Ask Nick Johnson / Terms
Terms
The short version: the fixes here are what I've found works, not a guarantee. Paid help is best effort, and you only pay when it's fixed. The rest of this page says that more carefully.
Who you're dealing with
Ask Nick Johnson is run by Nick Johnson through Ironwood Ridge Holdings LLC, a South Carolina company. When you ask for help, it's me personally who reads your message and works with you. I'm not affiliated with Apple, Google, Microsoft, Samsung, your internet provider, or any other company whose products I write about. Their names belong to them.
The free fixes on this site
Every article is based on my own experience and testing, usually on a real device, on the date shown at the top of the article. I write them to be as accurate as I can make them. Even so:
- Software changes. Settings move, menus get renamed, and updates change how things behave. A fix that worked when I tested it may not match what you see today.
- Your situation may differ. Your device, carrier, account, or version can change the outcome.
- It's knowledge, not a guarantee. Following a step is your decision. Please back up your device before changing anything you'd be sorry to lose.
- I'll tell you when I'm wrong. If something turns out to be inaccurate, I correct the article, note what changed and why, and list it on the changes page. I don't quietly rewrite history.
Because of all that, the articles are provided as they are, without any warranty, and I'm not responsible for loss or damage that comes from following them. If you're not sure, ask me first.
Links to other sites
Some topic pages link to guides written by other people. Those links are always marked "External." I've read them and think they're useful, but I didn't write them, I don't control them, and they can change after I link to them. I don't copy their content onto this site, and the same "knowledge, not guarantee" point applies to them even more.
Paid help
When you send a request through the help form, here's the deal:
- No charge up front. I reply within one business day with what I think is going on, which option fits, and the price.
- You pay when it's fixed. If I can't fix it, you owe nothing. "Fixed" means the problem you described is resolved, as we agree together at the end of the session.
- Best effort, not a promise. I'll do what 18 years of this work has taught me. I can't guarantee a particular result, and some problems are outside what can be fixed remotely.
- What I won't do. I don't repair hardware, recover data from a failed drive, or make house calls. I'll say so plainly if your problem is one of those.
- Your screen, your passwords. If I need to see your screen, it's only with your okay, only while we work, and you can stop at any time. I never ask for or keep your passwords, and I never record the session.
- Back up first. Please have a current backup before a session. I'll work carefully, but you're responsible for your own data.
- Payment. Prices are listed on the help page. We agree how you'll pay when we agree the price. Card details never pass through this site.
Limits on liability
I take care with everything on this site and in every session, but I'm one person helping with everyday tech, not an insurer. To the fullest extent the law allows:
- For the free articles, my liability to you is zero. They're free and offered as they are.
- For paid help, my total liability for anything arising from a session is limited to the amount you paid me for that session.
- I'm not liable for indirect or consequential losses such as lost data, lost time, or lost income.
Nothing here limits any rights you have as a consumer that can't be limited by law.
Being decent to each other
I'll treat you with patience and respect. I ask the same. I can decline or end a request that's abusive, illegal, or asks me to get around someone else's security or someone else's account.
Your information
What I collect and how long I keep it is on the privacy page. The short version: only what's needed to reply to you, deleted 30 days after we're done or right away if you ask.
Changes to these terms
If I change these terms, the date at the top changes and the change is listed on the changes page. Changes apply to requests sent after that date, not to work already agreed.
The legal bits
These terms are governed by the laws of South Carolina, and any dispute is handled in the courts of Charleston County, South Carolina. If any part of them turns out to be unenforceable, the rest still applies.
Questions about any of this? Email nick@asknickjohnson.com.