PrivateEZ™ Website Terms of Service

1. Your use is acceptance. Your use of the privateez.com website constitutes your acceptance of these Terms of Service. If you do not agree with any provision of this Agreement, you must discontinue use of the website immediately.
2. Precedence of Other Agreements. This Terms of Service governs only your use of the privateez.com website. In the event of any conflict between this Agreement and any other agreement between you and Company (including but not limited to any certification or license agreement, the PrivateEZ Referral Policy, the PrivateEZ Fee Schedule, or the PrivateEZ™ Home Privacy Standard), the provisions of the other agreement shall control.

   Owner Reports (user-submitted notes about products or offerings) are governed by the separate PrivateEZ Reviews Terms, as published on the website. Reading Owner Reports is use of the website under this Agreement. Posting, replying to, or requesting removal of Owner Reports is also subject to the Reviews Terms. If the Reviews Terms conflict with this Agreement on posting, reply, attribution, or takedown, the Reviews Terms control for those subjects only.

   Public comments on Owner Reports are not a control in the PrivateEZ™ Home Privacy Standard, are not a star rating, and are not evidence that an Offering conforms to that Standard. Using the website to read Owner Reports is acceptance of that statement.

3. General Terms and Availability.
   1. Website Access. The privateez.com website is provided for informational and operational purposes related to the PrivateEZ Certification Program. Certain features (such as account registration, inquiries, or registry participation) may be limited to authorized representatives of businesses or other qualified parties.
   2. No Warranty. Company makes no warranty or claim of accuracy regarding any information contained on the website.
   3. Copying. You are not allowed to copy or otherwise reproduce any information or material contained on the website except for:
      1. this Agreement,
      2. the Privacy Policy, and
      3. materials explicitly made available for download or printing for your own non-commercial use.
   4. Not a Licensee. A Home Resident, buyer, seller, tenant, guest, shopper, or other natural person who opens a registry page, Lookup URL, Gifted Tool, Binder page, or Owner Reports page is not a Licensee and acquires no rights under the Trademark License Agreement. This Agreement does not certify any product, home, facility, or firm.
   5. Lookup and Gifted Tools. A scan or typed lookup returns official PrivateEZ™ records, or a miss path described in the Certification Policy. A miss is not a certification of the scanned item. Company does not promise that a title, barcode, or photograph will match. Camera and identifier handling is described in the Privacy Policy.
   6. Binders and presented pages. A Binder or presented page is a Licensee’s sales material. Company is not the seller and is not a party to any purchase.
4. Definitions. For the purposes of this Terms of Service Agreement, the following definitions shall apply:
   1. "Agreement"
      Means this Terms of Service agreement, including any amendments or updates that may be made from time to time.
   2. "Company", "We"
      Refers to High Bit Security, LLC, a Limited Liability Company registered in Michigan, United States, operator of privateez.com.
   3. "User", "You"
      Refers to any individual or entity that accesses or uses the privateez.com website.
   4. "Services"
      Refers to the privateez.com website and its features, including the registry, inquiry and registration forms, account functionality, and related tools.
   5. "Content"
      Means any data, information, text, graphics, or other materials that may be uploaded, submitted, or shared by Users through the Services.
   6. "Third Party"
      Means any individual or entity that is not a party to this Agreement.
   7. "Account"
      Refers to a User's profile created to access certain features of the Services, which may include a username, password, and related information.
   8. "Privacy Policy"
      Refers to the separate Privacy Policy for privateez.com, which is incorporated by reference into this Agreement.
   9. "Intellectual Property"
      Refers to all intellectual property rights, including but not limited to copyrights, trademarks, patents, and trade secrets associated with the Services and Content.
   10. "Reviews Terms"
       Refers to the separate PrivateEZ Reviews Terms published on the website, which govern Owner Reports. The Reviews Terms are incorporated by reference into this Agreement to the extent you post, reply to, or request removal of Owner Reports.
5. Acceptable Use
   1. Prohibited Activities. You agree not to engage in any of the following prohibited activities while using the Services:
      1. Illegal Activities
         Engage in any illegal activities, including but not limited to the distribution of prohibited content and unauthorized use of intellectual property.
      2. Harassment and Hate Speech
         Harass, threaten, or make statements against individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.
      3. Spam and Unsolicited Communications
         Send unsolicited advertisements or promotional materials, commonly known as spam, or engage in any form of disruptive messaging or flooding.
      4. Impersonation
         Impersonate any person or entity, falsely state or misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity, or forge headers or otherwise manipulate identifiers to disguise the origin of any Content transmitted through the Services.
      5. Malicious Activities
         Upload, post, or otherwise distribute any software viruses, worms, malware, or any other malicious code that may harm, disrupt, or negatively impact the Services or the equipment of others.
      6. Unauthorized Access
         Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Services, other accounts, computer systems, or networks connected to the Services through hacking, password mining, exploitation of vulnerabilities, or any means other than the provided authentication methods.
      7. Data Scraping
         Use any automated means, such as web crawlers, robots, or similar data gathering tools, to access or extract data from the Services without prior written permission from Company.
   2. Reporting Violations

      If you become aware of any violation of this Acceptable Use clause, you are encouraged to report it to Company at the phone number provided on the website. We reserve the right to investigate and take appropriate action, including suspension or termination of your access to the Services.

   3. Consequences of Violation

      Any violation of this Acceptable Use clause may result in immediate suspension or termination of your access to the Services, as well as potential legal action, if applicable.

6. Modification of Terms. Company reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting the updated terms on the website.
   1. Notification of Changes. We may notify Users of significant changes to these Terms via the email address associated with their Account (if any) or through a prominent notice on the website. Continued use of the Services after such changes will constitute acceptance of the new Terms.
   2. User Responsibility. It is the User's responsibility to regularly review these Terms for any updates. Users will be deemed to have accepted the changes if they continue to use the Services following the posting of the revised Terms.
   3. Effective Date. The effective date of these Terms is January 1, 2026.
7. Account Management.
   1. Account Creation. To use certain features of the Services, you may be required to create an account. When creating an account, you agree to provide accurate and complete information and to update this information as necessary to keep it accurate, current, and complete.
   2. Account Security. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials, including your password. You agree to notify Company immediately of any unauthorized use of your account or any other breach of security. Company will not be liable for any losses caused by any unauthorized use of your account.
   3. User Responsibilities. You are responsible for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to use the Services in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and in accordance with these Terms.
   4. Account Termination. Company reserves the right to suspend or terminate your Account at any time and for any reason, including but not limited to violation of these Terms. If your account is terminated, your access to the Services will be restricted.
   5. Account Recovery. In the event that you forget your password or need to recover your account, Company will provide a process for password reset and account recovery. You are responsible for ensuring that the recovery information you provide is up to date and accessible.
8. Intellectual Property Rights.
   1. Ownership. All content, trademarks, and other intellectual property rights in the Services, including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, images, and software, are owned by Company or its licensors. PrivateEZ™ and QRCause™ are trademarks of High Bit Security, LLC.
   2. License Grant. Subject to your compliance with these Terms, Company grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use the Services for your own lawful purposes, and not for resale.
   3. Restrictions. You agree not to reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, republish, download, store, or transmit any of the material on our Services, except as follows:
      1. You may print or download a reasonable number of copies of pages from the Services for your own, non-commercial use.
      2. If we provide desktop, mobile, or other applications for download, you may download a single copy to your device, solely for your own, non-commercial use, provided you agree to be bound by any license agreement for such applications.
   4. Feedback. If you provide us with any feedback or suggestions regarding the Services, you grant Company the right to use such feedback or suggestions in any manner, without any obligation to you.
   5. Copyright Infringement. If you believe that any content on the Services infringes your copyright, please contact us at the phone number provided on the website to report the infringement.
9. Limited Liability. Company shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from or related to your use of the Services, whether based on warranty, contract, tort (including negligence), or any other legal theory, even if Company has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
   1. No Guarantees. While we strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information, Company does not guarantee the completeness, reliability, or accuracy of any content or materials provided through the Services. Your reliance on any information provided by us or any third party is solely at your own risk.
   2. User Responsibilities. You agree to accept responsibility for any damage to your computer system or loss of data that results from the download of any materials from the Services.
   3. Limitation of Liability. In no event shall Company's total liability to you for all damages, losses, and causes of action exceed the amount paid by you, if any, for accessing the Services in the past 12 months.
   4. Exclusions. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, so the above limitations may not apply to you. In such jurisdictions, Company's liability will be limited to the fullest extent permitted by law.
10. Termination.
    1. Termination by User. You may terminate your account at any time by contacting Company at the phone number displayed on the website or by using the contact methods provided on privateez.com. Upon termination, your right to use the Services will cease immediately.
    2. Termination by Company. Company reserves the right to suspend or terminate your access to the Services at any time, with or without notice, if you violate these Terms of Service or if we are unable to verify or authenticate any information you provide.
    3. Effects of Termination. Upon termination of your account, all provisions of these Terms which by their nature should survive termination shall survive, including provisions related to ownership, warranty disclaimers, indemnity, and limitations of liability.
    4. No Liability for Termination. Company shall not be liable to you or any third party for any termination of your access to the Services, including any loss of data or other damages resulting from such termination.
11. Jurisdiction and Arbitration. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Michigan, United States, without regard to its conflict of law principles.
    1. Agreement to Arbitrate. Both parties agree that any disputes, claims, or controversies arising out of or relating to these Terms of Service or the Services shall be resolved through binding arbitration, rather than in court. This includes disputes based on contract, tort, statute, fraud, misrepresentation, or any other legal theory.
    2. Arbitration Process. The arbitration will be conducted by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) in accordance with its Commercial Arbitration Rules. The arbitration will take place in Detroit, Michigan, unless the parties mutually agree otherwise. The arbitrator's decision shall be final and binding on both parties.
    3. Waiver of Jury Trial. Both parties waive their right to a jury trial in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement.
    4. Class Action Waiver. You and Company agree that any disputes will be conducted on an individual basis and not in a class, consolidated, or representative action.
    5. Venue. Any arbitration hearing shall take place in Detroit, Michigan, and the parties consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Detroit, Michigan for the purpose of enforcement of any arbitration award.
    6. Privacy. Collection and use of information, including referral identifiers, lookup strings, and Licensee-uploaded photographs, is described in the Website Privacy Policy. That policy is part of this Agreement for website use.
12. Privacy. We are committed to protecting your privacy. For a full understanding of our privacy practices, please refer to the complete Privacy Policy.
13. Notice. Any notice or communication permitted or required by these Terms will be deemed effective when sent by email and receipt is acknowledged, or when posted on the website.
    1. Notices to Company:
       Email: legal@highbitsecurity.com
    2. Notices to You:
       You agree that the email address associated with your Account (if any) will be used for notices under these Terms. It is your responsibility to keep that address current.
14. Miscellaneous.
    1. Binding Effect, Assignment. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of Company and you and your respective successors and permitted assigns.
    2. Force Majeure. Neither party shall be liable for any failure or delay in performance under this Agreement due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, war, terrorism, riots, embargoes, acts of civil or military authorities, fire, floods, accidents, strikes, or shortages of transportation, facilities, fuel, energy, labor, or materials.
    3. Headings. The headings in this Agreement are for convenience only and shall not affect interpretation.
    4. Entire Agreement (Website Only). This Agreement, together with the Privacy Policy and, where applicable, the Reviews Terms, constitutes the entire agreement between you and Company regarding your use of the privateez.com website and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous understandings regarding the website. As stated in Section 2, any other agreement between you and Company takes precedence over this Agreement to the extent of any conflict.