Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using Discover Essex ("Website"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you disagree with any part of these Terms, you may not access the Website.

2. User Accounts

2.1 Registration

To access certain features, you must create an account. You agree to:

Provide accurate, current, and complete information
Maintain and update your information
Maintain the security of your account credentials
Accept responsibility for all activities under your account
Notify us immediately of any unauthorised access

2.2 Account Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at any time, without prior notice or liability, for any reason, including but not limited to:

Violation of these Terms
Fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity
Submission of false or misleading information
Harassment of other users
Posting inappropriate content
Attempting to manipulate reviews or ratings

Account termination may occur without warning and all content associated with your account may be permanently deleted.

3. Listing Policy

3.1 Listing Requirements

All listings must:

Be accurate and truthful
Relate to legitimate businesses, events, jobs, or items in Essex
Not contain misleading or false information
Comply with UK law and regulations
Not infringe on third-party intellectual property rights

3.2 Listing Approval

All new listings and changes to existing listings are subject to moderation and approval. We reserve the right to reject any listing for any reason without explanation.

3.3 Listing Expiration

Free listings expire after:

30 days for Businesses, Events and Requests
14 days for Jobs and Marketplace

You may extend your free listing by logging in and clicking "Extend". Expired listings are removed from public view but remain accessible in your account for relisting.

3.4 Prohibited Listings

You may not post listings for:

Illegal goods, services, or activities
Adult content or services
Weapons or dangerous items
Counterfeit or stolen goods
Multi-level marketing or pyramid schemes
Content that violates intellectual property rights

4. "Find a Trade" Service Requests

4.1 Service Overview

"Find a Trade" is a feature allowing users to post requests for local services and connect with registered businesses who may be able to assist. This service is provided as a platform to facilitate communication between service seekers ("Requesters") and service providers ("Responders").

4.2 Platform Role and Liability Disclaimer

IMPORTANT: Discover Essex acts solely as an intermediary platform. We do not employ, endorse, recommend, or guarantee any business or individual responding to service requests.

We do not verify the qualifications, licenses, insurance, or credentials of businesses or individuals
We are not a party to any agreement between Requesters and Responders
We are not responsible for the quality, safety, or legality of services provided
We are not liable for any disputes, damages, injuries, or losses arising from interactions between users
Users engage with each other entirely at their own risk

4.3 Requester Responsibilities

When posting a service request, you agree to:

Provide accurate descriptions of the work required
Conduct your own due diligence on any business or individual before engaging their services
Verify qualifications, insurance, and references independently
Not share personal contact information publicly (use our messaging system)
Exercise reasonable caution when allowing strangers access to your property
Obtain written quotes and agreements directly with service providers
Report any suspicious, inappropriate, or fraudulent activity to us immediately

4.4 Responder (Business) Responsibilities

When responding to service requests, businesses agree to:

Only respond to requests they are genuinely qualified to fulfill
Provide honest and accurate pricing and availability information
Maintain appropriate professional licenses, insurance, and qualifications
Conduct business in accordance with all applicable UK laws and regulations
Not engage in misleading, deceptive, or high-pressure sales tactics
Respect the privacy and property of Requesters

4.5 Contact Information Sharing

When you share contact details through "Find a Trade" requests, you acknowledge that:

Your contact information will be shared with businesses who submit proposals
You are responsible for vetting any businesses before sharing further personal information
We cannot control how businesses use your contact information once shared
You should only share information you are comfortable being contacted about

4.6 Prohibited Conduct

The following conduct is prohibited on "Find a Trade":

Posting fake or misleading service requests
Submitting fraudulent or spam proposals
Requesting or offering illegal services
Harassment, threats, or abusive communication
Attempting to circumvent the platform's messaging system for fraudulent purposes
Misrepresenting qualifications, credentials, or business legitimacy

4.7 Indemnification

Users agree to indemnify and hold harmless Discover Essex from any claims, damages, costs, or expenses arising from their use of "Find a Trade", including but not limited to disputes with other users, property damage, personal injury, or financial loss resulting from services arranged through the platform.

5. Review Policy

5.1 Review Guidelines

Reviews must:

Be based on genuine personal experience
Be honest and unbiased
Be respectful and appropriate
Not contain profanity, hate speech, or discriminatory language
Not violate privacy or confidentiality
Not contain promotional content or links

5.2 Review Moderation

All reviews are subject to approval before publication. We reserve the right to reject or remove any review that violates these guidelines. Reviews that are fake, misleading, or incentivised will be removed, and the account may be terminated.

5.3 Prohibited Review Practices

Posting fake or fraudulent reviews
Reviewing your own business
Incentivising reviews with payment or rewards
Posting multiple reviews for the same business
Targeting competitors with negative reviews

6. Subscription and Payment Terms

6.1 Pricing

Current pricing plans are available on our Pricing page. Prices are subject to change with notice.

6.2 Billing

Subscriptions are billed monthly in advance
Payments are processed securely through Stripe
All prices include VAT where applicable
No refunds for partial months or unused services

6.3 Cancellation

You may cancel your subscription at any time. Cancellations take effect at the end of the current billing period. No refunds will be provided for the remaining period.

6.4 Marketplace Upgrades & Credits

Marketplace upgrade credits (Bump, Mark as Urgent, Featured) are one-time purchases, not subscriptions
All purchased credits are valid for 12 months from the date of purchase
Paid features are non-refundable once they are live and cannot be removed before they expire
Unused credits expire after 12 months and are non-refundable
Credits are non-transferable between accounts

7. Intellectual Property Rights

7.1 Our Content

All content on the Website, including text, graphics, logos, and software, is owned by or licensed to Discover Essex and protected by UK and international copyright laws.

7.2 User Content Licence

By posting content to Discover Essex, including but not limited to listings, business information, images, logos, photographs, descriptions, and any other materials ("User Content"), you grant Discover Essex and its affiliates a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable licence to:

Use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, and distribute your User Content in any media format
Create derivative works from your User Content
Display, publicly perform, and broadcast your User Content
Sublicence these rights to third parties
Use your User Content for promotional, marketing, and advertising purposes, including but not limited to social media promotion, email campaigns, print materials, and digital advertising

This licence includes the right to use any business names, trading names, logos, brand identities, images, and photographs you upload for the purpose of promoting your listing, promoting Discover Essex, and showcasing businesses and services within Essex.

You represent and warrant that you own or have the necessary rights, licences, and permissions to grant this licence for all User Content you submit, and that your User Content does not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of any third party.

By submitting a listing, you acknowledge and agree that Discover Essex may feature your business, event, job listing, or marketplace listing on social media platforms, partner websites, newsletters, and other promotional channels without additional notice or compensation.

7.3 Copyright Infringement

If you believe content on our Website infringes your copyright, please contact us at contact@discoveressex.co.uk with details of the alleged infringement.

8. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

Use the Website for any unlawful purpose
Impersonate any person or entity
Transmit viruses, malware, or harmful code
Attempt to gain unauthorised access to systems
Scrape, mine, or harvest data without permission
Interfere with or disrupt the Website
Spam or send unsolicited communications
Engage in any automated use of the system

9. Disclaimers and Limitations of Liability

9.1 Disclaimer

The Website is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind. We do not guarantee that the Website will be error-free, secure, or available at all times.

9.2 User Content

We are not responsible for the accuracy, reliability, or legality of user-generated content, including listings and reviews. Users are solely responsible for their interactions with other users.

9.3 Third-Party Services

We are not responsible for the quality, safety, legality, or suitability of any services arranged through "Find a Trade" or any other feature. All transactions and agreements between users are solely between those parties.

9.4 Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Discover Essex shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Website, including but not limited to damages arising from:

Interactions with other users
Services arranged through "Find a Trade"
Reliance on information provided by other users
Loss of data or business interruption

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Discover Essex from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from your use of the Website, violation of these Terms, or infringement of any rights of another, including any claims arising from services arranged through "Find a Trade" or disputes with other users.

11. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

12. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Changes will be effective immediately upon posting. Your continued use of the Website after changes constitutes acceptance of the modified Terms.

13. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

14. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms, please contact us at:

Email: contact@discoveressex.co.uk

Phone: 01376 773080