Dispute Resolution Policy
Agreement to Arbitrate
This Dispute Resolution Policy is referred to in the Terms of Service as the “Arbitration Agreement.” You agree that any and all disputes or claims that have arisen or may arise between you and Raptor Maps, whether arising out of or relating to this Terms of Service (including any alleged breach thereof), the Services, any advertising, any aspect of the relationship or transactions between us, shall be resolved exclusively through final and binding arbitration, rather than a court, in accordance with the terms of this Arbitration Agreement, except that you may assert individual claims in small claims court, if your claims qualify. Further, this Arbitration Agreement does not preclude you from bringing issues to the attention of federal, state, or local agencies, and such agencies can, if the law allows, seek relief against us on your behalf. You agree that, by entering into this Terms of Service, you and Raptor Maps are each waiving the right to a trial by jury or to participate in a class action. Your rights will be determined by a neutral arbitrator, not a judge or jury. The Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of this Arbitration Agreement
Prohibition of Class and Representative Actions and Non-Individualized Relief
YOU AND RAPTOR MAPS AGREE THAT EACH OF US MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION OR PROCEEDING. UNLESS BOTH YOU AND RAPTOR MAPS AGREE OTHERWISE, THE ARBITRATOR MAY NOT CONSOLIDATE OR JOIN MORE THAN ONE PERSON’S OR PARTY’S CLAIMS AND MAY NOT OTHERWISE PRESIDE OVER ANY FORM OF A CONSOLIDATED, REPRESENTATIVE, OR CLASS PROCEEDING. ALSO, THE ARBITRATOR MAY AWARD RELIEF (INCLUDING MONETARY, INJUNCTIVE, AND DECLARATORY RELIEF) ONLY IN FAVOR OF THE INDIVIDUAL PARTY SEEKING RELIEF AND ONLY TO THE EXTENT NECESSARY TO PROVIDE RELIEF NECESSITATED BY THAT PARTY’S INDIVIDUAL CLAIM(S).
Pre-Arbitration Dispute Resolution
Raptor Maps is always interested in resolving disputes amicably and efficiently, and most customer concerns can be resolved quickly and to the customer’s satisfaction by emailing customer support at support@raptormaps.com. If such efforts prove unsuccessful, a party who intends to seek arbitration must first send to the other, by certified mail, a written Notice of Dispute (“Notice”). The Notice to Raptor Maps should be sent to Raptor Maps, Inc., 28 Dane St., Somerville, MA 02143 (“Notice Address”). The Notice must (i) describe the nature and basis of the claim or dispute and (ii) set forth the specific relief sought. If Raptor Maps and you do not resolve the claim within sixty (60) calendar days after the Notice is received, you or Raptor Maps may commence an arbitration proceeding. During the arbitration, the amount of any settlement offer made by Raptor Maps or you shall not be disclosed to the arbitrator until after the arbitrator determines the amount, if any, to which you or Raptor Maps is entitled.
Arbitration Procedures
Arbitration will be conducted by a neutral arbitrator in accordance with the American Arbitration Association’s (“AAA”) rules and procedures, including the AAA’s Supplementary Procedures for Consumer-Related Disputes (collectively, the “AAA Rules”), as modified by this Arbitration Agreement. For information on the AAA, please visit its website, http://www.adr.org. Information about the AAA Rules and fees for consumer disputes can be found at the AAA’s consumer arbitration page, http://www.adr.org/consumer_arbitration. If there is any inconsistency between any term of the AAA Rules and any term of this Arbitration Agreement, the applicable terms of this Arbitration Agreement will control unless the arbitrator determines that the application of the inconsistent Arbitration Agreement terms would not result in a fundamentally fair arbitration. The arbitrator must also follow the provisions of these Terms of Service as a court would. All issues are for the arbitrator to decide, including, but not limited to, issues relating to the scope, enforceability, and arbitrability of this Arbitration Agreement. Although arbitration proceedings are usually simpler and more streamlined than trials and other judicial proceedings, the arbitrator can award the same damages and relief on an individual basis that a court can award to an individual under the Terms of Service and applicable law. Decisions by the arbitrator are enforceable in court and may be overturned by a court only for very limited reasons.
Unless Raptor Maps and you agree otherwise, any arbitration hearings will take place in a reasonably convenient location for both parties with due consideration of their ability to travel and other pertinent circumstances. If the parties are unable to agree on a location, the determination shall be made by AAA. If your claim is for $10,000 or less, Raptor Maps agrees that you may choose whether the arbitration will be conducted solely on the basis of documents submitted to the arbitrator, through a telephonic hearing, or by an in-person hearing as established by the AAA Rules. If your claim exceeds $10,000, the right to a hearing will be determined by the AAA Rules. Regardless of the manner in which the arbitration is conducted, the arbitrator shall issue a reasoned written decision sufficient to explain the essential findings and conclusions on which the award is based.
Costs of Arbitration
Payment of all filing, administration, and arbitrator fees (collectively, the “Arbitration Fees”) will be governed by the AAA Rules, unless otherwise provided in this Arbitration Agreement. If the value of the relief sought is $10,000 or less, at your request, Raptor Maps will pay all Arbitration Fees. If the value of relief sought is more than $10,000 and you are able to demonstrate to the arbitrator that you are economically unable to pay your portion of the Arbitration Fees or if the arbitrator otherwise determines for any reason that you should not be required to pay your portion of the Arbitration Fees, Raptor Maps will pay your portion of such fees. In addition, if you demonstrate to the arbitrator that the costs of arbitration will be prohibitive as compared to the costs of litigation, Raptor Maps will pay as much of the Arbitration Fees as the arbitrator deems necessary to prevent the arbitration from being cost-prohibitive. Any payment of attorneys’ fees will be governed by the AAA Rules.
Confidentiality
All aspects of the arbitration proceeding, and any ruling, decision, or award by the arbitrator, will be strictly confidential for the benefit of all parties.
Severability
If a court or the arbitrator decides that any term or provision of this Arbitration Agreement (other than the subsection (b) titled “Prohibition of Class and Representative Actions and Non-Individualized Relief” above) is invalid or unenforceable, the parties agree to replace such term or provision with a term or provision that is valid and enforceable and that comes closest to expressing the intention of the invalid or unenforceable term or provision, and this Arbitration Agreement shall be enforceable as so modified. If a court or the arbitrator decides that any of the provisions of subsection (b) above titled “Prohibition of Class and Representative Actions and Non-Individualized Relief” are invalid or unenforceable, then the entirety of this Arbitration Agreement shall be null and void. The remainder of the Terms of Service will continue to apply.
Future Changes to Arbitration Agreement
Notwithstanding any provision in this Terms of Service to the contrary, Raptor Maps agrees that if it makes any future change to this Arbitration Agreement (other than a change to the Notice Address) while you are a user of the Services, you may reject any such change by sending Raptor Maps written notice within thirty (30) calendar days of the change to the Notice Address provided in the Terms of Service, available on our Terms of Service page. By rejecting any future change, you are agreeing that you will arbitrate any dispute between us in accordance with the language of this Arbitration Agreement as of the date you first accepted these Terms of Service (or accepted any subsequent changes to these Terms of Service).