Busbud Travel Sweepstakes – Official Rules

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS SWEEPSTAKES. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW, RULE OR REGULATION. THIS SWEEPSTAKES IS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PARTICIPATING COUNTRY LAWS.

BY ENTERING THE SWEEPSTAKES, YOU AGREE TO THESE OFFICIAL RULES, WHICH FORM A CONTRACT BETWEEN YOU AND SPONSOR, SO PLEASE READ THEM CAREFULLY BEFORE ENTERING. WITHOUT LIMITATION, THIS CONTRACT INCLUDES INDEMNITY OBLIGATIONS ON THE PART OF ENTRANT AND A LIMITATION OF ENTRANT'S RIGHTS AND REMEDIES, INCLUDING A CLASS ACTION WAIVER AND ARBITRATION PROVISION UNDER SECTION 12.

1. Sponsor

This Busbud Travel Sweepstakes (the "Sweepstake") is sponsored by Busbud, Inc. (“Sponsor”), located at 5425 Casgrain #901, Montreal, Quebec H2T 1X6, Canada. The Sweepstake is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with Instagram, TikTok, or any other social media platform.

2. Eligibility

The Sweepstake is open to legal residents of the United States, Canada (excluding Québec), and the United Kingdom who are 18 years of age or older (or the age of majority in their jurisdiction, if older) and are currently enrolled as students at a recognized university or college. Participants must have a valid educational email address (e.g., ending in .edu, .ac.uk, or equivalent). Employees of Busbud, its affiliates, subsidiaries, and their immediate family members (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) are not eligible to participate.

The Sweepstake is void in any jurisdiction where prohibited by law.

3. Sweepstake Period

The Sweepstake begins on September 16th at 12:01 AM EST and ends on October 14th at 11:59 PM EST (the "Sweepstake Period"). Entries received after the Sweepstake Period will not be eligible.

4. How to Enter

To enter, participants must:

Download the Busbud app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
Register an account or sign in using a valid university or college email address (e.g., ending in .edu, .ac.uk, or equivalent).
Agree to these Official Rules.

Optional Bonus Entry: Participants can receive one (1) additional entry by sharing a photo or video of themselves on a bus or train and tagging @busbud (Instagram) or @busbud_travel (TikTok). The post must be public to be eligible for the additional entry.

No other methods of entry will be accepted. Limit one (1) regular entry and one (1) bonus entry per participant during the Sweepstake Period.

Your odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible entries received.

While it is free to enter, by entering via your wireless mobile device (only available via participating wireless carriers), data rates may apply for each message sent or received from your handset according to the terms and conditions of your service agreement with your wireless carrier. Other charges may apply (such as normal airtime and carrier charges as well as charges for wireless Internet access) and may appear on your mobile phone bill or be deducted from your prepaid account balance. Wireless carriers' rate plans may vary, and you should contact your wireless carrier for more information on messaging rate plans and charges relating to your participation in the Sweepstakes. Mobile device service may not be available in all areas. Check your phone's capabilities for specific instructions. Sponsor is not responsible for any charges.

The Sweepstakes may be held, hosted, or promoted on social media platforms including but not limited to X, Instagram, Facebook, and any of its affiliated sites (The "Media Platforms"). By participating in the Sweepstakes, you hereby agree to adhere to the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and any other terms governing access to the Media Platforms, their servers, or their content. Sweepstakes is not sponsored or endorsed by the Media Platforms. By participating in this Sweepstakes, you agree to release the applicable Media Platforms from any claims, liabilities, or damages arising out of or in any way connected with this Sweepstakes except where prohibited by law,

5. Limit

Entries in excess of any stated limitation, and entries generated by script, macro, artificial intelligence, bots, or other automated means, or any means that subverts the entry process, will be void. Any attempted form of entry other than as described herein is void. Sponsor will determine, in its reasonable discretion, what constitutes a valid entry, and reserves the right to reject any submissions that it deems, in its sole discretion, to violate any of Sponsor’s policies, standards, or practices. All materials and entries submitted become the property of the Sponsor and will not be returned or acknowledged.

6. Prizes

A total of seven (7) winners will be selected. Each winner will receive $500 (USD or local equivalent) in Busbud travel credits (the “Prize”). Travel credits will be issued within seven (7) days of winner confirmation and can be used on Busbud to book bus or train tickets over a period of one year.

The travel credits are non-transferable, non-exchangeable, and cannot be redeemed for cash. Travel credits must be used within one (1) year of issuance. Any unused balance will be forfeited after the expiration date.

7. Winner Selection and Notification.

A random Draw will be conducted on or about Tuesday, October 15 2024 by the Sponsor from all eligible entries received during the Sweepstake Period.

The potential winner will be notified by email using the contact account information provided at the time of selection. The potential winner must reply with all requested information, in order to receive the Prize Documents (as defined below) via email. The Sponsor shall have no liability for any notification that is lost, intercepted, or not received for any reason unless Sponsor was wilfully responsible or acted with gross negligence. If, despite reasonable efforts, any potential winner does not respond within seventy-two (72) hours of the first notification attempt, or if Prize notification is returned as unclaimed or undeliverable, or if potential winner does not return any required Prize Documents within ten (10) calendar days of attempted first notification as set forth below, such potential winner will forfeit the Prize and, at Sponsor’s discretion, an alternate potential winner may be selected, time permitting. If any potential winner is found to be ineligible, or if the subject potential winner has not complied with the within Official Rules, or declines a Prize for any reason, such potential winner will be disqualified and, at Sponsor’s discretion, an alternate potential winner may be selected, time permitting.

NOTE: SHOULD A WINNER BE A CANADIAN RESIDENT AND BEFORE BEING DECLARED A CONFIRMED PRIZE WINNER, the Entrant will be required to correctly answer a mathematical skill-testing question without mechanical or other aid (which may, in the sole and absolute discretion of the Sponsor, be administered online, by email or other electronic means, by telephone, or in the Sponsor’s form of Declaration and Release).

8. Conditions of Participation

By entering, participants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and to comply with all federal, state, provincial, and local laws and regulations. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any participant who tampers with the entry process, submits false information, or otherwise violates these rules.

Sponsor is not responsible for incomplete, illegible, or lost entries, technical failures of any kind, or any unauthorized human intervention in the submission process.

9. Publicity

Except where prohibited by law, participation in the Sweepstake constitutes the participant’s consent to Sponsor’s use of their name, likeness, and entry (including social media content) for promotional purposes in any media without further compensation or notice.

9. Data Collection

Personal data collected in connection with this Sweepstake will be used solely for administering the Sweepstake and will be handled in accordance with Sponsor’s privacy policy, available at [Link to Privacy Policy].

10. General Liability Release

By participating, entrants release Sponsor, its affiliates, and each of their respective employees, officers, directors, and agents from any liability for any claims, costs, injuries, losses, or damages arising from participation in the Sweepstake or the acceptance, possession, or use of any prize. Sponsor is not responsible for technical issues or any issues that may prevent an individual from participating.

Sponsor makes no warranties, and hereby disclaims any and all warranties concerning any Prize furnished in connection with the Sweepstakes. WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING, PRIZES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND SPONSOR HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL SUCH WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND/OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

11. Tax Obligations

The Winner is responsible for all federal, provincial, state and local taxes as well as all costs and expenses associated with Prize acceptance and use not specified herein as being assigned.
If the winner is not from the US, there may be additional or equivalent tax forms required to be issued based on the Winner’s country of origin.
A winner from any non-US country may be required to sign and return certain tax documentation. Where applicable, the Sponsor may require the Winner to provide additional tax information, as required by law. Unless otherwise specified, the Winner will be responsible for any applicable taxes related to the acceptance of any Prize.
The winner shall be solely responsible for payment of any and all applicable local taxes for the Prize won.

12. Release of Liability / Conditions of Participation

A. Transmission of Information. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Sponsor and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates, successors, and assigns (all collectively the "Released Parties") are not responsible for: (1) any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by Entrant, printing, typographical or other errors, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Sweepstakes; (2) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to, malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines or network hardware or software; (3) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Sweepstakes; (4) printing, typographical, technical, computer, network or human error which may occur in (a) the administration of the Sweepstakes, (b) the uploading, processing, or random selection of entries, (c) the announcement of the Winner or potential winner, or (d) the Prizes or any Sweepstakes-related materials; (5) late, lost, garbled, misdirected, inaccurate, incorrect, undeliverable, damaged or stolen entries or mail; (6) costs associated with claiming or redeeming the Prize; and/or (7) losses or damages resulting from an Entrant’s connection to the Internet via any of the websites referenced herein. The Released Parties are not responsible for any (a) incorrect, mis-transcribed, mis-directed or undeliverable entries or e-mail transmissions, (b) incorrect announcements, (c) technical problems, including, without limitation, malfunctions of computer systems, servers, providers, or any hardware/software, (d) lost or unavailable network connections or failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmission, or (e) a combination of any of the foregoing. Sponsor assumes no responsibility for (i) late, lost, incomplete, inaccurate or damaged entries, (ii) undeliverable e-mails resulting from any form of active or passive e-mail filtering by a user's Internet service provider and/or e-mail client, or (iii) insufficient space in user's e-mail account to receive e-mail. Sponsor shall not be responsible for any damage (whether material or non-material) caused to Entrant’s computer equipment or to data which is stored on such equipment, or to Entrant’s personal, professional or commercial activities. Proof of submitting entries will not be deemed to be proof of receipt by Sponsor.

B. Fraud; Reservation of Rights. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, suspend, and/or modify this Sweepstakes, or any part of it, if any fraud, technical failures, or any other factors impair the integrity or proper functioning of the Sweepstakes, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. If terminated, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, determine winner from among all non-suspect, eligible entries received up to time of such action or as otherwise deemed fair and appropriate by Sponsor. Administrator, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify any individual it finds to be (a) tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Sweepstakes, (b) acting in violation of the Official Rules of this or any other promotion, or (c) acting in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, and to void all associated entries. The preceding remedy in no way precludes Sponsor from taking legal or other actions against such individuals so as to protect its rights. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any provision of these Official Rules in a given circumstance does not constitute the waiver of such provision.

CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE SWEEPSTAKES MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, THE SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

C. Release and Indemnity. Except where excluded by applicable law, by participating, each Entrant hereby releases the Released Parties, and agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold the Released Parties, and the other persons and entities involved in the development, production, and/or administration of the Sweepstakes, harmless, from any and all liability for losses, harm, damage, injury, costs, fees, and expenses, including without limitation, property damage, personal injury (including emotional distress), and/or death, arising from participating in the Sweepstakes, any Sweepstakes-related activity, and/or acceptance, receipt, possession or use/misuse of any Prize, and for any claims or causes of action based on publicity rights, defamation, or invasion of privacy and merchandise delivery.

13. Governing Law

This Sweepstake and the Official Rules are governed by the laws of Ontario, Canada.

14. Disputes

Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this contract including any question regarding its existence, interpretation, validity, breach or termination or the business relationship created by it shall be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration under the Canadian Arbitration Association Arbitration Rules. The place of the arbitration shall be Montreal, Quebec.

The Parties may wish to consider adding one or all of the following options:

There shall be 1 arbitrator.
The language of the arbitration shall be English.
The Arbitral Tribunal must select its award from one of the final offers made by each of the Parties, in its entirety and without modification. The Arbitral Tribunal need not provide detailed reasons for its award.
An oral hearing need not be held. (See Rule 9.4.)
There will be no appeal from the decision of the Arbitral Tribunal on questions of fact, law, or mixed fact and law.

Parties may also wish to decide what Rules will apply with respect to pre-hearing disclosure of documents and examinations for discovery, especially where Parties from more than one country or province are involved.

15. Modification and Termination

Sponsor reserves the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the Sweepstake at any time, for any reason, without notice. If the Sweepstake is terminated prematurely due to unforeseen circumstances, Sponsor may, at its sole discretion, conduct a random drawing from all eligible entries received up to the time of termination.

16. Sponsor Contact

For questions or concerns regarding this Sweepstake, please contact:
Busbud, Inc.
Email Address: support@busbud.com

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