Sanmaru

Terms and Conditions

Last updated 21 October 2026

Please read these Terms and Conditions carefully. They contain important information about your legal rights and obligations.

Sanmaru is a local discovery service. Neighbors recommend ("spot") local makers and small businesses they trust, and those recommendations become findable by others nearby. Sanmaru is not a marketplace. We do not sell anything, take payment, process bookings, or take a commission. When you find someone through Sanmaru, we send you to their own website, booking page, or social media, and any dealing between you and them is entirely between you and them.

IMPORTANT: PLEASE REVIEW THE ARBITRATION AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER PROVISIONS IN SECTIONS 16 AND 17. THEY REQUIRE DISPUTES TO BE RESOLVED INDIVIDUALLY AND THROUGH BINDING ARBITRATION. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE, DO NOT USE THE SITE.

1. Introduction

These Terms and Conditions, as modified from time to time, form a legally binding agreement between:

a. Sanmaru LLC, a California limited liability company ("Sanmaru", "we", "us", "our"); and

b. a person ("you") who accesses or uses the Sanmaru service at https://sanmaru.co and its subdomains (the "Site").

These Terms incorporate our Privacy Policy.

2. Acceptance of these Terms

By accessing or using the Site, you represent and warrant that:

a. You have read, understand, and agree to be bound by these Terms; b. You are an individual at least 18 years old; c. You are able to enter into legally binding contracts; and d. You are not barred by Sanmaru from accessing or using the Site.

We also ask you to confirm your agreement when you sign in or create an account, claim a listing, or list your business, for example by tapping a button next to a notice or ticking a box. Doing so is your agreement to these Terms and our Privacy Policy, and we keep a record of when you agreed.

If you do not agree, you may not use the Site.

3. What Sanmaru Does — and Does Not Do

We operate a discovery service. Neighbors recommend local makers and small businesses; those recommendations become searchable by others in the area.

We do not:

  • Sell any product or service
  • Process payments, bookings, or reservations
  • Take any commission, fee, or share of any transaction
  • Employ, contract with, supervise, or control any maker
  • Verify, endorse, guarantee, or vouch for any maker, their work, their qualifications, their licensing, or their safety

We do:

  • Publish recommendations submitted by neighbors
  • Provide links out to a maker's own website, booking page, or social media
  • Allow makers to claim and edit their own listing

Any arrangement, purchase, booking, or dealing between you and a maker is solely between you and that maker. Sanmaru is not a party to it.

Information from makers. Details such as hours, availability, dates, menus, or prices are provided by makers or found on their own sites. We don't guarantee they're accurate or current, and any change, cancellation, or unfulfilled order is between you and the maker.

We update the Site frequently and may add, change, or remove features at any time.

4. Accounts

You can browse the Site without an account. To recommend a maker, post a request, or answer a request, you must create an account.

We use email sign-in links rather than passwords. You are responsible for keeping access to your email account secure, and for activity that occurs under your account.

You must provide accurate information and keep it current. You may not create more than one account.

Opening an account is at our discretion. We may refuse or close an account at any time, with or without notice or reason.

5. Listings, Spotting, and Removal

This section describes how makers come to appear on Sanmaru. Please read it carefully.

How listings are created. A maker may appear on Sanmaru because a neighbor recommended them. This means a maker may be listed without having asked to be listed and without prior notice. This is intentional and central to how the service works — the recommendations come from neighbors, not from advertising.

What a listing contains. A listing may include the maker's business name, a description of what they do, a category, a general service area, and links they have made publicly available. We do not publish home addresses.

If you are a maker and you want your listing removed: email hello@sanmaru.co and ask. We will remove it within 7 days of receiving your request. You do not need to give a reason, and you do not need an account.

When we remove a listing, we remove the profile and any recommendations attached to it.

Claiming a listing. If you are the maker, you may claim your listing, which lets you correct or edit the information, add your own links, or remove it yourself.

If you spot someone. When you recommend a maker, you confirm that:

  • You genuinely know of them and believe the recommendation is honest;
  • You are not recommending yourself or a business you own or work for;
  • The information you provide is accurate to the best of your knowledge; and
  • You are not posting anything you know to be private, confidential, or unwelcome.

Listing status. A maker profile may be created from a neighbor's recommendation before the maker has claimed it. We may keep a listing unpublished until it has been claimed and reviewed, and we may decline to publish, delay, suspend, or remove any listing or claim at our discretion. Reviewing a listing is not a verification of the maker, their work, or their qualifications (see Sections 3 and 10).

6. Requests and Answers

You may post a request asking neighbors to recommend someone. Others may answer by recommending a maker.

Requests and answers are public and are attributed to your first name.

You are responsible for what you post. You may not post content that is:

  • Spam, advertising, or promotional
  • Harassing, abusive, threatening, hateful, or defamatory
  • Sexually explicit
  • False, misleading, or impersonating someone else
  • A solicitation for anything illegal
  • Someone's private information (address, phone number, or similar) posted without their permission
  • Unrelated to finding a local maker or business

We may remove any request or answer, and may suspend or close accounts, at our discretion and without notice.

7. Vouches and Attribution

When you recommend a maker, your first name and what you wrote about them may be shown publicly on that maker's page — for example as the person who first recommended them, or among neighbors who agree.

This is the point of Sanmaru: a recommendation from a named neighbor means more than an anonymous rating.

You can remove your vouch at any time. You may withdraw a recommendation through your account, which removes your name from it. If you have difficulty doing so, email hello@sanmaru.co and we will remove it within 7 days.

Removing your vouch removes your name and your recommendation. It does not remove the maker's listing, which may be supported by other neighbors' recommendations.

8. Rules of the Site

a. Permitted use. Use the Site for finding and recommending local makers, and not for any illegal or unauthorized purpose.

b. No scraping or bulk extraction. You may not use automated means to copy, extract, or collect data from the Site, or use listings to build a competing directory or a marketing list.

c. No solicitation. You may not use the Site to send unsolicited commercial messages to makers or other users.

d. No interference. You may not use the Site in any way that damages, disables, overburdens, or impairs it, nor attempt to access areas you are not authorized to access.

e. Communications from us. You agree we may contact you by email at the address associated with your account for service-related messages.

f. Links to other sites. The Site links out to makers' own websites, booking pages, and social media. Those are governed by their own terms and we are not responsible for them.

g. Feedback. If you send us ideas or suggestions, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual license to use them without compensation or attribution.

9. No Relationship With Makers

Makers listed on Sanmaru are independent. They are not employees, agents, partners, or contractors of Sanmaru.

We do not direct, control, supervise, or monitor makers, their work, their pricing, their availability, their qualifications, their licensing, their insurance, or their conduct.

Makers, not Sanmaru, are responsible for complying with all laws, permits, licenses, health and safety requirements, and tax obligations applicable to what they do. This includes, without limitation, Cottage Food Operation registration or permit, county environmental health permits, home occupation permits, food handler certifications, and professional licensing.

10. Your Own Judgment

Sanmaru shows you recommendations from neighbors. A recommendation is an opinion, not a verification.

We do not check whether a maker is licensed, insured, permitted, qualified, safe, or competent. We do not inspect anyone's kitchen, home, workspace, or products. We do not verify identity.

You are responsible for exercising your own judgment before engaging any maker — including asking about permits, licensing, insurance, allergens, ingredients, and anything else that matters to you.

If you have allergies or dietary restrictions, or are buying anything consumable, ask the maker directly. We do not have this information and cannot verify it.

11. Disclaimer

THE APPEARANCE OF ANY MAKER ON THE SITE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN ENDORSEMENT BY SANMARU, NOR DOES SANMARU WARRANT THE EXISTENCE, CONDUCT, PERFORMANCE, SAFETY, QUALITY, LEGALITY, LICENSING, OR SUITABILITY OF ANY MAKER OR ANYTHING THEY PROVIDE.

SANMARU DOES NOT SELL, SUPPLY, PRODUCE, DELIVER, CONTROL, OR INSPECT ANY GOODS OR SERVICES. SANMARU IS NOT LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH (A) ANY GOODS OR SERVICES PROVIDED BY A MAKER, (B) ANY MAKER'S ACTS, OMISSIONS, REPRESENTATIONS, NEGLIGENCE, OR MISCONDUCT, (C) ANY ILLNESS, ALLERGIC REACTION, INJURY, PROPERTY DAMAGE, OR DEATH, OR (D) ANY RECOMMENDATION, REVIEW, OR CONTENT POSTED BY ANY USER.

WE DO NOT VERIFY THE IDENTITY OF USERS OR MAKERS AND ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING SO.

THE SITE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT, QUALITY, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. WE DO NOT GUARANTEE UNINTERRUPTED AVAILABILITY.

THESE DISCLAIMERS APPLY TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. IF YOU HAVE STATUTORY RIGHTS WE CANNOT DISCLAIM, THEIR DURATION IS LIMITED TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

12. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SANMARU SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR ANY SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, WHETHER BASED IN CONTRACT, WARRANTY, STRICT LIABILITY, TORT, OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF ADVISED IN ADVANCE OF THE POSSIBILITY.

IN NO EVENT SHALL SANMARU'S AGGREGATE LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THESE TERMS OR THE SITE EXCEED ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100).

These limitations survive and apply even if any limited remedy is found to have failed its essential purpose.

13. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Sanmaru and its members, officers, and agents from all liabilities, claims, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising directly or indirectly from (a) your use of the Site, (b) content you post, including any recommendation you make, (c) your dealings with any maker, and (d) your violation of these Terms or of any third party's rights.

14. Intellectual Property

The Site and its content, design, look and feel, software, and associated intellectual property are the property of Sanmaru or its licensors. You may not copy, download, reuse, or retransmit any of it without our prior written permission.

Content you post remains yours. By posting, you grant Sanmaru a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to display, reproduce, and distribute it in connection with operating and promoting the Site. This license ends when you remove the content, except where it has already been shared by others.

If you believe material on the Site infringes your copyright, email hello@sanmaru.co with details. It is our policy to remove infringing material and to terminate the accounts of repeat infringers.

15. Third-Party Services

The Site relies on third-party providers for hosting, database, email, and analytics. Their handling of information is described in our Privacy Policy.

16. Binding Arbitration

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. THIS SECTION REQUIRES DISPUTES TO BE RESOLVED THROUGH ARBITRATION RATHER THAN IN COURT.

a. Except as otherwise provided in these Terms or required by non-waivable law, any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Site — including the scope or applicability of this arbitration agreement — shall be resolved exclusively through binding arbitration by a single arbitrator under the Comprehensive Arbitration Rules and Procedures of JAMS in effect when the demand is made. Judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction. The parties expressly acknowledge that they are waiving their right to a jury trial. Any proceeding shall be held in Nevada County, California, or as near thereto as applicable law permits.

b. The arbitrator may allocate all or part of the costs of arbitration, including the arbitrator's fees and the reasonable attorneys' fees of the prevailing party.

c. Small claims exception. Either party may bring an individual claim in small claims court if it qualifies.

17. Class Action Waiver

To the extent permitted by law, you agree that any arbitration or court proceeding arising out of or relating to these Terms will be conducted solely on an individual basis. You agree not to seek to have any claim heard as a class action or other representative proceeding.

18. Force Majeure

We are relieved from liability for any failure to perform caused by circumstances beyond our reasonable control.

19. Changes to These Terms

We may modify these Terms at any time. If we do, we will post the updated Terms on the Site and update the "Last Updated" date. Continued use of the Site after changes take effect means you accept them. If you do not agree, stop using the Site.

20. Term and Termination

These Terms take effect when you first use the Site and remain in effect until terminated.

You may terminate at any time by closing your account or by emailing hello@sanmaru.co.

We may terminate these Terms or suspend or close your account at any time, with or without notice, at our discretion — including if you materially breach these Terms.

The following sections survive termination: 9 (No Relationship With Makers), 10 (Your Own Judgment), 11 (Disclaimer), 12 (Limitation of Liability), 13 (Indemnification), 14 (Intellectual Property), 16 (Binding Arbitration), 17 (Class Action Waiver), 20 (Term and Termination), and 21 (General Provisions).

21. General Provisions

a. Waiver. Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of it.

b. Governing law. These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict of laws principles. Any cause of action must be brought within one (1) year of when it arose, or it is permanently barred.

c. Entire agreement. These Terms and the Privacy Policy constitute the entire agreement between you and Sanmaru on this subject.

d. Severability. If any provision is found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force.

e. Assignment. You may not assign these Terms. We may assign them in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.

f. Notice. Notices to us: hello@sanmaru.co. Notices to you: the email address associated with your account.

Questions? Email us at hello@sanmaru.co.