Terms of Service

Last updated: July 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

Welcome to Hotspots Portugal ("Service," "Platform," "we," "us," "our"). By accessing, browsing, or using Hotspots Portugal (including via web or mobile), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to any part of these terms, you must not use the Service.

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes your acceptance.

2. License & Use

2.1 Limited License

Hotspots Portugal grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the Service for:

• Reading and discovering restaurant reviews
• Viewing community profiles and rankings
• If registered as an Insider: Submitting reviews, photos, voting, and participating in the community
• If a restaurant owner: Claiming your restaurant and managing its profile

2.2 Restrictions

You agree not to:

• Use any automated means (bots, scrapers, crawlers) to access or download content
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to discover the source code or underlying technology
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems or databases
• Modify, reproduce, or create derivative works of our Service
• Sell, rent, lease, or sublicense access to the Service
• Use the Service for any commercial purpose without permission
• Remove or alter copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices

2.3 Intellectual Property

All content on Hotspots Portugal — including design, graphics, logos, layout, reviews (unless user-generated), restaurant data, and text — is owned or licensed by Hotspots Portugal and protected by copyright and trademark law. You may not reproduce or distribute this content without permission.

3. User Accounts

3.1 Registration & Accuracy

To use certain features (Insider reviews, saving places, voting), you must create an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information
• Keep your password confidential and secure
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account
• Be responsible for all activities under your account

3.2 Account Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account. By registering, you represent that you are 18 or older and legally able to enter into this agreement.

3.3 Account Termination

You can delete your account at any time via Settings → Account → "Delete my account." We may also suspend or terminate your account if you violate these Terms or our Community Guidelines.

4. User Content & Reviews

4.1 Your Content

When you submit a review, photo, comment, or other content ("User Content") to Hotspots Portugal, you retain ownership of that content. However, you grant Hotspots Portugal a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, perpetual license to:

• Display your content on the platform
• Reproduce it for backup and operational purposes
• Create aggregated, anonymized statistics from your content
• Use it in marketing or promotional materials (with credit when appropriate)

4.2 Review Guidelines

Your reviews should be:

• Honest: Based on genuine personal experience at the restaurant
• Relevant: About your dining/service experience, not unrelated topics
• Respectful: Critique food and service, not people or identities
• Constructive: Helpful feedback, not just complaints or spam
• Original: Your own words, not copied from other sources

4.3 Prohibited Content

Your reviews must NOT contain:

• Harassment, threats, or hate speech targeting individuals or groups
• Offensive language or slurs based on protected characteristics (race, gender, religion, orientation, disability)
• Spam, advertisements, or promotional content unrelated to your dining experience
• Defamatory claims or false statements about staff members
• Spoilers or unsolicited personal information about others
• Links to external websites, phishing attempts, or malware
• Incentivized reviews (e.g., "I'll pay you to write a positive review")
• Manipulation or vote-rigging (creating fake accounts to upvote your reviews)

4.4 Content Moderation

Hotspots Portugal reserves the right to:

• Review, edit, or remove User Content that violates these Terms or our Community Guidelines
• Flag suspicious accounts or patterns (e.g., multiple reviews of the same restaurant in one day by different accounts)
• Suspend or permanently delete your account for repeated violations
• Report serious violations (e.g., threats) to law enforcement

4.5 Your Liability for Content

You are solely responsible for all User Content you submit. Hotspots Portugal is not liable for any claims, damages, or legal action resulting from your reviews. If a restaurant owner disputes a review or claims defamation, you may be held legally responsible.

4.6 Review Disputes & Removal Requests

If a restaurant owner claims your review is inaccurate or defamatory, we may request additional information from you. If we determine the review violates these Terms, we may remove it. Persistent disputes may result in account suspension.

5. Prohibited Activities

You agree not to use Hotspots Portugal for any illegal or harmful purpose, including:

5.1 Illegal Activity

• Violating any local, national, or international law
• Fraud, money laundering, or terrorist financing
• Harassment, stalking, threats, or violence
• Child exploitation or abuse
• Intellectual property infringement

5.2 Account Manipulation

• Creating multiple accounts to evade suspension or manipulate rankings
• Impersonating another person or organization
• Sharing login credentials or selling account access
• Coordinating with others to artificially inflate votes or review counts

5.3 Technical Abuse

• Injecting malicious code or attempting SQL injection
• Launching denial-of-service (DoS) attacks or disrupting service
• Circumventing security measures or authentication systems
• Excessive requests that strain our servers

5.4 Spam & Abuse

• Posting identical content repeatedly
• Unsolicited advertising or solicitation
• Chain messages or pyramid schemes
• Coordinated inauthentic activity (vote brigades, fake reviews)

6. Intellectual Property

6.1 Our IP

All Hotspots Portugal intellectual property — including logos, design, code, graphics, and original content — is owned by Hotspots Portugal or its licensors and protected by copyright, trademark, and patent law. You have no ownership rights in this content.

6.2 Trademarks

"Hotspots," "Hotspots Portugal," and associated logos are trademarks of Hotspots Portugal. You may not use these trademarks without written permission.

6.3 User Content IP

You retain ownership of your reviews and photos. By submitting them, you grant Hotspots Portugal the rights described in Section 4.1 above. Other users may not copy your reviews or photos without permission.

7. Restaurant Owners & Claims

7.1 Restaurant Ownership Verification

Restaurant owners can claim their restaurant on Hotspots Portugal. To claim ownership, you must:

• Provide a valid business registration or tax identification number
• Verify your email address
• Confirm you are an authorized representative of the restaurant

7.2 Owner Responsibilities

As a claimed restaurant owner, you agree to:

• Provide accurate information about your restaurant (hours, menu, contact details)
• Update this information promptly when it changes
• Not post fake reviews of your own restaurant or competitors
• Not manipulate votes or ratings through automated means
• Respond professionally to customer reviews without harassment or threats
• Comply with all applicable laws and regulations

7.3 Owner Restrictions

Restaurant owners may NOT:

• See the private information (email, address) of reviewers
• Contact reviewers directly through Hotspots Portugal
• Request removal of negative reviews without a valid reason (e.g., factual inaccuracy, defamation)
• Offer incentives for positive reviews or negative reviews of competitors
• Pay for placement or ranking manipulation

7.4 Removal of Restaurant Claims

Hotspots Portugal reserves the right to revoke an owner's claim if:

• The restaurant closes or changes ownership without updating the claim
• The owner violates these Terms repeatedly
• The owner engages in fraudulent activity or manipulation

8. Disclaimer of Warranties

8.1 "As-Is" Service

HOTSPOTS PORTUGAL IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. We make no guarantee regarding:

• Accuracy: Reviews reflect users' opinions, not verified facts. Hotspots does not guarantee accuracy of content.
• Availability: We do not guarantee continuous, uninterrupted access to the Service.
• Fitness: The Service may not be suitable for all purposes or users.
• Security: While we implement security measures, we cannot guarantee total protection from hacking or data breaches.

8.2 Third-Party Content

Hotspots Portugal does not endorse or verify any user reviews, ratings, or information provided by restaurant owners. You use this information at your own risk. Reliance on reviews for dining decisions is entirely your responsibility.

8.3 External Links

The Service may link to third-party websites. Hotspots Portugal is not responsible for the content, accuracy, or practices of external sites. We have no control over them and make no warranties about them.

9. Limitation of Liability

9.1 No Liability for Indirect Damages

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, HOTSPOTS PORTUGAL SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR:

• Loss of profits, revenue, data, or business interruption
• Indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages
• Damage to your reputation based on reviews
• Harm from relying on information in reviews

9.2 Cap on Liability

Our total liability to you for any claim, whether arising from contract, tort, or otherwise, shall not exceed €100 or the amount you paid to use the Service in the past 12 months, whichever is greater. Some jurisdictions do not allow liability caps; this limitation may not apply to you.

9.3 No Liability for User Content

Hotspots Portugal is not liable for any User Content (reviews, photos, comments) submitted by other users, even if such content is defamatory, inaccurate, or harmful.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Hotspots Portugal, its owners, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, or legal costs arising from:

• Your violation of these Terms
• Your User Content (reviews, photos, comments)
• Your use of the Service
• Your violation of applicable law
• Your infringement of someone else's intellectual property or privacy rights

This indemnification does not apply if the claim arises solely from Hotspots Portugal's negligence or willful misconduct.

11. Termination

11.1 Termination by You

You can delete your account at any time via Settings → Account → "Delete my account." Upon deletion, your account will be closed and your data will be handled according to our Privacy Policy.

11.2 Termination by Us

Hotspots Portugal may terminate or suspend your account immediately, without notice, if:

• You violate these Terms or our Community Guidelines
• You engage in illegal activity or pose a safety risk
• Your account is inactive for 2+ years
• You manipulate reviews, votes, or rankings
• You harass staff or other users

11.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

• Your access to the Service is immediately revoked
• Your profile may be hidden or deleted
• Your reviews may be anonymized or removed
• You remain liable for any violations or harm caused during your use

12. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

12.1 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with Portuguese law, regardless of your location. However, consumer protection laws of your country may also apply.

12.2 Dispute Resolution

Before pursuing legal action:

• Contact us at legal@hotspotsportugal.com with a detailed description of your dispute
• We will attempt to resolve the issue within 30 days
• If unresolved, you may pursue mediation or arbitration

12.3 Jurisdiction

Any legal action or proceeding arising under these Terms shall be brought exclusively in the courts of Lisbon, Portugal, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction and venue of such courts. However, if you are a consumer in the EU, you may bring proceedings in your own country under applicable consumer protection law.

12.4 Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision shall be severed, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

12.5 Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and Community Guidelines, constitute the entire agreement between you and Hotspots Portugal regarding your use of the Service. Any prior negotiations, understandings, or agreements are superseded by these Terms.

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By using Hotspots Portugal, you acknowledge that you have read these Terms of Service, understand them, and agree to be bound by them. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.