Terms of Service

Welcome to HearthCircuit ("HearthCircuit", "we", "us", or "our"), accessible at hearthcircuit.com. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of our website, articles, buying guides, reviews, and any related content or services (collectively, the "Site"). By accessing or using the Site, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Site immediately.

1. Acceptable Use

You agree to use the Site only for lawful purposes and in a manner that does not infringe the rights of, restrict, or inhibit anyone else's use of the Site. Prohibited activities include, but are not limited to:

• Attempting to gain unauthorized access to our servers, databases, or any connected systems or networks.
• Using automated scripts, bots, scrapers, or crawlers to extract data from the Site without our prior written consent.
• Uploading or transmitting viruses, malware, or any other malicious code.
• Posting or transmitting content that is defamatory, obscene, harassing, fraudulent, or otherwise unlawful.
• Impersonating any person or entity, or misrepresenting your affiliation with a person or entity.
• Reproducing, duplicating, copying, selling, reselling, or exploiting any portion of the Site without our express written permission.
• Interfering with or disrupting the operation of the Site or the servers or networks used to make the Site available.

We reserve the right to restrict, suspend, or terminate your access to the Site at our sole discretion, without notice, if we believe you have violated these Terms or engaged in conduct that we deem harmful to the Site, our users, or third parties.

2. Reviews, Opinions, and No-Warranty Disclaimer

HearthCircuit publishes reviews, comparisons, buying guides, tutorials, and opinion-based content relating to smart home gadgets and related technology. Please read the following disclaimers carefully:

• Editorial Opinion: All reviews, ratings, rankings, and recommendations reflect the personal opinions, testing methodologies, and experiences of our writers and editors at a specific point in time. They are inherently subjective and may not align with your own experience, needs, or expectations of a product.
• No Professional Advice: Content on the Site is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute technical, electrical, safety, legal, or professional advice. Always consult manufacturer documentation, licensed professionals, or qualified technicians before installing or operating smart home devices, particularly those involving electrical wiring, home security, or fire safety systems.
• Accuracy Not Guaranteed: Product specifications, prices, availability, firmware behavior, and compatibility change frequently and without notice from manufacturers and retailers. While we strive for accuracy at the time of publication, we make no warranty, express or implied, that any information on the Site is current, complete, or error-free.
• No Warranty of Merchantability: The Site and all content are provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, statutory, or otherwise, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement.
• Your Responsibility: Any decision to purchase, install, or use a product mentioned on the Site is made at your own discretion and risk. We strongly encourage you to independently verify product claims, read manufacturer instructions, and review return or warranty policies before purchasing.

3. Affiliate Relationship Disclosure

HearthCircuit is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

This means that when you click on certain links to products featured in our articles, reviews, or buying guides and subsequently make a purchase, HearthCircuit may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. We may also participate in other affiliate programs, partnerships, or sponsorships with retailers, manufacturers, or service providers, which may similarly result in compensation to us.

Affiliate relationships do not influence the substance of our editorial content. Our review methodology, testing criteria, and recommendations are determined independently by our editorial team. However, in the interest of full transparency, you should assume that any outbound link to a retailer or product page on the Site may be an affiliate link. Where required, individual articles will include a specific disclosure statement near the top or bottom of the content.

4. Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise noted, all text, graphics, logos, images, comparison charts, and other content on the Site are the property of HearthCircuit or its content licensors and are protected by applicable copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may share links to our content and quote brief excerpts with proper attribution and a link back to the original source, but you may not republish, redistribute, or reproduce substantial portions of our content without our prior written permission.

5. Third-Party Links and Content

The Site contains links to third-party websites, including retailers, manufacturers, and other informational resources. These links are provided for your convenience only. We do not control, endorse, or assume responsibility for the content, privacy practices, policies, or accuracy of any third-party site. Your interactions with third-party websites and services are solely between you and that third party, and you access them at your own risk.

6. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, HearthCircuit, its owners, employees, contributors, and affiliates shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages arising out of or in connection with:

• Your access to, use of, or inability to use the Site.
• Any reliance placed on information, reviews, ratings, or recommendations published on the Site.
• Any product purchased, installed, or used based on content found on the Site, including damage to property, personal injury, data loss, or loss of use of a smart home device.
• Errors, mistakes, or inaccuracies in content, including outdated pricing, specifications, or compatibility information.
• Unauthorized access to or alteration of your transmissions or data.
• Any conduct or content of any third party on the Site, including third-party retailers linked from the Site.

This limitation applies regardless of the legal theory asserted, whether in contract, tort, negligence, strict liability, or otherwise, even if HearthCircuit has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages, so some of the above limitations may not apply to you. In such jurisdictions, our liability will be limited to the greatest extent permitted by applicable law.

7. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless HearthCircuit and its owners, employees, and affiliates from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including reasonable legal fees, arising out of or in any way connected with your access to or use of the Site, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of a third party.

8. Governing Law

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or related to them or the Site shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which HearthCircuit operates, without regard to its conflict of law principles. You agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of the courts located in that jurisdiction for the resolution of any disputes.

9. Updates to These Terms

We may revise and update these Terms from time to time at our sole discretion, to reflect changes in our practices, legal or regulatory requirements, or the features of the Site. The updated version will be indicated by a revised effective date, and the updated Terms will take effect as soon as they are posted to the Site.

Your continued use of the Site following the posting of revised Terms constitutes your acceptance of and agreement to the changes. We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed of any updates.

10. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unlawful, void, or unenforceable, that provision shall be deemed severable from the remaining provisions and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback regarding these Terms, please reach out to us through the contact information provided on our Site. We aim to respond to all reasonable inquiries in a timely manner.