Terms & Conditions

1. Who you are contracting with

The Virtual Stamp Academy (also trading as Stamp Detectives, at stampdetectives.co.uk) is operated by Colin Allan Proctor, a sole trader based in the United Kingdom ("we", "us", "our"). By creating a sponsor account or using the service you are entering into an agreement with Colin Allan Proctor.

2. Acceptance of these terms

By registering for, accessing, or continuing to use the service you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please stop using the service. You confirm you are of legal age to enter this agreement and, where you register on behalf of a school, club, or other organisation, that you have authority to bind it.

3. What the service is

The Virtual Stamp Academy is an online educational game in which children ("detectives") complete weekly stamp-based Field Assignments, answer quiz questions, and collect digital stamps in an album. Adult sponsors buy credit packs; one claimed stamp costs one credit. Some case material, including stamp briefings and quiz questions, is generated with the help of artificial intelligence and may contain inaccuracies — it is offered for entertainment and general education, not as authoritative philatelic or historical reference.

4. Accounts, children, and credentials

Only adults may hold a sponsor account. Child profiles are created by the sponsor using first names or nicknames and sign in with an Academy Passcode; children do not provide email addresses. You are responsible for keeping your password and any Academy Passcodes confidential, for all activity under your account, and for supervising the children you enrol. You must give accurate registration information and keep it up to date.

5. Acceptable use

You must not:

• use the service unlawfully or for any fraudulent purpose, including spam;
• infringe our intellectual property or that of anyone else;
• interfere with the security or integrity of the service, including introducing malware, probing or scanning our systems, or scraping content;
• reverse engineer, resell, redistribute, or circumvent technical limits or credit accounting;
• upload content that is illegal, hateful, or otherwise inappropriate for children.

6. Content and intellectual property

We retain ownership of the service and all intellectual property in it, including the software, stamp case material, artwork, and branding. You receive a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use the service for your family, class, or club. Where you upload content, you grant us a limited licence to host and process it solely to provide the service. If you believe material on the service infringes your rights, email hq@stampdetectives.com and we will review and, where appropriate, remove it; repeat infringement may end your access.

7. Credits, payment, and billing

Credits are bought in one-off packs at the prices shown on our pricing page. Credits do not expire, are not redeemable for cash, and are shared across all child profiles on your account. New sponsor accounts receive 20 free welcome credits — 4 full weekly assignments on the house.

Payments are processed securely by Stripe. Your card details are entered directly into Stripe's checkout and are never seen or stored by us. Credits are added to your vault automatically once payment completes. See our refund policy for refunds.

8. Service availability

We work to keep the Academy running smoothly, but we do not guarantee that the service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free. Features, stamps, and assignments may change over time.

9. Suspension and termination

We may suspend or terminate access where there is material breach of these terms, non-payment, a security or fraud risk, or repeated or serious policy violations. You may stop using the service at any time. On termination, access to the service and any unused credits ends; you may ask us to export your children's case records before closure, and we will delete or anonymise personal data as set out in our privacy notice.

10. Warranties and liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law we disclaim all implied warranties, including merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. We are not liable for indirect, consequential, or special losses, including loss of profits, data, or goodwill. Our total aggregate liability is limited to the fees you paid us in the 12 months before the claim. Nothing in these terms limits liability for fraud, death, or personal injury caused by negligence, or any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.

You agree to indemnify us against claims arising from your unlawful use of the service, your content, or your breach of these terms.

11. General

You may not assign this agreement without our consent; we may assign it as part of a merger, acquisition, or sale of the business. Neither party is liable for delays caused by events beyond reasonable control. These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction.

12. Contact

Colin Allan Proctor — email hq@stampdetectives.com.