Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

Welcome to PinoyLokal! These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of our platform that connects local service providers with customers in the Philippines. By accessing or using PinoyLokal, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy.

PinoyLokal is currently in pre-registration stage. Until formal business registration is completed, these Terms are issued by the PinoyLokal founding team. Once registration is finalized, this page will be updated with the registered legal entity information.

2. Description of Service

PinoyLokal is a digital marketplace platform that enables:

• Service providers to create profiles and offer their services
• Customers to search for and connect with local service providers
• Secure communication and booking between parties
• Review and rating system for quality assurance
• Verification system for provider credentials

3. User Accounts and Eligibility

3.1 Eligibility

• You must be at least 18 years old to use our services
• You must provide accurate and complete information
• You must be legally able to enter into binding contracts
• Service providers must have legal right to offer their services

3.2 Account Responsibilities

• Maintain the security of your account credentials
• Provide accurate and up-to-date information
• You are responsible for all activities under your account
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use

4. Service Provider Terms

4.1 Verification Requirements

• Provide valid government-issued identification
• Submit required certificates and clearances
• Undergo background verification process
• Maintain current professional certifications

4.2 Service Standards

• Provide services with professional competence and integrity
• Respond promptly to customer inquiries and bookings
• Honor pricing and availability commitments
• Maintain appropriate insurance and licenses

5. Customer Terms

• Provide accurate information about service requirements
• Communicate respectfully with service providers
• Honor confirmed bookings and agreements
• Provide fair and honest reviews
• Pay agreed-upon fees directly to service providers

6. Platform Content and User Content

You are responsible for all information and content you submit to PinoyLokal, including profile information, service descriptions, messages, and reviews.

• You must not post false, unlawful, or infringing content
• You grant PinoyLokal a limited license to display and process your content to operate the platform
• You retain ownership of your original content, subject to this operational license

7. Prohibited Activities

You may not use our platform to:

• Provide false or misleading information
• Engage in fraudulent or illegal activities
• Harass, threaten, or abuse other users
• Upload inappropriate or offensive content
• Violate intellectual property rights
• Circumvent our verification systems
• Use automated systems to access our platform without authorization
• Attempt to bypass platform safeguards, moderation, or account controls

8. Payment and Fees

We reserve the right to introduce fees in the future with 30 days advance notice to all users.

9. Liability and Disclaimers

9.1 Platform Role

PinoyLokal acts as a marketplace platform connecting service providers with customers. We do not:

• Directly provide services or employ service providers
• Guarantee the quality, safety, or legality of services
• Control the actions of users on our platform
• Handle payment processing between users

9.2 Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, PinoyLokal shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of our platform.

9.3 Renovation Estimator and Document Templates

• The Renovation Estimator and generated documents are provided as draft templates for informational purposes only.
• PinoyLokal does not provide legal, tax, accounting, engineering, or professional advice through these templates.
• Template download is currently gated to provider accounts and may be modified, restricted, or removed at any time.
• Users are responsible for reviewing and validating template content before business or legal use.

9.4 Zero-Storage Document Policy

Documents generated from the estimator are created on demand and delivered directly to the user. PinoyLokal does not permanently store generated document files, does not back them up, and cannot recover lost copies.

9.5 Independent Contractor Clause and Indemnification

Service providers remain independent contractors and are solely responsible for their services, contracts, deliverables, and compliance obligations. You agree to defend and indemnify PinoyLokal from claims, losses, or liabilities arising from your misuse of templates, inaccurate inputs, or reliance on generated drafts.

10. Intellectual Property

The PinoyLokal platform, including its design, functionality, and content, is protected by intellectual property laws. You may not copy, distribute, or create derivative works without our written permission.

You retain ownership of content you upload but grant us a license to use it for platform operations.

11. Termination and Account Deletion

We may suspend or terminate your account if you violate these Terms. You may also request deletion of your account at any time via Profile > Privacy & Account or by contacting support.

Upon termination, your access to the platform will cease, but these Terms will continue to apply to any prior use of our services.

For deletion processing details, please see our Data Deletion page at /data-deletion and our Privacy Policy at /privacy-policy.

12. Dispute Resolution and Governing Law

Any disputes arising from these Terms will be governed by Philippine law and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of Philippine courts.

We encourage users to resolve disputes through direct communication first, and we provide support for mediation when needed.

13. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via email and platform notifications. Continued use of our platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

14. Contact Information