By submitting an advertisement, listing, image, link, business description, charity notice, marketplace entry or other material to Modern Scot, you acknowledge, understand and agree to these Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree, you must not submit material or purchase advertising or listing space.
1. Platform role
Modern Scot operates as an independent publishing platform. Modern Scot does not act as a broker, agent, intermediary, property manager, booking service, payment processor, verifier, inspector, guarantor or participant in any transaction conducted between advertisers, readers, buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants, service providers, charities or other users.
2. Scope of listings and advertising
Modern Scot may publish paid advertising, free charity advertising, regional advertising blocks, marketplace listings, business listings, product listings, service listings, property listings, accommodation listings and other submitted material across Scotland. Categories may include, but are not limited to, regional advertising, Scottish businesses, products and services, homes and land, holiday lets, long term rentals, buy, sell, barter or trade, charitable notices, community organisations and Scottish commercial opportunities. Category descriptions are provided for organisation only and do not alter these Terms and Conditions.
3. Scottish eligibility
Modern Scot advertising and listings are intended for Scottish businesses, Scottish makers, Scottish services, Scottish charities, Scottish community organisations, Scottish social enterprises, Scottish products, Scottish properties or opportunities with a clear and genuine connection to Scotland. Advertisers must not misrepresent their location, ownership, origin, service area, charitable status or Scottish connection. If Modern Scot determines that a submission is false, misleading, materially incomplete or outside the permitted scope, the advertisement or listing may be declined, removed or suspended without refund.
4. Advertiser responsibility
All advertisements, listings, images, descriptions, links, claims, prices, offers, locations, availability statements and related material are submitted solely by advertisers or users. The advertiser is fully responsible for the accuracy, legitimacy, legality and completeness of all submitted material. Modern Scot does not independently verify every claim, product, service, property, business, charity, organisation or opportunity submitted for publication.
5. Review and approval
Payment or submission does not guarantee publication. Modern Scot reserves the right to review, approve, reject, edit, decline, suspend or remove any advertisement or listing at its sole discretion. This includes material that Modern Scot considers unsuitable, unlawful, misleading, low quality, reputationally harmful, inconsistent with editorial standards, outside Scotland’s scope, technically defective or otherwise inappropriate for publication.
6. No endorsement
Publication on Modern Scot does not constitute endorsement, approval, recommendation, certification, verification or guarantee by Modern Scot. Readers and users must conduct their own checks before entering into any transaction, booking, purchase, rental, agreement or arrangement.
7. Prohibited content
Submissions must not include illegal goods or services, stolen property, fraudulent representations, misleading claims, unlawful discrimination, hate material, adult sexual content, counterfeit goods, unsafe products, prohibited regulated items, unlawful financial schemes, gambling promotions, tobacco or vaping promotions, political party campaign advertising, malicious links, deceptive AI generated scams, or any content that violates applicable law or Modern Scot’s publishing standards. Modern Scot may remove such material without refund.
8. Property, accommodation and regulated categories
Advertisers submitting property, accommodation, holiday let, rental, land, service or regulated listings are solely responsible for compliance with all applicable laws, licensing obligations, planning requirements, safety standards, tax obligations, consumer protection rules, tenancy regulations and advertising standards. Modern Scot does not inspect, certify, value, manage, let, book, supervise or guarantee any property, accommodation, service or regulated opportunity.
9. Uploaded artwork and technical requirements
Advertisers are responsible for supplying artwork in the required format and size. Unless otherwise stated, advertising artwork must be supplied as a square 500 × 500 pixel image in an accepted file format. Modern Scot may decline artwork that is unclear, incorrectly sized, technically defective, misleading, poor quality or unsuitable for publication. The advertiser confirms that they own or have permission to use all logos, images, text, trademarks, photographs and creative material submitted.
10. Advertising duration and expiry
Advertising placements run for the duration selected or agreed at the time of purchase, beginning when the advertisement is approved and made live, unless Modern Scot states otherwise. When the placement period expires, the advertisement may be automatically removed and the space may become available for another advertiser. Modern Scot is not responsible for reminding advertisers of expiry unless it chooses to do so.
11. Charity and community advertising
Modern Scot may offer free or discounted advertising to Scottish charities, community organisations, nonprofits, social enterprises or public benefit bodies. Such placements remain subject to review, Scottish eligibility, technical requirements and these Terms and Conditions. Free, coupon based or donated placements do not create any right to publication and may be declined or removed at Modern Scot’s discretion.
12. Advertiser generated charity coupons
Where a paid advertiser is permitted to create a charity advertising coupon, that coupon is intended only for a Scottish charity, community organisation, nonprofit, social enterprise or public benefit body. The coupon has no cash value, may not be resold, transferred for commercial gain, exchanged for money or used for ordinary commercial advertising. Modern Scot may refuse, suspend or cancel any coupon that is misused, misleading, duplicated, offensive, expired or inconsistent with these Terms and Conditions.
13. Payments and fees
All payments are payments for advertising submission, review, administration and potential publication services only. Payments are processed by third party payment providers such as Stripe. Modern Scot does not store card details or payment credentials. Payment records, receipts and transaction references may be retained for accounting, administrative and legal purposes.
14. Refunds and cancellations
All advertising and listing payments are final and non refundable once submitted. Payment is for the review, administration and potential publication of advertising or listing material. Publication is subject to Modern Scot approval, Scottish eligibility, technical requirements and these Terms and Conditions.
No refund will be provided where an advertisement, listing or submission is declined, removed, cancelled, suspended, submitted late, technically defective, incorrectly sized, unsuitable, misleading, non compliant, outside the permitted Scottish scope, withdrawn by the advertiser, or affected by advertiser error.
No refund will be provided for disruption caused by technical malfunctions, internet failures, hosting outages, software conflicts, third party payment issues, force majeure events, natural disasters, war, civil disruption, cyber incidents or circumstances outside Modern Scot’s reasonable control.
If Modern Scot is unable to provide the purchased advertising or listing service because of an error entirely within Modern Scot’s control, Modern Scot may, at its discretion, offer a replacement placement, extension, credit or refund.
15. Technical limitations
Modern Scot is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. Modern Scot does not guarantee uninterrupted publication, constant availability, error free operation, continuous uptime, search engine indexing, social media display, traffic levels, clicks, enquiries, sales, bookings, leads or commercial outcomes.
16. No guarantee of results
Modern Scot does not guarantee that any advertisement, listing or placement will generate sales, enquiries, traffic, bookings, customers, public attention, search visibility, social media reach or any other result. Advertisers purchase the opportunity to submit material for review and possible publication, not a guaranteed commercial outcome.
17. User transactions
Modern Scot is not a party to any sale, purchase, rental, lease, service contract, accommodation booking, barter, trade, donation, charitable arrangement or other agreement between users. All transactions and communications take place independently and at the user’s own risk.
18. Scam and risk warning
Users are strongly advised to conduct independent due diligence before making payments, transferring goods, booking accommodation, entering contracts, visiting properties, hiring services or relying on any advertisement or listing. Modern Scot is not responsible for fraudulent behaviour, misrepresentation, financial loss, property disputes, rental disputes, product claims, service failures or private arrangements between users.
19. Privacy and data practices
Modern Scot follows a minimal data retention approach where practical. Operational data may be collected and retained to process submissions, review advertisements, manage orders, verify eligibility, maintain records, prevent abuse, comply with legal obligations and administer the website. Payment information is handled by third party payment providers. Modern Scot does not intentionally store full card details.
20. No mandatory user account
Modern Scot may allow submissions without requiring a user account. Users acknowledge that limited operational data may still be processed for submission, review, payment, security, record keeping and communication purposes. Responsibility for submitted material remains with the advertiser or user whether or not an account is created.
21. Age requirement
Users submitting advertisements, listings or marketplace material must be at least 18 years old and must have authority to act on behalf of the business, organisation, charity, property owner or person represented in the submission.
22. Content rights
By submitting material, the advertiser grants Modern Scot a non exclusive right to display, reproduce, crop, resize, format and publish the submitted material for the purpose of operating, promoting, archiving and administering the listing or advertisement. The advertiser confirms that the submitted material does not infringe the rights of any third party.
23. Indemnification
Advertisers and users agree to indemnify Modern Scot, its publisher, editor, contributors, contractors and representatives against claims, losses, costs, damages, complaints, legal actions or regulatory issues arising from submitted material, false claims, unlawful listings, copyright infringement, misleading advertising, transactions, disputes, legal violations or breach of these Terms and Conditions.
24. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Modern Scot shall not be liable for user generated content, errors, omissions, misleading claims, fraudulent listings, technical interruptions, lost profits, lost opportunities, reputational loss, financial loss, property loss, failed transactions, disputes between users or any indirect or consequential loss arising from advertisements, listings or marketplace submissions.
25. Changes to these terms
Modern Scot may update these Terms and Conditions from time to time. The version published on the website at the time of submission or purchase will apply unless otherwise required by law or stated by Modern Scot.
26. Governing law
These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by the laws applicable in Scotland, unless another governing law is required by mandatory legal rules.
27. Acceptance of terms
Submission of any advertisement, listing, artwork, coupon request, charity advert, marketplace entry or related material constitutes acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.