Section 1: Dispute Resolution Overview

Any controversy, claim, action or dispute arising out of or related to any transaction conducted on the Sites, your visit to, or use of the Site or the breach, enforcement, interpretation, or validity of this the Terms or the Arbitration Agreement or any part of the Terms or the Arbitration Agreement (“Dispute”) shall be submitted to small claims court or confidential, binding arbitration, and shall be governed exclusively by the laws of the State of California, excluding its conflict of law provisions.

Section 2: Class Action Waiver and Arbitration Agreement

(1) Claims Subject to Arbitration: To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, AZAZIE and you agree that any and all Disputes, other than those filed in small claims court, shall be submitted to final and binding arbitration (the “Arbitration Agreement”). References to “AZAZIE”, “you”, “we”, and “us” in this Arbitration Agreement include our respective predecessors in interest, successors, and assigns, as well as our respective past, present, and future parents, subsidiaries and affiliates; those entities and our respective agents, employees, licensees, licensors, and providers of content as of the time your or our claim arises.

This Arbitration Agreement is intended to be broadly interpreted. It includes, but is not limited to:

Claims arising out of or relating to any aspect of the relationship between us, whether based in contract, tort, fraud, misrepresentation or any other statutory or common-law legal theory;

Claims that arose before this or any prior Arbitration Agreement (including, but not limited to, claims relating to advertising); and

Claims for mental or emotional distress or injury not arising out of physical bodily injury.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following shall not be subject to arbitration and may be adjudicated only in the state and federal courts of Santa Clara County, California: (i) any dispute, controversy, or claim relating to or contesting the validity of AZAZIE’s intellectual property rights and proprietary rights, including without limitation, patents, trademarks, service marks, copyrights, or trade secrets; (ii) an action by a party for temporary, preliminary, or permanent injunctive relief, whether prohibitive or mandatory, or other provisional relief; (iii) any legal action by AZAZIE against a non-consumer; or (iv) interactions with governmental and regulatory authorities.

Either party may elect to have Disputes heard in small claims court seeking only individualized relief, so long as the action is not removed or appealed to a court of general jurisdiction.

(2) Class Action and Jury Trial Waiver: You and AZAZIE agree that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, each party may bring claims (whether in small claims court or in arbitration) against the other only in an individual capacity, and not participate as a plaintiff, claimant, or class member in any class, collective, consolidated, private attorney general, or representative proceeding. This means that you and AZAZIE may not bring a claim on behalf of a class or group and may not bring a claim on behalf of any other person unless doing so as a parent, guardian, or ward of a minor or in another similar capacity for an individual who cannot otherwise bring their own individual claim. This also means that you and AZAZIE may not participate in any class, collective, consolidated, private attorney general, or representative proceeding brought by any third party.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, you or AZAZIE may participate in a class-wide settlement.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you and AZAZIE waive any right to a jury trial.

YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WOULD HAVE HAD A RIGHT TO LITIGATE IN A COURT, TO HAVE A JUDGE OR JURY DECIDE YOUR CASE AND TO BE PARTY TO A CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. HOWEVER, YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE TO HAVE ANY CLAIMS DECIDED INDIVIDUALLY AND ONLY THROUGH ARBITRATION OR SMALL CLAIMS COURT. You expressly agree to refrain from bringing or joining any claim in any representative or class-wide capacity, including but not limited to bringing or joining any claims in any class action or any class-wide arbitration. You shall have thirty (30) days from the date that you purchase a product or provide information to the Site to opt out of this Arbitration Agreement. To opt out of arbitration you must contact us in writing at legal@azazie.com (email). If more than thirty (30) days have passed from the date that you purchase a product, you are not eligible to opt out of arbitration with respect to claims relating to that product. If more than thirty (30) days have passed from the date that you provided information to the website, you are not eligible to opt out of arbitration with respect to claims relating to the website.

This Arbitration Agreement evidences a transaction in interstate commerce, and thus the Federal Arbitration Act (9 U.S.C. §§ 1-16) governs the interpretation and enforcement of this arbitration provision. This Arbitration Agreement shall survive termination of this Agreement.

(3) Mandatory Pre-Arbitration Notice and Informal Dispute Resolution Procedures: You and we agree that good-faith, informal efforts to resolve disputes often can result in a prompt, cost-effective and mutually beneficial outcome. Therefore, a party who intends to initiate arbitration or file a claim in small claims court must first send to the other a written Notice of Dispute (“Notice”). A Notice from you to AZAZIE must be emailed to legal@azazie.com (“Notice Address”). Any Notice must include (i) the claimant’s name, address, and email address; (ii) a description of the nature and basis of the claim or dispute; (iii) if you are submitting the Notice, any relevant facts regarding your use of the AZAZIE website, including whether you have created an account with or receive any emails associated with the AZAZIE website and/or if you have made a purchase from the AZAZIE website, and if so, the date(s) of the purchase(s); (iv) a description of the nature and basis of the specific relief sought, including the damages sought, if any, and a detailed calculation for them; and (v) a personally signed statement from the claimant (and not their counsel) verifying the accuracy of the contents of the Notice. The Notice must be individualized, meaning it can concern only your dispute and no other person’s dispute. After receipt of a completed Notice, the parties shall engage in a good faith effort to resolve the dispute for a period of 60 days (which can be extended by agreement). You and we agree that, after receipt of the completed Notice, the recipient may request an individualized telephone or video settlement conference (which can be held after the 60-day period) and both parties will personally attend (with counsel, if represented). You and we agree that the parties (and counsel, if represented) shall work cooperatively to schedule the conference at the earliest mutually-convenient time and to seek to reach a resolution. If we and you do not reach an agreement to resolve the issues identified in the Notice within 60 days after the completed Notice is received (or a longer time if agreed to by the parties), you or we may commence an arbitration proceeding or a small claims court proceeding (if permitted by small claims court rules).

Compliance with this Mandatory Pre-Arbitration Notice and Informal Dispute Resolution Procedures section is a condition precedent to initiating arbitration. Any applicable limitations period (including statute of limitations) and any filing fee deadlines shall be tolled while the parties engage in the informal dispute resolution procedures set forth in this subsection. All of the Mandatory Pre-Arbitration Notice and Informal Dispute Resolution Procedures are essential so that you and AZAZIE have a meaningful opportunity to resolve disputes informally. If any aspect of these requirements has not been met, a court of competent jurisdiction may enjoin the filing or prosecution of an arbitration. In addition, unless prohibited by law, the arbitration administrator may not accept, administer, assess, or demand fees in connection with an arbitration that has been initiated without completion of the Mandatory Pre-Arbitration Notice and Informal Dispute Resolution Procedures. If the arbitration is already pending, it shall be administratively closed. Nothing in this paragraph limits the right of a party to seek damages for non-compliance with these Procedures in arbitration.

(4) Arbitration Procedure: The arbitration will be governed by applicable rules of National Arbitration & Mediation (“NAM”) (including the Comprehensive Dispute Resolution Rules and Procedures and/or the Supplemental Rules for Mass Arbitration Filings, as applicable) (“NAM Rules”)), as modified by this Arbitration Agreement, and will be administered by NAM. (If NAM is unavailable or unwilling to do so, another arbitration provider shall be selected by the parties that will do so, or if the parties are unable to agree on an alternative administrator, by the court pursuant to 9 U.S.C. §5.) The NAM Rules are available online at www.NAMADR.org or by requesting them in writing at the Notice Address. You may obtain a form to initiate arbitration at: https://www.namadr.com/content/uploads/2020/09/Comprehensive-Demand-for-Arb-revised-9.18.19.pdf or by contacting NAM.

You and we agree that the party initiating arbitration must submit a certification that they have complied with and completed the Mandatory Pre-Arbitration Notice and Informal Dispute Resolution Procedures requirements referenced in subsection (3) above, and that they are a party to the Arbitration Agreement enclosed with or attached to the demand for arbitration. The demand for arbitration and certification must be personally signed by the party initiating arbitration (and their counsel, if represented).

All issues are for the arbitrator to decide, except as otherwise expressly provided herein and except as to issues relating to the scope and enforceability of the Arbitration Agreement or whether a dispute can or must be brought in arbitration, which are for a court of competent jurisdiction to decide. The arbitrator may consider but shall not be bound by rulings in other arbitrations involving different customers.

Unless we and you agree otherwise, or the applicable NAM Rules dictate otherwise, any arbitration hearings will take place in the county (or parish) of your billing address. For residents outside the United States, arbitration shall be initiated in Santa Clara County, California. At the conclusion of the arbitration proceeding, the arbitrator shall issue a reasoned written decision sufficient to explain the essential findings and conclusions on which the award is based. The arbitrator’s decision is binding only between you and AZAZIE and will not have any preclusive effect in another arbitration or proceeding that involves a different party. An arbitrator’s award that has been fully satisfied shall not be entered in any court.

As in court, you and AZAZIE agree that any counsel representing a party in arbitration certifies when initiating and proceeding in arbitration that they are complying with the requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(b), including certification that the claim or relief sought is neither frivolous nor brought for an improper purpose. The arbitrator is authorized to impose any sanctions under the NAM Rules, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11, or applicable federal or state law, against all appropriate represented parties and counsel.

Except as expressly provided in the Arbitration Agreement, the arbitrator may grant any remedy, relief, or outcome that the parties could have received in court, including awards of attorneys’ fees and costs, in accordance with applicable law. Unless otherwise provided by applicable law, the parties shall bear their own attorneys’ fees and costs in arbitration unless the arbitrator awards sanctions or finds that either the substance of the claim, the defense, or the relief sought is frivolous or brought for an improper purpose (as measured by the standards set forth in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11(b)).

(5) Arbitration Fees: The payment of arbitration fees (the fees imposed by the arbitration administrator including filing, arbitrator, and hearing fees) will be governed by the applicable NAM Rules, unless you qualify for a fee waiver under applicable law. If after exhausting any potentially available fee waivers, the arbitrator finds that the arbitration fees will be prohibitive for you as compared to litigation, we will pay as much of your filing, arbitrator, and hearing fees in the arbitration as the arbitrator deems necessary to prevent the arbitration from being cost-prohibitive, regardless of the outcome of the arbitration, unless the arbitrator determines that your claim(s) were frivolous or brought for an improper purpose or asserted in bad faith. You and we agree that arbitration should be cost-effective for all parties and that any party may engage with NAM to address the reduction or deferral of fees.

(6) Confidentiality: Upon either party’s request, the arbitrator will issue an order requiring that confidential information of either party disclosed during the arbitration (whether in documents or orally) may not be used or disclosed except in connection with the arbitration or a proceeding to enforce the arbitration award and that any permitted court filing of confidential information must be done under seal to the furthest extent permitted by law.

(7) Offer of Settlement: In any arbitration between you and AZAZIE, the defending party may, but is not obligated to, make a written settlement offer at any time before the evidentiary hearing or, if a dispositive motion is permitted, prior to the dispositive motion being granted. The amount or terms of any settlement offer may not be disclosed to the arbitrator until after the arbitrator issues an award on the claim. If the award is issued in the other party’s favor and is less than the defending party’s settlement offer or if the award is in the defending party’s favor, the other party must pay the defending party’s costs incurred after the offer was made, including any attorney’s fees. If any applicable statute or case law prohibits the shifting of costs incurred in the arbitration, then the offer in this provision shall serve to cease the accumulation of any costs to which the party bringing the claim may be entitled for the cause of action under which it is suing.

(8) Requirement of Individualized Relief: The arbitrator may award declaratory or injunctive relief only in favor of the individual party seeking relief and only to the extent necessary to provide relief warranted by that party’s individual claim. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, YOU AND WE AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR OUR INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS, REPRESENTATIVE, OR PRIVATE ATTORNEY GENERAL PROCEEDING. Further, unless both you and we agree otherwise, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person’s claims and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative, class, or private attorney general proceeding. If, after exhaustion of all appeals, any of these prohibitions on non-individualized declaratory or injunctive relief; class, representative, and private attorney general claims; and consolidation are found to be unenforceable with respect to a particular claim or with respect to a particular request for relief (such as a request for injunctive relief sought with respect to a particular claim), then the parties agree such a claim or request for relief shall be decided by a court of competent jurisdiction, after all other arbitrable claims and requests for relief are arbitrated. You agree that any arbitrations between you and AZAZIE will be subject to this Arbitration Agreement and not to any prior arbitration agreement you had with AZAZIE, and, notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement to the contrary, you agree that this Arbitration Agreement amends any prior arbitration agreement you had with AZAZIE, including with respect to claims that arose before this or any prior arbitration agreement.

(9) Opt Out of Future Changes: Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, if AZAZIE makes any future change to this Arbitration Agreement (other than a change to the Notice Address), you may reject any such change by sending AZAZIE an email to legal@azazie.com within 30 days of the posting of the amended arbitration agreement that provides: (i) your full legal name, (ii) your complete mailing address, (iii) your phone number, (iv) and, if applicable, the username or email address associated with any potential account on the AZAZIE website. Such an opt-out email must be sent by you personally, and not by your agent, attorney, or anyone else purporting to act on your behalf. It must include a statement, personally signed by you, that you wish to reject the change to the Arbitration Agreement. This is not an opt out of arbitration altogether.

(10) Mass Filing: If at any time 25 or more claimants (including you) submit Notices or seek to file demands for arbitration raising similar claims against the other party or related parties by the same or coordinated counsel or entities, consistent with the definition and criteria of Mass Filings (“Mass Filing”) set forth in NAM’s Mass Filing Supplemental Dispute Resolution Rules and Procedures (“NAM”s Mass Filing Rules”, available at https://vvww.namadr.com/resources/rules-fees-forms/), you and we agree that the additional procedures set forth below shall apply. The parties agree that throughout this process, their counsel shall meet and confer to discuss modifications to these procedures based on the particular needs of the Mass Filing. The parties acknowledge and agree that by electing to participate in a Mass Filing, the adjudication of their dispute might be delayed. Any applicable limitations period (including statute of limitations) and any filing fee deadlines shall be tolled beginning when the Mandatory Pre-Arbitration Notice and Informal Dispute Resolution Procedures are initiated, so long as the pre-arbitration Notice complies with the requirements in that subsection, until your claim is selected to proceed as part of a staged process or is settled, withdrawn, otherwise resolved, or opted out of arbitration.

Stage One: Counsel for the claimants and counsel for AZAZIE shall each select 25 claims per side (50 claims total) to be filed and to proceed in individual arbitrations as part of a staged process. Each of these individual arbitrations shall be assigned to a different, single arbitrator unless the parties agree otherwise in writing. Any remaining claims shall not be filed or be deemed filed in arbitration, nor shall any arbitration fees be assessed in connection with those claims unless and until they are selected to be filed in individual arbitration proceedings as part of a staged process. After this initial set of staged proceedings is completed, the parties shall promptly engage in a global mediation session of all remaining claims with a retired federal or state court judge.

Stage Two: If the remaining claims are not resolved at this time, counsel for the claimants and counsel for AZAZIE shall each select 50 claims per side (100 claims total) to be filed and to proceed in individual arbitrations as part of a second staged process, subject to any procedural changes the parties agreed to in writing. Each of these individual arbitrations shall be assigned to a different, single arbitrator unless the parties agree otherwise in writing. Any remaining claims shall not be filed or be deemed filed in arbitration, nor shall any arbitration fees be assessed in connection with those claims unless and until they are selected to be filed in individual arbitration proceedings as part of a staged process. After this second set of staged proceedings is completed, the parties shall promptly engage in a global mediation session of all remaining claims with a retired federal or state court judge.

If your claim is not resolved as part of the staged process identified above, either:

Option One: You and AZAZIE may separately or by agreement, opt out of arbitration and elect to have your claim heard in court consistent with the Agreement. You may opt out of arbitration by providing your individual, personally-signed notice of your intention to opt out by sending AZAZIE an email to legal@azazie.com. Such an opt-out email must be sent by you personally, and not by your agent, attorney, or anyone else purporting to act on your behalf. It must include a statement, personally signed by you, that you wish to opt out of arbitration within 30 days after the conclusion of the mediation associated with Stage 2. AZAZIE may opt your claim out of arbitration by sending an individual, personally signed notice of its intention to opt out to your counsel within 14 days after the expiration of your 30 day opt out period. Counsel for the parties may agree to adjust these deadlines.

OR

Option Two: If neither you nor AZAZIE elect to have your claim heard in court consistent with Option One, then you agree that your claim will be resolved as part of continuing, staged individual arbitration proceedings as set forth below. Assuming the number of remaining claims exceeds 200, then 200 claims shall be randomly selected (or selected through a process agreed to by counsel for the parties) to be filed and to proceed in individual arbitrations as part of a staged process. If the number of remaining claims is fewer than 200, then all of those claims shall be filed and proceed in individual arbitrations. Any remaining claims shall not be filed or be deemed filed in arbitration, nor shall any arbitration fees be assessed in connection with those claims unless and until they are selected to be filed in individual arbitration proceedings as part of a staged process. After each set of 200 claims are adjudicated, settled, withdrawn, or otherwise resolved, this process shall repeat consistent with these parameters. Counsel for the parties are encouraged to meet and confer, participate in mediation, and engage with each other and with NAM (including through a Procedural Arbitrator) to explore ways to streamline the adjudication of claims, increase the number of claims to proceed at any given time, promote efficiencies, conserve resources, and resolve the remaining claims.

A court of competent jurisdiction shall have the authority to enforce these Mass Filing provisions and, if necessary, to enjoin the mass filing, prosecution, or administration of arbitrations and the assessment of arbitration fees. If these additional procedures apply to your claim, and a court of competent jurisdiction determines that they are not enforceable as to your claim, then your claim shall proceed in a court of competent jurisdiction consistent with this Agreement.

You and AZAZIE agree that we each value the integrity and efficiency of arbitration and wish to employ the process for the fair resolution of genuine and sincere disputes between us. You and AZAZIE acknowledge and agree to act in good faith to ensure the processes set forth herein are followed. The parties further agree that application of these Mass Filing procedures have been reasonably designed to result in an efficient and fair adjudication of such cases.

(11) Severability: If any portion of this Arbitration Agreement is found to be void, invalid, or otherwise unenforceable, then that portion shall be deemed to be severable and, if possible, superseded by a valid, enforceable provision, or portion thereof, that matches the intent of the original provision, or portion thereof, as closely as possible. The remainder of this Arbitration Agreement shall continue to be enforceable and valid according to the terms contained herein.

Event Ready