Our Braintree – Terms & Conditions
Last Updated: August 2025
Summary of Key Terms
(This section is an overview only. Please read the full Terms & Conditions below for the binding details.)
Who we are – Our Braintree was founded by Mark Sansom and Danny Macklin, both born, raised, and still living and working in Braintree — together bringing over 100 years of combined local knowledge.
Purpose – To provide one trusted platform for celebrating and promoting independent, locally-based businesses in the Braintree District.
Types of listing –
Standard (free) listing
Premium (paid) listing with extra features & visibility (max 3 per category)
Eligibility – Must be based or operating within Braintree District (including Halstead, Witham, and surrounding villages) and be considered “independent” (or a small local franchise under £1m annual turnover).
Premium cost & term –
Monthly: £25/month, 12-month initial commitment
Annual: £200/year upfront
Ranking system – Standard listings ranked by site-user ‘likes’, Premium listings shown A–Z within category.
Events – Local non-commercial community events listed free; commercial events incur a fair nominal fee.
Missing persons – Only shares official Essex Police appeals.
Closure/right to suspend service – May close the service with 28 days’ notice; refunds given for unused full months for Premium listings.
Refunds – No refund if a listing is removed for breaches of UK law or Our Braintree’s community guidelines.
Price/VAT changes – Prices may change with 28 days’ notice; VAT may be added with 28 days’ notice if required.
Political neutrality – Our Braintree will never promote political parties or agendas.
Inclusion & diversity – We actively promote inclusion and diversity; all content must reflect these values.
0. Inclusion & Diversity
0.1 Our Braintree proudly celebrates and promotes inclusion and diversity across all aspects of the platform.
0.2 Our Braintree is committed to ensuring every business, resident, and community member is treated with fairness, dignity, and respect, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, religion, or background.
0.3 All listings, events, and content submitted to Our Braintree must reflect these values. Anything promoting prejudice, exclusion, or discrimination will be refused or removed.
1. Introduction
1.1 Our Braintree was founded by Mark Sansom and Danny Macklin, who between them have lived, worked, and been deeply involved in the Braintree community for over 100 years combined.
1.2 Our Braintree exists to bring together the residents and businesses of the Braintree District on one platform, celebrating and supporting independent local trade and community life.
1.3 Listings are available in two packages: Standard (free) and Premium (paid). These Terms & Conditions apply to all listings.
1.4 Eligibility
All listings must be for businesses with a base and/or presence within the Braintree District area (including Braintree, Halstead, Witham, and surrounding villages).
All listings must be for independent businesses, meaning the business does not have multiple national sites or high street chain presence.
Franchise businesses may list if their local site turnover is under £1 million per annum. Proof of accounts may be requested.
1.5 Standards of Conduct
All listed businesses must operate legally and in good faith, and must not promote, enable, or condone illegal activity.
1.6 Content Rights & Licence
By submitting a listing, businesses confirm they have all required rights and permissions for the materials provided (logos, images, copy, links, designs, etc.). A non-exclusive, royalty-free licence is granted to Our Braintree to use such content for display and promotion.
2. Standard (Free) Listings
2.1 Standard Listings are free of charge.
2.2 Ranking System – Standard Listings are ranked by number of unique ‘likes’ received from users. In case of a tie, alphabetical order applies.
2.3 Misuse – Artificially inflating likes (e.g., through automated systems) is strictly prohibited and may result in removal.
2.4 Amendments – Standard listing changes may be requested once every two months by emailing hello@ourbraintree.co.uk with clear details.
3. Premium (Paid) Listings
3.1 Benefits – Premium features include:
Additional images, videos, and social links
Priority placement within category
“Featured Business” badge
Category exclusivity — maximum of three Premium listings per category
3.2 Commitment & Cost –
Monthly: £25 per month, 12-month minimum term, paid by Direct Debit on the 1st of each month
Annual: £200 up-front for 12 months
3.3 Payment Method – Payments are taken via the Our Braintree website (hosted on SquareSpace). On bank statements or banking app notifications, charges will appear as:
💥💥💥 XXXXXXXXX 💥💥💥 (placeholder for actual statement descriptor)
3.4 Oversubscription Rule – If four or more Premium applications are made for the same category, the first three approved listings will get the Premium status. Others may waitlist or opt for Standard listing.
3.5 Listing Updates – Premium Members may update their profiles at any time, subject to compliance with Our Braintree’s community guidelines.
3.6 Non-Renewal – If not renewed, Premium listings revert to Standard and lose premium features.
3.7 Cancellations –
Monthly: Requires at least one full calendar month’s written/email notice from the registered business email.
Annual: Non-refundable after the 14-day cooling-off period.
3.8 Price Changes – Our Braintree may raise or lower prices at any time, with at least 28 days’ notice to active Premium Members.
3.9 VAT – If required, VAT will be added to the subscription fee at the prevailing rate, with at least 28 days’ notice.
4. Events
4.1 Non-commercial community events (e.g., school fayres, carnivals, charity events) are listed free of charge.
4.2 Commercial events incur a nominal fee based on scale and effort required to promote them via Our Braintree.
5. Missing Persons
5.1 The Missing Persons section supports official Essex Police appeals only.
5.2 All information is correct at the time of posting. Our Braintree is not liable for updates, omissions, or any impact from the posting or non-posting of appeals.
6. Service Closure
6.1 Our Braintree may close or suspend services at any time if commercially unviable or by operational decision.
6.2 28 days’ notice will be given to active members where possible.
6.3 Refunds will be issued for any remaining full calendar months of Premium memberships after closure.
6.4 No further liability remains once the service closes.
7. Political Neutrality
Our Braintree is politically neutral and will never use the platform or associated communications to promote any political party or agenda.
8. Content Removal & Refunds
If a listing is removed for breaching UK law or Our Braintree’s community guidelines, no refunds will be issued for any unused subscription period.
9. Prohibited Uses
Use of Our Braintree for unlawful, fraudulent, misleading, or harmful activity is forbidden. No spamming, phishing, defamation, inappropriate content, or automated scraping of content is permitted.
10. Limitation of Liability
Our Braintree is a promotional platform and makes no guarantees on traffic, customer numbers, or sales. We are not liable for any loss, damage, or disputes arising from the use of the platform.
11. Governing Law
These Terms & Conditions are governed under the laws of England and Wales.
12. Contact Details
Telephone: 01376 806154 / 07874 653967
Email: hello@ourbraintree.co.uk
Trading name of Memories Forever Limited — Company number: 15836853
Directors: Mark Sansom & Danny Macklin