Terms of Service

1. Overview

Locale is a marketplace platform that connects student creators with local businesses for content creation opportunities ("Gigs"). Locale facilitates introductions, communication, and payment processing between creators and businesses, but is not a party to, and does not guarantee the performance of, any agreement, Gig, or transaction between users. Creators and businesses are each independently responsible for fulfilling their own obligations to one another. By creating an account or using our platform, you agree to these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, please do not use Locale.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to use Locale. By registering, you confirm that you are 18 or older and that the information you provide is accurate and complete. Locale reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate this requirement.

3. Creator Responsibilities

As a creator on Locale, you agree to:

• Provide accurate information about yourself and your content capabilities
• Only apply for gigs you intend to complete and are qualified for
• Deliver content that meets the requirements specified by the business
• Submit original content that you own or have rights to
• Not misrepresent your follower counts, engagement, or reach
• Comply with all applicable FTC disclosure requirements when posting sponsored content

4. Business Responsibilities

As a business on Locale, you agree to:

• Provide accurate and complete gig descriptions
• Pay creators the agreed-upon amount upon approval of their content
• Not request content that is illegal, deceptive, or harmful
• Review and respond to submissions within a reasonable time — Locale monitors submissions left unreviewed for an extended period and may take action on unresponsive accounts (see Section 6)
• Not use creator content beyond the scope agreed upon without additional compensation

5. Payments and Fees

Locale charges a 15% platform fee on each gig, paid by the business. For trade/in-kind gigs, a flat $20 platform fee applies. Creators receive 100% of their agreed rate. A business is not charged, and a creator is not paid, until the business approves the creator's submitted content — Locale does not collect or hold payment in advance of approval. Once a business's payment succeeds, Locale transfers the creator's portion to their connected payout account promptly, as part of the same transaction. Locale is not a bank, money transmitter, or escrow service; all payments are processed through our third-party payment processor, and Locale is not a party to the underlying transaction between creator and business. All payment disputes — including chargebacks, refund requests, and claims that work was not delivered as agreed — are reviewed at Locale's sole discretion, and Locale cannot guarantee a resolution in either party's favor. All fees are non-refundable once a gig has been completed and content approved. If a payment is later reversed, invalidated, or charged back due to fraud, unauthorized use of a payment method, or a violation of these Terms, Locale may withhold related amounts, offset them against future payments, or require repayment of funds already transferred to a creator.

6. Non-Payment and Unresponsive Businesses

Because payment is only ever charged and paid out once a business approves a creator's submission, a business that never reviews a submission can leave a creator unpaid for completed work. To address this, Locale monitors submissions that have gone unreviewed for an extended period and may follow up with the business directly, and may restrict a business's ability to post new gigs until outstanding submissions are resolved. If you are a creator who has submitted completed work and have not heard back within a reasonable time, contact us at hello@localecampus.com so we can follow up on your behalf. Locale is not a guarantor of payment and cannot force a business to approve or pay for content it has not approved, but we will make reasonable efforts to follow up with unresponsive businesses on a creator's behalf.

7. Content Ownership

Creators retain ownership of their original content. By submitting content for a gig, creators grant the relevant business a non-exclusive license to use that content for the purposes described in the gig. Unless the gig description specifies a different scope or duration, this license lasts twelve (12) months from the date the content is approved, after which further use requires the creator's additional consent and compensation. Locale does not claim ownership of any content created through the platform. You grant Locale a limited license to display your content within the platform for operational purposes.

8. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Use Locale for any unlawful purpose
• Post false, misleading, or fraudulent information
• Harass, threaten, or harm other users
• Attempt to circumvent platform fees by transacting outside of Locale
• Create multiple accounts to abuse platform features
• Use automated tools to scrape or abuse the platform
• Post content that is discriminatory, hateful, or sexually explicit

9. Reports, Reviews, and Investigations

Locale allows users to report other users for suspected violations of these Terms. Any report is reviewed at Locale's discretion based on the information available at the time; a report being filed, reviewed, or acted upon is not a determination of fact or wrongdoing, and Locale makes no representation as to the accuracy of any report. Users may not file reports in bad faith, including to harass or retaliate against another user. Locale may take any action it deems appropriate in response to a report — including no action — against either party involved, at its sole discretion.

10. Termination

Locale reserves the right to suspend or terminate your account at any time for violations of these Terms, fraudulent activity, or any conduct that harms the platform or its users. You may delete your account at any time by contacting us. Upon termination, any pending gigs or payments will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

11. Disclaimer of Warranties

Locale is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We do not guarantee that the platform will be uninterrupted or error-free, that gigs will result in successful collaborations, or that payments will always be made on time by businesses. Use of the platform is at your own risk.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Locale shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the platform, including but not limited to lost profits, lost data, or business interruption. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Locale's total aggregate liability arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the platform will not exceed the greater of (a) $100, or (b) the total platform fees paid by you to Locale in the twelve (12) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Locale and its officers, employees, and affiliates from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your use of the platform; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) any Gig, agreement, or dispute between you and another user; or (d) content you submit, post, or otherwise provide through Locale. This obligation survives termination of your account.

14. Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Agreement

Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of Locale will be resolved through binding individual arbitration rather than in court, except that either party may bring an individual claim in small claims court. You and Locale each waive the right to a jury trial and to participate in a class action, class arbitration, or representative proceeding. These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to conflict-of-law principles, and any proceeding not subject to arbitration will take place in the state or federal courts located in Texas.

15. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

16. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify users of material changes via email or in-app notification. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms.

17. Contact

For questions about these Terms, please contact us at hello@localecampus.com.