1. Acceptance of terms

By accessing or using Real Life Stories (the "Site"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms") and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.

These Terms apply to all visitors, readers, commenters, and story contributors.

2. Using the site

You may access and use the Site for personal, non-commercial purposes. You agree not to:

  • Reproduce, republish, or redistribute any content from the Site without written permission.
  • Use automated tools (bots, scrapers, crawlers) to collect content or data from the Site at scale.
  • Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Site's systems or infrastructure.
  • Use the Site in any way that could damage, overburden, or impair its operation.

3. Submitting stories

When you submit a story for publication, you confirm that:

  • The story is based on your genuine personal experience.
  • You are the sole author of the text as submitted.
  • The story does not include false statements of fact about any living person that could constitute defamation.
  • Publishing the story will not violate any court order, non-disclosure agreement, or other legal obligation binding you.
  • The story does not contain content that sexualises minors, incites violence, or promotes illegal activity.
Licence grant: By submitting a story, you grant Real Life Stories a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to publish, display, distribute, and translate your story on the Site and in affiliated channels (social media, newsletters). You retain copyright. We will not license your story to third parties without your consent.

We reserve the right to edit stories for clarity, length, and house style. No factual changes will be made without your approval. We reserve the right to decline any submission at our discretion, without obligation to provide reasons.

4. Comments & reactions

By posting a comment, you represent that:

  • The comment is your own opinion or experience and does not constitute defamation, harassment, or threats.
  • You have not included links to spam, malware, or illegal content.
  • You are at least 16 years of age.

You grant us a licence to display your comment on the Site. We may edit or remove any comment that violates these Terms or our Community Guidelines at our discretion and without prior notice.

Comments are associated with an anonymous session token and an IP address for security purposes. See our Privacy Policy for details.

5. Intellectual property

All editorial content, design, code, and branding on the Site is the intellectual property of Real Life Stories or its contributors and is protected by copyright. Published stories remain the copyright of their respective authors.

The "Real Life Stories" name and logo may not be used in any way that suggests endorsement or affiliation without prior written consent.

6. Prohibited conduct

You must not use the Site to:

  • Harass, threaten, or intimidate any contributor, commenter, or staff member.
  • Post content that is racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, or otherwise discriminatory.
  • Impersonate any person or organisation.
  • Introduce malware, viruses, or disruptive code.
  • Manipulate reaction or comment counts through automated or coordinated means.
  • Attempt to discover or exploit security vulnerabilities in the Site's infrastructure.

Violation of these prohibitions may result in immediate removal of your content and, where legally appropriate, reporting to relevant authorities.

7. Disclaimers

Stories published on Real Life Stories represent the personal experiences and opinions of their authors. They are not intended as professional advice — legal, medical, psychological, financial, or otherwise. If you are dealing with a difficult personal situation, please seek qualified professional support.

The Site is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We do not guarantee that the Site will be available at all times or that it will be free from errors.

8. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Real Life Stories shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of the Site or any content on it, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

Our total liability to you for any claim arising from your use of the Site shall not exceed £100 (or the equivalent in your local currency).

9. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your ability to post comments or submit content at any time, with or without notice, if we believe you have violated these Terms. Termination does not affect our rights with respect to any content you have already submitted or any comments you have already posted.

10. Governing law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales, except where applicable consumer protection law in your country of residence provides otherwise.

11. Changes to these terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, for material changes, post a notice on the Site for 30 days. Your continued use of the Site after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

12. Contact

Questions about these Terms should be sent to [email protected].