Last updated: August 2026
1. Introduction
These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of halalzest.com and the HalalZest directory service (the “Service”), operated by HalalZest, based in Longueuil, Quebec, Canada (“HalalZest,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). By accessing or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.
2. What HalalZest Is
HalalZest is a free online directory that helps people in Greater Montreal find businesses that serve the halal and Muslim community. Business owners may create an account and submit a listing describing their business. Visitors may browse listings, leave reviews, and contact businesses directly. HalalZest does not sell products, process payments for goods or services offered by listed businesses, or act as an intermediary in any transaction between a visitor and a listed business.
3. Eligibility and Accounts
You must be at least 18 years old to create an account on HalalZest. When you create an account, you agree to provide accurate information and to keep your login credentials confidential. You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account. You may log in using a password or a one-time email link; both methods are treated as equally valid means of authentication.
4. Business Listings
If you submit a business listing, you represent that you are the owner, an authorized representative, or otherwise have the right to list that business on HalalZest. All new listings and material edits to existing listings are reviewed before appearing publicly on the Service.
You are responsible for the accuracy of the information in your listing, including business hours, contact details, services offered, and any certifications or registration numbers you choose to display. HalalZest does not independently verify every claim made in a listing and is not responsible for outdated, inaccurate, or misleading information submitted by a business owner. If you believe a listing contains false information, please contact us.
HalalZest reserves the right, at our sole discretion, to edit, suspend, unpublish, or permanently remove any listing at any time, for any reason or no reason, with or without prior notice, including but not limited to listings that violate these Terms, our Content Guidelines, or applicable law, or that we reasonably believe to be fraudulent, misleading, or harmful. As a courtesy, we generally aim to explain our reasoning when we take this kind of action, but we are not obligated to do so. Exercising this right is not a breach of these Terms and does not create any liability for HalalZest, whether or not the listing was paid or Featured as described in Section 8.
5. No Halal Certification Authority
HalalZest is a directory, not a halal certification body. Any use of the terms “halal,” “halal-friendly,” or similar language on the Service, including in business listings, describes a business’s own representation of its offerings and is not independently verified or certified by HalalZest unless a listing explicitly displays a named third-party certification body and reference number. Visitors should exercise their own judgment and, where certification matters to them, confirm directly with the business or the named certifying body.
Businesses may optionally submit halal certification details (issuing body and expiry date) for review. If approved, the listing displays a Halal Certified badge for the period we confirm with the business, after which the badge is automatically removed unless updated certification details are submitted and approved. HalalZest reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to approve, reject, or revoke this certification status at any time, for any reason or no reason, without liability.
6. Reviews and User Content
Registered users may submit reviews, ratings, and photographs related to businesses listed on HalalZest (“User Content”). Reviews are moderated before publication. By submitting User Content, you confirm that it reflects your own genuine experience, that you have the right to share any photographs you upload, and that it does not violate our Content Guidelines.
You retain ownership of your User Content, but you grant HalalZest a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to display, reproduce, and distribute it on the Service for as long as it remains published. HalalZest may remove, decline to publish, suspend, or reinstate any User Content at our sole discretion, for any reason or no reason, at any time and with or without prior notice, including but not limited to content that violates these Terms or our Content Guidelines, or in response to a valid legal request. As a courtesy, we generally aim to explain our reasoning, but we are not obligated to do so, and exercising this right does not create any liability for HalalZest.
Business owners may publicly reply to reviews left on their own listing. Replies are published immediately and are subject to the same conduct standards as reviews.
7. Prohibited Conduct
When using the Service, you agree not to: submit false, defamatory, or misleading reviews or listings; impersonate another person or business; post content that is unlawful, discriminatory, or harassing; attempt to manipulate ratings through fake accounts or incentivized reviews that are not disclosed as such; scrape, copy, or republish substantial portions of the Service without permission; or interfere with the normal operation of the Service.
8. Featured Listings and Paid Features
HalalZest may offer optional paid features, such as Featured status, that provide additional visibility or display options for a business listing (for example, priority placement, custom badges, or a customized contact button). Paid features do not affect a listing’s accuracy requirements under Section 4, do not constitute an endorsement of the business by HalalZest, and are described in more detail at the time of purchase, where applicable.
9. Intellectual Property
The HalalZest name, logo, website design, and underlying software are the property of HalalZest and may not be copied, reproduced, or used without prior written permission. Business owners retain ownership of their own logos, photographs, and business descriptions submitted to their listing, and grant HalalZest a licence to display that content as part of the Service for as long as the listing remains active.
10. Disclaimer of Warranties
The Service is provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties of any kind, express or implied. HalalZest does not guarantee that listings are complete, accurate, or up to date, that the Service will be uninterrupted or error-free, or that any business listed will meet your expectations. Your use of information found on HalalZest, including deciding to visit, contact, or purchase from a listed business, is at your own discretion and risk.
11. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, HalalZest and its owners, employees, and contributors will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of the Service or your interactions with businesses discovered through it, including any dispute, transaction, or experience with a listed business. Nothing in these Terms limits any liability that cannot be excluded under applicable Quebec consumer protection law.
12. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold HalalZest harmless from any claim, loss, or damage, including reasonable legal fees, arising from your use of the Service, your User Content, or your violation of these Terms.
13. Dispute Resolution
We encourage you to contact us first if you have a concern about the Service. If a dispute cannot be resolved informally, it will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Province of Quebec, as set out in Section 14. Nothing in these Terms requires you to submit to mandatory arbitration or waives your right to participate in a class action, to the extent such a waiver would be unenforceable under Quebec law.
14. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Quebec and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, without regard to conflict of law principles. You consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Quebec, Canada for any disputes arising from these Terms.
15. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. Changes take effect once posted to this page. We will make reasonable efforts to notify registered users of material changes by email. Continuing to use the Service after changes are posted means you accept the revised Terms. We recommend reviewing this page periodically.
16. Force Majeure
HalalZest is not liable for any failure or delay in performing its obligations where that failure or delay results from circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, internet or hosting outages, or other events of force majeure.
17. Contact Us
If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us at:
HalalZest
Longueuil, Quebec, Canada
Email: contactus@halalzest.com
Website: halalzest.com