Terms of sale

Version of 3 November 2026. Written for the Kizuna beta; under review by our lawyers.

Key points

All our prices are in euros, including tax.
You start with a free trial with Emma; you only pay if you then choose an offer.
You can withdraw within 14 days, except for personalised books printed from your story.
You benefit from the legal guarantees of conformity and against hidden defects, at no cost (section 10).
A question or a problem: write to us at contact@happiness-institute.com.

1. Who sells and to whom

These terms of sale apply to all purchases made on Kizuna, in the Kizuna app (kizunastories.app). The seller is The Happiness Institute, SAS (French simplified joint-stock company), with a share capital of 10 000 €, registered office at 50 avenue des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris, France, registered with the Paris Trade and Companies Register under number 130 879 091. To write to us: contact@happiness-institute.com.

Purchases are reserved for adult consumers, that is, people buying for their personal needs. This may be the person telling their life story or a relative. By placing an order, you accept these terms of sale. They supplement the terms of use, which describe the service.

Sales open on 16 November 2026. Before that date, only the free trial is offered.

2. Offers and prices

Prices are shown in euros, inclusive of all taxes (including VAT at 20%).

Creator – €99: further interviews with Emma and the writing of your digital life story, to read and listen to online in your space. The story in PDF format is included.
Family Treasure – €99 (launch price until 31 December 2026 inclusive; €129 afterwards): everything in the Creator offer, plus a printed premium hardcover book of your story.
Extra book: €39 paperback, €59 premium hardcover.
Illustrated children's album, softcover: €39.
Personalised comic book, A4, hardcover: €79.
Audio memories (voice replay): €39. Without this option, the recording of each session is erased 60 days after the session. With it, and with the consent the storyteller gives themselves on screen, your recordings are kept for as long as your account exists, from the moment the option is added: the recordings still kept, those of the last 60 days, and the following ones; those already erased cannot be recovered. You have two months to decide to keep them. You find your recordings session by session, one MP3 file per session, to download at any time. Remember to download them before deleting your account (see the terms of use). This option is added to a Creator or Family Treasure offer.

Extra books are chargeable. Delivery charges for books are added to the price. They are shown before the order is confirmed. Some products (album, comic book) can only be ordered once they are offered in the app.

The applicable price is the one shown when you confirm your order. We may offer reduced prices for a limited time. Their price and duration are then shown on the website and on the order page.

3. The free trial

Each new account can talk to Emma for free during a trial period, the length of which is shown on the website when you sign up. The trial does not commit you to anything. No payment is taken unless you place an order.

At the end of the trial, to continue your interviews and have your story written, you choose a paid offer. Everything you told Emma during the trial is kept and used for your story.

4. Ordering

You choose an offer or a product in your space, in the Kizuna app.
A summary shows what you are buying, its price including tax, any delivery charges, and the delivery address for a book. You can correct your order before paying.
You accept these terms of sale, then confirm by clicking the payment button. This click commits you to pay.
The order is concluded when the payment is accepted. We then send you a confirmation email, which summarises your order and contains a link to these terms.

We may refuse an order if there is an ongoing payment dispute with you or if the delivery address is outside the area we serve.

The contract is concluded in French. We archive your order; you can obtain a copy of it at contact@happiness-institute.com.

5. Payment

Payment is made online, by bank card, when you order. It is processed by our secure payment provider Stripe. You enter your bank details on Stripe's page. We never have access to them. Your bank may ask you to confirm the payment (3-D Secure). If the payment is refused, the order is not concluded.

6. Your digital story

The story is written by artificial intelligence from what you tell Emma, over your interviews and at your own pace.
You decide when your story is finished. Once your story is finished, you can no longer talk to Emma for that story.
You reread your story and can ask for corrections before validating it. It can only be shared with your loved ones once you have finished, reread and validated it.
Your story remains available in your space for as long as your account exists (see the terms of use).
If your story doesn't feel right, write to us at contact@happiness-institute.com: we will look for a solution with you.

7. Production and delivery of books

Each book is printed on demand, just for you, by our printing partner Lulu. It reproduces the version of your story that you validated.
We deliver within mainland France only.
Printing and binding usually take 3 to 5 working days, then the carrier delivers the parcel within a few working days. Unless another date is given when you order, your book is delivered no later than 30 days after the order is concluded.
For the book included in the Family Treasure offer, the period runs from the day you validate the final version of your story and confirm the delivery address: it is delivered to you no later than 30 days afterwards.
We let you know by email when your book is shipped, with the carrier's name and the tracking number.
You become responsible for the book (risk of loss or damage) when you, or the person you named, receive it.
If the book is not delivered on time, you may ask us to deliver it within a reasonable additional period. If it is still not delivered, you may cancel the order and be refunded (Articles L216-6 et seq. of the French Consumer Code).
On receipt, check the parcel. Tell us about any damaged or misprinted book at contact@happiness-institute.com, preferably with a photo. This does not reduce your legal guarantees (section 10).

8. Retention of title

Books remain our property until their price has been paid in full.

9. Right of withdrawal

The principle. When you buy at a distance, you generally have 14 days to change your mind, without giving a reason (Article L221-18 of the French Consumer Code). This period runs from the conclusion of the order for a service or digital content, and from receipt for goods.

Printed books and albums. The right of withdrawal does not apply to goods made to your specifications or clearly personalised (Article L221-28, 3°). This is the case for any book, album or comic book made from your story: you therefore cannot withdraw after ordering them. Your legal guarantees remain in full (section 10).

Interviews with Emma, the digital story and audio memories. You can withdraw within 14 days of your order, even if you have already started your interviews. We then refund you in full. For the Family Treasure offer, this full refund applies as long as the printing of your book has not been started.

How to withdraw. Before the period ends, send us a clear statement by email to contact@happiness-institute.com or by post to The Happiness Institute, 50 avenue des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris, France. You may use the form at the end of this page, but you do not have to. We refund all sums paid no later than 14 days after receiving your request, using the same means of payment as for the order, at no cost to you.

10. Legal guarantees

All our products benefit from the legal guarantees, at no cost to you. Write to us at contact@happiness-institute.com to use them. A defective book (printing, binding, missing pages, damage in transit) is reprinted or refunded.

Translation of the official boxes required by the French Consumer Code (annexes to Articles D211-2 and D211-4). Only the French version is legally binding.

Box — Legal guarantee of conformity for goods (printed books, albums and comic books)

The consumer has two years from delivery of the goods to obtain the legal guarantee of conformity if a lack of conformity appears. During this period, the consumer only needs to establish that the lack of conformity exists, not the date on which it appeared.

Where the contract of sale of the goods provides for the supply of digital content or a digital service continuously for more than two years, the legal guarantee applies to that digital content or digital service throughout the planned supply period. During this period, the consumer only needs to establish that the lack of conformity affecting the digital content or digital service exists, not the date on which it appeared.

The legal guarantee of conformity requires the professional, where applicable, to supply all updates needed to keep the goods in conformity.

The legal guarantee of conformity entitles the consumer to repair or replacement of the goods within thirty days of the request, free of charge and without major inconvenience to them.

If the goods are repaired under the legal guarantee of conformity, the consumer benefits from a six-month extension of the initial guarantee.

If the consumer asks for the goods to be repaired but the seller imposes replacement, the legal guarantee of conformity is renewed for two years from the date the goods are replaced.

The consumer may obtain a reduction of the purchase price while keeping the goods, or end the contract with a full refund against return of the goods, if:

1° The professional refuses to repair or replace the goods;

2° The repair or replacement of the goods takes place after thirty days;

3° The repair or replacement of the goods causes major inconvenience to the consumer, in particular where the consumer permanently bears the costs of taking back or removing the non-conforming goods, or bears the costs of installing the repaired or replacement goods;

4° The lack of conformity of the goods persists despite the seller's unsuccessful attempt to bring them into conformity.

The consumer is also entitled to a price reduction or to terminate the contract where the lack of conformity is so serious that it justifies an immediate price reduction or termination. The consumer then does not need to ask for repair or replacement of the goods first.

The consumer is not entitled to terminate the sale if the lack of conformity is minor.

Any period during which the goods are out of use for repair or replacement suspends the remaining guarantee until the repaired goods are delivered.

The rights set out above result from Articles L. 217-1 to L. 217-32 of the French Consumer Code.

A seller who in bad faith obstructs the legal guarantee of conformity faces a civil fine of up to €300,000, which may be raised to 10% of average annual turnover (Article L. 241-5 of the French Consumer Code).

The consumer also benefits from the legal guarantee against hidden defects under Articles 1641 to 1649 of the French Civil Code, for two years from discovery of the defect. This guarantee entitles the consumer to a price reduction if the goods are kept, or to a full refund against their return.

Box — Legal guarantee of conformity for digital content (digital story and audio memories)

The consumer is entitled to the legal guarantee of conformity if a lack of conformity appears during the whole time the consumer's account exists, from the supply of the digital content or digital service. During this period, the consumer only needs to establish that the lack of conformity exists, not the date on which it appeared.

The legal guarantee of conformity requires all updates needed to keep the digital content or digital service in conformity to be supplied during the whole time the consumer's account exists.

The legal guarantee of conformity entitles the consumer to have the digital content or digital service brought into conformity without undue delay after the request, free of charge and without major inconvenience to them.

The consumer may obtain a price reduction while keeping the digital content or digital service, or may end the contract with a full refund in return for giving up the digital content or digital service, if:

1° The professional refuses to bring the digital content or digital service into conformity;

2° Bringing the digital content or digital service into conformity is unduly delayed;

3° The digital content or digital service cannot be brought into conformity without costs imposed on the consumer;

4° Bringing the digital content or digital service into conformity causes major inconvenience to the consumer;

5° The lack of conformity of the digital content or digital service persists despite the professional's unsuccessful attempt to bring it into conformity.

Where the lack of conformity is minor, the consumer is entitled to cancel the contract only if the contract does not provide for payment of a price.

Any period during which the digital content or digital service is unavailable while being brought back into conformity suspends the remaining guarantee until the digital content or digital service is supplied in conformity again.

These rights result from Articles L. 224-25-1 to L. 224-25-31 of the French Consumer Code.

A professional who in bad faith obstructs the legal guarantee of conformity faces a civil fine of up to €300,000, which may be raised to 10% of average annual turnover (Article L. 242-18-1 of the French Consumer Code).

The consumer also benefits from the legal guarantee against hidden defects under Articles 1641 to 1649 of the French Civil Code, for two years from discovery of the defect. This guarantee entitles the consumer to a price reduction if the digital content or digital service is kept, or to a full refund in return for giving up the digital content or digital service.

The story is written by an AI and may contain mistakes; you can have them corrected free of charge before validating it. The book faithfully reproduces the validated version. Nothing in these terms limits your legal guarantees.

11. Customer service and complaints

For any question or complaint about an order, write to us at contact@happiness-institute.com, giving your order reference. We will reply as soon as possible.

12. Consumer mediation

If your written complaint has not been resolved, you have the right to refer the matter free of charge to a consumer mediator, for an amicable settlement of the dispute (Articles L612-1 et seq. of the French Consumer Code). You must first have sent us a written complaint.

We are appointing our consumer mediator. Their name, address and website will be shown here before sales open on 16 November 2026.

13. Force majeure

Neither you nor we are liable for a delay or failure caused by force majeure within the meaning of Article 1218 of the French Civil Code (for example a natural disaster). If the impediment lasts more than 30 days, either party may cancel the order concerned, and sums paid for what has not been supplied are refunded.

14. Liability

We are responsible for the proper performance of your order (Article L221-15 of the French Consumer Code). We may be released from all or part of this liability if we prove that the failure or poor performance is due to you, to the unforeseeable and unavoidable act of a third party, or to force majeure.

15. Personal data

To process your order, we use your contact details and delivery address, and pass them on to Stripe (payment) and Lulu (printing and delivery). Details are given in the privacy policy.

16. Governing law and jurisdiction

These terms of sale are governed by French law. If you live in another European Union country, you keep the protection of the mandatory rules of your country. In the event of a dispute, you may bring proceedings, at your choice, before the court of the place where you lived when you ordered or when the harmful event occurred, or before any other court with jurisdiction under the law.

Appendix — Withdrawal form

Complete and return this form only if you wish to withdraw.

To The Happiness Institute, 50 avenue des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris, France, email: contact@happiness-institute.com.

I hereby give notice that I withdraw from my contract for the sale of the goods or the supply of the service below:

Ordered on ……………… / received on ………………
Order reference: ………………
Name of consumer: ………………
Address of consumer: ………………
Signature of consumer (only if this form is sent on paper): ………………
Date: ………………

This English translation is provided for information only; the French version prevails.