Terms of Service

Last updated: September 11, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account or using Dear Patience (the “Service”), operated by Rootstock Lab LLC (“we”, “us”, “our”), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

2. Description of the Service

Dear Patience is an email relay service that introduces intentional, distance-based delays to messages exchanged between consenting users. Messages are sent to a Dear Patience address and delivered to the recipient’s real email after a delay determined by the connection’s chosen distance tier.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to use the Service. By signing up you represent that you meet this requirement.

4. Your Account

You are responsible for keeping your account credentials secure. Each account is tied to a unique Dear Patience address and a real email address. You may not impersonate another person or register an address that is misleading or offensive.

5. Acceptable Use

You agree not to use the Service to:

• Send spam, unsolicited bulk messages, or commercial advertising.
• Harass, threaten, or abuse other users.
• Transmit malware, phishing links, or any malicious content.
• Violate any applicable law or regulation.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these rules.

6. Message Handling

Messages sent through the Service are held on our servers until the delivery delay elapses. We may access message content as needed to operate, maintain, and improve the Service, and to enforce these Terms. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for more detail on how we handle your data.

7. Availability

We aim to keep the Service running reliably but cannot guarantee uninterrupted availability. Delays, outages, or data loss may occur. The Service is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis.

8. Plans and Billing

The Service has a free plan, which carries an allowance of outbound letters each quarter, and a paid plan, which lifts that allowance. The current allowance and price are shown on your desk and on our support page; at the time of writing the free allowance is thirteen outbound letters a quarter and the paid plan is $8 per quarter.

The paid plan renews automatically. It is charged in advance and renews every three months until you cancel. Payments are processed by Stripe; we do not receive or store your card details.

You may cancel at any time from your desk. Cancelling stops the next charge, and your paid plan continues to the end of the quarter you have already paid for; after that the account continues on the free plan. If a charge looks wrong to you, write to us at support@dearpatience.com.

If we change the price or the allowance, we will tell you by email before the change takes effect for you.

9. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Rootstock Lab LLC shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the Service, including lost messages or delayed delivery beyond expected times.

10. Termination

You may delete your account at any time. We may also suspend or terminate your account for violation of these terms or for any other reason with reasonable notice. Upon termination, your data will be deleted in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

11. Changes to These Terms

We may update these terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by email. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

12. Contact

Questions about these terms? Reach us at terms@dearpatience.com.