Terms of Service

The Caroline Thrifty Advertising Terms of Service
Effective September 21, 2026. Published by The Caroline Thrifty ("we," "us").

1. Acceptance
By reserving or paying for an ad slot, you ("Advertiser") agree to these terms. If you're buying for a business, you confirm you have authority to bind it.

2. What we offer
We sell ad space in The Caroline Thrifty, a 9x12 mailer distributed by USPS Every Door Direct Mail to about 5,000 households in ZIP 21629 and nearby areas. Slot sizes, prices, and issue dates are listed on your order form.

3. Reservations and payment
A slot is reserved once we receive your payment. Payment is due in full at purchase time. We won't send an issue to print until all ad spots are sold or we decide to proceed at our discretion. We accept credit card, ACH, and Cash App payments. 

4. Deadlines
Artwork or copy is due by within 5 business days of purchase. We'll send a proof within 3 business days , and you must approve it or send corrections within 48hrs. We provide 2 review rounds only. If you miss a deadline, we may run your last approved version, leave the slot blank, or fill it with our own content. No refund is due in that case.

5. Ad content rules
We don't run political advertising. That covers ads for or against any candidate, party, ballot question, or issue advocacy. We may also decline or remove any ad we consider misleading, unlawful, offensive, or unsuitable for a community mailer. If we refuse an ad after you've paid, we'll offer a replacement slot or a full refund.

6. Your responsibilities
You confirm you own or have permission to use everything in your ad, including logos, photos, and text. You're responsible for the accuracy of your claims and offers and for holding any licenses your business needs. You agree to cover our reasonable costs if a third party brings a claim about your ad.

7. Mailing and delivery
We plan to hand each issue to USPS on or about 1 week before printing. We control the drop date but not USPS delivery times, so we can't promise when it reaches any household. Some addresses on a route may not receive a piece.

8. No guaranteed results
We don't guarantee any level of response, traffic, or sales from your ad.

9. Cancellations and refunds
You may cancel for a full refund before the artwork deadline. After that, layout is locked and payment is non-refundable. If we fail to mail the issue within 14 days of the planned date for reasons within our control, you're entitled to a full refund.

10. Our errors
If we make a printing error in your ad, our only obligation is a corrected ad in the next issue or a refund of your ad price.

11. Limits on liability
To the extent the law allows, our total liability to you for any claim is limited to the amount you paid for the ad in question. We aren't liable for indirect or lost-profit damages.

12. Your content and our rights
You keep ownership of your ad materials. You give us permission to print, mail, and post them online, including in a digital edition and on our social channels, in connection with the publication.

13. Changes
We may update these terms. Changes don't affect orders already paid for. Changes to these terms must be in writing to bind us.

14. Governing law
Maryland law governs these terms, and disputes will be handled in Caroline County, Maryland.

15. Contact
Contact The Caroline Thrifty via email, carolinethrifty@gmail.com.