Terms and Conditions

Effective date: August 11, 2025
Applies to: thecivicseal.com, thecivicseal.org, subdomains, intake forms, portals, emails, SMS, and any features we add later (the “Services”).

Plain-English note: This is a comprehensive template designed to cover current and future features, including memberships, payments, donations, forms, portals, SMS, analytics, and integrations. It is not legal advice. Please have your counsel review for your jurisdiction.
 

Civic Seal (“Civic Seal,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) provides tools for routing community issues to the right contacts and tracking follow-through. We serve two main user types:

• Member Offices: governments, departments, agencies, or campaigns that purchase or use our Services.
   
• Constituent Users: residents, businesses, or others who submit issues or interact with Member Offices through our Services.
   

Depending on context, we may act as an independent provider (controller) or as a processor/service provider to a Member Office. See our Privacy Policy for data practices.

Contact: info@thecivicseal.com

By accessing or using the Services, creating an account, submitting an issue, or making a payment/donation, you agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you are using the Services on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that organization. If you do not agree, do not use the Services.

You must be at least 13 years old (or older where local law requires). Some features (payments, admin access) may require you to be 18+. You may use the Services only in compliance with applicable law.

• You are responsible for the accuracy of your registration information and for maintaining the confidentiality of your credentials.
   
• You must promptly notify us of any suspected unauthorized use or security incident.
   
• We may require identity, role, or affiliation verification for Member Office admins. We may refuse, suspend, or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or create risk.
   

• For intake portals and case workflows used by a Member Office, Civic Seal generally acts as a processor and the Member Office controls case data and retention. Public records laws may apply.
   
• For our marketing sites, billing, and direct donations to Civic Seal, we act as a controller.
   
• We are not a government entity and do not guarantee outcomes for any submission. We route, track, and facilitate communication only.
   

The Services are not for emergencies. If you need immediate help, call 911 or your local emergency number. Do not wait for responses through Civic Seal.

You agree not to:

• Upload illegal content, exploitative material, or others’ personal information without permission.
   
• Harass, threaten, or defame; incite violence or hatred; or engage in fraud or deception.
   
• Attempt to access accounts, data, or systems without authorization; probe, scan, or test vulnerabilities without written permission.
   
• Interfere with the Services, bypass access controls, or overload infrastructure.
   
• Submit unnecessary sensitive data (e.g., SSNs, full medical records). The Services are not designed for HIPAA-governed PHI unless we have a signed BAA.
   
• Use the Services in violation of public records, procurement, campaign finance, or election laws. Campaigns are responsible for their own compliance.
   

We may remove or block content, suspend accounts, and notify authorities where required.

• Your Content: submissions, attachments, messages, feedback, and any materials you provide. You retain ownership.
   
• License to Civic Seal: You grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, process, transmit, display, and create non-identifying aggregates of Your Content as needed to provide and improve the Services.
   
• Member Office Direction: Where Your Content is submitted to or controlled by a Member Office, that office determines access, disclosure, and retention (subject to law).
   
• Feedback: You grant us a perpetual, royalty-free license to use feedback to improve the Services without attribution or compensation.
   

The Services, including software, designs, trademarks, and content, are owned by Civic Seal or our licensors and protected by law. Except for the limited rights expressly granted to you, we reserve all rights. You may not copy, modify, reverse engineer, or create derivative works except as permitted by law.

• Plans: Member Offices may purchase paid tiers (e.g., Community Delegate). Features and limits are described at signup or order.
   
• Term and Renewal: Plans renew automatically each billing cycle unless cancelled per your account settings or written cancellation policy.
   
• Fees and Taxes: Prices exclude taxes unless stated. You authorize us and our processors to charge your payment method for recurring fees, overages, and applicable taxes.
   
• Late Payments: We may suspend or limit the Service for nonpayment. You remain responsible for amounts due.
   
• Refunds: Except where required by law or a written service order, fees are non-refundable.
   
• Chargebacks: Opening a chargeback does not terminate your obligations. We may suspend access while a dispute is pending.
   

• Donations or one-time payments may be processed by third parties (e.g., Stripe, PayPal, Square). We do not store full card numbers.
   
• Whether a donation is tax-deductible depends on the receiving entity and applicable law; consult the receipt and your tax advisor.
   
• We may refuse or refund donations at our discretion to comply with law or policy.
   

• By providing contact information, you consent to receive transactional emails and, where you opt in, marketing or SMS updates.
   
• SMS terms: message frequency varies; message and data rates may apply; reply STOP to opt out and HELP for help.
   
• We may use third-party providers to deliver notifications.
   

• The Services may integrate with third-party tools (e.g., email, spreadsheets, chat, maps, payment/SMS). Your use of those tools is governed by their terms and privacy policies.
   
• We are not responsible for third-party services and may enable/disable integrations at any time.
   
• If you enable an integration, you instruct us to share the minimum necessary data with that provider to operate the integration.
   

If you submit information to a government office, it may be subject to public records laws. Do not include sensitive information unless necessary and permitted. Member Offices, not Civic Seal, determine disclosures and redactions under applicable law.

When we process personal data on behalf of a Member Office, we will do so per their documented instructions and our data protection commitments. A Data Processing Addendum (DPA) is available upon request and, where applicable, will form part of these Terms.

• We strive for reliable service but do not guarantee uninterrupted availability.
   
• We may change or discontinue features at any time, including for security, legal, or performance reasons.
   
• We may offer beta or preview features “as is,” which may be unstable or change without notice. Your feedback helps improve them. 

Unless your plan states otherwise, support is provided via email during business hours. Priority or enhanced support may be available as a paid add-on.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” CIVIC SEAL DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICES WILL BE ERROR-FREE, SECURE, OR UNINTERRUPTED, OR THAT SUBMISSIONS WILL RESULT IN ANY PARTICULAR OUTCOME.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW:

• CIVIC SEAL WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR LOST PROFITS, REVENUE, GOODWILL, OR DATA, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY.
   
• OUR AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR CLAIMS RELATING TO THE SERVICES WILL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNTS PAID BY YOU TO CIVIC SEAL FOR THE SERVICES IN THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO LIABILITY, OR $100 IF YOU HAVE NOT PAID ANY AMOUNTS.
  Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations; in that case, the limitation applies to the fullest extent permitted.

You will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Civic Seal, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or related to:
(a) Your Content; (b) your use of the Services; (c) your breach of these Terms; (d) your violation of law or third-party rights; or (e) for Member Offices, your instructions that cause us to process data unlawfully.

If you believe content infringes your copyright, send a notice including: (1) your contact info; (2) a description of the work; (3) the URL or location of the material; (4) a statement of good-faith belief; (5) a statement under penalty of perjury that your notice is accurate and you are authorized; and (6) your signature.
Email: dmca@thecivicseal.com
We may remove content and terminate repeat infringers as appropriate.

If we exchange non-public information, each party will use reasonable care to protect the other’s confidential information and use it only for the intended purpose. This does not apply to information that is public, independently developed, lawfully obtained, or required to be disclosed by law (e.g., public records requests to a Member Office).

You will comply with all applicable laws, including anti-corruption, sanctions, and export control laws. You may not use the Services in embargoed countries or by prohibited parties.

Member Offices and campaigns are responsible for complying with procurement rules, records retention, accessibility requirements, and election/campaign finance laws. Civic Seal does not provide legal advice and is not responsible for your compliance.

We may suspend or terminate access immediately if: (a) you breach these Terms; (b) your use creates risk or legal exposure; (c) required by law; or (d) for nonpayment. You may cancel at any time via your account settings (cancellations take effect at the end of the then-current billing period unless otherwise stated).

Upon termination, your right to use the Services ends. Certain sections survive (e.g., IP, payments due, confidentiality, disclaimers, liability limits, indemnities, arbitration).

Governing law: The laws of the State of West Virginia, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules, govern these Terms, except where local law requires otherwise.

Arbitration and Class Action Waiver:
Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Services will be resolved by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Commercial Rules (or Consumer Rules, as applicable). The seat of arbitration is West Virginia; the language is English. You and Civic Seal waive any right to a jury trial and to participate in a class action or class-wide arbitration.
Opt-out: You may opt out of arbitration within 30 days of first acceptance by emailing info@thecivicseal.com with subject “Arbitration Opt-Out” and your name, account email, and a clear statement that you opt out.

Nothing prevents either party from seeking temporary injunctive relief in court to protect IP or confidential information.

We may update these Terms from time to time. The “Effective date” will change, and for material updates we will provide reasonable notice (e.g., email or in-app). By continuing to use the Services after the effective date, you accept the updated Terms.

• Entire Agreement: These Terms, any order or plan you accept, and the Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and Civic Seal.
   
• Order of Precedence: If there is a conflict, a signed order or DPA controls, then these Terms, then policy pages.
   
• Severability: If a provision is unenforceable, the remainder remains in effect.
   
• No Waiver: Failure to enforce is not a waiver.
   
• Assignment: You may not assign these Terms without our consent. We may assign as part of a merger, acquisition, or asset transfer.
   
• Force Majeure: We are not liable for delays or failures due to events beyond our reasonable control (e.g., outages, natural disasters, labor disputes, acts of government).
   
• Notices: We may provide notices via email, in-app, or by posting. Legal notices to us should be sent to info@thecivicseal.com with a copy to our mailing address on the site.
   

Email: info@thecivicseal.com
Legal: infol@thecivicseal.com
DMCA: info@thecivicseal.com