Terms of Service

Welcome to the BMC Directory, operated by the Richmond County Black & Minority Chamber of Commerce (“RCBMC”). By using this site you agree to these terms. We've tried to keep them short and readable.

Acceptable use

Use the directory to discover and support Black and minority-owned businesses on Staten Island. Don't use it for things that harm the community, including:

• Posting false reviews or impersonating another business.
• Scraping the directory to build a competing service.
• Uploading hateful, harassing, sexually explicit, or illegal content.
• Attempting to break, overload, or reverse-engineer the site.
• Using the directory to send spam or unsolicited commercial messages to listed business owners.

Accounts

You can browse the directory without an account. An account is required to save favorites, write reviews, or list a business. You are responsible for keeping your password safe and for any activity under your account. You must be at least 13 years old to create an account.

Content you provide

You own the content you post — your business information, photos, owner story, and reviews. By posting it to the directory, you give the RCBMC a non-exclusive license to display it on the directory and in related marketing for the directory (for example, social media posts spotlighting your business).

You promise that the content you post is accurate and that you have the right to post it (you took the photos, or have permission, etc.). You can remove your content any time by editing your listing or deleting your account.

Business listing accuracy

Business owners are responsible for keeping their listing information accurate — hours, address, phone, photos. We run an annual re-verification to help, but the owner is the authoritative source. If a listing is materially out of date for 90 days, we may mark it as inactive.

Reviews

Reviews must reflect a real experience. Don't post reviews for businesses you have a financial relationship with, and don't use reviews to harass owners or staff. We may hide or remove reviews that violate these terms after investigation.

Takedown requests

If you are the owner of a business listed without your permission, or if you believe content on the directory violates your rights, email info@bmcstatenisland.org with the listing URL and the reason. We respond within 5 business days. Verified takedown requests are honored within 48 hours of confirmation.

The Vetted Featured badge

The Vetted Featured badge is earned through a documentation review and onboarding consultation, not purchased. We do not accept payment in exchange for badges or listing placement.

Disclaimers

The directory is provided as-is. We do our best to verify businesses but cannot guarantee the accuracy of every listing or review. The RCBMC is not responsible for transactions between users and listed businesses. If a business misrepresents itself, tell us — we'll investigate.

Suspension and termination

We may suspend or remove an account or listing that violates these terms. We'll usually contact you first. You can close your account any time from your dashboard.

Changes

We may update these terms as the directory grows. We'll update the “Last updated” date and, for material changes, notify account holders by email.