Terms & Conditions

These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) govern use of the Local First website and related services (together, the “Platform”). By using the Platform you agree to these Terms.

In these Terms, “Local First”, “we”, “us” and “our” means the operator of the Platform. “You” means a visitor, customer, account holder or business using the Platform. “Business” means a tradesperson or firm that has applied, been invited, or been accepted onto the Platform.

Related documents include our Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Business Terms and Local First Standards. The Standards page explains the assessment process in plain language. These Terms set the legal framework. If you are a business applying for or holding a listing, you should also read the Business Terms.

Local First is a curated online platform to help people find local trades and businesses. We assess applications against our standards and, if accepted, display a profile so customers can contact that business.

Local First is not:

• an employer of listed businesses;
• a party to the contract for work between a customer and a business, unless we expressly say otherwise in writing;
• a marketplace that takes payment for jobs on the Platform (unless a paid feature is introduced later and described separately);
• a guarantee of workmanship, pricing, availability or outcome.

You must use the Platform lawfully and honestly. You must not misuse the site, attempt to interfere with it, scrape it in an abusive way, or submit false or misleading information.

We may change, suspend or withdraw parts of the Platform from time to time. We do not promise that the Platform will always be available or error-free.

Some features (for example saving businesses, leaving a review, or managing a listing) require an account. You are responsible for the details you provide and for keeping your login details safe.

We may suspend or close an account if we reasonably believe these Terms have been broken.

Search results and profiles are provided to help you identify businesses that have been accepted onto Local First. You should still make your own checks before engaging anyone — including identity, insurance, quotes and suitability for your job.

If you contact a business through the Platform, any agreement for work is between you and that business. Local First does not supervise the work and is not responsible for how it is carried out.

A listing is a decision by Local First, not an automatic right. Submitting an application, paying a fee (if a fee is introduced), or being invited does not guarantee acceptance.

If accepted, a business may be shown in search results and on a profile page. Local First decides how listings are displayed, categorised and ordered. We do not sell ranking positions.

We may edit, hide, suspend or remove a listing, including where information is incomplete, misleading, or where standards are not kept.

Local First assesses businesses against the applicable Local First Standards. What we look at can vary by trade and circumstance. Assessment is a point-in-time review of the information available to us. It is not:

• a guarantee of future conduct or workmanship;
• a certificate that every job will go well;
• an inspection of every job the business later carries out.

We may ask for supporting information. We may also review a listing after acceptance, including if a complaint is raised.

Businesses are responsible for the accuracy and currency of information they submit — including name, contact details, services, coverage, credentials and any documents provided.

If that information changes, the business should tell us. Local First is not responsible for information a business has failed to keep up to date.

Quotations, pricing, invoices, deposits, cancellations and payment terms are agreed between the customer and the business. Local First does not currently take payment for trade work through the Platform.

Any future paid features (for businesses or customers) will be described separately before they are offered.

The business is responsible for the work it agrees to carry out, including quality, timing, health and safety, and any aftercare. Local First does not employ listed businesses and does not perform or guarantee their work.

Where reviews are available, they must be honest and based on a genuine experience. You must not submit fake, paid-for, or misleading reviews, or reviews about a job you did not have.

We may publish, hide, or remove reviews, and we may give a business a reasonable opportunity to respond. Reviews are opinions of the people who write them, not statements by Local First.

If you have a concern about a listed business, first try to resolve it with that business. You may also tell Local First by writing to localfirsthq@gmail.com or by calling 0191 809 0775.

We may look into complaints where they appear relevant to our standards. We are not a regulator, ombudsman or court, and we cannot award compensation or force a business to complete or redo work. What we may do includes asking for more information, inviting a response, and reviewing whether the listing should remain.

Local First may suspend, restrict, remove or decline a listing, including where:

• information is false, incomplete or misleading;
• applicable standards are not met;
• there is a pattern of serious complaints;
• the business is abusive, fraudulent, or misuses the Platform;
• we reasonably consider the listing is no longer appropriate.

Application, invitation or previous acceptance does not create a right to remain listed.

The Local First name, logo, website design, copy and other Platform materials belong to Local First or our licensors. You may not copy, reuse or adapt them without permission, except as allowed by law.

Businesses grant Local First a licence to use the information and materials they submit (including names, descriptions and photographs) for the purpose of operating and promoting the Platform.

We try to keep the Platform available, but we do not warrant uninterrupted access. We may update, pause or change features, including search, listings and account tools.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded under English law.

Subject to that, Local First is not liable for the acts, omissions, workmanship, pricing or conduct of listed businesses, or for any loss arising from your decision to engage a business. You use the Platform and contact businesses at your own discretion.

To the extent permitted by law, we are not liable for loss of profit, loss of business, or indirect or consequential loss. Any remaining liability for a particular claim will not exceed a reasonable amount related to the use of the Platform giving rise to that claim. The precise cap should be confirmed with a solicitor before launch.

Businesses agree to be responsible for claims arising from their own work, information or conduct, and (to the extent permitted by law) to indemnify Local First against losses reasonably arising from that. The wording of any indemnity should be confirmed with a solicitor.

We may update these Terms, the Standards, and how the Platform works. The current version will be shown on this page with the date above. Continued use after a change means you accept the updated Terms, except where the law requires a different notice process.

These Terms are intended to be governed by the laws of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales are intended to have jurisdiction, subject to any mandatory rights you have as a consumer. This should be confirmed with a solicitor alongside the final company structure.

Questions about these Terms, a listing, or a complaint can be sent to localfirsthq@gmail.com or by calling 0191 809 0775.

For how we assess businesses, see Local First Standards. For businesses applying for or holding a listing, see Business Terms. Complaints can also be sent through our contact page.