Terms of Service
Last updated: May 2026
These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of services provided by The Refiners Co ("we," "us," or "our"), a Minnesota-based digital marketing and web design agency. By engaging our services or submitting a contact form on this website, you agree to these Terms.
Please read these Terms carefully. If you have questions, contact us at hello@therefinersco.com before proceeding.
1. Services Provided
The Refiners Co provides local SEO, Google Business Profile optimization, website design and development, citation management, reputation management, and related digital marketing services for small businesses ("Services").
The specific scope of Services, deliverables, and monthly fees for each client are described in a separate written proposal or service agreement. If there is any conflict between these Terms and a signed proposal, the signed proposal controls.
2. No Guarantee of Search Rankings
Any agency that guarantees specific rankings or a specific number one position is not being truthful with you. We commit to doing the work, documenting our actions, and reporting transparently on all measurable results — but we cannot promise what Google will do.
3. Fees, Billing, and Payment
Services are billed monthly in advance. Fees are as described in your service agreement. Payment is due upon invoice receipt. Unpaid invoices past 15 days may result in suspension of Services.
We reserve the right to adjust pricing with 30 days written notice. You may cancel within that notice period without penalty if you do not accept the new rate.
4. Month-to-Month Terms and Cancellation
All services are provided on a month-to-month basis. There are no mandatory long-term contracts. Either party may terminate the engagement at any time by providing 30 days written notice to the other party.
Upon cancellation:
- Services will continue through the end of the current paid period.
- No refunds are issued for partially-used months.
- We will provide a transition summary of work completed and any account credentials we hold on your behalf.
- Access to third-party accounts (Google Business Profile, website hosting, etc.) will be returned to you within 5 business days.
5. Your Responsibilities
To deliver effective Services, you agree to:
- Provide accurate, complete, and up-to-date information about your business (name, address, phone, hours, services).
- Grant us necessary access to your Google Business Profile, website, and relevant accounts in a timely manner.
- Respond to requests for approvals, content, or information within a reasonable timeframe (typically 5 business days).
- Notify us promptly if your business information, location, ownership, or services change.
- Not independently make changes to assets we are actively managing without prior coordination, as conflicting edits can harm campaign performance.
Delays caused by your failure to provide required information or access may affect timelines and outcomes. We are not responsible for results affected by such delays.
6. Ownership of Content and Accounts
You own your content. All text, images, and materials you provide to us remain your property. All content we create on your behalf — including website copy, photos we source on your behalf, and optimized business descriptions — becomes your property upon full payment for that deliverable.
You own your accounts. Your Google Business Profile, website domain, hosting account, and any social media profiles remain your property at all times. We never take ownership of client accounts. Any credentials shared with us are held in confidence and returned or revoked upon termination.
We retain the right to display completed work (with your permission) in our portfolio and case studies. We will not publicly share your revenue figures, call volumes, or other sensitive business data without your explicit written consent.
7. Confidentiality
Both parties agree to keep confidential any proprietary, financial, or business information shared during the engagement. We will not disclose your client information to third parties except as required to deliver Services (for example, submitting your NAP data to directories) or as required by law.
We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect data you share with us. We do not sell your information to third parties.
8. Prohibited Uses
You agree not to use our Services to:
- Promote illegal products or services.
- Engage in deceptive, fraudulent, or misleading advertising.
- Violate Google's Terms of Service, local laws, or applicable FTC guidelines.
- Defame, harass, or harm other businesses or individuals.
- Request fake reviews, review gating, or other practices that violate Google's review policies or FTC disclosure requirements.
We reserve the right to terminate Services immediately, without refund, if we determine that you are engaging in prohibited conduct.
9. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, The Refiners Co's total liability to you for any claims arising out of or relating to these Terms or Services shall not exceed the total fees paid by you in the three months immediately preceding the claim.
We are not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages, including lost profits, lost revenue, or loss of business opportunity, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.
We are not responsible for: changes to Google's algorithms or ranking systems, suspension or removal of your Google Business Profile by Google, actions taken by competitors, or results affected by your failure to fulfill your responsibilities under Section 5.
10. Disclaimer of Warranties
Services are provided "as is" and "as available" without any warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. We do not warrant that Services will be uninterrupted, error-free, or achieve any particular result.
11. Third-Party Services
Our Services may involve the use of third-party platforms including Google, Yelp, Bing, Apple Maps, and others. We are not responsible for changes to, unavailability of, or decisions made by these third-party platforms. Their terms of service and policies govern your use of those platforms.
12. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify active clients by email at least 14 days before the changes take effect. Continued use of our Services after that date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. The current version of these Terms is always available at therefinersco.com/terms.html.
13. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota, without regard to its conflict-of-law provisions. Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or our Services shall first be submitted to good-faith mediation. If mediation does not resolve the dispute within 60 days, either party may pursue litigation in the state or federal courts located in Hennepin County, Minnesota, and both parties consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.