Community Corner

Readers' Choice Rules

All the rules you need to enter and win. The lawyers make us go this.

PATCH’S READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS
OFFICIAL RULES
NO PURCHASE REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE
1. ELIGIBILITY: The Patch’s Readers’ Choice Awards (the “Program”) is open only to
businesses (“Entrants”) that have been nominated by Patch’s editorial team, based on
recommendations from Patch’s local correspondents who live and work in the
cities/communities they cover, as well as Patch’s own editorial insights, and user
feedback. The Program is subject to all federal, state and local laws and regulations.
Void where prohibited by law.
2. SPONSOR: The Program is sponsored by Patch Media Corporation, 675 Avenue of the
Americas, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10010 (“Sponsor”).
3. AGREEMENT TO OFFICIAL RULES: Participation in the Program constitutes Entrant’s
full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules and the
decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding.
4. PUBLIC VOTING/DIRECTORY RATINGS: The dates and times for each public
Voting Period will be listed on the applicable Patch site. Web users are invited to go
their local Patch site to vote once per day during the Voting Period for each listed
category. All voting will be under the supervision of the Sponsor whose decisions are
final in all matters relating to this Program. Any voting results posted in real time shall
not be deemed official until Sponsor has reviewed and confirmed all of the votes and
announced the Program Winners.
Qualified and eligible votes submitted during the Voting Period will be tallied, thereby
ranking the nominees in each category on the applicable Patch site. The business with
the most verified votes will receive 10 points, the business with the second most verified
votes will receive 8 points, and the business with the third most verified votes will
receive 6 points.
During the Voting Period, Website users may also rate a business in the applicable Patch
Directory (ratings are based on a 5-star scale and you must be a registered user in order to
rate a business). The business with the best rating will receive 10 points, the business
with the second best rating will receive 8 points, and the business with the third best
rating will receive 6 points.
At the conclusion of the Voting Period, Sponsor will calculate the total number of points
each business has accumulated based on the public voting score added to the directory
ratings score (the “Final Score”). For example, if Company X comes in 2nd Place in the
Voting (8 points) and 1st Place in the Directory ratings (10 points), their total score would
be 18 points. The business with the highest Final Score will be deemed the Readers’
Choice Winner for that category on the applicable Patch site. In the event of a tie, the
business which has the highest number of both positive reviews on its directory listing
and positive comments on our weekly Readers' Choice article will be declared the
Winner.
Winners will receive the honor of being named the Readers’ Choice Winner on their local
Patch site for a period of time to be determined by Patch. There is no monetary prize
associated with this award.
5. GENERAL CONDITIONS: Any use of agencies or robotic, repetitive, automatic,
programmed or similar voting methods or agents will void all votes by that person. In the
event that the operation, security, or administration of the Program is impaired in any
way for any reason, including, but not limited to fraud, virus, or other technical problem,
the Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, suspend the Program to address the impairment
and then resume the Program in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Official
Rules. The Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it
finds to be tampering with the voting process or the operation of the Program or to be
acting in violation of these Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner.
Any attempt by any person to undermine the legitimate operation of the Program may be
a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, the Sponsor
reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by
law. The Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute
a waiver of that provision.
6. RELEASE AND LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY: By participating in the Program, Entrants
agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor from and against any claim or cause of action
arising out of participation in the Program or receipt or use of any award, including, but
not limited to: (a) unauthorized human intervention in the Program; (b) technical errors
related to computers, servers, providers, or telephone or network lines; (c) printing errors;
(d) lost, late, postage-due, misdirected, or undeliverable mail; (e) errors in the
administration of the Program or the processing of entries; or (f) injury or damage to
persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from
Entrant’s participation in the Program or receipt of any award. Entrant further agrees that
in any cause of action, the Sponsor’s liability will be limited to the cost of entering and
participating in the Program, and in no event shall the Sponsor be liable for attorney’s
fees. Entrant waives the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not
limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.
7. DISPUTES: Except where prohibited, Entrant agrees that any and all disputes, claims and
causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Program or any award given shall
be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by
the appropriate court located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. All issues and questions
concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official
Rules, Entrant’s rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsors in
connection with the Program, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the
laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without giving effect to any choice of law or
conflict of law rules (whether of the Commonwealth of Virginia or any other
jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than
the Commonwealth of Virginia.


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