Terms of Service

1. Who we are

The service is operated by Karamel SRL, a company registered in Belgium under company number 0777.901.693, with its registered office in Waterloo, Belgium. For any question about these terms, write to admin@karamel.eu.

2. The service

Karamel provides veterinary tele-advice for pets through two services: the AI Veterinarian, which gives instant automated guidance, and the Human Veterinarian, a conversation with a licensed veterinarian. A conversation started with the AI Veterinarian can be escalated to a human veterinarian.

Both services provide general guidance, orientation and urgency assessment. They are advisory in nature and do not constitute a veterinary act within the meaning of Belgian veterinary legislation. Karamel does not establish a diagnosis, does not prescribe medication and does not provide treatment. A diagnosis, a prescription or a treatment requires a physical examination of the animal by a veterinarian.

Online advice never replaces an in-person veterinary consultation when one is necessary.

3. Access and payment

The service is paid in advance through secure external payment pages operated by Stripe. Karamel never receives or stores your card details. Displayed prices include VAT. The conversation starts once payment is confirmed.

Subscriptions and fair use

The AI Veterinarian is offered as a subscription, billed monthly or yearly through our payment provider Stripe. Subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled. You can cancel at any time through the customer portal; access continues until the end of the period already paid.

The subscription includes unlimited conversations under a fair-use policy. It is intended for the personal use of a single household and covers a maximum of two (2) animals. We expect usage as that of a prudent and reasonable person (in Belgian law, « en bon père de famille »).

• Professional or commercial use — including by breeders, shelters, boarding facilities or veterinary practices — is not covered by this subscription.
• Karamel may suspend or terminate a subscription in case of manifest abuse, such as usage volumes indicating the care of more than two animals.
• Invoices, payment methods and cancellation are managed through the Stripe customer portal.

4. Availability and response times

The AI Veterinarian is designed to respond immediately and is in principle available at any time. The Human Veterinarian service aims to respond within 30 minutes during its published opening hours. Availability and response times are best-effort commitments, not guarantees: maintenance, technical incidents or high demand can occasionally cause delays or interruptions.

5. Your responsibility

The advice you receive is general guidance based on the information you provide; its relevance depends on the completeness and accuracy of that information.

• You alone decide whether and how to follow the advice, and you remain responsible for the decisions you take concerning your animal.
• You must consult a veterinarian in person whenever your animal's condition requires it.
• In case of severe or rapidly worsening symptoms — such as breathing difficulty, collapse, seizures, severe bleeding, severe pain or suspected poisoning — contact an emergency veterinarian immediately.

6. Home intervention (VetEmergency)

After a tele-advice conversation, Karamel may help you request a veterinary home intervention performed by its partner VetEmergency in selected Belgian areas.

Karamel acts solely as a facilitator. VetEmergency is an independent service provider and is solely responsible for its interventions, its veterinarians, its availability, its rates and its invoicing. Home interventions depend on your postcode, the time, the urgency of the situation and available capacity, and are never guaranteed.

7. Refunds

If you are not satisfied with the service, you can request a full refund by writing to admin@karamel.eu.

8. Limitation of liability

Karamel makes no guarantee as to the outcome of any advice, the evolution of your animal's health, or the possibility of avoiding an in-person consultation, treatment or emergency care.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Karamel is not liable for the decisions you take on the basis of the advice provided, for the consequences of following or not following it, or for any delay in seeking in-person veterinary care. Karamel's total liability for any claim related to the service is limited to the amount you paid for that service.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law.

9. Intellectual property

All content of this website and the service — texts, illustrations, logos and layout — is protected and may not be reused without the prior written permission of Karamel SRL.

10. Applicable law

These terms are governed by Belgian law. Any dispute relating to the service falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Belgian courts.