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FAQ(s) + Ts&Cs

Frequently asked questions

Here are some common questions about our Tribes.

The R1000 joining fee provides you with immediate and ongoing access to all our exclusive member benefits. This includes our personalized Curated Accommodation Search service, where we actively find and present suitable rental options tailored to your needs. You also gain access to our Continuous Market Insights for Smarter Living, keeping you updated on rental opportunities to help you save or upgrade. Crucially, the fee grants you exclusive access to our network of Safehouses, including the accrual of 1.25 free days per quarter for emergency stays or vacation use.

The fee for each membership type is non-refundable because it covers the immediate operational costs associated with setting up your membership, initiating personalized searches, maintaining our property database, and contributing to the upkeep and availability of our safehouse network. Our team starts working to deliver these benefits from the moment you join, regardless of whether you ultimately find accommodation through our service or utilize the safehouses.

 

While we strive to provide suitable options as quickly as possible, the timeframe for finding accommodation can vary greatly. It depends on several factors, including the specifics of your search criteria (e.g., very niche requirements, tight budget), the current market availability in your desired locations across South Africa, and how quickly you provide feedback on the options we present. We commit to actively searching and curating options for you, but we cannot guarantee an exact timeframe due to market dynamics and your ultimate decision-making process.

Our "Continuous Market Insights" provide you with a regular stream of diverse rental properties (apartments, houses, alternative spaces) that fit various styles and budget ranges. This isn't just about your active search; it's about keeping you informed about the broader rental market. By staying updated on what's available and market trends, you might discover a more affordable, yet suitable, property than your current one, helping you save on rent. Conversely, you might spot an ideal apartment or house that perfectly fits your evolving lifestyle and budget, allowing you to upgrade your living situation effectively. It's about empowering you with knowledge to make smarter housing choices.

As an active member, you earn 1.25 days of free safehouse access every three months (per quarter) of continuous membership. These days accumulate over time. Our safehouses are available for both emergency stays (if you suddenly find yourself without accommodation) and as unique vacation homes across South Africa, subject to availability. To book a safehouse, you'll need to submit a booking request through our member portal or by contacting us directly, specifying your desired dates and location. Bookings are confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis for your accrued days. We will provide you with specific safehouse rules and booking procedures once your membership is active.

Yes, absolutely! We believe in fostering a strong community. This is a unique benefit of Established Tribes. If you have accrued safehouse days that you don't anticipate using, you have the option to donate or transfer them to another active Established Tribes member. This feature is particularly helpful for members in desperate need of emergency shelter, allowing them to potentially extend their stay through the generosity of other members. Details on how to facilitate such transfers will be available on our member portal.

No, Established Tribes focuses solely on the search, curation, and presentation of potential accommodation options. We do not directly handle lease agreements, conduct background checks on landlords, or guarantee the quality, safety, or suitability of any listed property beyond what's presented by the third-party landlord or agent. Your direct engagement with landlords/agents for viewings, negotiations, and signing lease agreements is your sole responsibility. We strongly advise all members to conduct their own thorough due diligence, including physical inspections and, if necessary, seeking independent legal advice before entering into any rental contract.

Terms & Conditions

Know them well.

Established Tribes - Membership Terms & Conditions (Updated)

IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE BECOMING A MEMBER OF ESTABLISHED TRIBES. YOUR PAYMENT OF THE JOINING FEE AND CONTINUED USE OF OUR SERVICES CONSTITUTES YOUR ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, INCLUDING THE NON-REFUNDABLE NATURE OF THE JOINING FEE AND THE SPECIFIC TERMS REGARDING SAFEHOUSE USAGE.

Last Updated: June 8, 2025

1. Introduction

1.1. Welcome to Established Tribes ("we," "us," "our"), a club dedicated to assisting its members ("you," "your," "Member") in searching for and identifying suitable living accommodation options throughout South Africa, and providing exclusive access to our network of safehouses. 1.2. These Terms and Conditions ("T&Cs") govern your membership with Established Tribes and the provision of our services. By becoming a Member, you agree to be bound by these T&Cs.

2. Membership and Joining Fee

2.1. Membership: To become a Member of Established Tribes, you must complete our online application form and pay the prescribed joining fee. 2.2. Joining Fee: A one-time minimum joining fee of R1000.00 (One Thousand South African Rands) is required to activate your membership. 2.3. Non-Refundable Fee: THE R1000.00 JOINING FEE IS STRICTLY NON-REFUNDABLE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: * Your decision to terminate your membership. * Your failure to find suitable accommodation through our accommodation search service. * Changes in your personal circumstances. * Dissatisfaction with the available accommodation options. * Non-availability of safehouse bookings at your desired times. * Any other reason not explicitly covered herein. 2.4. This fee covers the costs associated with establishing your membership, conducting initial consultations, performing dedicated accommodation searches, curating suitable options, providing ongoing market insights, and granting access to the safehouse benefit as outlined in these T&Cs.

3. Services Provided

3.1. Established Tribes offers the following core services to its active Members: * 3.1.1. Curated Accommodation Search: * Initial Consultation: A virtual or telephonic consultation to understand your specific accommodation needs, preferences, budget, and desired location(s) within South Africa. * Accommodation Search & Curation: We will actively search various public and private property listings, online portals, and our network to identify potential accommodation options that align with your specified criteria. * Presentation of Options: We will curate and present you with a selection of suitable accommodation options, typically via email or a secure online portal, including relevant details (e.g., location, rental price range, property type, number of bedrooms, contact information for landlords/agents, and links to original listings where available). * Guidance and Advice: We will provide general guidance and advice on the accommodation search process in South Africa. * 3.1.2. Continuous Market Insights for Smarter Living: * We will provide an ongoing feed of alternative spaces, homes, and apartments that align with the broad styles and budgets indicated by members. This service aims to keep you informed of market opportunities, enabling you to potentially optimize your living arrangements, whether by finding more affordable options or upgrading to better suit your lifestyle. * 3.1.3. Exclusive Access to Established Tribes Safehouses: * Accrual of Access Days: Each active Member earns 1.25 days of free safehouse access per quarter (3 months) of continuous membership. These days accumulate and can be used at your discretion, subject to availability. * Purpose of Safehouses: Our safehouses are intended to serve primarily as a temporary emergency accommodation solution for Members who find themselves without a place to stay. They can also be utilized as vacation homes, subject to availability and our booking policies. * Booking & Availability: Safehouse usage is strictly by prior booking and is subject to availability. Bookings are on a first-come, first-served basis for earned days. Specific booking procedures and lead times will be communicated to members. * Fair Usage Policy: To ensure equitable access for all members, a fair usage policy for safehouse bookings may apply (e.g., maximum consecutive days, maximum annual usage). Details of this policy will be provided upon request and on our member portal. * Location: Established Tribes endeavours to maintain safehouses in key areas, but specific locations may vary and are subject to change. Members will be informed of available safehouse locations at the time of booking inquiry.

3.2. Scope of Service: * Our accommodation search service (3.1.1 & 3.1.2) is limited to the search and identification of potential options. We act as a facilitator and curator of information. We DO NOT guarantee that you will find or secure accommodation, nor do we provide legal advice or physically accompany you to viewings. * Regarding safehouses (3.1.3), we DO NOT guarantee the availability of a safehouse at your exact desired time or location due to demand and operational constraints. While we strive to provide safe and clean environments, Members use the safehouses at their own risk.

4. Member Responsibilities

4.1. Provide Accurate Information: You are responsible for providing accurate, complete, and up-to-date information regarding your accommodation needs and personal details. 4.2. Timely Feedback: You agree to provide timely feedback on the options presented to you for accommodation search. 4.3. Due Diligence (Accommodation Search): You are solely responsible for conducting your own thorough due diligence on any property or landlord/agent we present to you, including verifying details, conducting physical viewings, checking references, and reviewing lease agreements. 4.4. Safehouse Usage: * You must adhere to all safehouse rules and regulations, which will be provided to you upon booking confirmation. * You are responsible for leaving the safehouse in a clean and orderly condition upon departure. * You will be held liable for any damages caused to the safehouse or its contents during your stay, beyond normal wear and tear. Established Tribes reserves the right to charge for such damages. * You must respect other occupants or neighbours if the safehouse is part of a multi-unit dwelling or if other members are present. * Any overstay beyond your booked period or accrued days without prior arrangement will result in additional charges and may lead to immediate termination of your access and membership. 4.5. Security: You must ensure your personal security and safety when attending property viewings arranged by yourself and when using any safehouse. Established Tribes is not liable for any incidents occurring during such viewings or stays.

5. Termination of Membership

5.1. By Member: You may terminate your membership at any time by providing written notice to Established Tribes via email. 5.2. By Established Tribes: We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your membership at our sole discretion, without refund, if you breach any of these T&Cs (including safehouse rules), engage in fraudulent activity, or if your conduct is deemed detrimental to Established Tribes, its properties, or other members. 5.3. Effect of Termination: Upon termination, your access to all services, including accommodation search, market insights, and safehouse access (including any unused accrued days), will cease immediately. As stated in clause 2.3, the R1000.00 joining fee remains non-refundable.

6. Disclaimer of Warranties and Limitation of Liability

6.1. Established Tribes provides its services and safehouse access on an "as is" and "as available" basis, without any warranties or guarantees, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or suitability of the information or properties identified, or the continuous availability or suitability of safehouses. 6.2. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Established Tribes shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenues, whether incurred directly or indirectly, or any loss of data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses, resulting from: * Your access to or use of or inability to access or use our services or safehouses. * Any conduct or content of any third party (including landlords, agents, or other members). * Any property information provided by third parties. * Any reliance placed by you on information obtained from our service. * Any personal injury, property damage, or loss incurred during your stay at a safehouse or during a property viewing. * The non-refundable nature of the joining fee. 6.3. Our total aggregate liability to you for any claims arising out of or in connection with these T&Cs or your membership shall in no event exceed the R1000.00 joining fee paid by you.

7. Privacy Policy

7.1. We are committed to protecting your privacy. Our Privacy Policy, available on our website, outlines how we collect, use, store, and disclose your personal information. By agreeing to these T&Cs, you also agree to our Privacy Policy.

8. Intellectual Property

8.1. All content, trademarks, service marks, logos, and intellectual property rights related to Established Tribes and its services are our exclusive property. You may not use, reproduce, or distribute any of our intellectual property without our express written consent.

9. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

9.1. These T&Cs shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa. 9.2. In the event of any dispute arising out of or in connection with these T&Cs or your membership, the parties agree to first attempt to resolve the dispute through good faith negotiations. 9.3. If a dispute cannot be resolved through negotiation within thirty (30) days, the parties agree to consider mediation. 9.4. Should mediation fail, the parties agree to submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Magistrates' Courts or High Courts of South Africa, sitting in Gauteng, South Africa.

10. General Provisions

10.1. Amendments: We reserve the right to amend these T&Cs at any time, particularly concerning safehouse usage policies. Any changes will be posted on our website, and your continued use of our services after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised T&Cs. 10.2. Entire Agreement: These T&Cs, together with our Privacy Policy and any specific safehouse rules provided, constitute the entire agreement between you and Established Tribes concerning your membership and supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications, understandings, and agreements. 10.3. Severability: If any provision of these T&Cs is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect. 10.4. Waiver: No waiver of any term of these T&Cs shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such term or any other term, and our failure to assert any right or provision under these T&Cs shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.

11. Contact Information

11.1. For any questions regarding these Terms and Conditions or your membership, please contact us at: * Email: [ ] * Website: [www.establishedtribes.co.za]

BY CLICKING "I AGREE" OR PROCEEDING WITH PAYMENT, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ, UNDERSTOOD, AND AGREED TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, INCLUDING THE NON-REFUNDABLE NATURE OF THE JOINING FEE AND THE TERMS GOVERNING SAFEHOUSE USAGE.

Privacy Policy

Use & Protection of personal data.

Established Tribes - Privacy Policy (Updated)

Last Updated: June 17, 2025

1. Introduction

Established Tribes ("we," "us," "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect the personal information of our website visitors and members ("you," "your") in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), 2013, and other applicable South African laws.

By accessing our website and using our services, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the terms herein, please do not use our website or services.

2. Information We Collect

We collect various types of information to provide and improve our services to you:

2.1. Personal Information You Provide Voluntarily: This includes information you provide when you: * Become a member (e.g., full name, contact details like email address, phone number). * Complete our membership application form. * Pay the joining fee (though payment processing is handled by third-party gateways, we may receive confirmation details). * Participate in initial consultations (e.g., detailed accommodation preferences, budget, desired locations, lifestyle needs, student status, smoking preferences). * Request safehouse access or make a donation request on our forum (e.g., situation details, urgency, days needed). * Communicate with us via email, phone, or our website's contact forms. * Participate in our community forum (your username and content of your posts). * Provide feedback or participate in surveys.

2.2. Information We Collect Automatically (Cookies and Usage Data): When you visit our website, we may collect certain information automatically, including: * Log Data: Your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring/exit pages, and dates/times of your visits. * Usage Data: Information about how you interact with our website, such as pages visited, time spent on pages, and clicks. * Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use cookies (small data files stored on your device) and similar technologies to enhance your Browse experience, analyze site usage, and personalize content. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • To Provide and Manage Our Services:
    • Process your membership application and manage your account.
    • Conduct personalized accommodation searches based on your preferences.
    • Curate and present suitable accommodation options to you.
    • Provide continuous market insights.
    • Manage safehouse access, bookings, and earned day accruals.
    • Facilitate safehouse day donation requests and transfers within the community forum.
    • Communicate with you regarding your membership, services, and updates.
  • To Improve Our Services:
    • Analyze website usage and trends to enhance user experience and functionality.
    • Develop new features and services.
    • Understand member needs and preferences.
  • For Communication and Marketing:
    • Send you service-related announcements, updates, and administrative messages.
    • With your consent, send you promotional materials about Established Tribes' services or relevant partnerships.
  • For Security and Compliance:
    • Maintain the security and integrity of our website and services.
    • Detect, prevent, and address technical issues or fraudulent activities.
    • Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms & Conditions.
    • Resolve disputes and respond to legal requests.

4. Disclosure of Your Information

We may share your personal information in the following limited circumstances:

  • With Landlords/Agents: When we identify a potentially suitable accommodation option for you, we may provide your relevant contact details (e.g., name, phone number, email) to the landlord or real estate agent with your implicit consent (as this is fundamental to our service provision). We do not share your sensitive personal information (like financial details or detailed lifestyle information) with them.
  • Within Our Community Forum: Information you voluntarily post on our community forum, including safehouse donation requests, will be publicly visible to other Established Tribes members. Exercise caution when sharing personal details in public forums.
  • Service Providers: We may share your information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website, processing payments (e.g., PayFast, Peach Payments), managing our CRM, or delivering services on our behalf (e.g., website hosting, email communication services). These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes for which we disclose it to them.
  • Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, in response to a court order, subpoena, or other legal process, or if we believe it is necessary to protect our rights, property, or safety, or the rights, property, or safety of others.
  • Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction.
  • With Your Consent: We may share your information with other third parties when we have your explicit consent to do so.

5. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure. These measures include:

  • Using secure servers and encryption (SSL/TLS) for data transmission.
  • Implementing access controls to restrict who can access your information.
  • Regularly reviewing our security practices.

However, please remember that no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. When your membership terminates, we will retain your information for a reasonable period to process any final requests, comply with legal obligations, and for our legitimate business interests, after which it will be securely deleted or anonymized.

7. Your Rights Under POPIA

As a data subject in South Africa, you have certain rights regarding your personal information under POPIA, including:

  • Right to Access: You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you.
  • Right to Rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information we hold about you.
  • Right to Erasure (Deletion): You have the right to request the deletion of your personal information under certain circumstances.
  • Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information under certain circumstances.
  • Right to Restrict Processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information under certain circumstances.
  • Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
  • Right to Lodge a Complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa if you believe your rights under POPIA have been violated.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 9. We may require you to verify your identity before processing your request.

8. Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., property portals, social media sites). This Privacy Policy does not apply to the practices of these third-party websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, regulatory, or operational reasons. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy will indicate when it was last revised. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of our website and services after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, or if you wish to exercise your rights, please contact us at:

Established Tribes Email: [ ] Website: [www.establishedtribes.co.za]