Terms of Service

Effective Date: September 21, 2026

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern use of fredericklocalbusinesses.com and the services provided by Frederick Local Businesses ("Frederick Local Businesses," "we," "us," or "our").

Frederick Local Businesses is an online directory focused on businesses in Frederick County, Maryland, and surrounding communities and is owned and operated by Support Local Marketing LLC.

By accessing or using the website, submitting information or content, claiming or managing a business listing, subscribing to email communications, requesting a FrederickLocal Deal, or purchasing a paid plan, you agree to these Terms to the extent applicable to your use of the service.

If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use features that require acceptance of them.

1. Our Services

Frederick Local Businesses provides an online directory designed to help people discover local businesses, services, events, offers, and related information.

Our services may include:

Public business listings
Free business-listing claims and updates
Paid business plans
Directory badges and verification-related features
Featured or enhanced placement
FrederickLocal Deals
Email newsletters
Event listings
Job Board postings from eligible Local Verified businesses
Local Launch services
Other directory or business-related features

We may add, modify, suspend, or discontinue features from time to time.

2. Independent Businesses

Businesses appearing in the directory are independent third parties.

Unless we expressly state otherwise, a listing does not mean that Frederick Local Businesses or Support Local Marketing LLC:

Owns or operates the business
Represents the business
Endorses the business
Guarantees the business
Certifies the quality of the business
Guarantees that the business is licensed, insured, safe, suitable, or legally compliant

Any purchase, appointment, contract, service, or other transaction between a visitor and a listed business is between those parties.

Users should conduct their own due diligence before engaging a business.

3. Business Listings

Listings may include information supplied by a business, a user, publicly available sources, third-party services, or information gathered by us.

We try to provide useful information, but business information changes and may contain errors. We do not guarantee that every listing is complete, current, or error-free.

We may create, update, edit, combine, decline, suspend, or remove a listing for legitimate operational, accuracy, legal, security, or policy reasons.

Examples include:

Inaccurate or misleading information
Duplicate listings
A business that has closed or moved
Fraudulent activity
A violation of these Terms
Abuse of the directory
Intellectual-property or privacy concerns
Legal or regulatory requirements
Failure to meet applicable listing criteria

We are not obligated to maintain any particular listing, ranking, placement, or feature.

4. Free Business Listings

An authorized business representative may request to claim an existing listing at no charge.

A free claimed listing may allow the representative to request or manage basic information such as:

Business name
Business address
Business phone number
Business website address
Business logo
Hours of operation

We may add or remove free-listing management features over time.

Claiming a free listing does not guarantee that every requested change will be published. We may review changes before publication and may compare submitted information with public or third-party sources.

A free listing does not create a recurring payment obligation.

5. Claiming a Listing

By claiming a listing, you represent that you are authorized to act on behalf of the business.

A claim is subject to reasonable verification and is not automatically approved.

We may request additional information, reject a claim, revoke management access, or require re-verification if we cannot reasonably confirm the claimant's authority or if we identify a security, ownership, accuracy, or policy concern.

Submitting a false or unauthorized business claim is prohibited.

Confirmation that a person is authorized to manage a listing is separate from any paid Local Verified designation.

6. Business Information, Logos, and Other Submitted Materials

When you submit business information, a logo, photograph, description, event, offer, job posting, or other content, you represent that:

The information is accurate to the best of your knowledge
You have authority to submit it
You own the content or have the rights and permissions needed to authorize our use
The content does not knowingly infringe another person's intellectual-property, privacy, or other legal rights
The content is not unlawful, fraudulent, or intentionally misleading
The content does not contain malicious code or harmful material

You retain ownership of content that you own.

By submitting content for use with Frederick Local Businesses, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, display, host, format, crop, resize, adapt for technical presentation, distribute, and communicate that content as reasonably necessary to operate and promote Frederick Local Businesses and the relevant listing, Deal, event, or service.

This license may include use on:

The Frederick Local Businesses website
Directory listings
FrederickLocal Deals materials
Frederick Local Businesses social media
Email communications
Marketing materials
Advertisements that promote the Frederick Local Businesses platform

This license does not transfer ownership of your trademark, logo, photograph, or other intellectual property to us.

7. Local Verified and Verification-Related Features

Some paid plans may include a Local Verified designation, badge, or other verification-related feature.

A Local Verified designation means only that we completed the verification steps or checks then applicable to that feature.

Local Verified is not an endorsement, professional certification, accreditation, licensing determination, guarantee, warranty, or representation about a business's quality, safety, financial condition, legal compliance, performance, or reliability.

Verification criteria and procedures may change over time. We may remove, suspend, or update a designation if the information supporting it changes, becomes inaccurate, or no longer meets our criteria.

8. Paid Plans

Current paid plans may include:

Local Verified

$29.99 per month or $199.90 per year
Renews automatically at the selected monthly or annual price until canceled

Local Reviews

$129 per month or $1,290 per year
Up to 60 review requests per month
Renews automatically at the selected monthly or annual price until canceled

Local Launch

$399 per month or $3,499 per year

Local Launch includes a business website that we build, host, and maintain as part of the active subscription. The included website remains published through the paid subscription period. Scheduling cancellation does not take the website down early. When the subscription ends, we may unpublish and take down the included website.

At cancellation, the subscriber may choose to purchase the included website for a one-time fee of $1,000. A website purchase covers the website's design, content, and files (transferred or exported in a reasonable format) so the business can host it independently. The marketing systems and automations included with Local Launch — including the business phone number and its automations, missed-call text-back, review automations, campaigns, and the unified inbox — are not part of a website purchase and end when the subscription ends.

The current features and pricing for Local Verified and Local Reviews are shown on our Pricing Page, and Local Launch is described on its own page. If the Pricing Page and an older description elsewhere on the site conflict, the pricing and features clearly presented to you at checkout control for that purchase, subject to applicable law.

Paid plans may provide additional features such as greater profile depth, badges, featured presentation, visibility, promotional opportunities, or other benefits.

Paid status may affect how a listing is presented. Where appropriate, featured or paid placement may be identified so users can distinguish it from ordinary directory presentation.

A paid plan does not guarantee:

A particular search ranking
A specific position in directory results
A particular number of impressions or profile views
Leads
Customers
Sales or revenue
Positive reviews
A particular conversion rate
Continued traffic or business performance

Payment does not require us to publish information we believe is false, misleading, unlawful, or inconsistent with our policies.

Billing, automatic renewal, cancellation, and refund terms are governed by our Billing & Refunds Policy.

9. Platform Advertising and Promotion

Frederick Local Businesses may spend its own funds to advertise and promote Frederick Local Businesses as a platform.

Campaigns may appear through search engines, social media, websites, online advertising platforms, print, or other channels and may promote:

Frederick Local Businesses generally
The directory
Local business discovery
FrederickLocal Deals
Events
Categories or collections of businesses
Other Frederick Local Businesses services or content

Because users who arrive through these campaigns may browse individual listings, platform advertising may naturally increase traffic to individual business profiles.

A business does not acquire a separate advertising campaign merely because its profile receives traffic from our platform marketing.

No business is guaranteed a particular amount of traffic, profile views, leads, customers, sales, or other results from our advertising of Frederick Local Businesses.

10. FrederickLocal Deals

FrederickLocal Deals may provide consumers with coupons, discounts, promotions, or other offers from participating businesses.

A user may be required to submit an email address to receive a Deal. By requesting a FrederickLocal Deal, the user agrees to receive the requested Deal and occasional FrederickLocal Deals marketing emails, as disclosed at signup and described in our Privacy Policy.

Unless a Deal expressly states otherwise:

The participating business, not Frederick Local Businesses, provides the goods or services covered by the Deal
The participating business is responsible for the accuracy of the offer
The participating business is responsible for applicable restrictions, expiration dates, eligibility requirements, redemption conditions, availability, and fulfillment
Deals may be subject to stated limits and may not be redeemable for cash
A Deal may be modified, withdrawn, or discontinued where reasonably necessary, subject to applicable law

Frederick Local Businesses is not responsible for a participating business's failure to honor an offer, except to the extent liability cannot lawfully be excluded.

We may modify or discontinue the FrederickLocal Deals program.

11. Email Communications

If you subscribe to a newsletter or request a FrederickLocal Deal, we may send marketing emails to the address you provide.

Marketing emails will provide a method to unsubscribe.

Opting out of marketing emails does not necessarily stop transactional or service-related messages necessary to administer an account, business listing, subscription, payment, security issue, or other service you requested.

12. Events

If event submissions are available, businesses, organizations, or individuals may submit events for possible publication.

Submission does not guarantee publication.

We may edit formatting, decline, delay, correct, or remove an event listing.

The event organizer is responsible for the accuracy of information concerning dates, times, location, admission, registration, cancellations, safety, accessibility, and other event details.

Frederick Local Businesses does not operate a listed event merely because the event appears in the directory and is not responsible for an event's occurrence, cancellation, safety, quality, or performance except to the extent required by law.

13. Third-Party Ratings and Reviews

We may display, link to, summarize, or otherwise incorporate ratings, reviews, or related information made available through third-party services such as Google, subject to the applicable source's terms and permissions.

Third-party reviews are created or maintained by third parties and do not necessarily reflect the views of Frederick Local Businesses.

We do not guarantee that a third-party rating or review is accurate, complete, current, or authentic.

If we later introduce reviews submitted directly to Frederick Local Businesses, we may adopt additional review rules and moderation terms.

14. Prohibited Conduct

You may not use the website or our services to:

Make a fraudulent or unauthorized business claim
Impersonate another person or business
Create fake or materially misleading listings
Submit knowingly false or deceptive information
Send spam or abusive submissions
Manipulate ratings, reviews, rankings, placement, or verification systems
Harass, threaten, or unlawfully discriminate against users or businesses
Submit private or sensitive personal information without proper authority
Upload content that infringes another person's rights
Introduce malware or harmful code
Attempt unauthorized access to accounts, systems, or data
Interfere with website security, availability, forms, payments, or other users
Circumvent technical safeguards or rate limits
Use automated tools in a manner that materially burdens or disrupts the service
Scrape or collect data in violation of applicable law, these Terms, or technical restrictions we implement
Use the website for fraud or other unlawful activity

We may restrict access or take other reasonable action in response to prohibited conduct.

Job Board posting rules

The business is the employer and is solely responsible for job legality, the accuracy of all details, authorization to publish, good-faith wage and benefit disclosures, other compensation, equal-employment and non-discrimination compliance, hiring decisions, direct applicant handling, record retention, and compliance with applicable employment laws. Each posting must describe one position at one location. The posting must disclose a fixed wage or both ends of a wage range, an hourly or annual pay basis, a general benefits description, and other compensation, including an accurate statement when none is offered.

FrederickLocal is a publishing platform, not the employer, recruiter, staffing agency, or a party to any employment relationship. FrederickLocal does not verify every employer or job claim. Local Verified is not an endorsement of an employer, position, safety, compensation, or hiring practice. FrederickLocal does not guarantee applicants, hires, job availability, employer response, or other hiring results. Our posting requirements and publication of a job are not legal advice or a certification of legal compliance.

Applications go directly to the employer. In this MVP, FrederickLocal does not collect, receive, store, or relay résumés or applicant submissions and does not participate in hiring decisions. The employer handles applications and applicant information under its own privacy practices.

Discriminatory, misleading, unlawful, fraudulent, fee-charging, multi-level marketing (MLM), and unpaid work disguised as employment postings are prohibited. Employers may not charge applicants to apply, obtain a job, or access purported employment opportunities.

We may reject, moderate, require correction of, suspend, expire, or remove job postings for accuracy, policy, legal, or safety reasons. Eligibility requires a live, published Local Verified business. Up to five jobs may be active at once. Each publication lasts 30 Frederick-local calendar days, including its publication day, unless closed or removed earlier. Editing an active posting does not extend its original closing date. Owners must review and explicitly reconfirm all details, including pay, benefits, other compensation, and the application destination, are current before reposting after expiry. Expired postings leave FrederickLocal's public pages, search results, structured data, and sitemap.

We keep a private copy of each published job posting and its publish, edit, close and repost history for 30 days after the posting closes or expires, then delete it. These records are not applicant records and do not replace the employer's own record-keeping.

15. Accounts and Security

If an account is available, you are responsible for maintaining accurate account information and taking reasonable steps to protect login credentials.

Notify us promptly if you believe an account associated with you or your business has been compromised.

We may require authentication or additional verification before allowing sensitive account or listing changes.

16. Third-Party Businesses and Transactions

We are not a party to transactions between directory users and listed businesses.

We do not guarantee the quality, safety, legality, licensing, insurance, pricing, availability, performance, or reliability of a listed business.

Users are responsible for evaluating whether a business is appropriate for their needs.

17. Third-Party Websites and Services

Listings and other site content may contain links to third-party websites, social media pages, booking services, payment services, event websites, map services, or other external resources.

We do not control independent third-party services and are not responsible for their content, availability, security, privacy practices, products, or services.

Use of a third-party service may be governed by that third party's own terms and policies.

18. Intellectual Property

The original Frederick Local Businesses website and its original branding, text, graphics, layout, software, design, and other proprietary materials are owned by or licensed to Frederick Local Businesses, Support Local Marketing LLC, or their licensors.

Except as allowed by law or expressly authorized by us, you may not reproduce, distribute, sell, or commercially exploit our proprietary materials.

Business names, logos, trademarks, photographs, reviews, and other third-party materials remain the property of their respective owners.

19. Copyright and Intellectual-Property Complaints

If you believe content displayed on the website infringes your copyright or other intellectual-property rights, contact:

support@fredericklocalbusinesses.com

Please provide enough information for us to identify the work or right at issue, locate the material, understand the basis of your complaint, and contact you.

We may remove or restrict access to disputed material when appropriate.

20. Suspension and Termination

We may suspend, restrict, or terminate an account, listing, paid feature, or access to a service when we reasonably believe:

These Terms have been violated
Materially false information has been provided
Fraudulent or abusive activity has occurred
There is a security, legal, or regulatory risk
A listing no longer meets applicable requirements
The activity may harm users, businesses, Frederick Local Businesses, or others
Suspension or termination is required by law

Payment for a paid plan does not guarantee that a listing will remain published if the listing or account violates these Terms.

21. Cancellation of Paid Plans

Cancellation and refunds are governed by our Billing & Refunds Policy.

Canceling a paid plan stops future renewals but does not automatically delete the underlying business listing.

For Local Launch, the included website is taken down when the subscription ends unless the subscriber purchases the website as described in Section 8 and our Billing & Refunds Policy.

After a paid subscription ends, the business may continue to appear as a free listing, subject to our listing policies and these Terms.

22. Disclaimers

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE WEBSITE, DIRECTORY, LISTINGS, DEALS, AND OTHER SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE."

WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT:

THE WEBSITE WILL ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE OR ERROR-FREE
EVERY LISTING WILL BE COMPLETE, ACCURATE, OR CURRENT
A LISTED BUSINESS WILL MEET A USER'S EXPECTATIONS
A PAID PLAN WILL GENERATE A PARTICULAR NUMBER OF VIEWS, LEADS, CUSTOMERS, SALES, OR REVENUE
A DEAL WILL REMAIN AVAILABLE OR BE FULFILLED BY A PARTICIPATING BUSINESS IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE
THIRD-PARTY CONTENT, RATINGS, REVIEWS, OR LINKS WILL BE ACCURATE OR RELIABLE

TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE DISCLAIM IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

Nothing in these Terms excludes a warranty or right that cannot lawfully be excluded.

23. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, FREDERICK LOCAL BUSINESSES, SUPPORT LOCAL MARKETING LLC, AND THEIR OWNERS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AFFILIATES, AND SERVICE PROVIDERS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE WEBSITE OR SERVICES.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, OUR AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR A CLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO A PAID SERVICE WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF:

THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO US FOR THE SERVICE DURING THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM; OR
$100.

Nothing in these Terms limits liability to the extent such liability cannot legally be limited or excluded.

24. Indemnification by Business Users and Content Submitters

If you claim or manage a business listing, purchase a business service, or submit content on behalf of yourself or a business, then to the maximum extent permitted by law you agree to indemnify and hold harmless Frederick Local Businesses, Support Local Marketing LLC, and their owners, officers, employees, contractors, affiliates, and service providers from third-party claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and reasonable costs arising from:

Your material violation of these Terms
Content you submit
Your infringement or violation of another person's rights
A fraudulent or unauthorized business claim
Your unlawful use of the service

This section does not require indemnification to the extent prohibited by applicable law.

25. Governing Law and Venue

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Maryland, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, a dispute arising from these Terms or the website will be brought in a state or federal court located in or serving Frederick County, Maryland.

Nothing in this section deprives a consumer of a right that cannot legally be waived.

26. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms to reflect changes in our services, business practices, or legal obligations.

We will revise the Effective Date when the Terms are updated.

If a change materially affects an existing paid subscription or another right for which notice is required by law, we will provide the notice required by applicable law.

27. Severability

If a provision of these Terms is found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in effect to the fullest extent permitted by law.

28. No Waiver

Our failure to enforce a provision of these Terms does not waive our right to enforce it later.

29. Assignment

You may not transfer a claimed listing account or paid-service agreement to another person without our consent where the transfer would affect account security, business authorization, or payment obligations.

We may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, reorganization, sale of assets, or similar business transaction, subject to applicable law.

30. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, Billing & Refunds Policy, and any additional terms clearly presented for a particular service, form the agreement governing the applicable use of Frederick Local Businesses.

31. Contact Us

Questions about these Terms may be sent to:

support@fredericklocalbusinesses.com

Frederick Local Businesses Owned and operated by Support Local Marketing LLC fredericklocalbusinesses.com

See also our Privacy Policy and Billing & Refunds Policy.