Terms of Service Effective Date: October 08, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms By accessing, browsing, or utilizing The Local Lighthouse RI website (the “Directory”), or by submitting an application to become a listed partner, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to all of these terms, you are prohibited from using this website.

2. Nature of the Service & Financial Disclosure The Local Lighthouse RI operates as a curated informational directory and community resource for the East Bay area. To maintain this platform, cover operational costs, and compensate for the manual labor required to review state licenses, listed businesses pay an annual partnership fee.

However, this Directory is not an open advertising board. Payment of a fee does not guarantee placement. All categories are strictly capped, and we reserve the right to reject or remove any business that does not meet our standard of community accountability. We are an advertising and discovery platform; we are not a general contractor, a licensing board, a broker, or a party to any contract executed between a consumer and a listed business.

3. Limitation of Liability (“Use at Your Own Risk”) By using this Directory to find and hire local professionals, you explicitly acknowledge and agree that you do so entirely at your own risk.

• No Warranty: We do not endorse, guarantee, or warranty the quality, safety, legality, or completion of the services provided by any listed business. All hiring decisions, contract negotiations, and project outcomes are strictly between you (the consumer) and the business you choose to hire.
• Absolute Release of Liability: Under no circumstances shall The Local Lighthouse RI, its owners, operators, affiliates, or agents be held liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages arising from your use of this site or your engagement with any listed business. This release of liability encompasses, but is not limited to, property damage, personal injury, financial disputes, substandard workmanship, fraud, or failure to complete a job.
• Consumer Responsibility: While we require our partners to attest to their standing upon intake, it is your sole responsibility as a consumer to independently verify a business’s active state licenses, current insurance coverage, and references prior to signing a contract, authorizing work, or exchanging funds.

4. Business Partner Terms (B2B) If you are a business owner accepted into the Directory, you agree to the following legally binding terms upon submission of your intake form:

• The Scarcity Model & Non-Refundable Payments: The Local Lighthouse RI operates on a strict scarcity model, capping categories at a maximum of three partners to make it easier for our neighbors to get what they need without decision fatigue or being overwhelmed by advertisements. By securing a slot, you actively prevent competitors from purchasing that space. Therefore, all annual partnership payments are final, absolute, and entirely non-refundable under any circumstance. This includes, but is not limited to, early cancellation, business closure, or removal from the Directory for violating community standards.
• Licensing & Insurance Attestation: You legally attest that you hold and will maintain active General Liability Insurance and all mandatory State of Rhode Island trade licenses required for your profession. You assume full legal and financial responsibility for your business operations.
• Indemnification: You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless The Local Lighthouse RI and its owners from and against any claims, lawsuits, damages, liabilities, costs, or expenses (including legal fees) brought by a consumer or third party arising from your services, conduct, business practices, or any breach of these terms.
• Annual Standing & Accountability: Partnership is an annual commitment contingent on maintaining an active, uncompromised local reputation. If a partner fails to uphold standard business ethics or is found to be operating without required licenses or insurance, The Local Lighthouse RI reserves the right to terminate the partnership immediately, without refund, and reassign the slot.

5. Right of Refusal and Removal The Local Lighthouse RI reserves the absolute right to reject any application, refuse service, or remove any existing partner at our sole discretion, at any time, with or without cause or notice, to protect the integrity of the Directory and our community.

6. Intellectual Property & Acceptable Use All content, original graphics, site design, and branding on this website are the intellectual property of The Local Lighthouse RI. You may not copy, reproduce, or distribute our content without prior written permission. Furthermore, the use of automated systems, bots, or software to extract data, scrape email addresses, or spam our listed partners is strictly prohibited.

7. Third-Party Links The Directory contains outbound links to the websites and social media profiles of our local partners. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party websites.

8. Governing Law & Jurisdiction These Terms of Service shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Rhode Island, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any legal action or proceeding arising out of or relating to these terms or your use of the Directory shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Rhode Island.

9. Modifications to Terms We reserve the right to update or modify these Terms of Service at any time. Changes will be effective immediately upon posting to this page, as indicated by the “Effective Date” at the top. Continued use of the Directory following any changes constitutes your formal acceptance of the revised Terms.