1. INTRODUCTION
Welcome to The Local Cities, a platform designed to connect people with local services, businesses, government institutions, events, emergency information, and other useful services within their cities.
These Terms and Conditions govern the registration, access, and use of The Local Cities platform by Service Providers. By registering as a Service Provider and accepting these Terms and Conditions, you agree to comply with the rules and responsibilities described in this document.
If you do not agree with these Terms and Conditions, you must not complete the registration process as a Service Provider.
2. DEFINITIONS
The Local Cities: The digital platform that provides access to local information, services, and service listings.
Service Provider: An individual, business, organization, or other authorized entity that registers to publish or manage information about services on the platform.
User: A person who accesses or uses The Local Cities platform.
Account: The registered profile used to access Service Provider features.
Listing: Information published by a Service Provider about a business, service, location, operating hours, contact details, or related activities.
Platform Administrator: An authorized person responsible for managing, monitoring, and maintaining the platform.
3. ELIGIBILITY AND REGISTRATION
3.1. A Service Provider must provide the information required during registration.
3.2. All registration information must be accurate, complete, current, and not misleading.
3.3. A Service Provider must have the necessary authority to register and represent the business, organization, or services submitted to the platform.
3.4. Where required, The Local Cities may request additional information or supporting documents to verify the identity of the Service Provider or the legitimacy of the listed services.
3.5. Registration does not automatically mean that a Service Provider has been verified, approved, or licensed.
3.6. An account may remain pending verification until the applicable review and approval procedures have been completed.
3.7. Service Providers must promptly update information that becomes inaccurate or outdated.
4. ACCOUNT SECURITY AND RESPONSIBILITY
4.1. Service Providers are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their account credentials.
4.2. Account credentials must not be shared with unauthorized persons.
4.3. Service Providers must notify The Local Cities promptly if they suspect unauthorized access to their accounts.
4.4. Service Providers are responsible for activities performed through their accounts, subject to applicable law and circumstances involving unauthorized access.
4.5. Service Providers must not attempt to access another person's account or interfere with the security of the platform.
5. SERVICE LISTINGS AND INFORMATION ACCURACY
5.1. Service Providers must publish truthful, relevant, and up-to-date information about their services.
5.2. Listings may include business names, descriptions, categories, addresses, contact information, operating hours, photographs, prices, and other supported information.
5.3. Service Providers must have the necessary rights and permissions to publish submitted photographs, logos, documents, and other materials.
5.4. Service Providers must not publish fake businesses, misleading descriptions, false locations, fraudulent offers, or information intended to deceive users.
5.5. Service Providers must update or remove listings that are no longer accurate, available, or relevant.
5.6. The Local Cities may review, correct where authorized, restrict, or remove listings that violate these Terms and Conditions or applicable law.
6. LEGAL COMPLIANCE AND REQUIRED AUTHORIZATIONS
6.1. Service Providers must comply with applicable laws and regulations in the locations where they operate.
6.2. Service Providers are responsible for obtaining and maintaining any business registration, professional licence, permit, certification, or other authorization required for their activities.
6.3. Services that require specific professional qualifications or regulatory approval must not be represented as authorized unless the relevant requirements have been met.
6.4. Service Providers must not use the platform to promote illegal activities, fraud, discrimination, harassment, or other prohibited conduct.
6.5. Service Providers remain responsible for the legality and quality of the services they offer.
7. INTERACTIONS WITH USERS
7.1. Service Providers must communicate with users honestly, respectfully, and professionally.
7.2. Service Providers must provide accurate information about service availability, prices, operating hours, terms of delivery, and other relevant conditions.
7.3. Service Providers must not harass, threaten, defraud, or unlawfully discriminate against users.
7.4. Service Providers must not misuse personal information obtained through interactions with users.
7.5. Any agreement, payment, booking, or transaction between a Service Provider and a user must be handled in accordance with the terms communicated to the parties and applicable law.
7.6. Unless expressly provided by The Local Cities, the platform does not guarantee that a listed Service Provider will receive customers, bookings, sales, or revenue.
8. PHOTOGRAPHS, CONTENT, AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
8.1. Service Providers retain ownership of content they own and submit to the platform.
8.2. By submitting content, Service Providers grant The Local Cities permission to host, display, reproduce, and format that content as reasonably necessary to operate, promote, and provide the platform's services.
8.3. This permission is limited to legitimate platform purposes and is subject to applicable law and any agreed restrictions.
8.4. Service Providers must not upload content that infringes another person's copyright, trademark, privacy, or other legal rights.
8.5. The Local Cities name, logo, design, software, and other platform-owned materials must not be used without authorization, except where permitted by law.
9. FEES, COMMISSIONS, AND PAYMENTS
9.1. Any registration fee, subscription charge, advertising fee, service fee, or commission must be communicated to the Service Provider before it becomes applicable.
9.2. Service Providers must comply with the payment terms expressly agreed to or disclosed for the relevant service.
9.3. The Local Cities will not treat a fee or commission as accepted merely because a Service Provider has registered, unless the applicable charge has been properly disclosed and agreed to where required.
9.4. Where the platform supports transactions, bookings, or commissions, the applicable transaction rules must be provided separately or incorporated into these Terms and Conditions.
9.5. Service Providers must not falsely claim to have completed payments or misrepresent transaction records.
10. PRIVACY AND PERSONAL DATA
10.1. The Local Cities will process personal data in accordance with its Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws.
10.2. Service Providers must provide only information they are authorized to submit.
10.3. Service Providers must handle any personal information received from users responsibly and only for lawful, disclosed purposes.
10.4. Personal information must not be sold, disclosed, or used for unauthorized marketing or other unlawful activities.
10.5. Service Providers may exercise applicable rights concerning their personal information by contacting the designated platform support channel.
10.6. Further details concerning data collection, processing, retention, sharing, security, and user rights are provided in the Privacy Policy.
11. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES
Service Providers must not:
- Publish false, fraudulent, deceptive, or unlawful information.
- Impersonate another person, business, or organization.
- Submit forged licences, certificates, or supporting documents.
- Upload malicious files or attempt to compromise the platform.
- Manipulate ratings, reviews, engagement metrics, or listing positions through fraudulent methods.
- Harvest personal information without authorization.
- Use the platform to distribute spam, threats, harassment, or prohibited content.
- Interfere with another user's or Service Provider's account.
- Attempt to bypass account verification, access controls, or other security measures.
- Use The Local Cities to facilitate illegal transactions or activities.
12. VERIFICATION, MONITORING, AND COMPLAINTS
12.1. The Local Cities may review listings and account information to enforce these Terms and Conditions and maintain platform integrity.
12.2. Verification may include reviewing submitted documents, checking listing information, or requesting clarification from a Service Provider.
12.3. Verification by The Local Cities does not necessarily constitute a guarantee of the quality, safety, legality, or performance of a Service Provider's services.
12.4. Users and Service Providers may report inaccurate listings, suspected fraud, security issues, or other violations through the designated reporting channels.
12.5. Reports may be investigated, and appropriate action may be taken based on the available evidence and applicable procedures.
13. ACCOUNT RESTRICTION, SUSPENSION, AND TERMINATION
13.1. The Local Cities may restrict, suspend, or terminate an account where there are reasonable grounds, including serious or repeated violations of these Terms and Conditions, fraudulent activity, security risks, or legal requirements.
13.2. Where appropriate and legally permitted, the Service Provider may be notified of the reason for the action and given an opportunity to respond or correct the violation.
13.3. Immediate temporary restrictions may be applied where necessary to address an urgent security risk, suspected fraud, or a legal obligation.
13.4. Service Providers may request account closure through the designated procedure, subject to applicable legal, financial, and record-retention requirements.
13.5. Account closure does not automatically eliminate outstanding lawful obligations or remove records that must be retained under applicable law.
14. PLATFORM AVAILABILITY AND LIMITATIONS
14.1. The Local Cities will make reasonable efforts to maintain the availability, security, and proper functioning of the platform.
14.2. Temporary interruptions may occur because of maintenance, technical failures, connectivity problems, security incidents, or circumstances beyond the platform's reasonable control.
14.3. The Local Cities may update, modify, or discontinue features where reasonably necessary, subject to applicable law and any contractual commitments.
14.4. The platform may display information supplied by third parties. Such information should be independently verified where accuracy is important.
14.5. Nothing in these Terms and Conditions excludes liability or rights that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.
15. CHANGES TO THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS
15.1. The Local Cities may update these Terms and Conditions to reflect changes in the platform, its services, security requirements, or applicable law.
15.2. The current version and its effective date will be made available through an appropriate platform channel.
15.3. Where appropriate, Service Providers will be notified of material changes.
15.4. Where renewed consent is required by applicable law or the nature of the change, the platform will request that consent before applying the relevant changes.
15.5. Previous versions may be retained for audit, compliance, and dispute-resolution purposes, subject to applicable data retention requirements.
16. GOVERNING LAW AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION
16.1. These Terms and Conditions shall be interpreted in accordance with the applicable laws governing the platform and the relevant parties.
16.2. The parties should first seek to resolve disputes through good-faith communication and the platform's designated complaint procedure where appropriate.
16.3. If a dispute cannot be resolved informally, it may be referred to the competent authority or court in accordance with applicable law.
16.4. The final governing-law and jurisdiction provisions must be reviewed and completed before these Terms and Conditions are published.
17. CONTACT INFORMATION
The Local Cities Support Team
Website: www.thelocalcities.com
Email: support@thelocalcities.com
Telephone: +250 788 317 614
18. SERVICE PROVIDER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND ACCEPTANCE
By selecting the acceptance checkbox and submitting the registration form, the Service Provider confirms that:
- They have read and understood these Terms and Conditions.
- The information provided during registration is accurate to the best of their knowledge.
- They are authorized to represent the registered business or service, where applicable.
- They agree to comply with these Terms and Conditions and the applicable Privacy Policy.
- They understand that registration does not necessarily mean that their account or services have been verified or approved.