ASHI Terms of Service

01. Acceptance of Terms

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) constitute a legally binding agreement between you and the American Society of Home Inspectors, Inc. (“ASHI,” “we,” “our,” or “us”), a nonprofit professional association incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois, with its principal offices in Des Plaines, Illinois. ASHI operates the website located at homeinspector.org (the “Site”).

By visiting, browsing, registering on, or otherwise using the Site, you affirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms, along with ASHI’s Privacy Policy, ASHI’s Code of Ethics, and any additional guidelines or policies posted on the Site or communicated to members, all of which are incorporated by reference. These Terms apply to all users of the Site, including general visitors, registered users, and ASHI Members. Where specific provisions apply only to registered users or ASHI Members, they are identified as such.

If you are using the Site on behalf of an organization, you represent and warrant that you have authority to bind that organization to these Terms.

02. Eligibility & Account Registration

The Site is intended for use by individuals who are at least 18 years of age. By using the Site, you represent and warrant that you meet this age requirement. ASHI does not knowingly collect information from or direct the Site to individuals under 18.

Certain features of the Site — including member-only resources, directories, online learning access, and other authenticated services — require you to register for an account. When registering, you agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information and to keep that information updated. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to notify ASHI immediately at membership@ashi.org if you suspect any unauthorized use of your account.

ASHI reserves the right to refuse registration, suspend, or terminate any account at its sole discretion, including for violation of these Terms or ASHI’s Code of Ethics.

03. License to Use This Site

Subject to your compliance with these Terms, ASHI grants you a personal, revocable, limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use the Site for your own informational, educational, and professional purposes. This license does not include the right to:

• Reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works of, or publicly display any content on the Site without ASHI’s prior written consent;
• Use the Site or its content for any commercial purpose on behalf of a third party without authorization;
• Access or attempt to access restricted areas of the Site or another user’s account;
• Systematically download, scrape, or harvest content from the Site by any means, automated or otherwise; or
• Sublicense, sell, resell, or otherwise transfer your access rights under this license.

This license terminates automatically if you violate any of these Terms. ASHI reserves all rights not expressly granted herein.

04. Intellectual Property

All content on the Site — including text, graphics, logos, images, audio and video clips, data compilations, software, and the selection and arrangement thereof — is the property of ASHI or its licensors and is protected by United States and international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

ASHI Trademarks

The name “American Society of Home Inspectors,” the “ASHI” acronym, the ASHI logo, and all related names, marks, and slogans are registered trademarks or service marks of ASHI. You may not use these marks without the prior written permission of ASHI. Nothing in these Terms grants you any right to use any ASHI trademark, logo, or trade name.

Standards of Practice & Code of Ethics

ASHI’s Standards of Practice, Code of Ethics, and related professional guidance documents are copyrighted materials. These documents may be referenced and reproduced for personal, educational, or professional use consistent with ASHI’s licensing terms. Any commercial reproduction, adaptation, or distribution of these materials requires ASHI’s express written permission.

Member Directory

The ASHI Member Directory is provided to assist consumers in locating ASHI-certified home inspectors. Systematic downloading, scraping, or commercial use of Member Directory data for any purpose — including marketing, lead generation, or contact list creation — is strictly prohibited.

05. User-Submitted Content

The Site may allow users to submit, post, upload, or transmit content, including but not limited to forum posts, comments, profile information, and educational submissions (“User Content”). By submitting User Content, you represent and warrant that you own or have the necessary rights to that content and that it does not violate the rights of any third party.

By submitting User Content, you grant ASHI a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable license to use, reproduce, display, transmit, and distribute such User Content in connection with operating and promoting the Site and ASHI’s mission, including for internal and external communications purposes. ASHI does not claim ownership of your User Content.

ASHI is not responsible for User Content and does not endorse any opinions expressed therein. ASHI reserves the right to remove any User Content at any time for any reason, including content that violates these Terms or ASHI’s Code of Ethics.

06. Acceptable Use

You agree to use the Site only for lawful purposes and in a manner consistent with ASHI’s mission, professional standards, and these Terms. You agree that you will not:

• Post, transmit, or distribute content that is unlawful, defamatory, obscene, threatening, abusive, harassing, hateful, or invasive of another’s privacy;
• Impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent your affiliation, credentials, or ASHI membership status;
• Use the Site to solicit, market, or advertise products or services to other users without ASHI’s authorization;
• Engage in any activity that disrupts, damages, or impairs the Site’s functionality or ASHI’s systems;
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Site, ASHI’s servers, or systems connected to the Site;
• Use the Site to collect, harvest, or store personal data about other users without their consent;
• Transmit unsolicited commercial communications (spam) or engage in any form of phishing;
• Introduce viruses, malware, or other harmful code into the Site or its systems; or
• Use any robot, spider, crawler, scraper, or other automated means to access the Site, download content, or extract data for any purpose, including for use in training, fine-tuning, or building artificial intelligence or machine learning systems.

Violation of this Acceptable Use policy constitutes a material breach of these Terms and may result in immediate suspension or termination of your access to the Site.

07. Member Accounts & Termination

This section applies to registered ASHI Members and users with authenticated Site accounts.

Access to member-restricted areas of the Site is conditioned on your continued compliance with these Terms, ASHI’s Bylaws, and ASHI’s Code of Ethics. ASHI reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend, restrict, or terminate your Site access at any time, with or without notice, for any reason, including but not limited to:

• Violation of these Terms or ASHI’s Code of Ethics;
• Lapse, suspension, or termination of ASHI membership;
• Conduct that ASHI determines, in its sole discretion, is harmful to ASHI, its members, or the public; or
• Any false, inaccurate, or misleading information provided during registration or use.

Suspension or termination of Site access is separate from, and does not replace or supersede, ASHI’s formal membership disciplinary procedures under the Bylaws. Upon termination of your account, your license to use the Site immediately revokes, though provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination will continue in effect.

08. Third-Party Platforms & Purchases

The Site may contain links to third-party websites, services, or platforms — including those used for event registration, continuing education, e-commerce, and membership processing. These third-party platforms are independent of ASHI. ASHI does not control, endorse, or assume responsibility for any third-party content, products, services, or practices.

Certain transactions initiated through the Site — including event registrations, online education purchases, and product orders — may be processed by a third-party merchant of record. The applicable merchant of record for any transaction will be identified at checkout. Refund, cancellation, and dispute policies for such transactions are governed by the applicable merchant’s or platform’s terms, not these Terms. ASHI disclaims all liability for losses or disputes arising from such third-party transactions.

If there is a conflict between these Terms and any click-through agreement, vendor terms, or terms posted specifically for a service or product offered through the Site, the more specific or vendor-specific terms shall govern with respect to that service or product. Your interactions with third-party platforms are solely between you and that third party.

09. AI-Powered Chatbot

What the Chatbot Does

ASHI’s chatbot is an AI-powered virtual assistant designed to answer general frequently asked questions about ASHI, home inspection, member resources, and site navigation. It is intended as a convenience tool for informational purposes only.

No Professional or Advisory Relationship

The chatbot’s responses do not constitute home inspection advice, professional advice of any kind, legal advice, safety guidance, or any form of expert opinion. Interacting with the chatbot does not create any advisory, fiduciary, consultant, inspector, or professional relationship between you and ASHI, any ASHI member, or any ASHI staff member. You should not rely on chatbot responses as a substitute for professional judgment, and ASHI strongly encourages you to consult a qualified, ASHI-certified home inspector for any questions specific to a property or inspection.

Accuracy & Limitations

AI-generated responses may be inaccurate, incomplete, outdated, or contextually inappropriate. ASHI does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of any information provided through the chatbot. You are solely responsible for verifying any information before acting on it.

No Authority to Bind ASHI

The chatbot is not authorized to make representations, offers, commitments, pricing quotes, refund determinations, or binding statements on behalf of ASHI. No chatbot response creates any obligation or liability on the part of ASHI.

Third-Party Technology

The chatbot feature may be powered or supported by a third-party AI service provider. Your use of the chatbot may be subject to that provider’s terms of service and privacy practices in addition to ASHI’s Privacy Policy. ASHI does not sell your chatbot interactions to third parties.

Data & Privacy

ASHI’s chatbot is designed as an informational FAQ tool and does not intentionally collect personally identifiable information through chatbot interactions. You should avoid submitting personal information, confidential client data, inspection report details, financial information, or any sensitive data through the chatbot interface. ASHI may retain anonymized or aggregated chatbot interaction data for quality assurance, service improvement, and safety-monitoring purposes.

Availability

ASHI reserves the right to modify, limit, suspend, or discontinue the chatbot feature at any time without notice.

10. Disclaimers of Warranty

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties. If these laws apply to you, some of the above exclusions may not apply, and you may have additional rights.

11. Limitation of Liability

ASHI’s total aggregate liability to you for any claims arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Site shall not exceed the greater of (a) the total fees, if any, paid by you to ASHI in the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the claim, or (b) one hundred dollars ($100.00).

Time Limitation on Claims. Any claim or cause of action you may have arising out of or relating to your use of the Site or these Terms must be filed within one (1) year after such claim arose. Claims not filed within this period are permanently barred.

12. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless ASHI and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and successors from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or related to: (a) your use of or access to the Site; (b) any User Content you submit; (c) your violation of these Terms; (d) your violation of any applicable law or regulation; or (e) your violation of any third party’s rights.

13. DMCA & Copyright Infringement

ASHI respects intellectual property rights and expects users to do the same. If you believe that material on the Site infringes your copyright, you may submit a written notice to ASHI’s designated Copyright Agent at the address below. Your notice must include: (1) identification of the copyrighted work you believe has been infringed; (2) identification of the material on the Site you believe is infringing, with sufficient detail for ASHI to locate it; (3) your contact information; (4) a statement that you have a good-faith belief that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; (5) a statement under penalty of perjury that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner; and (6) your physical or electronic signature.

ASHI’s designated Copyright Agent for notice of claims of copyright infringement can be reached at:

14. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or related to them or your use of the Site shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois, without giving effect to any choice-of-law principles that would cause the laws of another jurisdiction to apply. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) shall not apply to these Terms.

Any legal action or proceeding arising under these Terms shall be brought exclusively in the federal or state courts located in Cook County, Illinois, and you hereby consent to the personal jurisdiction and venue of those courts.

Jury Trial Waiver. To the extent permitted by applicable law, you and ASHI each waive the right to a jury trial in any action arising out of or related to these Terms or your use of the Site.

Severability. If any provision of these Terms is found to be unlawful, void, or unenforceable, that provision shall be deemed severable from these Terms and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions.

15. Changes to These Terms

ASHI reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. When changes are made, ASHI will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page and, for material changes, will provide notice through the Site or via email to registered users. Your continued use of the Site after any changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, you must stop using the Site.

We encourage you to review these Terms periodically to stay informed of any updates.

16. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback regarding these Terms of Service, the AI-powered chatbot, your account, or your ASHI membership, please reach out to us. Our membership team is available to assist you.