Terms and Conditions

1. Acceptance of Terms and Conditions

adoptionuk.org is provided by Adoption UK (Registered Charity Number 326654 [England and Wales] and SCO37892 [Scotland]. Registered Adoption Support Agency) under these Terms and Conditions. These Terms and Conditions govern your use of adoptionuk.org (whether you are a member, a user or a visitor) and govern all services provided to you by Adoption UK in connection with adoptionuk.org, such as access to e-library articles or message boards.

2. Amendments

We reserve the right to amend these Terms and Conditions from time to time without notice to you. Please check the Terms and Conditions periodically to see whether a change has been made to them. Occasionally Adoption UK may supplement these Terms and Conditions with additional terms applying to specific content or events, such as competitions. Any additional terms will be clearly displayed on adoptionuk.org to be viewed in connection with the specific content or events. All Additional Terms will form part of these Terms and Conditions.

3. Registration

Some elements of adoptionuk.org may be viewed by anyone, however, to access some services, e.g. message boards, you will need to register as a member. When you register with us you are stating that you are over 18 years of age. You agree that any information you provide to us about yourself upon registration or at any other time will be true, accurate and complete and that you will ensure that this information is kept accurate and up to date at all times.

4. Password

When you register to use adoptionuk.org you will be asked to create a password. You must keep this password confidential and must not disclose it to or share it with anyone. You will be deemed responsible for all activities that occur under your password. If you know or suspect that someone else knows your password you should immediately notify the Online Community Team.

5. Privacy Policy

We treat your privacy very seriously and we understand that you will wish to know how we will use the information we collect from you. Follow the link below to access our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms and Conditions.

Adoption UK Privacy Policy

6. Your use of adoptionuk.org

6.1 Adoption UK does not endorse the views expressed by users, for example in the 'survival strategies' or on the message boards. You alone are responsible for the content of your messages and your use of adoptionuk.org and the consequences of any such messages. By using adoptionuk.org you agree to comply with the following guidelines:

(a) adoptionuk.org is to be used for your personal use only and use of adoptionuk.org for commercial purposes or to obtain financial gain are strictly prohibited without Adoption UK's prior written consent.

(b) adoptionuk.org may not be used to send chain letters, junk mail, 'spam', solicitations or bulk communications of any kind unless the recipient has given specific permission to be included in such a list.

(c) You may not post to adoptionuk.org any message or material that is unlawful, harassing, defamatory, abusive, threatening, harmful, vulgar, obscene, profane, threatening, racially or sexually or otherwise discriminatory, offensive, inaccurate, in breach of confidence or a third party's intellectual property rights or which otherwise includes objectionable material of any kind or nature, that encourages or engages in conduct that could constitute a criminal offence, give rise to civil liability or otherwise violate any applicable local, national or international law or regulation or which has a disruptive influence on the normal flow of a message board. You must not impersonate any other person or entity, whether actual or fictitious. If you feel that any of the terms and conditions have been broken by users please contact the Online Community Team.

(d) You must not post appeals for case histories on adoptionuk.org. All media and research requests should be sent to the Online Community Team.

(e) You must not use adoptionuk.org in a way that might reasonably be expected to cause the same to be interrupted, damaged, rendered less efficient or which could in any way damage the operation of another's computer.

(f) adoptionuk.org reserves the right in its absolute discretion at any time to edit, alter, delete or move any material whatsoever posted to, appearing on or distributed by adoptionuk.org and you.

7. Intellectual Property

(a) Adoption UK owns the copyright, and other intellectual property rights, of adoptionuk.org and its contents. "Rights" means copyright, database rights, trade marks, design rights and other intellectual and proprietary rights of whatever nature, anywhere in the world. You acknowledge that (i) adoptionuk.org is protected by these Rights; (ii) these Rights are valid and protected in all media and technologies existing now or later developed; and (iii) except as explicitly provided otherwise, these Terms and Conditions and applicable copyright, trademark and other laws govern your use of such Rights.

(b) You may view, print, download or store extracts from adoptionuk.org for your personal, non-commercial reference without alteration, addition or deletion. You may not otherwise copy, replicate, retransmit, distribute, publish, commercially exploit or otherwise transfer any adoptionuk.org material or content without prior consent.

(c) By submitting content, which shall include your name to any public area of adoptionuk.org, including message boards, competitions and ‘Ask for Advice’, you grant Adoption UK a royalty-free, perpetual licence, non-exclusive licence to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish and translate such content for the purposes of the online community to supply information, promote services and offer interaction and communication between users of the community. This includes reproducing content in our magazines and other publications.

8. Third Party Web Sites, Goods and Services

(a) adoptionuk.org provides links to third party web sites that are not affiliated with Adoption UK. We make no representations as to the quality, suitability, functionality or legality of any sites to which we may provide links or any goods or services available from such sites.

(b) All matters concerning any goods and services that you purchase from a third party site, including without limitation all contract terms are solely between you and the owner of that site and Adoption UK will not be liable for any costs or damages to you or any third party arising directly or indirectly out of any third party website. You hereby waive any claim you might have against Adoption UK with respect to any such sites.

9. Disclaimer of Warranties

adoptionuk.org will make every effort to ensure that all information given is true, accurate and complete however Adoption UK is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of such information. All information is provided on the basis that neither Adoption UK, its trustees, employees or consultants or its members are engaged in rendering legal, medical, counselling or other professional services or advice. Adoption UK advises you to seek appropriate professional advice or care for any situation or problem which you may have. Your participation in adoptionuk.org is solely at your own risk. No advice or information, whether oral or written, obtained by you from Adoption UK or through adoptionuk.org shall create any warranty not expressly made in these terms of service or imposed by law.

10. Limitations of Liability

Except as required by law, Adoption UK shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special or consequential losses or damages or loss of profits, data, goodwill, revenue in each case regardless of whether such losses or damages arise in the normal course of events or whether Adoption UK has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Adoption UK will not be liable for any such losses or damages whether arising in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise arising out of or in connection with this website including without limitation the use or the inability to use adoptionuk.org, or messages received, or transactions entered into through adoptionuk.org, or resulting from unauthorised access to or alteration of your transmissions or data.

11. Breach of these Terms and Conditions

Adoption UK will be entitled to restrict, suspend or terminate your membership or deny you access to adoptionuk.org or take such other action if you are in breach of any of the Terms and Conditions or if your use of adoptionuk.org is deemed inappropriate. The restriction, suspension or termination of our service pursuant to this section will be without prejudice to any rights which Adoption UK may have against you in respect of your breach of these Terms of Service. Adoption UK shall be entitled to disclose your user identity and details if required or requested by the courts or other law enforcement authorities and/or agencies or in such other circumstances as Adoption UK in its sole discretion considers reasonably necessary or appropriate.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold each of Adoption UK, its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers and employees, harmless from any claim, including reasonable attorneys' fees, made by any third party due to or occurring out of your use of adoptionuk.org the violation of these Terms and Conditions by you, or the infringement by you, or any other subscriber of your account, or of any intellectual property or other right of any other person or entity.

13. Applicable Law

These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and any dispute shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

14. Complaints policy

Download our Complaints Policy below:

Complaints Policy

This page was last reviewed in December 2009.