Terms of Service

Starknot is a web and custom software development agency based in Costa Rica, specialising in small and medium-sized businesses across Latin America. We operate under the trade name Starknot, are registered with the Dirección General de Tributación (Costa Rica's tax authority) and issue electronic invoices.

Starknot designs and builds custom digital products. Our current catalogue comprises:

• Professional websites. From single pages to multi-page sites, in one or more languages, with designs adapted to phone, tablet and desktop.
• Brand identity. Logo and its variants, colour palette, typographic selection and a documented design system, applicable to digital and printed pieces.
• Custom systems. Online request and booking engines, administrative dashboards, databases and workflows designed for the client's specific operation.
• Business email systems. Automatic acknowledgements, designed email templates, and sends operated by the client's own staff from their dashboard.
• Technical positioning. Search engine optimisation (SEO) and readability for AI-based search engines (GEO), plus configuration of the Google Business profile in the client's name.
• Launch and training. Domain connection, configuration of third-party services in the client's name, publication to the production environment, and staff training on the use of what has been delivered.
• Monthly maintenance. Technical continuity of the system once launched, as detailed in Section 07.

The exact scope of each project — what is included, what is not, and under what conditions — is defined in a formal quotation or contract before work begins. That document prevails over any information published on this site for informational purposes.

To maintain quality and operational focus, Starknot does not provide the following services, even where the client is willing to pay for them.

E-commerce and online payments

Starknot does not develop, integrate or operate any payment functionality. This exclusion is absolute and admits no exception by individual agreement. It includes, without limitation:

• Shopping carts and online stores.
• Payment gateways from any provider.
• Credit or debit card processing.
• Integrations with SINPE, SINPE Móvil, automated transfers or digital wallets.
• Cryptocurrencies and any digital means of payment.
• Recurring charges, subscriptions or memberships billed online.
• Marketplaces, commission systems or payment-splitting systems.
• Any functionality that receives, processes, stores or transmits money or payment credentials.

The systems we build record requests, bookings and operational data; never money. Charging end customers is done by the client, through whatever means they use outside our systems.

Other services outside our scope

• Automations, WhatsApp bots, or flows in n8n, Zapier or equivalent tools.
• Native mobile applications for iOS or Android, and desktop applications.
• Integrations with third-party systems not expressly agreed in the contract: accounting, electronic invoicing, satellite or GPS tracking, telephone exchanges, online travel agencies, or third-party programming interfaces.
• Management of paid advertising (Google Ads, Meta Ads, TikTok Ads).
• Social media management or recurring content creation.
• Ongoing SEO strategy, link building or the purchase of backlinks.
• Photographic, audiovisual or original illustration production.
• Writing of long-form editorial content, blog articles, or the client's own legal texts such as privacy policies and terms and conditions.
• Certified professional translation. We incorporate into the site the other-language version of content the client supplies or approves; this does not constitute a translation service and creates no liability on our part for linguistic accuracy.
• Migration of historical data or bulk loading of existing information.
• Hosting of the client's corporate email.
• Maintenance of websites developed by third parties.

If the client requests a service outside our scope, Starknot says so transparently and, where possible, recommends alternatives or specialist professionals.

The systems Starknot builds are tools for recording and organising, not decision-makers.

Unless a specific contract states otherwise, our systems do not carry out operational actions autonomously. Assigning resources, confirming requests, sending communications to third parties and any other business decision are actions performed by the client's staff. The system receives, orders, presents and transmits information only when the client instructs it to.

This distinction matters: Starknot is not answerable for the operational or commercial decisions the client makes using the information the system presents.

Every Starknot project follows a structured process:

1. Initial conversation. We understand the client's needs, their business and their objectives.
2. Proposal and formal quotation. We deliver a document setting out scope, exclusions, conditions and project price.
3. Contract and initial payment. Once the proposal is approved, the corresponding contract is signed and the first-stage payment is made.
4. Execution in stages. The project advances through successive stages, each with a verifiable deliverable the client approves before work continues.
5. Launch and training. The site or system is published, third-party service accounts are configured in the client's name, and their staff are trained.
6. Monthly maintenance. Once the project has launched, the monthly plan described in Section 07 takes effect.

Economic terms are specified in each project's contract or quotation. As a general rule:

• The project is paid in stages. Each stage has a defined amount and is settled against approval of the previous stage. Payment for the first stage is made in advance and is the condition for work to begin.
• Prices are stated before tax. Value Added Tax is added separately to each stage, invoiced together with the corresponding payment, and remitted in full to the tax authority. The applicable rate is the one in force on the date of each invoice.
• An electronic invoice is issued for every payment received.
• Payments are made by bank transfer or deposit to the account stated in the contract. Any bank commission, transfer charge or exchange-rate differential is borne by the client, so that Starknot receives the net amounts agreed.
• Additional services are invoiced separately, subject to the client's prior written approval.

Late payment. Delay in any payment entitles Starknot to suspend execution of the work, without liability on its part, until payment is brought up to date. After thirty calendar days of delay, Starknot may terminate the relationship and retain the sums received for work already performed.

Every project Starknot delivers requires an active monthly maintenance plan. A system in production needs ongoing monitoring, backups and security updates; without them it stops being reliable within months. The plan is therefore an integral part of our service and not an optional extra.

Setting the amount

The amount of the plan is agreed by mutual consent between the parties, and may be set at either of two moments:

• Before the contract is signed, in which case it is recorded in that same document; or
• On completion of the project, once the final scope of what has been delivered and its real maintenance needs are known.

In both cases the amount is agreed in writing and unanimously. Starknot does not impose a unilateral rate.

What the plan covers

• Uptime monitoring of the site or system.
• Periodic backups.
• Technical and security updates.
• Correction of faults in what has already been delivered.
• An active SSL certificate.
• Minor content changes: text, images, contact details, opening hours, rates.
• Direct support during business hours in the event of an incident.

What the plan does NOT cover

• New functionality of any kind.
• New pages or sections.
• Complete redesigns.
• Additional integrations.
• Training beyond that contemplated at launch.

All of the above is quoted and contracted separately, as an additional project.

Cancellation

There is no minimum commitment period. The client may cancel the monthly plan at any time with one (1) month's prior written notice.

After cancellation, the client retains full ownership of what has been delivered and of the source code already received, and assumes hosting, domain, backups, security updates and technical support on their own account. Starknot ceases the service and all access to the client's systems at the end of the paid period.

This is one of the fundamental bases of how we operate, which is why we explain it with complete transparency.

Assignment of rights

Once payment for the project and its taxes has been received in full, Starknot assigns to the client the entirety of the economic copyright in what was developed specifically for them: the source code of the site and of the system, the interface design, the database structure, the email templates and the graphic identity.

The assignment is total, exclusive, indefinite and without territorial limitation, and covers the rights of reproduction, distribution, public communication, transformation, modification, adaptation, translation and commercial exploitation.

We do not condition delivery of the code on remaining in the monthly plan, nor do we charge any fee to release it. The code is delivered via a digital repository or a compressed archive, together with the technical documentation the client needs to continue on their own or with another provider.

Condition precedent

The assignment is subject to payment for the project in full. Until that is verified, Starknot retains full title and the client holds only a temporary, revocable and non-transferable licence to use it, limited to testing and review.

What Starknot retains

The following are not assigned and remain in Starknot's exclusive ownership:

• Our technical knowledge, methodologies and experience.
• Generic or pre-existing libraries, components and blocks of code of our authorship, over which we grant the client a perpetual, free and non-exclusive licence within the framework of their project.
• Proposals, visual concepts, drafts and versions that were not selected or incorporated into the final deliverable.

Third-party components

The systems incorporate libraries, frameworks, typefaces, licensed photography and third-party components subject to their own licences, principally open source. Those components are not Starknot's property and are transferred under the terms of their respective licences, which the client undertakes to respect. We state which they are where relevant.

Moral rights

Under Costa Rican law, moral rights of authorship are non-waivable and inalienable and remain vested in Starknot as author of the work.

Given the nature of custom software development and its dependence on the client's collaboration, Starknot does not set fixed delivery dates or firm completion deadlines.

Any time estimate we communicate, before or during execution, is purely indicative. It does not constitute an enforceable obligation, and failure to meet it gives rise to no liability, penalty or compensation.

Starknot undertakes to carry out the work diligently and continuously, in line with good industry practice, and to give advance notice of any situation affecting progress.

We are not answerable for delays arising from: the client's delay in supplying material or approving deliverables, scope change requests, failures of third-party service providers, or acts of God or force majeure.

Each project stage includes two rounds of revision, unless the contract states a different number. A round means the consolidated set of observations the client submits in writing on that stage's deliverable, together with Starknot's correction of them.

Observations must be submitted consolidated and in writing. Those sent in fragments or in succession are counted as separate rounds.

Once the included rounds are exhausted, any further modification is invoiced separately, subject to written acceptance of the corresponding quotation.

Scope change. Any request involving functionality, pages, integrations or elements not contemplated in the contract constitutes a scope change, not a revision. It requires a written addendum signed by both parties setting out its scope and price. Starknot is not obliged to carry out any scope change without that addendum.

Changes to deliverables from stages already approved are not accepted; if requested, they are treated as a scope change.

Once a stage's result has been delivered, the client has ten business days to approve it or raise observations in writing.

If the client does not respond within that period, or does not supply the material required to continue, the project is automatically suspended, without liability for Starknot, which may reassign the resources allocated to the project and resume it, once collaboration has restarted, within a reasonable period according to its availability.

No deadline runs against Starknot during suspension. Sums paid are non-refundable and work performed is deemed validly rendered.

Approval of a stage, whether express or by payment of the next one, constitutes the client's acceptance of the corresponding deliverable.

Starknot warrants the correct operation of what has been delivered for thirty calendar days from publication to the production environment, correcting at no cost any programming defects that prevent or impair the operation of what was contracted.

The warranty does not cover:

• New functionality, improvements, or changes of design or content.
• Failures originating in third-party services, the network, the browser or the user's device.
• Failures arising from modifications or access carried out by the client or by third parties.
• Failures arising from non-payment or cancellation of third-party services.
• Use of the system in a manner other than that covered in the training given.

Once the warranty period has expired, fault coverage continues within the monthly maintenance plan described in Section 07.

For the project to progress smoothly, the client undertakes to:

• Supply content, materials, access credentials and approvals within the agreed timeframes.
• Designate a point of contact with sufficient authority to approve deliverables. Their approvals bind the client for all purposes.
• Warrant that the text, images, logos and materials they supply are their property or that they hold the legal permissions to use them, and hold Starknot harmless against third-party claims arising from that material.
• Be answerable for the commercial content of the site, the accuracy of the information published, and compliance with the regulations, permits, licences and insurance applicable to their activity.
• Meet payments according to the agreed schedule.
• Safeguard the administrative dashboard credentials and control who holds them.

Operating any system requires services provided by third parties whose cost is not included in the project price and is borne solely by the client: domain name, corporate email, site hosting, database, email delivery service, and any other necessary licence or subscription.

Those accounts are opened and maintained in the client's name. The client is the account holder, is responsible for payment, and owns the information they contain. Starknot performs the initial configuration, accesses them only during execution of the project and the maintenance plan, and receives no commission or margin whatsoever on them.

Starknot is not answerable for interruptions, failures, policy changes, price increases or account closures attributable to those providers, nor for loss of information arising from the client's failure to pay for those services.

Starknot establishes strategic commercial partnerships with certain businesses or professionals by means of a written contract signed by both parties. This arrangement is distinct from an ordinary client-supplier relationship.

What a Starknot commercial partnership is

A formal collaboration agreement between Starknot and a business or professional (the partner), establishing a relationship of mutual benefit that may include:

• Presenting the work Starknot developed for the partner as a reference case in Starknot's public showroom, portfolio, social media and commercial materials.
• Use of the partner's trade name, logo and visual identity in those same channels, in the context of presenting the work carried out.
• Any other visibility, collaboration or referral arrangement the parties define by mutual agreement.

Formalising the agreement

Every partnership requires a written contract, which defines precisely the scope of the authorised use of the partner's image, name and work; the permitted channels; the duration of the agreement and its renewal or termination conditions; and any agreed consideration.

Without a signed contract there is no commercial partnership under this arrangement. A verbal or informal agreement does not create the rights or obligations described in this section.

The partner's rights and acknowledgement

On signing the partnership contract, the partner declares that they know and expressly accept that Starknot may use their brand image and the work developed within the limits and channels defined; that any use beyond the contractual scope will require additional written authorisation; and that they may request review, updating or termination of the agreement as agreed.

Responsibility for the content used

The partner warrants that the materials they provide are their property or that they hold the legal permissions for their use and distribution. Starknot is not responsible for claims arising from materials provided by the partner that infringe third-party rights.

Starknot executes every project with the utmost professional care, but is not responsible for:

• Outages or interruptions caused by external providers: hosting, domains, databases, email services, third-party platforms or integrated tools.
• Commercial losses, lost profits, loss of revenue, loss of business opportunities, loss of data, or reputational damage.
• Misuse of the site or system by the client or by third parties with access to it.
• Operational or commercial decisions the client makes on the basis of the information the system presents.
• Regulatory changes or changes to external platform policies affecting integrated functionality — for example, changes to the WhatsApp, Google Maps or Google Business interfaces.

Nor do we guarantee commercial results, volume of requests, specific search engine positions, traffic levels, or any economic performance derived from use of the system, as these depend on factors outside our control.

Our total aggregate liability, for any cause and under any legal theory, shall not exceed the amount actually paid by the client for the service in question.

The client may cancel the project at any time. The conditions depend on the stage of progress:

• Before work begins: refund of the payment received, less administrative costs incurred.
• With a stage in progress: no refund of stages already approved and paid; the stage in progress is paid in proportion to the work completed.
• After launch: no refund, as the service was completed.

In the event of cancellation for any cause, including the client's unilateral withdrawal, no assignment of economic rights takes effect: those rights remain vested in Starknot, which may require the immediate cessation of use of the deliverables.

Starknot reserves the right to terminate the project if the client repeatedly fails to make payments, does not supply content within reasonable timeframes, or requests services contrary to these Terms or to our principles.

All commercial, strategic or technical information the client shares with Starknot during the project is treated as confidential and is not shared with third parties outside the project, except with the client's express authorisation or under legal requirement.

Equally, we expect the client to treat as confidential any internal Starknot information they have access to: quotations, processes, methodologies and tools.

This obligation survives for three years from termination of the relationship.

Where a system developed by Starknot stores data on the people who use it, the client is the controller of that database for all purposes of Law No. 8968 and its implementing regulation, and is responsible for compliance with the obligations of notice, consent, security, handling of data subjects' rights and, where the regulation so requires, registration with the Agencia de Protección de Datos de los Habitantes.

Starknot acts as processor during execution of the project and the maintenance plan, in accordance with the client's instructions, implementing reasonable technical security measures, and ceases all access when the relationship ends.

The detail of how we handle information is set out in our Privacy Policy.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, Starknot reserves the right to use screenshots, descriptions and references to the delivered project in its public portfolio, social media, sales materials and case studies. No financial, contractual or database information belonging to the client is shared without express authorisation.

If the client prefers that their project not be used publicly, they must say so in writing before the project begins.

For projects developed under the strategic commercial partnership arrangement, the use of image and work is governed by the specific conditions of the partnership contract, as detailed in Section 15.

Starknot may update these Terms where necessary to reflect changes in our services, in applicable law, or in our operating practices. The version in force is always the one published on this website, with the update date shown at the top of the document.

For projects already contracted, the Terms in force at the time of signing the contract or formal quotation apply.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of Costa Rica. Any dispute arising from the provision of our services shall first be addressed in good faith through direct dialogue between the parties. If no agreement is reached within the following thirty calendar days, the parties submit to the competent courts of the Republic of Costa Rica.

For any query regarding these Terms, Starknot can be contacted through the form available on our website or through the official contact channels shown on the home page.