Terms of Agreement

1. Acceptance of these terms

By accessing this website, submitting an inquiry, or placing an order through our application form, you confirm that you are at least 18 years old, that you have the legal authority to enter into this agreement, and that you accept these Terms of Agreement in full. If you do not agree, do not use our website or services. These terms apply together with our privacy policy, which is incorporated here by reference.

2. Nature of our services

Apostille Depot provides private document preparation, submission, courier, notary, and translation coordination services. As stated in the notice above, we are not a government agency and not a law firm. We help you assemble the correct documents, file them with the appropriate state or federal authority, and return them to you. The apostille or authentication certificate itself is produced solely by the government authority, in its sole discretion, according to its own rules and timelines, which we do not control.

3. No legal advice

Nothing on this website or communicated by our team constitutes legal advice. We are not attorneys and do not practice law. Information we provide about document requirements, country rules, the Hague Convention, or the apostille process is general and for convenience only, and it may change without notice. For legal advice about your specific situation, immigration matter, or the requirements of a foreign authority, consult a qualified attorney or the relevant government office.

4. No government affiliation or guarantee of outcome

We are not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. We do not and cannot guarantee that any government office will accept, process, or issue an apostille or authentication for your document, or that a foreign authority will accept the completed document. Acceptance and processing are decided entirely by those authorities. A government office may reject a document, request additional steps, change its requirements, or change its fees or timelines at any time, and we are not responsible for those decisions or changes.

5. Your responsibilities and accurate information

You are responsible for the information and documents you provide. You agree that:

• All information you submit is true, accurate, current, and complete, and the documents you send are genuine and lawfully obtained.
• You are the lawful owner of the documents, or you are authorized to submit them, and you have the right to request their authentication.
• You will confirm the requirements of the destination country or receiving authority, including whether an apostille or embassy legalization is required, recency windows, and translation requirements.
• You will provide a valid payment method that you are authorized to use, and a correct return address.

We rely on the information you provide. We are not responsible for delays, rejections, additional fees, or losses caused by inaccurate, incomplete, or fraudulent information, by the wrong document version, or by your failure to meet a destination's requirements.

6. Prohibited and fraudulent use

You may not use our website or services to submit forged, altered, counterfeit, fraudulently obtained, or stolen documents, to impersonate another person, or for any unlawful purpose. You may not submit a document on behalf of someone else without authorization. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion and without liability, to refuse, suspend, or cancel any order; to decline to process a document; and to report suspected fraud or unlawful activity to payment processors, card networks, and law enforcement. Where an order is canceled because of suspected fraud or prohibited use, fees already incurred, including government fees, are non-refundable.

7. Fees and payment

Our service fees, and the government fees included in them, are shown on our pricing and process page and at checkout. Payment is due at the time you place your order, by the methods we accept. By submitting payment, you authorize us to charge your payment method for the full amount of your order, including any add-ons you select such as expedited handling, certified translation, notarization, embassy legalization, or courier return. You are responsible for any taxes, customs charges, or duties imposed by any jurisdiction.

8. Refund policy

Because government fees are paid to a government office on your behalf and are non-refundable to us, and because our work begins promptly, the following applies:

• Once your order has been submitted to a government office, all fees are non-refundable, regardless of delays, rejection by the government or a foreign authority, or a change in the requirements after submission.
• If you cancel before submission to the government office, we may, at our discretion, refund the portion of your service fee that reflects work not yet performed, less any government fees already paid, courier costs, translation costs, and a reasonable processing charge for work completed.
• Refunds, where granted, are issued to the original payment method.

If you are unsure whether your document is eligible, use our free document review before you order. It exists specifically to prevent wasted fees.

9. Chargebacks and payment disputes

If you have a concern about your order, you agree to contact us first and give us a reasonable opportunity to resolve it before initiating any chargeback, payment dispute, or reversal with your bank or card issuer. Filing a chargeback for services that were provided as described, or for a non-refundable government fee, is a breach of these terms.

You acknowledge that our service fees cover work that begins immediately and that government fees are paid to third-party government offices on your behalf and cannot be recovered by us. To the fullest extent permitted by law and by applicable card-network rules, you agree not to initiate a chargeback or payment dispute for fees that are non-refundable under Section 8 or for services we have performed. In the event of an unwarranted chargeback, we reserve the right to provide your order records and these terms to the card network, to recover the disputed amount and any related fees and costs, including reasonable collection and legal costs, and to refuse future service. Nothing in this section limits any right you have under applicable law that cannot be waived by agreement.

10. Processing times

All processing times we quote are estimates only and are set by the issuing authorities and shipping carriers, not by us. Government offices can experience backlogs and can change their timelines without notice. We cannot guarantee a specific delivery date, and we are not liable for missed deadlines, consequential losses, or other damages caused by delays outside our control, including government and courier delays.

11. Document handling, shipping, and risk of loss

We handle your documents with care and return them by the courier method you choose. However, once a document leaves our office in the hands of a courier or government office, it is in the custody of that third party. We are not liable for loss, delay, damage, or destruction of documents by couriers, postal services, or government offices. We strongly recommend trackable, insured courier service for both sending and returning documents. You are responsible for retaining copies of any document you send and for ordering replacement certified copies if an original is lost by a third party.

12. Third-party services

Our service may involve third parties we do not control, including government offices, the U.S. Department of State, state Secretary of State offices, FBI-approved channelers, embassies and consulates, notaries, certified translators, and couriers such as FedEx, UPS, and USPS. We are not responsible for the acts, omissions, fees, delays, or decisions of these third parties. Links on our site to third-party websites are provided for convenience and do not imply endorsement.

13. Disclaimer of warranties

Our website and services are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis, without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that our services will meet a particular requirement of any foreign authority, that a document will be accepted abroad, or that the website will be uninterrupted or error-free.

14. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Apostille Depot, its parent and affiliated companies, and their owners, officers, employees, and agents will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, lost opportunities, missed deadlines, immigration or visa consequences, or loss of or damage to documents, arising out of or relating to your use of our website or services, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. In all cases, our total aggregate liability to you for any claim arising out of or relating to your order or these terms will not exceed the amount of the service fee you paid to us for that order, excluding government fees. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so some of these limitations may not apply to you.

15. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Apostille Depot and its parent and affiliated companies, owners, officers, employees, and agents from and against any claims, demands, losses, liabilities, damages, costs, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising out of or relating to your use of our services, your documents or information, your breach of these terms, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third party.

16. Intellectual property

All content on this website, including text, graphics, logos, and design, is the property of Apostille Depot or its licensors and is protected by intellectual-property laws. You may not copy, reproduce, or use our content without our written permission.

17. Privacy

We handle your information in accordance with our privacy policy. By using our services, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described there. We use your documents and information only to complete your order and do not sell them.

18. Governing law and dispute resolution

These terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. You agree to first attempt to resolve any dispute with us informally by contacting us. If a dispute cannot be resolved informally, you agree that it will be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Massachusetts, and you consent to the jurisdiction of those courts, unless you and Apostille Depot agree in writing to binding arbitration. To the extent permitted by law, you agree to bring claims only in your individual capacity and not as part of any class or representative action.

19. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. The version posted on this page, with the "Last updated" date above, is the current version. Your continued use of our website or services after changes are posted means you accept the updated terms.

20. General provisions

If any provision of these terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full effect, and the unenforceable provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permitted by law. Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of it. These terms, together with our privacy policy and any order you place, are the entire agreement between you and Apostille Depot regarding our services. You may not assign these terms without our consent. Headings are for convenience only.

21. Contact us

Questions about these terms? Reach us by phone at (978) 424-4629 or through our contact page. Our office is at 1215 Main St, Unit 115, Tewksbury, MA 01876.