These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your use of the Court Runner USA website and platform, operated by Court Runner Inc (“Court Runner,” “we,” “us” or “our”). By creating an account, submitting a request or accepting a job, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the service.
What Court Runner USA does
Court Runner USA is an online platform for ordering service of process anywhere in the United States, in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Clients submit requests and upload the documents to be served. Independent process servers accept jobs and attempt service. Court Runner coordinates each job, processes payments, shows the progress of each attempt and delivers the affidavit.
The service is offered only in the United States, for documents to be served at addresses in the United States.
Not a law firm, no legal advice
Court Runner USA is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. Using the service does not create an attorney-client relationship with Court Runner or with any process server.
We do not decide whether a particular method of service, document, deadline or affidavit meets the rules that apply to your case. Guides and other information on our website, including our Resources section and state pages, are general information only. If you are unsure what the rules require, consult a lawyer.
Accounts
- You must be at least 18 years old and able to enter into a binding contract to create an account.
- The information you give us must be accurate and kept up to date.
- You are responsible for keeping your sign-in details confidential and for everything done through your account. Tell us through our contact page right away if you believe your account has been used without your permission.
- If you use the service on behalf of a law firm, company or other organization, you confirm that you are authorized to accept these Terms for it.
Your responsibilities as a client
When you submit a request, you are responsible for:
- Accurate information. The name and details of the person or entity to be served, the service address, the court and case information, and any instructions must be correct and complete. Wrong or incomplete details can lead to failed attempts or improper service.
- Correct documents. The PDF you upload must be the complete, correct set of documents to be served, ready for service.
- Lawful use. You must have a lawful reason and the right to have the documents served.
- Court rules. You are responsible for knowing and following the court rules that apply to your case, including who may serve the documents, which methods of service are allowed, the deadlines for service and how proof of service must be filed.
- Timing. Choose a service type and deadline that leave enough time to attempt service before your court deadline.
- Reviewing and filing the affidavit. Check the affidavit before you file it and file it as the court requires.
What the standard price includes
The standard price covers:
- service on one recipient at one address;
- up to 3 documented attempts on different days and times;
- printing of the first 50 pages;
- GPS-tracked updates for each attempt; and
- a signed affidavit of service or non-service as a PDF, notarized where the state or court requires it.
Prices, add-ons and payment
- Add-ons. Rush and same-day service, a rural or distant service address, printing beyond the first 50 pages and a mailed original affidavit cost extra. Each add-on you choose is shown with its price before you submit.
- Special jobs. Jobs such as serving an evasive person, a stakeout, a remote location or skip tracing are priced by quote. Process servers send quotes, you choose one, and the price of the quote you choose is the price of the job.
- The “Up to” price. Before you submit a standard request, you see an “Up to” price for the service and the add-ons you chose. When a process server accepts the job, you see the confirmed price. The confirmed price is never higher than the “Up to” price.
- Sales tax. Prices, including the “Up to” price and quotes, are before sales tax. Sales tax is added where it applies, calculated at payment. Any sales tax is shown on the payment page before you pay and on your receipt.
- Payment after acceptance. You pay the confirmed price by card through Stripe after a process server accepts your job. Court Runner does not store full card numbers. Stripe’s terms also apply to your payment.
- Payment held until the job closes. Your payment is held until the job closes, and the process server is paid after that.
Because you pay only after a process server accepts your job, you are not charged for a request that no server accepts.
After 3 attempts
If service is not completed after 3 documented attempts, the job closes with a signed affidavit of non-service. The attempts are the service you paid for, so the price is kept. You can order service again from your dashboard, for example at a different address.
Cancellations
Before you pay, you can cancel a request from your dashboard. After you pay, contact us through our contact page as soon as possible to cancel. Court Runner decides cancellations after payment case by case. We consider how far the job has progressed, including whether attempts have been made and what costs have been incurred. Where we approve a refund, it is returned to the card used for payment through Stripe.
Problems, disputes and refunds
If something went wrong with a job, report a problem from the job page in your dashboard within 48 hours of receiving the affidavit. While a report is open, the job stays open and the process server is not paid.
Court Runner reviews the job record, including the attempts, their times, GPS locations and photos, and the affidavit, and may ask you or the process server for more information. We then decide whether to give a full or partial refund, arrange service again, or give no refund, and we tell you our decision. Refunds are returned to the card used for payment through Stripe.
Chargebacks
If you have a problem with a charge, contact us first so we have a chance to resolve it. If you dispute a charge with your card issuer, we may share the job record, including the attempt records and the affidavit, with the card issuer to respond to the dispute. We may suspend your account while the dispute is open.
No guarantee that service will succeed
Service of process depends on things outside our control, such as whether the person can be found at the address, whether they avoid service, access to the property and the accuracy of the information you provide. We do not guarantee that service will be completed, that it will be completed by a particular date, or that a court will accept it. The record of attempts for your job remains available in your dashboard.
Affidavits
When a job ends, an affidavit of service or non-service is prepared from the job record. The process server signs it and uploads it to your dashboard, notarized where the state or court requires it. The process server is responsible for the truth of the statements they swear to. You are responsible for reviewing the affidavit and filing it with the court. If you find an error, report it within 48 hours of receiving the affidavit, as described in Problems, disputes and refunds, and before you file it.
Independent process servers
Process servers on Court Runner USA are independent process servers. They are not employees, agents or partners of Court Runner. Each server decides whether to accept a job and is responsible for carrying it out lawfully. Process servers also agree to our Independent Contractor Agreement, which sets out how they work through the platform.
Licences and insurance
Process servers must hold a licence, registration or appointment where the state, county or court requires one, and carry insurance where required. Before a process server is approved, our team reviews their government ID and background check. Where an area requires a licence, registration, appointment or insurance, a process server receives jobs there only while our team has approved current proof of it. These reviews do not guarantee how a server will perform any particular job.
Documents and confidentiality
Your documents are stored privately. Only the process server assigned to your job (after payment) and Court Runner administrators can access your documents and service details. Your phone number and email address are never shared with process servers. There is no direct communication channel between clients and servers on the platform; Court Runner coordinates each job and sends email notifications when its status changes. Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle personal information.
You keep ownership of the documents and information you upload. You give Court Runner permission to store, process and share them as needed to provide the service, including with the assigned process server and the providers described in our Privacy Policy. You confirm that you have the right to upload them.
Prohibited use
You may not use Court Runner USA to:
- serve documents you know to be false, forged or not issued for a real legal proceeding;
- harass, stalk, threaten or locate a person for any purpose other than lawful service of process;
- impersonate another person or misrepresent your authority to act for someone;
- break any law or court rule, or help someone else do so;
- upload malware or interfere with the security or operation of the platform;
- access accounts, documents or data that are not yours, or copy the site with automated tools; or
- arrange jobs outside the platform with clients or process servers you met through it.
Suspension and termination
We may suspend or close an account, or refuse or cancel a request or job, if we believe these Terms have been broken, if the service is being misused, or if we are required to by law. You may stop using the service at any time. Sections of these Terms that by their nature should continue, such as payment obligations, disclaimers and limitation of liability, continue after an account is closed.
Changes to these Terms
We may update these Terms as the service changes. Each update is published as a new version, with its date at the top of this page. You must accept a new version before you place your next order, and process servers must accept it before they take their next job. We keep a record of which version you accepted and when.
Disclaimers
The service is provided “as is” and “as available.” To the fullest extent permitted by law, Court Runner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the service will be uninterrupted or error-free.
Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Court Runner will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or for lost profits, lost data or missed deadlines, arising from your use of the service. Our total liability for any claim relating to a job will not exceed the amount you paid for that job. Some states do not allow certain limitations of liability, so some of these limits may not apply to you.
Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Court Runner from claims, losses and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, arising from the documents or information you provide, your instructions, your violation of these Terms or your violation of any law or the rights of another person.
Disputes and governing law
If you have a concern about the service, contact us first through our contact page so we have a chance to resolve it informally.
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Wyoming, without regard to its conflict of law rules. Either party may bring a claim in small claims court if it qualifies. Other disputes that are not resolved informally will be decided by online arbitration.
Contact us
If you have a question about these Terms, contact us through our contact page. You may also reach us at info@courtrunnerusa.com.
Also see
Independent Contractor Agreement