Terms Of Use
Last Updated: January
25, 2024
Previous
Version: October
18, 2016
Important:
These Terms require all disputes between us to go through binding arbitration
instead of government court. That means
you waive any right to have disputes decided (1) by a judge or jury and (2) in
class or representative actions in court.
You can opt-out of arbitration for thirty (30) days after you
first agree to these Terms. To opt-out, see
Section 9(k)
under
Dispute Resolution below.
We provide brief summaries at the beginning of each section
to make reading and understanding this agreement easier. The summaries do not replace the text of each section,
and you should still read each section in its entirety.
Eligibility and
Responsibilities
Disclaimers,
Limits on Liability & Indemnification
1.
Introduction
This is a
contract between you and us. You can
contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
If you do not understand or agree to these
Terms, don’t use the Platform.
By accessing or using our Platform, you
agree to be bound by these Terms of Use (“Terms”) and Our Policies described below
(together, the “Agreement”). The Agreement governs
your use of the online platform and other products and services (which we call
the “Platform”) made available by Good American, LLC (“we”, “us”, “our” and “Good
American”).
In
these Terms, “you” and “your” means you, as a user of the
Platform.
Please read the Agreement carefully before you accept it. If you do not accept, or cannot understand, anything in the Agreement, stop using the Platform immediately.
These Terms are effective as of the Last Updated date above. As the Platform change, we may update these Terms from time to time by posting a new version and updating the Last Updated date.
We'll do our best to notify you if we make significant changes. For example, we may email the address in your Account or place a temporary notice on the Platform homepage. Changes to these Terms do not create a renewed opportunity to opt out of arbitration (if applicable).
But it’s your sole responsibility to review these Terms from time to time to view the current Terms. By using or accessing the Platform after the Last Updated date, you accept the current Terms.
If you do not accept a change to the Terms, stop using the Platform immediately.
You may contact us regarding the Platform or these Terms via our contact page, text at +1(213) 320-5214 or email at dataprivacy@goodamerican.com with “Terms of Use” in the subject line of your email.
2.
Eligibility
and Responsibilities
To use the Platform, you must comply with
these restrictions.
(a) Age: You must be 16 or older to use the Platform, or otherwise of legal age to form a binding contract in your jurisdiction. If you are under the age of majority where you live, but are 16 or older, you are only permitted to use the Platform if your parent or guardian accepts these Terms on your behalf prior to use of the Platform. By using the Platform, you affirm that you are of legal age to enter into the Agreement and to use the Platform.
(b)
You are responsible for all your activity in
connection with the Platform. This
includes any Product you choose to purchase, any content you send through the Platform
and the accuracy of any information you give us so that we can provide the Platform
to you. Most importantly, you represent
and warrant that you will not use the Platform in any way that violates
applicable law, Outside Terms or our Policies.
3.
Other Applicable
Terms
Our policies and certain third-party terms apply to you when using the Platform.
(a) Our Policies
. These
policies and terms also form part of the Agreement between us (collectively, “Our
Policies”):
(i) our Privacy Policy
, which governs our use of personal
information and explains your rights and choices, including, if you subscribe
to our messages, how to unsubscribe;
(ii)
any other policies or operating rules we post on the Platform.
We may update any of Our Policies in the same way we update the Terms. Please review them from time to time to ensure that you remain aware of the current versions.
(b) Outside Links, Materials and Terms. The Platform may link to, embed, integrate or connect third party services (“Outside Materials”). Outside Materials may be subject to additional legal terms (“Outside Terms”) made available by their third-party provider.
The Agreement does not apply to Outside Materials. We are also not a party to Outside Terms. By using the Platform, you acknowledge and
agree that we are not responsible for, and disclaim all liability for, the
performance and reliability of Outside Materials and any act or omission of any
provider of Outside Materials. We do not
warrant, endorse or otherwise guarantee the Outside Materials’ integration, interoperation
or support with the Platform.
If you have any complaints in connection with any Outside Materials or
Outside Terms, please contact the third party provider directly, your state
Attorney General or the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov
.
4.
Access;
Accounts
(a) Access information. Your use of the Platform may require you to provide certain personal information, such as contact and payment information (collectively, “Customer Data”), including to register an account on the Platform (an “Account”). Customer Data is governed by our Privacy Policy, like all personal information you provide to us.
(i) You agree to provide us with accurate, complete and updated Customer Data, including for your Account. We may reject or require that you change any Platform-specific information, such as your username or password, in our sole discretion. You represent and warrant that your Customer Data, including Account information, remains accurate and complete. You acknowledge and agree that we have no liability for errors and omissions in your Customer Data.
(ii) Contact us immediately if you know or suspect that (1) your Account or password has been stolen, misappropriated or otherwise compromised, or (2) any unauthorized use of your Account.
(iii) We are not responsible for any loss or damage arising from your failure to comply with the foregoing requirements.
(b) Suspension and Termination. We reserve the right to suspend, disable, or delete your Account and/or access to the Platform (or any part of the foregoing) with or without notice, for any or no reason.
(c) Terms Survive. If your access is severed or your Account is deleted or terminated by you or us for any reason, these Terms remain enforceable, and you will not be entitled to any refund for purchases made (except as allowed by our Returns and Exchange page). Termination will not limit any of our other rights or remedies at law or in equity. Your information will be maintained and deleted in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
5.
Orders for
Products
You agree to pay us in full when you order our Products or services. See our Refunds and Exchanges page for return and refund eligibility.
(a) Products. The Platform allows you to purchase physical or digital products (“ Products”). Products may have limited quantities and are subject to refund, return or exchange only according to our Refunds and Exchanges page. While we try to maintain the accuracy of the Services, we are not responsible or liable if any Product or other information is not accurate, complete or current. In particular:
(i) Products may occasionally be mispriced, described inaccurately or unavailable, for example, due to delay or disconnection with our inventory or pricing systems, or the provision of advertising on other websites.
(ii) Certain weights, measures and similar descriptions are approximate and are provided for convenience purposes only.
(iii)
No electronic image can accurately represent a
physical Product’s real-life color or texture.
Your display’s technology, your device settings and your surroundings
all affect how you perceive electronic depictions of our Products.
(b) Availability; Pricing; Limits. We reserve the right, but are not obligated, to:
(i) reprice or discontinue any Product for any reason at any time
(ii) limit the sale or availability of Products in any area or jurisdiction;
(iii) limit quantities of products available per order, household or user, or cancel orders in excess of those quantities;
(iv) refuse or cancel any order for any reason, for example, orders that appear to be placed by dealers, resellers or distributors;
We
may exercise these rights on a case-by-case basis. In the event that we refuse or cancel an
order, we will email the address provided with the order.
(c)
Payment. You acknowledge and agree that all
information you provide to purchase Products, such as your credit card, PayPal, or other payment
information
, is accurate, current and complete. You represent and warrant that you have the
legal right to use the payment method you provide to us or our payment
processor, such as any credit card information you provide.
When you purchase Products,
you (a) agree to pay the price for such Products, any shipping and handling
charges and all applicable taxes, as set forth in the final page of the
ordering process (the “Full
Purchase Amount
”), and (b) authorize us to
charge your credit card or other payment method for the Full Purchase Amount.
The Platform may allow you
to purchase Products and designate them to be delivered or provided at a future
date. In such instance, you acknowledge
and agree that we may charge your credit card or other payment method for the
Full Purchase Amount on the date of purchase, rather than on the ultimate date
of shipment or provision of the applicable Product.
Unless
otherwise noted, all currency references are in U.S. Dollars. All fees and charges are payable in
accordance with payment terms in effect at the time the fee or the charge
becomes payable. As of the Last Updated date above, payment can be
made by credit card, debit card, Klarna and PayPal. Orders will be processed once payment has
been received in full.
(d) Order Acceptance; Shipment. Once we receive your order for a Product, we will provide you with an order confirmation. Your order confirmation confirms that we received your order, but does not signify our acceptance. We reserve the right at any time after receiving your order to accept or decline your order for any reason and in our sole discretion. If we cancel an order after you have already been billed, then we will refund the billed amount.
You may track your Order status here. While deliveries may be scheduled for a specified arrival, we cannot guarantee delivery by any specific date or time. Title and risk of loss for any purchases of physical products pass to you upon our delivery to our carrier. We reserve the right to ship partial orders (at no additional cost to you).
(e) Promotional Codes. We may offer certain promotional codes, referral codes, discount codes, coupon codes or similar offers (“Promotional Codes”) that may be redeemed for discounts on future Products, or other features or benefits related to the Platform, subject to any additional terms that Good American establishes. You agree that Promotional Codes: (a) must be used in a lawful manner; (b) must be used for the intended audience and purpose; (c) may not be duplicated, sold or transferred in any manner, or made available by you to the general public (whether posted to a public forum, coupon collecting service, or otherwise), unless expressly permitted by Good American; (d) may be disabled or have additional conditions applied to them by Good American at any time for any reason without liability to Good American; (e) may only be used pursuant to the specific terms that Good American establishes for such Promotional Code; (f) are not valid for cash or other credits or points; and (g) are available for a limited time and may expire prior to your use; and, (h) are not valid on previous purchases. Promotional Codes not valid on certain items (like bundled items and Gift Cards), and cannot be applied to sale or markdown items. Full-price products only.
(f)
Gift Cards. Tangible and/or digital gift cards containing
stored money value may be offered by us for certain purchases on the Platform
(“Gift Cards”). You acknowledge
that we make no warranties with respect to your Gift Card balance, and we are
not responsible for any unauthorized use, alteration, theft, or destruction of
a Gift Card or Gift Card code that results from any action by you or a third party. You also acknowledge that we may suspend or
prohibit use of your Gift Card if your Gift Card or Gift Card code has been
reported lost or stolen, or if we believe your Gift Card balance is being used
suspiciously, fraudulently, or in an otherwise unauthorized manner.
(i)
If your Gift Card code stops working, your only
remedy is for us to issue you a replacement Gift Card code.
(ii)
By purchasing a Gift Card, you represent and
warrant to us that use of the Gift Card will comply with these Terms and all
applicable laws, rules and regulations, and the Gift Card will not be used in
any manner that is misleading, deceptive, unfair or otherwise harmful to
consumers.
(iii)
Gift Cards cannot be used to purchase other gift
cards, reloaded, resold, used for payment outside of the Platform, used for
unauthorized marketing, sweepstakes, advertising, or other promotional
purposes, redeemed for more than face value, transferred for value, redeemed
for cash, or returned for a cash refund (except to the extent required by law). Gift Cards do not expire, and we will not
assess a service fee or dormancy fee with respect to a Gift Card.
6.
Content
Except for your content, we own everything on and about the Services. If you provide content on the Services, you unconditionally license it to us for free.
(a)
Our
Content
(i) Other than Your Content, all content, information and presentation on the Services (“Our Content”), is the property of the Company or one of our licensors (collectively, “Partners”). Our Content includes everything about the Services—from their look and feel to specific images to backend computer code. None of the Our Content may be modified, copied, distributed, framed, reproduced, republished, displayed, posted, transmitted, or sold in any form or by any means, in whole or in part, without our prior written permission. You may only use Our Content in a manner fully consistent with the Agreement. Any other use of the Our Content is strictly prohibited.
(ii) All trademarks, logos, trade dress and service marks on the Services are trademarks of the Company or a Partner and may not be copied, imitated, or used, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of the Company or the applicable Partner.
(b)
Your
Content
(i) Our Services may allow you to post certain comments, content or other materials onto the Services (e.g., through product reviews or community sections of the Services). In addition, we may use the functionality provided by third party social networks (e.g., Instagram) to re-post on our Services posts you have made through such networks using a specific hashtag or other tag we have identified for use with this feature. By submitting comments, content or other materials in either manner (“Your Content”), you automatically grant us, or warrant that the owner of such content has expressly granted us, the royalty-free, irrevocable, sublicensable and transferable, non-exclusive right and license to use, reproduce, publish, translate, prepare derivative works of, copy, perform and distribute Your Content through our Services. The above licenses granted by you in Your Content are perpetual and will only terminate if you’ve requested the removal or deletion of Your Content from the Services (at which point such license will terminate within a commercially reasonable time after your request). You understand and agree, however, that we may retain, but not display, distribute, or perform, server copies of Your Content that have been removed or deleted.
(ii) Keep in mind that any of Your Content that you post or make available to us through a social network may be made public on the Services. This includes your photo or any personal information you may include in Your Content. Don’t provide anything in Your Content you do not want to become public.
(c) License to use. You may use the Services and Our Content solely for personal and non-commercial purposes. All rights not specifically granted in the license set forth above shall be reserved and remain always with the Company. You acquire no rights or licenses in or to the Services or Our Content other than the limited right to utilize the Services in accordance with these Terms of Use.
7.
Acceptable Use
You must not access or use the Platform in any manner that is not permitted by these Terms. For example, you may not::
• download, modify, copy, distribute, transmit, display, perform, reproduce, duplicate, publish, license, create derivative works from, or offer for sale any information obtained or originating on the Platform;
• use, reproduce or remove any copyright, trademark, service mark, trade name, slogan, logo, image, or other proprietary notation displayed on or through the Platform;
• exploit the Platform for any commercial purpose, such as communicating or facilitating any commercial advertisement or solicitation;
• duplicate, decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble or decode the Platform, or attempt to do any of the same;
• use cheats, automation software (bots), hacks, modifications (mods) or any other unauthorized third-party software designed to modify or affect the Platform;
• access or use the Platform in any manner that could disable, overburden, damage, disrupt or impair the Platform or interfere with any other party's access to or use of the Platform or use any device, software or routine that causes the same;
• attempt to gain unauthorized access to, interfere with, damage or disrupt the Platform;
• circumvent, remove, alter, deactivate, degrade or thwart any technological measure or content protections of the Platform;
• use any robot, spider, crawlers or other automatic device, process, software or query that intercepts, mines, scrapes or otherwise accesses the Platform to monitor, extract, copy or collect information or data from or through the Platform, or engage in any manual process to do the same;
• introduce any viruses, trojan horses, worms, logic bombs or other materials that are malicious or technologically harmful into our systems;
• use the Platform for illegal, harassing, unethical, or disruptive purposes;
• violate any applicable law or regulation in connection with your use of the Platform.
8.
Disclaimers,
Limits on Liability & Indemnification
THIS SECTION IS IMPORTANT. YOU AGREE TO READ IT IN FULL.
Our Products and Platform are provided ‘as is.’ We make no representations about our Products
or the content or features of our Platform.
(a) Warranties
.
(i) All Products and the Platform are provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, except where these Terms specifically stated otherwise. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim without limitation all warranties, whether express or implied by law, course of dealing, course of performance, usage of trade, or otherwise, including the warranties of merchantability, title, non-infringement of third parties’ intellectual property rights, or fitness for a particular purpose.
(ii) Use of the Platform and the transmission of messages through the Platform is done at your own discretion and risk. No advice or information, whether oral or written, obtained by you from us or through the Platform will create any warranty that is not expressly stated in these Terms.
(iii) Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties or limitations on how long an implied warranty may last, so the above limitations may not apply to you. To the extent permissible, any implied warranties that cannot be excluded are limited to ninety (90) days, or such longer period as applicable law requires.
Each of us can only be
liable to the other for direct damages—but no more than $100 or, if higher, the
amount you spent on Products during the past year.
(b) Limitations of Liability.
Except for the indemnity obligations stated below,
to the fullest extent allowed by applicable law, under no circumstances and
under no legal theory will either of us be liable to the other with respect to
the subject matter of the Agreement for:
(i) Any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages of any kind, or
(ii) Any aggregate amount in excess of the greater of (1) $100 or (2) the amounts paid and/or payable by you to us for paid Platform in the three-month period preceding the applicable claim.
For clarity, this means we will not be liable for:
unauthorized access to or loss of Customer Data, Your Content or any other
data, loss of information, the cost of procuring alternative goods or services,
internet failures, or our failure to provide technical or other support services. These limits apply to all claims, obligations
and liabilities relating to the Agreement— even if we, our affiliates,
licensors or suppliers are aware of the possibility that you may incur certain damages,
and even if the limited remedies available to you under the Agreement fail of
their essential purpose. In each case,
however, these limitations apply only to the extent they are not
prohibited by applicable law.
You must indemnify us if a third party sues us based on your use of the Platform or your violation of the Agreement or the law.
(c) Indemnification. To
the fullest extent allowed by applicable law, you agree to indemnify and hold
harmless Good American, LLC,
its affiliates, officers, agents, employees, and partners from and against any
and all third-party claims, liabilities, damages (actual and consequential),
losses and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) arising from or in any way
related to (i) your use of The Platform (including any actions taken by a third
party using your access to Subscriptions), and/or (ii) your violation of the
Agreement or of law.
In the event of such a claim, suit, or action, we will notify you using the contact information we have for your Account or in connection with your use of the Platform (provided that failure to deliver such notice will not eliminate or reduce your indemnification obligations hereunder). This obligation will survive any suspension, termination or cessation of your use of the Platform.
9.
Dispute Resolution
In the event of a dispute, you and Good American agree to try to resolve it informally first. If it’s not resolved 60 days later, we agree to arbitrate the claim, instead of going to court. You may opt-out of arbitration within 30 days of accepting these Terms.
You agree to resolve disputes with Good American through binding arbitration, except as described in this section 9 (“Arbitration Clause”). The parties expressly waive the right to bring or participate in any kind of class, collective, or mass action, private attorney general action, or any other representative action, except as described in Section 9(g) . You may opt-out of this Arbitration Clause under Section 9(k) .
(a) Covered Disputes. You and Good American agree that any dispute or claim between you and Good American arising out of or relating to the Agreement or the Platform (a “Dispute”) will be resolved by binding arbitration, rather than in court. A Dispute includes any claim or dispute relating to the Platform, access and use thereof, your Account, or any aspects of your relationship or transactions with Good American. A Dispute also includes any claims or disputes that arose from or involve facts that occurred before the effectiveness of the Agreement and claims that may arise after its termination. For clarity, nothing in this Arbitration Clause prevents either party from settling any Dispute(s) on a class-wide, batch-wide or other multiparty basis.
(b) Exceptions to Arbitration. This Arbitration Clause does not require arbitration of the following types of claims brought by either you or Good American:
(i) small claims court actions, if the requirements of the court are met and the claims are only on an individual basis; and
(c) Informal Dispute Resolution First. Like you, we want to resolve Disputes without resorting to arbitration. If you have a Dispute with us, before initiating arbitration, you agree to send an individualized request (“Pre-Arbitration Demand”) to dispute@goodamerican.com so that we can work together to resolve the Dispute.
This Section 9(c) is a condition precedent to commencing arbitration. The arbitrator will dismiss any arbitration filed without fully and completely complying with these informal dispute resolution procedures.
(i) A Pre-Arbitration Demand is only valid when it pertains to, and is on behalf of, a single individual. A Pre-Arbitration Demand brought on behalf of multiple individuals is invalid as to all.
(ii) The Pre-Arbitration Demand must include: (i) your name, telephone number, mailing address, and email address associated with your account; (ii) the name, telephone number, mailing address and email address of your counsel, if any; (iii) a description of your Dispute; and (iv) your signature.
(iii) Likewise, if Good American has a Dispute with you, Good American will send an email with its individualized Pre-Arbitration Demand, including the requirements listed above, to the email address associated with your Account.
(iv) If the Dispute is not resolved within sixty (60) calendar days of when either you or Good American submitted a Pre-Arbitration Demand, an arbitration can be brought.
(v) This Section 9(c) does not apply to claims brought under the exception to arbitration in Section 9(b) .
(d) Arbitration Procedure. If, after completing the informal process in Section 9(c) , either you or Good American wishes to initiate arbitration, the initiating party must serve the other party with a demand for arbitration. Any demand for arbitration by you will be sent to the Good American address in Section 9(c) . Good American will send any arbitration demand to the email address associated with your Good American account or to your counsel, if any. You and Good American agree that the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) governs this Arbitration Clause. If the FAA cannot apply, then the state laws governing arbitration procedures where you reside apply.
(i) The arbitration will be administered by National Arbitration and Mediation (“NAM”) under its operative Comprehensive Dispute Resolution Rules and Procedures, available at https://www.namadr.com/resources/rules-fees-forms. This Arbitration Clause will govern to the extent it conflicts with the arbitration provider’s rules.
(ii) If the applicable arbitration provider is not available to arbitrate, the parties will select an alternative arbitration provider. If the parties cannot agree on an appropriate alternative arbitration provider, the parties will ask a court of competent jurisdiction to appoint an arbitrator pursuant to 9 U.S.C. § 5. To the extent there is a dispute over which arbitration provider has jurisdiction, a NAM arbitrator will be appointed to resolve that dispute.
(iii) Arbitration hearings will take place through videoconferencing, unless you and Good American agree upon another location in writing. A single arbitrator will be appointed.
(iv) The arbitrator may award damages, declaratory or injunctive relief, and recoverable costs. Any arbitration award may be enforced (such as through a judgment) in any court with jurisdiction over the dispute. An arbitration award will have no preclusive effect in another arbitration or court proceeding involving Good American and a different individual. The arbitrator will have the exclusive authority to resolve all threshold arbitrability issues, including whether this Arbitration Clause is applicable, unconscionable, or enforceable, as well as any defenses to arbitration. However, a court has exclusive authority to rule on the Class Action Waiver in Section 9(f) , including any claim that the section is unenforceable, illegal, void or voidable, or that it has been breached.
(v) If a request to proceed in small claims court (see Section 9(b) ), is made after an arbitration has been initiated, but before an arbitrator has been appointed, such arbitration will be administratively closed. Any controversy over the small claims court’s jurisdiction will be determined by the small claims court.
(e) Jury Trial Waiver. You and Good American hereby waive any constitutional and statutory rights to sue in court and have a trial in front of a judge or a jury. You and Good American are instead electing that all Disputes will be resolved by arbitration under this Arbitration Clause, except as specified in Section 9(b) above. Court review of an arbitration award is subject to very limited review. Discovery may be limited in arbitration, and procedures are more streamlined than in court.
(f) Class Action Waiver. You and Good American agree that, except as specified in Section 9(g) below, each of us may bring claims against the other only on an individual basis and not on a class, collective, representative, or mass action basis.
(i) The parties hereby waive all rights to have any Dispute be brought, heard, administered, resolved, or arbitrated on a class, collective, representative, or mass action basis.
(ii) Subject to this Arbitration Clause, the arbitrator may award declaratory or injunctive relief only in favor of the individual party seeking relief and only to the extent necessary to provide relief to the party’s individual claim.
(iii) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Arbitration Clause, if a court decides, in a final nonappealable decision, that the limitations of this Section 9(f) are invalid or unenforceable as to a particular claim or request for relief (such as a request for public injunctive relief), you and Good American agree that that particular claim or request for relief (and only that particular claim or request for relief) will be severed from the arbitration and will be pursued in the courts specified in Section 10(d) .
(g) Batch Proceedings. To increase the efficiency of administration and resolution of arbitrations, you and Good American agree that if 25 or more similar arbitration demands (those asserting the same or substantially similar facts or claims, and seeking the same or substantially similar relief), presented by or with the assistance or coordination of the same law firm(s) or organization(s), are filed within a one hundred and eighty (180) day period (“Mass Filing”), the parties agree:
(i) to administer the Mass Filing in batches of 25 demands per batch (or less, if fewer than 25 remain) (“Batch Proceedings”) with only one batch filed, processed, and adjudicated at a time;
(ii) to designate one arbitrator for each batch;
(iii) to accept applicable fees, including any related fee reduction determined by NAM in its discretion;
(iv) that no other demands for arbitration that are part of the Mass Filing may be filed, processed, or adjudicated until the prior batch of 25 is filed, processed, and adjudicated;
(v) that fees associated with a demand for arbitration included in a Mass Filing, including fees owed by Good American and the claimants, will only be due after your demand for arbitration is included in a set of batch proceedings and that batch is properly designated for filing, processing, and adjudication; and
(vi) that the staged process of batched proceedings, with each set including 25 demands, will continue until each demand (including your demand) is adjudicated or otherwise resolved.
(vii) Any statutes of limitation, including the requirement to file within one (1) year in Section 9(j) below, will remain tolled while any arbitration demands are held in abeyance. While the Batch Proceedings are adjudicated, no other demand for arbitration that is part of the Mass Filing may be processed, administrated, or adjudicated, and no filing or other administrative costs for such a demand for arbitration will be due from either party to the arbitration provider.
A. If, contrary to this provision, a party prematurely files an arbitration demand, the parties agree that the arbitration provider must hold those demands in abeyance.
(viii) All parties agree that arbitration demands are of a “substantially similar nature” if they arise out of or relate to the same event or factual scenario, raise the same or similar legal issues and seek the same or similar relief. Any party may request that the arbitration provider appoint a sole standing administrative arbitrator (“Administrative Arbitrator”) to determine threshold questions such as (1) whether the Batch Proceeding process is applicable or enforceable, (2) whether particular demand(s) are part of a Mass Filing, and (3) whether demands within a Mass Filing were filed in accordance with this Arbitration Clause, including Section 9(c) .
A. To expedite resolution of any such dispute by the Administrative Arbitrator, the parties agree that the Administrative Arbitrator may provide and use any procedures necessary to resolve the dispute promptly. Good American will pay the Administrative Arbitrator’s costs.
(ix) The parties will work in good faith with the arbitrator to complete each Batch Proceeding within one hundred and twenty (120) calendar days of its initial pre-hearing conference. The parties agree that the Batch Proceeding process is designed to achieve an overall faster, more efficient, and less costly mechanism for resolving Mass Filings.
(x) This Batch Proceedings provision will in no way be interpreted as increasing the number of claims necessary to trigger the applicability of NAM’s Mass Filing Supplemental Dispute Resolution Rules and Procedures, or authorizing class arbitration of any kind. Unless Good American otherwise consents in writing, Good American does not agree or consent to class arbitration, private attorney general arbitration, or arbitration involving joint or consolidated claims under any circumstances, except as set forth in this Section 9(g).
(h) Settlement. At least ten (10) calendar days before the date set for the arbitration hearing, you or Good American may serve a written offer of judgment upon the other party to allow judgment on specified terms. If the offer is accepted, the offer with proof of acceptance will be submitted to the arbitration provider, who will enter judgment accordingly. If the offer is not accepted before the earlier of the arbitration hearing or thirty (30) calendar days after it is made, it will be deemed withdrawn, and cannot serve as evidence in the arbitration. If an offer made by one party is not accepted by the other party, and the other party fails to obtain a more favorable award, the other party will not recover their post-offer costs and will pay the offering party’s costs from the time of the offer.
The parties agree that any disputes with respect to settlement offer(s) or offer(s) of judgment in a Mass Filing are to be resolved by a single arbitrator to the extent such offers contain the same material terms. For arbitrations involving represented parties, the represented parties’ attorneys agree to communicate individual offer(s) of judgment to each and every arbitration claimant or respondent to whom such offers are extended.