Terms of sale and use

This English version is provided for convenience. The French version is the only legally binding text.

1. Purpose

These terms (the “Terms”) govern access to the website backdoor.news and its newsletters (“Backdoor”), published by [COMPANY NAME TO BE COMPLETED] (the “Publisher”), as well as the purchase and performance of paid subscriptions. Information about the Publisher is set out in the legal notice.

Any registration or subscription implies acceptance of the Terms in force at that date. The Publisher may amend them; subscribers are informed by email at least thirty days before any change affecting them takes effect and may cancel their subscription before that date.

2. Definitions

• User: anyone who visits Backdoor.
• Member: a User registered with their email address, free of charge or as part of a subscription.
• Subscriber: a Member with a paid subscription (Individual, Supporter or Business).
• Content: investigations, editorials, op-eds, graphics, newsletters and archives published by Backdoor.

3. Access to the website and account

Part of the Content is freely available. Free registration gives access to the weekly newsletter and to some Content. Reserved Content is available to Subscribers only.

Sign-in is by a link sent to the Member’s email address, without a password. Members are responsible for the confidentiality of their inbox and the accuracy of their address. Access is personal: sharing an account, forwarding sign-in links or making reserved Content available to third parties is prohibited.

The Publisher uses reasonable means to keep the website available, without guaranteeing permanent availability. Access may be suspended for maintenance or in case of force majeure, without compensation.

4. Plans and prices

• Free: weekly newsletter, op-eds and the opening of each investigation.
• Individual: access to all Content, 15 euros per month or 149 euros per year.
• Supporter: same access as Individual, 40 euros per month or 400 euros per year.
• Business: access for several members of staff of the same organisation, on quotation (section 9).

Prices are shown in euros, all taxes included. [TO BE COMPLETED depending on the company’s VAT status.] The Publisher may change its prices; any price change for an ongoing subscription is notified at least thirty days before the next renewal date, and the Subscriber may cancel before then. No free trial is offered.

5. Subscription and payment

Subscriptions are taken out online from the Pricing page. Payment is made by card through the payment provider Stripe, which alone stores card data. The Publisher never has access to card numbers.

The first payment is taken on subscription, and subsequent payments on each monthly or annual renewal date. An invoice is available for each payment from the “My account” page.

6. Term, renewal and cancellation

Subscriptions run for one month or one year and renew automatically for the same period unless cancelled.

Subscribers may cancel at any time from the “My account” page, using the “Cancel my subscription” button. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current period: access remains open until that date and no further payment is taken. The current period is not refunded, except where the right of withdrawal is exercised.

Changing plan (Individual, Supporter, monthly or annual) is done from the “My account” page. Stripe adjusts the amount on a pro rata basis.

7. Right of withdrawal

Consumer Subscribers have fourteen days from subscription to withdraw, without giving reasons, by writing to contact@backdoor.news or by any unambiguous statement. By subscribing, the Subscriber requests that access to the Content begin immediately. In case of withdrawal, the Subscriber is refunded within fourteen days, less the amount corresponding to the period of access already elapsed, in accordance with Article L. 221-25 of the French Consumer Code.

8. Payment failure

If a payment fails (expired, declined or insufficiently funded card), the Subscriber is informed by email and asked to update their payment method from the “My account” page. Reserved Content is suspended until payment is made. Several further payment attempts are made over two weeks. If payment has still not been made at the end of that period, the subscription is cancelled and the account returns to the free plan.

9. Business plan

The Business plan is subject to a separate quotation and invoice addressed to the client organisation. It includes a number of named seats set out in the quotation, including that of the account manager appointed by the organisation.

The account manager manages access from the “Business account” page: adding and removing members of staff within the number of seats, and choosing their newsletter language. Each seat is assigned to an identified individual by their work email address and may not be shared. Removing a member of staff frees their seat.

Changes to the number of seats, changes of plan and invoicing are the sole responsibility of the account manager, together with the Publisher. Members of staff can neither change nor cancel their organisation’s subscription. Unless otherwise stated in the quotation, the Business plan runs for one year and is renewable.

10. User obligations

Users agree not to reproduce, resell or distribute reserved Content; not to use bots or automated means to extract Content; and not to interfere with the operation of the website. Comments, reserved for Subscribers, must remain courteous and lawful. The Publisher may remove any comment that breaches these rules and suspend a Member’s access in case of serious breach, after a formal notice that has gone unheeded, except in urgent cases.

11. Intellectual property

Content is protected by copyright. A subscription grants a personal, non-transferable right of access for private or internal professional use. Any other use, including reproduction in a press review, a database or an artificial intelligence tool, requires the Publisher’s prior written consent.

12. Liability

Backdoor is a news publication. Content does not constitute investment, legal, tax or accounting advice. The Publisher cannot be held liable for decisions taken on the basis of Content. Its liability may only be incurred for proven fault, within the limits permitted by law, and does not cover indirect damage.

13. Personal data

Data collected to manage accounts, subscriptions and newsletters is processed in accordance with the privacy policy.

14. Complaints and mediation

Complaints may be sent to contact@backdoor.news. If no amicable solution is found within two months, consumers may refer the matter free of charge to the consumer mediator to which the Publisher belongs: [TO BE COMPLETED: name, website and address of the mediator].

15. Governing law

The Terms are governed by French law. In case of dispute, and failing an amicable settlement, the French courts have jurisdiction, subject to mandatory consumer protection rules. For business customers, the courts of Paris have exclusive jurisdiction.