Terms of Service

Last updated: October 29, 2026

These terms explain how Local Empires works: what’s included, what it costs, when the website becomes yours, and what happens if you cancel. We wrote them in plain English on purpose. If anything is unclear, write to us before you sign up.

Some parts are in capital letters because the law asks us to make them stand out. Please read them. Section 22 has an arbitration agreement and a class action waiver that affect how disputes are resolved. You can opt out of it within 30 days.

Contents

1. Who we are
2. Words we use in these terms
3. Acceptance and eligibility
4. What the service includes
5. Free draft, delivery and 3-day guarantee
6. Price, automatic renewal and payment
7. Failed or late payments
8. Content changes
9. Ownership of content, website and domain
10. Canceling your subscription
11. What happens after you cancel
12. 10-day money-back guarantee
13. Your responsibilities
14. Licensed trades and advertising claims
15. Reviews, testimonials and AI-generated content
16. Accessibility
17. Our responsibilities and their limits
18. Other websites we’ve built
19. Personal data
20. Changes to these terms
21. Communications, text messages and electronic signatures
22. Dispute resolution, arbitration and class action waiver
23. Governing law
24. General terms
25. Add-on services: Google Maps, blog and booking app
26. Contact

1. Who we are

Local Empires (“we”, “us”) is a website design and hosting service for businesses, available at localempires.com.

The person or business that signs up for the service is “the client” or “you”.

2. Words we use in these terms

• Website: the site we design for you, including its design, its code (HTML, styles and technical files) and its structure.
• Content: the text, photos, logo, prices, services and any other information about your business, whether you sent it to us or we wrote it based on your information.
• Content file: a Markdown document that describes the whole site, section by section, plus all the photos used on it.
• Subscription: the recurring payment that keeps the service active.
• Paid month: each month of subscription you paid in full.
• Business day: Monday through Friday, excluding US federal holidays.
• Google Maps listing: your business listing on Google Maps and Google Search.

3. Acceptance and eligibility

• You accept these terms when you sign up and pay the first month of your subscription. Before you pay, we ask you to check a box confirming that you’ve read these terms and the automatic renewal terms in section 6.
• The service is for business use. To sign up, you must be at least 18 years old and have the authority to sign up on behalf of the business.

4. What the service includes

While your subscription is active, the service includes:

• Design and development of a website with up to 6 sections.
• Registration and renewal of a .com domain (or another standard extension if the .com isn’t available), unless you already own a domain (see 9.4).
• Hosting.
• SSL security certificate.
• 2 professional email inboxes using your domain.
• Click-to-call and click-to-text buttons, and a WhatsApp button if you want one.
• A contact or booking request form that sends messages to the email address you choose.
• Photo gallery, Google map and links to your social media.
• A second-language version of the site (Spanish or English).
• A basic privacy policy page for your site, based on what the site collects (see 19.3).
• Optimization for search engines and artificial intelligence tools (titles, meta tags and structured data).
• Mobile-friendly design.
• For restaurants and food businesses: online menu (as text or PDF) and a QR code for tables.
• If you ask for it: a Stripe payment button or link in your business’s name, to collect deposits, bookings or orders. The payment account is yours and the money goes straight to you.
• 2 content change requests per month (see section 8).

Not included, and quoted separately in writing before any work is done: more than 6 sections, an online store with a shopping cart, a scheduling or booking system with a calendar, languages other than English and Spanish, photo shoots, social media management, paid advertising and any feature the site doesn’t have at the time of delivery.

5. Free draft, delivery and 3-day guarantee

• 5.1 Free draft: before signing up, you can ask for a draft of how your site would look. The draft doesn’t commit you to anything.
• 5.2 Business information: after payment, you send us the information we need (business name, services, contact details, hours, photos and logo if you have them, and license numbers if your trade requires them, see section 14).
• 5.3 Delivery time: we have 3 business days to present a preview version of your site. The clock starts when we receive your complete business information.
• 5.4 Review: you review the preview and ask for any adjustments you want before it goes live. We don’t publish anything without your approval. Adjustments before launch don’t count as change requests under section 8.
• 5.5 Guarantee: if we don’t present the preview within 3 business days, we refund your first paid month automatically, without you having to ask. Delays caused by incomplete information or late replies from you don’t count toward the 3 days.

6. Price, automatic renewal and payment

• 6.1 Price: the subscription costs $10 (US dollars) per month. There are no design, setup or sign-up fees.
• 6.2 Sales tax: prices don’t include sales tax. If your state requires us to charge sales tax on our services, we add it to your invoice.
• 6.3 Automatic renewal: your subscription renews automatically every month, and we charge $10 plus any applicable tax to the card or payment method on file, on the same day each month, until you cancel. You can cancel online at any time, as explained in section 10. Payments are processed by Stripe; we never see or store your full card number.
• 6.4 Month 13 and after: the subscription keeps costing the same as in the other months. It covers hosting, domain renewal, SSL, email and change requests.
• 6.5 Price changes: we may update the subscription price to reflect changes in our costs. We let you know by email (and by text or WhatsApp if you agreed to receive them) at least 7 days and no more than 30 days before the first charge at the new price. The notice includes the new price, the date it takes effect and how to cancel. If you don’t agree, you can cancel before that charge at no cost.
• 6.6 Receipts: we email you a receipt for every payment.
• 6.7 Annual plan: you can pay 12 months up front with a 20% discount on the current price (today, $96 instead of $120). With the annual plan:
  • the 12 paid months of 9.2 are considered complete as soon as the payment goes through, and the website and domain become yours;
  • the price doesn’t change during those 12 months;
  • if you cancel before the year ends, the unused part isn’t refunded, except under section 12 (money-back guarantee) and 5.5 (delivery guarantee);
  • we email you a reminder 15 to 45 days before the year ends, with the renewal date, the price and how to cancel;
  • when the year ends, your subscription continues month to month at the current monthly price, unless you choose to renew for another year at the discount in effect at that time, or cancel.
• 6.8 Disputes with your bank: if you think a charge is wrong, please write to us first. We fix billing errors quickly, and it’s usually faster than a chargeback.

7. Failed or late payments

• If a monthly payment fails, we let you know and try the charge again. You have 10 calendar days to fix it. During that time, your site stays online.
• After those 10 days, we may suspend the site (it stops being visible) until the payment goes through.
• If 30 calendar days pass from the due date without payment, the subscription is canceled and section 11 applies.
• We don’t charge late fees or interest. If you pay within those 30 days, the month counts as paid and the 12-month count in 9.2 is not interrupted.

8. Content changes

• You have 2 change requests per month. You make them through the form in the client area of our website.
• Each request can include several content changes within the existing sections: text, photos, prices, services, hours and contact details.
• We make the changes within 2 business days of the request.
• Unused requests don’t carry over to the next month.
• New sections, redesigns and new features are not content changes: they’re quoted separately (see section 4).
• We’re building a system for unlimited changes by WhatsApp or text message. When it’s ready, we’ll announce it and add it to the service under the conditions we publish at that time.

9. Ownership of content, website and domain

9.1 Your content is always yours

• The content is 100% yours from day one. You give us permission (a limited, non-exclusive license) to use it only to build, publish and maintain your site while your subscription is active, and as described in section 18.
• You can ask us for the content file at any time, at no cost.

9.2 The website and domain become yours after 12 months

• Until you complete 12 paid months, the design and code of the site belong to Local Empires, and the domain is registered in our name (unless it’s a domain you already own, see 9.4). During that time, you have the right to use the site while your subscription is active.
• When you complete 12 consecutive paid months, or pay for the annual plan in 6.7, the website and the domain become yours. From that moment:
  • we assign to you all our rights, including copyright, in the design and code created for your site;
  • when you ask, we deliver the complete site files (code, styles and images) within 10 business days;
  • we transfer the domain to you at no cost, by moving it to your account at our registrar or by giving you the authorization code to move it to the registrar you choose. Under domain industry (ICANN) rules, a domain can be locked for up to 60 days after it’s registered or transferred; if that happens, we complete the transfer as soon as the lock ends.
• The 12 paid months must be consecutive. If the subscription is canceled before you complete them, the count starts over from zero.
• Once the site and domain are yours, you can keep your subscription (so we keep hosting and maintaining the site) or cancel and take it wherever you want.
• Some parts of the site may be general tools, templates or components that we also use for other clients. We keep ownership of those, but we give you a permanent, free license to keep using, copying and modifying them as part of your site.
• Third-party software components used on the site (fonts, libraries and similar) remain subject to their own licenses, which generally allow free use.

9.3 Keeping the site before 12 months

If you want to keep the site and domain before completing 12 months (for example, because you want to leave), you can do it by paying, in one payment, the months you have left to reach 12, at the subscription price in effect at that time.

Example: a client with 4 paid months pays 8 more months and gets the site and the domain.

9.4 If you already own a domain

• If you already have a domain, we use it for your site. The domain stays in your name at all times: we never transfer it to our name.
• You give us the access we need to connect the domain to the site (DNS settings or delegated access at your registrar). You can remove that access whenever you want; if you do, the site stops showing on that domain.
• Renewing the domain is still your responsibility. If the domain expires because it wasn’t renewed, we’re not responsible for the site or email going down.
• If you already had a site published on that domain, we let you know before replacing it.
• Everything else in these terms (including ownership of the design and code under 9.2) applies the same way.

10. Canceling your subscription

• You can cancel at any time. There’s no minimum term, no cancellation fee and nothing left to pay.
• You can cancel online from the client area in one step, or by email, WhatsApp or text message. We confirm the cancellation in writing within 2 business days.
• Your site stays online until the end of the period you already paid for. Paid months aren’t refunded, except under section 12 (money-back guarantee) or 5.5 (delivery guarantee).

11. What happens after you cancel

• If you cancel before completing 12 paid months:
  • we send you the content file (site description and photos), at no cost, within 10 business days;
  • the site and domain remain ours, unless you pay the months you have left, under 9.3.
• If you cancel after completing 12 paid months: we deliver the content file, the complete site files and the domain transfer, under 9.2. We also give you a guide to publish the site with another hosting provider.
• Professional email: before the cancellation takes effect, we remind you to download your emails. If the domain stays with us, the inboxes stop working at the end of the last paid period.
• 60-day hold: after cancellation, we keep the site and content for 60 calendar days. During that time, you can pay the months you have left (9.3) and keep the site and domain, or subscribe again and get your site back. If you subscribe again, the 12-month count starts over from zero. After that period, we may delete the site.
• Use of the domain: if the domain stays with us, we will never use it for another business in your trade or for one of your competitors. We may let it expire or cancel it.

12. 10-day money-back guarantee

If you’re not happy, you can cancel within 10 calendar days of your first payment, without giving a reason, and we refund everything you paid, to the same payment method. This also applies to the first payment of the annual plan. The guarantee applies once per client. To use it, just tell us through any of our channels.

13. Your responsibilities

You agree to:

• 13.1 Give us true and up-to-date information about your business.
• 13.2 Have the rights to the photos, logos and text you send us. If you send us third-party material without permission, you are responsible for it.
• 13.3 Not use the site or the email for illegal or deceptive activities, or to send unwanted messages (spam). If you use the site, the email or the forms to send marketing emails or text messages, you must follow the laws that apply to them, including the CAN-SPAM Act and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), and get the consent they require.
• 13.4 Keep the passwords we give you safe.
• 13.5 Handle the inquiries and the personal data you receive from your own customers through the site, and follow the privacy laws that apply to your business.
• 13.6 Follow the laws and licensing rules that apply to your trade (see section 14).

If the site is used for any of the activities in 13.3, we may suspend it and let you know.

14. Licensed trades and advertising claims

• Many trades (for example, plumbers, electricians, HVAC and general contractors) need a state or local license, and some states require the license number to appear on every ad, including websites. You are responsible for knowing and following the advertising rules of your state and city.
• You give us your license numbers and any other information your rules require, and we display them on the site the way you tell us. We don’t verify licenses, insurance or bonds.
• Claims like “licensed, bonded and insured”, “24/7 emergency service”, “free estimates”, “lowest price” or “satisfaction guaranteed” must be true. We only publish them if you confirm them, and you’re responsible for them.

15. Reviews, testimonials and AI-generated content

• We follow the Federal Trade Commission’s rules on reviews and testimonials. We never write, buy or invent reviews or testimonials, and we don’t publish testimonials that you can’t back up with a real customer.
• If you offer your customers something in exchange for a review, it can’t depend on the review being positive, and we won’t help you ask for reviews only from happy customers while filtering out the rest.
• Reviews from your employees, relatives or anyone close to the business must make that connection clear.
• We use artificial intelligence tools to help draft text and edit photos, and a person reviews the result. Images created with AI are labeled as such and are never presented as real work by you.

16. Accessibility

• We build sites making reasonable efforts to follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, level AA: alt text on images, readable color contrast, keyboard navigation and clear headings.
• We can’t guarantee that the site fully complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or any accessibility standard, especially for content you provide (for example, a PDF menu or photos with text in them). When possible, we recommend publishing important information as text.
• If you or a visitor report an accessibility problem, tell us. We fix problems in our design and code at no cost, and we help you fix the ones in your content.

17. Our responsibilities and their limits

• 17.1 Uptime: we do what’s reasonable to keep the site online at all times, and we make regular backups. Even so, there may be outages for maintenance or failures by providers that are out of our control (hosting, domain registrars, payment processors, WhatsApp, phone carriers). If an outage is our fault, we fix it as soon as possible.
• 17.2 Search results: we do basic optimization for search engines and artificial intelligence tools, but we can’t guarantee a specific position on Google or other platforms, or a number of calls, inquiries or sales.
• 17.3 We’re not responsible for damages caused by incorrect information you gave us, or by how you use the site or the email.
• 17.4 If we stop providing the service: if Local Empires stops operating, we notify each client at least 30 days in advance and deliver, at no cost and no matter how many months they’ve paid, the content file, the complete site files and the domain transfer to their name.
• 17.5 Events out of our control: we’re not responsible for delays or failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control, such as natural disasters, power or internet outages, cyberattacks, failures of third-party providers or government actions.
• 17.6 Disclaimer of warranties: EXCEPT FOR THE COMMITMENTS EXPRESSLY STATED IN THESE TERMS, THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE”. TO THE EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW, WE DISCLAIM ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.
• 17.7 Limitation of liability: TO THE EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW, NEITHER YOU NOR WE WILL BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, REVENUE OR DATA. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM RELATED TO THE SERVICE IS LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT THAT GAVE RISE TO THE CLAIM. These limits don’t apply where the law doesn’t allow them, or to damages caused by fraud or willful misconduct.
• 17.8 Indemnification: you agree to defend us and hold us harmless from third-party claims arising from your content, your license or advertising claims, your business, or your breach of these terms. In turn, we agree to defend you from third-party claims that the design or code we created (not your content) infringes someone else’s US copyright.

18. Other websites we’ve built

We may show your site in the “websites we’ve built” section of our website and in our marketing materials, as an example of our work. If you don’t want to appear, just ask and we’ll remove it.

19. Personal data

• 19.1 We handle your personal data as described in our Privacy Policy, at localempires.com/en/privacy/. We use it only to provide the service, bill for it and communicate with you. We don’t sell it.
• 19.2 Messages that visitors leave in your site’s contact form are sent to your email. For that data, we act as your service provider: we only process it to run your site. You decide how you use it and you’re responsible for that use.
• 19.3 The privacy policy page we include on your site is a starting point based on what the site collects. Review it, and tell us if your business collects or uses data in other ways (for example, if you add tracking tools or ads). It isn’t legal advice.
• 19.4 You can ask us at any time for access to your data, to correct it or to delete it, by writing to [email protected].

20. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. If the changes affect you, we let you know at least 30 days in advance. If you don’t agree, you can cancel before they take effect, at no cost and with the same rights as in section 11. Changes don’t apply to disputes that started before they took effect.

21. Communications, text messages and electronic signatures

• Communications by email, WhatsApp or text message to the contact details you gave us are valid for everything related to the service. Let us know if your phone number or email changes.
• You agree to receive these terms, receipts, notices and other records electronically, and that clicking “I agree” or paying online counts as your electronic signature, under the federal E-SIGN Act.
• Text messages: if you give us your mobile number, you agree to receive text messages from us about your service (for example, account notices, receipts and change confirmations). Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to unsubscribe or HELP for help. We only send marketing texts if you agree to them separately, and that consent is never a condition of buying.

22. Dispute resolution, arbitration and class action waiver

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. IT AFFECTS YOUR RIGHTS, INCLUDING YOUR RIGHT TO GO TO COURT.

• 22.1 Talk first: if there’s a problem, write to [email protected] describing it and what you want. We’ll try to solve it together in good faith for 30 days before either of us starts a formal case.
• 22.2 Binding arbitration: if we can’t solve it, any dispute related to these terms or the service will be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its applicable rules, instead of in court. The Federal Arbitration Act governs this section. The arbitration can be held by video call or in the county where your business is located.
• 22.3 Small claims: either of us can instead take an individual case to small claims court, if it qualifies.
• 22.4 Fees: the AAA filing, administrative and arbitrator fees are paid as provided by the AAA rules. Each party pays its own lawyers and costs, unless the arbitrator or the law provides otherwise.
• 22.5 NO CLASS ACTIONS OR JURY TRIALS: YOU AND WE MAY ONLY BRING CLAIMS INDIVIDUALLY, NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN A CLASS, COLLECTIVE OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. YOU AND WE WAIVE THE RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL.
• 22.6 Opt-out: you can opt out of this section by emailing [email protected] within 30 days of signing up, with your name, your business name and a statement that you are opting out of arbitration. Opting out doesn’t affect the rest of these terms.
• 22.7 If the class action waiver in 22.5 is found unenforceable for a claim, this section doesn’t apply to that claim, which will be decided in court under section 23.

23. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware and applicable US federal law, without regard to conflict of laws rules. Any matter that isn’t subject to arbitration will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in New Castle County, Delaware, except small claims, which you can file in your own county.

24. General terms

• These terms, the Privacy Policy and any written quote you accept are the entire agreement between you and us about the service.
• If any part of these terms is found invalid, the rest remains in effect.
• If we don’t enforce a right at some point, we don’t lose it.
• You can’t transfer your subscription to someone else without our written consent. We may transfer these terms if our business is sold or merged, and we’ll let you know.
• You and we are independent parties. These terms don’t create a partnership, employment or agency relationship.
• Sections that by their nature should survive cancellation (such as ownership, limits of liability and dispute resolution) remain in effect after it.
• Our website is available in English and Spanish, but these terms are only available in English. If you’d like us to explain any part of them in Spanish, write to us before you sign up.

25. Add-on services: Google Maps, blog and booking app

These services are optional and are purchased separately from the website. See the details on our website.

• 25.1 Monthly prices in US dollars, plus applicable tax: Google Maps optimization $10; Blog posts + Google Maps optimization $15; Booking app $50. The bundle includes creating the blog on your site, 1 weekly post also shared as an update on your Google Maps listing, and the optimization and upkeep of your Google Maps listing. The booking app is a separate service where your customers request a visit by choosing the job, day and time, and you get notified to confirm. Google Maps and the blog are not included in the booking app price. Extras and implementation details for the app are agreed when you ask about it. The website is billed separately. These subscriptions renew automatically and can be canceled as explained in section 10.
• 25.2 Access and setup: you invite us as managers of your Google Maps listing, without sharing your password. If the listing has to be created, you complete Google’s verification with our guide. The initial optimization is done within 3 business days of having the information, the access and the verified listing. Google’s verification and approval times are out of our control.
• 25.3 Google Maps: we optimize categories, service area, hours and emergency service, links, services, description and available attributes, up to 10 initial photos and a link with a message to ask for reviews. Upkeep includes 4 posts per month, new photos you send us, updating hours and monitoring changes to the listing. We reply to new reviews within 6 hours. Replies to negative reviews need your approval before we publish them; the time waiting for your approval doesn’t count toward the 6 hours.
• 25.4 Genuine reviews: we don’t buy reviews or offer discounts or other incentives in exchange for them. Reviews are only requested from real customers, and from all of them, not just the happy ones (see section 15). We don’t guarantee the number of reviews, their rating or that Google keeps them.
• 25.5 Blog posts: we create the blog and choose topics based on your trade and area. An AI tool drafts the text and a person reviews it before publishing. The bundle includes 1 weekly post, published without your prior approval. We email you the link and you can ask for corrections after publication. Posts never include claims about licenses, prices or guarantees that you haven’t confirmed (see section 14).
• 25.6 Photos: retouching or creating images is included at no cost, for a limited time, with the Google Maps and blog services. We’ll let you know before the promotion ends and before charging for any additional work. Retouching improves light, color, sharpness and framing without changing the work shown. Created images are labeled as such and are not presented as real work by you. You must have the right to use the photos you send us.
• 25.7 Cancellation and plan changes: you can cancel at no cost and with no minimum term. The service continues until the end of the paid period; paid months aren’t refunded, except under section 12 and any rights the law gives you. You can change plans at any time, and the change applies from the next month.
• 25.8 Ownership: your Google Maps listing, the blog posts and your content are yours from the start. When you cancel, you keep your Google Maps listing and the posts, and you can remove our access. This doesn’t change the ownership terms of the website, the domain or the hosting, which are governed by sections 9 and 11.
• 25.9 No ranking guarantees: we don’t guarantee first place, specific positions, calls, sales, reviews or recommendations by AI tools. Initial improvements can show up in days; rankings can take months and also depend on your competition and the platforms.

26. Contact

For any question, complaint or request about these terms: [email protected].