Terms & Conditions

The following terms carry specific meanings throughout this Agreement:

• "Settlestead" / "We" / "Us" / "Our" — Settlestead, a family heritage documentation studio operating from Suite 8, Jalan Hang Tuah, 75300 Melaka, Malaysia.
• "Service" — any workshop session, membership programme, or digital material offered by Settlestead, including the Household Story Workshop, Family Records Workshop Series, and Yearlong Family Archive Membership.
• "Participant" / "You" / "Your" — any individual or household representative who books, attends, or accesses a Settlestead service.
• "Content" — all written, visual, audio, or printed materials produced, distributed, or made available by Settlestead, including workbooks, printed additions, and session templates.
• "Agreement" — these Terms & Conditions, together with any booking confirmation email or membership agreement issued by Settlestead.
• "Session" — a single scheduled workshop meeting, whether conducted in-studio at Melaka or via agreed remote arrangement.

By completing a booking, making a payment, or attending any Settlestead session, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms & Conditions in full.

You must be at least 18 years of age to enter into this Agreement independently. Participants aged 16–17 may attend sessions with written consent from a parent or legal guardian, who assumes responsibility under these terms.

If you are booking on behalf of a household group, you represent that you have authority to bind all attending members to these terms.

Settlestead provides guided family documentation workshops and heritage archiving programmes in Melaka, Malaysia. Our current offerings include:

• Household Story Workshop — a single 3-hour facilitated session for up to 6 household members.
• Family Records Workshop Series — three structured sessions spread across 6 weeks, designed to build a complete household record.
• Yearlong Family Archive Membership — four private sessions per year, access to all public workshops, and a printed annual addition of your household archive.

Sessions are conducted at our Melaka studio unless an alternative arrangement has been agreed in writing. Service availability is subject to facilitator scheduling and studio capacity. Settlestead reserves the right to modify or discontinue specific offerings with reasonable notice.

Our services are available to participants based in Malaysia. Arrangements for participants travelling from outside Malaysia may be discussed on a case-by-case basis.

Bookings are confirmed only upon receipt of a booking confirmation email from Settlestead. Submitting a contact form or enquiry does not constitute a confirmed booking.

To secure your place, full payment or a confirmed instalment arrangement must be completed within 5 business days of receiving your booking confirmation. Unpaid bookings may be released after this period.

Membership enrolments are activated upon receipt of the first year's payment and remain active for 12 calendar months from the activation date.

Rescheduling a booked session is permitted once, provided written notice is given at least 5 business days before the scheduled date. Further rescheduling requests are subject to facilitator availability and may incur an administrative fee of RM 50.

As a participant, you agree to:

• Treat all facilitators, studio staff, and fellow participants with courtesy and respect throughout every session.
• Arrive on time for scheduled sessions. Sessions will begin at the agreed hour regardless of late arrivals; no time extensions are provided for lateness.
• Bring any requested materials or documents as communicated in your pre-session briefing email.
• Maintain the confidentiality of personal or family information shared by other participants during group sessions.
• Not record, photograph, or reproduce any part of a session or Settlestead materials without prior written consent.
• Refrain from disruptive behaviour that interferes with the experience of other participants.

Settlestead reserves the right to ask any participant to leave a session if their conduct is deemed harmful to others, in which case no refund will be provided.

Prohibited activities include: sharing session content on public platforms without permission, misrepresenting Settlestead's facilitation approach, and using workshop materials for commercial purposes without a written licence.

All workshop frameworks, session templates, workbooks, printed materials, and facilitation methods created by Settlestead are the intellectual property of Settlestead and are protected under Malaysian copyright law.

Upon attending a session or joining a membership, you are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use provided materials for personal, household, and non-commercial family documentation purposes only.

You may not reproduce, distribute, adapt, or commercialise any Settlestead content without express written permission.

Family records, personal stories, and archival materials that you bring to sessions or create during sessions remain entirely your own. Settlestead claims no ownership over your household's personal or historical content.

All prices are quoted in Malaysian Ringgit (RM) and are inclusive of applicable service taxes as required under Malaysian law.

Current session fees:

• Household Story Workshop — RM 520
• Family Records Workshop Series — RM 1,280
• Yearlong Family Archive Membership — RM 2,640 per year

Accepted payment methods include online bank transfer (FPX), cash on arrival, and selected e-wallet platforms as communicated during booking. Credit card payments may be arranged with prior notice.

Refund policy: Cancellations made more than 7 business days before a scheduled session are eligible for a full refund, less a processing fee of RM 50. Cancellations within 7 business days are non-refundable but may be credited toward a future booking at Settlestead's discretion. Membership fees are non-refundable once the membership year has been activated. In the event Settlestead cancels a session, a full refund or complimentary rescheduling will be offered.

Session capacity: The Household Story Workshop accommodates up to 6 participants from the same household. The Family Records Series accommodates up to 8. Public workshops within the Membership may have wider capacity.

Printed Annual Addition (Membership only): One printed edition of your household archive is produced per membership year. Production begins in the 11th month of the membership year. Design specifications and content must be finalised by the 10th month. Delays caused by the participant's failure to submit content on time may affect delivery.

Language: Sessions are facilitated in English by default. Facilitation support in Bahasa Malaysia or Mandarin may be requested at the time of booking, subject to availability.

Confidentiality: Settlestead facilitators will not share, disclose, or publish any personal or family information shared during sessions without explicit written consent from the participant.

Settlestead's services are provided on a best-efforts basis. While we take care to deliver structured, thoughtful sessions, we do not guarantee any specific emotional, creative, or documentary outcome from participating in a workshop.

Family documentation and heritage archiving involve personal and sometimes sensitive material. Settlestead's facilitators are trained in supportive facilitation, but our services do not constitute counselling, therapy, or psychological support. If participation brings up distressing memories, we encourage participants to seek appropriate professional support.

Settlestead is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of information that participants bring to sessions from external sources (such as old records, photographs, or oral accounts).

To the fullest extent permitted by Malaysian law, Settlestead's total liability to any participant shall not exceed the amount paid by that participant for the specific service giving rise to the claim.

Settlestead shall not be liable for: indirect, incidental, or consequential losses; loss of personal items brought to sessions; damage caused by events outside our reasonable control (including but not limited to utility outages, natural events, or government-mandated closures); or any outcome resulting from a participant's own decisions based on session content.

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Settlestead, its facilitators, and staff from any claims, losses, damages, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from: your breach of these terms; your conduct during a session; or your misuse of Settlestead materials or content.

Either party may terminate a booking or membership arrangement with written notice. Participants may cancel a booking in accordance with the refund policy in Section 7. Membership cancellations mid-year are not eligible for a partial refund of the annual fee.

Settlestead reserves the right to terminate a participant's access to sessions or membership without refund if the participant has breached these terms, particularly conduct requirements in Section 5.

Sections 6 (Intellectual Property), 9 (Disclaimers), 10 (Limitation of Liability), and 11 (Indemnification) survive termination of any Agreement.

These Terms & Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Malaysia, including the Consumer Protection Act 1999 and the Contracts Act 1950.

Any dispute arising from these terms or from participation in Settlestead services shall first be addressed through informal discussion. Please contact us at [email protected] and we will endeavour to respond within 10 business days.

If informal resolution is unsuccessful, both parties agree to attempt mediation before pursuing formal legal proceedings. Mediation may be sought through the Mediation Centre Malaysia or a mutually agreed mediator.

Any unresolved disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Melaka, Malaysia.

Entire Agreement: These Terms & Conditions, together with any booking confirmation, constitute the entire agreement between you and Settlestead and supersede all prior understandings regarding the relevant service.

Severability: If any provision of these terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force.

Waiver: Settlestead's failure to enforce any provision of these terms on a given occasion does not constitute a waiver of that provision in future.

Assignment: You may not transfer your booking or membership to another person without Settlestead's prior written consent. Settlestead may assign its obligations to a successor entity with reasonable notice.

Notices: Official notices under this Agreement should be sent by email to the addresses listed in Section 16.

Settlestead may update these Terms & Conditions from time to time to reflect changes in our services, applicable law, or operational practice. Material changes will be communicated via email to confirmed participants and members at least 14 days before they take effect.

The updated terms will also be posted on our website with a revised "Last Updated" date. Continued use of our services after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

If you do not agree to revised terms, please contact us before the effective date to discuss your options.

For questions or concerns related to these Terms & Conditions, please reach out to us: