Terms & Conditions

Section 1.

Introduction These Terms and Conditions regulate the utilization of the credential evaluation services offered by Council for Deductive Research and Education Development(“CDRED,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), as further detailed herein (including the CDRED website and all linked materials, content, and services, collectively referred to as the “Services”).

By utilizing the Services, you agree to abide by and accept these Terms and Conditions, indicating that you have read and comprehend them. CDRED reserves the right to utilize your information in accordance with these Terms and Conditions. It is essential to carefully review these Terms and Conditions. Failure to agree to these Terms and Conditions means that you should not access or use the Services since they create a legally binding agreement between you and CDRED.

These Terms and Conditions contain a compulsory arbitration provision, described in

Section 8 titled "Dispute Resolution & Arbitration Agreement," that necessitates you to arbitrate claims against CDRED on an individual basis to the fullest extent allowed by law. It implies that you cannot bring claims against CDRED in court and confirms your agreement to a class action waiver in arbitration, impacting your legal rights. Please read it thoroughly.

CDRED may modify these Terms and Conditions occasionally, and when it does, it will post the updated version. Your use of the Services following any changes indicates your agreement to the modified Terms and Conditions. It is advisable to check this page frequently for any modifications to these Terms and Conditions.

Section 2: CDRED Website

2.1 Account Registration

In order to use the Services provided by CDRED, you may need to register an account and provide certain information. It is a requirement that all information you provide is accurate, current, and complete. You must keep your information up-to-date and correct. If your information is found to be incorrect, CDRED may deny you access to the Services at their discretion, as allowed by applicable law.

You agree that your account is personal and you will not share your username, password, or any other security information with anyone else. You are responsible for all activities that occur on your account, username, and password. You must immediately inform CDRED if you suspect any unauthorized use of your account. CDRED is not responsible for any losses that may occur as a result of unauthorized use of your password or account.

It is your responsibility to keep your password safe and secure, and to be aware of any activity or actions carried out under your password. We recommend using strong passwords for your account.

Section 2.2: Security

In order to use the Services provided by CDRED, you must agree to use them only for lawful purposes and not engage in any activities that may disrupt or negatively impact CDRED. This includes activities such as engaging in illegal, abusive, harassing, or fraudulent behavior, hiding your identity, uploading malicious software, attempting to bypass technological measures to protect the Services, promoting other websites, and interfering with the proper operation of the Services.

CDRED reserves the right to block or limit access to the Services for any users or sources that violate these Terms and Conditions or pose a risk to the Services or CDRED as a whole, without prior notice.

You may communicate with CDRED through email, but please be aware that email communication is not encrypted and there is a risk that unauthorized persons may access your email. Additionally, emails may contain viruses or other malicious code that could harm your computer or interfere with its functionality. CDRED is not liable for any losses or damages resulting from emails received from CDRED or any other electronic communications with us or the Services.

Section 3 of the terms and conditions relates to the Basic Services provided by CDRED.

By using the Services, you may submit User Materials including academic transcripts, documents, and references to CDRED. CDRED may, at its discretion, make these User Materials available through the Services. By submitting User Materials, you grant CDRED a worldwide, perpetual, transferable, nonexclusive, and royalty-free right and license to use, modify, copy, publicly display, publicly perform, evaluate, distribute, translate, create derivative works, and store such materials in connection with the Services, regardless of the medium or form in which it is used. This license also means that you waive all moral rights you may have in the User Materials. CDRED may use the User Materials to validate academic credentials, issue advisory opinions, complete your application, and verify the legitimacy of other User Materials. You warrant that you either own all rights to the User Materials or have the right to grant CDRED the rights described above and that the User Materials do not violate the legal rights of any third party. CDRED may refuse to accept or transmit User Materials for any reason and may remove User Materials from the Services for any reason.

When you submit User Materials to CDRED, you agree that:

- You are solely responsible for the form, content, and accuracy of the User Materials.

- The User Materials do not violate any agreements, laws, or third-party rights, and are true and accurate.

- You expressly consent to CDRED retaining the User Materials for as long as necessary to provide, maintain, support, and improve the Services, as well as keep a record of completed evaluations and assessments.

- CDRED is free to use all or part of the User Materials without notifying or compensating you or anyone else.

- CDRED is granted the license outlined in

Section 3.1(b), with no obligation to anyone.

The following procedures and policies are to be acknowledged and accepted by users of CDRED in relation to the provision of their services:

- Complete Documentation: Accurate and true documentation, including relevant foreign educational credentials, is necessary for the provision of services by CDRED. Requirements for documents are specific to each country, and all received documents become the property of CDRED.

- Document Verification: CDRED reserves the right to verify all User Materials with issuing institution(s) at any time.

- Document Processing: CDRED will try to process User Materials within the applicable time period, which may vary depending on several factors.

- Requests for Additional Materials: CDRED may issue a document request for incomplete or insufficient User Materials.

- Forged/Altered Documents: CDRED may cancel applications without notice and will not prepare an evaluation report for forged/altered documents.

- Documents from Non-legitimate Institutions: CDRED will not issue any evaluation report for documents obtained from non-legitimate institutions.

- Translations: CDRED does not provide translation services, and User Materials must be translated into English or French before submitting an application.

- Evaluation Recognition: Applicants should confirm that a report from CDRED will be recognized and accepted by the intended institution, licensing board, or agency.

- Advisory Opinion: The evaluation reports provided by CDRED are advisory in nature and are not binding upon any institution or agency.

- Reassessments of Educational Equivalencies: CDRED reserves the right to reassess educational equivalencies as additional information becomes available.

- Change from Course-by-Course to Document-by-Document Report: CDRED may issue a Document-by-Document report if a Course-by-Course evaluation report cannot be prepared.

- Electronic Delivery: Many institutions and boards receive CDRED reports electronically, and in some cases, this may be the only method of delivery.

- File Cancellations: A processing fee applies upon cancellation, and completed evaluations cannot be cancelled.

- No refunds will be granted if the receiving entity does not accept the evaluation.

- Returned Checks: All returned checks are subject to a returned check fee.

- Deactivation of Applications: Incomplete applications 180 days after the payment date of the original application will be deemed “inactive” and retained for future use.

- Reactivation of Applications: A reactivation fee will be required to reopen and further process applications that have been deemed inactive.

3.4 Trailblazers: Occasionally, people who have immigrated to a relevant country (referred to as "Trailblazers") may interact with, advise, or provide content, testimonials, education, or training to users through or in connection with the Services (known as "Trailblazer Activities"). Any Trailblazer Activities are at the discretion of the respective Trailblazer, and CDRED is not responsible for any actions or omissions of any Trailblazer. CDRED does not supervise, direct or control any Trailblazer or Trailblazer Activities. It is solely your responsibility to make decisions regarding any Trailblazer or Trailblazer Activities.

3.5 Additional Services: CDRED may offer Additional Services from time to time, which have separate terms and conditions. The terms and conditions applicable to Additional Services are incorporated by reference, and in case of any inconsistency between these Terms and Conditions and the terms and conditions of Additional Services, the terms and conditions of Additional Services shall prevail to resolve the conflict. Schedule 1 provides the special terms for Educational Credential Assessment (IRCC).

The following section outlines the limitations of liability that apply to the use of CDRED services. CDRED, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, licensors, representatives, or contractors shall not be held responsible or liable to you or any third party, for any damages arising out of or related to these terms and conditions, the services or any user materials, under any circumstances. This includes but is not limited to, special, indirect, consequential, incidental, or punitive damages, loss of profits, loss of business opportunities, loss of data, or loss of goodwill, and any unavailability or inability to use the services or any other CDRED products and/or services. Additionally, this limitation applies to all causes of action, including breach of contract, breach of warranty, intellectual property infringement, negligence, strict liability, misrepresentation, and any other torts. The liability is limited to CAD$500.00 in aggregate. This limitation is a fundamental element of the agreement between you and CDRED, and access to services or any other CDRED products and/or services would not be provided without such limitations. However, some laws may not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages, and in such cases, the extent of CDRED's liability will be the minimum permitted under such law.

Section 5. The terms and conditions state that your use of the services,

Trailblazer activities, and any materials provided by CDRED is entirely at your own risk. The services, activities, and materials are provided on an "as is," "as available" basis, and without any express or implied warranties or conditions. CDRED does not guarantee that the services, activities, or materials will meet your requirements, be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free, or that any information or other material obtained through them will be accurate or reliable. Any content or other material downloaded or obtained through the services or activities is done at your own risk, and CDRED is not responsible for any damage to your equipment or data resulting from such downloads or access. CDRED does not provide any legal, professional, or other advice, and users should not rely on any services, trailblazer activities, or CDRED materials when making any personal, professional, or other decisions. CDRED does not guarantee that any information provided by trailblazers is true, accurate, or complete.

Section 6

You agree that accepting these Terms and Conditions means you consent to the Privacy Policy, which explains how CDRED collects, uses, and shares your personal information.

Section 7

You agree to protect and hold CDRED and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, consultants, representatives, and agents harmless from any claims, including legal and professional fees, related to your use of the Services, your breach of these Terms and Conditions, any User Materials or Trailblazer Activities related to your account, except in cases where the Claims are caused by CDRED' gross negligence or will ful misconduct while providing the Services.

Section 8

The agreement states that you and CDRED are giving up your rights to file claims in court, have a trial by jury, or participate in a class or representative action regarding any legal dispute arising from your use of CDRED's Services. Instead, both parties agree to resolve disputes through individual arbitration, with limited access to discovery, unless you opt out of this agreement. The term "dispute" is defined broadly and includes any disagreement or claim between you and CDRED. Before initiating arbitration, the parties must first try to resolve the dispute informally by providing written notice to the other party, describing the facts and allowing 30 days for response. Both parties agree that this informal dispute resolution process is a necessary condition before initiating arbitration against the other party. However, either party may bring an individual claim in small claims court within the jurisdictional and dollar limits, as long as it remains an individual claim.

Section 8.1

the agreement covers dispute resolution and the arbitration agreement between you and CDRED. The agreement states that both parties agree to give up any rights to litigate claims in a court or before a jury or to participate in a class action or representative action with respect to a claim, except for bringing an individual claim in small claims court. The term "dispute" covers any dispute, action, claim, or other controversy between you and CDRED, whether in contract, warranty, tort, statute, regulation, ordinance, or any other legal or equitable basis.

If there is a dispute, either party asserting the dispute should try to resolve it by providing written notice to the other party, describing the facts and circumstances and allowing 30 days to respond. This dispute resolution procedure is a condition precedent that must be satisfied before initiating any arbitration against the other party.

You have the right to opt-out of this Arbitration Agreement within the first 30 days after you use the Services or within 30 days after being notified of a material change to this Arbitration Agreement. To opt-out, you may send an email or a letter to the specified address, including your printed name, mailing address, and the words "Reject Arbitration.

In the event of arbitration, either party may initiate arbitration, which shall be conducted by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") pursuant to its Consumer Arbitration Rules, as modified by this Arbitration Agreement. The arbitration hearing shall take place in the county of your residence unless otherwise agreed. All arbitrations shall proceed on an individual basis, and you and CDRED hereby waive the right to a trial by jury, to assert or participate in any class action lawsuit or class action arbitration, any private attorney general lawsuit or private attorney general arbitration, and any joint or consolidated lawsuit or joint or consolidated arbitration of any kind. CDRED will pay all filing, administrative, arbitrator, and hearing costs, except for a dispute determined to be initiated in bad faith or frivolous by the arbitrator, and waives any rights it may have to recover an award of attorneys' fees and expenses against you. If applicable law precludes enforcement of any of these limitations as to a particular cause of action, then that cause of action (and only that cause of action) must remain in court and be severed from any arbitration.

Section 8.2

of the agreement states that the Federal Arbitration Act and the law of the State of Pennsylvania will govern and enforce the arbitration agreement. The terms of the arbitration agreement will continue even after the end of the customer's relationship with CDRED and use of its services. The arbitration proceedings will be confidential, and neither party can disclose the details of the arbitration unless required by law. Any arbitration award may be entered in any court having proper jurisdiction.

If any part of the arbitration agreement is deemed invalid or unenforceable, it will not affect the rest of the agreement. The arbitrator is the only one authorized to determine the validity and enforceability of the agreement, but the validity of the class action/representative waiver must be decided by a court.

In Section 8.3 it is stated that if any part of the arbitration agreement is unenforceable by Canadian laws, disputes between Canadian residents and CDRED will be governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the applicable federal laws of Canada, excluding any rules of private international law or conflicts of laws that would lead to the application of other laws.

This section covers two aspects: intellectual property and third-party content. Under intellectual property, the use of EDUCTIVE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT® and other proprietary indicia is exclusively owned by CDRED and is protected by national and international trademark laws. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. Similarly, all copyright rights in the content provided in connection with the Services are owned by CDRED or its third-party licensors, and you are prohibited from copying, reproducing, modifying, distributing, displaying, performing, or transmitting any of the contents of the Services, except where expressly authorized by CDRED.

Regarding third-party content, CDRED may provide links to third-party websites, services, or other events or activities that are not owned or controlled by CDRED. These links are provided solely for your convenience, and CDRED does not endorse or control any content accessed through such links. CDRED will not be responsible or liable for any content or materials hosted and served from any site other than the CDRED website.

9. Applicable Law

For residents of Canada, the use of the Services, Trailblazer Activities, and User Materials is subject to the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable in that province. They agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in the City of Toronto in the Province of Ontario. For residents of the United States and all other countries, the use of the Services, Trailblazer Activities, and User Materials is subject to the laws of the state of Pennsylvania and the federal laws of the United States applicable in that state. They agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania

9.2 General Provisions

These Terms and Conditions, along with the Privacy Policy and any other incorporated terms or documents, represent the final agreement between the parties regarding the subject matter. If any portion of the Terms and Conditions is deemed invalid or unenforceable, the remaining portions will still be in effect. CDRED may assign these Terms and Conditions without consent, but you may not. CDRED may discontinue or change any Services, contents, operation, or other features without notice or restrict your use at any time without notice. The parties do not intend to create an agency or partnership relationship through these Terms and Conditions. Headings are for convenience only and have no legal significance.

We try our best to listen or read messages sent to us through the provided channels and respond to them in a reasonable time. The information you share with us is used to answer your queries or feedback. If you have any questions regarding these Terms and Conditions, the Services, or CDRED' practices, please do not hesitate to contact us.