Please read these Terms of Service ("Terms") carefully before using VIPInmates.com (the "Service"). By accessing or using the Service, submitting payment, or sending any message through the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.
VIPInmates.com connects family and friends ("Users") with incarcerated individuals ("Inmates") by relaying text messages, photos, and related communications through SMS, Telegram, and/or facility-approved messaging systems. The Service also facilitates the purchase of photo credits, messaging plans, and related add-ons.
You must be at least 18 years old to use the Service. By using the Service, you represent that you are legally permitted to correspond with the Inmate you are contacting, and that your use of the Service complies with the rules of the relevant correctional facility and all applicable laws.
Your phone number is used to identify your conversations with an Inmate. You are responsible for providing accurate contact information and for keeping it up to date. We are not responsible for messages that fail to reach you because of outdated or incorrect contact information you provided.
Certain features of the Service (such as photo packages or messaging plans) require payment. Payments are processed securely by Stripe; we do not store your full card number. Prices are listed at the time of purchase. Because messages and photos are typically processed and delivered promptly after payment, purchases are generally non-refundable once fulfillment has begun. If something went wrong with your order, contact us at support@vipinmates.com and we will work with you to make it right.
By providing your phone number and using the Service, you consent to receive text messages related to your use of the Service, including messages relayed to/from the Inmate, account and balance notifications, and occasional service updates. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP at any time to stop receiving promotional/marketing messages from a given Inmate's line, or HELP for assistance. Opting out of promotional messages does not prevent you from continuing to exchange personal messages with the Inmate unless you separately request to be blocked.
The Service exists to help families and friends stay in touch with an incarcerated loved one. You agree not to use the Service, and not to send any message, photo, or other content through the Service, for or in furtherance of any unlawful purpose, including but not limited to:
This list is illustrative, not exhaustive — any use of the Service for an unlawful purpose is prohibited even if not specifically listed above. We may suspend or terminate access for any account that violates this section, without refund, and may report suspected unlawful activity to the appropriate authorities on our own initiative, whether or not we are asked to.
You should have no expectation that communications sent through the Service are private, confidential, or unmonitored. Messages sent to or from an Inmate may independently be monitored, recorded, or retained by the receiving correctional facility's own systems regardless of anything we do.
We will access, preserve, and disclose account information and message content — including to law enforcement, correctional facilities, courts, and other government authorities — when required by a valid subpoena, court order, search warrant, or other lawful legal process, or when we have a good-faith belief that doing so is necessary to comply with the law, protect the safety of any person, or investigate suspected violations of Section 6 above. We may also voluntarily disclose such information to the appropriate authorities without legal compulsion where we reasonably believe it involves an ongoing crime, a threat to life or safety, or content described in Section 6.
You are solely responsible for the messages and photos you submit through the Service, and the Inmate is solely responsible for the messages they send in reply. We do not review, monitor, screen, or endorse content before it is relayed, and we are not responsible or liable for the content of any message or photo sent by a User or an Inmate through the Service, or for any consequence of that content. By submitting content, you represent that you own the rights to it or have permission to share it, and that it does not violate any law, these Terms, or a third party's rights. We reserve the right, but have no obligation, to refuse to deliver, or to remove, any content that violates these Terms or a facility's rules.
The Service relies on third-party providers — including payment processing (Stripe), SMS delivery (Bandwidth), and correctional facility messaging systems — to function. We do not control these third parties and are not responsible for outages, delays, or restrictions caused by them or by the receiving facility.
The Service is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, express or implied. We do not guarantee that messages or photos will be delivered within any particular timeframe, or that the Service will be uninterrupted or error-free — delivery ultimately depends on the receiving facility's own systems and policies, which are outside our control.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, VIPInmates.com and its operators will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the Service, including damages arising from content sent by any User or Inmate. Our total liability for any claim relating to the Service is limited to the amount you paid us in the 3 months before the claim arose.
We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without notice, for conduct that violates these Terms or that we believe is harmful to other users, the Service, or third parties.
We may update these Terms from time to time. Continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. We will update the "Last updated" date above when changes are made.
Questions about these Terms? Contact us at support@vipinmates.com.