RebateOnEnergy

Advertiser Terms

Last updated · Version v0.2-draft

Draft, pending lawyer review

This page is a plain-language draft. It becomes final once a New Brunswick lawyer has reviewed it and the defaults in docs/legal/DECISIONS.md are confirmed.

Versions: v0.2

These terms are an agreement between [your operator name] ("we", "us"), operating RebateOnEnergy at rebateonenergy.ca, [your mailing address], and the business that buys an ad or lead product ("you"). By checking the box at checkout you agree to these terms.

1. Who can advertise

1.1 You must be a business that installs, services, makes or finances heat pumps or related home-energy products. 1.2 You confirm that you, and anyone doing the work for you:

  • hold every licence, permit and registration required in each province you serve (for example, trade or electrical certificates and any provincial contractor licensing);
  • carry commercial general liability insurance of at least $2,000,000 per occurrence and maintain workers' compensation coverage where required;
  • are in good standing with tax authorities and any business registry. 1.3 Rebate-program claims must be true. If you say you are a registered, approved or participating contractor for a rebate program (for example, a provincial or federal heat pump program), that must be true and current. Tell us within 5 business days if it changes. 1.4 We may ask for proof (licences, insurance certificate, program registration) at any time. If you don't provide it within 10 business days, we can pause your ad.

2. Ad content rules

2.1 Your ad must not be false or misleading in any material respect, including its general impression, as required by the Competition Act. That includes:

  • savings, efficiency, or "cold-climate" claims you can't back up with adequate and proper testing or manufacturer data;
  • prices that leave out mandatory fees (no "drip pricing");
  • fake or bought reviews, or ratings you didn't earn;
  • "free" or "government-approved" claims that aren't accurate. 2.2 Rebate accuracy. Don't state rebate amounts, eligibility or deadlines unless they match the official program source on the date your ad runs. Link to the official program where possible. Don't imply you are the government or a program administrator. 2.3 Environmental claims (for example, "zero emissions" or "carbon neutral") must be substantiated in line with the Competition Act and Competition Bureau guidance. 2.4 All paid placements are labelled "Sponsored" or "Featured: paid placement." You may not ask us to remove the label. 2.5 You're responsible for your ad content, your logo, and all claims in it.

3. Our rights over ads

3.1 We may review, refuse, edit for length/format, pause or remove any ad at any time if we reasonably believe it breaks these terms or the law, or harms users or our reputation. 3.2 If we remove an ad for a breach by you, no refund is owed. If we remove it for any other reason, we refund the unused prepaid portion. 3.3 Our editorial content (rebate guides, rankings, reviews) is independent. Buying an ad does not buy editorial coverage, a review, or a recommendation.

4. Placement, not results

4.1 You are buying a placement (for example, one of up to [3] featured slots for [City/Province]). Featured slots may rotate in order. 4.2 We do not guarantee rankings in search engines, a number of views, clicks, calls, leads, or jobs. 4.3 Any traffic or lead numbers we share are estimates. 4.4 We aim for [99]% uptime but don't guarantee the site will always be available. If your placement is down for more than [72] consecutive hours due to our fault, we'll credit you pro-rated days.

5. Billing, auto-renewal and cancelling

5.1 Prices are in Canadian dollars plus applicable taxes (HST/GST) [confirm registration status]. 5.2 Payments are processed by Stripe. You authorize us to charge your payment method at the start of each billing period. 5.3 Auto-renewal. Monthly plans renew every month and annual plans renew every 12 months until you cancel. For annual plans we'll email you a reminder at least [30] days before renewal with the renewal price. 5.4 Cancel anytime from your account or by emailing billing@rebateonenergy.ca. Cancelling stops the next renewal; your ad runs to the end of the paid period. 5.5 Refunds. Monthly: no partial-month refunds. Annual: cancel within 30 days of first purchase or of an annual renewal for a pro-rated refund of unused full months, less the annual discount received; after 30 days, no refund, and your ad runs to the end of the term. Monthly charges are non-refundable once billed. 5.6 Failed payments: we'll retry and email you; after [7] days your ad may be paused. 5.7 Price changes: we'll give at least [30] days' email notice before a price change takes effect at your next renewal.

6. Founding rate lock

6.1 If you're one of our first [10] advertisers, your founding rate stays the same for as long as your subscription stays active without a break. 6.2 The lock ends if you cancel, your payment fails for more than [30] days, you upgrade or change placement or area (the new item is at current rates), or we end your ad for a breach. 6.3 The lock covers price only, not a particular slot position, and does not stop us from changing these terms on notice.

7. Pay-per-lead

7.1 What a lead is. A quote request submitted on our site by a homeowner who chose or was matched to you, with a valid name, a working phone or email, and a postal code in your service area. 7.2 Exclusive vs shared. An exclusive lead goes only to you. A shared lead goes to up to 3 named contractors, and the homeowner sees those names before consenting. The price is shown before you opt in. 7.3 Invalid leads. You can request a credit within [7] days if the lead is: a duplicate of one you got in the last [30] days; fake or test data; unreachable (wrong number and bounced email after 3 attempts over 48 hours); outside your stated service area; or for a service you told us you don't offer. We decide credits in good faith; credits are not cash. 7.4 Lead charges are billed [weekly/monthly] and are subject to an optional monthly cap you set. 7.5 You may not resell, share, or pass leads to anyone else.

8. Handling homeowner information

Homeowners trust us with their details. When you receive a lead you agree to: 8.1 Use it only to respond to that homeowner's quote request and to do the work they hire you for. 8.2 Protect it with reasonable safeguards (password-protected devices and accounts, no public sharing, limited staff access). 8.3 Not add the homeowner to any marketing or newsletter list, or send them commercial electronic messages beyond answering their request, unless you get their own consent that meets Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). 8.4 Honour any request from the homeowner to stop contacting them. 8.5 Delete or securely destroy the lead within 12 months if no work results, unless you must keep it by law. 8.6 Tell us at privacy@rebateonenergy.ca within 72 hours of discovering any loss of or unauthorized access to lead information, and cooperate with us. 8.7 You are responsible for your own compliance with PIPEDA (and provincial privacy laws) once you hold the lead.

9. Logos and content

9.1 You give us a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to display your name, logo, photos and ad text on our site, newsletter and social posts promoting your placement, for as long as the ad runs (plus reasonable time to remove cached copies). 9.2 You confirm you own or have permission to use everything you give us. 9.3 Our site, brand and content belong to us. You may say "Featured on RebateOnEnergy" while your ad is active.

10. Indemnity

You will cover our reasonable losses, including legal fees, from claims by others arising out of your ad content, your work for homeowners, your handling of homeowner information, or your breach of these terms or the law.

11. Limit of liability

11.1 We're a directory and information site. We don't perform, supervise or guarantee any installation, and we aren't a party to your contracts with homeowners. 11.2 To the extent the law allows, our total liability to you is limited to the fees you paid us in the [3] months before the claim. We're not liable for lost profits, lost business or indirect damages.

12. Ending the agreement

12.1 You can cancel anytime (section 5.4). 12.2 We can end or suspend your account immediately for a material breach, false licensing or rebate claims, misuse of leads, or legal risk; otherwise with [30] days' notice and a refund of any unused prepaid amount. 12.3 Sections 8, 10, 11 and 13 survive termination.

13. General

13.1 Governing law: the laws of New Brunswick and the federal laws of Canada that apply. Courts of New Brunswick [Moncton] have jurisdiction. 13.2 Changes: we may update these terms. We'll email you at least [30] days before material changes take effect; continuing after that means you accept. If you don't accept, you can cancel and get a refund of unused prepaid fees. 13.3 Electronic acceptance: you agree these terms are accepted by clicking the checkbox at checkout, and that this is a binding electronic agreement (see NB Electronic Transactions Act). We'll keep a record of the version, date, time, account and IP address of your acceptance and email you a copy. 13.4 Entire agreement, severability, no waiver, assignment only with consent (we may assign on sale of the business), notices by email to the account address. 13.5 Language: the parties want these terms in English. / Les parties ont exigé que ces conditions soient rédigées en anglais. [needed before Quebec]