Terms & Conditions

Effective Date: April 8, 2026

These Terms & Conditions ("Terms") govern your use of celloperations.com (the "Site") and any products, content, or experiences offered by Cell Operations ("we," "us," or "our"). By accessing the Site, purchasing products, or participating in any interactive or narrative content, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Site. Cell Operations is a creative and narrative-driven art project hosting original artwork, interactive puzzles, alternate reality game (ARG) content, and a storefront selling handmade physical goods including steel charms and related items. You must be at least 18 years old, or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, to purchase products from the Site.

Products sold through the Site are handmade and will vary in appearance. Variations in finish, patina, surface marks, weight, and dimensions are inherent to the materials and process and are not considered defects. Photographs on the Site are representative; your item will not be identical to the image shown. Many products are made from raw or minimally finished steel and other metals, and may develop patina, oxidation, or surface rust over time, particularly when exposed to moisture, skin oils, or the elements. Products may contain small parts or sharp edges, are not toys, and are not intended for children or for use with food, drink, or prolonged skin contact unless explicitly labeled otherwise.

All orders are subject to acceptance and availability. We reserve the right to refuse or cancel any order at our discretion, including orders that appear fraudulent, are placed in error, or involve pricing mistakes. Prices are listed in U.S. dollars and do not include applicable taxes or shipping, which will be calculated at checkout. Payment is processed through Squarespace Payments, and by placing an order you authorize us to charge your payment method for the total amount.

We ship to addresses within the regions listed at checkout. Shipping timelines are estimates and are not guaranteed. Once an order has been handed off to the carrier, responsibility for the package transfers to the carrier and, upon delivery, to you. We are not responsible for lost, stolen, delayed, or damaged packages once they have left our possession; if your package is lost or damaged in transit, contact the carrier directly to file a claim. International orders may be subject to customs duties, taxes, and fees imposed by the destination country, which are the responsibility of the buyer.

All sales are final. We do not accept returns, exchanges, or offer refunds once an order has been placed, including for changes of mind, delays in shipping, variations in handmade product appearance, and natural changes to raw materials over time. Please review your order carefully before completing checkout. If your order arrives and an item is missing or visibly incorrect compared to what you ordered, contact us at bns1@celloperations.com within 7 days of delivery and we will work with you in good faith to resolve the issue.

The Site includes interactive puzzles, encrypted content, narrative media, and alternate reality game (ARG) elements, which may extend beyond the Site to include physical objects, external websites, social media, locations, or other media. All engagement is entirely voluntary, and you participate at your own discretion and at your own risk. Some content may reference or direct participants toward real-world locations, objects, or actions; you are solely responsible for your own safety, for obeying all applicable laws, for respecting private property, and for using common sense at all times. Do not trespass, damage property, endanger yourself or others, or break the law in connection with Cell Operations content under any circumstances. ARG content is provided as-is, and we make no guarantees about availability, uptime, solvability, timelines, prizes, outcomes, or continuity; content may be changed, withdrawn, or altered at any time without notice. Cell Operations content, including associated characters, vendors, organizations, transmissions, and narrative elements, is fictional; any resemblance to real persons, entities, or events is either coincidental or used as part of the creative work, and nothing on the Site should be interpreted as literal instructions, factual claims, or statements of real-world activity.

All content on the Site, including artwork, photography, text, logos, designs, puzzle content, narrative writing, audio, video, and the Cell Operations name and associated marks, is owned by Cell Operations or used with permission and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may view and engage with content for personal, non-commercial purposes as part of the intended experience, but you may not copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, resell, or create derivative works from Cell Operations content without prior written permission. Participation in ARG content does not grant you ownership of or rights to any of the underlying content.

When using the Site, you agree not to attempt to disrupt, hack, reverse-engineer, or gain unauthorized access to the Site or its infrastructure; use the Site for any unlawful purpose; harass, threaten, or harm other participants or Cell Operations; misrepresent yourself or impersonate Cell Operations, its characters, or other participants; spoil, dox, or disclose ARG content, solutions, or participant identities in ways that interfere with others' experience or safety; or scrape, data-mine, or systematically extract content from the Site. We reserve the right to restrict access at our discretion.

The Site and all content, products, and experiences are provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. We disclaim all warranties, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement, and we do not warrant that the Site will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Cell Operations, its owners, and its collaborators will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits, data, or goodwill, arising from or related to your use of the Site, your purchase of products, or your participation in any Cell Operations content or experience. Our total liability to you for any claim will not exceed the amount you paid to Cell Operations in the 90 days preceding the claim, or fifty U.S. dollars ($50), whichever is greater. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Cell Operations, its owners, and its collaborators from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your use of the Site, your violation of these Terms, your violation of any law, or your infringement of the rights of any third party.

The Site uses third-party services including Squarespace, Stripe, and Sift, and may link to third-party websites, social media, or content as part of ARG experiences. We are not responsible for the content, practices, or policies of any third party, and your interactions with third-party services are governed by their own terms and privacy policies.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Michigan, United States, without regard to its conflict of laws principles. Any dispute will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Michigan, and you consent to the jurisdiction of those courts. If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect. We may update these Terms from time to time; updates will be posted on this page with a new effective date, and your continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance. Questions about these Terms can be sent to bns1@celloperations.com.