Essential Legal Pages for Your Personal Errands & Concierge Website
Running a personal errands or concierge service means handling sensitive client information, managing specific tasks, and often operating in people's homes or private lives. Your website needs clear legal pages to protect your business from liability, keep client data private, and comply with the law. Without them, even a simple missed grocery item or a shared email address can cause big problems. This guide breaks down the essential legal documents every independent errand runner and concierge needs.
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The Quick Answer
Every personal errands or concierge service website needs a privacy policy (required by law if you collect any client details), terms of service (limits your business risk and sets clear task rules), and a cookie policy (needed if you have clients in the EU or certain US states). If your service website talks about money matters, health reminders, or legal document handling, you also need a disclaimer. Most errand and concierge businesses will need all four to cover their bases.
Privacy Policy: What It Is and What It Must Cover
A privacy policy tells your clients exactly what personal information you collect, how you use it to run errands or perform concierge tasks, who (if anyone) you share it with, and how clients can ask you to delete or correct their data. You must have one if you collect anything like client names, home addresses for deliveries, phone numbers for updates, specific grocery lists, pet care instructions, senior care appointment details, payment info for reimbursements, or even website visitor analytics (like Google Analytics tracking how many people look at your 'senior companion services' page). This policy should also cover how long you keep client data (e.g., invoices for 7 years for tax records) and what rights clients have over their data, especially if you serve clients from places like California or the EU. For example, a client should be able to request their past grocery lists be deleted after a task is completed.
Terms of Service (Terms and Conditions): What It Does
A terms of service agreement is your business's rulebook with its clients. For an errand or concierge service, this page limits your responsibility if an item is slightly different from what was requested (e.g., brand substitution), defines what happens if a task can't be completed (e.g., store closed, traffic delays), and clearly sets your hourly rates or task fees. It outlines your acceptable use policy (e.g., what types of tasks you won't do), how payment is handled (e.g., advance for purchases, invoice for services), and what happens if there's a disagreement over a completed task. Without one, a client could claim you're responsible for damages far beyond the cost of the errand, or argue that an oral agreement had different terms than you intended. This document makes your professional relationship clear and protects your business from common service disputes.
Cookie Policy: When It Is Required
A separate cookie policy, or a clear section in your main privacy policy, is required if your website attracts visitors from the European Union or certain US states (like California). Most small business websites use cookies for things like Google Analytics to see how many people visit your 'personal shopping services' page or remember preferences. This policy must explain which cookies you use (e.g., analytics, session cookies), what each one does, and how long it stays on a user's computer. You'll also need a cookie consent banner that pops up on your website, letting visitors agree to or reject non-essential cookies before they are set. This ensures you're playing by the rules when tracking website traffic, no matter where your potential clients are located.
Disclaimer: When You Need One
Add a disclaimer to your website if your service involves anything near financial, health, or legal topics, even if it's just 'assistance.' For example, if you offer senior companion services and mention 'medication reminders' or 'transport to doctor's appointments,' a disclaimer makes it clear you are not providing medical advice. If you help clients with 'bill payment drop-offs' or 'organizing financial documents,' you'd state you are not offering financial or tax advice. And if you handle 'document filing at the courthouse,' you'd disclaim giving legal advice. A disclaimer clearly states that your content and services are for practical assistance only and do not create a professional advisor relationship, protecting you from claims that clients relied on your website for expert guidance in those fields.
The Verdict
The bare minimum for any personal errands or concierge service website is a privacy policy and terms of service. These two documents build client trust and protect your business from common risks inherent in service delivery. Add a cookie banner and policy if you expect traffic from the EU or certain US states. If your services touch on sensitive areas like health, money, or legal tasks, a clear disclaimer is non-negotiable. Tools like Termly or iubenda can generate all these customized legal pages for a new errand runner or concierge in less than an hour. Make sure they are linked clearly in your website's footer, visible from every page.
How to Get Started
1. First, list all the personal data your website collects. This includes client names and addresses from contact forms, payment information for your invoicing system (like Square or PayPal), appointment requests for senior companion services, and any analytics data from tools like Google Analytics. 2. Use a trusted service like Termly or iubenda to generate your personalized privacy policy, terms of service specifically for errand runners, and a cookie policy. 3. Publish these new pages on your website and add clear links to them in your website's footer, where they are easy for clients to find. 4. If your cookie policy requires it, activate a cookie consent banner on your site. 5. Finally, if you offer services that involve health, financial, or legal tasks, ensure any relevant service pages on your site include a clear, specific disclaimer stating you provide assistance, not professional advice.
RECOMMENDED TOOLS
Termly
Generate all legal pages + cookie banner in one place
iubenda
Best for EU compliance and multi-jurisdiction coverage
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I copy someone else's privacy policy?
You should not. A privacy policy must accurately describe your specific data practices. Copying someone else's policy risks including inaccurate disclosures, which can create legal exposure rather than limiting it. Use a generator that asks you questions about your actual practices.
Do I need a terms of service if I do not sell anything?
Yes. Even a content website benefits from a terms of service that limits your liability for errors in your content, restricts copying of your intellectual property, and sets the jurisdiction for any dispute. The cost of having it is minimal; the cost of not having it in an edge case can be significant.
What is the difference between a privacy policy and cookie policy?
A privacy policy covers all data collection broadly. A cookie policy specifically addresses cookies — what types you use, their purpose, and how long they last. Under GDPR, a separate cookie policy and consent mechanism is required. Under CCPA, cookie-related disclosures are typically included in the privacy policy. Termly generates both.
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