Terms & conditions

AVEL Wellness (“us”, “we” or “AVEL”) is the author and publisher of the internet resource avelwellness.in (“Website”) as well as the software, services and applications provided by AVEL Wellness, including online doctor search, consultation booking, video and audio consultations, Private Care, prescriptions and consultation summaries, follow-up care and support (together with the Website, the “Services”). These terms and conditions (“Terms”) and our Privacy Policy (available at avelwellness.in/privacy) together form a legal agreement (“Agreement”) between you and AVEL. Please read them carefully before you use the Services. BY CREATING AN ACCOUNT, BOOKING A CONSULTATION OR OTHERWISE USING THE SERVICES, YOU CONFIRM THAT YOU HAVE READ, UNDERSTOOD AND AGREE TO THESE TERMS. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ANY PART OF THEM, PLEASE DO NOT USE THE SERVICES.

• AVEL is a platform. We connect you with independent, verified healthcare professionals for scheduled online consultations. We are not a hospital and we do not give medical advice ourselves.
• You pay before your booking is confirmed. The fee is shown before you pay, with no hidden charges.
• Refunds are given if your consultation does not happen because of us or the doctor.
• Private Care is an educational and guidance session only. The doctor explains your condition to you. No prescription is issued and no medicine or drug is prescribed.
• Private Care limits what the doctor sees about you. It is not anonymous.
• AVEL is not for emergencies. If you may be in danger, call 112 or go to the nearest hospital.
• Your health information remains yours. We handle it as described in our Privacy Policy.
• We will tell you before we make important changes to these Terms.

• 1.1 These Terms apply to your visit to the Website and your use of the Services.
• 1.2 The Agreement applies to you whether you are:

• a patient, or a parent, guardian or representative booking on a patient’s behalf (“Patient”);
• a doctor or other healthcare professional who signs in to offer consultations (“Healthcare Professional”); or
• a visitor to the Website (“Visitor”). Patients, Healthcare Professionals and Visitors are together referred to as “you” or “Users”.

• 1.3 These Terms are published in compliance with, and governed by, the laws of India, including:

• the Indian Contract Act, 1872;
• the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021;
• the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and the rules made under it;
• the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020; and
• the Telemedicine Practice Guidelines, 2020, as they apply to Healthcare Professionals.

• 1.4 These Terms are an electronic record under the Information Technology Act, 2000. They do not need any physical or digital signature.
• 1.5 We may change these Terms from time to time. Section 19 explains how we will tell you.

• 2.1 In these Terms:

• “Consultation” means a scheduled online appointment between a Patient and a Healthcare Professional, held by video or audio (or, for Private Care, by call or chat), with messaging from the appointment page.
• “Normal Consultation” means a Consultation in which the Healthcare Professional can see your full profile, as described in the Privacy Policy, and in which the Healthcare Professional may provide a prescription where appropriate.
• “Private Care” means an educational and guidance Consultation, held by call or chat, in which the Healthcare Professional explains your condition to you, receives only the limited information described in Section 7, and does not provide a prescription or prescribe any medicine or drug.
• “Health Information” means information about your physical or mental health, including symptoms, history, prescriptions and consultation summaries.
• “Payment Partner” means the third-party payment service we use to process payments, currently Razorpay.

• 3.1 AVEL is an online platform that helps Patients find verified Healthcare Professionals, book scheduled online Consultations, make payment, and keep their care in one place.
• 3.2 Through the Website, you can:

• create and manage an account;
• search for Healthcare Professionals by name or speciality and review their professional details;
• choose a Normal Consultation or Private Care (an educational and guidance session);
• select a date and time from the Healthcare Professional’s own calendar;
• pay the Consultation fee;
• attend your Consultation, and message your doctor from the appointment page;
• receive a prescription (in Normal Consultations only) or consultation summary in your account, and book follow-ups; and
• raise support requests and read emergency guidance.

• 3.3 AVEL is not a hospital, clinic or medical practitioner. We do not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Healthcare Professionals are independent professionals, not our employees. Any medical advice or educational guidance you receive is given by the Healthcare Professional, who is responsible for it.
• 3.4 We review the credentials of Healthcare Professionals before they are listed. This is a check of their registration and qualifications. It is not a guarantee of the quality of care, and a listing or search result is not an endorsement of any Healthcare Professional.
• 3.5 The Services do not currently include selling medicines or conducting diagnostic tests. If that changes, we will publish additional terms.
• 3.6 We may add, change or remove features of the Services. We will give notice where a change materially affects a booking you have already made.

• 4.1 You must be at least 18 years old and legally able to enter into a contract to create an account. If the Patient is under 18, a parent or lawful guardian must create the account, give consent on the Patient’s behalf, and take responsibility for the use of the Services. We may ask the parent or guardian to be present during the Consultation.
• 4.2 You may book for a family member or dependant only if you are authorised to do so. You are responsible for the information you provide for them.
• 4.3 You sign in with your email address. You may keep only one account, and you may not share your sign-in details.
• 4.4 You must give accurate and current information and keep it up to date. If information you give is untrue, incomplete or misleading, or we have reasonable grounds to suspect so, we may suspend or end your access.
• 4.5 Please keep your sign-in details private and sign out on shared devices. Tell us immediately through Support if you suspect unauthorised use of your account. You are responsible for activity under your account, except where it results from a failure on our part.

• 5.1 Available times come from each Healthcare Professional’s own calendar. Your booking is confirmed only after your payment is successful and you receive confirmation in your account.
• 5.2 Before you book, please check that you have a working device, a stable internet connection, and a quiet, private place. We are not responsible if a Consultation cannot take place properly because of your device, connection or surroundings.
• 5.3 Please join on time. If you are late, the Healthcare Professional may shorten the Consultation or ask you to rebook, and the fee may not be refundable (see Section 6).
• 5.4 You will attend by video or audio as booked, or by call or chat for Private Care, and you can message your doctor from the appointment page. Please give accurate and complete information about your health. Incomplete or incorrect information can affect the advice or guidance you receive.
• 5.5 A Healthcare Professional may decline, pause or end a Consultation, or advise you to see a doctor in person, if:

• a physical examination or tests are needed;
• the situation is, or may be, an emergency;
• the information provided is not enough to advise safely; or
• you behave abusively or inappropriately. In such cases we will treat the refund fairly under Section 6.

• 5.6 You must not record, screenshot or share a Consultation without the consent of everyone taking part. AVEL does not record the audio or video of Consultations.
• 5.7 After a Normal Consultation, prescriptions and summaries are published by your Healthcare Professional to your account. No prescription is published after a Private Care session (see Section 7). You can book a follow-up with the same doctor at any time, subject to the doctor’s availability and fee.

• 6.1 The Consultation fee is shown before you pay, together with any taxes. We do not add hidden charges.
• 6.2 Payments are processed securely by our Payment Partner. We do not store your full card or bank details. Your payment is also subject to the Payment Partner’s own terms.
• 6.3 You can cancel or reschedule before the cut-off time shown on your appointment page. Cancelling within the cut-off time may reduce or remove your refund, as shown to you before you book.
• 6.4 You will receive a full refund if:

• the Healthcare Professional does not attend or cancels the Consultation;
• the Consultation cannot take place because of a technical problem on our side or the Healthcare Professional’s side;
• you were charged but the booking was not confirmed, or you were charged twice; or
• the Healthcare Professional ends the Consultation early for a reason that is not your fault, and the Consultation was not completed.

• 6.5 You may not receive a refund if you do not attend (no-show), cancel after the cut-off time, or the Consultation was completed. Private Care does not include a prescription or medicine, so not receiving one is not a ground for a refund. If you are not satisfied with a completed Consultation, please raise a support request within 7 days. We will review it fairly and may offer a full or partial refund.
• 6.6 Approved refunds are returned to the original payment method. We aim to start the refund within 7 working days of approval. Your bank or payment provider may take additional time to show it.
• 6.7 Fees are not transferable to another person or another doctor.

• 7.1 What Private Care is. Private Care is an educational and guidance Consultation, held by call or chat. The Healthcare Professional explains the condition you are suffering from, answers your questions and helps you understand it. It is an option for people who want to learn about their condition while sharing less about themselves. You choose it for each Consultation separately.
• 7.2 What Private Care does not include. In a Private Care Consultation, the Healthcare Professional will not:

• issue a prescription;
• prescribe, name or recommend any medicine, drug or dose for you; or
• order or start any treatment. Private Care is not a substitute for a diagnosis, a prescription or treatment. If you need any of these, please book a Normal Consultation or see a doctor in person.

• 7.3 What your doctor receives. In a Private Care Consultation, your doctor receives only a consultation reference code, your email address, your age, the symptoms and context you write, and the messages you send during the Consultation. Your doctor does not receive your name, photo, contact details, profile or history.
• 7.4 This is enforced by the Platform’s access rules, so the doctor’s account is not permitted to read the rest of your identity for that Consultation.
• 7.5 Private Care is not anonymous. AVEL still holds your account, payment, consultation and security records. We need them to run a safe service, handle disputes and meet legal obligations. Your doctor will see your email address, which may itself identify you.
• 7.6 You are responsible for what you write. If you include your name, phone number or other identifying details in your symptoms or messages, your doctor will see them.
• 7.7 Because your doctor does not see your history, please tell them anything medically relevant, such as earlier conditions, medicines and allergies. The doctor may ask you to switch to a Normal Consultation if that is needed for safe care.
• 7.8 You must not use Private Care to harass, threaten or impersonate anyone, to ask for or obtain a prescription or medicines, or for any unlawful purpose. Healthcare Professionals must not prescribe anything in Private Care even if asked, and must not try to identify you or contact you outside the Platform.
• 7.9 We may disclose more information where the law requires it, or where it is necessary to protect someone from a serious and immediate risk to life or health, as described in the Privacy Policy.

• 8.1 AVEL is not for emergencies. If you or someone else may be in danger, call 112 or go to the nearest hospital immediately. Do not wait for an appointment slot. The Emergency page offers guidance only.
• 8.2 An online Consultation has limits. There is no physical examination, and your doctor relies on what you tell them and any information you share. The advice or guidance may be limited or provisional.
• 8.3 Online Consultations are not a substitute for in-person care when it is needed. Please follow your doctor’s advice, and see a doctor in person if your condition worsens or does not improve.
• 8.4 Prescriptions are issued only in Normal Consultations, by Healthcare Professionals, under applicable law and telemedicine rules. Some medicines may not be prescribed through an online Consultation. No prescription is issued in Private Care.
• 8.5 Health information on the Website is general and educational. It is not medical advice. No outcome or result is guaranteed.

• 9.1 You agree to use the Services only for lawful purposes and in line with these Terms. You must:

• give accurate information;
• treat Healthcare Professionals and our team with respect;
• keep your account secure; and
• pay the fees for the Services you book.

• 9.2 You must not upload, share or transmit anything that:

• belongs to someone else, or that you have no right to share;
• is harmful, harassing, abusive, defamatory, obscene, hateful, or invasive of another person’s privacy;
• harms minors in any way;
• infringes any patent, trademark, copyright or other rights;
• is false or misleading, or impersonates another person;
• contains viruses or code designed to damage or disrupt systems;
• threatens the unity, integrity, defence, security or sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign states, or public order; or
• violates any law in force.

• 9.3 You must not:

• try to break, bypass or probe the security of the Website;
• use bots, scrapers or automated tools to access the Website;
• copy, reverse engineer or resell any part of the Services;
• create more than one account, or use another person’s account; or
• contact a Healthcare Professional through the Platform for anything other than the Consultation, or use the Platform to avoid paying fees.

• 9.4 If we learn that content breaks this Section, we may remove or disable it, keep a record of it for at least 90 days for government investigation purposes as the law requires, and suspend or end your access.

• 10.1 Our Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, why, who can see it, how long we keep it, and your rights. Please read it. It forms part of this Agreement.
• 10.2 Your Health Information remains yours. We use it only to provide the Services and for the purposes described in the Privacy Policy. We do not sell it.
• 10.3 We will send you service messages about your bookings, such as confirmations, reminders and follow-up information. We will send marketing messages only if you opt in separately, and you can opt out at any time.
• 10.4 To access, correct or delete your data, or to withdraw consent, raise a support request through the Support section of your account. We may need to verify your identity first. Some records may have to be kept for the period the law requires.

• 11.1 This Section applies only to Healthcare Professionals.
• 11.2 You confirm that you hold a valid registration and licence to practise under applicable law, that your qualifications and details are true, and that you will tell us immediately if your registration is suspended, cancelled or changed. We review your credentials before listing you, and may ask for updated proof at any time.
• 11.3 You are an independent professional. You are not our employee, agent or partner. You alone are responsible for your clinical decisions, advice, guidance, prescriptions and records, and for following the Telemedicine Practice Guidelines, 2020 and other applicable laws and ethical rules.
• 11.4 You must:

• keep your calendar accurate and attend Consultations on time;
• keep all patient information confidential, and use it only for the Consultation it was shared for;
• maintain the records that the law requires you to keep;
• advise an in-person visit or emergency care when needed;
• in Private Care, provide education and guidance only, and never issue a prescription or prescribe, name or recommend any medicine, drug or dose; and
• follow the Private Care rules in Section 7, including never trying to identify a Private Care patient.

• 11.5 You must not solicit patients for your own practice or for any other business through the Platform, prescribe medicines that cannot lawfully be prescribed online, promote any brand or product, or divert payments away from the Platform.
• 11.6 You agree that we may display your profile details to Patients. Your fees are set as shown on the Platform, and payments to you follow the arrangement agreed with us.
• 11.7 We may suspend or remove your profile if you break these Terms or the law, if we receive credible complaints, or if we cannot verify your credentials.

• 12.1 The Website, its design, software, text, logos and other content (other than information you provide) belong to AVEL or its licensors and are protected by law.
• 12.2 We give you a limited, personal, non-transferable permission to use the Services as these Terms allow. You may not copy, modify, distribute or use our content for any commercial purpose without our written permission.
• 12.3 You keep ownership of the content and Health Information you provide. You allow us to use it only as needed to provide the Services and as described in the Privacy Policy.

• 13.1 The Website may link to other websites or use third-party services, such as our Payment Partner. AVEL does not control them and is not responsible for their content, security or privacy practices. Their own terms apply when you use them. Please read them.

• 14.1 You can stop using the Services at any time. To close your account, raise a support request. Please settle any pending payments first. Any Consultation already booked will be handled under Section 6.
• 14.2 We may suspend or end your access, with notice where reasonably possible, if:

• you break these Terms or the law;
• you give false information;
• we suspect fraud, abuse or misuse of the Services;
• you act abusively towards a Healthcare Professional or our team; or
• we are required to by law.

• 14.3 If we end your access without any fault on your part, we will refund unused prepaid fees.
• 14.4 After termination, we handle your data as described in the Privacy Policy. Sections that by their nature should continue, such as those on liability, intellectual property and dispute resolution, will continue.

• 15.1 AVEL provides the Platform that connects you with Healthcare Professionals. We are not responsible for the medical advice, educational guidance, diagnosis, treatment or prescriptions given by a Healthcare Professional, or for the outcome of any Consultation. Any claim about medical care is between you and the Healthcare Professional.
• 15.2 We work to keep the Services available and secure, but we cannot guarantee that they will always be uninterrupted or error-free. The Services are provided on an “as available” basis.
• 15.3 To the extent the law allows, we are not liable for indirect, incidental or consequential losses, or for loss caused by your device, your internet connection, or third parties outside our reasonable control.
• 15.4 To the extent the law allows, our total liability to you for any claim arising from the Services is limited to the amount you paid for the Consultation that the claim is about.
• 15.5 Nothing in these Terms limits any liability that the law does not allow us to limit, including liability for fraud, or for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or any right you have under consumer protection law.

• 16.1 You agree to compensate AVEL for losses and reasonable legal costs that result from your breach of these Terms, your misuse of the Services, or your violation of any law or of another person’s rights. This does not apply to losses caused by our own fault.

• 17.1 We are not responsible for delay or failure caused by events beyond our reasonable control, such as natural disasters, fire, strikes, government action, power or internet failures, cyber-attacks despite reasonable safeguards, or failures of third-party services. We will make reasonable efforts to reschedule or refund affected bookings under Section 6.

• 18.1 These Terms are governed by the laws of India.
• 18.2 If you have a complaint, please first raise it with us through Support or our Grievance Officer (Section 21). We will try to resolve it fairly and promptly. If a dispute is not resolved within 30 days, either of us may take it to the competent courts in India. Those courts, at the place where AVEL’s registered office is located, will have jurisdiction, without affecting any right you have under consumer protection law to approach a consumer forum.

• 19.1 We may update these Terms when our Services or the law change. We will post the updated Terms on the Website with the new date.
• 19.2 If a change is important, such as one that affects your fees, refunds, or how your Health Information is used, we will tell you by email or in your account before it takes effect, and we will ask for fresh consent where the law requires.
• 19.3 If you do not agree with a change, you can stop using the Services and close your account. If you continue to use the Services after a change takes effect, the updated Terms apply to you.

• 20.1 Severability. If any part of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the rest will continue in effect.
• 20.2 No waiver. If we do not enforce a right straight away, we do not give it up.
• 20.3 Entire agreement. These Terms and the Privacy Policy are the whole agreement between you and AVEL for the Services, and replace earlier understandings.
• 20.4 Assignment. You may not transfer your rights under these Terms. We may transfer ours as part of a merger, acquisition or sale of the business, and we will tell you if that affects how we handle your data.
• 20.5 Language. These Terms are available in English and Hindi. If there is any difference, the English version prevails.

• 21.1 For questions about these Terms, or for any complaint about the Services, please raise a request through the Support section of your account or at avelwellness.in/support.
• 21.2 In line with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 and the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, we will acknowledge your complaint within 24 hours for content complaints and within 48 hours for other complaints, and aim to resolve it within 15 days for content complaints and within one month for other complaints.
• 21.3 The details of our Grievance Officer will be published on this page once our company registration is complete. Until then, please use the Support section.