Last updated: [DATE — fill in when finalized]
[bracketed] below, which need state-specific details filled in.Bessie & Jessie's Helpers ("the Site," "we," "us") is a classifieds platform that lets people post and browse "Help Wanted" and "Help Offered" listings by state, county, and town. By accessing or using the Site, creating an account, posting a listing, or messaging another user, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use ("Terms"). If you do not agree, do not use the Site.
The Site is for adults. By using the Site, you represent and warrant that:
We do not knowingly allow anyone under 18 to register an account, post a listing, or use the messaging system. If we learn that an account belongs to someone under 18, we may suspend or terminate it immediately.
The Site is a venue that lets users publish and respond to classified listings. We do not provide the services described in any listing, employ or contract with any user who posts a listing, or broker, negotiate, or guarantee any arrangement between users. Any agreement to exchange help, services, labor, or payment is solely between the users involved — we are not a party to it, and we do not review, verify, endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of any listing, message, or user profile.
We do not conduct background checks, identity verification, license verification, or insurance verification on any user. You are solely responsible for evaluating whether to interact with, hire, work for, or meet any other user, and for exercising your own judgment and caution in doing so.
Nothing about the Site creates an employer-employee, staffing-agency, agency, joint-venture, or partnership relationship between the Site and any user, or between any two users. A user offering help through a listing is acting as an independent third party, not as an employee, contractor, or agent of the Site.
You register using a valid email address. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any sign-in link or session associated with your account and for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use. One account per person; do not create an account on behalf of, or impersonate, anyone else.
You agree not to use the Site to:
We may remove any listing or content, and suspend or terminate any account, at our discretion, with or without notice.
Listings, messages, ratings, and profile information are created by users, not by us. You are solely responsible for the content you post. We do not warrant the accuracy, quality, safety, or legality of any listing, and we do not endorse any user or listing.
You may post a listing for free (one photo, manually renewed every 30 days) or as a paid listing at $5/month (up to ten photos, shown ahead of free listings, with an optional auto-renew). Paid fees are charged at the time of posting and processed by a third-party payment processor (currently Stripe), and are non-refundable except where required by law. If you enable auto-renew, your paid listing will be automatically re-charged $5 every month until you cancel auto-renew before the next renewal date. We are not responsible for any dispute between users over the value, quality, or performance of the underlying help, service, or labor exchanged — that dispute is between the users involved.
Ratings and reviews reflect the opinions of the individual users who submit them, not our own assessment. Ratings can only be left after both users in a service agreement have mutually confirmed the arrangement, but we do not otherwise verify their accuracy.
Use of the Site may lead to in-person meetings, the exchange of services, and the exchange of money between users who are strangers to each other. You assume all risk arising from any such interaction. We strongly encourage you to: meet in public places when possible; tell someone else where you are going; verify credentials, licensing, or insurance yourself before hiring anyone for skilled or safety-sensitive work; and use your own judgment. We are not responsible for the conduct, whether online or offline, of any user.
THE SITE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, OR THAT THE SITE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE. WE DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY LISTING, PROFILE, RATING, OR MESSAGE.
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE SITE, ITS OWNER(S), AND OPERATORS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR DATA, ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SITE, ANY LISTING, ANY INTERACTION OR TRANSACTION WITH ANOTHER USER, OR ANY IN-PERSON MEETING — INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION PERSONAL INJURY, PROPERTY DAMAGE, OR FINANCIAL LOSS. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM THE SITE IS LIMITED TO THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM, OR (B) $100.[This cap and carve-outs need attorney review — some states restrict how liability can be limited, especially for personal injury.]
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Site, its owner(s), and operators from any claim, demand, loss, or damages (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of: your use of the Site; your violation of these Terms; your listing or content; your interaction, transaction, or dispute with another user; or your violation of any law or third-party right.
Before filing a claim, you agree to try to resolve any dispute with us informally by contacting us first. These Terms are governed by the laws of [YOUR STATE], without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Any dispute not resolved informally will be brought in the state or federal courts located in [YOUR COUNTY/STATE], and you consent to that venue.[Many sites add a mandatory-arbitration and class-action-waiver clause here to further limit litigation exposure. That language is intentionally omitted — arbitration clauses have specific, state-varying enforceability requirements and should be drafted by your attorney, not templated.]
We may suspend or terminate your access to the Site at any time, with or without cause or notice, including for violating these Terms. Sections that by their nature should survive termination (including Sections 10–14) will survive.
If you believe a listing or other content infringes your rights or violates these Terms, contact us at the address below with a description of the content and its location on the Site, and we will review it for removal.
We may update these Terms from time to time. Continued use of the Site after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. If changes are material, we will make reasonable efforts to notify active users.
If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full effect. These Terms are the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Site. Our failure to enforce any right is not a waiver of that right. You may not assign your rights under these Terms without our consent.
Questions about these Terms: [YOUR CONTACT EMAIL]