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Terms of Service

Last updated: July 14, 2026

1. About Whistl

Whistl ("Whistl", "we", "us") provides software that lets private sports coaches ("Coaches") publish a booking page, accept payments, and manage their clients ("Families"). By using our website or services (the "Service") you agree to these Terms.

2. Accounts

You must provide accurate information and keep your credentials confidential. You are responsible for all activity on your account. You must be 18 or older to create a Coach account, or a parent/legal guardian to create a Family account on behalf of a minor.

3. Coach subscriptions

Coaches subscribe to activate their page. A valid payment method is required, and the subscription renews automatically at the price shown at signup until cancelled from the billing dashboard. Fees are non-refundable except where required by law.

4. Payments and PayPal

Payments from Families to Coaches are processed by PayPal. Coaches connect their own PayPal account, contract directly with PayPal, and are the merchant of record for their sessions. Whistl is not a party to the Family-Coach transaction and does not hold Coach funds. Coaches are responsible for their own tax reporting.

5. Bookings, cancellations, and refunds

Session bookings, cancellation windows, and refund policies are set by each Coach and shown on the booking page at the time of purchase. Families should review those terms before booking. Disputes about a specific session should be raised with the Coach first; Whistl may assist as a platform operator but is not the service provider.

6. Text message (SMS) program

Whistl operates a transactional SMS program. By providing your mobile number and affirmatively opting in — during signup or booking, on our SMS sign-up page, or by texting START to our number — you consent to receive text messages from Whistl about your sessions, including booking confirmations, session reminders, cancellation notices, payment confirmations, and schedule change alerts. Messages may be sent using an automated system. Consent is not a condition of purchase.

Message frequency varies based on your booking activity (typically about 2–8 messages per month). Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, or QUIT to any message to cancel text messages at any time; reply START, UNSTOP, or YES to opt back in; reply HELP or INFO for help, or email support@joinwhistl.com. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. Supported carriers may change without notice.

No mobile information will be sold, rented, or shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Text messaging originator opt-in data and consent are never shared with any third parties. Mobile numbers are disclosed only to our SMS delivery provider for the sole purpose of transmitting the messages you requested. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

7. Acceptable Use Policy

This Acceptable Use Policy (“AUP”) describes the rules all Coaches, Families, and other users (“you”) must follow when using Whistl. By using the Service you agree to this AUP and to PayPal’s Acceptable Use Policy and User Agreement, which apply to all payments processed through the platform. Whistl may update this AUP at any time; continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

7.1 Compliance with laws

You will use the Service only for lawful purposes and in compliance with all applicable local, state, national, and international laws, regulations, and tax obligations. This includes laws regarding consumer protection, advertising, marketing to minors, data privacy, and payments.

7.2 Coach qualifications and conduct

  • Coaches must hold any license, certification, background check, or insurance required by their sport, jurisdiction, or facility to provide the coaching services they offer.
  • Coaches must accurately represent their qualifications, credentials, experience, and pricing on their Whistl page and must not make misleading health, safety, or performance claims.
  • Coaches are solely responsible for the safety, supervision, and conduct of their sessions, including the protection of minors. Whistl does not employ, vet, or supervise coaches and is not a party to the coaching relationship.
  • Coaches must honor the booking terms, cancellation policies, and refund terms they publish on their page.

7.3 Prohibited activities

You will not use the Service to:

  • Sell, offer, or facilitate any item, service, or activity prohibited by PayPal’s Acceptable Use Policy, including (without limitation) illegal goods, controlled substances, weapons, sexually explicit material, or items that encourage violence or discrimination.
  • Process payments for goods or services you did not actually deliver, or create fraudulent, sham, or placeholder bookings to inflate metrics or test payments.
  • Engage in money laundering, terrorism financing, sanctions evasion, or any activity designed to conceal the identity, source, or destination of funds.
  • Submit chargebacks, disputes, or PayPal claims that you know to be false or fraudulent, or coordinate with other users to file abusive disputes.
  • Use another user’s payment instrument, account, or identity without their express authorization.
  • Bypass, circumvent, or attempt to defeat the platform’s payment routing, fee collection, fraud screening, or security controls.
  • Scrape, reverse engineer, or overload the Service, or access it through automated means without our written permission.

7.4 Prohibited content

You will not upload, publish, or transmit through the Service:

  • Content that infringes the intellectual property, privacy, or publicity rights of others (see our DMCA policy in section 8.1).
  • Content that is unlawful, defamatory, harassing, threatening, abusive, hateful, or that promotes discrimination or violence against any person or group.
  • Content involving the sexualization of minors or that exploits or harms minors in any way. Any such content will be removed immediately and reported to law enforcement.
  • Malware, viruses, or any code designed to harm, intercept, or exfiltrate data from the Service or its users.
  • False, deceptive, or misleading claims about health outcomes, guaranteed athletic scholarships, or guaranteed professional placement.

7.5 Fraud and abuse

You will not create multiple accounts to abuse free trials, discounts, or promotions; collude with other users to manufacture or cancel bookings for financial gain; or use the Service to launder funds between accounts. Whistl reserves the right to reverse any transaction, withhold payouts, and recover funds we believe resulted from fraud or abuse.

7.6 Taxes

Coaches are independent contractors and are solely responsible for determining and remitting any income, sales, VAT, GST, or other taxes arising from their coaching revenue. Whistl does not provide tax advice and is not responsible for a coach’s tax filings.

7.7 Enforcement

Violations of this AUP may result in content removal, booking cancellation, payout withholding, account suspension or termination, referral to law enforcement, and clawback of improperly obtained funds, without notice and in Whistl’s sole discretion. Whistl may also take any action PayPal requires under its policies. If you believe an account was restricted in error, contact support@joinwhistl.com.

8. Intellectual property

You retain ownership of content you upload (logos, photos, copy). You grant Whistl a license to host and display that content as needed to operate your page. The Whistl name, brand, and software are our property.

8.1 Copyright & DMCA policy

We respect the intellectual property rights of others and expect our users to do the same. Pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 512), we will respond to notices of alleged copyright infringement delivered to our designated copyright agent. If you believe that content on Whistl infringes your copyright, you may submit a takedown request by emailing dmca@joinwhistl.com or writing to our designated copyright agent at: Whistl, Attn: Copyright Agent, support@joinwhistl.com. To be effective under the DMCA, your notice must:

  • Identify the copyrighted work you claim is infringed (or a representative list if multiple works).
  • Identify the allegedly infringing material on Whistl with enough detail for us to locate it (URL or coach page slug).
  • Provide your name, address, telephone number, and email address.
  • Include a statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
  • Include a statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notice is accurate and that you are the owner or authorized to act on the owner's behalf.
  • Provide your physical or electronic signature.

We will process valid notices by removing or disabling access to the material and will attempt to notify the user who posted it. A user who believes their content was removed in error may submit a counter-notification to dmca@joinwhistl.com containing the identification of the removed material, a statement of good faith and consent to local jurisdiction, and their signature. If we do not receive notice from the complainant that an action has been filed within 10 business days, the material may be restored. Under 17 U.S.C. § 512(f), any person who knowingly materially misrepresents that material is infringing may be subject to liability.

Repeat infringer policy. Whistl will terminate, in appropriate circumstances, the accounts of users who are determined to be repeat infringers. We maintain and apply this policy to all users, including coaches and families.

8.2 Trademark & other IP complaints

For complaints involving trademark, right of publicity, or other intellectual property (not covered by copyright/DMCA), send a written description of the alleged violation, the rights claimed, the location of the material on Whistl, and your contact information to support@joinwhistl.com. We will review and take appropriate action, which may include removing content or suspending a page.

9. Termination

You may cancel any time from your dashboard. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or create risk for other users.

10. Disclaimers

The Service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Whistl disclaims all implied warranties.

11. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Whistl's total liability arising out of or relating to the Service will not exceed the fees you paid to Whistl in the 12 months before the claim.

12. Changes

We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be announced by email or in-app.

13. Support and dispute resolution (SLA)

We respond to every support request sent to support@joinwhistl.com during business hours (Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm ET, excluding US federal holidays). Our targets are a first response within 1 business day and resolution within 5 business days for general support and booking issues, and within 10 business days for payment, refund, and payout disputes.

Families should raise session-specific concerns with their Coach first, and payment or account issues with us. Please contact us before filing a bank chargeback so we can resolve it faster. Full details, escalation steps, and exclusions are in our Support & Dispute SLA, which forms part of these Terms.

14. Contact

Questions? Email support@joinwhistl.com.