Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, About Us and FAQs pages to be reviewed by Karen. Please especially review things that are underline, which may have been altered. Submitted 3-4-23
Shielders® Website Terms & Conditions
The Terms And Conditions here govern the use of the Shielders® website and all pages within it and apply in full force and effect to the Users of the Shielders® website. By visiting or using this website you expressly accept all the terms and conditions herein.
General Terms
Visitors and Users are granted limited licenses for viewing or use of its contents for learning and purchasing purposes only at the sole discretion of the licensors under all the terms and conditions herein. Any and all User identification (ID) or passwords through which a User gains access to any part of this website must be held confidential by the User and updated or replaced upon the request of Shielders®. Shielders® and its licensors wholly own and reserve all rights to the intellectual property on this Shielders® website and reserve the right to limit or restrict any User’s right to access.
Intellectual Property
Users are expressly restricted from the following activities regarding the Shielders® website and its contents, learning activities, other materials, products, services, and related communications, including any and all of Shielders® website contents, including its licensors registered trademarks, logos, and design elements, whether access was paid or free-of-charge. Users are and may be restricted from specific areas of the Shielders® website for either educational or commercial reasons, or both. Shielders® may further restrict access to those or any other areas of the website at any time at its sole and singular discretion. Users may NOT
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duplicate, copy, publish, sell, sublicense, or otherwise commercialize, publicly perform or offer representations without the express, contractual permission of Shielders® or its licensors.
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damage, restrict, or limit User access to the Shielders® website, its contents, or gain access to its proprietary or contractual financial services information or providers in any other method than that which is provided on the Shielders® website.
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data mine, harvest, extract, or any similar activity on this website without the express, contractual permission of Shielders®, its licensors.
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Use or operate this website in any way contrary to any Shielders® User Agreements, explicit or implied.
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Access or use of the Shielders® website in any way contrary to those provided by Shielders® and supported by applicable state and federal laws and regulations, or in that or any other way might or does cause harm to the website, the websites of its contracted financial service providers or other websites, or to any other User, person, or business entity is expressly prohibited under all available statutes of federal, state, and municipal law.
User Content
“User Content” here refers to any audio, video, photographs, illustrations, text,other images, ideas, data, or other materials that Users encounter on Shielders® website and may choose to use from or contribute to the Shielders® website. By providing User Content, all Users grant Shielders® and its licensors non-exclusive, worldwide, irrevocable, royalty-free, and sublicensable license to use, reproduce, adapt, publish, translate, and distribute through any or all media. User Content may not infringe on the rights of any third party at any time or for any reason. User Content can be removed from any portion of the Shielders® website at the discretion of Shielders® licensors without notice to the User for any reason and at any time.
No Warranty
The Shielders® website is provided to the User “as is” with all its inherent flaws and Shielders® makes no express or implied warranties of any kind related to this website or its contents. Learning materials and activities represented on this site are designed for the use of adults with appropriate discretion. No portion of this website shall be construed as offering, providing, or providing professional advice or consultation to the User.
Limitation of Liability
Shielders®, its creator, officers, directors, management company (named below), licensor(s) or employees shall not be liable to the User for any event or outcome arising from or in connected with the User’s use of the Shielders® website or its contents, whether such event or outcome be construed as in reference to contract, tort, or any otherwise, including indirect, consequential, or special liability claims arising from or related to the User’s misunderstanding or inability to engage in appropriate use of this website or its contents.
Indemnification
The User hereby indemnifies to the fullest extent Shielders®, its creator, officers, directors, management company, licensor(s) or employees from and against any and all liabilities, costs, demands, causes of action, damages and expenses, including attorney’s fees, which arise from or as a result of User breach of these or other Terms & Conditions published on the Shielders® website.
Severability
If any provision included in the Terms & Conditions of Terms of Use on the Shielders® website is or becomes unenforceable or invalid under any state or federal law, such shall not invalidate them or imply any automatic removal from the Shielders® website unless their use has become prohibited by law. Shielders® Terms & Conditions and Shielders® Terms of Use remain here at the sole discretion of Shielders® who reserves sole rights to remove or change any such or other provisions at any time without diminishing those that remain.
Variation of Terms
All Shielders® website Users are expected to review regularly the terms, conditions, and all other terms of use herein and in the Shielders® Terms of Use also provided on this Shielders® website.
Assignment
Users may not assign, transfer, or subcontract any rights of access or other rights or obligations to any third party. Shielders® is solely permitted to assign, transfer, and subcontract user rights and obligations without any notification or consent of any user or third-party.
Entire Agreement
These Terms & Conditions, the Terms of Use elsewhere on this Shielders® website, any other legal notices and disclaimers also contained on the Shielders® website comprise the entire agreement between Shielders® and its Shielders® website Users and supersedes all prior agreements and previous understandings are explicitly agreed upon by the User(s) use of the Shielders® website.
“Shielders,” “The Shielders Super Willpower Weight Loss Breakthrough!”, the Shielders Shield logo and “Id the Dragon” (name and image) , which are frequently used in Shielders® courses, products, advertising and events, are registered trademarks. All illustrations and media appearing in the courses and on this website are copyrighted with full rights reserved. Shielders® is a DBA of Underscore Management, Inc., which has directly or indirectly created this website. If you have further specific questions or direct correspondence about the above Shielders® Website Terms & Conditions or other contractual, registered, or copyrighted content on this website, please contact Underscore Management, Inc., 3225 McLeod Drive, Suite 100, Las Vegas, Nevada 89121. (702) 871-8535.
Shielders® Website Privacy Policy
Introduction
The Shielders® company (a DBA of Underscore Management, Inc.), which develops, promotes and provides personal control and self improvement products, such as its Shield Method Weight Loss Course, and related products and services, respects and values personal privacy – yours and ours. This policy statement (“Privacy Policy”) is written to explain how we gather and do and do not use the information shared with us by those who visit and use our website and instructional content.
This Privacy Policy is here to ensure that Shielders® and its website users are equally aware of the Shielders® commitment to existing and future privacy and security laws and regulations and is intended to inform and conveniently provide Shielders® website users with information and assurance regarding the following Shielders® website policy.
1) What and when we collect user information from you as you use this website.
2) What choices are available to users regarding personal data shared with Shielders®.
3) What choices are available to users regarding user and Shielders® proprietary data.
4) Any changes in our security systems that Shielders® uses to protect your information.
User cooperation is necessary for the effective use of the Shielders® website, learning products, and services and for the generation of beneficial learning outcomes through Shielders® proprietary content. Provision of Shielders® learning products and services depend first upon user honesty in self-representation and in answers to questions in tests and evaluations.
Shielders® strongly advises its users not to share any personal and commercial information before researching its validity and reading in full its Privacy Policy and legal documentation.
General Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to the Shielders® website and its users and governs any and all data collected and used by us.
In all circumstances, Shielders® wholly reserves all legal rights and privileges over all proprietary content published on this, the Shielders® website, now and the future.
Shielders®’s purposes for gathering user information include to understand users ongoing needs and provide the best possible online user experience and outcomes. Also to document changes that users make while taking this course and afterwards, to help us improve our proprietary products and services, inform people who could benefit from our courses and products, send emails to our users regarding requested products, services, and special offers including research participation opportunities.
No financial or related personal identification information is maintained or stored directly on the Shielders® website. All commercial data gathered by Shielders® is collected through highly encrypted off-site links and security systems provided by its trusted, contracted, commercial affiliates and is maintained on separate servers according to prevailing standards of financial security systems in the U.S.
Shielders® server may accept and retain the following information about course participants: Answers to questions and comments on tests and evaluations. These tests and evaluations include information about each participant’s eating habits and the many ways that these habits may or may not effect them; We also retain comments and media that is voluntarily uploaded by participants, comments and media collected during events and contacts with participants, information necessary for maintaining user access to the website, providing users with Shielders® products and services, and maintaining Shielders® legally required records.
Shielders® reserves the exclusive right to refuse registration and use of the Shielders® website, its learning products, and its services after user notification and in accordance with prevailing law.
We reserve the right to dismiss any individual whose test answers indicate that they do not understand vital concepts or are not progressing in a positive manner. We will issue a full refund if such person has not completed at least half of the course (10 or 20 steps). If they have completed over half of the course (10 of 20 steps), a refund will not be obtainable.
We will not be responsible for verifying the age or identity of any participant, or for any adverse effects that any Shield Method course or product may have on any individual.
Shielders® will accept no responsibility for the fraudulent or illicit actions of any other organization, agency, or commercial or personal entity acting outside of this Privacy Policy or any other agreements between the Shielders® user and Shielders® published through this website.
Shielders® reserves the right to deny any individual or group access to this site for any reason.
Shielders®, its management company, and its users must be willing to resolve all legal issues, controversies, and other conflicts through appropriate forms of arbitration prior to considering any form of direct litigation.
Unsubscribe/Opt-Out
All visitors and users of the Shielders® website, learning products and services may opt to discontinue their participation and communication with Shielders® and the Shielders® website at any time by managing their Shielders® website user account preferences or closing their user account. Once users close their account, we may retain their records for statistical and other purposes, while keeping their identities private (by using a file #, instead of their name, blurring their faces on images and using their first name and last initial for any publicly viewed uses).
General Privacy Assurance
At present Shielders® and the Shielders® website gathers information from visitors and users to provide them with the best possible experience with Shielders® website, learning products, and services. Shielders® does not use or sell your personal information for any purpose and protects your personal information in accord with the highest possible professional standards.
Shielders® respects user privacy and reserves the right to contact users for security purposes, including security breaches, account issues, or changes in products or services. If deemed necessary, we may use the Shielders® website or other more public means to post a public or user security notice.
Shielders® will never email a user to request directly any type of personal identification or other privileged information.
At times Shielders® may contact users by email or text to ensure security or keep users informed of the status of their Shielders® accounts, contracted learning products, or available services. Shielders® also may contact users to inform them of available website survey questionnaires or opportunities to proffer opinions or suggestions to Shielders®.
Shielders® will not use or disclose any information provided to any third parties, except to statisticians and researchers and as necessary to provide Shielders® products or services to its users.
User payment and Shielders® receipts records are retained solely by independent, trusted, contracted financial service providers that maintain highly encrypted websites according to prevailing state and federal laws and commercial codes.
Closing a Shielders® user account has no direct impact on any payments for services already rendered or processed.
Shielders® reserves the right to change or improve any and all of its products and services on the Shielders® website and this Privacy Policy as it sees fit at any time. For updated information about any of those changes, please be advised to visit this page periodically.
Information Gathering & Disclosure
For the benefit of users who enroll in lessons on this website, Shielders® periodically collects and records each user’s baseline statistics on but not limited to data on their current health, eating habits, and self-reported levels of self-control in eating situations. Users and Shielders® periodically rechecks those data and comments as needed to document user progress and improve the Shielders® Method and this website.
Shielders® may gather, analyze, and retain visitor or user information as anonymously formatted data connected with age, gender, income, ethnicity, or other demographics or behaviors relevant to offering Shielders® users with online learning and weight loss results of the highest possible quality.
User accounts, profile images and comments become visible to the public only after they are curated by Shielders®.
Users may upload images and videos to the Shielders® to show their ideas, opinions and progress in the program. Shielders® may use that data, comments, and images, separately and together, to analyze, evaluate, and improve the Shielders® Method or Shielders® website and share those results, anonymously or openly with user consent, with those who could benefit from the Shielders® Method now or in the future.
Shielders® may gather other non-personal data regarding the user’s IP address, computer operating systems, and browser applications as may be relevant to the efficient use of the Shielders® website and any other computer-related information common to the course of online commercial transactions.
IT Security
Anyone using the Internet may be able to download images from it and extract embedded location data from any image that contains it. For that reason, Shielders® advises its users to avoid uploading images that include embedded location data (EXIF GPS).
Users sometimes notice that Shielders® uses an anonymous code string (“hash”) created from their user email addresses through our secure Gravatar service provider. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available at https://automattic.com/privacy/.
To support spam detection, visitor comments left on the Shielders® website are collected as data alongside their IP addresses and browser user agent strings.
When and if Shielders® ever is to host a third-party event on the Shielders® website, existing Shielders® users will be notified in advance through the website or email notifications in accord with prevailing law. (Do we HAVE TO notify them of every event?)
If at any time any user finds and uses a link on the Shielders® website and is taken unexpectedly or inappropriately to another online page or website, the user is expected to report that experience immediately to Shielders®.
All sensitive user and Shielder® financial and transactional information is maintained solely by highly secure, encrypted commercial-financial third-party website providers through whom users remit payments. To verify the security of any third-party site, check for the lock icon in the address bar and “https” at the start of their webpages.
Required Parental Authorization
The Shield Method often improves personal control, which can have a very beneficial effect on both adults and children. We leave it up to a child’s parent or legal guardian to decide if their child is capable of learning and understanding the concepts and techniques of any particular Shield Method course or product. However, some of these concepts are complex and the techniques cannot work, especially for the long-term, if a child doesn’t completely understand them. Therefore, we suggest that parents take the course they would like their child to take, in advance, or consult with a pediatrician who is familiar with the child and the Shield Method, before allowing his or her child to enroll. We will not be responsible for verifying the age or identity of any child, or for any adverse effects that any Shield Method course or product may have on them. We reserve the right to dismiss any child whose test answers indicate that they do not understand vital concepts or are not progressing in a positive manner. We require an original signed and notarized authorization from the parent or guardian of any child whose stated age is under 18 before they can take a specific course or program. This authorization must state that the child may participate under the same rules and terms as adults, as described in this agreement and elsewhere on this website. This authorization must be both emailed and mailed to us via certified mail (at the contact numbers given below). Shielders® and the Shielders® website cannot in any way provide, accept, or assume any form of in loco parentis service.
European Union Users
Providing personal information to Shielders® means consenting to the storage and use as described in this Policy, even if you reside in the European Union (EU). Shielders® operates in the United States. If you live in the EU and access the Shielders® website, any information you provide Shielders® is transferred from the EU to a server in the US in accord with the adequacy decision on EU-US Privacy (1 Aug. 2016). Its Privacy Shield protects the free transfer and personal rights of any person in the EU whose data is transferred to a commercial enterprise operating in the US. The Shielders® website does not yet comply with EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
User Acceptance of This Privacy Policy
By using the Shielders® website, you are actively accepting the terms and conditions of this Privacy Policy as here expressed. Continued use of the Shielders® website is impliciting consent to this Privacy Policy Agreement and all updates, changes, or content additions that may follow. Users are expected to consult this Privacy Policy Agreement periodically in order to exercise their right to refrain from use if they discover they are no longer in agreement with the Shielders® Privacy Policy Agreement.
Inquiries & Other Communications
Shielders® communicates with its visitors and users almost exclusively through the Shielders® website. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the promotional or commercial content of our website, feel free to leave a brief message through the Contact Link on the Shielders® FAQs page. Please do not include any sensitive or personal information. We will do our best to respond. If you are a parent or guardian who wishes to send your notorized authorization for your child to participate in a Shield Method course or program, please email it to us through the Contact Link on the Shielders FAQs page and also mail it to us, using certified mail, at the following address. For any legal or business questions regarding this Privacy Policy Agreement, please direct all correspondence regarding the content of this page to Underscore Management, Inc., 3225 McLeod Drive, Suite 100, Las Vegas, Nevada 89121. (702) 871-8535.
FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is the Shield Method?
The Shield Method is a method of learning about the natural Mental Shielding ability of the mind and how to activate it “at will,” for reliable personal control. “Shielders” create a chain of easy, short-term mental promises and form a true commitment for keeping the promises they add to it (which is much stronger than most diet commitments). Then they learn techniques for using the leverage of this reliable control to actually reverse the actions of their primitive minds, for easy, comfortable, reliable eating control (which they can also use for other personal control purposes).
We have provided a FREE introductory lesson to give further information about the Shield Method. Simply click on “START HERE: Take the FREE Introductory Lesson” on the home page.
Medical Advisement:
The Shield Method can help over-eaters gain much greater personal control of their eating behaviors. Many positive effects often result, including weight loss, improved eating habits, reduced stress, improved health and greater self esteem. There are almost no negative effects of increased personal control. (Your partner could get jealous?)
However, you should consult with your medical doctor before starting this or any weight loss program. Your doctor may need to monitor your blood values and adjust your medications as you lose weight or change throughout this course. Those with mental health conditions should also consult with their mental health care doctor (preferably one who is familiar with the Shield Method) prior to starting this course.
Notice: We will not be responsible to act on any information that you record or divulge during your participation in this course or experience during or afterwards. For example, if you record that you have a certain medical condition, we will not be responsible to advise you about it or report it to your doctor. Our purpose for obtaining your health and other statuses is merely for comparison purposes, to show how this program may change you. If you have or develop any medical or psychological condition, you, alone, are responsible to report this to your own doctors.
Who SHOULD and SHOULD NOT take this course?
The Shield Method IS for overweight people who eat excessively. It helps them lose weight by reducing their excessive out-of control eating. It’s also for those who eat large (or restaurant-sized) meals, who wish to be able to eat less of regular foods so that they can lose weight and keep it off.
The Shield Method is NOT for those who are overweight even though they don’t overeat. If you eat very little and can’t lose weight, you should not take this course. If you eat even less you could damage your metabolism and become nutritionally deficient. You should speak to your medical doctor about your weight concern, so that they can address the real problem, which may be corrected medically.
Consent Agreement
By using this or other Shield Method websites; and/or appearing or taking part in any Shield Method-related course, activity or event, you agree to all of the following:
Documentation and Use of Information: Tests and comprehensive evaluations are built into this course to record each participants starting levels of willpower, eating habits (and ways in which these may affect their lives), and to track their progress as they go through the course. By participating in this website, you agree that any information we obtain from you, directly or indirectly, including your answers to test questions, evaluations, comments, pictures, videos and/or other information obtained from the website or at events; and/ or any other source, become the property Shielders®, which may use this information for research, public relations, promotion, entertainment or in any other way that it desires.
Steps will be taken to protect the identities of participants,, as described in the privacy policy page of this website. For example, by listing participant results in publicly-viewed reports by number, rather than by name; giving only first names and last initials in comments or testimonials; and by blurring or not showing full faces in pictures and videos, unless a participant gives their permission for us to do so. (However, any pictures or videos taken at Shielders® events may show full faces and body images and give full names, unless a participant informs us , in writing, of any objections.) Any other arrangements (such as being a celebrity endorser) must be made, in advance, by contractual agreement.
A primary goal of Shielders® is to continue to improve our programs and develop new programs for other kinds of behaviors. If we find, from a review of records or other sources, that you could either contribute to one of these studies, or benefit from one of our new programs, we may contact you and ask if you would like to participate. You may accept or decline our invitation, and unsubscribe from these contacts if you wish.
Lesson Progression: The rules and techniques of Shielding are easy, but the underlying concepts are quite complex and each lesson builds on information from previous lessons. Therefore, to help ensure success, we have designed this course to catch misunderstandings and correct them right away, through the use of tests, as we did in the live clinic. Lesson takers may only progress to the next lesson after they pass the test for the current one. Most students have no trouble passing the tests; in fact they find them fun and get addicted to trying to get every answer right!
However, those who do have trouble may be directed to reread a lesson or take other steps. We encourage students to thoroughly read each lesson, at least twice, because this course format doesn’t allow students to skip ahead or go back and reread lessons after completing them, which was the proven format we used in the live clinic (although graduates may earn lesson retakes by supplying us with their verifiable “before” and “after results, such as blood tests, exam records, pictures, etc.). We reserve the right to dismiss any individual whose test answers indicate that they do not understand vital concepts or are not progressing in a positive manner; and to decline or dismiss any participant for any other reason.
Note: It is not possible for us to have a support database, since each lesson contains new information that builds on information from the previous lessons. Providing information that is beyond a Shielder’s current lesson level would not help them and could be very confusing. It’s much better to get the information from the lessons in the order that they are given.The tests were designed to verify that students understand the information of each lesson and to catch and correct misunderstandings before they proceed.
Refund Policy
If you quit or are dismissed before completing half of the lessons of this course (10 of 20 lessons), we will issue you a full refund. Then your status in that course will become “inactive,” which will preclude you from being able to log in to it again. You will also not be eligible to receive a certificate of completion, gain access to the graduate chatroom or obtain other graduate privileges. No refunds are possible to those who proceed beyond Lesson 10.
Note to Researchers
We have designed this course so that it may continuously demonstrate duplicability. All who take this course record their baseline information and progressive results, in tests and evaluations, so that their changes may be easily studied. We also encourage and incentivize students to upload their objective results, as well, such as blood tests and exam findings. We intend to release our audited results regularly. If you have ideas about how to improve our program, or suggestions for other uses for our patent-pending Shield Method concepts, you may send them to us using the contact form, below. (We will respond as time permits.)
How to Contact Us
At the current time, our staff is very limited, and we cannot guarantee that we will be able to answer every question submitted. Most questions about the Shield Method are answered in the lessons and on our website, via links from the Home Page.
If you have an urgent technical or other concern, please include “911” in the subject field, below.
About Us
Information about Dr. Hill and the discovery of the Shield Method are included in the free introductory lesson. Simply go to the Home Page and click on: “START HERE: Take the Free Introductory Lesson.
The Shielders® Company
