Terms of Service

Last Updated: July 10, 2026

These Terms of Service ("Terms") are a binding agreement between Gaus LLC, a Missouri limited liability company doing business as CollBar ("CollBar," "we," "us," or "our"), and you, the individual or entity accessing or using our services ("you" or "Customer").

These Terms govern your access to and use of: (a) the website located at collbar.com and its subdomains (the "Site"); (b) the CollBar Data Intelligence application, including all associated software, data, analytics, reports, dashboards, and APIs (the "Service"); and (c) any related content, documentation, or materials we provide.

PLEASE READ THESE TERMS CAREFULLY. SECTION 15 CONTAINS A MANDATORY ARBITRATION PROVISION AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER THAT AFFECT YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS. BY ACCEPTING THESE TERMS, YOU AGREE THAT DISPUTES BETWEEN YOU AND COLLBAR WILL BE RESOLVED BY BINDING INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION, AND YOU WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL AND TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLASS ACTION.

By creating an account, clicking "I agree," subscribing, or otherwise accessing or using the Site or Service, you accept these Terms. If you do not agree, do not access or use the Site or Service.

If you are accepting these Terms on behalf of a school district, law firm, company, or other legal entity, you represent that you have authority to bind that entity, and "you" refers to that entity.

1. The Service; Not Legal Advice

1.1 Description. CollBar provides data intelligence, benchmarking, and analytics relating to collective bargaining agreements, compensation, settlements, and related public-sector labor data, with an initial focus on Illinois K-12 school districts.

1.2 NOT LEGAL, FINANCIAL, OR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. The Service provides informational data and analytics only. Nothing in the Service constitutes legal advice, financial advice, negotiation advice, or a recommendation regarding any collective bargaining position, settlement, or employment decision. Use of the Service does not create an attorney-client, fiduciary, or advisory relationship between you and CollBar. You are solely responsible for decisions you make based on the Service's data and analytics, and CollBar has no liability for those decisions.

1.3 Data Sources and Accuracy. The Service incorporates data derived from public records, government sources (including the Illinois State Board of Education and other agencies), freedom-of-information responses, publicly available collective bargaining agreements, and automated and AI-assisted extraction and analysis. Public records may contain errors, omissions, or outdated information, and automated extraction may introduce inaccuracies. We do not warrant that any data, extract, summary, or analytic in the Service is accurate, complete, or current. You should independently verify material data before relying on it for any purpose.

1.4 AI-Generated Content. Portions of the Service use artificial intelligence to extract, summarize, classify, or analyze documents and data. AI-generated output may contain errors or mischaracterizations and is provided for informational purposes only.

1.5 Modifications. We may modify, update, add, or remove features of the Site or Service at any time. If a change materially reduces the core functionality of a paid subscription, your remedy is to cancel under Section 5.

2. Eligibility and Accounts

2.1 Eligibility. The Service is intended for business and professional use. You must be at least 18 years old and capable of forming a binding contract to use the Service.

2.2 Registration. You must provide accurate, current, and complete information when creating an account and keep it updated.

2.3 Account Security. You are responsible for safeguarding your credentials and for all activity under your account. Notify us immediately at hello@collbar.com of any unauthorized use or security breach.

2.4 Seats and Users. Unless your subscription plan or a signed order form expressly permits otherwise, each account and login is for a single named individual. Sharing credentials among multiple individuals, or providing access to persons outside your organization, is prohibited.

3. Subscription License and Restrictions

3.1 License. Subject to these Terms and payment of applicable fees, CollBar grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable license during your subscription term to access and use the Service, and to use reports and data exports generated through the Service ("Output"), solely for your internal business purposes (or, for law firms and consultants on an eligible plan, in providing services to your own clients).

3.2 Restrictions. Except as expressly permitted in writing by CollBar, you will not, and will not permit any third party to:

copy, scrape, crawl, harvest, or bulk-download data from the Site or Service, whether manually or by automated means;
resell, redistribute, sublicense, publish, or make available the Service or any substantial portion of its data to third parties, including as part of a competing product, data feed, or database;
use the Service to develop, train, or improve a competing product or service, including training machine-learning models on Service data;
reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to derive the source code, underlying data structures, or methodologies of the Service;
circumvent usage limits, access controls, or security measures;
remove or alter proprietary notices on the Service or Output;
use the Service in violation of applicable law or third parties' rights; or
interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the Service, including by introducing malicious code or imposing an unreasonable load on our infrastructure.

3.3 Permitted Use of Output. You may use and share Output internally, with your professional advisors, and (for law firm and consultant plans) with your clients in the ordinary course of representation, provided the Output is not made publicly available or provided to a CollBar competitor.

3.4 Reservation of Rights. CollBar and its licensors retain all right, title, and interest in and to the Site, the Service, the underlying databases, compilations, derived analytics and settlement intelligence, software, and all related intellectual property. No rights are granted except as expressly set forth in these Terms.

4. Fees, Billing, and Payment

4.1 Fees. Subscription fees, plan features, and usage limits are described at the point of purchase or in an applicable order form. All fees are stated in U.S. dollars.

4.2 Automatic Renewal. Subscriptions are billed in advance on a recurring monthly basis (or other interval stated at purchase) and renew automatically at the end of each billing period until cancelled. By subscribing, you authorize CollBar and its payment processor to charge your payment method the then-current subscription fee, plus applicable taxes, at the start of each billing period.

4.3 Payment Processing. Payments are processed by Stripe, Inc. ("Stripe"). Your payment information is provided directly to Stripe and is subject to Stripe's terms and privacy policy. We do not store full payment card numbers.

4.4 Cancellation. You may cancel your subscription at any time through your Stripe customer portal (accessible from your account settings) or by contacting us at hello@collbar.com. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. You will retain access through the end of the period you have paid for; no further charges will be made after cancellation takes effect.

4.5 No Refunds. Except where required by law or expressly stated otherwise, all fees are non-refundable and non-creditable, including for partial billing periods, unused features, or downgrades.

4.6 Free Trials. We may offer free trials. Unless otherwise stated, if a payment method is on file at the end of a trial, your subscription will convert to a paid subscription and billing will begin automatically unless you cancel before the trial ends. Trial features, duration, and eligibility may be modified or withdrawn at any time. One trial per organization unless we agree otherwise.

4.7 Price Changes. We may change subscription fees upon at least 30 days' advance notice (by email or in-product notice). Price changes take effect at your next billing period after the notice period. Your continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance; if you do not agree, cancel before the new price takes effect.

4.8 Failed Payments; Suspension. If a payment fails, we may retry the charge and may suspend or limit access to the Service until payment is received. You remain responsible for uncollected amounts.

4.9 Taxes. Fees are exclusive of taxes. You are responsible for all applicable sales, use, and similar taxes, excluding taxes on CollBar's net income. Tax-exempt entities must provide a valid exemption certificate.

4.10 Enterprise Agreements. If you and CollBar execute a separate written agreement or order form (for example, an enterprise or law firm subscription), that agreement controls to the extent it conflicts with these Terms.

5. Term, Termination, and Suspension

5.1 Term. These Terms apply from your first use of the Site or Service and continue until your account and subscriptions are terminated.

5.2 Termination by You. You may stop using the Site at any time and may cancel paid subscriptions as described in Section 4.4.

5.3 Termination and Suspension by CollBar. We may suspend or terminate your access immediately if: (a) you materially breach these Terms (including the restrictions in Section 3.2 or nonpayment); (b) your use poses a security, legal, or operational risk; or (c) required by law. For non-material breaches, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you and allow an opportunity to cure. We may also discontinue the Service generally; if we do, we will provide reasonable notice and a pro-rata refund of prepaid fees for the unused portion of your current subscription period.

5.4 Effect of Termination. Upon termination, your license ends and you must cease use of the Service. Output lawfully generated and exported before termination may continue to be used consistent with Section 3.3. Sections that by their nature should survive (including Sections 1.2–1.4, 3.2, 3.4, 6, 8, 10–17, and 19–20) survive termination.

6. Customer Data

6.1 Your Data. You retain ownership of data, documents, and content you upload or submit to the Service ("Customer Data"). You grant CollBar a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, process, transmit, display, and analyze Customer Data solely to provide, secure, and improve the Service and as otherwise permitted by our Privacy Policy.

6.2 Aggregated and De-Identified Data. CollBar may create and use aggregated, anonymized, or de-identified data derived from use of the Service (including Customer Data) for benchmarking, analytics, and product improvement, provided such data does not identify you or any individual.

6.3 Responsibility. You represent that you have all rights and consents necessary to submit Customer Data and that it does not violate law or third-party rights. Do not submit data you are prohibited from sharing, including information subject to confidentiality obligations you have not cleared, or sensitive personal information the Service is not designed to receive.

6.4 Public Records. Documents obtained from public sources and incorporated into the Service's databases are not Customer Data, even if you request or suggest their inclusion.

7. Feedback

If you provide suggestions, ideas, or feedback about the Site or Service ("Feedback"), you grant CollBar a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license to use the Feedback for any purpose without restriction or compensation.

8. Confidentiality

Non-public information disclosed by either party that is designated confidential or that reasonably should be understood to be confidential (including non-public Service features, pricing proposals, and Customer Data) must be protected by the receiving party with reasonable care, used only to perform under these Terms, and not disclosed to third parties except to employees, advisors, and contractors under confidentiality obligations, or as required by law (with notice to the disclosing party if legally permitted). This obligation does not apply to information that is or becomes publicly known without breach, was independently developed without use of confidential information, or was rightfully received from a third party without restriction.

9. Third-Party Services and Links

The Service may interoperate with, or the Site may link to, third-party websites and services (including Stripe). CollBar does not control and is not responsible for third-party services, and your use of them is governed by their own terms.

10. Intellectual Property; Trademarks; DMCA

10.1 Trademarks. "CollBar," the CollBar logo, and related marks are trademarks of Gaus LLC. No right or license to use any CollBar mark is granted under these Terms. Third-party marks belong to their respective owners.

10.2 Copyright Complaints (DMCA). If you believe material on the Site or Service infringes your copyright, send a notice compliant with 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)(3) to legal@collbar.com, including: identification of the copyrighted work; identification and location of the allegedly infringing material; your contact information; a statement of good-faith belief that the use is unauthorized; a statement, under penalty of perjury, that the notice is accurate and you are authorized to act for the copyright owner; and your physical or electronic signature. We may remove material and terminate repeat infringers.

11. Disclaimers

THE SITE, SERVICE, DATA, AND OUTPUT ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, AND UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE OPERATION. WITHOUT LIMITING SECTION 1, COLLBAR DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE DATA OR ANALYTICS IN THE SERVICE ARE ACCURATE, COMPLETE, OR CURRENT, OR THAT ANY OUTCOME (INCLUDING ANY BARGAINING OR SETTLEMENT OUTCOME) WILL RESULT FROM USE OF THE SERVICE. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN WARRANTY EXCLUSIONS, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

12. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW: (A) NEITHER COLLBAR NOR ITS MEMBERS, MANAGERS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, LICENSORS, OR SUPPLIERS WILL BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, LOST REVENUE, LOST DATA, OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SITE OR SERVICE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES; AND (B) COLLBAR'S TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SITE OR SERVICE WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (i) THE AMOUNTS YOU PAID TO COLLBAR FOR THE SERVICE IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM, OR (ii) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100). THESE LIMITATIONS APPLY REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY AND EVEN IF A REMEDY FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN LIMITATIONS, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

13. Indemnification

You will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless CollBar and its members, managers, officers, employees, and agents from and against any third-party claims, and resulting losses, liabilities, damages, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees), arising out of or relating to: (a) your Customer Data; (b) your use of the Service or Output, including decisions or advice you make or give based on them; (c) your breach of these Terms; or (d) your violation of law or third-party rights. We will provide prompt notice of any such claim and reasonable cooperation at your expense, and we may participate in the defense with counsel of our choosing.

14. Governing Law

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or relating to them or the Site or Service are governed by the laws of the State of Missouri and applicable federal law (including the Federal Arbitration Act with respect to Section 15), without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. For any matter not subject to arbitration under Section 15, the state and federal courts located in Boone County, Missouri will have exclusive jurisdiction, and the parties consent to personal jurisdiction and venue there.

15. Dispute Resolution: Mandatory Arbitration and Class Action Waiver

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. IT REQUIRES ARBITRATION OF DISPUTES ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND LIMITS THE MANNER IN WHICH YOU CAN SEEK RELIEF.

15.1 Informal Resolution First. Before initiating arbitration or any court proceeding, the party asserting a dispute must send the other a written notice describing the dispute and the relief sought ("Dispute Notice") — to CollBar at legal@collbar.com or the mailing address in Section 20, or to you at the email associated with your account. The parties will attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute within 60 days after the Dispute Notice is received. Completion of this process is a condition precedent to initiating arbitration or litigation, and any applicable limitations period is tolled during the 60-day period.

15.2 Agreement to Arbitrate. Except as provided in Section 15.3, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms, the Site, or the Service — including their formation, interpretation, breach, or termination, and including statutory, tort, and common-law claims — will be resolved exclusively by final and binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") under its Commercial Arbitration Rules (or, if you are an individual using the Service for personal purposes, its Consumer Arbitration Rules), as modified by this Section. The Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of this Section. Judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

15.3 Exceptions. Either party may: (a) bring an individual claim in small claims court if it qualifies; and (b) seek temporary or preliminary injunctive or other equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction to protect its intellectual property, confidential information, or data (including violations of Section 3.2), without first arbitrating.

15.4 Arbitration Procedure. There will be one arbitrator. Unless the parties agree otherwise, arbitration will be conducted in Boone County, Missouri, or, for consumer claims, in the county of your residence; hearings may be conducted by videoconference where the AAA rules permit. Payment of filing, administration, and arbitrator fees will be governed by the applicable AAA rules. The arbitrator may award the same individual relief a court could award, must apply these Terms as written, and will issue a reasoned written decision. Each party bears its own attorneys' fees unless applicable law or these Terms provide otherwise.

15.5 CLASS ACTION AND JURY TRIAL WAIVER. ALL CLAIMS MUST BE BROUGHT IN THE PARTIES' INDIVIDUAL CAPACITIES, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS, COLLECTIVE, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. The arbitrator may not consolidate more than one party's claims or preside over any form of class or representative proceeding. To the fullest extent permitted by law, each party waives the right to a trial by jury. If the class action waiver in this Section 15.5 is found unenforceable as to a particular claim, that claim (and only that claim) will proceed in court under Section 14, and the remainder will proceed in arbitration.

15.6 Mass Filings. If 25 or more similar arbitration demands are filed against CollBar by the same or coordinated counsel, the parties agree the demands will be resolved in staged batches consistent with the AAA's Mass Arbitration Supplementary Rules (or, if unavailable, in batches of 10 selected by the parties alternately), with the outcomes of initial batches informing good-faith global resolution discussions before further batches proceed. Applicable limitations periods are tolled during this process.

15.7 Opt-Out. You may opt out of this arbitration agreement (Sections 15.2–15.6) by sending written notice to legal@collbar.com or the mailing address in Section 20 within 30 days after first accepting these Terms, stating your name, account email, and intent to opt out of arbitration. Opting out does not affect any other provision of these Terms, including Section 14.

15.8 Severability; Survival. Except as stated in Section 15.5, if any part of this Section 15 is found unenforceable, the remainder remains in effect. This Section survives termination of these Terms.

16. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will provide notice by email, in-product notice, or by posting the updated Terms with a revised "Last Updated" date at least 15 days before they take effect (except changes required by law or addressing new features, which may be effective immediately). Your continued use of the Site or Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance. If you do not agree, cancel your subscription and stop using the Service before the changes take effect. Material changes to Section 15 will not apply to disputes for which a Dispute Notice was received before the change's effective date.

17. Miscellaneous

17.1 Entire Agreement. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, any order form, and any click-through terms for specific features, constitute the entire agreement between you and CollBar regarding the Site and Service and supersede all prior agreements on that subject.

17.2 Assignment. You may not assign or transfer these Terms without CollBar's prior written consent. CollBar may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, or by operation of law.

17.3 Severability; Waiver. If any provision is held unenforceable, it will be reformed to the minimum extent necessary and the remainder will remain in effect. A waiver is effective only if in writing and does not waive any subsequent breach.

17.4 Force Majeure. CollBar is not liable for delay or failure to perform due to causes beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, internet or utility failures, government actions, labor disputes, or third-party service outages.

17.5 Independent Contractors. The parties are independent contractors. These Terms do not create a partnership, joint venture, agency, or employment relationship.

17.6 No Third-Party Beneficiaries. These Terms do not confer rights on any third party.

17.7 Export and Legal Compliance. You will comply with applicable laws in your use of the Service, including U.S. export control and sanctions laws.

17.8 Notices. We may provide notices to the email associated with your account or through the Service. Legal notices to CollBar must be sent to legal@collbar.com or the address in Section 20.

18. Government and Public Entity Customers

If you are a public school district or other governmental entity, provisions of these Terms that conflict with mandatory applicable law (for example, indemnification, governing law, or dispute resolution requirements imposed on public entities) apply only to the extent permitted by that law, and the parties will cooperate in good faith to give effect to the remainder of these Terms.

19. Definitions

"Output" means reports, exports, analyses, and other materials generated for you through the Service.
"Customer Data" means data, documents, and content you upload or submit to the Service, excluding public records data and CollBar's databases.
"Service" means the CollBar Data Intelligence application and related software, data, analytics, and APIs.
"Site" means collbar.com and its subdomains.
"Including" means including without limitation.

20. Contact

Gaus LLC d/b/a CollBar 4117 Town Square Dr Columbia, Missouri 65203 Email: hello@collbar.com | legal@collbar.com Phone: (419) 350-8420

For DMCA notices, Dispute Notices under Section 15.1, and arbitration opt-outs under Section 15.7, use legal@collbar.com or the mailing address above.

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