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Home/Terms of Use

Updated August 31, 2026

Terms of Use

The agreement between you and us. Written to be read, not to be skimmed past.

Reviewed for clinical accuracy by Andrew Patel, LCSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Last reviewed August 31, 2026.

  • HIPAA CompliantClinical data handled under HIPAA safeguards
  • 256-bit SSL EncryptedEncrypted in transit and at rest
  • Written to Fair Housing Act StandardsDocuments disability and disability-related need
  • ADA-Accurate on Service AnimalsNo fake access claims — we explain the real rule
  • No Charge If Not ApprovedYou only pay when a clinician issues a letter

Every claim above is one we are willing to be held to. How we handle health information · refund policy · what the ADA actually requires.

Last updated August 31, 2026

1. Accepting These Terms

By using this website or booking an evaluation, you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, do not use the service. You must be at least 18 to book for yourself. A parent or legal guardian may arrange an evaluation concerning a minor.

2. What This Service Is

We connect you with independently licensed mental health professionals who may, after evaluating you, issue documentation regarding an emotional support animal or a psychiatric service dog. We are a technology and administrative platform. We are not a medical practice and we do not provide clinical care ourselves.

3. Clinical Independence and No Guarantee of Approval

Read this one

Clinicians exercise independent professional judgment. Paying for an evaluation does not buy an approval. If a clinician determines that an assistance animal is not clinically appropriate for you, no letter will be issued. See our refund policy for what happens to your payment in that case.

4. No Legal Advice

The guidance on this site — including state law pages, housing guides and explanations of the May 2026 HUD change — is general information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm and no attorney-client relationship is created. Laws change and application depends on your specific facts. For advice, consult a licensed attorney or your state fair housing agency.

5. No Guarantee of Housing Outcome

No document compels a housing provider to grant an accommodation. A landlord may lawfully deny a request on several grounds, and following HUD's May 2026 enforcement change the analysis is more fact-specific than it was. We do not promise that your landlord, HOA or college will approve your request.

6. Accurate Information

You agree to provide truthful, complete information during screening and evaluation. Documentation obtained through false statements may be invalid, and misrepresenting an animal as a service animal is a criminal offense in many states. If we learn that material information you provided was false, we may refuse or revoke service without refund.

7. What We Do Not Sell

We do not sell registrations, certifications, identification cards, vests or patches. No such document carries legal weight for an emotional support animal or a service animal. Anyone claiming to sell you ADA public access rights is misrepresenting the law.

8. Payments

Fees are as listed on our pricing page at the time of purchase and are charged as one-time payments. We do not run subscriptions or store auto-renewal charges. Payments are processed by a third-party processor subject to its own terms.

9. Your Content and Our Content

You retain ownership of information you provide. You grant us a limited licence to use it to deliver the service. The text, design, code and structured guidance on this site are ours or our licensors', and may not be copied, scraped or republished at scale without written permission.

10. Acceptable Use

  • Do not use the service to obtain documentation you know you are not entitled to.
  • Do not attempt to alter, forge or resell a letter.
  • Do not scrape, mirror or automate access to the site.
  • Do not attempt to interfere with the site's security or availability.
  • Do not impersonate another person or a clinician.

11. Third-Party Links

We link to government agencies, state boards, statutes and legal commentary. We do not control those sites and are not responsible for their content or accuracy.

12. Disclaimers

The website is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the site will be uninterrupted or error-free, or that legal information will remain current as laws change.

13. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, our aggregate liability arising out of or relating to the service is limited to the amount you paid us in the twelve months preceding the claim. We are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, including lost housing, moving costs or fees imposed by a landlord or association.

Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited, and some states do not allow certain exclusions, so parts of this section may not apply to you.

14. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from claims arising out of your misuse of the service, your breach of these terms, or your submission of false information.

15. Termination

We may suspend or terminate access for breach of these terms, for fraudulent use, or where required by law. You may stop using the service at any time.

16. Changes

We may update these terms and will post the revised version here with a new date. Continued use after a change means you accept it.

17. Governing Law and Disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of the state identified in the published version of this agreement, without regard to conflict of law rules. Any dispute resolution mechanism, including arbitration or class action provisions, must be set out explicitly in the published version and disclosed conspicuously.

18. Contact

Questions about these terms: legal@bestesaletter.com. General support and other addresses are on our contact page.

Template notice

This is a starting draft with deliberate placeholders in sections 17 and 8. It must be completed and reviewed by qualified counsel — with particular attention to arbitration and class action language, telehealth disclosures, and state consumer protection requirements — before it goes live.

Sources

  1. Federal Trade Commission — consumer protection and advertising rules Federal Trade Commission
  2. State consumer protection offices USA.gov
  3. Report a scam or a deceptive business practice Federal Trade Commission
  4. Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3604 — discrimination in the sale or rental of housing Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives
  5. ADA 2010 Revised Requirements: Service Animals U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
  6. HIPAA for individuals — your health information privacy rights U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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