Terms of Service

Effective Date: January 1, 2026 · Last Updated: March 30, 2026

Welcome to Puentes Yucatán ("Platform", "we", "us", or "our"), operated by Lisa Fitzpatrick, also known as "The Internet Lady" ("Operator"). By accessing, browsing, registering for, or using the Platform at puentesyucatan.com, you ("User", "you", or "your") agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"), including our Community Standards (Section 4), Privacy Policy, and all other policies referenced herein.

If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use the Platform.

Section 1: General Terms and Conditions

1.1 Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years of age to create an account or use the Platform. By registering, you represent and warrant that you meet this requirement and that all information you provide is accurate, current, and complete.

1.2 Account Registration and Security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account. We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to secure your account.

1.3 Acceptable Use

You agree to use the Platform only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You shall not:

Use the Platform in any way that violates applicable local, national, or international law, including but not limited to laws of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Mexico.
Impersonate any person or entity, or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity.
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any part of the Platform, other users' accounts, or any systems or networks connected to the Platform.
Use automated means (bots, scrapers, crawlers) to access, collect data from, or interact with the Platform without prior written consent.
Upload or transmit any viruses, malware, or other harmful code.
Interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the Platform.
Post any content that violates our Community Standards (Section 4).

1.4 User-Generated Content

You retain ownership of content you submit to the Platform (posts, reviews, listings, images, etc.). By submitting content, you grant Puentes Yucatán a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable license to use, display, reproduce, modify, and distribute your content in connection with operating and promoting the Platform.

You represent and warrant that you have the right to submit all content you post and that your content does not infringe on the intellectual property rights of any third party.

1.5 Content Moderation

We reserve the right, but are not obligated, to review, edit, or remove any user-generated content at our sole discretion, for any reason, including content that we determine violates these Terms, our Community Standards, or applicable law. We are not responsible for any user-generated content posted on the Platform.

Section 2: Membership, Payments, and Refund Policy

2.1 Membership Tiers

Puentes Yucatán offers the following membership tiers:

Free Membership: Basic access to browse the directory, read forums, and view events and nonprofits (requires account registration).
Puente Membership: $9.99 USD per month, recurring subscription. Includes the ability to submit reviews, post in forums, RSVP to events, and log volunteer hours.
Founding Membership: $99.00 USD one-time payment. Lifetime access to all Puente-tier benefits plus a Founding Member badge and recognition.

2.2 No Refunds Policy

ALL SALES ARE FINAL. PUENTES YUCATÁN MAINTAINS A STRICT NO-REFUNDS POLICY.

By purchasing any membership, you acknowledge and agree that:

No refunds will be issued for any membership purchase, whether monthly subscription or one-time payment, under any circumstances.
For recurring subscriptions, you may cancel at any time to prevent future charges, but no refund will be provided for the current billing period or any prior billing period.
You waive any right to request a refund through any means, including but not limited to direct request, credit card dispute, or chargeback.

2.3 Chargebacks, Fraudulent Charges, and Data Integrity Protection

Puentes Yucatán takes the integrity of its platform data seriously. If any of the following occur:

A refund is granted under exceptional circumstances at the Operator's sole discretion;
A chargeback or payment dispute is initiated against Puentes Yucatán through your payment provider, bank, or credit card company; or
A payment is determined to be fraudulent or unauthorized;

Then, to protect the integrity of the Platform's data and community:

All content submitted by the User will be permanently deleted, including but not limited to: forum posts, comments, business reviews, business listings, event submissions, volunteer logs, and any other user-generated content.
The User's account will be permanently terminated.
The User may be permanently banned from re-registering on the Platform.

This data removal policy exists to protect the community from content that may have been submitted in bad faith and to maintain the trustworthiness of all Platform data, including business reviews and directory listings.

2.4 Payment Processing

All payments are processed securely through Stripe, a PCI-DSS compliant third-party payment processor. Puentes Yucatán does not store your full credit card details on our servers. By providing payment information, you authorize Stripe to process charges on your behalf in accordance with their terms of service.

2.5 Founding Membership — Lifetime License Definition & Scope

Upon payment of the one-time Founding Membership fee, Puentes Yucatán grants the User a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, limited lifetime license to access and use the Platform and all features associated with the Founding Membership tier.

Lifetime Definition: "Lifetime" is defined as the active support lifespan of the Puentes Yucatán platform, or the life of the User's account, whichever ends first. This does not mean the lifetime of the User.

2.6 Founding Membership — Restrictions & Transferability

The Founding Membership lifetime license is granted strictly to the individual or entity who purchased it and cannot be sold, bartered, assigned, or transferred to any other person or entity.

Any attempt to transfer or sell this license will result in immediate termination of the license and the associated account without refund.

2.7 Founding Membership — Modification, Discontinuation, and Support

Puentes Yucatán reserves the right to modify, add, or remove features associated with the Platform at its sole discretion.

Lifetime access does not guarantee that all features will be supported in perpetuity. Puentes Yucatán reserves the right to discontinue support, updates, or access to the Platform at any time.

2.8 Founding Membership — Payments & Refunds

The Founding Membership lifetime license fee is a one-time, non-refundable, and non-returnable payment. This provision is subject to and reinforces the No Refunds Policy set forth in Section 2.2 of these Terms.

2.9 Founding Membership — Termination

Puentes Yucatán reserves the right to terminate the Founding Membership license immediately if the User breaches these Terms, including but not limited to attempting to transfer the license, violating user restrictions, or engaging in conduct prohibited by these Terms or the Community Standards (Section 4).

2.10 Founding Membership — Disclaimer of Warranties

The Founding Membership and all associated Platform services are provided "as is" and "as available" without any warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory. This provision is subject to and reinforces the Disclaimer of Warranties set forth in Section 7.1 of these Terms.

Section 3: Business Directory and Non-Discrimination

3.1 Business Listing Policy

The Puentes Yucatán business directory is open to all legitimate businesses operating in the Mérida, Progreso, and greater Yucatán region. All business listing submissions are subject to review and approval by our moderation team.

3.2 Non-Discrimination in Business Listings

Puentes Yucatán is committed to maintaining a business directory that is free from discrimination. The following non-discrimination principles apply:

No business listing shall be rejected, removed, or treated differently based on the race, religion, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, or any other protected characteristic of the business owner, operator, or staff.
All business listings are evaluated solely on the basis of legitimacy, accuracy of information provided, compliance with these Terms, and relevance to the Yucatán community.
Users submitting business reviews must base their reviews on the quality of products or services received and their genuine customer experience, not on the identity or protected characteristics of the business owners, operators, or staff.
Discriminatory reviews will be removed in accordance with our Community Standards (Section 4).

3.3 Business Listing Accuracy

Business owners and submitters are responsible for ensuring that all information provided in a business listing is accurate, current, and not misleading. Puentes Yucatán reserves the right to modify, flag, or remove any listing that contains inaccurate or misleading information.

Section 4: Community Standards

These Community Standards are also available as a standalone page.

4.1 Purpose and Scope

Puentes Yucatán exists to build genuine community among expats, immigrants, and long-term visitors in Mérida, Progreso, and the surrounding region of Yucatán, Mexico. The platform serves people of every background, nationality, religion, language, and life experience. For this community to function as the bridge its name implies, every participant must be able to engage safely, respectfully, and with dignity.

These Community Standards apply to all content posted, shared, or transmitted on the Puentes Yucatán platform, including forum posts, comments, business reviews, event listings, direct messages, profile content, and any other user-generated material. They apply to registered members and to any person accessing the platform.

By creating an account or posting any content on Puentes Yucatán, you agree to abide by these standards in full.

4.2 Non-Discrimination Policy

Puentes Yucatán is committed to maintaining a platform free from discrimination, hatred, and prejudice in all its forms. No member may post, share, or endorse content that discriminates against, degrades, demeans, or denigrates any person, business, or organization on the basis of any protected characteristic.

Protected characteristics under this policy include, but are not limited to:

Race: All racial and ethnic identities, including mixed-race heritage.
Religion: All faiths, spiritual practices, atheism, and agnosticism.
Ethnicity: National origin, ancestry, cultural identity, and indigenous heritage.
Gender: All gender identities, including men, women, and non-binary persons.
Gender identity: Transgender, non-binary, genderqueer, and all other gender identities.
Sexual orientation: Gay, lesbian, bisexual, heterosexual, asexual, and all other orientations.
Disability: Physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and all other disabilities.

4.3 Prohibited Conduct

The following conduct is strictly prohibited on the Puentes Yucatán platform. Violations may result in content removal, account suspension, or permanent termination, as described in Section 4.6.

4.3.1 Hate Speech and Discriminatory Content

You may not post content that:

Uses slurs, dehumanizing language, or epithets targeting any person or group based on a protected characteristic.
Portrays any race, religion, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability as inferior, subhuman, dangerous, or unworthy of equal respect.
Calls for discrimination against individuals or groups in housing, employment, public services, or participation in this community.
Reinforces harmful stereotypes presented as factual characterizations of any group.
Mocks, ridicules, or trivializes the lived experiences of people based on a protected characteristic.

4.3.2 Discriminatory Business Reviews

The integrity of the Puentes Yucatán business directory depends on honest, experience-based reviews. You may not post a review of a business or service that:

Rates or criticizes a business based on the race, religion, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability of its owners, operators, or staff rather than the quality of service.
Targets a business because it serves, employs, or is associated with a particular community or demographic group.
Contains discriminatory language about the people associated with the business.

4.3.3 Harassment and Targeted Abuse

You may not engage in harassment or targeted abuse of any member or person, including:

Repeatedly sending unwanted messages, comments, or contact to a person after being asked to stop.
Coordinating with others to target, pile on, or report a member based on their protected characteristics.
Threatening, intimidating, or attempting to silence a member because of their identity or background.
Outing or exposing private information about a person's religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other protected characteristic without their consent.

4.3.4 Exclusionary Community Conduct

Puentes Yucatán serves a diverse international community living alongside local Mexican communities. You may not:

Suggest, imply, or explicitly state that any person is unwelcome in this community or in Yucatán based on their nationality, ethnicity, religion, language, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.
Use forum posts or event listings to organize exclusionary groups or activities that explicitly bar participation based on protected characteristics.
Post content that denigrates local Mexican culture, indigenous Yucatecan communities, or any national or ethnic group present in the region.

4.3.5 Political Advertising and Partisan Content

Puentes Yucatán is a community platform, not a political forum. The following are prohibited:

Paid or unpaid political advertisements, campaign promotions, or endorsements of political candidates at any level of government in any country.
Content that primarily serves to promote, campaign for, or solicit support for a political party, political action committee, or political cause.
Posting content designed to recruit, organize, or fundraise for political campaigns or political organizations.

Respectful discussion of public policy issues that directly affect the expat and immigrant community in Yucatán (such as immigration policy, residency requirements, or local regulations) is permitted, provided it remains civil and does not devolve into partisan campaigning or personal attacks.

4.3.6 Misuse of Business Listings and Reviews

Puentes Yucatán is a positive community platform designed to connect people with trusted local businesses and services. It is not a complaint bureau, consumer protection agency, or fraud reporting service.

The following are strictly prohibited:

Submitting a business listing for the sole or primary purpose of posting a negative review, warning, or complaint against that business.
Using reviews, forum posts, or any other platform content to accuse a business or individual of fraud, scam, theft, or other criminal conduct. Such allegations carry serious legal consequences under applicable law, including Mexico's civil and criminal libel statutes.
Posting content intended to damage the reputation of a business or individual rather than to share a genuine, balanced customer experience.
Creating multiple accounts or coordinating with others to post negative content about the same business.

If you believe you have been the victim of fraud or a scam, Puentes Yucatán is not the appropriate venue to report it. Instead, please contact:

Profeco (Procuraduría Federal del Consumidor) — Mexico's federal consumer protection agency: gob.mx/profeco
Local law enforcement authorities
Relevant community groups on social media that are set up to address consumer complaints

Penalty: Submitting a business listing solely for the purpose of posting negative content, or posting unsubstantiated fraud or scam allegations, will result in immediate removal of the listing and all associated content, a written warning for the first offense, and permanent account termination without refund for repeated violations. In cases involving clearly defamatory content, the Operator reserves the right to proceed directly to permanent termination and may cooperate with legal authorities if required.

4.4 Context, Good Faith, and Permitted Discussion

These standards are not intended to prohibit honest, respectful discussion of culture, identity, social issues, or community challenges. The following are not violations of this policy:

Sharing personal experiences of discrimination or prejudice encountered in your own life.
Discussing cultural differences, language barriers, or the experience of navigating life as a foreigner in Mexico, provided the discussion remains respectful and does not demean any group.
Posting factual information about laws, policies, or documented social conditions that affect particular communities.
Recommending or not recommending a business based on the quality of service, pricing, communication, or other legitimate factors unrelated to the identity of its owners or staff.
Expressing religious beliefs or cultural values in a personal capacity, provided such expression does not attack, demean, or call for discrimination against others.

When evaluating reported content, moderators will consider context, intent, and the overall pattern of a member's conduct. Good-faith mistakes and learning moments are treated differently from deliberate, repeated violations.

4.5 Reporting Violations

Every member of Puentes Yucatán has a role in maintaining a safe and welcoming space. If you encounter content that you believe violates these Community Standards, we ask that you report it rather than responding in kind.

To report a violation:

Use the "Report" button located on any post, comment, review, or profile.
Email the moderation team directly at standards@puentesyucatan.com.
For urgent safety concerns, contact the admin team via the Help page.

All reports are reviewed by a human moderator. We aim to respond to reports within 48 hours. Reports submitted in good faith are kept confidential. Filing false or bad-faith reports is itself a violation of these standards.

4.6 Enforcement

Puentes Yucatán moderators have sole discretion to determine whether content violates these Community Standards. Enforcement actions are applied consistently but are graduated based on the severity and frequency of violations.

Graduated enforcement steps:

Content removal: The offending post, comment, or review is removed. The member is notified with an explanation.
Written warning: A formal warning is issued and recorded in the member's account history.
Temporary suspension: The member's account is suspended for a defined period (typically 7–30 days). Paid membership is paused for the duration.
Permanent termination: The account is permanently closed. No refund is issued for any prepaid membership period. The member may be permanently banned from re-registering.

Severe violations — including content that makes explicit threats, constitutes targeted hate speech, or involves the non-consensual disclosure of private information about a protected characteristic — may result in immediate permanent termination without a prior warning.

Members who believe an enforcement action was applied in error may appeal by emailing appeals@puentesyucatan.com within 14 days of the action. Appeals are reviewed by a senior moderator that may or may not be involved in the original decision. The Admin/Operator has final say in their sole discretion regarding violations.

4.7 Amendments to Community Standards

Puentes Yucatán reserves the right to update these Community Standards at any time. Material changes will be announced on the platform with at least 14 days' notice before taking effect. Continued use of the platform following the effective date of any amendment constitutes acceptance of the revised standards.

Questions about these standards may be directed to standards@puentesyucatan.com.

Section 5: Intellectual Property

5.1 Platform Ownership

The Puentes Yucatán name, logo, design, layout, code, and all original content created by the Operator are the intellectual property of Lisa Fitzpatrick / "The Internet Lady" and are protected by applicable copyright, trademark, and intellectual property laws. You may not copy, reproduce, modify, distribute, or create derivative works of any Platform materials without prior written consent.

5.2 Copyright Complaints (DMCA)

If you believe that content on the Platform infringes your copyright, please notify us at legal@puentesyucatan.com with a description of the copyrighted work, identification of the infringing material, your contact information, and a statement under penalty of perjury that the information is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on the owner's behalf. We will respond to valid DMCA notices in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (United States), the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (United Kingdom), the Copyright Act (Canada), and Directive 2001/29/EC (European Union).

Section 6: Privacy and Data Protection

6.1 Privacy Policy

Your use of the Platform is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data. By using the Platform, you consent to the data practices described in the Privacy Policy.

6.2 International Data Compliance

Puentes Yucatán is committed to complying with applicable data protection laws, including:

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) — European Union
The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) — United Kingdom
The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) — Canada
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) — United States
The Federal Law on Protection of Personal Data Held by Private Parties (LFPDPPP) — Mexico

Section 7: Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

7.1 Disclaimer of Warranties

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE PLATFORM WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, SECURE, OR FREE OF HARMFUL COMPONENTS.

7.2 Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL PUENTES YUCATÁN, THE OPERATOR, OR ANY OF THEIR AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, RESULTING FROM:

YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE OF (OR INABILITY TO ACCESS OR USE) THE PLATFORM;
ANY CONDUCT OR CONTENT OF ANY THIRD PARTY ON THE PLATFORM;
ANY CONTENT OBTAINED FROM THE PLATFORM; OR
UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS, USE, OR ALTERATION OF YOUR TRANSMISSIONS OR CONTENT.

OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS OR YOUR USE OF THE PLATFORM SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU HAVE PAID TO PUENTES YUCATÁN IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR ONE HUNDRED US DOLLARS ($100.00), WHICHEVER IS GREATER.

7.3 Third-Party Services

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites, businesses, or services that are not owned or controlled by Puentes Yucatán. We are not responsible for the content, policies, or practices of any third-party services. Business listings, nonprofit listings, and external links are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute endorsement.

Section 8: Termination

8.1 Termination by User

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us at support@puentesyucatan.com. Upon termination, your access to paid features will cease. No refund will be issued for any unused portion of a paid membership.

8.2 Termination by Operator

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at any time, with or without notice, for any reason, including but not limited to violation of these Terms, Community Standards, or applicable law. Upon termination for cause, all content submitted by the User may be removed at our discretion.

Section 9: Dispute Resolution and Governing Law

9.1 Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida, United States of America, without regard to its conflict-of-law provisions. This choice of law does not deprive consumers in the European Union, United Kingdom, or Canada of the protection afforded by mandatory provisions of the law of their country of habitual residence.

9.2 Dispute Resolution

Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Platform shall first be resolved through good-faith negotiation. If the dispute cannot be resolved through negotiation within thirty (30) days, it shall be resolved through binding arbitration administered in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. The arbitration shall take place in the State of Florida, United States, or remotely at the discretion of the arbitrator.

9.3 EU/UK Consumer Rights

If you are a consumer in the European Union or United Kingdom, nothing in these Terms affects your statutory rights under applicable consumer protection legislation, including your right to bring proceedings in the courts of your country of domicile. You also have the right to refer disputes to the European Commission's Online Dispute Resolution platform at https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.

9.4 Canadian Consumer Rights

If you are a consumer in Canada, nothing in these Terms shall be construed to limit your rights under applicable provincial or federal consumer protection legislation.

Section 10: General Provisions

10.1 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and Community Standards, constitute the entire agreement between you and Puentes Yucatán regarding your use of the Platform and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.

10.2 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

10.3 Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.

10.4 Assignment

You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your rights and obligations hereunder without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms without restriction.

10.5 Amendments

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be posted on the Platform with at least 30 days' notice before taking effect. Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date of any modifications constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

10.6 Contact Information

For questions or concerns about these Terms of Service, please contact:

Puentes Yucatán
Operated by Lisa Fitzpatrick, "The Internet Lady"
Email: legal@puentesyucatan.com
Website: puentesyucatan.com

Puentes Yucatán Terms of Service · Effective January 1, 2026
puentesyucatan.com · legal@puentesyucatan.com