Terms of Service

Effective date: July 5, 2026
Last updated: July 5, 2026

Welcome to The Cut List. These Terms of Service (the "Terms") are a binding agreement between you and Mangrov Alliance, Inc., doing business as The Cut List ("The Cut List," "we," "us," or "our"), and they govern your use of thecutlist.com (the "Site") and the services we offer through it, including brand and advertiser accounts (the "Builders' Room"). By using the Site, creating an account, uploading content, or purchasing an advertising product, you agree to these Terms. If you are using the Site on behalf of a business, you represent that you have authority to bind that business, and "you" includes that business.

1. What The Cut List Is (and Is Not)

The Cut List is a curated discovery platform. Our editorial team researches products and local businesses and narrows the field to three great picks in each category. We then point you directly to the brand or business itself.

The Cut List does not sell products, take reservations or bookings, process consumer orders or payments, or provide customer service on behalf of the brands and businesses we feature. Any transaction you enter into with a featured brand or business is solely between you and them.

2. Editorial Independence

Our editorial picks are chosen by our team and are never sold. Payment does not influence editorial selection. Advertising products, such as promoted options, appear in clearly labeled sections and never displace editorial picks. Category sponsorships identify a sponsoring brand but do not affect which picks our team selects. We reserve full editorial discretion over all editorial content on the Site, including the right to add, change, or remove picks and categories at any time.

3. Accounts

Accounts are currently available only to brands, advertisers, and our staff. General visitors do not need an account to use the Site. When you create an account, you agree to provide accurate information, keep it up to date, and keep your credentials confidential. You are responsible for activity under your account. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

4. Brand Claims

A business may claim its listing through the process we provide, which may include verifying that you control the business's website domain or email. By claiming a listing, you represent that you are authorized to act for that business. We may approve, deny, or revoke a claim at our discretion, including where we believe a claim is inaccurate or unauthorized.

5. Advertising Products, Billing, and Cancellation

We offer paid products to brands, which may include: listing enhancements for editorially selected brands (such as a photo upgrade and an enhanced listing with video, links, and expanded content); promoted options, which appear alongside editorial picks in a clearly labeled section and are subject to a one-time, non-refundable review fee in addition to the recurring charge; and category sponsorships, which are limited to one sponsor per category at a time and include a first right of refusal on renewal as described at purchase. Current products and pricing are described on our advertising page and at checkout, and the terms presented at purchase are part of these Terms.

Paid products are billed on a recurring basis (typically monthly) and automatically renew each billing period until cancelled. You may cancel at any time; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period, and we do not provide refunds or credits for partial periods. The promoted-options review fee compensates our editorial review of the submission and is non-refundable regardless of whether the submission is approved. We may modify product offerings and pricing prospectively; price changes to an active subscription take effect at the next renewal with notice.

We may reject, suspend, or remove any advertising product or advertiser content that violates these Terms or our editorial standards. Removal for a violation forfeits any fees paid for the then-current billing period.

6. Content License and Submissions

This section applies to everything a brand or advertiser submits to The Cut List, including photographs, videos, logos, text, brand descriptions, links, and sponsored story content ("Brand Content").

License grant. By submitting Brand Content, you grant Mangrov Alliance, Inc. a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable (to our service providers), and transferable license to host, store, reproduce, adapt and reformat (for example, cropping, resizing, generating thumbnails, and fitting our display templates), publish, publicly display, distribute, and otherwise use the Brand Content in connection with operating, providing, promoting, and improving The Cut List, including in our marketing, newsletters, and social media channels. This license lasts for as long as the Brand Content is on the Site and for a reasonable period afterward for backups and archives, and it survives for promotional materials created while the license was active. You retain all ownership of your Brand Content.

Your promises about Brand Content. You represent and warrant that: you own the Brand Content or have all rights and permissions necessary to grant the license above; the Brand Content does not infringe or misappropriate any third party's intellectual property, publicity, or privacy rights; you have obtained any necessary consents and releases for identifiable people or private property appearing in it; the Brand Content is accurate, not misleading, and complies with applicable law, including advertising and consumer protection law; and the Brand Content contains no malware or hidden tracking.

Our review. All Brand Content is subject to editorial review. We may edit for formatting and display, and we may reject or remove Brand Content at our discretion. Editorial review does not transfer responsibility for Brand Content to us; you remain responsible for what you submit.

Acceptance at upload. Where we present a checkbox or similar mechanism when you upload Brand Content or purchase a product, checking it confirms your agreement to these Terms, including this Section 6, and we may keep a record of that acceptance.

7. Award Badges

Brands and businesses selected as editorial picks may be offered digital badge files identifying the award (for example, a category, city, and year). We grant awarded businesses a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to display the badge as provided, without alteration, to identify the specific award received, for as long as the underlying pick remains accurate. The badge may not be edited, recolored, or used to imply an award, category, city, or year other than the one received. We may revoke this license if the pick is removed or these Terms are violated. All rights in the badge design and The Cut List marks remain ours.

8. Acceptable Use

You agree not to: misrepresent your identity or affiliation; scrape, harvest, or bulk-download Site content or data without our written permission; interfere with or attempt to probe, breach, or disrupt the Site or its security; upload malicious code; use the Site to violate any law; or use automated means to create accounts or submissions.

9. Our Intellectual Property

The Site, including its design, editorial content, text, graphics, badges, software, and the THE CUT LIST name and marks, is owned by Mangrov Alliance, Inc. or its licensors and is protected by intellectual property laws. We grant you a limited, revocable, non-exclusive license to access and use the Site for its intended purpose. Except for that limited license and the badge license in Section 7, no rights are granted to you.

10. Feedback

If you send us ideas, suggestions, or feedback, you agree we may use them without restriction or compensation.

11. Third Parties; No Warranties About Featured Businesses

Our picks are editorial opinions, offered to help you discover options. Businesses change: hours, menus, prices, availability, ownership, and standards can all change without notice to us. We do not guarantee, and are not responsible for, the products, services, conduct, availability, or accuracy of information about any featured brand or business, and we encourage you to verify details directly with them. Links to third-party sites are provided for convenience; we are not responsible for their content or practices.

12. Disclaimers

THE SITE AND ALL CONTENT AND SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, AND UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE OPERATION. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN WARRANTY EXCLUSIONS, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

13. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, MANGROV ALLIANCE, INC. AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, REVENUES, DATA, OR GOODWILL, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SITE OR THESE TERMS. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SITE OR THESE TERMS WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNTS YOU PAID US IN THE TWELVE MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM AROSE AND (B) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN LIMITATIONS, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

14. Indemnification

If you are a brand or advertiser, you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Mangrov Alliance, Inc. and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against claims, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to your Brand Content, your breach of these Terms, or your violation of law or third-party rights.

15. Copyright Complaints

We respect intellectual property rights. If you believe content on the Site infringes your copyright, send a notice to the contact address in Section 19 with: identification of the copyrighted work; identification and location of the allegedly infringing material; your contact information; a statement of good-faith belief that the use is unauthorized; a statement, under penalty of perjury, that the notice is accurate and you are authorized to act for the owner; and your physical or electronic signature. We will respond to valid notices, which may include removing the identified material.

16. Termination

You may stop using the Site at any time, and account holders may close their accounts. We may suspend or terminate access, accounts, or products for violation of these Terms or to protect the Site, users, or the public. Sections that by their nature should survive termination (including Sections 6 through 17) survive.

17. Governing Law; Arbitration; Class-Action Waiver

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules.

Informal resolution first. Before starting an arbitration, you agree to contact us at the address in Section 19 and attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute informally for at least thirty days.

Binding arbitration. Except as noted below, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Site that is not resolved informally will be resolved by final and binding arbitration administered by JAMS under its applicable rules, before a single arbitrator, seated in San Diego County, California, or conducted remotely by agreement. Judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction. The arbitrator decides all issues, except that a court decides the enforceability of this arbitration provision and of the class-action waiver below.

Exceptions. Either party may (a) bring an individual claim in small claims court if it qualifies, and (b) seek injunctive or equitable relief in the state or federal courts located in San Diego County, California, to protect its intellectual property or confidential information. The parties consent to the jurisdiction of those courts for those purposes.

Class-action waiver. You and The Cut List agree that each may bring claims against the other only in an individual capacity, and not as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class, collective, consolidated, or representative proceeding. The arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims and may not preside over any form of class or representative proceeding. If this class-action waiver is found unenforceable as to a particular claim, that claim (and only that claim) will proceed in the San Diego County courts described above, and the rest of this Section 17 remains in effect.

Opt-out. You may opt out of this arbitration agreement by sending written notice to the address in Section 19 within thirty days of first accepting these Terms. If you opt out, disputes will be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in San Diego County, California, and the parties consent to their jurisdiction.

18. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date above, and for material changes we will provide additional notice, such as a notice on the Site or to account holders. Changes apply prospectively. Your continued use of the Site after an update means the updated Terms apply to you; for paid products, material changes take effect at your next renewal.

19. Contact

Mangrov Alliance, Inc., d/b/a The Cut List 1010 Santa Clara Place, San Diego, CA 92109
Email: hello [at] thecutlist [dot] com