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Terms &
Conditions

TERMS OF SERVICE

Last updated April 16, 2025

 

AGREEMENT TO OUR LEGAL TERMS

This website is owned and operated by Wye Oak Genealogy LLC ("Company," "we," "us," "our"), 5000 Thayer Center, Suite C, Oakland, Maryland 21550.  These Terms set forth the terms and conditions under which you may use our website and services as offered by us. This website offers visitors personalized genealogy research services. By accessing or using the website of our services, you approve that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms.

 

  1. SERVICES OFFERED

  • Wye Oak Genealogy LLC specializes in personalized genealogy research services, including but not limited to:

  1. Family tree building

  2. Ancestral research

  3. Genealogical hobbyist support

  4. Military service and records search

  5. House history and homestead research

  6. Custom genealogical projects

  7. Heritage locale research

  • While we strive for accuracy, genealogy research relies on historical records, which may sometimes be incomplete or inaccurate. As such, results may vary. We cannot guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the genealogical information uncovered and will not be liable for any decisions made based on this information.

  • We may, without prior notice, change the services; stop providing the services or any features of the services we offer; or create limits for the services. We may permanently or temporarily terminate or suspend the services we offer without notice and liability for any reason, or for no reason.

 

2. CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES

  • In order to use our website and/or receive our services, you must be at least 18 years of age and possess the legal authority, right, and freedom to enter into these Terms as a binding agreement. You are not allowed to use this website and/or receive services if doing so is prohibited in your country or under any law or regulation applicable to you.

  • To provide the best results, clients are responsible for:

  1. Providing accurate and comprehensive information to initiate research.

  2. Responding promptly to inquiries or requests for additional details.

  3. Failure to provide necessary information may impact the quality of results.

  • When purchasing a service on our website, you agree that: (i) you are responsible for reading the full item listing before making a commitment to buy it: (ii) you enter into a legally binding contract to purchase an item when you commit to buy an item and you complete the check-out payment process.

  • The prices we charge for our services are listed on the website. We reserve the right to change our prices for services displayed at any time, and to correct pricing errors that may inadvertently occur.

  • As a user of the Services, you agree not to:

  1. Systematically retrieve data or other content from the Services to create or compile, directly or indirectly, a collection, compilation, database, or directory without written permission from us.

  2. Trick, defraud, or mislead us and other users, especially in any attempt to learn sensitive account information such as user passwords.

  3. Circumvent, disable, or otherwise interfere with security-related features of the services, including features that prevent or restrict the use or copying of any content or enforce limitations on the use of the services and/or the content contained therein.

  4. Disparage, tarnish, or otherwise harm, in our opinion, us and/or our services.

  5. Use any information obtained from the services in order to harass, abuse, or harm another person.

  6. Make improper use of our support services or submit false reports of abuse or misconduct.

  7. Use the services in a manner inconsistent with any applicable laws or regulations.

  8. Delete the copyright or other proprietary rights notice from any content.

  9. Harass, annoy, intimidate, or threaten any of our employees or agents engaged in providing any portion of our services to you.

  10. Use our services as part of any effort to compete with us or otherwise use our services and/or the content for any revenue-generating endeavor or commercial enterprise.

 

3. CLIENT AND USER DATA

We will maintain certain data that you transmit to Wye Oak Genealogy LLC for the purpose of managing the performance of our services, as well as data relating to your use of our services. Although we perform regular routine backups of data, you are solely responsible for all data that you transmit or that relates to any activity you have undertaken using our services. It is recommended that your provide electronic copies, and not originals, of said data. You agree that we shall have no liability to you for any loss or corruption of any such data, and you hereby waive any right of action against us arising from any such loss or corruption of such data.

 

4. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS, TRANSACTIONS, AND SIGNATURES

Visiting our website, sending us emails, and completing online forms constitute electronic communications. You consent to receive electronic communications, and you agree that all agreements, notices, disclosures, and other communications we provide to you electronically and via email, satisfy any legal requirement that such communication be in writing. YOU HEREBY AGREE TO THE USE OF SCANNED AND ELECTRONICALLY DELIVERED WET SIGNATURES, CONTRACTS, ORDERS, AND OTHER RECORDS, AND TO ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF NOTICES, POLICIES, AND RECORDS OF TRANSACTIONS INITIATED OR COMPLETED BY US FOR OUR SERVICES. You hereby waive any rights or requirements under any statutes, regulations, rules, ordinances, or other laws in any jurisdiction which require an original signature or delivery or retention of non-electronic records, or to payments or the granting of credits by any means other than electronic means.

 

5. DELIVERABLES

The client will receive a research report documenting findings, citation of sources, and electronic copies of any relevant records found.

 

6. PAYMENT TERMS

  • Fees for our genealogy research services are based on an hourly rate or project-based rate as posted on our website.

  1. A deposit of $150 is required at the start of the project.

  2. Final payment is due upon project completion and before the research report is mailed to the client.

  3. Payments are non-refundable, except as stated in our Refund Policy (see Section 7).

  • You agree to provide current, complete, and accurate purchase and account information for all purchases made via our services. You further agree to promptly update account and payment information, including email address, payment method, and payment card expiration date, so that we can complete your transactions and contact you as needed. Sales tax will be added to the price of purchases as deemed required by us. We may change prices at any time. All payments shall be in U.S. dollars.

  • You agree to pay all charges at the prices then in effect for your purchases and any applicable fees, and you authorize us to charge your chosen payment provider for any such amounts upon placing your order. We reserve the right to correct any errors or mistakes in pricing, even if we have already requested or received payment.

  • We reserve the right to refuse any order placed through our services. We may, in our sole discretion, limit or cancel quantities purchased per person, per household, or per order. These restrictions may include orders placed by or under the same customer account, the same payment method, and/or orders that use the same billing or shipping address. We reserve the right to limit or prohibit orders that, in our sole judgment, appear to be placed by dealers, resellers, or distributors.

 

7. REFUND AND CANCELLATION POLICY

  • We aim to ensure client satisfaction. Refunds will only be granted if:

  1. Services have not commenced.

  2. Unforeseen circumstances prevent Wye Oak Genealogy LLC from delivering agreed-upon results.

  • Cancellations initiated by the client after work has begun are not eligible for refunds.

 

8. CONFIDENTIALITY

For detailed information on data handling, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

  1. All personal information provided by the client will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed without prior consent.

  2. All personal and sensitive information provided will be stored securely.

  3. Data will only be retained for the duration of the project unless consent is given for archival purposes.

 

9. RIGHT TO SUSPEND OR CANCEL USER ACCOUNT

We may permanently or temporarily terminate or suspend your access to our services without notice and liability for any reason, including if in our sole determination you violate any provision of these Terms or any applicable law or regulations. You may discontinue use and request to cancel your account and/or any services at any time. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, with respect to automatically renewed subscriptions to paid services, such subscriptions will be discontinued only upon the expiration of the respective period for which you have already made payment.

 

10. CONFIDENTIALITY AND NON-DISCLOSURE

While we strive for the highest quality in research:

  1. Wye Oak Genealogy LLC is not liable for the accuracy of third-party records.

  2. We are not responsible for outcomes based on incomplete or inaccurate information provided by the client.

  3. Under no circumstances shall Wye Oak Genealogy LLC be held liable for damages exceeding the amount paid for services.

 

11. PREFERENCE OF LAW AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

In the event of a dispute, clients are encouraged to contact us at wyeoakgenealogy@gmail.com to resolve the matter amicably. These Terms, the rights and remedies provided hereunder, and any and all claims and disputes related hereto and/or to the services, shall be governed by, construed under and enforced in all respects solely and exclusively in accordance with the internal substantive laws of the State of Maryland, without respect to its conflict of laws principles.

  • Binding Arbitration 
    If the Parties are unable to resolve a Dispute through informal negotiations, the Dispute (except those Disputes expressly excluded below) will be finally and exclusively resolved by binding arbitration. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WITHOUT THIS PROVISION, YOU WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO SUE IN COURT AND HAVE A JURY TRIAL. The arbitration shall be commenced and conducted under the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") and, where appropriate, the AAA’s Supplementary Procedures for Consumer Related Disputes ("AAA Consumer Rules"), both of which are available at the American Arbitration Association (AAA) website. Your arbitration fees and your share of arbitrator compensation shall be governed by the AAA Consumer Rules and, where appropriate, limited by the AAA Consumer Rules. If such costs are determined by the arbitrator to be excessive, we will pay all arbitration fees and expenses. The arbitration may be conducted in person, through the submission of documents, by phone, or online. The arbitrator will make a decision in writing, but need not provide a statement of reasons unless requested by either Party. The arbitrator must follow applicable law, and any award may be challenged if the arbitrator fails to do so. Except where otherwise required by the applicable AAA rules or applicable law, the arbitration will take place in United States, Maryland. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Parties may litigate in court to compel arbitration, stay proceedings pending arbitration, or to confirm, modify, vacate, or enter judgment on the award entered by the arbitrator.
    If for any reason, a Dispute proceeds in court rather than arbitration, the Dispute shall be commenced or prosecuted in the state and federal courts located in United States, Maryland, and the Parties hereby consent to, and waive all defenses of lack of personal jurisdiction, and forum non conveniens with respect to venue and jurisdiction in such state and federal courts. Application of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and the Uniform Computer Information Transaction Act (UCITA) are excluded from these Legal Terms.
    In no event shall any Dispute brought by either Party related in any way to our services be commenced more than one (1) year after the cause of action arose. If this provision is found to be illegal or unenforceable, then neither Party will elect to arbitrate any Dispute falling within that portion of this provision found to be illegal or unenforceable and such Dispute shall be decided by a court of competent jurisdiction within the courts listed for jurisdiction above, and the Parties agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of that court.

  • Restrictions
    The Parties agree that any arbitration shall be limited to the Dispute between the Parties individually. To the full extent permitted by law, (a) no arbitration shall be joined with any other proceeding; (b) there is no right or authority for any Dispute to be arbitrated on a class-action basis or to utilize class action procedures; and (c) there is no right or authority for any Dispute to be brought in a purported representative capacity on behalf of the general public or any other persons.

  • Exceptions to Arbitration
    The Parties agree that the following Disputes are not subject to the above provisions concerning binding arbitration: (a) any Disputes seeking to enforce or protect, or concerning the validity of, any of the intellectual property rights of a Party; (b) any Dispute related to, or arising from, allegations of theft, piracy, invasion of privacy, or unauthorized use; and (c) any claim for injunctive relief. If this provision is found to be illegal or unenforceable, then neither Party will elect to arbitrate any Dispute falling within that portion of this provision found to be illegal or unenforceable and such Dispute shall be decided by a court of competent jurisdiction within the courts listed for jurisdiction above, and the Parties agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of that court.

  • Ownership of Intellectual Property
    The Service and all materials therein or transferred thereby, including, without limitation, software, images, text, graphics, logos, patents, trademarks, service marks, copyrights, photographs, audio, videos, music and all Intellectual Property Rights related thereto, are the exclusive property of Wye Oak Genealogy LLC. Except as explicitly provided herein, nothing in these Terms shall be deemed to create a license in or under any such Intellectual Property Rights, and you agree not to sell, license, rent, modify, distribute, copy, reproduce, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, publish, adapt, edit or create derivative works thereof.

 

12. INDEMNIFICATION

You agree to indemnify and hold Wye Oak Genealogy LLC harmless from any demands, loss, liability, claims or expenses (including attorneys’ fees), made against them by any third party due to, or arising out of, or in connection with your use of the website or any of the services offered on the website.

 

13. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

 

  • To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall Wye Oak Genealogy LLC, be liable for any indirect, punitive, incidental, special, consequential or exemplary damages, including without limitation, damages for loss of profits, goodwill, use, data or other intangible losses, arising out of or relating to the use of, or inability to use, the service.

  • To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Wye Oak Genealogy LLC assumes no liability or responsibility for any (i) errors, mistakes, or inaccuracies of content; (ii) personal injury or property damage, of any nature whatsoever, resulting from your access to or use of our service; and (iii) any unauthorized access to or use of our secure servers and/or any and all personal information stored therein.

 

14. PROMOTIONAL EMAILS AND CONTENT

You agree to receive from time to time promotional messages and materials from us, by mail, email or any other contact form you may provide us with (including your phone number for calls or text messages). If you don't want to receive such promotional materials or notices, please contact us at wyeoakgenealogy@gmail.com. 

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15. RIGHT TO CHANGE OR MODIFY TERMS

Wye Oak Genealogy LLC reserves the right to update or modify these terms from time to time at our sole discretion. Therefore, you should review these page periodically. When we change the Terms in a material manner, we will notify you that material changes have been made to the Terms. Your continued use of the Website or our service after any such change constitutes your acceptance of the new Terms. If you do not agree to any of these terms or any future version of the Terms, do not use or access (or continue to access) the website or the service.

 

16. DISCLAIMER

OUR SERVICES ARE PROVIDED ON AN AS-IS AND AS-AVAILABLE BASIS. YOU AGREE THAT YOUR USE OF OUR SERVICES WILL BE AT YOUR SOLE RISK. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN CONNECTION WITH OUR SERVICES AND YOUR USE THEREOF, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE MAKE NO WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE SERVICES' CONTENT OR THE CONTENT OF ANY WEBSITES OR MOBILE APPLICATIONS LINKED TO OUR SERVICES AND WE WILL ASSUME NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY (1) ERRORS, MISTAKES, OMMISSIONS, OR INACCURACIES OF CONTENT AND MATERIALS, (2) PERSONAL INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE, OF ANY NATURE WHATSOEVER, RESULTING FROM YOUR ACCESS TO AND USE OF OUR SERVICES, (3) ANY UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR USE OF SECURE SERVERS ON WHICH OUR WYE OAK GENEALOGY LLC WEBSITE RESIDES AND/OR ANY AND ALL PERSONAL INFORMATION AND/OR FINANCIAL INFORMATION STORED THEREIN, (4) ANY INTERRUPTION OR CESSATION OF TRANSMISSION TO OR FROM THE SERVICES, (5) ANY BUGS, VIRUSES, TROJAN HORSES, OR THE LIKE WHICH MAY BE TRANSMITTED TO OR THROUGH THE SERVICES BY ANY THIRD PARTY, AND/OR (6) ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN ANY CONTENT AND MATERIALS OR FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OF ANY CONTENT POSTED, TRANSMITTED, OR OTHERWISE MADE AVAILABLE VIA OUR SERVICES. WE DO NOT WARRANT, ENDORSE, GUARANTEE, OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE ADVERTISED OR OFFERED BY A THIRD PARTY THROUGH OUR SERVICES, ANY HYPERLINKED WEBSITE, OR ANY WEBSITE OR MOBILE APPLICATION FEATURED IN ANY BANNER OR OTHER ADVERTISING, AND WE WILL NOT BE A PARTY TO OR IN ANY WAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING ANY TRANSACTION BETWEEN YOU AND ANY THIRD-PARTY PROVIDERS OF PRODUCTS OR SERVICES. AS WITH THE PURCHASE OF A PRODUCT OR SERVICE THROUGH ANY MEDIUM OR IN ANY ENVIRONMENT, YOU SHOULD USE YOUR BEST JUDGMENT AND EXERCISE CAUTION WHERE APPROPRIATE.

 

17. CUSTOMER SUPPORT

For customer support or further explanation of these Terms and Conditions, please contact wyeoakgenealogy@gmail.com.

 

18. ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS

By engaging our services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms and Services.

 

Thank you for choosing Wye Oak Genealogy LLC. We look forward to helping you uncover your unique history!

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