Terms of Service

Using the site

Emerald Coast Connected is free to read. By using it you agree to these terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not, please do not use the site.

The news here summarises other people's work

Headlines and briefings on this site are written by us; the reporting behind them is not ours. Every story links to the publishers who did that work, and you should read them for the full account. We aim to summarise accurately and we will correct mistakes, but a briefing is a pointer, not a substitute for the source.

Links to other sites are not endorsements, and we are not responsible for what is on them.

Conditions are not an official warning

Weather and beach conditions are read from public government sources and are provided as a convenience. They are a forecast, not a guarantee, and they may be delayed, incomplete or unavailable.

Make your own call about whether it is safe to go in or out, follow lifeguards and posted flags, and stay within your ability and your vessel's. In an emergency, follow local authorities. The flag flying at the beach always outranks this site.

Your content

If you send us a correction, a tip or any other message, you are telling us we may use it to run the site -- including publishing a correction. Do not send us anything you do not have the right to share.

Accounts and payment

Where the site offers an account or a paid membership, you are responsible for keeping your login details to yourself and for the accuracy of what you give us. Payments are handled by Stripe under their terms. We may change or withdraw a paid offering; if we do, we will say so in advance to anyone it affects.

Gifts and refunds

You can support Emerald Coast Connected with a one-time or monthly gift on the support page. Gifts support Emerald Coast Connected, a local business. They are not charitable donations and are not tax-deductible. Payment is taken by Stripe on its own page; we never see or store your card. Gifts appear on your statement as Emerald Coast Connected, marked GIFT.

• One-time gifts: a full refund on request within 30 days. After 30 days, gifts are final.
• Monthly gifts: cancel anytime and future charges stop immediately. The most recent charge can be refunded on request within 30 days; earlier months are final.
• Founders Gift: if it has already shipped, it is yours to keep and the refund is reduced by its cost. If it has not shipped, the refund is in full.
• To ask for a refund, use the contact form or reply to your receipt. We answer within 5 business days.

A Founders Gift ships to the address given at checkout: about 7 days after a one-time Founder gift, and once 3 monthly Founder gifts have gone through. If a gift is refunded, disputed or flagged by the card network before it ships, it is not sent.

Text messages

Emerald Coast Connected alerts and updates. If you agree to texts when you sign up, we may send local alerts and updates to the number you gave; we also text one-time codes to verify an account. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to stop at any time and HELP for help, or contact us. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. Agreeing to texts is never a condition of any purchase. See the Privacy Policy for how we handle your number.

What we do not promise

The site is provided as it is. We do not promise it will always be available, complete, or free of errors. To the extent the law allows, we are not liable for loss arising from your use of it -- and nothing here limits any liability that cannot legally be limited.

Removing something

If something on this site about you or your organisation should not be here, write to info@emeraldcoastconnected.com. It comes down while we look at it rather than after.

Changes

We may update these terms. The date at the top says when they last changed, and continuing to use the site after that means you accept the new version.

Contact

Emerald Coast Connected, Fort Walton Beach, Florida. info@emeraldcoastconnected.com