Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Local Skilled Trades. By registering an account, creating a business listing, or otherwise using the Platform, you represent that you are at least 18 years of age and have the legal capacity to enter into this agreement. If you are using the Platform on behalf of a business, you represent that you have authority to bind that business to these Terms.

2. Description of service

Local Skilled Trades is an online directory that enables homeowners to discover, compare, and contact licensed tradespeople operating across Canada. We facilitate connections between parties but are not a party to any contract for services between a homeowner and a tradesperson. We do not employ tradespeople, guarantee the quality of work, or act as an agent for any listed business.

3. User accounts

• You must provide accurate, current, and complete information when registering.
• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password and for all activity under your account.
• You must notify us immediately at info@localskilledtrades.com if you suspect unauthorised access to your account.
• We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.
• One person or business may not maintain more than one account without our prior written consent.

4. Business listings

4a. Eligibility

To create a business listing, you must be a legitimate business operating legally in Canada within the trade category you select. Sole proprietors, incorporated businesses, and licensed contractors are all eligible.

4b. Accuracy

All information in your listing, including business name, service areas, credentials, and contact details, must be accurate and kept up to date. Misrepresenting your qualifications, licence status, insurance coverage, or identity is a material breach of these Terms and will result in immediate removal.

4c. Verification

You may voluntarily submit your trade licence number and proof of general liability insurance to receive a Verified badge. By doing so, you grant us the right to contact the issuing authority or your insurer to confirm the validity of the documents. Submitting fraudulent documents is a serious breach of these Terms and may be reported to the relevant regulatory body.

4d. Prohibited content

Listings must not contain:

• False or misleading information about qualifications, pricing, or services offered.
• Content that infringes third-party intellectual property rights.
• Offensive, discriminatory, or harassing language.
• Links to external websites that violate applicable law.
• Contact information in the business description field intended to circumvent our platform.

5. Reviews and ratings

• Reviews must reflect genuine first-hand experiences with the business being reviewed.
• Submitting fake, incentivised, or defamatory reviews is prohibited and may expose you to legal liability.
• Business owners may not post reviews of their own business or pay, pressure, or incentivise others to do so.
• We moderate all reviews and may remove content that violates this policy without notice.
• We do not remove negative reviews unless they violate our review policy. Attempts to suppress legitimate reviews will not be entertained.
• Responses to reviews by business owners must be professional and factual.

6. Sponsorship plans and payments

We offer paid sponsorship tiers ("Basic" and "Featured") that provide enhanced visibility in search results. By purchasing a plan:

• You authorise us to charge the applicable fee to your payment method on a recurring monthly basis until you cancel.
• Payments are processed by Stripe, Inc. and are subject to Stripe's terms and conditions.
• Sponsorship fees are non-refundable except where required by applicable law or as expressly stated in writing by us.
• We may change sponsorship pricing with 30 days' notice. Continued use of the paid plan after notice constitutes acceptance of the new price.
• Sponsorship does not affect your listing's verification status or review score. All sponsored placements are clearly labelled.
• We reserve the right to terminate a sponsorship plan without refund if your listing is found to violate these Terms.

7. Intellectual property

The Platform, including its design, code, text, graphics, and trademarks, is owned by or licensed to Local Skilled Trades. You may not copy, reproduce, modify, or create derivative works without our prior written consent.

By submitting content to the Platform (listings, reviews, photos, descriptions), you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to use, display, reproduce, and distribute that content for the purpose of operating and promoting the Platform. You retain ownership of your content.

8. Prohibited conduct

You agree not to:

• Scrape, crawl, or systematically extract data from the Platform without our prior written consent.
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any account, system, or network associated with the Platform.
• Use the Platform to send unsolicited commercial communications (spam).
• Engage in any activity that disrupts, damages, or impairs the Platform or its infrastructure.
• Use the Platform for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable federal, provincial, or local law.
• Impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity.

9. Disclaimers

The Platform is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

We do not endorse or guarantee the quality, safety, legality, or suitability of any tradesperson listed on the Platform. You are solely responsible for evaluating tradespeople and for any contracts you enter into with them. We strongly recommend verifying credentials independently and obtaining written quotes before engaging any contractor.

We do not warrant that the Platform will be available without interruption or error, or that information on the Platform is accurate, complete, or current.

10. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Local Skilled Trades and its officers, directors, employees, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of profits, data, goodwill, or business opportunity, arising out of or in connection with your use of the Platform, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

Our total liability to you for any claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Platform shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid to us in the 12 months preceding the claim or (b) CAD $100.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Local Skilled Trades and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claim, liability, damage, loss, or expense (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or related to your use of the Platform, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any third-party rights.

12. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account or access to the Platform at any time, with or without notice, for conduct that we believe violates these Terms or is harmful to other users, third parties, or the Platform. Upon termination, your right to use the Platform immediately ceases. Sections 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, and 14 survive termination.

13. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Any dispute arising from these Terms or the Platform shall first be attempted to be resolved through good-faith negotiation between the parties. If unresolved within 30 days, the dispute shall be submitted to binding arbitration in Ontario, Canada, except that either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction.

14. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms at any time. When we make material changes, we will post a notice on the Platform and update the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date of the changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, you must stop using the Platform.

15. Contact us

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us at: