Terms of Service

theroundone.com is a peer-to-peer mock interview and expert learning marketplace operated in India. The platform connects candidates with verified industry professionals for 1:1 mock interviews, group sessions, courses & masterclasses, Priority DMs, and Resume Reviews. These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of theroundone.com and all related services. By creating an account or using the platform you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the platform.

Last updated: October 2026.

To use The Round One you must be at least 18 years of age and a resident of India. Institutional accounts (colleges and organisations) may be created by an authorised administrator on behalf of the institution. You may create only one account per person or institution. Providing false or misleading information during registration — including a false name, mobile number, or institutional identity — may result in immediate account suspension and forfeiture of any pending payouts or refunds.

The Round One is an aggregator marketplace. We do not employ, engage, or contract with experts. We connect candidates and institutions with independent professionals (“Experts”) for the following types of engagements:

• 1:1 Mock Interviews — 30-minute one-on-one video sessions where the Expert conducts a domain-specific practice interview and provides structured written feedback.
• Courses & Masterclasses — multi-hour learning engagements defined and delivered by the Expert. The Expert sets the curriculum, price, and schedule. The Round One facilitates discovery and payment but does not control course content or delivery.
• Priority DM — candidates may send a written question to any expert and receive a guaranteed response within 48 hours. This is a platform-standard service priced at ₹300 per message, applicable to all experts. See Section 4C for full terms.
• Resume Review — candidates may submit their CV for written feedback from a domain expert. This is a platform-standard service priced at ₹300 per review, applicable to all experts. See Section 4C for full terms.
• Institutional Bookings — colleges and accredited institutions may book mock interview sessions for their enrolled students in bulk via the College Portal. These bookings are subject to the additional terms in Section 3C.

Experts self-verify their LinkedIn profiles during onboarding. We make no guarantee as to their expertise, qualifications, suitability, or any particular session or course outcome. All engagements are for practice and learning purposes only. The Round One does not guarantee any employment outcome, job placement, or career advancement as a result of using the platform.

These terms apply when you book a course or masterclass on The Round One.

1. Payment — Payment for all sessions is collected upfront at the time of booking. All amounts are in INR and include a platform facilitation fee.
2. Booking Confirmation — If the course has a fixed session schedule, your booking is confirmed immediately upon payment. Courses without a listed schedule are not available for booking.
3. Cancellation by You — You may cancel for a full refund only if you cancel at least 48 hours before the first session. Cancellations made after that — or after any session has been conducted — are not eligible for a refund.
4. Cancellation by Expert — If the expert cancels the entire course, you receive a full refund for all remaining sessions. If individual sessions are cancelled by the expert without rescheduling within 7 days, the proportional amount for those sessions is refunded.
5. Disputes — If a session does not take place as scheduled, raise a dispute within 48 hours via the platform. Disputes are reviewed based on the platform's Meet link records and any evidence submitted. If upheld, the proportional session amount is refunded. Disputes raised after 48 hours may not be considered.
6. No-shows — If you miss a session without raising a cancellation or dispute, no refund is issued. If the expert misses a session without notice and does not reschedule within 48 hours, that session's amount is refunded upon raising a dispute.
7. Session Conduct — Sessions are conducted over Google Meet using a link provided by the expert. The Round One does not host, monitor, or record sessions. The expert is solely responsible for delivering the session as described.
8. Content & Recordings — Course content is for your personal learning only. You may not redistribute, publish, or commercially use any session content or recordings without the expert's explicit written consent.
9. Expert Responsibility — The expert is an independent professional, not an employee of The Round One. We do not guarantee the quality, accuracy, or outcome of any course.
10. Platform Role — The Round One acts as a facilitator of booking and payment. Our liability is limited to the amount paid for undelivered sessions.
11. Governing Law — These terms are governed by the laws of India. Disputes shall be subject to the jurisdiction of courts in Delhi.

No hire/verdict assessment: Courses do not generate a hire/no-hire verdict. Courses are not eligible for the Talent Pool feature.

Pricing: Each expert sets their own course price. A platform facilitation fee of ₹30 per session is added to arrive at the total amount charged to the candidate.

Colleges and accredited institutions (“College Accounts”) may book mock interview sessions on behalf of their enrolled students through a dedicated institutional portal. These additional terms govern institutional bookings.

1. Account Setup — College accounts are created by platform admins. The authorised college administrator is responsible for all bookings made under the account.
2. Student Data — Student records (name, student ID, email, course, year, major) are uploaded by the college administrator. The college is responsible for obtaining any necessary consent from students before uploading their data. The Round One processes this data solely to facilitate session booking and communications.
3. Booking Process — The administrator selects students and expert time slots via the college portal, adds them to a cart, and pays via Razorpay. All session slots must be at least 48 hours from the time of booking.
4. Payment — Payment is made in advance by the institution via Razorpay. Booking confirmation, session links, and email notifications are sent automatically upon successful payment.
5. Session Links — Student-specific session links are sent to the email addresses uploaded by the college. The Round One is not responsible for sessions missed due to incorrect email addresses supplied by the college.
6. Cancellation — Institutional bookings are subject to the same 48-hour cancellation window as individual candidates. Cancellations made at least 48 hours before the session are eligible for a full refund, processed manually by our team within 5–7 business days. No refund is issued for cancellations within 48 hours.
7. Disputes — The college administrator may raise a dispute for any past session within 48 hours of the session end time via the Sessions tab on the college portal. Disputes are reviewed in accordance with Section 10 of these Terms.
8. Feedback — Expert feedback (verdict, strengths, areas to improve, overall assessment) is visible to the college administrator in the Sessions tab once submitted. The college agrees to use this feedback solely for internal student development purposes and not to share it publicly without the student's and expert's consent.
9. Platform Role — The Round One facilitates bookings and payments on behalf of the institution. We do not guarantee any particular outcome for students as a result of these sessions.
10. Governing Law — These terms are governed by the laws of India. Disputes shall be subject to the jurisdiction of courts in New Delhi.

1. Listing a Course — By listing a course you confirm you have the knowledge and intent to deliver all sessions as described. Misrepresentation may result in removal and withholding of earnings.
2. Session Schedule — You must add a fixed session schedule before your course is bookable. Once booked, the schedule is binding. You are responsible for being available at the listed dates and times.
3. Google Meet Link — You must provide a valid Google Meet link when listing a course. The platform sends this link to the candidate as a record. If a candidate cannot join due to a faulty link, any resulting dispute will be decided against you.
4. Payments & Earnings — Your earnings are your listed price minus the platform fee (₹30 per session). Earnings are released after the course completes with no pending disputes. The Round One may withhold earnings for sessions under active dispute.
5. Cancellations by You — If you cancel the entire course, the candidate receives a full refund and you forfeit all earnings for that booking. If you cancel individual sessions without rescheduling within 7 days, the proportional amount is refunded to the candidate and deducted from your earnings.
6. Disputes — If a dispute is upheld, the session amount is refunded to the candidate and you will not receive payment for that session. We strongly recommend recording each session (e.g. via Loom) — recordings are the strongest evidence in your favour.
7. No-shows by Candidate — If a candidate misses a session without raising a cancellation, no refund is issued and your earnings for that session are unaffected.
8. Conduct — Harassment, solicitation of off-platform payments, or inappropriate content will result in immediate suspension and forfeiture of pending earnings.
9. Off-platform Payments — Accepting payment outside the platform for sessions booked through The Round One is a violation of these terms and may result in permanent removal.
10. Tax Compliance — You are responsible for declaring and paying applicable taxes. The Round One may collect PAN details and issue TDS certificates where required.
11. Platform Role — The Round One facilitates bookings and payments. Listing a course does not create an employment or agency relationship with The Round One.
12. Governing Law — These terms are governed by the laws of India. Disputes shall be subject to the jurisdiction of courts in Delhi.

Each Interviewer sets their own session fee. The total price shown to the Interviewee includes a platform fee retained by The Round One. Interviewers may offer discounts at their discretion. Payment is made in advance via Razorpay, which supports cards, UPI, net banking, and wallets. The Round One does not store your payment details; all payment processing is handled by Razorpay in accordance with their terms and PCI-DSS standards.

Advance booking requirement: Sessions must be booked at least 48 hours before the scheduled start time. Slots within 48 hours of the current time are not available for booking. This requirement applies to both individual candidates and institutional (college) bookings.

Bookings are confirmed automatically upon successful payment. A confirmation email with your session link is sent immediately after payment. No manual verification step is required.

When an Interviewer has no available slots, Interviewees may click “Ask for slots”on the Interviewer's profile card. This sends the Interviewer a notification email informing them that a named candidate is interested in booking a session.

This feature is a non-binding expression of interest only. It does not constitute a booking request, a reservation, a confirmed session, or any form of contractual commitment. The Interviewer is under no obligation to add slots in response to such a notification. The Round One makes no representation or guarantee that the Interviewer will add slots or that a booking will result.

By clicking “Ask for slots”, the Interviewee consents to their name being shared with the Interviewer solely for the purpose of this notification. No other personal data is shared.

The Round One offers two platform-standard async services available on every expert profile:

• Priority DM (₹300 standard rate) — Send a direct written question or request to an expert. The expert is expected to respond within 48 hours. Priority DMs are a platform standard offering; the rate of ₹300 per message is set by The Round One and applies to all experts on the platform.
• Resume Review (₹300 standard rate) — Submit your CV or résumé for written feedback from a domain expert. The expert will review your document and provide structured written comments. The rate of ₹300 per review is set by The Round One and applies to all experts on the platform.

Standard rates: Both services are priced at ₹300 each. These rates are fixed by the platform and are not set by individual experts. Experts cannot charge more or less than these rates for these services.

Payment and refunds: Payment is collected upfront at the time of submission via Razorpay. If an expert does not respond within 48 hours, you are entitled to a full refund. Email support@theroundone.com to initiate the refund. No refund is issued once the expert has responded.

Expert obligations: By accepting a Priority DM or Resume Review request, the expert agrees to provide a genuine, considered response within 48 hours. Repeated non-responses may result in account suspension.

Scope: Priority DMs and Resume Reviews are for informational and advisory purposes only. They do not constitute a booking, a mock interview session, or a guarantee of any employment or application outcome.

Users may submit a “Group Session Interest” request on any Interviewer's profile card. This allows institutions, organisations, or independent groups to express interest in booking a group session — web-based or in-person — with a particular expert.

Submitting this form is a non-binding expression of interest only. It does not constitute a confirmed booking, a reservation, or any contractual commitment on the part of The Round One or the Interviewer. The Interviewer retains full discretion to accept or decline any group session request.

The Round One acts solely as an intermediary. We will share the request details with the Interviewer and notify the user of their decision. We make no guarantee that any Interviewer will accept a group session request or that a session will take place.

By submitting this form, the user consents to their name, email, organisation name, and session details being shared with the relevant expert for the sole purpose of evaluating the request.

The following refund rules apply:

• Cancellation 48 or more hours before the session:full refund to your original payment method (card, UPI, net banking, etc.) via Razorpay, processed within 5–7 business days.
• Cancellation within 48 hours of the session: no refund.
• Expert cancellation: if the Expert cancels your booking, you are eligible for a full refund regardless of how far in advance the cancellation occurs. Email us at support@theroundone.com to initiate the refund.
• Expert no-show: if the Expert does not join within 5 minutes of the scheduled start time, the Interviewee may raise a dispute directly from their dashboard. Upon verification of attendance records, a full refund will be processed.
• Interviewee no-show:no refund. The Expert's time is reserved and they are entitled to their payout.

Eligible refunds are processed manually by our team within 5–7 business days. To request a refund, email support@theroundone.com with your registered email address, session date, and expert name. Our team will process the refund to your original payment method or to a UPI ID you provide.

All participants agree to the following:

• Recording prohibited. Recording of sessions in any form — audio, video, or screen capture — is strictly prohibited without the explicit written consent of all parties.
• Both parties must join on time via the video link provided in their booking confirmation email.
• Do not share or use any external meeting links outside of the one provided in the booking confirmation.
• Any harassment, discrimination, abuse, or inappropriate behaviour may result in permanent account suspension without refund or payout.

Experts agree to:

• Conduct all sessions (mock interviews and courses) professionally and provide honest, constructive feedback.
• Mock interviews: Submit structured candidate feedback via the dashboard after each session. Feedback submission is mandatory for payout release. No hire/verdict assessment is required for courses.
• Courses: Schedule and deliver the course as described within a reasonable timeframe after booking confirmation. Failure to do so may result in a full refund to the candidate and account suspension.
• Repeated no-shows or sessions shorter than 25 minutes without a valid reason may result in account suspension and forfeiture of the payout for the affected session.

Profile visibility:An Interviewer's profile is listed on the platform once all required details — name, job title, company, years of experience, domain(s), LinkedIn URL, and UPI ID — are submitted and verified. Slots are not required for a profile to go live.Interviewers without available slots will appear on the platform; candidates may express interest via the “Ask for slots” feature and will be notified when slots become available.

Interviewers earn their set session fee per completed session. Payout is released once the Interviewer submits their candidate assessment and both parties confirm no dispute. If either party does not respond within 72 hours, payout is released automatically provided no dispute has been raised. Payouts are sent to the UPI ID registered on your profile.

No-dispute confirmation is permanent and cannot be edited after submission. Once confirmed, neither party can raise a dispute for that session.

Sessions shorter than 25 minutes due to the Interviewer's own actions are not eligible for payout. The Round One is not liable for delays caused by incorrect payout details provided by the Interviewer.

Tax compliance: We do not collect any identity or tax documents as part of your profile. If your cumulative payouts on the platform exceed ₹30,000 in a financial year, our team will reach out to you directly to collect the details required for statutory compliance. If these details are not furnished, your profile may be paused until they are provided.

After a session is completed and the Interviewer has submitted their assessment, Interviewees may voluntarily opt in to publish their assessment on the Talent Pool — a publicly accessible directory visible to all logged-in users of the platform, including recruiters and hiring managers.

By enabling the Talent Pool toggle, you explicitly consent to the following being displayed:

• Your name and the domain(s) in which you were assessed.
• The expert's structured assessment — including strengths, areas to improve, overall assessment, and verdict.
• Your registered email address, so that interested parties may contact you directly.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by toggling off the Talent Pool option on your dashboard. Once disabled, your entry will be removed from the Talent Pool immediately. However, The Round One is not responsible for any information already viewed or noted by third parties prior to withdrawal.

The Round One does not sell, rent, or otherwise transfer Talent Pool data to third parties. Contact details displayed are solely for the purpose of enabling direct communication between candidates and interested recruiters.

Any dispute regarding a session — including session quality, attendance, or conduct — must be raised within 72 hours of the session end time using the “Raise Dispute” option on your dashboard, or by emailing support@theroundone.comif you are unable to access your dashboard. Disputes raised after this window will not be considered. A party who has already confirmed “No Dispute” on their dashboard cannot subsequently raise a dispute for the same session.

The Round One will attempt to resolve all disputes informally within 7 business days of receiving a valid complaint. If the dispute cannot be resolved informally, it shall be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (India), as amended from time to time. The seat and venue of arbitration shall be New Delhi, India. The arbitration shall be conducted by a sole arbitrator appointed by mutual agreement of the parties, or failing agreement, by the competent court. The language of arbitration shall be English. The arbitral award shall be final and binding on both parties.

You agree that any dispute shall be resolved on an individual basis only. You waive any right to participate in a class action, collective arbitration, or representative proceeding.

The following are strictly prohibited:

• Creating fake or fraudulent bookings or submitting false payment information.
• Using the platform to solicit direct engagements with Interviewers or Interviewees outside of The Round One, thereby circumventing platform fees.
• Sharing login credentials with any third party.
• Scraping, automated access, reverse-engineering, or any attempt to compromise the platform's integrity or security.
• Creating multiple accounts to circumvent a suspension or ban.

All content on theroundone.com — including text, graphics, logos, and software — is owned by or licensed to The Round One. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works without our prior written consent. Candidate feedback reports generated through the platform are for your personal use only and may not be shared or published without the consent of the Interviewer.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, The Round One is not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of the platform. Our maximum total liability for any claim arising from these Terms is limited to the amount you paid for the specific session giving rise to the claim. We do not guarantee any employment outcome, job placement, or career advancement as a result of using the platform.

We may update these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email or a notice on the platform. Continued use of the platform after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, you must stop using the platform.

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India. Subject to the arbitration clause in Section 9, any disputes that are not subject to arbitration shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in New Delhi, India.

For any questions regarding these Terms, please contact us at: support@theroundone.com.