Terms of Use

Pothio is free to use and not-for-profit. We do not charge fees and we do not take a cut of anything. No money ever changes hands through Pothio. If you choose to post a book, you pay your own postage directly to your courier or post office — never to us.

You must be 18 years or older to create an account or use Pothio. By using the service, you confirm that you are at least 18 and that the information you give us is true.

Pothio is a noticeboard that helps readers find each other. The swap itself is strictly between the two readers involved. We are not a party to it, we do not inspect, handle, post, or guarantee any book, and we do not verify any user.

When you send or receive a book, you do so at your own risk. Books can be lost, delayed, or damaged in the post, and a swap may not go the way you hoped. Pothio is not liable for lost, damaged, or delayed parcels, for no-shows, for the condition or contents of any book, or for any dispute between users. Please use common sense and be kind to each other.

Some swaps happen face-to-face — for example, between people in the same society, campus, or workplace. If you choose to meet another reader to hand over a book, you do so at your own risk. Pothio does not verify users. Meet in a safe, public place, and use your judgement. Pothio is not responsible for anything that happens during an in-person meeting.

Pothio lets communities — residential societies, universities, and workplaces — have a shared space so members can swap with each other. A group's managers are volunteer members, not Pothio staff. Being part of a group does not change these terms, and Pothio is not responsible for how a group is run.

Pothio provides a chat so the two people in a swap can arrange it. Use it respectfully and only for that purpose. You can report or block another user. We may review messages that are reported to us to keep Pothio safe, and we may act on serious or repeated problems.

To keep swaps fair, Pothio may show a reliability indicator and ratings based on how you behave in swaps (for example, whether you post books you've agreed to send). Swaps that are accepted but not acted on may be cancelled automatically after a time.

Karma is simply a fairness counter that keeps giving and receiving in balance. It is not money and has no monetary value. It cannot be bought, sold, transferred for value, exchanged, or cashed out, and it carries no value outside Pothio. We may adjust Karma to correct errors or address misuse.

• List only real books that you actually own and may legally give away.
• Describe each book and its condition honestly.
• Do not list or send anything prohibited — including pirated, counterfeit, stolen, or otherwise illegal material.
• Use other readers' personal details (such as a delivery address) only to complete the swap, and never store or share them.
• Treat other members with respect and act in good faith, in chat and in person.

See our Community Guidelines for the full do's and don'ts.

We want Pothio to stay safe and friendly. We may remove listings or content, and suspend or close accounts, where someone breaks these terms, misuses the service, or puts other members at risk.

Pothio is provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind. We do our best to keep it running, but we can't promise it will always be available, error-free, or fit for a particular purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Pothio is not liable for any indirect or consequential loss arising from your use of the service.

How we handle your personal information is explained in our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these terms.

These terms are governed by the laws of India. Any dispute will be subject to the courts of Delhi, Delhi, India.

We may update these terms from time to time. We'll update the effective date above and, where the change is significant, let you know in the app. Continuing to use Pothio after a change means you accept the updated terms.

Questions about these terms? Reach us at Hello@pothio.com.