Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") are an agreement between you and Muse Escorts, New Zealand ("Muse", "we", "us", "our"). Contact: Muse Escorts admin, support@museescorts.co.nz.

In these Terms, an "advertiser" is an independent escort or an agency that lists one or more profiles on Muse. A "visitor" is anyone who browses the site. "You" means whichever of those you are. Visitors do not have accounts.

By using the site, creating an account or publishing a listing, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use Muse. Accepting these Terms electronically, by ticking a box or clicking a button, is valid under Part 4 of the Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017. How we change these Terms, and how we tell you, is set out in section 15.

2. Platform Nature, Scope, and Liability

2.1 Advertising Directory Only

Muse is an online classifieds directory, the digital equivalent of a classified advertising page. Independent escorts and agencies create and publish their own listings. Adults browse those listings. Any contact happens directly between the visitor and the advertiser, on the advertiser's own phone through WhatsApp, SMS or a call, outside Muse. We host listings, and that is where our role ends. We:

• DO NOT provide any services ourselves
• DO NOT employ, manage, direct or supervise any advertiser or any person listed by an agency
• DO NOT arrange, broker, mediate or procure any meeting, booking or transaction
• DO NOT relay messages between visitors and advertisers, or direct or refer visitors to particular advertisers
• DO NOT guarantee or represent the quality, safety, legality or suitability of anything advertised
• DO NOT control the pricing, availability, schedules, methods, locations or terms of any service
• DO NOT take a commission or any share of money paid between visitors and advertisers
• DO NOT know whether any contact, meeting or arrangement actually takes place

2.2 Promoting the Directory

We promote Muse as a whole through search engines, digital marketing and social media, and we may email or text prospective advertisers to invite them to list. That promotes the directory, not any individual advertiser. It does not amount to arranging or sourcing clients for anyone, it creates no obligation on us toward any advertiser or visitor, and it is not a representation about anything advertised on Muse.

2.3 Independent Advertisers (No Relationship)

Every escort and agency on Muse is an independent person or business running their own affairs. Nobody who advertises here is an employee, agent, contractor, partner or representative of Muse, and nothing in these Terms creates that kind of relationship. Advertisers:

• Create and manage their own listings
• Set their own terms, boundaries and rates without any input from us
• Are responsible for their own legal, tax and regulatory position
• Handle every enquiry and arrangement directly, on their own phone
• Run their business entirely separately from Muse
• Are free to advertise anywhere else at the same time

The only relationship between us is that of an advertiser and the publisher of an advertising directory. We cannot act on your behalf, and you cannot act on ours.

2.4 Not an Operator under the Prostitution Reform Act 2003

Muse is not an "operator of a business of prostitution" as that term is defined in section 4 of the Prostitution Reform Act 2003. We do not employ sex workers. We do not manage or control the provision of commercial sexual services by anyone, and we do not arrange them. We publish listings that advertisers write themselves. Every contact, arrangement and payment is made directly between the parties without our involvement or knowledge. Any advertising fee we charge in future will be for directory space only. It will never be a commission, a share of revenue or a payment derived from the provision of commercial sexual services.

2.5 Dashboard Tools (Personal Record-Keeping Only)

The dashboard gives advertisers a few optional tools: a calendar, a notes field and an availability indicator. They exist for one reason, to let you keep your own private business records in a convenient place. To be clear:

• The calendar is a personal diary. You can note appointments you have arranged yourself, by phone, text or email. It does not create, confirm, process or manage any booking. Nothing is booked "through" Muse, and we do not pass calendar entries to anyone.
• The notes field is a private notepad for your own use. Notes are not shown to anyone else.
• The availability indicator is set and controlled by you. It is a self-reported status, not a booking system. We do not check or promise that anyone is actually available at any time.

None of these tools involve Muse in any arrangement between you and anyone else. They are the equivalent of a paper diary or a calendar app on your phone.

2.6 Content Review and Verification (Not an Approval)

Every new profile is looked at by a Muse admin before it appears on the directory, and every photo added to a live profile is looked at shortly after it is added. New profiles are usually looked at within 24 hours. If we decline a profile we tell you why, and you can fix it and submit it again.

We want to be clear about what that look is. It is a review, not an approval, an audit or a certification. We look at what is in front of us and we take down what we can see is wrong, but we do not verify, warrant or certify that any listing is accurate, lawful, or compliant with our Content Guidelines, our Acceptable Use Policy or any law. Some things will slip through. The advertiser is solely responsible for everything in their listing, and our review does not change that.

Verification. Advertisers who verify first upload a verification photo, which is stored for admin eyes only and never shown publicly, and then complete an identity check run by a specialist third-party provider. That check reads a government-issued identity document, takes a live selfie and matches the selfie to the portrait on the document. Muse never receives or stores the document itself, the legal name or the date of birth. We keep only the outcome, confidence scores, issuing country and limited fraud signals. The provider deletes its session data after processing. See our Privacy Policy for details.

A verification badge means one thing: the person who verified holds a government ID showing they are 18 or over, and their live selfie matched that ID at the time. It does not mean:

• That the photos on the listing are recent, or that the person will look the same when you meet
• Anything about the services, rates or availability described in the listing
• That Muse has checked the person's immigration status or work rights. Those are the advertiser's own declaration (see section 3.3)
• Any endorsement, recommendation, quality assurance, health check or safety assessment by Muse

Group, duo and venue listings are marked as group profiles and are not individually verified. An escort listed by an agency has been individually verified only where her own profile carries a badge. A listing without a badge has not been individually verified. Verified and active profiles rank higher in the directory.

Neither our review nor our verification process creates a duty of care to anyone relying on a listing. All listing content is written and uploaded by the advertiser.

2.7 Off-Platform Conduct

We have no involvement in, knowledge of, control over or responsibility for anything that happens outside Muse. That includes:

• Any contact between a visitor and an advertiser by phone, text, email, social media or any other channel
• Any meeting, arrangement or transaction between them, whether or not they found each other on Muse
• The conduct or behaviour of any visitor or advertiser in any setting
• Any payment between a visitor and an advertiser
• Any dispute between them
• Any injury, loss, damage or harm of any kind arising from their interaction

Our role ends when a listing is published. Everything that happens after someone views a listing is outside our knowledge, control and responsibility.

3. Who Can Use Muse

3.1 Age Requirements

3.2 Legal Capacity

You must be legally able to enter into a binding agreement where you live.

3.3 Immigration and Work Rights (Escorts and Agencies)

3.4 Geographic Restrictions

Muse is built for New Zealand. If you use it from anywhere else you do so at your own risk and you must follow your local laws.

4. Accounts and Responsibilities

4.1 Account Creation

• Give accurate, complete details and keep them up to date
• Keep your login secure and tell us straight away if someone else gets into your account
• One account per escort and one login per agency. Duplicate accounts are not allowed

4.2 Account Types

Escorts

independent advertisers who create and manage their own profile

Agencies

one login that manages any number of escort profiles. Escorts listed by an agency do not have their own login

Visitors

do not have accounts. Profiles you save are stored in your own browser only

4.3 Agency Accounts (Additional Requirements)

4.4 Suspension, Takedown and Termination

We may hide, take down or suspend a listing, or suspend or close an account, at any time where we see or are told about:

• A breach of these Terms, the Acceptable Use Policy or the Content Guidelines
• Illegal activity or content
• False information or impersonation
• Harassment or abusive behaviour

We look at every report we receive. Where a report is genuine and raises an immediate concern for someone's safety, we suspend the listing while we look into it. We do not suspend on every report.

4.5 Deleting Your Profile or Account

Escorts can delete their own profile from Settings, then Account, in the dashboard. Agencies can delete any of their escort profiles the same way. Anyone can also email support@museescorts.co.nz. The public listing comes down immediately. The rest of your account data is deleted within 30 days, except records we need to keep for an open investigation, a safety or bait and switch report, or where the law requires us to keep them. See our Data Retention and Deletion Policy.

5. Prohibited Uses and Content

5.1 Prohibited Activities

5.2 Platform Misuse

• Reverse engineering or scraping the site
• Spam, harassment or unsolicited messages
• False or misleading listings
• Impersonating anyone
• Getting around our security or review measures

5.3 Content Standards

Everything you publish must:

• Comply with New Zealand law
• Be truthful and not misleading
• Respect other people's intellectual property and image rights
• Contain no malicious code or links

Content that is objectionable under the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 will be removed, and we may report it to the Department of Internal Affairs.

Our rules against hateful content never override section 17 of the Prostitution Reform Act 2003: every sex worker may refuse any client, for any reason, at any time. Advertisers are free to state their own boundaries.

5.4 Safer Sex Practices

5.5 Under 18s and Trafficking

6. Legal Compliance

6.1 New Zealand Law

Everyone who uses Muse must comply with New Zealand law, including:

• Prostitution Reform Act 2003 - sex work
• Crimes Act 1961 - criminal law, including trafficking and intimate visual recordings
• Privacy Act 2020 - personal information
• Fair Trading Act 1986 - misleading conduct and unfair contract terms
• Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 - objectionable content
• Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 - harmful online content

6.2 Your Responsibility

You are responsible for making sure that what you do on and off Muse complies with the law.

6.3 Working with Police and Regulators

We cooperate with law enforcement and may report suspected illegal activity. If you see something concerning, please tell us through the Report page straight away.

7. Platform Fees and Payments

7.1 Platform Fees

Advertising on Muse is free right now. Every advertiser, escort or agency, gets their first 12 months free from the day they sign up. After that we plan to charge a weekly fee per live profile, and agencies will be billed per live escort profile. When fees apply:

• Fees are for advertising space on the directory only, never for arranging or brokering anything
• Fees, the billing cycle and the free period will be set out in separate Subscription Terms, which govern billing once they take effect. You will be told clearly before you are ever charged
• We do not, and will not, take a commission or any share of money paid between visitors and advertisers
• Payments between visitors and advertisers never touch Muse

7.2 Refunds

Any future fees, including the refund position, are governed by the Subscription Terms when they take effect.

7.3 Third-Party Payments

When billing starts, payments will be handled by a third-party payment provider, whose terms will apply to the payment itself. We will name that provider in our Privacy Policy and Subscription Terms at the time. Muse does not currently store any payment card details.

7.4 GST

Muse is not currently registered for Goods and Services Tax in New Zealand. We will register when our turnover reaches the threshold under the Goods and Services Tax Act 1985, or before we begin charging fees, whichever comes first. Once fees apply, prices will be shown inclusive of GST where it applies, and we will issue tax invoices that comply with the Act.

8. Privacy and Data Protection

How we handle your personal information is set out in our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms.

8.1 Data Use

• We collect only what we need to run the directory
• We handle your information under the Privacy Act 2020
• We do not sell personal information
• Messages we send prospective and existing advertisers by email or text identify Muse Escorts and include a way to stop them, as the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007 requires

8.2 Discretion

We understand how sensitive this industry is, and we take care to protect the discretion of everyone who uses Muse.

9. Comprehensive Disclaimers

9.1 Preservation of Statutory Rights

9.2 Platform Provided "As Is"

Subject to section 9.1, Muse is provided "as is" and "as available". To the extent New Zealand law allows, we disclaim all warranties, representations and conditions, express, implied or statutory, including any implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement. We do not promise that:

• The site will always be available, uninterrupted, secure or error-free
• Anything you get from the site will be accurate, reliable or complete
• Any defect will be fixed within a particular time
• The site will meet your particular requirements or expectations

9.3 Listing Content

All listing content (descriptions, photos, rates, availability, services, measurements and every other claim) is written, uploaded and controlled by the advertiser who publishes it. Listing content is not authored, verified for accuracy, endorsed or guaranteed by Muse. A Muse admin looks at profiles and photos (section 2.6), but that is a review, not an approval, and it does not extend to checking whether any claim is true. You acknowledge that:

• You rely on any listing at your own risk
• We are not liable for any inaccuracy, misrepresentation or omission in any listing
• Descriptions, photos and other content may not reflect reality
• Rates and availability are self-reported by advertisers and may be out of date

9.4 Accuracy of Listings

We make no representation or warranty about the accuracy, completeness, currency or reliability of anything in any listing. Advertisers are solely responsible for their listings. We do not independently check physical descriptions, photos, rates, availability, experience, location or anything else. Use your own judgment before relying on a listing.

9.5 Service Quality

We do not provide, deliver, perform or have any involvement in any service advertised on Muse. We make no representation, warranty or guarantee about the quality, safety, suitability, timeliness, professionalism or legality of anything you may arrange with an advertiser, whether or not you found them through Muse. Everything is provided by independent people entirely outside our knowledge and control.

9.6 Personal Safety

9.7 Immigration Status and Work Rights

We do not verify, confirm, guarantee or represent the immigration status, visa status or work rights of any advertiser or any person listed by an agency. We require advertisers to declare their eligibility under section 19 of the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 (section 3.3), but that declaration is theirs alone and we have no way to check it. We are not liable for any advertiser who misrepresents their status. If you suspect an advertiser does not hold valid work rights, please use our Report page or contact Immigration New Zealand.

9.8 Tax Obligations

Every advertiser is an independent person or business running their own affairs. They are responsible for their own tax, including registration with Inland Revenue, income tax returns, GST where it applies, ACC levies and anything else New Zealand law requires. We do not give tax advice, we do not check anyone's tax compliance, and we are not liable for any advertiser's tax position. Any advertising fee we charge is separate from, and unconnected to, any tax on services arranged between advertisers and visitors.

9.9 Disputes Between Visitors and Advertisers

Every arrangement, agreement, communication and interaction between a visitor and an advertiser is between those two people, without any involvement from us. We are not a party to it. We have no responsibility or liability for:

• Any dispute, disagreement or claim between them
• Any financial loss, non-payment or payment dispute between them
• Any personal injury, illness, distress or property damage arising from their interaction
• Any breach of an agreement between them
• Any criminal act by either of them
• Any misrepresentation by one to the other

Any dispute with another advertiser or visitor is for you and them to resolve directly. You agree not to bring a claim against Muse for the conduct of another advertiser or visitor, except where the law does not allow us to exclude that liability.

9.10 Your Responsibility

You are solely responsible for: (a) your own conduct on and off Muse; (b) the accuracy and lawfulness of anything you publish; (c) your own compliance with the law, including the Prostitution Reform Act 2003, the Fair Trading Act 1986, the Crimes Act 1961 and the Privacy Act 2020; (d) your own safety and the safety of others in any interaction; and (e) your own tax, immigration and business obligations.

10. Limitation of Liability

10.1 Off-Platform Matters

As an advertising directory only, Muse has no involvement in, and accepts no liability for, any service, interaction, arrangement, transaction, communication, dispute or event between visitors and advertisers, or between either of them and anyone else, whether or not they found each other on Muse. Without limiting that, we exclude all liability for:

• Any service provided or received
• Any personal injury, illness, distress or death arising from any interaction
• Any financial loss, theft, fraud or non-payment between visitors and advertisers
• Any property damage or loss arising from any interaction
• Any dispute or legal claim between visitors and advertisers
• Any criminal act by any visitor or advertiser

10.2 Consequential Loss

To the extent New Zealand law allows, we are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary or punitive loss, including loss of profit, revenue, business, data, goodwill or opportunity, however it arises (in contract, tort including negligence, statute or otherwise), even if we were told it was possible.

10.3 Aggregate Liability Cap

Subject to sections 9.1 and 10.6, our total liability to you for all claims arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of Muse, in whatever form, is limited to the greater of: (a) the total advertising fees you actually paid to Muse in the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim; or (b) NZ$100. This cap applies to all claims together, not per claim.

10.4 Technical Operation Only

Where we do have liability (subject to sections 9.1, 10.3 and 10.6), it is limited to direct loss caused by the technical operation of the site itself, for example a fault on our side that loses listing content you submitted. We have no liability for anything arising from listing content, interactions between visitors and advertisers, off-platform conduct, or any service advertised on Muse.

10.5 Privacy Act 2020 Obligations

Nothing in this section limits our obligations under the Privacy Act 2020, including data security, breach notification and the handling of personal information. Those obligations are set out in our Privacy Policy.

10.6 What This Section Does Not Cover

Nothing in sections 9 or 10 excludes or limits our liability for fraud or wilful default by us, or for anything the law does not allow us to exclude or limit.

11. Advertiser Indemnity

If you are an advertiser (an escort or an agency), you agree to cover us for any loss, damage or reasonable cost we suffer because a third party brings a claim against us that arises from:

• Your breach of these Terms
• Content you upload or publish on Muse
• Your breach of New Zealand law
• Fraudulent, misleading or unlawful conduct by you

This indemnity is limited to claims brought by third parties. It does not apply to loss caused by our own breach, negligence, fraud or wilful default. Visitors give no indemnity.

12. Governing Law and Disputes

12.1 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of New Zealand.

12.2 If Something Goes Wrong

If something goes wrong, talk to us first at support@museescorts.co.nz and we will try to sort it out. If we cannot, you can use other legal means available to you in New Zealand.

Nothing in this section limits your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, the Fair Trading Act 1986 or the Privacy Act 2020, or your right to complain to a regulator.

13. Statutory Compliance Notices

These notices set out, for the avoidance of doubt, where Muse stands under the key New Zealand statutes.

13.1 Prostitution Reform Act 2003

Sex work has been decriminalised in New Zealand since 2003. Under the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 ("PRA"), an "operator" of a business of prostitution is a person who employs or engages sex workers, or who manages or controls the provision of commercial sexual services. Muse is not an operator. We do not employ or engage any sex worker, and we do not manage or control the provision of any commercial sexual services. We publish an advertising directory. The obligations the PRA places on operators (including sections 8, 9 and 10) do not apply to us because we do not meet the definition. The advertising limits in section 11 apply to broadcast, print and signage, not to online listings. Advertisers are responsible for their own compliance with the PRA, including safer sex practices (section 9), the immigration rule in section 19, and the under-18 provisions in sections 20 to 23. Section 17 gives every sex worker the right to refuse any client, for any reason, at any time, and nothing on Muse takes that away.

13.2 Fair Trading Act 1986

The Fair Trading Act 1986 ("FTA") prohibits misleading and deceptive conduct in trade. Muse does not author, endorse or verify the accuracy of any listing. Every listing is created by the advertiser, and if a listing is misleading, the advertiser who created it is responsible under the FTA. We make no representation to any visitor about the accuracy, truthfulness, quality or reliability of any listing, and you should not treat a listing as a representation by Muse. The unfair contract terms provisions of the FTA apply to our contracts with advertisers, and we have written these Terms with them in mind.

13.3 Privacy Act 2020

The Privacy Act 2020 governs how personal information is collected, used and disclosed in New Zealand. We follow the Information Privacy Principles, and our Privacy Policy describes what we collect and why. Your rights under the Act, including the right to access and correct your information and to complain to the Privacy Commissioner, are not limited by these Terms. Advertisers who collect personal information from visitors through their own dealings are responsible for their own compliance with the Act.

13.4 Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015

Muse is an online content host under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 ("HDCA"). Everyone who publishes content on Muse is responsible for making sure it is not a harmful digital communication. If content on Muse is about you and you believe it is harmful, you can use the process below. It follows section 24 of the Act.

How to complain about content that is about you

Email support@museescorts.co.nz with:

• Your name
• A way to contact you (email or phone)
• The URL of the listing or page
• What the content is and why it is harmful to you

Then:

1. Within 48 hours of receiving a complete complaint, we tell the author of the content about it and pass on your complaint. We do not pass on your contact details unless you agree
2. The author has 48 hours to respond
3. If they do not respond, or they agree, the content comes down
4. If they object, the content stays up and we tell you. You can then go to Netsafe on 0508 638 723 or at netsafe.org.nz, or take the further steps the Act gives you

This process is separate from our Report page and our bait and switch report, both of which stay anonymous.

13.5 Consumer Guarantees Act 1993

If you are an advertiser, you acknowledge that you use Muse in trade, for the purposes of your business, and you and we agree to contract out of the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 ("CGA") to the extent section 43 of that Act allows. If you are a visitor, nothing in these Terms limits any guarantee you have under the CGA. The CGA does not apply to anything arranged between an advertiser and a visitor. We are not the supplier of those services.

14. Severability and General Provisions

14.1 Severability

If any part of these Terms is found to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable, that part is removed and the rest continues to apply. If a part would be valid with a small change, it applies with the smallest change needed to make it valid while keeping its original intent.

14.2 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Subscription Terms (once they take effect), Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Data Retention and Deletion Policy, Acceptable Use Policy and Content Guidelines, are the entire agreement between you and Muse about your use of the site. They replace any earlier agreement, communication or understanding, written or spoken, on the same subject.

14.3 No Waiver

If we do not enforce a right or a provision of these Terms, we have not given it up. A waiver is only effective if it is in writing from Muse.

14.4 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations under these Terms without our written consent. We may assign ours as part of a merger, acquisition, restructure or sale of all or most of our assets.

14.5 Third-Party Rights

These Terms give no rights to anyone other than you and Muse. No third party can enforce any part of them under the Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017 or otherwise.

14.6 Survival

These sections continue to apply after these Terms end or you stop using Muse: section 2 (Platform Nature, Scope, and Liability), section 9 (Comprehensive Disclaimers), section 10 (Limitation of Liability), section 11 (Advertiser Indemnity), section 12 (Governing Law and Disputes), section 13 (Statutory Compliance Notices), this section 14, and section 16 (Bait and Switch Reporting and Removal).

15. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms when the law or the site changes. When we do, we will:

• Post the updated Terms on this page and change the "Last updated" date
• If you are an advertiser, email the address on your account at least 30 days before a change that affects you takes effect
• Explain what has changed

If you do not want to continue under the updated Terms, you can delete your profile or account before the change takes effect and nothing further applies to you. Using Muse after the change takes effect means the updated Terms apply to you.

Any fees, including what happens to fees when you leave, are governed by the Subscription Terms when they take effect.

16. Bait and Switch Reporting and Removal

16.1 What Counts as Bait and Switch

A listing is treated as bait and switch where any of the following happens at a confirmed in-person meeting arranged using the contact details published on the listing:

• A different person attends from the person shown in the listing photos;
• The person who attends differs materially from the listing description in age, ethnicity, body shape, or any other physical feature a reasonable person would rely on when choosing the listing; or
• The listing photos have been altered, generated or substituted so that they no longer show the person who attends.

Honest variation between a recent photo and how someone looks in person (lighting, hair, weight, tan or makeup) is not bait and switch.

16.2 Who Can Report

Reports can be made at /bns-report by:

• Any visitor who personally attended the meeting;
• Any other visitor or advertiser with first-hand knowledge of what happened; or
• A Muse admin acting on credible discussion on public New Zealand forums and websites that cover the local industry.

Reports can be anonymous and do not need an account. Leaving an email address is optional. If you leave one, we acknowledge your report within 2 business days and tell you the outcome. If you do not, you will not hear back from us.

16.3 Evidence

To open a report for review, we need at least one of:

• A screenshot of the message thread that arranged the meeting, showing the contact number or handle published on the Muse listing;
• A screenshot of a call log to or from the number published on the Muse listing; or
• A link to a public New Zealand forum or website thread discussing the same incident.

A forum link on its own is enough for us to open a review and ask the advertiser for a reply. It is not enough on its own for permanent removal. Permanent removal needs first-hand evidence, such as the screenshots above. We may ask for more before we decide. Phone-only bookings, where there is no message thread, are looked at case by case from the call log and the description you give.

16.4 External Monitoring

We keep an eye on public New Zealand forums and websites that discuss the local industry. Where several credible posts describe the same bait and switch incident about a Muse listing, we may open a report on that listing ourselves. Those reports go through the same review, right of reply and evidence rules as reports from the public, including the rule that permanent removal needs first-hand evidence. We do not name the forums we watch, so that we can change them over time.

16.5 Right of Reply

When a report is opened against a listing, the escort, or the agency that manages the profile, is told through a banner in their dashboard. They get a fair chance to respond, supply their own evidence and ask for the report to be looked at again before we make a final decision. This right of reply reflects the response and takedown principles of the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015.

16.6 Standard of Proof

Throughout the review, every report is treated as alleged until we have weighed the evidence and either upheld or dismissed it. We uphold a report on the balance of probabilities, based on what the reporter supplied, the reply (if any) from the advertiser, and anything else that corroborates or contradicts it. This approach is consistent with the defences of truth (section 8), honest opinion (sections 9 to 12) and qualified privilege (section 16) of the Defamation Act 1992.

16.7 Outcomes

Where a report is upheld, we may, at our discretion, do one or more of the following:

• Require the listing to be corrected within a set time;
• Suspend the listing until it is corrected;
• Permanently remove the listing from Muse; and
• Decline future listings under the same identity, contact details or photos.

16.8 Reporter Anonymity and Privacy Act 2020

A reporter's identity is confidential and is not disclosed to the advertiser. Personal information collected through the report form is collected for the lawful purpose of investigating bait and switch on Muse, and is handled under the Privacy Act 2020 and our Privacy Policy. An advertiser who is the subject of a report may exercise their access and correction rights under information privacy principles 6 and 7 by emailing support@museescorts.co.nz.

16.9 Records Kept After a Profile Is Deleted

Records of bait and switch reports, including the report itself, the evidence supplied, a snapshot of the listing at the time, and our decision, are kept for the safety and consumer protection purposes in this section even if the advertiser later deletes their profile or account, or the listing is removed. We keep them so the same operator cannot simply re-list under a different name, and so we can honour information requests from the reporter. The detail is in our Data Retention and Deletion Policy.

16.10 No Vigilantism, No Republication

A report to Muse is internal information used to assess a listing. Reporters and anyone else must not republish report contents, screenshots of the report form, or our correspondence on social media, in public forum posts, or to anyone else in a way that identifies the advertiser. Doing so may breach the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015, the Privacy Act 2020 or the Defamation Act 1992, and we may disregard further reports from that source.

16.11 Appeal

An advertiser who disagrees with our final decision can appeal in writing to support@museescorts.co.nz within 14 days of being told the decision. The appeal is looked at by someone at Muse who was not involved in the original decision. The original decision stands unless the appeal shows a material factual error, new evidence that was not available before, or a failure to follow this process.

16.12 Other Complaint Pathways

Nothing in this section stops anyone from also going to the Commerce Commission under the Fair Trading Act 1986, Netsafe under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner under the Privacy Act 2020, or the Police where a crime is suspected.

17. Contact Information

Muse Escorts, New Zealand. Contact: Muse Escorts admin, support@museescorts.co.nz.

Contact

Email

support@museescorts.co.nz

Use this address for questions about these Terms, formal notices, complaints under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015, and copyright or stolen photo notices.