Terms of Service

1.1 These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern the use of the website hipo-mustang.com (the "Website") and all services offered through it by HiPo Registry (the "Service").

1.2 Deviating terms of the user do not apply unless the provider expressly agrees to them in writing.

1.3 Definitions:

• "User" is any person who creates an account or uses the Service.
• "Consumer" is any natural person who uses the Service for purposes that are predominantly outside their trade, business, or profession.
• "Vehicle entry" is a data record created by a user for a vehicle, including information (e.g. VIN, specifications, photos, documents).
• "UGC" (User Generated Content) is content uploaded/posted by users (text, photos, documents, metadata).
• "Admin review" is the substantive/formal review of an entry by the provider or administrators.
• "Registered" and "Admin Verified" are (potentially paid) verification/access levels per Section 8.

1.4 Where parts of these Terms are provided in English, this is solely for the convenience of international users. The German version shall prevail unless mandatory law provides otherwise.

2.1 The provider and contractual partner is:

2.2 Further mandatory information can be found in the Imprint.

3.1 The Service is an international online registry for Ford Mustang 289 HiPo (K-Code) vehicles, model years 1965–1967.

3.2 Core features (subject to the scope of service offered at any given time):

• Creation of a user account (email + password)
• Creating, editing, and submitting vehicle entries (multi-step process)
• Uploading photos and verification documents
• Admin review of submissions (status: Draft → Pending → Active/Rejected)
• Public display of approved vehicle entries in a searchable registry

3.3 The provider does not owe any particular outcome (e.g. approval, "Admin Verified" status, search engine visibility), but rather the provision of the Service under these Terms.

3.4 No affiliation with Ford: The Service is an independent, privately operated registry. "Ford", "Mustang", and similar designations may be trademarks of third parties. The Service has no official connection to the Ford Motor Company or its affiliates.

4.1 A user account is required to submit and manage vehicle entries.

4.2 Users may only use the Service if they:

• are at least 18 years old or act with parental/guardian consent, and
• provide accurate information during registration.

4.3 Users must keep login credentials confidential and protect them from unauthorized use. The provider must be notified immediately if misuse is suspected.

4.4 The provider may suspend or terminate accounts for cause, in particular for:

• Violations of these Terms
• Unlawful content
• Security risks, abuse, automated attacks, circumvention of protective mechanisms
• Repeated false statements or deception attempts

5.1 Users may only post/upload content they have created themselves or for which they hold the necessary rights.

5.2 Prohibited content includes in particular:

• Content that infringes third-party rights (copyright, trademark, personality, data protection)
• Content containing third-party personal data without a legal basis/consent
• Photos with identifiable persons (to be expressly avoided)
• Hate speech, glorification of violence, illegal content, fraud, deception
• Malware, malicious links, manipulation attempts

5.3 Users warrant that submitted data is correct to the best of their knowledge. Users commit in particular to:

• providing only original factory/vehicle data and verifiable information
• not uploading documents containing unnecessary personal data
• redacting license plates/serial numbers/document details in photos where possible

5.4 The provider is not obliged to fully review user-submitted content for legal or factual accuracy before publication.

6.1 Publicly visible (for approved entries):

• Technical vehicle data/specifications
• Vehicle photos
• A masked VIN (e.g. 5 characters + "****" + 2 characters)

6.2 Not public and only for internal admin purposes:

• Full VIN
• Uploaded documents (e.g. title, build sheet)
• Internal admin notes and audit log information

6.3 Optionally public (only with active user consent):

• Owner name
• External forum username

6.4 Users acknowledge that public content may be indexed by search engines, stored/redistributed by third parties, and may persist temporarily in third-party caches/archives after deletion.

7.1 Review process: Submitted vehicle entries are reviewed by the provider/administrators. The provider decides at its own discretion based on objective criteria (e.g. completeness, plausibility, rule compliance).

7.2 No entitlement to approval: There is no legal right to approval or publication of a vehicle entry.

7.3 Rejection: In case of rejection, the provider may provide a reason. There is no entitlement to a specific level of reasoning detail; mandatory disclosure obligations remain unaffected.

7.4 Edit Requests: After approval, changes to vehicle entries can only be made via an "Edit Request" function. The provider may approve or reject changes.

7.5 Duplicate/Shared VIN: If the system detects the same VIN in multiple submissions, admins are notified and affected users may be informed. The provider decides on further action. The provider is not an arbiter of ownership/possession and assumes no liability for resulting disputes.

7.6 The provider may subsequently block, correct, or remove vehicle entries if required for compliance with these Terms, security, or legal conformity.

8.1 The Service may offer different verification levels, in particular:

• Registered (basic)
• Admin Verified (enhanced review, potentially paid)

8.2 "Admin Verified" means that the provider performs a plausibility and document review based on the information/documents provided by the user and designates the vehicle as "Admin Verified" if the documentation is deemed sufficient.

8.3 Important notice: An "Admin Verified" designation is not a guarantee of originality/authenticity, complete accuracy, market value, or suitability for purchase decisions. The Service is an informational registry.

8.4 The provider may subsequently change or revoke a verification level if new information emerges, abuse is suspected, or the requirements are no longer met.

8.5 Certificate: If a verification certificate is offered, a certificate number may be publicly verifiable. The certificate refers to the review status documented in the system, not a legally binding proof of ownership or authenticity.

9.1 Paid services (e.g. "Admin Verified", upgrades) are provided at the prices displayed on the Website.

9.2 Price components: As a small business pursuant to Section 19 UStG (German VAT Act), no VAT is charged or shown.

9.3 One-time payment per vehicle: A one-time fee per vehicle entry/upgrade is charged; no subscription is owed.

9.4 Payments are processed via Stripe. Stripe's terms additionally apply.

9.5 The price is due immediately upon contract conclusion unless otherwise stated.

9.6 Coupon codes may be time-limited, contingent, or subject to conditions. Abusive use may lead to suspension.

9.7 No outcome guaranteed: The fee compensates the review effort, not a particular outcome. If "Admin Verified" is not granted after review, the payment obligation generally remains. Statutory consumer rights remain unaffected.

This section only applies to consumers for paid services in distance selling.

10.1 Withdrawal instructions

You have the right to withdraw from this contract within fourteen (14) days without giving any reason. The withdrawal period is fourteen days from the day of contract conclusion.

To exercise your right of withdrawal, you must inform us of your decision by a clear statement (e.g. by email or letter):

To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send the notice before the deadline expires.

10.2 Consequences of withdrawal

If you withdraw from this contract, we will refund all payments received from you without undue delay and no later than fourteen days from the day we receive notice of your withdrawal. We will use the same means of payment used in the original transaction; no fees will be charged.

10.3 Commencement of service before expiry of the withdrawal period

If you request that we begin performing the service before the withdrawal period has expired:

• If you withdraw after performance has commenced, you may be obliged to pay compensation for the services provided up to the point of withdrawal.
• The right of withdrawal may expire early if the service has been fully performed and you expressly consented and acknowledged the loss of your right of withdrawal before commencement.

10.4 Model withdrawal form

11.1 The provider endeavors to maintain high availability but does not guarantee uninterrupted accessibility. Maintenance, security updates, disruptions, or capacity limits may cause outages.

11.2 The provider may adapt, develop, restrict, or discontinue features insofar as this is objectively justified and reasonable for users.

12.1 The provider is liable without limitation for intent and gross negligence, as well as for damages resulting from injury to life, body, or health.

12.2 In case of slightly negligent breach of material contractual obligations (cardinal obligations), liability is limited to the typically foreseeable damage.

12.3 Otherwise, liability for slight negligence is excluded to the extent permitted by law.

12.4 For user-generated content (UGC), the provider assumes no warranty for accuracy, completeness, or legality. "Admin Verified" is a plausibility check, not a guarantee (see Section 8).

12.5 Liability under mandatory statutory provisions remains unaffected.

13.1 Users shall indemnify the provider against justified third-party claims arising from content posted by the user or from violations of these Terms, to the extent the user is responsible.

13.2 Indemnification includes reasonable costs of legal defense. The provider will inform the user of such claims.

14.1 Users retain the rights to their own content.

14.2 Users grant the provider a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, transferable license to store, reproduce, process, display/make publicly accessible within the Service, and technically optimize the content, insofar as this is necessary for the operation, display, and security of the registry.

14.3 If users delete content or their account, this license generally ends for the future, unless statutory retention obligations or legitimate interests apply.

14.4 The provider may hold its own rights (e.g. database rights) in the compilation and structure of the registry.

15.1 The usage contract runs for an indefinite period and can be terminated by the user at any time by deleting their account.

15.2 The provider may terminate the contract for cause without notice, in particular for serious or repeated violations of these Terms.

15.3 Upon account deletion, personal account data is deleted/anonymized in accordance with the privacy policy. Public, purely vehicle-related registry data may continue to exist in anonymized form as part of the historical registry.

16.1 Reporting illegal content: Illegal content can be reported by email to: [email protected]

To enable efficient processing, reports should (where possible) contain:

• A reason why the content is considered illegal
• The exact location (URL)
• Name and email of the reporting party
• A statement that the information is complete and correct to the best of their knowledge

16.2 The provider processes reports promptly, carefully, and objectively and communicates a decision and possible remedies.

16.3 If content is removed/blocked or accounts are restricted, the affected user receives — where possible and legally permissible — a statement of reasons.

16.4 Users may appeal moderation decisions by email. The provider reviews the appeal and decides at its due discretion.

Information on the processing of personal data can be found in the Privacy Policy. It is not part of these Terms but applies supplementarily.

18.1 German law applies, excluding the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG). For consumers, this choice of law applies only insofar as it does not deprive them of the protection of mandatory provisions of the law of the state of their habitual residence.

18.2 For consumers, the statutory places of jurisdiction apply. For merchants/entrepreneurs, Aachen is the exclusive place of jurisdiction where permissible.

18.3 Should individual provisions of these Terms be or become wholly or partially invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions shall remain unaffected.

18.4 The provider may amend these Terms for the future if this is required for objective reasons. Users will be informed of changes in a timely manner. For paid individual contracts already concluded, the terms valid at the time of contract conclusion apply.