Terms & Conditions

Welcome to The Story Engine. These Terms & Conditions govern your use of our website at thestoryengine.in and your engagement with our digital marketing services. By accessing our website or entering into a service agreement with us, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these terms.

If you do not agree with any part of these terms, please do not use our website or engage our services. These terms apply to all visitors, clients, and anyone who interacts with The Story Engine in any capacity.

Acceptance of Terms

By using this website or engaging our services — whether verbally, via email, via a signed proposal, or through any other form of agreement — you confirm that you accept these Terms & Conditions in full.

These terms apply to all interactions with The Story Engine, including but not limited to: visiting our website, requesting a consultation, signing a service agreement, or making a payment for services.

• Using our website constitutes acceptance of these terms, even without a signed agreement.
• Businesses engaging our services on behalf of an organisation confirm they have authority to bind that organisation to these terms.
• These terms supersede any prior verbal or informal understandings unless replaced by a signed written agreement.

About The Story Engine

The Story Engine is a full-service digital marketing studio based in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. We operate under Indian law and serve clients across India and internationally.

Services We Provide

The Story Engine provides a range of digital marketing and creative services. The specific scope of services for each client is defined in a separate proposal, agreement, or statement of work. Our general service offerings include:

• Social Media Marketing — content creation, scheduling, community management, and growth strategies across Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
• SEO & Content Marketing — keyword research, on-page SEO, blog writing, and organic traffic growth strategies.
• Paid Advertising (PPC) — Google Ads, Meta Ads, and programmatic ad campaign management.
• Brand Identity & Design — logo design, visual identity systems, brand guidelines, and packaging design.
• Video & Motion Production — Reels, brand films, animated explainers, and product videos.
• Website Design & Development — landing pages, full websites, and UI/UX design for lead generation.
• ATL & BTL Marketing — newspaper, radio, outdoor, and event-based marketing services.

All services are subject to a separately agreed scope of work. Services not explicitly listed in your agreement are not included unless confirmed in writing by The Story Engine.

Engagement & Project Terms

Our client engagements are formalised through a proposal and/or agreement. The following terms apply to all project engagements:

Project Kickoff

Projects commence once a proposal is accepted (verbally or in writing) and the agreed initial payment or retainer has been received. Work will not begin prior to receipt of payment unless explicitly agreed in writing.

Timelines & Deliverables

• Estimated timelines are provided in good faith and are subject to timely receipt of client materials, feedback, and approvals.
• Delays caused by the client — including late provision of content, assets, or approvals — may extend agreed timelines without penalty to The Story Engine.
• Deadlines are only guaranteed when explicitly stated as such in a written agreement.

Revisions

• Each deliverable includes the number of revision rounds stated in the agreed proposal (typically 2 rounds unless specified otherwise).
• Additional revisions beyond the agreed number will be charged at our standard hourly rate.
• Revisions must be requested within 7 days of delivery. Unrequested revisions after this window may be treated as approval of the deliverable.

Client Approvals

Written or email approval of a deliverable by the client constitutes acceptance. Once approved, any subsequent changes are treated as new revision requests and may incur additional charges.

Payments & Fees

All fees for our services are outlined in the agreed proposal or agreement. The following payment terms apply unless stated otherwise in writing:

Payment Schedule

• Retainer clients — monthly retainer fees are due in advance on the 1st of each month (or as agreed).
• Project-based clients — a minimum of 50% of the total project fee is due upfront before work begins. The remaining balance is due upon project completion and prior to final file delivery.
• Ad spend — client ad spend budgets (for Google Ads, Meta Ads, etc.) are separate from our management fees and must be funded directly by the client or paid in advance to The Story Engine if managed on the client's behalf.

Late Payments

• Invoices not paid within the agreed payment period may attract a late payment fee of 2% per month on the outstanding balance.
• The Story Engine reserves the right to pause or suspend services on accounts with outstanding overdue invoices, without liability for any resulting delays.

Refunds

• Fees paid for work already completed or in progress are non-refundable.
• If a project is cancelled by the client after commencement, the client is liable for all work completed up to the cancellation date, billed at the agreed project rate.
• Prepaid retainer fees may be partially refunded at the discretion of The Story Engine, less any work already performed.

Intellectual Property

Ownership of Deliverables

Upon receipt of full and final payment for a project, The Story Engine transfers ownership of the agreed final deliverables to the client. This includes final logo files, brand assets, website code, and approved creative content.

Our Retained Rights

• The Story Engine retains the right to display any completed work in our portfolio, case studies, social media, and marketing materials, unless the client expressly requests otherwise in writing.
• All working files, source files, unused concepts, and preliminary designs remain the intellectual property of The Story Engine unless their transfer is explicitly agreed and paid for.
• Proprietary methodologies, frameworks, processes, and tools developed by The Story Engine remain our sole property.

Client-Provided Materials

By providing us with logos, images, copy, videos, or any other materials, the client confirms they have the legal right to use and share those materials. The client indemnifies The Story Engine against any claims arising from the use of client-provided materials.

Third-Party Assets

Where licensed stock images, fonts, music, or other third-party assets are used in deliverables, their use is subject to the respective licence terms. The Story Engine will inform clients of any such licences that require separate client registration or renewal.

Confidentiality

Both parties acknowledge that during the course of an engagement, confidential information may be shared. The Story Engine agrees to:

• Keep all client business information, strategies, data, and materials strictly confidential.
• Not share client-specific information with third parties without prior written consent, except where required by law.
• Ensure that any sub-contractors or team members working on client projects are bound by similar confidentiality obligations.

Similarly, clients agree to keep any proprietary methodologies, pricing structures, or internal processes of The Story Engine confidential.

This confidentiality obligation survives the termination of any service agreement between the parties.

Client Responsibilities

A successful engagement requires active participation from our clients. By working with The Story Engine, clients agree to:

• Provide accurate, complete, and timely information, assets, and feedback required for project delivery.
• Designate a point of contact with authority to provide approvals on behalf of their organisation.
• Review and respond to deliverables, proofs, and communications within the agreed timeframes (typically 5–7 business days unless otherwise agreed).
• Ensure all materials provided to The Story Engine (text, images, logos, data) are legally owned or licensed by the client.
• Not misrepresent their brand, products, services, or offerings in any marketing materials produced by The Story Engine.
• Comply with all applicable advertising standards, regulations, and platform policies when publishing materials produced by The Story Engine.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, The Story Engine's total liability to any client for any claim arising out of or related to our services shall not exceed the total fees paid by that client in the three months preceding the claim.

The Story Engine shall not be liable for:

• Indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages of any kind.
• Loss of revenue, profits, data, or business opportunities — even if we have been advised of the possibility of such losses.
• Results or outcomes of marketing campaigns, as these depend on many factors outside our control, including market conditions, platform algorithm changes, and consumer behaviour.
• Any downtime, errors, or data loss arising from third-party platforms (Google, Meta, Instagram, etc.).
• Inaccuracies or errors in client-provided materials used in our deliverables.

Termination

Termination by Client

Clients may terminate an ongoing service agreement by providing a minimum of 30 days' written notice. During the notice period, all fees remain due and payable. Any work completed during the notice period will be invoiced at the agreed rate.

Termination by The Story Engine

The Story Engine reserves the right to terminate an engagement immediately and without liability in the following circumstances:

• Non-payment of invoices beyond the agreed payment terms.
• The client requests content, campaigns, or materials that are illegal, unethical, or in violation of platform policies.
• The client engages in abusive, threatening, or disrespectful conduct toward our team.
• The client provides materially false information about their business or products.

Upon Termination

• All outstanding invoices become immediately due and payable upon termination.
• The Story Engine will provide the client with all paid-for deliverables completed up to the termination date.
• Access to any accounts managed on the client's behalf will be transferred to the client within 5 business days of termination, subject to all outstanding payments being cleared.

Prohibited Use of Website

You agree not to use our website — thestoryengine.in — for any of the following purposes:

• Any unlawful, fraudulent, or harmful purpose.
• Transmitting unsolicited commercial communications (spam).
• Attempting to gain unauthorised access to our systems, databases, or servers.
• Harvesting or scraping any data, content, or contact information from our website without written permission.
• Distributing malware, viruses, or any other harmful software through our website or communications.
• Impersonating The Story Engine or any of our team members.
• Any activity that disrupts or interferes with the normal operation of our website.

Violations may result in immediate suspension of access and potential legal action.

Third-Party Links & Platforms

Our website and services involve the use of third-party platforms, including Google, Meta, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Mailchimp, HubSpot, SEMrush, and others. The following applies:

• Our website may contain links to third-party websites. These links are provided for convenience only and do not constitute an endorsement by The Story Engine.
• The Story Engine is not responsible for the content, availability, or privacy practices of any third-party websites or platforms.
• Third-party platforms have their own terms of service which clients and users must comply with independently.
• The Story Engine is not liable for any changes to third-party platform policies, algorithms, or pricing that may affect campaign performance or deliverables.

Governing Law & Disputes

These Terms & Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India. Any disputes arising out of or related to these terms or our services shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.

Dispute Resolution

In the event of any dispute, both parties agree to first attempt to resolve the matter informally through good faith discussions. If the dispute cannot be resolved informally within 30 days, either party may escalate the matter to formal legal proceedings.

Changes to These Terms

The Story Engine reserves the right to update or modify these Terms & Conditions at any time. When material changes are made, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.

Your continued use of our website or services following any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms. We recommend reviewing this page periodically. For existing clients under a signed agreement, changes to these terms do not override the terms of the signed agreement unless mutually agreed in writing.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms & Conditions, or wish to discuss any aspect of our engagement, please reach out to us. We're always happy to clarify and communicate openly.