Effective Date: January 1, 2025
Company Name: Metro Coastal
Location: Rochester, NY
Website: www.metrocoastal.com

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of the Metro Coastal website and any research, consulting, and analytical services (“Services”) provided by Metro Coastal (“we”, “our”, or “us”). By using our site or engaging with our Services, you agree to be bound by these Terms.

1. Scope of Services

Metro Coastal provides business research, data analysis, market insights, and consulting services. Each engagement is governed by a separate Statement of Work (SOW) or contract, which will outline specific deliverables, timelines, fees, and other terms.

2. Client Responsibilities

Clients agree to:

• Provide timely access to information, personnel, and resources needed to complete the Services.
• Ensure that all data shared is accurate, lawful, and free of third-party restrictions.
• Use insights and reports only for agreed internal purposes, unless otherwise authorized in writing.

Failure to fulfill these responsibilities may delay delivery or affect the quality of Services.

3. Fees and Payment Terms

All fees and payment terms will be detailed in your contract or proposal. Unless otherwise agreed:

• Invoices are due within 30 days.
• Late payments may incur a 1.5% monthly interest charge.
• Services may be paused or terminated for non-payment.

Retainers and milestone-based billing may apply, depending on the nature of the engagement.

4. Confidentiality & Non-Disclosure

Both parties agree to treat all shared information—business, financial, operational, or personal—as confidential. We will:

• Not disclose client information to third parties without consent.
• Use reasonable safeguards to protect sensitive data.
• Return or destroy confidential materials upon request at the conclusion of the engagement.

This obligation survives termination of the agreement.

5. Intellectual Property

• Client-Owned IP: All pre-existing content or data provided by you remains your property.
• Metro Coastal IP: Any proprietary frameworks, research methodologies, or tools we use or develop during the engagement remain our exclusive intellectual property.
• Work Product: Final reports, presentations, and custom analyses delivered as part of the Services may be used internally by the client. Public use or redistribution requires our written permission.

6. Acceptable Use of the Website

Users of our website agree not to:

• Access or tamper with our systems or networks without authorization.
• Use the site for any unlawful, fraudulent, or malicious activity.
• Reproduce, redistribute, or exploit site content for commercial purposes without permission.

Violations may result in termination of access and potential legal action.

7. Data Protection & Compliance

We comply with applicable data protection laws, including GDPR and CCPA, where relevant. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under 18 years of age.

Clients are responsible for ensuring they have proper authorization to share any third-party or customer data with us.

8. Disclaimers

• Our Services are advisory in nature. We do not guarantee specific business outcomes.
• All findings and recommendations are based on the data and assumptions provided at the time of engagement.
• Any decisions or actions taken based on our recommendations are the sole responsibility of the client.

9. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Metro Coastal shall not be liable for:

• Any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages;
• Loss of profits, data, or business opportunities;
• Any claim arising more than one year after the cause of action arises.

In all cases, our total liability shall not exceed the total fees paid by the client for the specific service in question.

10. Termination

Either party may terminate a service engagement with 14 days' written notice. Upon termination:

• All outstanding fees will be invoiced.
• We retain the right to withhold delivery of incomplete work pending payment.
• Confidentiality obligations will remain in effect.

11. Force Majeure

We are not liable for delays or failures in performance caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, governmental actions, network outages, or labor disputes.

12. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York. Any disputes will be resolved in the courts located in Monroe County, NY, unless both parties agree to arbitration or mediation.

13. Updates to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Updated Terms will be posted on our website with a revised effective date. Continued use of the site or Services after changes constitutes acceptance.

14. Contact

If you have any questions about these Terms, contact us at:
📧 [email protected]
📍 Metro Coastal, Rochester, NY