Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using TownHop ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service. We may update these terms at any time; continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

2. What TownHop Is

TownHop is a local business discovery platform that allows users to find, review, and rate local businesses, plan road trips, and discover deals and events. We do not own, operate, or endorse any of the businesses listed on the platform.

3. User Accounts

You may create an account using your email address. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and for all activity that occurs under it. You must provide accurate information and notify us immediately of any unauthorized use.

4. User-Generated Content

By submitting reviews, photos, videos, or other content ("User Content"), you grant TownHop a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute that content on the platform and in promotional materials. This license survives account deletion — if you delete your account without first removing your content, it will remain on the platform attributed to "TownHop User" (see Section 14).

Video reviews are uploaded to YouTube via TownHop's channel. By submitting a video review, you acknowledge that:

• The video will be publicly available on YouTube
• Background music may trigger YouTube Content ID claims
• You can delete your own videos at any time from your contributor profile

You agree not to submit content that is:

• False, misleading, or defamatory
• Harassing, threatening, or abusive
• In violation of any law or regulation
• Spam, solicitation, or promotional content not authorized by TownHop
• Generated by AI without disclosure

We reserve the right to remove any content at our discretion.

5. Business Listings

Business information on TownHop is sourced from public data (including OpenStreetMap) and user submissions. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or currency of any listing. Business owners may claim their listing and update information through our Business Portal.

6. Affiliate Links and Third-Party Services

TownHop may display affiliate links to third-party services such as Booking.com, OpenTable, and others. When you click these links and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. We are not responsible for the content, pricing, availability, or policies of third-party services.

7. Event Tickets and Payments

Ticket purchases for events listed on TownHop are processed through Stripe. By purchasing a ticket, you agree to Stripe's Terms of Service. TownHop charges a platform fee (currently 5% + $0.50 per ticket). Refund policies are set by the event organizer. TownHop is not responsible for event cancellations or changes made by organizers.

8. Featured Listings and Business Advertising

Businesses may pay for featured placement on TownHop. Featured listings are clearly marked. Payment for featured listings is non-refundable once the listing period has begun.

9. Prohibited Uses

You may not:

• Scrape, crawl, or extract data from the Service without written permission
• Use the Service to compete with TownHop without our consent
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the Service
• Submit fake reviews or manipulate ratings
• Impersonate any person or business
• Use the Service for any unlawful purpose

10. Social Features

TownHop includes social features including:

• Contributor profiles: Your reviews, videos, and activity are visible on your public profile page.
• Following: Any user can follow you. Following is one-way and does not require approval.
• Friends: Friend connections are mutual and require both users to accept. Friends can message each other and collaborate on trip planning.
• Auto-follow: New accounts automatically follow TownHop's founder. You may unfollow at any time.

You may control your profile visibility (public, friends-only, or private) in your account settings.

11. Messaging

Friends may send each other messages through TownHop's in-app messaging system. Contributors may also enable messaging from non-friends via their profile settings. You agree not to use messaging to:

• Send spam, solicitations, or unsolicited advertising
• Harass, threaten, or abuse other users
• Share illegal content or personal information of others

TownHop reserves the right to monitor and remove messages that violate these terms, and to suspend accounts that misuse messaging.

12. Account Deactivation and Deletion

You have full control over your account:

• Deactivate: Temporarily hide your profile. Your content and connections are preserved. You can reactivate at any time.
• Delete account: Permanently removes your profile, social connections, and messages. Your reviews and videos remain on the platform attributed to "TownHop User." You should delete your videos from your contributor profile before deleting your account if you want them removed.
• Delete everything (GDPR): Permanently removes your account AND all content you have ever created — reviews, ratings, videos, photos, and all personal data. This option exists to comply with GDPR Article 17 (Right to Erasure) and CCPA requirements. This action cannot be undone.

13. Disclaimers

The Service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that any information on the platform is accurate or complete. Use of the Service is at your own risk.

14. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, TownHop shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Service, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

15. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, United States. Any disputes shall be resolved in the courts of Travis County, Texas.

16. Contact

For questions about these terms, contact us here.