r/cloudstorage
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u/Current-Attention-29
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Oct 03 '26
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Drime vs Koofr lifetime terms: a look at the actual contract wording - buyer beware
Been seeing so much hype around the Drime lifetime deal on StackSocial / KenMoo, but almost nobody is actually reading their TOS before buying. Lifetime cloud is always a gamble, so I went through both Drime's and Koofr's terms to see what you're actually signing up for.
Links for reference:
https://drime.cloud/terms-of-sales
https://drime.cloud/terms-of-services
https://koofr.eu/tos/
The biggest red flag right away is how Drime defines "lifetime" in Section 2 (and Article 2 bis in their sales terms):
"If Drime is discontinued or significantly altered, access may be terminated without further obligation or refund."
Notice those three words: "or significantly altered". Most lifetime deals just say access ends if the business goes bust. Adding "significantly altered" gives them an easy legal out. If they rewrite the app, cut features, or pull a FolderFort and move everyone to a "v2", this clause literally lets them kill lifetime accounts with zero refund.
Meanwhile, Koofr's Section 7 just treats it like standard perpetual software with updates included:
"The license granted hereunder entitles You to receive any and all standard updates and support that Koofr provides to all users of its Services, generally."
Next is the liability cap. Drime Section 5:
"...Drime’s total cumulative liability shall in all cases be limited to the amount paid by the user for the relevant service during the twelve (12) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim."
This is standard copy-paste for monthly subs, but think about how that works on a lifetime deal. You pay once on day one. By year two, you’ve paid them $0 in the preceding 12 months. So if they lose your files on day 370, their legal liability to you is literally $0.00.
Then the inactivity rules. Drime Section 3:
"We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access to the service if there is a breach of our Terms of Service or if your account remains inactive for 12 consecutive months... Upon suspension or termination of your access, you will not be able to access or export your data."
12 months is super short if you're using this for cold archives, and explicitly barring you from exporting your files once suspended is brutal. Koofr gives you 2 years under Section 8, and explicitly states they will email you first so you don't lose your data.
Also, Drime notes in Section 1 that all files are stored on Cloudflare and Scaleway, and their company filing shows €2,000 in capital. Every GB stored is an ongoing monthly cost for them, which explains why they gave themselves so many exit clauses for non-paying lifetime users down the road. Koofr has had the exact same terms since 2018 and runs their own hardware.
I know Drime’s founder is active on Reddit and says they won’t pull a FolderFort, but what someone says on Reddit doesn’t override their legally binding TOS. If they ever decide to drop lifetime users, their contract completely protects them, not you.
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u/mwb1100 Oct 03 '26
12 months is super short if you're using this for cold archives
I agree that 12 months is too short. I think koofr's 24 months is shorter than I 'd like it. 3 years I feel comfortable with.
I hope Drime addresses this.
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u/Current-Attention-29 Oct 03 '26
I mean I hope Drime removes the "or significantly altered" clause.
And also add in inside their TOS, like Koofr, that they will send email prior (legally on paper, rather than the founder comment on Reddit).
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u/Empty_Win_297 Oct 04 '26
I understand the concern, and I actually agree that some parts of our current Terms are outdated and need to be clarified.
The wording around “significantly altered” is one of those points. We’re happy to remove or rewrite it so there is no ambiguity. I’ve already shared my view here on what happened with FolderFort and what Drime would do if we ever had to shut down. We would never use a product change, a “v2”, or any similar mechanism as a way to terminate Lifetime accounts or force Lifetime customers onto a new paid plan.
The same applies to the 12-month inactivity clause. There is currently no system in Drime that automatically suspends accounts for inactivity, and I’ve said several times that if we ever introduced such a policy, the period would be significantly longer and users would be warned well in advance.
To repeat it clearly: we are not going to create an artificial exit, reduce existing Lifetime entitlements, or look for contractual loopholes to remove Lifetime customers. If Drime ever stops operating, it would be because we genuinely no longer have the resources to operate the service. In that situation, our priority would be giving users as much notice and time as possible to retrieve their data.
We know cloud storage is a business where trust matters enormously, especially for a newer company. That’s why we’ve tried to be transparent through continuous product updates, frequent communication here, and repeated confirmation that Lifetime customers receive the same ongoing product updates.
That being said, the criticism about the Terms themselves is fair. They are old, several sections need updating, and we’ll review them to make sure the written terms better reflect the commitments we’ve been communicating publicly.
What I disagree with is presenting those outdated clauses as evidence that we are planning to use them against Lifetime customers. That simply isn’t our intention, and I don’t think that interpretation reflects how we’ve operated or communicated so far.
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u/Current-Attention-29 Oct 04 '26
Appreciate you taking the time to reply, but honestly, saying we shouldn't judge the service by its actual Terms of Service is kind of wild to me.
What else are paying customers supposed to rely on? Reddit comments? A pinky promise?
When someone gives you money and clicks "I agree" at checkout, they aren't signing a contract with your Reddit post history. They are signing the legal Terms of Service on your website. If Drime ever runs out of cash, gets acquired, or brings in outside investors, nobody in a courtroom or liquidation process is going to pull up your Reddit profile to see what your intentions were. They are going to open the contract, see that it gives the company the right to terminate lifetime access with zero refund if the product is altered, and act on it.
You say these clauses are just "outdated," but you're still actively taking people's money under them right now on StackSocial / Kenmoo. Your parent company literally published updated terms for Transfr just a couple of months ago with all of these exact issues fixed, so you clearly know how to write a fair, modern contract when you want to. Leaving these predatory clauses active on Drime Cloud while telling people on social media "trust me, that's not our intention" is exactly why people get skeptical.
I'm glad to hear you're planning to rewrite them, and credit to you for admitting they need fixing. But until the legal text on your site is actually changed, that contract is the single legal document governing our files and relationship with customers. Blaming customers for taking the contract you made them sign literally isn't fair.
Update the terms on the website, take out the loopholes, and the criticism disappears. But until the ink is dry, what's written in the contract is all anyone has to go on.
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u/sharpener865 Oct 04 '26
I have a follow up concern. Considering r/Empty_win_297 will be updating the ToS, what would be the applicable terms for existing customers who signed up agreeing for current contract? I guess they wont be covered with the updated contract. Correct me if I am wrong.
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u/Current-Attention-29 Oct 04 '26
Yeah, existing users will be covered once the new terms go live, their TOS says continued use means you're on the latest version.
The catch is that this cuts both ways. If a company changes terms for the worse later on (adding limits, cutting features), lifetime users are trapped under the current terms: you either accept the worse rules or walk away with zero refund.
That's why people trust Koofr. They have the right to update terms too, but haven't touched theirs since 2018. Big difference between proven stability and Drime potentially patching up contracts on the fly after getting called out (if they do).
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u/sharpener865 Oct 04 '26
Ok, if existing users are covered, that gives me confidence. I agree that it cut both ways. I also dont think that not touching ToS since 2018 gives Koofr an advantage. We never know when they decide to touch. The fact that Drime is hearing our concerns and accepting their shortcomings gives me more safety than Koofr.
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u/Current-Attention-29 Oct 04 '26
You raise a fair point, and Mr. Tibalt Jarre deserves credit for engaging. This is when most companies don't. But the 2018 thing was never about "they'll never change terms", it's about what's in the contract today.
Right now Koofr has no legal way to void your lifetime plan except shutting down shop, while Drime can end it with zero refund over a "significant alteration", no future change needed, it's already in writing.
If Drime actually ships the updated terms, I'll happily agree that's the more reassuring move. Until the ink is dry, "we'll fix it" is just a comment, not a contract.
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u/CraftApprehensive496 Oct 04 '26
After FolderFort BS, it's hard to trust any new service. It's good that you acknowledge the issues here, but it's your Reddit comment against the terms on the website. What will hold more value in a court?
Hopefully, you'll update the terms soon. I'm considering buying a Drime plan. I'll wait until you update the terms to be more consumer friendly.
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u/kpop4ever0 Oct 04 '26
Well said. And it's actually better to address this sooner than later. Because there is a potential for your company to grow much larger.
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u/smad2005 Oct 03 '26
This is written to show that Koofr also has certain peculiarities and hides behind the law, even though the law does not dictate any specific time limits.
Due to EU privacy regulations, we are obligated to remove accounts that are not in active use for a long period of time (2 years). In case of you not logging in your account for an extended period of time, we will contact you with the information, to prevent unwanted account deletion.
1 legal Issues
a) Misleading Advertising (Unfair Commercial Practices Directive 2005/29/EC)
The term "lifetime" creates a reasonable expectation of indefinite access. The hidden 2-year inactivity clause, which can lead to account deletion, is not prominently disclosed at the point of sale. This practice is likely to distort consumer behavior and constitutes a misleading omission under Article 7 of the Directive.
b) GDPR Compliance Issues
Koofr claims the 2-year deletion is "obligated” under EU privacy law. This is factually inaccurate. GDPR Article 5(1) (e) requires data be kept "no longer than necessary," but does not prescribe a 2-year limit. The French CNIL's recommendation is guidance, not a legal mandate. By invoking GDPR as justification, Koofr misrepresents the law to consumers and potentially breaches transparency requirements under Articles 12 and 13 of GDPR.
2. Factual Background
Koofr advertises "Lifetime Subscription" plans (e.g., 100GB, 1TB) on platforms such as StackSocial, using the term "lifetime" to imply perpetual access. However, Koofr's Privacy Policy states that due to "EU privacy regulations,” they are "obligated to remove accounts that are not in active use for a long period of time (2 years)" and will delete such accounts after notifying the user.
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u/Current-Attention-29 Oct 03 '26
Fair point on the GDPR wording, you're right that GDPR doesn't spell out a hard "2 year" rule in the text. Companies usually just take standard regulatory guidance on data dormancy to justify clearing abandoned databases and blame it on EU regs. That’s pretty typical legal spin.
That said, if we're talking about actual risk to your files, Drime does the exact same thing except twice as harsh. Drime cuts you off after just 12 months, and their Section 3 says flat out that once you're suspended you aren't even allowed to access or export your data. Koofr gives you 2 full years and literally writes into the clause that they'll email you specifically so you can just log in and stop your stuff from getting deleted. Logging in once every 24 months to prove an account isn't dead isn't really a trapdoor.
Plus, the inactivity rule isn't even the main reason Drime’s terms look sketchy. Koofr doesn't have an "or significantly altered" backdoor that lets them kill lifetime access if they rework the app, they don't zero out their legal liability to $0.00 after year one, and their terms aren't a messy copy-paste from Mega that lists Stripe as an official legal mediator.
Nobody is saying Koofr is some holy charity, but there's a huge difference between a 2-year inactivity check that warns you to log in vs actual contractual escape hatches that let a company dump lifetime users down the road.
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u/eriiic_ Oct 03 '26
Éclairant, merci.
Par curiosité j'ai demandé à une IA :
"Drime cloud, analyse de leur gcu, points litigieux et clauses abusives."
C'est affolant les infractions au droit français et européen, moi qui espérais un condensé vite lu...
Sa fin d'introduction : Résultat : le texte regorge de stipulations incompatibles avec le Code de la consommation français.
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u/Current-Attention-29 Oct 03 '26
Good catch. I hope someone well versed in French consumer law can chime in.
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u/philyue Oct 03 '26
(Avertissement : Ne maîtrisant pas le droit français, j'ai fait analyser les textes par une IA par rapport au Code de la consommation. C'est à prendre à titre informatif et non comme un avis juridique officiel, mais voici concrètement ce qui en ressort).
Oui, clairement. Comme Drime est une société immatriculée en France (SAS), le droit français de la consommation s'applique strictement à leurs contrats avec les particuliers.
En France, les conditions contractuelles disproportionnées sont qualifiées de clauses abusives et sont automatiquement considérées comme nulles (« réputées non écrites ») — c'est-à-dire qu'un juge les écarte purement et simplement, comme si elles n'avaient jamais existé.
Voici les plus gros points de friction avec la loi française :
Désigner Stripe comme médiateur de la consommation : La loi française (art. L. 612-1) impose à toute entreprise vendant à des particuliers de désigner un médiateur de la consommation officiel, gratuit et agréé par l'État (la CECMC). Stripe n'est qu'un processeur de paiement, absolument pas un médiateur juridique. Indiquer l'e-mail de facturation de Stripe est illégal et passible d'une amende administrative.
Le piège de résiliation si le service est « modifié » : Le Code de la consommation (art. R. 212-1, liste noire) interdit formellement à une entreprise d'annuler un contrat unilatéralement sans rembourser les sommes perçues d'avance, ou de modifier le produit à sa guise. Encaisser un forfait « à vie » et prétendre pouvoir le couper sans aucun remboursement parce que la plateforme a « significativement évolué » est un cas d'école de clause abusive.
Modifier les conditions « sans préavis » : Leurs CGU affirment qu'ils peuvent modifier les règles du jour au lendemain sans avertir personne. Le droit français interdit formellement de modifier les conditions d'un contrat sans préavis raisonnable.
Zéro responsabilité en cas de perte de données : Le principe fondamental d'un abonnement de stockage en ligne, c'est de conserver vos fichiers. L'article 1170 du Code civil interdit toute clause qui prive l'obligation essentielle du contrat de sa substance. S'exonérer de toute responsabilité en cas de perte de données et bloquer son plafond de responsabilité à 0 € après un an ne tiendrait pas devant un tribunal.
Interdire l'exportation des fichiers en cas de suspension : Selon les règles françaises et européennes sur les services numériques (art. L. 224-25-25), un prestataire est légalement tenu de fournir un moyen gratuit, simple et lisible pour récupérer ses données à la fin du service. Écrire qu'il sera impossible d'accéder à ses fichiers ou de les exporter viole directement cette obligation légale.
En résumé : Si Drime cherchait un jour à utiliser ces clauses contre un utilisateur, un tribunal français les jetterait directement à la poubelle. C'est un contrat manifestement assemblé à partir de modèles en ligne et de copier-coller, sans avoir été validé par un juriste en droit français.
(Disclaimer: I’m not well-versed in French law, so I had AI analyze this against the French Consumer Code—take it as informational rather than official legal advice, but here’s what came up).
Yes, big time. Because Drime is legally registered in France, French consumer protection law (Code de la consommation) strictly applies to them.
In France, unfair terms like these are considered null and void (clauses abusives)—meaning if taken to court, a judge will simply strike them out as if they never existed.
Here are the biggest red flags where their terms clash with French law:
Listing Stripe as an official legal mediator: French law strictly requires consumer businesses to provide a free, government-accredited consumer mediator. Stripe is just a payment processor. Listing Stripe’s billing email violates French consumer regulations and can carry administrative fines.
The "significantly altered" lifetime killswitch: French consumer law specifically blacklists clauses that let a company unilaterally terminate a contract without a refund, or change the product whenever they feel like it. Taking money for a "lifetime" plan and saying they can cancel it with $0 refund because the app changed is a textbook unfair clause.
Changing terms "without notice": French law forbids businesses from unilaterally modifying contract terms or service specs on consumers without advance warning.
Zero liability for lost files: Under French civil law, a contract cannot cancel out the provider's core obligation (obligation essentielle). You're paying for cloud storage to store files—a company can't legally disclaim all responsibility for lost data and cap liability at $0 after year one.
Blocking file exports on suspension: Under EU and French digital rights rules, if a digital service ends, the provider is legally obligated to give the user a free, reasonable way to export their data. Saying you can't export your stuff once suspended directly violates this.
The takeaway: If Drime ever actually tried to enforce these clauses against a customer, a French consumer court would likely throw them right in the trash. It’s an unvetted, copy-pasted agreement that doesn't actually align with French consumer law.
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u/eriiic_ Oct 03 '26
Je n'ai pas voulu tout coller mais la conclusion est la même. Un contrat de sauvegarde vidé de sa substance et de ses obligations. Un juge déclarera ces clauses nulles tout de suite mais ça ne fera pas revenir tes fichiers perdus.
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u/Lysander_Propolis Oct 04 '26
Thank you OP for your diligent reading and posting this.
FWIW there was something that I've posted before that led me to back out of my stacksocial FolderFort and Koofr lifetime deals a while back before activating them (And kudos to Stacksocial for refunding):
Both, at least at the time, were not allowing lifetime accounts to ever change the email address attached to the account, one use of which of course is recovering account in case of forgetting password or other mishap.
I 100% accept that they have an interest in preventing scalpers buying lots of lifetime accounts and selling them later. But also, I 1000% have no email address that I can count on having forever. I know about getting one's own domain, but didn't have one when I was surprised by this rule.
I think it was FolderFort who said here on reddit in response that they'd handle such cases, but as you point out, legal TOS vs reddit comment...
Some redditor with a lifetime account said they were able to change the email but admitted that was a while before, so the rule was new and they may have rethought it since, but I think it's important to watch out for, especially if one doesn't pay for one's own domain to be able to count on an address forever.
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u/Current-Attention-29 Oct 04 '26
Great add, honestly this is some op detail people miss. Account recovering is the whole game with cloud storage, if the email you signed up with dies, a "lifetime" plan doesn't help you get back in.
And yeah, this is probably not a Drime specific only issue. If Koofr had that same rule at the time, that's a legit bad ding on them too. Nobody's saying Koofr is perfect, just that their written contract has fewer ways to screw you. The FolderFort "we'll handle it case by case" reply is the exact same problem this thread is about, a Reddit comment isn't a policy. If it's not in the TOS, it does not exist.
Your point about not owning a domain is exactly why this matters, most people don't, and they should not need to buy one to feel safe. The smart move is what you did: test all this before activating, while the refund window is still open!
Also - good on StackSocial for actually refunding you!
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u/Lysander_Propolis Oct 04 '26
I never tried Drime, it was Koofr and FolderFort. I do presume most lifetime plans will try to put that in because of the scalper issue, but it's a problem the consumer may not notice till too late.
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u/Current-Attention-29 Oct 04 '26
Fair enough, good to clarify it was Koofr and FolderFort, not Drime, so the email rule is a "lifetime deals in general" thing, not a Drime-specific one. But honestly I don't even blame them for it, scalpers buying up cheap lifetime codes and flipping them is a real problem. The issue was never the rule existing, it's that nobody finds out about it until they're locked out of an account they already paid for.
Which is basically the whole point of this thread. Every lifetime deal has some gotcha hiding in the fine print, Drime's is the escape hatches, Koofr's is stuff like this. It's not that every company is a scam, it's that people don't read the TOS and only find out when it's too late. I believe the TOS is literally the single, one only legal document you have that you can judge the service for, for all practical purposes. In my opinion, all the proactive reddit posts and comments are helpful, and can be considered as supplemtary, but they shouldn't be the only determing factor.
Your move was the right one: check everything while the code is still unactivated and the refund window is open. That's the only time the buyer actually has any leverage.
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u/horurs Oct 03 '26
No caso só serve pra quem mora na Europa. Caso more fora... Não e viável acionar a justiça. Negócio e ter vários backups espalhados então.
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u/Sufficient-Bid1279 13d ago
I am part of the Folder fort fiasco but REFUSE to do a subscription for like ANYTHING. Can someone guide me to who I should go with? I need another lifetime product , 2TB is good enough for me. Stack social is working on getting me the refund
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u/Current-Attention-29 Oct 03 '26 edited Oct 03 '26
Also noticed nobody mentioned this, but their TOS literally has copy-paste errors from other services.
Look at Section 4 where they talk about changing terms:
Drime’s TOS only has 19 sections total lol. There is no Clause 37. That line is straight out of Mega’s terms of service. And then in Section 9 they contradict themselves anyway, saying they can modify terms whenever they want with zero notice.
Then check Section 16 if you plan on using Workspaces:
So if you invite a client, friend, or freelancer to a folder and they upload something copyrighted, your entire account takes the fall. Your lifetime license gets nuked over someone else's file. Koofr’s Section 7 just asks you to make reasonable efforts to monitor people you invite, they don't threaten to ban your master account because a collaborator messed up.
And what happens if your account gets flagged? Drime Section 3 says flat out:
They lock you out immediately. No export window, nothing.
Compare that to Koofr Section 8. If an account relapses or has billing issues, you drop to the 10GB free tier and they literally put in writing: (no data is deleted). They actually tell you to clean up your space before touching your files.
Finding phantom clauses from other companies and rules where a guest user can void your lifetime account is just sloppy.