Terms of Use
1. About these terms
1.1 These Terms of Use ("Terms") govern your use of The Local mobile application and the website at thelocalpubs.com (together, the "Service"), operated by Lewis James Harvey and Callum James Hull, trading as The Local ("we", "us", "our"). Upon incorporation as a limited company, these Terms will be updated accordingly.
1.2 By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms, our Privacy Policy, and our Acceptable Use Policy. If you do not agree, you must not use the Service.
1.3 We may update these Terms from time to time. Where changes are material, we will notify you via in-app notification or email at least 14 days before the changes take effect. Continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
2. Eligibility and age verification
2.1 You must be at least 18 years old to use the Service. By creating an account, you confirm that you are 18 or over.
2.2 During registration, you will be asked to provide your date of birth. If the date of birth you provide indicates you are under 18, your registration will be refused.
2.3 Misrepresenting your age is a serious breach of these Terms and grounds for immediate account termination.
2.4 We reserve the right to request additional proof of age at any time. If you are unable or unwilling to provide verification when requested, we may suspend or terminate your account.
2.5 The Service involves content related to pubs and alcohol. It is your responsibility to ensure that your use of the Service complies with the laws of your jurisdiction.
3. Your account
3.1 You are responsible for providing accurate information when creating your account and for keeping your login credentials secure.
3.2 You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at support@thelocalpubs.com.
3.3 You may not create more than one account, impersonate another person, or use another person's account without their permission.
4. User content
4.1 You retain ownership of all content you submit through the Service, including BeerReel posts, photos, reviews, and comments ("User Content").
4.2 By submitting User Content, you grant The Local a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, sub-licensable licence to host, store, display, reproduce, and process that content for the purpose of operating and improving the Service.
4.3 This licence continues for as long as your content remains on the Service. If you delete content or your account, we will remove or anonymise it in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
4.4 You are solely responsible for the User Content you post. You must not submit content that is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, defamatory, obscene, or otherwise objectionable, or that infringes the intellectual property or privacy rights of others.
4.5 Our full content standards are set out in our Acceptable Use Policy, which forms part of these Terms.
5. Moderation and enforcement
5.1 We use a combination of automated (AI-based) tools and manual review to moderate User Content and detect violations of these Terms and our Acceptable Use Policy.
5.2 We may, at our sole discretion, remove or restrict access to any User Content that we reasonably believe violates our policies or the law.
5.3 We may suspend or terminate your account if you repeatedly or seriously violate these Terms, our Acceptable Use Policy, or applicable law.
5.4 If your content is removed or your account is suspended, we will notify you of the reason. You may appeal moderation decisions by contacting us at support@thelocalpubs.com within 14 days. We will review your appeal and respond within 30 days.
6. Reporting
6.1 If you encounter content or behaviour that you believe violates our policies, you can report it using the in-app reporting feature or by emailing support@thelocalpubs.com.
6.2 We aim to review all reports within 48 hours and will take appropriate action where a violation is confirmed.
6.3 You will not be penalised for making a good faith report.
7. Prohibited conduct
You agree not to:
- Violate any applicable law or regulation
- Harass, threaten, bully, or abuse other users
- Post content that promotes illegal drug use, excessive alcohol consumption, or dangerous behaviour
- Attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Service, other users' accounts, or our systems
- Upload malware, viruses, or any code designed to disrupt the Service
- Scrape, crawl, or use automated means to access the Service without our written permission
- Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the source code of the Service
- Use the Service for any commercial purpose without our prior written consent
- Circumvent, disable, or interfere with any security or age verification features
8. Responsible drinking
8.1 The Local is a social discovery platform. We do not promote or encourage the consumption of alcohol.
8.2 We encourage all users to drink responsibly. For information and support, visit Drinkaware at www.drinkaware.co.uk.
8.3 If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol, you can contact the Drinkaware helpline on 0300 123 1110.
9. Third-party services
9.1 The Service relies on third-party providers for functionality including maps, authentication, data storage, and content delivery. These providers' own terms and policies may also apply.
9.2 We are not responsible for the availability, accuracy, or content of third-party services.
10. Intellectual property
10.1 The Service and its original content (excluding User Content), features, and functionality are owned by Lewis James Harvey and Callum James Hull, trading as The Local, and are protected by copyright, trade mark, and other intellectual property laws.
10.2 You may not use our name, logo, or branding without our prior written consent.
11. Availability and changes
11.1 We aim to keep the Service available at all times but do not guarantee uninterrupted access. We may modify, suspend, or discontinue features at any time, with or without notice.
11.2 We will endeavour to give reasonable notice of significant changes that affect your use of the Service.
12. Disclaimers
12.1 The Service is provided "as is" and "as available". To the fullest extent permitted by law, we make no warranties or representations about the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the Service or any content on it.
12.2 We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy of any User Content, pub information, ratings, or reviews displayed on the Service.
12.3 Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.
13. Limitation of liability
13.1 Subject to clause 12.3, to the maximum extent permitted by law, the operators of The Local shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of data, profits, goodwill, or business opportunity.
13.2 Our total aggregate liability to you for any claims arising from or related to the Service shall not exceed the amount you have paid to us (if any) in the twelve months preceding the claim.
14. Indemnity
14.1 You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Lewis James Harvey and Callum James Hull (trading as The Local) from any claims, damages, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your breach of these Terms, your User Content, or your misuse of the Service.
15. Termination
15.1 You may stop using the Service and delete your account at any time through the in-app settings or by contacting us.
15.2 We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time for breach of these Terms, for legal or security reasons, or if we discontinue the Service.
15.3 Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately. Clauses that by their nature should survive termination (including intellectual property, limitation of liability, and indemnity) shall continue in effect.
16. Governing law and jurisdiction
16.1 These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales.
16.2 Any disputes arising from these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales, unless mandatory local law requires otherwise.
17. Contact
Lewis James Harvey and Callum James Hull, trading as The Local
General enquiries: hello@thelocalpubs.com
Support: support@thelocalpubs.com
Privacy: privacy@thelocalpubs.com