legitimate purposes, including: - safety; - fraud prevention; - legal compliance; - dispute handling; - credential history; - transaction records; - audit integrity; and - enforcement of agreements. Data handling following termination remains subject to the Privacy Policy and applicable law. 33. Severability If a provision of these Terms is determined to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions should remain effective to the extent permitted by law, subject to final counsel-approved language. 34. Entire Agreement These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any additional agreement or policy expressly incorporated into a particular FMN activity, constitute the applicable agreement governing use of the Platform for that activity. A transaction-specific agreement controls over these general Terms to the extent of a direct conflict concerning that transaction, subject to final legal review. 35. Contact Questions concerning these Terms, account administration, safety concerns, or legal notices may be directed to: Firearms Mentorship Network Legal entity: [TO BE CONFIRMED] Mailing address: [TO BE PROVIDED] Support email: [TO BE PROVIDED] Legal notices email: [TO BE PROVIDED] These contact details must be completed before publication.