Terms & Policies

By accessing or using Timber.Bid ("Platform"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and all applicable laws and regulations. If you do not agree with any of these terms, you are prohibited from using this Platform.

Timber.Bid is a software marketplace connecting users who offer firewood, tree services, and related services with customers who need these services. We provide platform technology to facilitate listings, scheduling, communication, and payment processing.

IMPORTANT: Timber.Bid is a technology platform only. We do not provide tree services, firewood services, labor, equipment, personnel, or physical assistance of any kind. All services are performed solely by independent users of the Platform.

All service providers on Timber.Bid are independent contractors operating their own businesses. They are NOT:

Timber.Bid does not supervise, control, direct, train, or guarantee any work performed by service providers. We are not a party to agreements between buyers and sellers.

The Platform offers features powered by artificial intelligence, including instant photo-based price estimates for tree work and firewood, an AI assistant ("Woody"), AI-assisted drafting, and automated content moderation.

AI ESTIMATES ARE INFORMATIONAL ONLY. An AI estimate is a computer-generated price range based on photographs and the information you provide. It is NOT a quote, offer, appraisal, or guarantee of price, scope, feasibility, or safety. Actual prices are set solely by independent service providers, typically after an on-site assessment, and may differ substantially from any AI estimate. You must not rely on an AI estimate as a substitute for professional evaluation of a tree, its condition, or the hazards involved in working on it.

AI-generated content (including Woody's responses) may be inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated, and does not constitute professional, legal, arboricultural, or safety advice. Photographs you submit for estimation are processed by third-party AI providers as described in our Privacy Policy.

You must create an account to use certain features. You are responsible for:

Guest use and streamlined accounts: some features (such as instant estimates and posting a job) can be started without signing in. When you provide your email address to receive an estimate or post a request, we may create an account for you using that address so your estimate, job, and any payments are retrievable and secure; you can access it via the sign-in links we email you and delete it at any time. Providing your email in these flows constitutes acceptance of these Terms.

Sellers and service providers using our Platform agree to:

Buyers and customers using our Platform agree to:

You acknowledge that you are solely responsible for selecting service providers and performing due diligence. Timber.Bid does not verify, screen, or endorse any providers.

All payments are processed through Stripe. By making a purchase, you agree to Stripe's terms and conditions. We charge platform fees on transactions; current fee amounts and who pays them are disclosed at checkout and on our Pricing page, and may change with notice for future transactions.

Payments are authorized upon order placement and captured upon delivery confirmation. Funds are transferred to sellers after successful delivery and any applicable holding periods.

When posting a job or firewood request you may optionally place a deposit or a pay-in-full amount. These are card AUTHORIZATIONS (holds), not immediate charges: no money leaves your account when the hold is placed. Deposits are never required to use the Platform.

Recurring firewood delivery subscriptions bill automatically at the frequency you select until cancelled. You may cancel any time from your account; cancellation stops future billing but does not refund deliveries already made. If a scheduled delivery is not fulfilled within the disclosed window, the corresponding charge is refunded per the service-level terms shown at signup.

Where listings support bidding or auctions, a bid is a binding offer to purchase at the bid amount under the listing's stated terms. Providers submitting bids or quotes on jobs agree to honor them if accepted within their stated validity period.

Refund policies are detailed on our Refunds page. Generally:

You may not:

Listings, service profiles, posted jobs and requests, free-wood offers, reviews, and shared estimate pages are PUBLIC. Content you post there — including photographs and general location (city/state) — is visible to anyone, may appear in search engines, and is embedded in link-preview cards when Platform links are shared, which third-party services (messaging apps, social networks) may cache beyond our control. Do not include information in public content that you are not comfortable making public. Exact street addresses and contact details are not shown publicly. Budget figures on jobs are shown to providers only per your visibility setting.

Reviews may only be left on completed, paid transactions and must reflect your genuine experience.

The Platform includes a directory of tree-service, firewood, and related businesses compiled from publicly available sources (such as public business listings and business websites). Directory entries show public business information — name, general location, ratings — and allow the business owner to claim the profile free of charge. If a business listed in the directory wants its entry removed, it can use the removal link on its claim page or contact us, and we will remove it promptly.

Service providers may embed our instant-quote widget on their own websites. The embedding business is responsible for its own website's legal compliance, including any privacy disclosures its visitors require. Leads submitted through a business's embedded widget are delivered to that business and are not broadcast to the marketplace; the Platform processes that data to provide the widget service, as described in our Privacy Policy. Widget keys are licensed to the registered business only and may be revoked for abuse.

Where offered, partners may earn commissions for referred activity under the program terms shown on the Partner page. Commissions accrue only on genuine, non-fraudulent transactions; self-referrals and manufactured activity forfeit payouts. We may modify or discontinue the program prospectively at any time.

timber.bid Alerts is a transactional text-message program. You choose ongoing texts through a separate, optional checkbox on a request or checkout form, the SMS choice when verifying your account phone, or the SMS switch in Notification Settings. Verifying your number alone does not enroll you. Buyers receive texts about their requests, delivered-price quotes, orders, and deliveries; account holders also receive account-related notices. You may text ORDER or an amount and ZIP code to (401) 420-5553 to request firewood. We show the text-program disclosure and ask you to reply YES before enrolling you for request, quote, and delivery texts. You may also text a ZIP code to search nearby listings and get a direct reply. Firewood sellers who affirmatively agree to our staff's phone script receive nearby buyer requests and reply with their delivered price. Public instructions and consent wording are at timber.bid/sms.

Message frequency varies with your activity. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP at any time to cancel; you will receive one message confirming the cancellation and no further texts. Reply HELP for help, or contact support@timber.bid. Consent to receive texts is never a condition of any purchase. This program sends transactional messages; if we ever offer marketing texts, we will ask for your separate consent first. Wireless carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. Your mobile number and consent are handled as described in Section 10B of our Privacy Policy.

Firewood sellers may also choose the separate Firewood seller texts checkbox at timber.bid/sms or in Notification Settings after verifying their own mobile number. This choice covers nearby firewood buyer requests, their quotes, scheduling, and delivery updates. Tree-service providers separately choose Tree-service job texts on the same pages after verifying their own number. Tree texts cover matching nearby tree removal, pruning, stump, storm cleanup and land-clearing jobs, their quotes, scheduling, and job updates. Buyer request or account SMS consent does not enroll a provider in either nearby-request program; firewood seller consent does not enroll them in tree-job texts. Existing requests are not broadcast when a provider saves a choice. Program disclosures are public at timber.bid/sms. Requests, quotes, photos, property documents, booking, and payment remain on timber.bid; a text reply does not hire a provider or complete payment.

You may also check the optional SMS box and sign our paper consent form. Staff retain the completed form privately and record the consent before enrollment. Our QR card opens the website request form; scanning alone does not enroll you. The paper form and QR card are available at timber.bid/sms.

Firewood and untreated wood can carry invasive insects and tree diseases, such as emerald ash borer and spotted lanternfly, and many states, provinces, and countries restrict moving firewood across quarantine boundaries or over long distances. Sellers, drivers, and buyers are each responsible for knowing and following every firewood-movement, quarantine, and certification rule that applies to a load. A seller who describes wood as heat-treated, kiln-dried, certified, seasoned, or locally sourced represents that the description is true.

Wood, logs, and lumber offered on the Platform must be lawfully harvested and lawfully owned by the person offering them. You may not list wood taken without the landowner’s permission or in violation of timber-theft, forestry, protected-species, or import laws. Tree work must follow nesting-season, protected-species, wetland, and waterway rules where they apply. Timber.Bid does not inspect wood, verify its origin, or enforce these rules; compliance is the responsibility of the users involved.

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, Timber.Bid acts as a software marketplace facilitator only. We make NO WARRANTIES OR GUARANTEES of any kind regarding:

We are NOT responsible for:

CRITICAL WARNING: Tree work, firewood operations, and related services are inherently dangerous. You acknowledge and voluntarily assume all risks including property damage, serious injury, or death.

THE PLATFORM IS NOT AN EMERGENCY SERVICE. If a person is injured or in danger, call 911. If a tree is on or near a power line, contact your utility company before anyone touches it — service providers cannot legally work on line-loaded trees. Credential badges (such as ISA certification, state licensing, or insurance verification) reflect documents reviewed at a point in time, may lapse, and are not a warranty of any provider's qualifications or coverage; verify current credentials yourself before hiring.

Our total liability shall not exceed the amount of fees paid by you in the 12 months preceding the claim. This limitation applies whether providers are licensed or unlicensed, insured or uninsured.

By using the Platform, you agree to RELEASE, DEFEND, INDEMNIFY, AND HOLD HARMLESS Timber.Bid and its owners, officers, employees, and affiliates from ANY AND ALL claims, damages, losses, or costs arising from:

This release survives account termination and continues indefinitely.

For transaction-related disputes (delivery issues, quality concerns, payment disputes), we provide an internal dispute resolution process. Details are available on our Disputes page. You agree to attempt resolution through this process first before pursuing arbitration or legal action.

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. IT AFFECTS YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING YOUR RIGHT TO FILE A LAWSUIT IN COURT.

You and Timber.Bid agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms, the Platform, or your relationship with Timber.Bid (collectively, "Disputes") will be resolved through binding arbitration, except as specifically provided below.

Arbitration Rules and Forum:

Arbitration Process:

The following disputes are NOT subject to mandatory arbitration:

YOU AND TIMBER.BID AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS, REPRESENTATIVE, OR COLLECTIVE ACTION.

Unless both you and Timber.Bid agree otherwise in writing, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative, class, or collective proceeding.

If this class action waiver is found to be unenforceable, the entire arbitration agreement shall be unenforceable.

These Terms and any disputes arising from them will be governed by the laws of the State of Wyoming, without regard to conflict of law principles. If arbitration does not apply or is unavailable, you agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Laramie County, Wyoming. Nothing in these Terms removes protections that the mandatory consumer law of the place where you live gives you and that cannot be waived by contract.

You must bring any claim related to these Terms or the Platform within ONE (1) YEAR from the date the claim arose or could have been discovered with reasonable diligence. Claims brought after this period are permanently barred.

You have the right to opt out of this arbitration agreement within 30 days of accepting these Terms by sending written notice to: legal@timber.bid with the subject line "Arbitration Opt-Out" and including your name, email, and clear statement that you wish to opt out. If you opt out, you cannot use the arbitration process but retain the right to pursue claims in court.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms, engage in fraudulent activity, or pose risks to other users. You may delete your account at any time through your profile settings.

We may update these terms periodically. Continued use of the Platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated terms. We will notify users of material changes via email or Platform notification. A change to Section 10 does not apply to a dispute that arose before the change was posted.

The Platform is operated from the United States and currently serves customers primarily in the United States. Where the Platform is offered in other countries, features, payment methods, and service availability may differ, and you are responsible for complying with the laws that apply where you are.

You may not use the Platform if you are located or ordinarily resident in a country or region subject to comprehensive U.S. sanctions, or if you are named on a U.S. government restricted-party list. You may not use the Platform to export, re-export, or transfer anything in violation of U.S. or other applicable export-control or sanctions laws. Where these Terms are provided in a language other than English, the English version controls to the extent permitted by law.

You consent to receive agreements, notices, receipts, and other communications from us electronically, by email, in-app notice, text message where you have opted in, or posting on the Platform, and you agree that they satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing.

Clicking "I agree", checking an acceptance box, or completing a transaction is your electronic signature and has the same effect as a handwritten signature. We keep a record of each acceptance, including the document version, the time, and the technical details described in our Privacy Policy. You may withdraw consent to electronic communications by closing your account.

These Terms, the Privacy Policy, the Liability Disclaimer & User Agreement, and the Buyer, Seller, Delivery, Refund, and Dispute policies linked from the Platform together form the agreement between you and Timber.Bid. If they conflict, these Terms control, except that the Liability Disclaimer & User Agreement controls on assumption of risk and release, and order-specific terms shown at checkout control for that order.

Section 10 of these Terms is the only dispute-resolution and arbitration agreement between you and Timber.Bid, and it applies in place of any different process described in another Platform document.

For questions about these Terms of Service, contact us at:

We collect information you provide directly to us, including:

We automatically collect certain information when you use our Platform:

Several features are powered by artificial intelligence. When you use them, the content involved is processed by our AI infrastructure providers to generate the result. The models are Anthropic's; requests reach them either directly or through OpenRouter, an AI routing service that forwards each request to a provider serving that model (Anthropic, or Anthropic's models hosted on Amazon Bedrock or Google Cloud Vertex AI):

We send only what the feature needs, our providers process it on our behalf, and we do not permit them to use your content to train their models under our agreements with them.

Automated processing does not make decisions about you that have legal or similarly significant effects. An AI estimate is an indicative range; prices are set by independent providers, and a person reviews any account action taken because of automated moderation if you ask us to.

We use collected information to:

We share your information only in these circumstances:

We never sell your personal information to third parties.

Payment processing is handled by Stripe. We do not store your complete credit card numbers or bank account details on our servers. Stripe's privacy policy governs how they handle your payment information.

For sellers, we store your Stripe Connected Account ID to facilitate payouts but do not have access to your complete banking details.

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

However, no security system is impenetrable. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.

If a security incident affects your personal information, we will notify you and the relevant authorities as required by applicable law.

We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. Even after account deletion, we may retain certain information to:

You have the right to:

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@timber.bid or use the privacy settings in your account. Account and data deletion is available in-app and described at timber.bid/public/legal/delete-account.

We collect location data to show nearby listings and calculate delivery distances. You can control location permissions through your device settings. Some features may be limited if location access is denied.

Live delivery tracking: during an active delivery, a driver's real-time GPS location is shared with the buyer of that delivery (and with us) so the delivery can be followed on a map. Drivers consent to this when they accept a tracked delivery; tracking ends when the delivery completes.

Public content shows general location only. Posted jobs, requests, and estimates display city/state — never your street address, which is shared only with the provider you transact with.

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience and analyze usage patterns. You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings. Specifically:

We do not use third-party advertising trackers on the Platform, and we do not sell or share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.

To build our directory of tree-service, firewood, and related businesses, we collect PUBLICLY AVAILABLE business information — business name, address, phone number, website, publicly listed business email addresses, and ratings — from public sources such as public map listings and the businesses' own websites. We use this information to:

This is business contact information, not consumer data. If your business appears in our directory and you want it removed, use the removal link on your claim page or email privacy@timber.bid — we remove entries promptly and suppress them from future collection. We do not send marketing email to consumers without consent.

Transactional messages (order confirmations, bid alerts on your own jobs, delivery updates, security emails) are part of the service. Marketing email is sent only with consent or as permitted business outreach (Section 10A), always with unsubscribe. Ongoing SMS is optional: a separate unchecked request, checkout, or account checkbox, the SMS settings switch, an explicit YES after our text-order disclosure, or a seller's affirmative answer to our staff's phone script records your choice. Phone verification alone is not SMS enrollment. Buyers receive request, quote, order, and delivery texts; consenting sellers receive nearby buyer requests, as described in Section 8E of our Terms and at timber.bid/sms. Message and data rates may apply, message frequency varies, reply STOP to opt out and HELP for help. SMS consent is never a condition of purchase. We keep the phone number, consent source, timestamp, and opt-out status, with the disclosure and staff member who records new verbal opt-ins.

Nearby firewood buyer alerts and nearby tree-service job alerts have separate optional provider consent choices against the provider's verified mobile number. We retain the chosen program, exact disclosure version, number, consent date, and opt-out status. Buyer request or general account SMS consent does not enroll providers in these alert programs, and firewood consent does not enroll providers in tree-job alerts. Saving a provider choice does not send existing requests. Public disclosures and account choices are at timber.bid/sms and in Notification Settings.

Paper SMS consent requires an optional checked box and a signed, dated form. Staff retain completed forms privately and record the source, disclosure, consent date and staff identity. QR consent uses the website's separate unchecked SMS choice; scanning alone is not consent. Mobile information will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Text-messaging opt-in data and consent will not be shared with any third party, except the messaging providers that deliver our texts on our behalf (such as Twilio and the wireless carriers).

We rely on these processors to run the Platform: Supabase (database and authentication), Stripe (payments), Netlify (web hosting), Resend (email delivery), Anthropic and OpenRouter (AI features; OpenRouter routes AI requests to the model provider), Google (analytics, maps data, and Sign in with Google), Apple (Sign in with Apple), Mapbox (maps), Sentry (error reporting), Expo (mobile app services and push notifications), and Twilio (text messaging). Each receives only the data needed for its function.

Our Platform is not intended for users under 18. We do not knowingly collect information from children. If we discover we have collected data from a child, we will delete it promptly.

California residents have rights under the CCPA, as amended by the CPRA, including the right to know what personal information we collect and why, to access and correct it, to request deletion, and to opt out of sale or sharing for cross-context behavioral advertising. We do not sell or share personal information for that purpose, and we do not use sensitive personal information to infer characteristics about you. We will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights. You may use an authorized agent, and we may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.

Residents of states with comprehensive privacy laws (including Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Texas, Oregon, and others as they take effect) may have the right to confirm whether we process their personal data and to access, correct, delete, and obtain a portable copy of it, and to opt out of targeted advertising, sale, and profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects. We do not sell personal data or use it for targeted advertising.

To make a request, email privacy@timber.bid. If we decline your request, you may appeal by replying with the subject line "Privacy Appeal"; we will respond within the time the law requires, and if you are not satisfied you may contact your state attorney general.

Timber.Bid is based in the United States and processes information in the United States and in other countries where our service providers operate. If you use the Platform from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States, where data-protection laws may differ from those in your country. Where the law requires it, we rely on recognized transfer mechanisms, such as standard contractual clauses, for these transfers.

If the EU or UK General Data Protection Regulation applies to you, we process your information: to perform our contract with you (running your account, orders, jobs, and payments); for our legitimate interests (securing the Platform, preventing fraud, improving our services, and business-to-business outreach, which you may object to at any time); to comply with legal obligations; and with your consent where we ask for it (such as text messages or marketing email), which you may withdraw at any time. You have the rights described in Section 8, plus the right to restrict processing and to lodge a complaint with your local data-protection authority.

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify you of significant changes via email or Platform notification. Your continued use after changes indicates acceptance of the updated policy.

For privacy-related questions or to exercise your rights:

You acknowledge and agree that you are an INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR, not an employee, agent, representative, or partner of Timber.Bid. You operate your own business and maintain complete control over how you perform your services. Timber.Bid does not supervise, direct, or control your work.

To sell or offer services on Timber.Bid, you must:

All listings must include:

You may not list firewood from protected species, treated wood, or wood that violates local regulations.

Sellers must ensure:

Service providers must:

Upon receiving an order, sellers must:

For orders with delivery:

For pickup orders, ensure product is ready at the agreed time and location.

Stripe Connect handles all payment processing:

Timber.Bid charges a platform fee on each completed transaction to cover:

Current fee structure is disclosed during onboarding and may be updated with advance notice. Fee changes apply only to new transactions.

Sellers may decline orders before acceptance without penalty. After acceptance:

Buyers can review sellers after delivery. You may respond to reviews but cannot demand removal of honest feedback. Manipulating reviews or offering incentives for positive reviews violates these terms.

We may suspend or restrict seller accounts for:

Sellers are responsible for:

We provide transaction records but do not provide tax or legal advice. Consult a tax professional regarding your obligations.

You retain ownership of photos and content you upload but grant Timber.Bid a license to display and promote your listings. Do not use others' copyrighted images or trademarked content without permission.

CRITICAL REQUIREMENT: Service providers offering tree services MUST maintain appropriate insurance coverage. We STRONGLY RECOMMEND:

WARNING: Tree work, firewood operations, and related services are inherently dangerous. You acknowledge and accept all risks including property damage, injury, or death. Timber.Bid is not responsible for any injury, property damage, or losses occurring during service delivery or from product use.

You agree to RELEASE, DEFEND, INDEMNIFY, and HOLD HARMLESS Timber.Bid from any and all claims arising from services you provide through the Platform.

You are SOLELY RESPONSIBLE for:

IMPORTANT: Licensing requirements vary by state and municipality. Some jurisdictions require arborist licenses, contractor licenses, or tree service permits. Some have NO licensing requirements. You must research and comply with YOUR local requirements.

Timber.Bid does NOT verify licensing status and is NOT responsible for unlicensed work arranged through the Platform.

All communication with buyers must be:

You may delete your seller account at any time. Outstanding orders must be fulfilled before deletion. We may retain transaction records as required by law.

For seller support or questions about these terms:

Timber.Bid provides a structured dispute resolution process to protect both buyers and sellers. We review all disputes impartially and make decisions based on evidence provided by both parties.

Consider opening a dispute if:

Sellers are protected against unfair disputes:

Buyers are protected through:

If a buyer disputes a charge with their credit card company (chargeback), the process is handled by Stripe. Chargebacks should be a last resort as they incur fees and are more adversarial than our dispute process.

We encourage using our dispute resolution process first, which is faster and more collaborative.

Opening disputes in bad faith or misrepresenting facts may result in:

Sellers must provide one of the following:

This protects both parties by creating an indisputable delivery record.

If delivery cannot be completed: