Terms of Use

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using Septic Scout (“the Service”) at septic-scout.com, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree, do not use the Service. “You” refers to any visitor, buyer, inspector, pumper, or other user of the Service.

2. What Septic Scout Is

Septic Scout is an online directory that lists septic inspection companies and septic pumping companies across the United States. We provide a platform for inspectors and pumpers to publish their business information and for homeowners and buyers to find and contact them.

Septic Scout is a directory and lead-routing service only. We are not a septic inspection company. We do not employ inspectors, perform inspections, or guarantee the quality of any work performed by listed businesses. Any service agreement is solely between you and the inspector or pumper.

3. Inspector and Pumper Accounts

Listing accuracy

By creating or claiming a listing, you represent that all information you provide — including business name, certifications, pricing, and contact details — is accurate and up to date. You are responsible for keeping your listing current. Septic Scout may suspend or remove listings that contain false, misleading, or outdated information.

Account access

Accounts are accessed via email one-time code (no password). You are responsible for maintaining access to your business email address. Do not share your login link or dashboard access with third parties.

Claiming a listing

If your business was pre-loaded into the directory from public records, you may claim it by verifying ownership with a code sent to the business email on file. Falsely claiming a listing you do not own is a violation of these Terms and may result in account termination.

4. Subscription Plans and Billing

Subscriptions are billed monthly and automatically renew until cancelled. Payments are processed by Stripe. By subscribing, you authorize us to charge your payment method on a recurring monthly basis.

Cancellation: You may cancel anytime from your dashboard under Account → Manage Billing. Your paid features remain active through the end of the current billing period. No refunds are issued for partial months. No cancellation fees.

If a payment fails, your account may be downgraded to the Free tier until payment is resolved. Lead routing is suspended during the grace period.

5. Lead Routing

When a buyer submits a quote request from your listing, we route their contact information to you by email. Lead routing is available to Pro, Premium, and Preferred Pumper subscribers only. Free-tier listings do not receive leads.

We make commercially reasonable efforts to deliver lead notifications promptly. We are not responsible for missed leads due to email delivery failures outside our control, spam filters, or email address changes you have not updated in your account.

Leads are provided as-is. We do not guarantee lead quality, conversion rates, or that buyers will respond or proceed with a booking.

6. Certification Verification

The “State Certified” badge is displayed when we have cross-referenced a credential against an official state registry. Verification is performed periodically and may not reflect real-time license status. Inspectors are responsible for maintaining current licensure and for notifying us of any changes.

The absence of a badge does not mean an inspector is unqualified — it means we have not yet verified their credential. Buyers should independently confirm license status for transaction-critical inspections.

7. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent information
• Claim a listing you do not own or are not authorized to represent
• Use the Service to harass, spam, or defraud other users
• Attempt to scrape, crawl, or automated-harvest listing data in bulk
• Reverse-engineer or interfere with the Service’s infrastructure
• Use the Service for any unlawful purpose

Violations may result in immediate account termination without refund.

8. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ACCURACY, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR FREE OF HARMFUL COMPONENTS.

We do not verify the quality, safety, or competence of any listed inspector or pumper. Your use of any listed business is at your own risk.

9. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SEPTIC SCOUT SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOST PROFITS, LOST LEADS, DATA LOSS, OR PROPERTY DAMAGE. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING OUT OF THESE TERMS SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO US IN THE THREE MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Septic Scout and its operators from any claims, damages, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from your use of the Service, your listing content, your violation of these Terms, or your interactions with buyers or inspectors through the platform.

11. Intellectual Property

The Septic Scout name, logo, and website content are our property. You may not reproduce or use them without written permission. By submitting listing information, you grant us a non-exclusive license to display that information on the Service.

12. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the United States. Any disputes shall be resolved through binding arbitration or in a court of competent jurisdiction. You waive the right to participate in class action lawsuits against Septic Scout.

13. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated by updating the “Last updated” date above and, where appropriate, by email to active subscribers. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance.

14. Contact

Questions about these Terms: support@septic-scout.com