Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the website, courses, certifications, credential registry, podcast, blog, newsletter, and other services (collectively, the "Services") operated by the Institute for Estate Sale Professionals ("IESP", "we", "us", or "our"). By creating an account, purchasing a course, sitting for a certification, or otherwise using the Services, you agree to these Terms.

1. Who we are

IESP is an educational organization and voluntary professional credentialing body serving the estate sale profession in the United States. IESP is not a government licensing authority. The CESF (Certified Estate Sale Fiduciary) credential is a voluntary professional standard, not a government license.

2. Eligibility and accounts

You must be at least 18 years old and able to form a binding contract to use the Services. You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide, for keeping your login credentials confidential, and for all activity on your account. Notify us promptly if you believe your account has been used without authorization.

3. Courses, enrollment, and access

Course purchases grant you a personal, non-transferable, non-sublicensable license to access the enrolled course for the access period stated at checkout (for example, "6 months of course access"). Access begins when your enrollment is confirmed and ends at the conclusion of the stated period. IESP may update, revise, or replace course content at any time.

4. Payments

Payments are processed by our payment processor (Stripe). By purchasing, you authorize the charge to your selected payment method and agree to the processor's terms. Prices are shown in U.S. dollars unless stated otherwise. Applicable taxes may be added at checkout.

5. Refunds

Unless a specific course expressly states otherwise at the time of purchase, course fees are non-refundable once course content has been accessed. If you believe your purchase qualifies for a refund, contact us at jenna@instituteforestatesaleprofessionals.org within 7 days of purchase and before accessing course content.

6. Certification

Certifications, including CESF, are awarded based on completion of the required coursework and successful passage of the associated examination(s) under the rules published for that program. IESP may set, revise, or retire examination content, passing standards, retake limits, and continuing education requirements. Certifications are non-transferable. IESP may suspend or revoke a credential for conduct inconsistent with the program's standards or these Terms.

7. Public credential registry

Individuals who earn a credential may be listed in IESP's public credential registry with information such as name, firm, city and state, credential, certification date, and current status. If you do not want to appear in the public registry, contact us and we will remove your listing; removal from the public registry does not affect your credential status.

8. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• share account credentials or resell access to courses;
• download, record, scrape, redistribute, or create derivative works from course videos, quizzes, examinations, or other IESP content;
• attempt to bypass authentication, security controls, or usage limits;
• use the Services to harass others, transmit unlawful content, or violate applicable law; or
• misrepresent your credential status or use IESP marks without permission.

9. Intellectual property

The Services, including course materials, videos, written content, examinations, logos, and the CESF mark, are owned by IESP or its licensors and are protected by intellectual-property laws. Except for the limited license granted in Section 3, no rights are transferred to you.

10. User content

If you submit content to the Services (for example, contact messages, forum posts, or profile information), you grant IESP a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, use, and display that content solely to operate and improve the Services. You represent that you have the rights necessary to grant this license.

11. Third-party services

The Services rely on third-party providers, including our payment processor, video hosting provider, email provider, and hosting/authentication infrastructure. Their availability and terms are outside our control.

12. Disclaimers

The Services and all content are provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. IESP does not guarantee any specific professional, business, legal, or financial outcome from completing a course or earning a credential.

13. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, IESP and its officers, employees, and contractors will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, revenue, data, or goodwill, arising out of or related to your use of the Services. IESP's total aggregate liability for any claim arising out of or related to the Services will not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid IESP in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim or (b) US$100.

14. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless IESP from any claim, demand, loss, or expense (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of your breach of these Terms, your use of the Services, or your violation of any law or third-party right.

15. Termination

You may stop using the Services at any time. We may suspend or terminate your account or access to the Services if you violate these Terms or misuse the Services. Sections that by their nature should survive termination will survive.

16. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. The exclusive venue for any dispute is the state and federal courts located in Texas, and you consent to their jurisdiction.

17. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Effective" date above. Material changes will be communicated through the Services or by email. Continued use of the Services after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

18. Contact

Questions about these Terms may be sent to jenna@instituteforestatesaleprofessionals.org or by phone at (214) 558-4410.

See also our Privacy Policy.