Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of terms

By accessing or using the Choose Local platform (chooselocal.com.au and app.chooselocal.com.au), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms") and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the platform. These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Choose Local (ABN 33 161 396 096).

We may update these Terms from time to time. Continued use of the platform after changes are published constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

2. The platform

Choose Local is an online marketplace that connects homeowners ("Homeowners") seeking home services with independent, self-employed trade and service professionals ("Contractors"). Choose Local is a technology platform only. We are not a party to any agreement between Homeowners and Contractors, and we do not employ, supervise, or direct Contractors. All services are performed by independent third parties.

3. Homeowner terms

Eligibility: You must be at least 18 years of age and the owner or authorised occupant of the property for which you are requesting services.

Service requests: By submitting a service request, you authorise Choose Local to share your contact and job details with the number of matched Contractors you choose (1, 2 or 3), once each one accepts your request. You are under no obligation to engage any Contractor presented to you.

Accuracy: You agree to provide accurate information in all service requests. We may decline or remove requests that are misleading or fraudulent.

Reviews: By submitting a review, you confirm that the review is based on your genuine experience and is truthful. Choose Local may remove reviews that are false or misleading, offensive, not based on a genuine experience, or that disclose personal information. We do not remove reviews because they are negative.

No guarantee of outcome: While we vet Contractors on our platform, Choose Local does not guarantee the quality, safety, legality, or timeliness of services provided by any Contractor. Any disputes regarding services must be resolved between you and the Contractor directly.

4. Contractor terms

Eligibility: To join as a Contractor, you must hold all applicable trade licences for your state and service category, maintain current public liability insurance (minimum $5M), be legally entitled to work in Australia, and be an individual or registered business entity (not a labour hire agency).

Accurate representation: You agree to accurately represent your qualifications, experience, service area, and availability. Misrepresentation may result in immediate account suspension.

Plans and credits: Plans are billed monthly in advance at the price shown plus GST, or at a custom monthly amount agreed with us. Each $1 of your plan (excluding GST) is issued as 1 lead credit at the start of each billing period. Credits included in your plan expire at the end of that billing period and do not roll over. Credits bought as one-off top-ups do not expire. Credits have no cash value and are not refundable except as set out below or required by law.

Lead delivery: Leads that match your services and service area are offered to you with the job details, but not the Homeowner's contact details. You choose whether to accept each lead; the lead's credit price is deducted only when you accept it, and the Homeowner's contact details are then released to you. Offers expire if not accepted in time or once the lead's places are filled. A lead may be shared with up to two other Contractors, as chosen by the Homeowner. Leads are offered between eligible Contractors in proportion to their plans; we do not guarantee any particular number of leads. If you don't have enough credits to accept a lead, you won't be offered it until your plan renews or you top up, unless you have switched on overage billing, in which case accepted leads beyond your balance are charged to your payment method on file.

Invalid leads: If a lead is invalid (for example, incorrect contact details or a duplicate), you may request a credit refund within 48 hours of accepting the lead by contacting support.

Cancellation and pausing: You may cancel at any time; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. Pausing leads stops new leads but does not pause billing.

Conduct: You must conduct yourself professionally with all Homeowners. Any harassment, dishonesty, or behaviour that brings Choose Local into disrepute may result in immediate account termination.

Reviews and ratings: You consent to Homeowners providing reviews of your services through the platform. You may not offer incentives for positive reviews or take any action to manipulate your rating.

5. Prohibited activities

Users of the platform must not:

- Circumvent the platform by soliciting or accepting direct payment from leads generated through Choose Local outside of the matched job (for the first 12 months of the Homeowner relationship) - Create fake accounts, reviews, or lead requests - Use the platform to collect Homeowner data for purposes other than fulfilling the relevant job - Attempt to reverse-engineer, scrape, or copy any part of the platform - Use the platform for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable laws - Engage in any conduct that is threatening, abusive, or harmful to other users

Violation of these prohibitions may result in immediate account termination and may be referred to relevant authorities.

6. Intellectual property

All content, branding, software, and data on the Choose Local platform is owned by Choose Local or its licensors and is protected by Australian and international intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works without our express written permission. User-generated content (such as reviews and profile information) remains your property, but you grant Choose Local a non-exclusive, worldwide licence to use, display, and distribute that content in connection with the platform.

7. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Choose Local is not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the platform, including but not limited to damages arising from the conduct of Contractors or Homeowners, loss of data, or unavailability of the platform.

Our total liability to you for any claim arising from these Terms or your use of the platform is limited to the greater of (a) the amount you paid to Choose Local in the 3 months preceding the claim, or (b) AUD $100.

Nothing in these Terms excludes, restricts or modifies any right or remedy you have under the Australian Consumer Law, including the consumer guarantees, that cannot lawfully be excluded, restricted or modified. Nothing in these Terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.

8. Dispute resolution

If a dispute arises between a Homeowner and a Contractor, both parties agree to first attempt to resolve it directly. If resolution is not reached within 14 days, either party may escalate to Choose Local's support team at support@chooselocal.com.au. Choose Local may, at its sole discretion, provide a mediation service but is not obligated to resolve any dispute.

Any dispute between a user and Choose Local that cannot be resolved informally will be referred to the courts of New South Wales, Australia.

9. Termination

Choose Local may suspend or terminate your account at any time if you breach these Terms, for any conduct we determine to be harmful to the platform or its users, or if required by law. Upon termination, your right to access the platform ceases immediately. Sections 6, 7, 8, and 10 survive termination.

10. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia. You submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of New South Wales for any dispute arising under these Terms.

11. Contact

For questions about these Terms:

Choose Local (ABN 33 161 396 096) support@chooselocal.com.au 1300 741 451