Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing our website or engaging our services, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you disagree with any part of these terms, you may not use our services. These terms apply to all visitors, clients, and others who access or use our services.

2. Services

Escaped the Rat provides done-for-you business validation services ("The Proof Package") including market research, strategy development, and launch support for corporate professionals testing business ideas. The specific scope, deliverables, and timeline are defined in the service agreement signed at the time of engagement.

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of our services at any time with reasonable notice to active clients.

3. Payment Terms

Our standard payment structure is:

• 50% deposit due upon signing the service agreement
• 50% due upon delivery of the final deliverables

All prices are in Australian Dollars (AUD) and inclusive of GST where applicable. Invoices are due within 7 days of issue. Late payments may result in a pause of service delivery.

4. Refund Policy

The 50% deposit is non-refundable once project work has commenced. If you wish to cancel before work begins, a full refund of the deposit will be issued. For cancellations after work has commenced, a partial refund may be negotiated based on work completed to that point.

5. Intellectual Property

All deliverables produced as part of our service (research reports, strategy documents, landing pages, etc.) become your property upon receipt of full payment. You grant us permission to reference the project in general terms (e.g. in case studies) without disclosing confidential information, unless you explicitly request otherwise in writing.

Our proprietary frameworks, methodologies, and internal tools remain the intellectual property of Escaped the Rat.

6. Confidentiality

We treat all client information as strictly confidential. We will not share your business idea, strategy, or personal information with third parties without your explicit consent, except as required by law or as necessary to deliver the service (e.g. using third-party tools listed in our Privacy Policy).

7. No Guarantee of Results

While we apply our best expertise and methodology, we do not guarantee specific business outcomes, revenue targets, or market success. Business validation is an inherently uncertain process. Our role is to provide you with the best possible research, strategy, and proof of concept — the outcome depends on many factors outside our control.

8. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Escaped the Rat shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of our services. Our total liability for any claim relating to our services shall not exceed the total amount paid by you for the service in question.

9. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia. Any disputes arising from these Terms or our services shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of New South Wales.

10. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. For active clients, material changes will be communicated via email. Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

11. Contact

For any questions about these Terms, contact us at hello@escapetherat.com.