Join the community 1. Operator and scope
This website and the LS newsletter are operated by Bhupinder Singh through The Lubricant Specialists, an independent professional information and community platform based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. “LS”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to that operator. These terms apply to visitors, newsletter applicants, confirmed subscribers, premium members, contributors and people who contact LS. The Privacy Policy and Identity and Disclosures Statement form part of the service information.
2. Acceptance, electronic records and eligibility
You accept these terms by selecting the unticked acceptance box and submitting the subscription or checkout form. The acceptance record may include the policy version, date and time, subscription source and related account identifier. An electronic acceptance has the effect given to it by applicable law. You must be at least 18 years old and have legal capacity to contract. If acting for an organisation, you confirm that you have authority to bind it.
You must provide accurate information and must not impersonate another person, use an address you do not control or use a payment method without authority. LS may reject, suspend or cancel an application reasonably believed to be fraudulent, unlawful or technically abusive.
3. Newsletter consent and double opt-in
Newsletter consent is separate from acceptance of these contractual terms. Selecting the newsletter-consent box asks LS to send the LS Weekly Newsletter and related LS editorial or membership communications to the address provided. A new application remains pending until the applicant confirms control of that email address through the confirmation link. Confirmation is not proof of legal identity.
You may withdraw newsletter consent at any time through the unsubscribe link or by emailing contact@lubricantspecialists.com. Withdrawal stops future newsletter messages after processing, but does not invalidate prior lawful processing, cancel a paid membership automatically or erase records that must be retained for legal, fraud-prevention or accounting purposes.
4. US$10 payment-method verification
After submitting the annual-subscription form, an eligible applicant is directed to Stripe-hosted checkout. If the applicant completes checkout, Stripe collects a one-time US$10 verification charge. After Stripe confirms completed checkout, LS sends a subscription-confirmation link to the email address supplied in the form. The US$10 amount is an actual charge, not a temporary authorisation hold, unless Stripe clearly states otherwise at checkout.
The US$10 transaction is used only as evidence that Stripe accepted a payment method for that transaction and to reduce automated or abusive applications. It does not prove that the payer is human, establish the payer’s legal identity, confirm ownership of a bank account or card, guarantee sufficient funds for future charges, establish creditworthiness, or provide LS with bank-account details. Payment methods may include cards, wallets or other methods enabled by Stripe, so successful payment must not be described as proof that the subscriber has a bank account.
The US$10 charge is normally non-refundable once successfully processed because the verification service is performed immediately, except where a refund is required by applicable law, the charge was duplicated or unauthorised, or LS decides otherwise. This clause does not remove mandatory consumer rights.
5. Premium trial and recurring subscription
Completing Stripe checkout starts the recorded 15-day trial and authorises the one-time US$10 charge and recurring annual charges of US$2,990. Email confirmation activates subscription access and secure account setup. The first US$2,990 charge is scheduled after the remaining trial period, subject to Stripe’s displayed checkout date. Do not complete checkout unless the displayed amount and billing date are correct.
Recurring charges continue until cancelled. LS is configured to send an email shortly before the first automatic US$2,990 annual charge when Stripe delivers the trial-ending notification to the LS webhook. Delivery can still be affected by the email address, spam filtering or provider failure, so you remain responsible for the billing date shown at checkout. Prices are stated in United States dollars. Your payment provider may apply currency-conversion or other charges. Taxes, if legally applicable, may be added or included as shown at checkout or on the receipt.
6. Cancellation, failed payments and refunds
You may cancel future renewal through the Stripe customer portal or by contacting LS before the next billing date. Cancellation stops future renewal but does not automatically refund a completed charge or remove access already provided for the paid period. Email unsubscription and paid-membership cancellation are separate actions.
If payment fails, LS may retry collection through Stripe, ask for an updated payment method, limit premium access or cancel the membership. Refund requests will be assessed under applicable law and the service actually supplied. Nothing in these terms excludes a mandatory refund, remedy or consumer right.
7. Service description and changes
Premium membership may include LS newsletters, member-only intelligence and other benefits described on the membership page. Publication frequency, format and individual content may change. LS may improve or update the service on reasonable notice, but will not use these terms to remove mandatory rights or impose a materially higher recurring price without notice and any fresh consent required by law.
A direct report checkout may instead offer a separate one-time US$90 purchase through Stripe. This purchase does not create a recurring subscription or membership. The selected PDF is released only after Stripe reports a successful US$90 payment for that exact report. The purchase permits personal professional use only and does not permit redistribution, resale, systematic extraction or removal of attribution.
8. Professional information, not advice
Website, newsletter, report, tool and assistant content is general industry information. It is not technical certification, formulation approval, product endorsement, legal, regulatory, tax, financial, investment, safety or other professional advice. Markets, laws, specifications and commercial conditions change. Verify important decisions with primary sources, qualified advisers, counterparties and relevant authorities.
9. Accuracy, availability and corrections
LS aims for accurate and useful work but does not promise that every item is complete, current, uninterrupted, error-free or suitable for a particular decision. Content may be corrected, updated, withdrawn or archived. Scheduled maintenance, provider failures, security incidents or events outside reasonable control may interrupt access.
10. LS Industry Assistant and automated outputs
The LS Industry Assistant is an automated navigation and information aid that may use artificial intelligence. Outputs can be incomplete, inaccurate or out of date. Do not rely on them for certification, safety, legal, regulatory, financial or investment decisions. Do not submit passwords, payment credentials, identity documents, confidential material or special-category personal information.
11. Accounts, security and payment processing
After completed Stripe checkout, you may create a username and password to access your member profile and reports. You must choose a strong password, keep it confidential, use only your own account and notify LS promptly of suspected misuse. LS may expire sessions or suspend access to protect the service. Stripe processes payment credentials under its own terms and privacy practices. LS receives limited customer, subscription, transaction-status and renewal information needed to administer membership, but does not receive or store full card numbers or card security codes.
12. Intellectual property and permitted use
Unless stated otherwise, LS branding, website design and original content belong to LS or are used with permission. You may access content for your own professional information, link to public pages and share short attributed excerpts. You may not republish substantial content, remove attribution, bypass access controls, build a competing dataset through systematic extraction, train a model on protected content, resell content or imply endorsement without written permission.
13. Acceptable use
- Do not attempt unauthorised access, disrupt the service or introduce malicious code.
- Do not submit unlawful, defamatory, deceptive, infringing or harmful material.
- Do not automate subscriptions, payments, scraping or messaging without written permission.
- Do not use LS content or identity to mislead others or claim authority you do not have.
- Do not misuse checkout, chargeback or refund processes.
14. Contributions, enquiries and communications
An enquiry or submission does not create confidentiality, employment, agency, partnership, fiduciary duty or a professional-client relationship. Contributors must control submitted material, identify third-party rights and disclose relevant commercial interests. Publication and licensing terms for substantive contributed work must be agreed separately.
15. External services and links
Links to Stripe, LinkedIn, WhatsApp and other services are provided for functionality or context. Third parties control their own services, security, availability, content and legal terms. A link does not necessarily constitute endorsement.
16. Suspension and termination
LS may suspend or terminate access for material breach, fraud, abuse, security risk, unlawful conduct or non-payment. Where reasonably possible, LS will provide notice and an opportunity to correct a remediable issue. Provisions concerning payment obligations, intellectual property, disclaimers, liability, records and disputes survive termination where their nature requires.
17. Disclaimers and limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the service is supplied on an “as available” basis without implied warranties that may legally be excluded. LS is not responsible for indirect or consequential loss arising solely from reliance on general information, third-party services, temporary unavailability or unauthorised use. LS’s aggregate liability arising from a paid membership will not exceed the membership fees paid by the claimant to LS during the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim.
Nothing in these terms excludes liability for fraud, wilful misconduct, death or personal injury caused by negligence where such liability cannot be excluded, or any warranty, remedy, consumer right or other liability that applicable law does not permit LS to exclude or limit.
18. Indemnity for misuse
To the extent permitted by law, you are responsible for reasonable losses and third-party claims caused by your unlawful use, infringement, fraud or material breach of these terms. This does not require a consumer to indemnify LS for LS’s own breach, negligence or conduct for which liability cannot be shifted.
19. Governing law and disputes
These terms are governed by the applicable laws of the United Arab Emirates and, where relevant, the Emirate of Dubai, without removing mandatory rights or jurisdiction protections that apply to a consumer in another location. Raise concerns first at contact@lubricantspecialists.com so the parties can attempt a practical resolution. Either party may use any court, regulator, payment dispute process or remedy available under mandatory law.
20. Changes, severability and entire terms
LS may update these terms prospectively when the service or law changes. The effective date and version will be updated. Material changes affecting recurring payment obligations will be notified and will require fresh acceptance where applicable. If a provision is invalid or unenforceable, it will be limited or removed to the minimum extent necessary and the remaining provisions continue. These terms, the Privacy Policy, disclosures and checkout information form the agreement for website, newsletter and membership use, except for a separate written agreement signed by LS.
21. Contact
Questions, cancellation requests, privacy requests and legal notices may be sent to contact@lubricantspecialists.com. Do not send card numbers, security codes, passwords or bank credentials by email or through website forms.