Terms of Service

Effective date: July 30, 2026

These Terms of Service (the "Terms") govern your access to and use of Guide to Alabama, guidetoalabama.com, and the websites, directories, listings, publications, newsletters, awards programs, voting and nomination systems, advertising products, commerce features, content, and related services operated by Tillman Allen Greer LLC, doing business as Story Road (collectively, the "Services"). Guide to Alabama is a brand operated by Story Road. In these Terms, "Story Road," "we," "us," and "our" refer to Tillman Allen Greer LLC d/b/a Story Road.

By creating an account, claiming a listing, submitting a nomination or vote, purchasing a product or service, submitting content, downloading an award asset, or clicking a button or checking a box that references these Terms, you agree to these Terms. If you use the Services on behalf of a business or organization, you also bind that entity. If you do not agree, do not take those actions.

Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle personal information and is incorporated by reference as a notice of our privacy practices. It does not by itself constitute consent to receive marketing text messages or to optional advertising technologies.

1. Eligibility and Accounts

You must be at least 18 years old to vote, submit a nomination, create an account, claim or manage a listing, make a purchase, submit content, consent to marketing, or use another interactive feature of the Services. The public portions of the Services may be viewed by a general audience. If you act for a business or organization, you represent that you are authorized to bind it to these Terms.

You are responsible for the accuracy of information you provide, for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials, and for all activity under your account. You agree to notify us promptly if you believe your account has been compromised.

2. Changes to the Services or Terms

We may update, suspend, discontinue, or change any part of the Services. We may also update these Terms from time to time by posting a revised version with a new effective date. If a change is material, we will provide any additional notice required by law. Changes apply prospectively. An existing paid order or subscription remains governed by the terms accepted for that order unless you affirmatively accept a change or applicable law permits the change following required notice.

3. Directory Listings and Member Services

The Services may include business directories, member profiles, claimed listings, enhanced listings, advertising placements, category pages, search results, and related business information. You are responsible for ensuring that all listing, profile, advertising, and account information you submit is accurate, lawful, current, and not misleading.

We may edit, reject, suspend, remove, reclassify, or refuse to publish any listing, profile, category selection, photo, logo, offer, review, or other content at any time, including when we believe it is inaccurate, outdated, inappropriate, unlawful, promotional in an improper place, duplicative, harmful, or inconsistent with our editorial, quality, advertising, or directory standards.

Directory placement, search visibility, category assignment, profile display, badges, labels, and other listing features may depend on account status, package type, editorial judgment, technical factors, availability, and other business rules. Paid placement or enhanced visibility will be identified with an appropriate label, such as "Sponsored" or "Featured," where needed to avoid misleading users. We do not guarantee traffic, leads, sales, ranking, search placement, awards results, or any particular business outcome.

Directory information may be provided by a business, a user, a public source, or a third-party provider. Unless we expressly state otherwise, we do not independently verify every listing, license, credential, insurance policy, claim, review, or other detail and do not continuously monitor listed businesses. A listing is not an endorsement, certification, or guarantee. Users must conduct their own current due diligence before engaging a business, and Story Road is not a party to transactions between users and listed businesses.

4. Awards Programs, Nominations, and Voting

Our awards programs (each a "Program") may include nominations, voting, ballot validation, editorial and integrity review, results publication, advertising opportunities, merchandise, award-mark licensing, recognition packages, and related communications. Program dates, categories, eligibility requirements, geographic areas, voting instructions, and other operational details may vary by brand, year, category, and Program and will be described through the applicable Service.

By submitting a nomination or vote, you represent that the information you provide is accurate and that you are participating in good faith. We may require email verification or other confirmation steps before a nomination or vote is counted. We may collect and use technical signals, account data, timestamps, IP addresses, device/browser information, and other information to protect program integrity.

You may not submit fraudulent, automated, purchased, incentivized, misleading, duplicate, bulk, scripted, or otherwise abusive nominations or votes. You may not interfere with ballot verification, manipulate vote counts, use bots or automated tools, evade technical limits, impersonate others, or encourage others to violate these Terms or posted Program instructions.

How recognition is determined

Public voting is an important component of the selection process, but raw vote totals do not automatically determine recognition. We validate voting activity and apply editorial judgment when selecting honorees. We may consider validated community support, eligibility, category and geographic fit, the reliability and pattern of voting activity, and other information bearing on the integrity and credibility of the Program. Multiple businesses may receive recognition within a category, and the number or level of recognitions may vary.

We may investigate, discount, or disregard nominations or votes, or decline to recognize a nominee, when we have a good-faith, reasonable basis to believe activity is duplicate, automated, coordinated, incentivized, manipulated, or otherwise unreliable, even if its source or intent cannot be conclusively determined. We may also disqualify ineligible participants, correct errors, modify or combine categories or regions when reasonably necessary, and make final determinations regarding nominees, honorees, results, and publication.

Advertising status, paid directory membership, sponsorships, merchandise purchases, and other purchases do not add to or weight votes, are not editorial selection criteria, and do not guarantee nomination, recognition, placement, or any other Program result.

Nature and limits of recognition

A recognition reflects the applicable Program's voting, validation, integrity-review, and editorial-selection process for the identified category, market, and award year, based on information available when the selection was made. It is community and editorial recognition—not an expert certification, safety determination, background check, licensing determination, professional recommendation, or guarantee of a business's quality, qualifications, legal compliance, integrity, availability, or future performance.

Unless expressly stated, neither Story Road nor Guide to Alabama independently inspects, audits, background-checks, or continuously monitors every nominee or honoree. Consumers must conduct their own current due diligence, including checking licenses, insurance, credentials, complaints, pricing, and suitability where relevant. Story Road is not a party to transactions with nominees or honorees and is not responsible for their products, services, acts, or omissions.

We may correct results or suspend, withdraw, or revoke recognition or permission to use an award mark when information was materially inaccurate, Program integrity was compromised, eligibility changed, an award mark was misused, or continued publication or promotion could mislead the public. We are not required to publicly disclose confidential fraud-detection methods or the details of an integrity investigation.

5. Purchases, Payments, Subscriptions, and Fulfillment

We may offer paid listings, advertising products, sponsorships, award packages, merchandise, print placements, digital products, subscriptions, renewals, and other products or services. Prices and offers for new purchases, along with availability, features, specifications, and deadlines, may change from time to time.

You agree to provide accurate billing, payment, shipping, and contact information. You authorize us and our payment processors to charge the payment method you provide for purchases, taxes, fees, installment payments, renewals, and other amounts you authorize or owe. Payment processing may be handled by third-party payment processors subject to their own terms and policies.

Automatic renewal of upgraded directory plans

Upgraded directory plans are offered on monthly or annual terms, as displayed at checkout. Unless canceled, each plan automatically renews for successive periods of the same length, and you authorize us and our payment processor to charge the payment method on file at the price and billing frequency stated at checkout and in your order confirmation.

You may cancel an upgraded directory plan at any time through your account dashboard or by emailing directory@guidetoalabama.com. A cancellation request received before the next billing date prevents the next renewal and takes effect at the end of the current paid term. An emailed request is considered received when it reaches our email system, subject to reasonable verification that the requester is authorized to manage the account. Cancellation does not provide a refund or credit for the current paid term, and we do not provide prorated refunds, except where required by law. We will confirm cancellation by email.

The checkout page and order confirmation provide the price, billing frequency, renewal term, and applicable cancellation information for your plan. Closing or ceasing to use an account does not by itself cancel an upgraded directory plan. Prices for new purchases may change, but an existing renewal price will not change unless you affirmatively agree or we provide any advance notice and cancellation opportunity required by applicable law.

Other purchases and fulfillment

Unless a separate written agreement, order form, or refund policy states otherwise, purchases are nonrefundable once work has begun, the product has been delivered, the advertising or listing period has started, a publication deadline has passed, or an order has entered production. We may issue credits, refunds, replacements, or accommodations in our discretion.

You are responsible for reviewing proofs, artwork, copy, listing information, shipping details, and order details by any applicable deadline. We are not responsible for errors, delays, omissions, missed deadlines, or production issues caused by late, incomplete, inaccurate, or unapproved information from you.

6. User Content

Public User Content

"Public User Content" means content you submit or provide for publication, such as listings, business descriptions, photos, logos, reviews, public comments, testimonials, stories, and similar materials. You retain ownership of Public User Content, but you grant Story Road a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable, and transferable license to host, store, reproduce, format, adapt, publish, display, distribute, archive, and promote that content in connection with the Services, our publications, our marketing, and the operation of our business.

Private submissions

Ballots, voter contact information, private messages, support requests, account information, non-public files, payment information, and fraud-prevention signals are not Public User Content. You grant us only the limited rights reasonably necessary to receive, store, process, transmit to our service providers, secure, analyze, and use those submissions to provide the requested Service, administer a Program, detect abuse, comply with law, and protect our rights. We will not publish a private submission unless you separately direct or authorize us to do so or disclosure is permitted by our Privacy Policy and applicable law.

You represent and warrant that you own or have all rights needed to submit Public User Content and grant the applicable license, and that anything you submit does not violate law, infringe third-party rights, contain false or misleading information, disclose personal information without authority, or violate these Terms.

7. Our Content and Intellectual Property

The Services, including text, designs, logos, graphics, photographs, videos, software, code, databases, directories, layouts, awards marks, badges, editorial content, publications, and other materials, are owned by us or our licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark, trade secret, and other laws.

You may use the Services for your personal or internal business use as permitted by these Terms. You may not copy, reproduce, scrape, crawl, archive, republish, sell, license, distribute, modify, reverse engineer, or create derivative works from the Services or our content except as expressly permitted by us in writing or by applicable law.

Award marks

Any award badge, winner mark, logo, seal, promotional material, or similar asset we provide (an "Award Mark") remains our intellectual property. Subject to these Terms and any displayed brand guidelines, an authorized honoree receives a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the applicable Award Mark solely to truthfully identify the stated award year, category, market, and recognition.

You may not alter an Award Mark, use it for a different business, location, year, category, or market, sublicense or sell it, or use it in a manner that implies licensing, certification, inspection, government approval, safety assurance, professional accreditation, or a guarantee by Story Road. You must stop using an Award Mark upon notice if recognition is corrected, suspended, withdrawn, or revoked, if the mark is misused, or if continued use could mislead the public.

8. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

  • Use the Services for unlawful, deceptive, harmful, fraudulent, abusive, harassing, defamatory, obscene, infringing, or otherwise objectionable purposes.
  • Submit false, misleading, incomplete, unauthorized, or infringing information.
  • Interfere with or disrupt the Services, servers, networks, security measures, access controls, caching rules, voting systems, forms, APIs, or other technical systems.
  • Use bots, scrapers, crawlers, automated tools, bulk capture tools, or similar technologies without our prior written permission.
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to accounts, systems, data, source code, APIs, or non-public areas of the Services.
  • Harvest email addresses or other contact information from the Services.
  • Upload malware, malicious code, tracking tools, or content that could damage, interfere with, or intercept data from the Services or users.
  • Impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent your affiliation with a business, nominee, voter, customer, or organization.
  • Submit a minor's personal information unless you are authorized to do so and have obtained any consent required by law.
  • Violate any applicable law, third-party right, Program instruction, order term, or posted policy.

9. Reviews, Comments, and Public Submissions

If the Services allow reviews, comments, ratings, nominations, testimonials, or other public submissions, you agree to submit only truthful, lawful, and non-infringing content based on your genuine experience or good-faith belief. You may not submit a fake review, falsely claim an experience, impersonate another person, conceal a material relationship, or use undisclosed compensation or incentives to influence sentiment.

Businesses may not condition an incentive on a positive review, require a reviewer to express a particular opinion, suppress a review merely because it is negative, or threaten or retaliate against a reviewer for an honest review. Employees, owners, family members, agents, and others with a material relationship to a reviewed business must clearly disclose that relationship.

We may apply neutral moderation standards and may reject, remove, redact, or decline to publish content that violates these Terms, is unlawful, contains personal information, is irrelevant, is duplicative, presents a security risk, or is otherwise inappropriate for the feature. We will not materially change the meaning or sentiment of a review.

10. Third-Party Services and Links

The Services may include links to or integrations with third-party websites, businesses, platforms, payment processors, maps, social networks, embedded media, analytics providers, email providers, advertising partners, or other services. We do not control and are not responsible for their products, services, content, policies, availability, security, or practices. Your use of a third-party service and any transaction with a third party are governed by its terms and policies.

11. Privacy

Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect personal information and describes available privacy choices. Consent to marketing email, marketing text messages, optional cookies, or another specific practice is requested separately where required.

If you believe content on the Services infringes your copyright, send a written notice to the contact below containing:

  • Your physical or electronic signature;
  • Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed or, for multiple works, a representative list;
  • Identification of the allegedly infringing material and information reasonably sufficient for us to locate it;
  • Your name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address;
  • A statement that you have a good-faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or law; and
  • A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act for the owner.

Send copyright notices to:

Copyright Agent, Tillman Allen Greer LLC d/b/a Story Road
Email: directory@guidetoalabama.com
Mailing Address: PO Box 1269, Buford, GA 30515

If your content was removed following a copyright notice and you believe the removal was mistaken, you may send a counter-notice containing your physical or electronic signature; identification of the removed material and its former location; a statement under penalty of perjury that you have a good-faith belief the material was removed or disabled because of mistake or misidentification; and your name, address, telephone number, consent to the jurisdiction of the appropriate United States federal district court, and agreement to accept service of process from the person who submitted the original notice.

We may send a valid counter-notice to the original complainant and restore material as permitted by law. We maintain a policy of terminating repeat infringers in appropriate circumstances. Knowingly submitting a material misrepresentation in a copyright notice or counter-notice may result in liability under federal law.

13. Disclaimers

The Services are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, non-infringement, accuracy, availability, and reliability.

We do not guarantee that the Services will be uninterrupted, secure, error-free, current, complete, accurate, or free of harmful components. We do not guarantee any business results, traffic, leads, sales, awards outcome, search placement, publication placement, audience reach, advertising performance, or return on investment.

We do not warrant or assume responsibility for Public User Content, directory information, reviews, third-party services, or the products, services, conduct, safety, licensing, or legal compliance of a listed, advertising, nominated, or recognized business. You assume the risk of relying on information obtained through the Services and of transacting with a third party.

Some jurisdictions do not permit certain warranty exclusions, so some of the foregoing may not apply to you. Nothing in these Terms disclaims a warranty or right that applicable law makes non-waivable.

14. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we and our owners, officers, employees, contractors, service providers, licensors, and affiliates will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, punitive, or lost-profit damages, or for loss of data, revenue, goodwill, business opportunity, or reputation, arising out of or related to the Services or these Terms, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, our total aggregate liability arising out of or related to the Services, these Terms, or an applicable order will not exceed the greater of the amount you paid us for the specific product or service giving rise to the claim during the twelve months before the event giving rise to liability or one hundred dollars ($100).

These limitations apply regardless of the legal theory and even if a remedy fails of its essential purpose. They do not exclude or limit liability that applicable law does not permit us to exclude or limit.

15. Business and Honoree Indemnification

If you use the Services on behalf of a business, claim or manage a listing, purchase advertising or directory services, accept or publicize recognition, or download or use an Award Mark, you agree, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Story Road and its owners, officers, employees, contractors, licensors, and affiliates from third-party claims, demands, proceedings, liabilities, damages, judgments, losses, costs, and reasonable attorneys' fees arising out of or relating to:

  • Your business, products, services, conduct, transactions, advertising, offers, or dealings with a consumer or other third party;
  • Your listing, Public User Content, statements, warranties, or representations;
  • Your use or misuse of an Award Mark or any statement concerning nomination or recognition;
  • Your violation of these Terms, an accepted order, applicable law, or a third party's rights; or
  • Your fraud, negligence, willful misconduct, or unauthorized use of the Services.

This obligation does not apply to the extent a claim was caused by Story Road's own conduct for which indemnification cannot lawfully be required. We may assume control of the defense with counsel of our choosing. You must reasonably cooperate and may not settle a claim in a manner that imposes liability, an admission, or a non-monetary obligation on Story Road without our written consent.

16. Suspension and Termination

You may stop using the Services at any time. Closing an account does not automatically cancel an upgraded directory plan; use one of the cancellation methods in Section 5.

We may suspend, restrict, or terminate access; remove content; decline or cancel an order; suspend a listing or Award Mark; or refuse service when we reasonably believe you violated these Terms, failed to pay, created security or legal risk, provided materially inaccurate information, abused the Services, or acted inconsistently with Program integrity. Where practicable, we may provide notice and an opportunity to correct the issue, but we are not required to do so when immediate action is reasonably necessary.

Provisions that by their nature should survive termination—including payment obligations, intellectual-property provisions, licenses for archived or previously published materials, disclaimers, limitations of liability, indemnification, dispute provisions, and miscellaneous terms—will survive.

17. Governing Law and Venue

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or related to the Services will be governed by the laws of the State of Georgia, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Unless applicable law requires otherwise, you agree that any legal action or proceeding will be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction located in Georgia, and you consent to personal jurisdiction and venue there. Nothing in this section deprives a consumer of a non-waivable protection or forum right under applicable law.

18. Miscellaneous

These Terms, the Privacy Policy, the operational details posted for an applicable Program, and any accepted checkout terms or written order form constitute the entire agreement concerning the applicable Services. If an accepted order expressly conflicts with these Terms, the order controls only for that purchase and only to the extent of the conflict.

If a provision is held unenforceable, it will be modified to the minimum extent necessary or severed, and the remaining provisions will remain effective. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. Section headings are for convenience only.

You may not assign these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign them in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, corporate reorganization, sale of assets, or by operation of law.

We are not liable for a delay or failure caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including severe weather, natural disaster, labor disruption, carrier or supplier failure, utility or internet outage, cyberattack, governmental action, epidemic, or another force majeure event.

These Terms do not create an agency, partnership, joint venture, franchise, fiduciary, employment, or third-party-beneficiary relationship.

19. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us at:

Guide to Alabama
Email: directory@guidetoalabama.com
Mailing Address: PO Box 1269, Buford, GA 30515

Legal operator: Tillman Allen Greer LLC d/b/a Story Road.