Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using PostboxMap.co.uk ("the Site"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. The Site is a community-driven platform for mapping and documenting postboxes across the United Kingdom. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the Site.

PostboxMap.co.uk is an independent project and is not affiliated with Royal Mail, the Letter Box Study Group, or any public body unless stated otherwise.

2. Use of the Service

You may use the Site to browse the map, search postboxes, view postbox and user profile pages, and (when logged in) submit new postboxes, suggest corrections, comment, manage your profile, and use API keys. You must use the Service only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these terms and our Community Guidelines.

3. User Accounts and Registration

To submit postboxes, suggest corrections, comment, or use certain features, you must register and maintain an account. You are responsible for keeping your login details secure. You must provide accurate information and update it as needed. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms or for other legitimate reasons.

4. Your Contributions

When you submit a postbox (including location, details, and photos), suggest a correction, or post a comment, you grant PostboxMap.co.uk a non-exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide licence to use, store, display, distribute, and reproduce that content in connection with the Service. You confirm that you have the right to submit the content and that it does not infringe others' rights. Photos you upload must be of postboxes you have taken or have permission to use. Submissions are subject to moderation; we may reject or remove content that does not meet our standards.

You also agree that your contributions may be incorporated into the PostboxMap dataset and displayed, indexed, and used as part of the Service.

We may use photos you have submitted in posts on our social media accounts (e.g. on Mastodon and Bluesky) to promote postboxes and the map, with a link back to the postbox on the Site. You can opt out of having your photos used in this way at any time in your Settings.

5. Accuracy and Responsibility

You are responsible for the accuracy of your submissions. Do not submit false locations, misleading information, or inappropriate content. The community and moderators may correct or remove content. We do not guarantee the accuracy of user-generated content but we aim to maintain a reliable resource through moderation and corrections.

5a. Moderation and approval criteria

Submissions, corrections, and added photos are reviewed by moderators. A moderator may approve only when the following requirements are met (as set out in our Community Guidelines):

• Genuine postbox: The item is a real UK postbox, not a duplicate already on the map, and not spam or inappropriate content.
• Accurate location: The location can be verified (e.g. via map or Street View) and matches where the postbox is.
• Appropriate image: Any photo is clear, relevant to the postbox, and not offensive or misleading.
• Accurate details: Reign, type, and other details are correct and consistent with the submission.

Moderators must confirm that these criteria are met before approving. Rejections require a reason (e.g. duplicate, incorrect location, poor quality image).

6. Code of Conduct

You must not use the Site to harass, spam, impersonate others, or upload malicious or illegal content. Abuse, repeated violations, or behaviour that harms the community may result in account termination and removal of content. See our Community Guidelines for more detail.

7. API and Developer Use

Use of the PostboxMap API (including API keys) is subject to these terms and any usage limits or documentation we provide. API keys are for legitimate use only.

Automated access to the Site or its data, including scraping, crawling, harvesting, indexing, or bulk extraction of records, is not permitted without prior written permission. We may block automated requests, revoke API keys, or restrict access where usage harms the Service or violates these terms.

8. Intellectual Property

The Site's design, branding, and (where applicable) code are owned by or licensed to PostboxMap.co.uk. User contributions are licensed to us as set out above. Map data may be subject to third-party terms (e.g. OpenStreetMap). Our content is provided for personal and non-commercial use unless we state otherwise.

Unless stated otherwise, user-submitted photographs remain the property of their respective contributors and must not be reused without permission from the rights holder.

Commercial reuse of the PostboxMap dataset requires written permission.

8a. Database Rights and Data Use

PostboxMap.co.uk compiles and maintains a structured database of postbox locations, photographs, classifications, and related information. This compiled dataset, including the selection, arrangement, and structure of the records, is owned by or licensed to PostboxMap.co.uk and is protected by UK and EU database rights where applicable.

The data on the Site is provided for personal, non-commercial, educational, and private research use. You may browse, reference, and link to individual records. Where PostboxMap data is referenced elsewhere, attribution to PostboxMap.co.uk should be provided. However, bulk copying, systematic extraction, redistribution, republication, or creation of a competing database or derivative dataset from substantial parts of the database, or repeated extraction of non-substantial parts, without prior written permission is not permitted.

9. Limitation of Liability

The Site and its content are provided "as is". To the fullest extent permitted by law, PostboxMap.co.uk shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Service or reliance on user-generated content. Our total liability shall not exceed the amount you have paid to us (if any) in the twelve months preceding the claim.

10. Changes to the Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will post the revised terms on this page and update the "Last updated" date. Continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance. For material changes we may provide additional notice where appropriate.

11. Contact

For questions about these Terms, please contact us. You can also review our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

12. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising from the use of the Site shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.