Terms of Service

GarageSeeker Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern access to and use of the GarageSeeker website, application features, APIs, and related services (the "Platform"). In these Terms, "GarageSeeker", "we", "our", and "us" refer to GarageSeeker Inc., operating as GarageSeeker and operating the Platform.

When you create an account, confirming that you are at least 13, selecting the checkbox stating that you agree to these Terms, and then submitting the registration form records your confirmation and acceptance of the version shown above. This applies to password and Google registration. If you are under 13 or do not agree, do not create an account or use account-only features. The Privacy Policy is a separate notice describing how personal information is handled.

1. Eligibility
   You must be at least 13 years old to create or maintain a GarageSeeker account. Registration asks only for confirmation of this eligibility and does not request your birth date.

   To claim a shop page as a Shop Owner, you must be at least 18 years old and authorized to represent that shop.

   You may not use the Platform where doing so would violate applicable law.
2. Your Account
   You must provide accurate account information, protect your credentials, and promptly tell us about suspected unauthorized access. You are responsible for activity performed through your account to the extent permitted by law.

   We may refuse registration or restrict an account where reasonably necessary to address fraud, abuse, security, legal requirements, or violations of these Terms. Where practicable, we will explain the reason and provide information about available review or appeal options.
3. User Content and Licence
   "User Content" includes reviews, ratings, photos, comments, shop edits, reports, and other information you submit. You retain ownership of your User Content.

   You grant GarageSeeker a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, reproduce, format, display, and distribute your User Content only as reasonably needed to operate, secure, moderate, and improve the Platform. We may sublicense these limited rights to service providers that help operate the Platform. This licence does not transfer ownership or permit unrelated advertising uses.

   The licence ends when the content is deleted, except that copies may remain for a reasonable backup period or where retention is reasonably necessary for legal obligations, security, fraud prevention, moderation, an active dispute, or content you shared with others that remains in their conversation.

   Do not submit fraudulent, defamatory, hateful, harassing, privacy-invasive, infringing, non-consensual, manipulative, spam, or unlawful content, or another person's private information without authority.
4. Shop Listings
   Listings may contain user-submitted information, public business information, and Shop Owner updates. Submitters must have a reasonable basis for believing their information is accurate and current.

   Claims about certification, licensing, warranties, guarantees, effectiveness, savings, durability, or other performance must be current and supported before publication. We may request evidence, correct a listing, or unpublish unsupported or misleading claims.

   Information can change, so verify important details directly with a shop before relying on a listing. We will take reasonable steps to correct substantiated errors reported to us.
5. Shop Owner Accounts and Claims
   Claim verification may include SMS to a shop phone number or manual review of information you provide. We may ask for additional information where reasonably necessary to verify authority.

   Shop Owners must keep information accurate, must not misrepresent ownership, retaliate against reviewers, or manipulate reviews, and must comply with moderation and security requirements. Verification does not provide a ranking advantage or endorse the shop. Shop Owner status confirms authority to manage a listing; it does not verify licensing, certification, quality, performance, or workmanship.

   We may deny or revoke a claim, correct a listing, or temporarily lock a listing based on the available evidence. You may request reconsideration through support or the Message Center. We will review relevant new information, although legal or safety restrictions may limit what we can disclose.
6. Reviews and Ratings
   Reviews must reflect a real personal experience. Paid or undisclosed incentivized reviews, self-reviews, coordinated manipulation, and fabricated competitor attacks are prohibited.

   We may remove or limit reviews that violate the Community Guidelines. A genuine negative review is not removed merely because a business disputes the experience or dislikes the rating.

   Reviews are user opinions, not GarageSeeker endorsements. Consider the source and verify information that matters to a purchasing or repair decision.
7. Reporting, Moderation, and Appeals
   Users may report inaccurate information, prohibited content, fraudulent claims, copyright concerns, or suspicious activity. A report is not proof of a violation and does not guarantee removal.

   We review reports against the Community Guidelines and may preserve or remove content, correct pages, request information, warn or restrict accounts, or take no action. Moderation decisions and repeat violations may be documented for consistency, safety, dispute handling, and appeals.

   Where an appeal is available, follow the instructions in the Message Center or Community Guidelines. We will reconsider the decision using the applicable criteria and information available to us. Nothing in this process limits a right or remedy that cannot be waived under applicable law.

   Copyright complaints and counter-notices follow our Copyright Complaints Policy. In appropriate circumstances, we may restrict or terminate accounts that repeatedly infringe copyright; a complaint alone is not treated as a substantiated violation.
8. Prohibited Activities
   Do not use bots or scraping without written permission, disrupt or probe Platform security, reverse engineer except where law permits it, create deceptive accounts or listings, manipulate reviews, upload malicious code, or use the Platform for unlawful activity.
9. GarageSeeker Intellectual Property
   GarageSeeker and its licensors own the Platform software, branding, interface, and other materials they provide, excluding User Content and third-party material. These Terms give you a limited, revocable, non-transferable right to use the Platform for its intended purpose.
10. Third-Party Services
    The Platform relies on services such as hosting, maps, Google sign-in, email, and SMS verification. Their own terms and privacy policies may apply when you interact with them. GarageSeeker remains responsible for its own obligations and does not exclude responsibility that applicable law places on us.
11. Platform Availability and Warranties
    We aim to operate a useful and reliable directory, but cannot promise uninterrupted availability or that every user submission is complete, current, or error-free. To the extent permitted by law, the Platform is provided on an "as available" basis without additional implied warranties.

    Nothing in these Terms excludes a warranty, condition, representation, or statutory right that cannot lawfully be excluded.
12. Limitation of Liability
    To the extent permitted by law, GarageSeeker is not responsible for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential loss that was not reasonably foreseeable, or for loss caused by another user, a shop, or a third-party service outside our reasonable control.

    Where the law permits a monetary cap, GarageSeeker's aggregate liability relating to the Platform is limited to the greater of the amount you paid GarageSeeker in the 12 months before the event and CAD $100. This cap does not apply to liability that applicable law does not allow us to limit or exclude.

    Nothing in these Terms removes non-waivable consumer rights or remedies, or limits liability for fraud, wilful misconduct, or any other matter that cannot lawfully be limited.
13. Indemnity for Unlawful Conduct
    To the extent permitted by law, you will indemnify GarageSeeker against a third-party claim arising directly from your unlawful User Content, fraud, intentional misuse of the Platform, or material breach of these Terms. This does not apply to the extent the claim was caused by GarageSeeker. We will provide reasonable notice of a covered claim and allow reasonable participation in its defence.
14. Suspension and Termination
    You may stop using the Platform and request account deletion at any time. We may suspend or terminate an account where reasonably necessary for a material or repeated violation, fraud, abuse, security, or a legal requirement. Where practicable, we will provide notice, reasons, and available appeal information.

    Provisions that by their nature must continue after termination, including ownership, lawful retention, dispute, and liability provisions, continue only as necessary for their stated purpose.
15. Consumer Rights
    These Terms do not waive or reduce rights and remedies that applicable consumer-protection or other law says cannot be waived. If a provision conflicts with a mandatory legal protection, that protection governs and the remainder of these Terms continues to apply where lawful.
16. Governing Law and Disputes
    These Terms are governed by the laws of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable there, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Subject to any mandatory right to use another court or tribunal, proceedings may be brought in the courts of Ontario. Before filing a claim, you and GarageSeeker may try to resolve it by contacting the other party, but this does not suspend a legal deadline.
17. Changes to These Terms
    We may update these Terms as the Platform or legal requirements change. We will post the new version and effective date and, where reasonably possible, give advance notice of a material change. We will request new express acceptance when required by law or when a change materially alters the agreement. The version in effect when an event occurred generally governs a dispute about that event.
18. Contact
    Legal name: GarageSeeker Inc.

    Operating name: GarageSeeker

    Jurisdiction: Ontario, Canada

    Business mailing address:
    1435 Celebration Dr #1010
    Pickering, ON L1W 0C4
    Canada

    Support: [email protected]

    Designated privacy contact: GarageSeeker Privacy Team, [email protected]