Terms Of Use

I. Definitions

“The Council Website” means the website operated by The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (The Council), currently located at https://www.ciab.com/, including all associated webpages, subdomains, content, functionality, services, and features made available through such site, whether accessed via desktop, mobile, or other devices.

“Third-Party Service Providers” mean any third parties that provide service, content, functionality, or features in connection with The Council Website, including, without limitation, vendors, licensors, contractors, partners, and other service providers whose tools, platforms, software, or materials may be made available through or integrated with The Council Website.

 

II. Agreement Between User and The Council

The Council Website is comprised of various Web pages operated by The Council.

The Council Website is offered to you conditioned on your acceptance without modification of the terms, conditions, and notices contained herein. Your use of The Council Website constitutes your agreement to all such terms, conditions, and notices.

Your use of The Council website is also subject to The Council’s Privacy Policy.

III. Modification Terms of Use

The Council reserves the right to change the terms, conditions, and notices under which The Council Website is offered, including, wihtout limitation, the charges associated with use of The Council Website.

IV. Refund Policy

Membership Dues:
(1) General Information – The Council does not refund membership dues.
(2) Overpayment Refund – In the event of an overpayment caused by The Council, the member, or a financial institution, the excess amount will be refunded to the original form of payment within 30 days after the member notifies The Council of the overpayment, or, at the member’s option, applied to the following year’s membership dues.
(3) Contact – Please contact a member of The Council’s membership team at 202.783.4400.

Meeting Registration:
(1) Attendee Initiated Cancellation – Cancellation requests must be received by the date specified in the applicable meeting registration materials. If timely written notice is received, the registration fee will be refunded less any specified processing charge. No refunds will be issued after the specified cancellation deadline. Attendee substitutions are permitted at any time at no additional cost.
(2) Contact – For questions, please contact a member of The Council’s meetings team at 202.783.4400.

V. Links to Third-Party Sites

The Council Website may contain links to other Websites (“Linked Sites”). Linked Sites are not under the control of The Council, and The Council is not responsible for the contents of any Linked Site, including, without limitation any link contained in a Linked Site, or any changes or updates to a Linked Site. The Council is not responsible for webcasting or any other form of transmission received from any Linked Site. The Council is providing these links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement or affiliation.

VI. No Unlawful or Prohibited Use

As a condition of your use of The Council Website, you warrant that you will not use The Council Website for any purpose that is unlawful or prohibited by this agreement. You may not use The Council Website in any manner that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair it or otherwise interfere with any other party’s use and enjoyment. You may not obtain or attempt to obtain any materials or information through any means not intentionally made available or provided for through The Council Website.

VII. Use of Communication Services

The Council Website may contain bulletin board services, chat areas, news groups, forums, communities, personal web pages, calendars, and/or other message or communication facilities designed to enable you to communicate with the public at large or with a group (collectively, “Communication Services”). You agree to use the Communication Services only for proper and lawful purposes. You agree not to:

• Defame, abuse, harass, stalk, threaten or otherwise violate the legal rights (such as rights of privacy and publicity) of others.
• Publish, post, upload, distribute or disseminate any inappropriate, profane, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent or unlawful topic, name, material or information.
• Upload files that contain software or other material protected by intellectual property laws (or by rights of privacy of publicity) unless you own or control the rights thereto or have received all necessary consent.
• Upload files that contain viruses, corrupted files, or any other similar software or programs that may damage the operation of another’s computer.
• Advertise or offer to sell or buy any goods or services for any business purpose, unless such Communication Service specifically allows such messages.
• Conduct or forward surveys, contests, pyramid schemes or chain letters.
• Download any file posted by another user of a Communication Service that you know, or reasonably should know, cannot be legally distributed in such manner.
• Falsify or delete any author attributions, legal or other proper notices or proprietary designations or labels of the origin or source of software or other material contained in a file that is uploaded.
• Restrict or inhibit any other user from using and enjoying the Communication Services.
• Violate any code of conduct or other guidelines which may be applicable for any particular Communication Service.
• Harvest or otherwise collect information about others, including e-mail addresses, without their consent.
• Violate any applicable policies, laws or regulations.

The Council has no obligation to monitor the Communication Services. However, The Council reserves the right to monitor, review, edit, remove, or disclose content as necessary and to terminate access to Communication Services at any time for any reason.

Always use caution when giving out any personally identifying information about yourself or your children in any Communication Service. The Council does not control or endorse the content, messages or information found in any Communication Service and, therefore, The Council specifically disclaims any liability with regard to the Communication Services and any actions resulting from your participation in any Communication Service. Managers and hosts are not authorized spokespersons for The Council, and their views do not necessarily reflect those of The Council.

Materials uploaded to a Communication Service may be subject to posted limitations on usage, reproduction and/or dissemination. You are responsible for adhering to such limitations if you download the materials.

VIII. Materials Provided or Posted

The Council does not claim ownership of the materials you provide to The Council (including feedback and suggestions) or post, upload, input or submit to any Council Website or its associated services (collectively “Submissions”). However, by posting, uploading, inputting, providing or submitting your Submission you grant The Council, and its affiliated entities and sublicensees permission to use your Submission in connection with the operation of their Internet businesses including, without limitation, the rights to: copy, distribute, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, reproduce, edit, translate and reformat your Submission; and to publish your name in connection with your Submission.

No compensation will be paid with respect to the use of your Submission, as provided herein. The Council is under no obligation to post or use any Submission you may provide and may remove any Submission at any time in The Council’s sole discretion.

By posting, uploading, inputting, providing or submitting your Submission you warrant and represent that you own or otherwise control all of the rights to your Submission as described in this section including, without limitation, all the rights necessary for you to provide, post, upload, input or submit the Submission.

IX. Liability Disclaimer

The information, software, products, and services included in or available through The Council Website may include inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically added to the information herein. The Council and/or its Third-Party Service Providers may make improvements and/or changes in The Council Website at any time. Advice received via The Council Website should not be relied upon for personal, medical, legal or financial decisions. You should consult an appropriate professional for specific advice tailored to your situation.

The Council and/or its Third-Party Service Providers make no representations about the suitability, reliability, availability, timeliness, and accuracy of the information, software, products, services and related graphics contained on The Council Website for any purpose. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, all such information, software, products, services and related graphics are provided “as is” without warranty or condition of any kind. The Council and/or its Third-Party Service Providers hereby disclaim all warranties and conditions with regard to this information, software, products, services and related graphics, including all implied warranties or conditions of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title and non-infringement.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall The Council and/or its Third-Party Service Providers be liable for any direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, special, consequential damages or any damages whatsoever including, without limitation, damages for loss of use, data or profits, arising out of or in any way connected with the use or performance of The Council Website, with the delay or inability to use The Council Website or related services, the provision of or failure to provide services, or for any information, software, products, services and related graphics obtained through The Council Website, or otherwise arising out of the use of The Council Website, whether based on contract, tort, negligence, strict liability or otherwise, even if The Council or any of its Third-Party Service Providers have been advised of the possibility of damages. Because some states/jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, the above limitation may not apply to you. If you are dissatisfied with any portion of The Council Website, or with any of these terms of use, your sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue using The Council Website.

Service contact: webmaster@ciab.com

X. Termination/Access Restriction

The Council reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to terminate your access to The Council Website and any related services, or any portion thereof, at any time and without notice.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, this Agreement is governed by the laws of the District of Columbia, U.S.A. Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the use of The Council Website must be resolved through final and binding arbitration administered by a recognized arbitration provider in accordance with its applicable rules. The arbitration must take place in the District of Columbia, U.S.A., and judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction. You agree to waive any right to a trial by jury and to participate in any class or representative action. Use of The Council Website is not authorized in any jurisdiction that does not give full effect to all provisions of these terms and conditions, including this Section.

You agree that no joint venture, partnership, employment, or agency relationship exists between you and The Council as a result of this Agreement or use of The Council Website.

The Council’s performance of this Agreement is subject to applicable laws and legal process. Nothing in this Agreement limits The Council’s right to comply with governmental, court, or law enforcement requests or requirements relating to your use of The Council Website or information provided to or gathered by The Council in connection with such use.

If any part of this Agreement is determined to be invalid or unenforceable under applicable law, including but not limited to, the warranty disclaimers and liability limitations that provision shall be deemed severable and shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining provisions, which shall continue in full force and effect.

Unless otherwise specified-herein, this Agreement constitutes the entire Agreement between the user and The Council with respect to The Council Website and it supersedes all prior or contemporaneous communications and proposals, whether electronic, oral or written.

A printed version of this Agreement and of any notice given in electronic form shall be admissible in judicial or administrative proceedings to the same extent and subject to the same conditions as other business documents and records originally generated and maintained in printed form. The parties expressly agree that this Agreement and all related documents will be prepared in English.

XI. Copyright and Trademark Notices

All contents of The Council Website are: Copyright © 2010 The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers and/or its Third-Party Service Providers. All rights reserved.

XII. Trademarks

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved by The Council.

XIII. Notices and Procedure for Making Claims of Copyright Infringement

Pursuant to Title 17, United States Code, Section 512(c)(2), notifications of claimed copyright infringement under United States copyright law should be sent to Service Provider’s Designated Agent. ALL INQUIRIES NOT RELEVANT TO THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURE WILL RECEIVE NO RESPONSE. See Notice and Procedure for Making Claims of Copyright Infringement.

XIV. Privacy Policy

XV. Our Commitment to Privacy

The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (The Council) is committed to protecting your privacy and providing a secure online experience. This Statement Privacy Policy applies to The Council Website and governs data collection and usage.

The Council uses industry-standard security measures to protect against the loss, misuse, and alteration of data and information used by our system.

By using The Council Website, you consent to the data practices described in this Privacy Policy.

XVI. What kind of information does The Council collect?

The Council collects personally identifiable information that you voluntarily provide, including your name, email address, mailing address, telephone number, and where applicable, payment or billing information. The Council may also collect non-identifying demographic information, such as your ZIP code, age, gender, preferences, interests, and similar data.

In addition, The Council collects certain information about your device and usage of The Council Website. This may include your IP address, browser type, domain names, access times and referring website addresses. This information is used to operate and improve The Council Website, maintain service quality, and generate analytics regarding usage of The Council Website.

Please note that if you directly disclose personal information or sensitive data through The Council Website, including public message boards and similar features, that information may be collected and used by others. The Council does not control or monitor such third-party use.

Note: The Council does not read any of your private online communications.

 XVII. How does The Council use my information?

The Council uses your information to operate The Council Website, provide services you request, and inform you of other products or services available from The Council and its affiliates. The Council may also contact you via surveys to conduct research about your opinion of current services or of potential new services that may be offered.

You always have the choice not to receive information or communications from The Council. For instructions on opting out, please see Section XXI entitled, “How do I make choices about receiving communications?”

The Council does not sell, rent or lease its customer lists to third parties. The Council may, from time to time, contact you on behalf of external business partners about a particular offering that may be of interest to you. In those cases, your unique personally identifiable information (email, name, address, telephone number) is not transferred to the third party. In addition, The Council may share data with trusted partners to help us perform statistical analysis, send you email or postal mail, provide customer support, or arrange for deliveries. All such third parties are prohibited from using your personal information except to provide these services to The Council, and they are required to maintain the confidentiality of your information.

The Council does not use or disclose sensitive personal information, such as race, religion, or political affiliations, without your explicit consent.

The Council keeps track of the websites and pages our customers visit within The Council to determine what services are the most popular. This data is used to deliver customized content and advertising within The Council to customers whose behavior indicates that they are interested in a particular subject area.

 XVIII. Does The Council share my information?

The Council does not sell, rent, loan, trade, or lease any personal information it gathers. The Council will disclose your personal information, without notice, only if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) comply with the law or legal process served on The Council or the Website; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of The Council; or (c) act under exigent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of The Council, or the public.

 XIX. How do I know my personal information is secure?

The Council secures your personal information from unauthorized access, use or disclosure. The Council secures the personally identifiable information you provide on computer servers in a controlled, secure environment, protected from unauthorized access, use or disclosure. When personal information (such as a credit card number) is transmitted to other websites, it is protected using encryption, such as the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol.

 XX. How do I change or access my information?

You may access and change your account information, upon a successful login, by going to “Manage My Profile” found in the grey bar spanning each page.

 XXI. How do I make choices about receiving communications?

You will receive all Council specific communications based upon your membership with The Council. You may adjust your subscription to specific emails by (a) opting-out via the unsubscribe button at the bottom of each type of email, or going to the “Manage My Subscriptions” page which is presented immediately after you submit “Manage My Profile” updates.

 XXII. How does The Council use cookies and other tracking technologies?

The Council Website uses “cookies” and similar tracking technologies to enhance user experience, remember preferences, and analyze website usage. A cookie is a text file that is placed on your hard disk by a webpage server that allows the Website to recognize returning users and improve functionality. You may control the use of cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may limit the functionality of certain features.

 XXIII. What is “phishing”?

“Phishing” is a scam characterized by emails designed to steal your personal information. If you receive an email that looks like it came from us, but asks for your personal information, do not respond. We will never request that you provide your password, credit card information, or username via email.

 XXIV. What about links to other websites?

The Council encourages you to review the privacy statements of websites you may link to from The Council’s website so that you can understand how other websites collect, use and share your information. The Council is not responsible for the privacy statements or other content on websites outside of The Council and The Council family of websites.

XXV. Changes to this Privacy Policy

The Council will occasionally update this Privacy Policy to reflect company and customer feedback. The Council encourages you to periodically review this Privacy Policy to be informed of how The Council is protecting your information.

Updated versions will be posted on The Council Website, and continued use of the Website constitutes acceptance of such changes.

XXVI. Contact Information

The Council welcomes your comments regarding this Privacy Policy. If you believe that The Council has not adhered to this Policy, please contact The Council at webmaster@ciab.com. We will use commercially reasonable efforts to promptly determine and remedy the problem.