1. Definitions
- The Platform / The Directory: Website owned by Raíces Services by Locals, which serves exclusively as an advertising and information intermediary.
- Provider: An individual or legal entity that contracts advertising space to promote their businesses, shops, professions or services on the site.
- Verified Business: A Provider that voluntarily goes through an internal validation of requirements, and passes it, to obtain a visual badge of trust.
- User / Customer: A person who visits the site to search for, contact or learn about what the Providers offer.
2. Nature of the service (limitation of liability)
The Platform is solely and exclusively an advertising intermediary.
- The Platform does not sell, resell, employ or guarantee the services or products published by Providers.
- Any contractual agreement, negotiation, payment or later dispute takes place strictly outside the Platform, between the User and the Provider.
- The Platform is not responsible for the final quality, punctuality, suitability or prices of the services offered by Providers.
3. "Verified Businesses" program
The Platform offers a special plan that grants the "Verified Business" category.
- To obtain this badge, the Provider must meet prior requirements set by the administration (such as a legal or personal ID, valid permits, professional credentials and internal customer service policies, among others).
- This verification is an effort by the Platform to promote formal businesses and a high standard of customer service. However, the seal is not a bond or a legal guarantee from the Platform about the Provider's day-to-day performance.
- The Platform reserves the right to remove the "Verified Business" badge immediately if it finds that the required standards are not being met or if it receives well-founded reports of bad practices.
4. Interaction on the website (no public reviews)
To keep an ecosystem focused strictly on commercial and advertising connections, the Platform does not have a review system, public comments or star ratings on the website.
- Any complaint a User has about the service received must be handled directly with the Provider or, failing that, through the channels that Costa Rica's Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC) provides for consumer protection.
5. Prohibited services and content
It is strictly forbidden to advertise, promote or link to businesses related to:
- Uncertified health services: Any medical, dental, aesthetic, psychological or alternative health practice that does not hold the corresponding licenses from the relevant professional associations of Costa Rica and from the Ministry of Health.
- Informal or usurious loans: Financial services not authorized by SUGEF, schemes for the illegal collection of money, or loans that violate national anti-usury legislation.
- Any unlawful activity: Sale of prohibited substances, fraudulent schemes, arms trading, adult content that is unregulated or that infringes the rights of third parties.
The Platform will immediately remove, without any right to a refund, any ad that violates this clause.
6. Rates, plans and automated recurring charges
- Free access: Access to the directory and searching for services is completely free for Users.
- Subscription models for Providers: To be listed and advertised on the Platform, Providers must purchase a paid plan in one of two modes: monthly subscription or annual subscription.
- Exclusive payment method: Payment for any plan is made 100% by credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard or the brands processed by our payment gateway). Bank transfers, cash and other alternative methods are not accepted.
- Conditional activation: To activate any business profile on the website (monthly or annual), the business must enter its card details and the issuing bank must approve the initial charge. If the card is declined or not entered, the business profile is not activated and is not visible on the Platform.
- Automatic recurring charges
- Monthly plan: By registering the card, the Provider expressly authorizes the Platform to process an automatic recurring charge every thirty (30) calendar days.
- Annual plan: A single charge equal to twelve (12) months of service is processed at activation. The subscription renews automatically when the year ends, billing the next 12-month period, unless the Provider cancels the subscription before the renewal date.
- Cancellation and payment failures: The Provider may cancel their subscription at any time from their control panel. If, at the end of the billing cycle (monthly or annual), the automatic charge fails because of insufficient funds, an expired card or a bank block, the Platform immediately deactivates and hides the business profile until a valid payment method is registered and the outstanding balance is processed.
- Electronic invoicing: The Platform issues the electronic invoice authorized by Costa Rica's Ministry of Finance (Hacienda) for every successful charge, using the tax details the Provider supplied at registration.
7. Privacy and data protection
The personal data collected on this site is processed in accordance with Costa Rica's Law on the Protection of Individuals regarding the Processing of their Personal Data (Law No. 8968).
For more information, see our Privacy policy.
8. Governing law and jurisdiction
These Terms and Conditions are governed by and interpreted under the laws of the Republic of Costa Rica. Any dispute or conflict arising from the use or interpretation of this Platform is subject to the jurisdiction of the Courts of Justice of the Republic of Costa Rica.