Terms and Conditions — SerahrChat

Version 1.2 — effective from March 31, 2026

Provider: Thorsten Ahrens, Serahr — serahr.de

1. Scope

These Terms and Conditions apply to the use of the software product SerahrChat, provided by Thorsten Ahrens (hereinafter "Provider"). SerahrChat is intended exclusively for businesses, freelancers, associations, foundations, and other legal entities for use in the course of their commercial, professional, or statutory activities (hereinafter "Customer"). The Customer confirms at the time of purchase that they are not acting as a consumer within the meaning of § 13 BGB (German Civil Code). SerahrChat is a self-hosted chatbot solution that the Customer operates on their own server. By purchasing a license, the Customer accepts these Terms.

2. Service Description

SerahrChat is an AI-powered chatbot for websites that answers questions based on uploaded documents. The Provider supplies:

• The SerahrChat software as Docker containers (self-hosted)
• An installation script for automated setup
• A setup wizard for initial configuration
• An embeddable chat widget (JavaScript, Shadow DOM)
• An admin panel for managing documents, analytics, and settings
• Automatic updates via the update server (update.serahr.de)
• License management via the license server (licence.serahr.de)

Not included: Server hosting, LLM/embedding API costs, domain/SSL certificates, custom development or programming.

3. Plans and Pricing

• Basis: EUR 29/month or EUR 290/year — 1 instance, up to 10 documents, email support, basic analytics, DE/EN
• Pro: EUR 49/month or EUR 490/year — 1 instance, up to 50 documents, white label, custom colors, custom instructions (system prompt), topic clustering, management API, priority support
• Lifetime: EUR 999 one-time — all Pro features, lifetime updates, no recurring costs

All prices are net prices excluding applicable VAT. Price changes will be announced at least 30 days in advance by email.

4. Free Trial

New customers receive a 7-day free trial with Basis plan features. The trial starts upon installation. No payment method is required during the trial. After the trial expires, the chatbot is deactivated until a plan is purchased.

5. Contract and Payment

The contract is established upon completing the purchase via Stripe Checkout. Payment is processed via credit card, SEPA direct debit, or other Stripe-supported methods. Monthly plans are billed monthly in advance; annual plans are billed annually in advance.

6. Cancellation and Term

• Monthly plans: Cancellable at any time, effective at the end of the current billing period.
• Annual plans: Cancellation effective at the end of the annual term. No pro-rata refund for early cancellation.
• Lifetime: Perpetual license for the duration of the active product offering of SerahrChat. "Lifetime" refers to the lifetime of the product, not the lifetime of the Customer or the company. In the event of product discontinuation, Lifetime customers will receive a final update that allows the software to continue operating without license validation. No cancellation required.

Cancellation is managed through the Stripe Customer Portal, accessible from the SerahrChat admin panel.

7. Post-Termination

• The chatbot widget is deactivated immediately and stops answering queries.
• The customer retains 30 days of admin panel access to export data.
• After 30 days, access is revoked.
• All data remains on the customer's server — the Provider has no access and does not delete any data on the customer's server.

8. No Right of Withdrawal

As SerahrChat is intended exclusively for businesses within the meaning of § 14 BGB, there is no statutory right of withdrawal.

Note: Should a statutory right of withdrawal nevertheless apply in individual cases (e.g., because the Customer is acting as a consumer contrary to their declaration), the statutory provisions of §§ 355 et seq. BGB shall apply. The Provider reserves the right to claim compensation for services already rendered.

9. Customer Obligations

• Providing and maintaining a suitable server (Linux, Docker-capable)
• Compliance with data protection regulations on their website (e.g., consent banner for the chatbot)
• Procurement and costs of API keys for LLM and embedding services
• Server costs (hosting, domain, SSL) — not included in the license fee
• Safeguarding access credentials (admin password, recovery codes)
• Reviewing chatbot-generated answers for accuracy

10. Liability

The Provider shall be liable without limitation in cases of intent, gross negligence, and for damages resulting from injury to life, body, or health.

In cases of slight negligence, the Provider shall only be liable for breach of material contractual obligations (cardinal obligations). Liability is limited to the foreseeable, contract-typical damage, up to a maximum of the contract value of the last 12 months (for the Lifetime plan: EUR 999).

The Provider assumes no liability in particular for:

• Accuracy of AI-generated chatbot responses
• Availability or performance of external LLM services
• Data loss on the Customer's server
• Damages caused by improper installation or configuration
• Damages caused by LLM providers chosen by the Customer

11. Indemnification (LLM Providers and Data Protection)

The Customer independently determines the purposes and means of data processing by the LLM provider. The Provider acts neither as a data processor nor as a joint controller. The Customer shall indemnify the Provider against all third-party claims arising from non-compliant configuration or use of the LLM integration.

12. No Data Processing Agreement (Self-Hosted)

The Customer is the sole data controller within the meaning of the GDPR for all personal data processed through the operation of SerahrChat. A data processing agreement pursuant to Art. 28 GDPR is not required for the operation of the self-hosted software.

13. Rights to AI-Generated Content

AI-generated chatbot responses are not subject to the Provider's copyright. The Customer receives the right to use all chatbot-generated texts without restriction.

14. Updates and Support

The Provider regularly releases updates distributed via the update server (update.serahr.de) and installable through the admin panel. Security updates and bug fixes are installed automatically. Feature updates are displayed in the admin panel for manual installation. The Provider reserves the right to extend or adjust the scope of features through updates without removing essential functionality.

Legally mandated changes: If legal requirements or regulatory orders necessitate the modification or removal of features, the Provider shall implement such changes immediately — even if the regular notice period under Section 17 cannot be observed. The Customer will be notified promptly by email. If the change results in a material reduction of the scope of services, the Customer shall have a special right of termination effective on the date of the change. If the Customer exercises this right, the Provider shall refund the pro-rata portion of amounts already paid for the unused period. No further claims for damages shall exist insofar as the Provider is not responsible for the change (§ 275 BGB).

Support response times: Basis plan: typically within 72 hours. Pro/Lifetime plan: typically within 24 hours (business days Mon–Fri). Continuous availability of the update and license servers is pursued but cannot be guaranteed.

15. Export Control

The Customer undertakes not to export the software to or use it in countries subject to EU or US embargo regulations.

16. Data Protection

Details on data processing can be found in our Privacy Policy.

17. Changes to Terms

The Provider may amend these Terms with at least 6 weeks' notice by email. The amendment notice shall include the specific changes, the effective date, and information about the right to object and the special right of termination.

The Customer will be prompted to confirm the amended Terms upon their next login to the admin panel. Continued use of the software after the effective date of the amended Terms constitutes acceptance.

In case of objection, the Customer has a special right of termination effective on the date of the change. The previous Terms shall continue to apply until termination. For Lifetime customers: Material changes (scope of services, liability) require active consent. If the Lifetime customer does not consent, the Terms valid at the time of purchase shall continue to apply. Editorial or legally required changes apply without separate consent.

18. Language Versions

In the event of any discrepancy between the German and English versions, the German version shall prevail. The English version is for informational purposes only.

19. Final Provisions

German law applies. The place of jurisdiction is the Provider's registered office. Should individual provisions be invalid, the remainder of the contract shall remain effective.