Terms of Use

MarinesConnect is a private professional and business network operated by National Marine Corps Business Network, Inc. ("we," "us," or "MarinesConnect"), a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Sacramento, California. By creating an account or using MarinesConnect, you agree to these Terms of Use and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use MarinesConnect. These general Terms work alongside our Exchange Terms, MLM Policy, and Community Guidelines, which govern those specific areas.

MarinesConnect is for adults 18 and older who are eligible members of our community. You are responsible for everything done through your account, so keep your login secure and do not share it. Provide accurate information about yourself, and do not impersonate anyone or misrepresent your affiliation. We may verify eligibility and may suspend or remove accounts that do not meet our membership requirements.

Membership is free. MarinesConnect is funded by voluntary donations to National Marine Corps Business Network, Inc. A donation is a charitable gift to our nonprofit and is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Donations are voluntary and are not payment for membership, features, or any goods or services. Any donor recognition — such as a supporter badge, rank, or thank-you — is a form of acknowledgment only and does not grant any functional platform benefit, advantage, or preferential treatment. Because gifts support our mission, donations are generally non-refundable except in the case of a clear processing error; contact us if you believe a mistake was made. You may cancel a recurring monthly gift at any time from your account; canceling stops future charges but does not refund gifts already made.

Use MarinesConnect honestly and respectfully. You agree not to: harass, threaten, or abuse other members; post fraudulent, misleading, or scam content; spam or solicit in violation of our policies; misrepresent who you are; misuse another member's personal information; or use bots, scrapers, or other automated tools to collect content or data from the platform. In short, do not break the law and do not do anything that puts MarinesConnect or its members at risk.

You keep ownership of the content you post — your profile, posts, messages, listings, wins, and everything else you share. By posting, you give National Marine Corps Business Network, Inc. permission to host, store, display, reproduce, and share that content as needed to operate the platform and to promote MarinesConnect and our nonprofit mission. This permission includes using content you have shared publicly or as a success story — such as a Win you post — in our fundraising, donor, and marketing communications. We will respect the visibility choices you set, and where practical we will credit you; you can remove your content, though copies may remain in backups or where others have already shared it.

If something you post identifies another member, their business, or a deal you did together — for example, thanking someone in a Win or shout-out — you confirm that you have their permission to name them and to share those details. Do not post another person's private or confidential business information without their consent. Everything you post must be truthful and not misleading. Because we may share member success and business-impact figures with our donors and the public, we may ask you to confirm or verify a claimed outcome before it is featured or counted, and we may decline or remove content we cannot reasonably stand behind.

MarinesConnect is about connections and opportunities, not income promises. Do not post earnings claims, income representations, or guarantees of financial results — including in Wins, posts, or business opportunity content. This is especially important for network-marketing and similar activity; see our MLM Policy. Keep it to the connection or opportunity that was created, not the money someone did or will make.

Features like Introductions, the Opportunities board, the Exchange, and messaging help members find and connect with one another, but any relationship, agreement, or transaction is strictly between the members involved. We are not a party to your deals, we do not vet or guarantee members or outcomes, and we are not responsible for disputes, non-payment, or anything that goes wrong between members. Use good judgment and do your own due diligence.

To pursue our mission and support the free platform, we compile aggregate, de-identified statistics about activity on MarinesConnect and may share them with donors, our board, and the public. Details of what we measure and how we protect your privacy are in our Privacy Policy.

We may review, moderate, remove, or restrict content or accounts that violate these Terms or our other policies, or that we reasonably believe could harm members or the community. We may suspend or terminate accounts, with or without notice, and you may close your account at any time.

MarinesConnect relies on third-party services (such as payment, sign-in, messaging, email, and hosting providers) to operate. Your use of the platform may also be subject to those providers' terms where applicable.

MarinesConnect is provided "as is" and "as available." We do not warrant that the platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure, and we make no guarantees about members, content, opportunities, introductions, or outcomes. You use the platform at your own risk.

To the fullest extent allowed by law, National Marine Corps Business Network, Inc. and its officers, directors, employees, and volunteers will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any lost profits, lost business, or lost data, arising out of or related to your use of MarinesConnect — including anything that happens between members. Our total liability for any claim relating to the platform will not exceed one hundred dollars ($100).

You agree to defend and hold harmless National Marine Corps Business Network, Inc. from claims and costs arising out of your content, your use of the platform, or your violation of these Terms.

MarinesConnect, National Marine Corps Business Network, and related names and logos are trademarks of National Marine Corps Business Network, Inc. You may not use them without our permission. Our software, design, and content (other than member content) belong to us or our licensors.

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "last updated" date and, where appropriate, notify members. Continuing to use MarinesConnect after changes take effect means you accept them.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Any dispute will be handled exclusively by the state or federal courts located in Sacramento County, California.

Questions about these Terms? Email us at rah@marinesconnect.com.