TERMS OF SERVICE

LAST UPDATED: January 20, 2026

IMPORTANT NOTICE: THESE TERMS INCLUDE A BINDING INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION AGREEMENT, A CLASS ACTION WAIVER, AND A MASS ARBITRATION “BATCHING” PROVISION (SECTION 5). THESE TERMS REQUIRE THAT ANY DISPUTES BE RESOLVED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND, IF 10 OR MORE SIMILAR CLAIMS ARE FILED, IN BATCHES OF 5. THIS IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT COSTCONTESSA, A VERY SMALL INDEPENDENT BUSINESS, CAN MANAGE DISPUTE COSTS WHILE ENSURING EVERY VISITOR HAS A FAIR PATH TO RESOLUTION. BY USING THIS SITE, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE TO THESE TERMS.

1. ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS

By accessing or using CostContessa (the “Site”), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and all applicable laws and regulations. If you do not agree with any of these terms, you are prohibited from using or accessing this site.

2. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

The recipes, reviews, photographs, and original content on this Site are the intellectual property of CostContessa. You may not reproduce, distribute, or “scrape” our content for commercial use or to train AI models without express written permission.

3. AFFILIATE & ADVERTISING DISCLOSURE

This Site is a for-profit blog. We use Raptive to serve advertisements and Google Analytics to analyze site traffic. We also participate in affiliate marketing programs including Amazon, which means we may get paid commissions on products purchased through our links. Our reviews are based on our honest opinions regardless of compensation. Posts that contain affiliate links are notated. Very few of our posts contain affiliate links.

4. NO WARRANTIES & LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

The information on this Site is provided for entertainment and informational purposes only. Content is provided “as-is” without any warranties. CostContessa and its owner shall not be liable for any damages resulting from your use of the Site, including but not limited to food safety, product performance, nutritional information, or third-party links.

5. DISPUTE RESOLUTION; INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION; BATCHING

A. Mandatory Individual Arbitration. You and CostContessa agree that any dispute or claim arising out of your use of this Site—including claims under the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA) related to tracking technologies—shall be resolved exclusively through binding, individual arbitration.

B. Small Claims Option. Either party may bring an individual action in small claims court in Los Angeles County, California, provided the claim remains in that court and is not part of a class.

C. Class Action Waiver. YOU AND COSTCONTESSA AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING.

D. Mass Arbitration “Batching.” If ten (10) or more similar arbitration demands are filed against CostContessa by the same law firm or coordinated group:

Claims shall be resolved in successive batches of five (5) individual arbitrations at a time.
CostContessa shall only be responsible for arbitration fees related to the five (5) claims in the active batch. All other claims are stayed (paused) until their specific batch begins.
The statute of limitations for stayed claims is paused during this process.

6. DISCLOSURE OF MONITORING

As disclosed in our Privacy Policy, we use third-party service providers (like Google and Raptive) to record and analyze site interactions in real-time for routine business operations. By using this Site, you provide express prior consent to this recording and acknowledge that these are not confidential communications.

7. INDEMNIFICATION

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless CostContessa and its owner from any claims, damages, or expenses (including reasonable attorney’s fees) arising from your use of the Site or your violation of these Terms.

8. GOVERNING LAW

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of California. Any legal action not subject to arbitration shall be filed in the courts located in Los Angeles County, California.

9. CONTACT INFORMATION

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us.