Terms of Service

1. Service Description

stepstube is a web application that extracts structured home-repair instructions from YouTube tutorial videos using AI. It is part of Donkey Factory and is provided by D. Michael Piscitelli (Herakles) ("we", "us"). Questions? Email hello@herakles.dev.

2. Usage Limits

• Free tier: 3 extractions per day per account. The count resets at midnight UTC. A guide that fails because of a problem on our side does not count. Inviting friends can earn you bonus guides beyond the daily limit.
• Pro tier ($4.99/month): Extract as many guides as you need, up to a fair-use limit of 300 new guides in any rolling 30-day period. A guide that fails because of a problem on our side does not count. Guides saved in My Collection still open after you reach the limit.
• BYOK tier: No limit from us on extractions when you use your own Gemini API key. Your key's limits and charges from Google still apply.

We reserve the right to adjust limits to prevent abuse. The Pro fair-use limit is there to stop abuse. Automated or bulk extraction is prohibited.

3. BYOK (Bring Your Own Key)

When you provide your own Gemini API key, it is stored exclusively in your browser's local storage. On each request it is sent to our server and forwarded to Google's API on your behalf; we never write it to disk, never log it, and never retain it after the request completes. You are responsible for any charges incurred on your Google Cloud account.

4. AI Output Disclaimer

Extraction results are generated by AI (Google Gemini) and may contain errors, omissions, or inaccuracies. Always verify tool specifications, torque values, and safety procedures against manufacturer documentation. We are not responsible for injuries, damage, or losses resulting from reliance on AI-generated content.

5. Prohibited Use

• Automated scraping or bulk extraction.
• Circumventing rate limits or authentication.
• Redistributing extracted content for commercial purposes.
• Using the service to infringe on content creators' rights.

6. Payment

Pro costs $4.99 (US dollars) per month. We do not currently add sales tax at checkout. Payments are handled by Stripe. We never see or store your card number.

7. Automatic Renewal

Pro is a subscription that renews automatically every month. When you subscribe, you agree that we will charge your payment method $4.99 at sign-up and again each month on the same date, until you cancel. You do not need to do anything to renew. We will keep charging the payment method you gave us unless you cancel first.

If we change the price, we will tell you by email at least 30 days before the new price applies to you. You can cancel before then.

8. How to Cancel

You can cancel any time, online. In stepstube, tap the ★ Pro badge at the top of the app, then Manage subscription. That opens Stripe's billing portal, where you can cancel (Stripe asks you to confirm your email first). You do not need to contact us or give a reason.

When you cancel, you will not be charged again. Your Pro access continues until the end of the billing period you already paid for. Then your account moves to the free tier. If you cannot use the billing portal, email hello@herakles.dev from your account email and we will cancel it for you.

9. Refunds

If you ask within 7 days of a charge, we will refund that charge in full. You do not need to give a reason. Email hello@herakles.dev from your account email. Cancelling does not refund the current period by itself; it stops the next charge. Our Refunds & Support page explains how to ask and how long a refund takes.

10. Voice Mode

Voice mode (available on Pro and BYOK plans; free accounts get one trial session a day) uses your browser's built-in Web Speech API to provide hands-free operation. When you activate voice mode, your browser will request microphone permission. Audio is processed locally by your browser's speech recognition service (typically provided by the browser vendor, e.g., Google for Chrome). We do not receive, store, or process any voice audio on our servers. You may revoke microphone permission at any time via your browser settings.

11. Limitation of Liability

The service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. To the maximum extent permitted by law, we shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the service.

12. Changes

We may update these terms at any time. Continued use of the service constitutes acceptance of the updated terms. If we make a material change to Pro billing or cancellation, we will email active subscribers before it takes effect.

13. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, USA. Nothing in these terms takes away rights you have under the consumer-protection laws of the place where you live.

14. Contact

Email hello@herakles.dev. We reply within 2 business days.