Effective Date: April 15, 2026 | Last Updated: April 22, 2026
These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of www.auditxyz.com (the "Site"), operated by LowerPlane, Inc. ("AuditXYZ," "we," "us," or "our"). By accessing or using the Site, you agree to be bound by these Terms.
1. Acceptance of Terms
By accessing the Site, you confirm that you are at least 16 years old and agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you access the Site on behalf of a company, you represent that you have authority to bind that company to these Terms.
2. Description of Service
AuditXYZ provides:
- Editorial content: Independent reviews, comparisons, guides, and educational resources about compliance frameworks, tools, and auditors.
- Directory services: Searchable listings of compliance audit firms, tools, and frameworks.
- Lead matching: Consultation request forms that connect you with auditors or compliance tool vendors.
- Guides: Practical cost and timeline guides for achieving compliance certifications.
3. Editorial Independence and Disclosures
Ownership Disclosure
AuditXYZ is operated by LowerPlane, Inc. LowerPlane also operates a compliance automation platform that may appear in our tool reviews and recommendations.
Scoring Methodology
All tools, including LowerPlane, are evaluated using the same published methodology. Our scoring criteria, weights, and research process are documented at /methodology. LowerPlane receives no preferential scoring treatment.
Lead Routing
When you submit a form, your information may be shared with:
- Auditor firms you specifically request consultations from
- LowerPlane, Inc. when you express interest in compliance automation (disclosed on the form)
- Other tool vendors only with your explicit consent
Affiliate Relationships
Some outbound links to tool vendor websites may include referral tracking. This does not affect our editorial scores or rankings. All affiliate relationships are disclosed on the /methodology page.
4. User Conduct
You agree not to:
- Use the Site for any unlawful purpose
- Submit false, misleading, or spam content through our forms
- Attempt to circumvent our anti-spam measures (rate limiting, CAPTCHA)
- Scrape, crawl, or harvest content from the Site in bulk without written permission
- Reproduce, redistribute, or republish our editorial content without attribution
- Impersonate another person or entity in form submissions
- Interfere with or disrupt the Site's infrastructure
5. Intellectual Property
Our Content
All editorial content, reviews, comparisons, guides, scores, and original text on the Site is owned by LowerPlane, Inc. and protected by copyright law. You may:
- Quote short excerpts (under 200 words) with attribution and a link to the source page
- Link to any page on the Site freely
- Share pages via social media using our page URLs
You may not reproduce, modify, or redistribute substantial portions of our content without written permission.
Trademarks
"AuditXYZ" and our logo are trademarks of LowerPlane, Inc. Framework names (SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, etc.) are trademarks of their respective owners. Tool names and logos belong to their respective vendors.
User Submissions
By submitting information through our forms (lead captures, newsletter signups, consultation requests), you grant us permission to use that information as described in our Privacy Policy.
6. Third-Party Content and Links
The Site contains links to third-party websites (tool vendor sites, auditor firm sites, certification bodies). We are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or availability of third-party sites. Links do not imply endorsement unless explicitly stated.
7. Disclaimer of Warranties
THE SITE AND ALL CONTENT ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.
We do not warrant that:
- Content is complete, accurate, or current at all times (compliance landscapes change frequently)
- Tool scores or rankings will remain unchanged
- Auditor firms listed are currently accepting new clients
- The Site will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure
- Any specific compliance outcome will result from following our guides
Our content is educational and informational only. It does not constitute legal, financial, or professional compliance advice. Always consult qualified professionals before making compliance decisions.
8. Limitation of Liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, LOWERPLANE, INC. AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR:
- Indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
- Loss of profits, data, or business opportunities
- Damages arising from your use of or inability to use the Site
- Damages arising from any auditor or tool recommendation
- Damages exceeding $100 USD in aggregate
This limitation applies regardless of the legal theory (contract, tort, negligence, or otherwise).
9. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless LowerPlane, Inc. from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable attorney fees) arising from:
- Your violation of these Terms
- Your use of the Site
- Content you submit through our forms
- Your violation of any third-party rights
10. Auditor and Tool Listings
Listing Accuracy
We make reasonable efforts to keep auditor and tool information accurate. However, pricing, service offerings, certifications, and availability may change without notice. Verify all details directly with the vendor or firm.
No Guarantee of Service
Listing an auditor or tool on our Site does not guarantee their quality, availability, or suitability for your needs. We are not a party to any engagement between you and a listed firm or vendor.
Removal Requests
Auditor firms or tool vendors may request corrections or removal of their listing by emailing listings@auditxyz.com. We will process valid requests within 10 business days.
11. Newsletter and Communications
By subscribing to our newsletter, you consent to receive periodic emails about compliance frameworks, tool updates, and industry news. You may unsubscribe at any time via the link in each email. We will remove you from the list within 10 business days.
12. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes shall be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Delaware.
13. Dispute Resolution
Before filing a formal claim, you agree to attempt informal resolution by contacting us at legal@auditxyz.com. We will work in good faith to resolve disputes within 30 days.
14. Severability
If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force.
15. Entire Agreement
These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and Methodology page, constitute the entire agreement between you and LowerPlane, Inc. regarding the Site.
16. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. Continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance.
17. Contact
Email: legal@auditxyz.com Entity: LowerPlane, Inc. Website: www.auditxyz.com