Terms and Conditions for The Suitcase Detective

Agreement to These Terms

These Terms and Conditions, also called “Terms” or “Agreement,” form a legally binding agreement between you and The Suitcase Detective. In these terms, “you,” “user,” and “visitor” refer to anyone who accesses or uses the website or related services. Meanwhile, “we,” “us,” “our,” and “the Site” refer to The Suitcase Detective.

This Agreement governs your access to and use of thesuitcasedetective.com, including all content, features, case databases, forms, social media links, affiliate links, shop links, and related services we make available.

By accessing or using any part of the Services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms in full. If you use the Services on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that organization to these Terms.

However, if you do not agree with any part of these Terms, you are prohibited from using the Services and must leave the website immediately.

Our Services Defined

The Suitcase Detective is an independently operated content website dedicated to mystery entertainment, true crime coverage, book and media reviews, public resources, and the Never Quit Looking missing persons and unsolved cases advocacy initiative.

Never Quit Looking is a section of The Suitcase Detective. It is not a separate legal entity, investigative agency, law enforcement agency, or official tip line.

What the Services Include

The Services may include our website, blog, case databases, case submission and update forms, contact forms, newsletter or subscription features if offered, social media accounts, linked shop pages, affiliated merchandise platforms, and related features, content, or communications.

What the Services Do Not Provide

We are not a law enforcement agency, investigative agency, victim advocacy organization, legal services provider, medical provider, mental health resource, or financial institution. Therefore, nothing on the Services should be treated as professional advice of any kind.

Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise stated, content published on the Services is the proprietary property of The Suitcase Detective or is used under license. This includes text, articles, editorials, reviews, case files, summaries, database compilations, photographs, graphics, logos, audio, video, software, and website design.

This content is protected by United States copyright, trademark, and intellectual property law, as well as applicable international protections.

Names, Logos & Marks

The name “The Suitcase Detective,” the “Never Quit Looking” name, associated logos, and any marks used with the Services are claimed as proprietary marks of The Suitcase Detective. Unauthorized use of these marks is prohibited.

Third-Party Content

When content on the Services is sourced from third parties, copyright remains with the original owner. This may include news articles, government databases, NGO records, public databases, public records, or other publicly available materials.

We do not claim ownership of third-party content we reference, link to, or quote from. However, any reproduction, distribution, modification, public display, transmission, or commercial exploitation of our proprietary content without prior written permission is prohibited.

Permission requests may be sent to thesuitcasedetective@outlook.com.

Limited Use License

Subject to your compliance with these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Services for personal, non-commercial purposes only.

This is a license to view the Services. It is not a transfer of ownership or title in any content.

Restrictions

Under this license, you may not:

• Copy, reproduce, or download content for distribution or redistribution.
• Modify, adapt, translate, or create derivative works from our content.
• Use any content for commercial purposes without prior written consent.
• Remove, alter, or obscure copyright, trademark, or proprietary notices.
• Scrape, crawl, or systematically extract content using automated tools.
• Frame or mirror any portion of the Services on another website.
• Sublicense, assign, or transfer rights granted here to any third party.

This license terminates automatically if you violate these restrictions. Upon termination, you must immediately stop using the Services and destroy any downloaded or saved copies of our content.

User Representations

By using the Services, you represent and warrant that:

• You are at least 18 years old, or the age of majority in your jurisdiction if higher.
• You have the legal capacity to enter into this Agreement.
• You will comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
• You will not access the Services through bots, scripts, automated tools, or non-human methods unless expressly authorized by us.
• You will not use the Services for any illegal, fraudulent, harmful, or unauthorized purpose.
• Any information you provide to us is true, accurate, current, and complete to the best of your knowledge.

If you access the Services on behalf of a minor, you accept responsibility for that minor’s use of the Services and compliance with these Terms.

As a result, we reserve the right to refuse, restrict, or terminate access if we have reason to believe that any representation is false or that your use of the Services violates these Terms or applicable law.

Prohibited Activities

You agree not to engage in prohibited activities in connection with the Services. The following examples are illustrative, not exhaustive.

Legal & Security Violations

• Using the Services for any unlawful purpose or in violation of applicable law.
• Attempting to gain unauthorized access to the Services, servers, or related systems.
• Transmitting viruses, malware, ransomware, or other harmful or disruptive code.
• Using the Services to stalk, harass, threaten, intimidate, impersonate, or harm any person.
• Using the Services to solicit personal information from, or expose harmful content to, anyone under 18.

Content & Platform Integrity

• Scraping, crawling, or systematically harvesting data without written consent.
• Circumventing, disabling, or interfering with security features.
• Uploading or transmitting spam, chain mail, mass solicitations, or unauthorized advertising.
• Reproducing, distributing, or commercially exploiting our content without written permission.
• Using the Services to defame, disparage, or make false statements about any person or entity.

Never Quit Looking Specific Restrictions

• Submitting knowingly false, fabricated, or misleading case information.
• Posting non-public personal details, including private addresses, private phone numbers, or private social media accounts.
• Submitting official law enforcement tips through our forms instead of proper tip lines or direct police contact.
• Contacting victims’ families or case-adjacent individuals through the Services to offer psychic, spiritual, or similar unsolicited outreach.

Because these rules protect real people and real cases, any violation may result in immediate termination of access. In addition, violations may be reported to relevant legal authorities at our sole discretion.

User Contributions

The Services may allow you to submit, post, transmit, or otherwise make available content. This may include text, comments, photographs, graphics, video, audio, links, case information, updates, and other materials. These are called “Contributions.”

Depending on the feature used, Contributions may be viewable by other users and by third parties.

Your Responsibility

By making a Contribution, you represent and warrant that:

• You own the content or have all necessary rights, licenses, and permissions to submit it.
• The Contribution does not infringe any copyright, trademark, privacy right, publicity right, or other third-party right.
• The Contribution is accurate and not misleading to the best of your knowledge.
• The Contribution does not contain obscene, harassing, defamatory, threatening, or unlawful material.
• You have obtained any necessary consents for identifiable individuals depicted or named in your Contribution.
• Your Contribution complies with these Terms and all applicable laws.

Never Quit Looking Submissions

Never Quit Looking accepts case submissions and updates related to missing persons, unidentified individuals, unsolved homicides, and related matters. Submissions may be reviewed, edited, reformatted, summarized, or declined at our sole discretion before or after publication.

Do not submit private personal information about living individuals unless that information is already publicly available through official law enforcement or news sources, or unless you have permission to share it. This includes private addresses, private phone numbers, non-public medical information, and confidential records.

By submitting a case or update, you acknowledge that the information may be published publicly in our database and may remain there indefinitely. If you believe information is inaccurate or should be removed, contact us and we will review the request.

In addition, information that appears relevant to an active investigation, public safety concern, or threat of harm may be forwarded to law enforcement. Submission of case information to The Suitcase Detective does not guarantee anonymity.

Contribution License

General Contributions

For comments, suggestions, feedback, and similar submissions, you grant The Suitcase Detective a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, irrevocable, sublicensable license to use, reproduce, modify, publish, distribute, and display your Contribution in connection with the Services.

However, we do not assert ownership over general Contributions. You retain any underlying ownership rights you hold.

Case Submissions

For case submissions and updates submitted to Never Quit Looking, you grant The Suitcase Detective an unlimited, royalty-free, worldwide, irrevocable license to use, publish, reproduce, summarize, modify, distribute, and display the submitted information for any lawful purpose related to the Services.

This may include public database entries, articles, social media posts, public updates, or other site materials. No further compensation or acknowledgment is required.

You alone are responsible for what you submit. Therefore, you agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from claims arising from your Contributions or case submissions.

Community Conduct Standards

The Suitcase Detective community includes comments, social media interactions, form submissions, and other interactive features. Because our subject matter often involves real victims and families, respectful conduct is required.

• Treat victims and families with dignity. Do not mock, blame, or second-guess victims, survivors, or family members.
• Label theories as theories. Distinguish established fact from personal opinion or speculation.
• No doxing. Do not post private contact information, addresses, or private social media accounts.
• No unsolicited psychic or spiritual outreach. Do not use the Services to contact families or case-adjacent individuals for that purpose.
• No hate speech. Contributions must not include discriminatory attacks based on race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or similar characteristics.
• No harassment. Do not threaten, intimidate, bully, or target any individual.

We reserve the right to remove content that violates these standards and to restrict or terminate access for users who violate them. In serious cases, illegal conduct may be reported to law enforcement.

Third-Party Links & Content

The Services contain links to external websites, third-party databases, news articles, social media platforms, affiliate merchants, and other third-party content. These links are provided for informational and reference purposes only.

A link to a third-party site does not mean that we endorse, approve, or recommend that site, its operators, its products, or its services. Instead, links may be included to provide context, alternative perspectives, or further research.

We have no control over the content, accuracy, privacy practices, terms, availability, or security of external websites. When you leave thesuitcasedetective.com, you are subject to the terms and privacy policies of the destination site.

Likewise, views and statements made by third parties do not necessarily reflect our views. If you encounter content on the Services that you believe violates these Terms or applicable law, please report it to us.

Shop & Print-on-Demand

Our Shop link may direct visitors to Redbubble. We may also list products on Zazzle. Both are independent third-party print-on-demand marketplaces.

When you make a purchase through Redbubble or Zazzle, you enter into a transaction directly with that platform, not with The Suitcase Detective. Payment processing, fulfillment, shipping, returns, refunds, and customer service are handled by the marketplace under its own terms and privacy policy.

We may receive a royalty or commission when products featuring our designs are sold. However, we do not collect, store, or process your payment information, shipping details, or personal order data from those platforms.

Therefore, we are not responsible for marketplace transactions, product fulfillment, delivery delays, refunds, product quality, or disputes arising from third-party shop platforms.

Affiliate Relationships

This website participates in affiliate advertising programs. When you click an affiliate link and make a qualifying purchase, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and may also participate in direct vendor affiliate arrangements. Pages containing affiliate links will include a visible disclosure.

Affiliate relationships do not influence our editorial opinions, recommendations, or coverage decisions. Instead, we only link to products or services we believe may be relevant and useful to our audience.

When you click an affiliate link, you leave our website. The merchant’s terms, return policies, and privacy practices govern your interaction with that merchant. Therefore, we are not responsible for transactions, products, or disputes that arise on a merchant’s site.

For more detail, see our Privacy Policy for information about affiliate link tracking.

Social Media

The Suitcase Detective maintains accounts on Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Pinterest, YouTube, Tumblr, and TikTok. These platforms are operated by independent third parties and are subject to their own terms of service and community standards.

When you interact with us on social media, your interaction is governed by the platform’s terms, not ours. We may moderate our own accounts and remove content that violates our community standards.

Views expressed by third parties who comment on, tag, or otherwise interact with our social media accounts do not represent the views of The Suitcase Detective.

If we administer a social media group, third-party posts in that group remain the responsibility of the person who posted them. In that situation, please report content to us if it appears to violate these Terms or applicable law.

Site Moderation & Management

We reserve the right, but not the obligation, to monitor the Services for violations of these Terms.

At our sole discretion, we may:

• Remove, edit, or decline any Contribution or case submission.
• Refuse, restrict, suspend, or terminate access to any user.
• Take appropriate legal action against users who violate the law or these Terms.
• Manage the Services to protect platform integrity, audience safety, and the dignity of case subjects and families.

Cases submitted to Never Quit Looking will be reviewed and processed in the order received when reasonably possible. Although we make efforts to maintain database accuracy, we do not warrant the completeness, currency, or accuracy of any listing.

We may decline, remove, modify, suspend, or discontinue any listing, content, feature, or service at any time without notice or liability.

Termination & Access

These Terms remain in effect for as long as you use the Services. We may terminate or suspend your access at any time, without notice, for any reason.

Reasons for termination may include a breach of these Terms, harmful conduct, suspected unlawful activity, or behavior that we believe exposes us or others to legal risk.

If your access is terminated or suspended, you may not re-access the Services through a new account, changed IP address, VPN, proxy, or other circumvention method. Circumventing a restriction may result in further legal action.

In addition, provisions that by their nature should survive termination will survive. This includes intellectual property rights, disclaimers, limitations of liability, and indemnification obligations.

Modifications & Interruptions

We reserve the right to change, modify, update, remove, or discontinue any content, feature, or aspect of the Services at any time at our sole discretion and without prior notice.

We have no obligation to update any specific content or maintain any particular feature.

However, we cannot guarantee that the Services will always be available. Outages, maintenance, technical failures, hosting disruptions, or events outside our control may result in temporary unavailability.

As a result, we accept no liability for loss, inconvenience, or damages arising from downtime, interruptions, or discontinuation of the Services.

Disclaimers

The Services are provided on an “as-is” and “as-available” basis without warranties of any kind. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, whether express, implied, or statutory.

This includes implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, accuracy, and completeness.

We make no warranty that the Services will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or free from viruses or harmful components. Likewise, we make no warranty regarding the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or currency of case entries, external links, third-party information, or other content.

Some content depicts real events involving real victims, families, and individuals. We strive to be accurate and respectful; however, errors may exist. If you believe content is inaccurate or harmful, please contact us.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, The Suitcase Detective, its owner, contributors, and affiliated persons shall not be liable to you or any third party for direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages.

This limitation applies to damages arising from your use of, or inability to use, the Services; any content on the Services; third-party content, links, or services; errors or omissions; unauthorized access to or alteration of data; or any other matter related to the Services.

This applies regardless of legal theory and regardless of whether we were advised of the possibility of such damages.

Where liability cannot be fully excluded under applicable law, our total liability to you for all claims arising from or related to the Services will not exceed the amount you paid to us, if any, in the twelve months preceding the claim.

Some jurisdictions do not permit certain exclusions or limitations. Therefore, where those laws apply, portions of this section may not apply to you.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless The Suitcase Detective, its owner, contributors, and affiliated persons from and against claims, demands, damages, losses, costs, liabilities, and expenses, including reasonable legal fees.

This includes claims arising from or related to:

• Your use of the Services.
• Your breach of these Terms.
• Your violation of any applicable law or regulation.
• Your Contributions or case submissions.
• Your violation of third-party rights, including intellectual property, privacy, or publicity rights.
• Any harmful act you commit toward another user or person in connection with the Services.

We reserve the right, at our own expense, to assume exclusive defense and control of any matter subject to your indemnification obligation. In that event, you agree to cooperate with our defense.

Governing Law

These Terms and any dispute arising from or related to them or the Services shall be governed by and construed under the laws of the State of Iowa, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles.

You consent to the jurisdiction of state and federal courts located in Iowa, United States, for disputes that are not subject to arbitration.

If you access the Services from outside the United States, you do so on your own initiative. Therefore, you are responsible for compliance with local laws where they apply.

Dispute Resolution

Informal Resolution First

Before filing any formal claim, you agree to contact us at thesuitcasedetective@outlook.com and attempt to resolve the dispute informally. We will make reasonable efforts to address your concern within 30 days of receipt.

Binding Arbitration

If informal resolution fails, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Services shall be resolved by binding arbitration under the substantive laws of Iowa, United States. Arbitration proceedings shall be conducted in English.

The arbitrator’s decision shall be final and binding on both parties, and judgment may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Class Action Waiver

To the fullest extent permitted by law, no arbitration may be joined with another proceeding. In addition, you have no right to arbitrate any dispute on a class-action or representative basis.

You may not bring a claim in a representative capacity on behalf of the general public or other persons.

Exceptions to Arbitration

Claims to enforce or protect intellectual property rights, claims arising from theft, piracy, or unauthorized use, and claims for injunctive or emergency relief may be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction in Iowa.

If any portion of this arbitration provision is found unenforceable, that portion shall be severed and the remaining provisions shall remain in effect.

Electronic Communications

Visiting the Services, submitting forms, and communicating with us by email constitute electronic communication.

You consent to receive communications from us electronically. In addition, you agree that agreements, notices, disclosures, and other communications provided electronically satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing.

You agree to the use of electronic signatures, contracts, records, and electronic delivery of notices, policies, and transaction records. To the extent permitted by law, you waive requirements for original signatures, non-electronic records, or non-electronic delivery.

Changes to These Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. When we do, we will update the effective date at the top of this page.

Material changes may also be noted on the website. You waive the right to receive individual notice of each update. Therefore, it is your responsibility to review these Terms periodically.

Continued use of the Services after updated Terms are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to revised Terms, you must discontinue use of the Services.

Miscellaneous

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, Website Disclaimer, and any supplemental terms posted on the Services, constitute the entire agreement between you and The Suitcase Detective regarding your use of the Services.

If any provision is found invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that provision shall be limited or severed to the minimum extent necessary so that the remaining provisions continue in full force.

Our failure to enforce any provision does not waive that provision or our right to enforce it later.

We may assign our rights and obligations under these Terms to any person or entity at any time without notice. However, you may not assign your rights under these Terms without our prior written consent.

No joint venture, partnership, employment, agency, or franchise relationship is created between you and The Suitcase Detective by these Terms or your use of the Services.

Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms and Conditions, wish to request permission to use our content, need to report a violation, or have concerns about the Services, please contact us.