Fulfillment Policy

Fulfillment & Refund Policy
Last updated: May 1, 2025

Welcome to TheMetroDetroitNews.com. This policy explains how we deliver purchased ad spots on our website, what you can expect from us, and our rules for refunds and cancellations. By purchasing an ad spot, you agree to the terms outlined below.

1. Overview

• What We Sell:
  We offer display and sponsored-content ad spots on TheMetroDetroitNews.com. These ad spots include banner placements, sidebar ads, and promoted articles.
• Who We Serve:
  Advertisers, agencies, or individuals who wish to reach our Metro Detroit audience through our website.
• Goal:
  To publish your ad creative exactly as agreed, on schedule, and to provide clear guidelines for refunds or cancellations if needed.

2. Ad Placement (Service Delivery) Process

1. Order Confirmation
   • After you select an ad package, you will receive an order confirmation email containing:
     1. Ad format and dimensions (e.g., 300 × 250 pixel sidebar banner).
     2. Run dates (start and end dates).
     3. Final pricing.
     4. Any special instructions (e.g., “Rotate between two ads,” or “Include click-tracking script”).
2. Creative Submission
   • You must supply finalized ad creative no later than 5 business days before the scheduled start date.
   • Accepted file formats: JPEG, PNG, GIF (maximum file size: 150 KB) for display ads; document or PDF for sponsored articles.
   • If we do not receive your ad creative by the deadline, your ad run may be delayed or rescheduled. We will notify you promptly if this occurs.
3. Review & Proofing
   • Once we receive your creative, our team reviews it for size, file type, and content compliance (no prohibited content such as hate speech, illegal products, etc.).
   • If we identify any issues, we will notify you within 1 business day so you can revise and resubmit.
   • Final approval typically takes 1–2 business days after we receive a compliant file.
4. Go-Live Date (Service Delivery)
   • On the agreed-upon start date, your ad will go live on the designated section(s) of TheMetroDetroitNews.com.
   • We make every effort to publish ads by 9 AM Eastern Time on the start date. In rare cases (technical issues or site updates), there may be a brief delay; we will notify you if that happens.
5. Ad Monitoring
   • We monitor all ads daily to confirm they display correctly.
   • If an ad stops running due to technical issues (broken link, file corruption), our team will contact you immediately and work with you to restore the ad.

3. Delivery Timeline & Deadlines

• Reservation Window:
  Ad spots can be reserved up to 3 months in advance.
• Creative Deadline:
  Final ad creative must be submitted at least 5 business days before the start date.
• Late Submissions:
  • If your creative arrives after the deadline, we cannot guarantee the originally requested start date.
  • We may either postpone your run date or shorten the campaign to match your calendar.
  • No refunds are issued for shortened runs caused by late submissions, unless we are unable to publish at all.

4. Payment Terms

• Invoice & Due Date:
  Upon order confirmation, we will send an invoice with payment instructions.
  • Payment is due within 10 business days of the invoice date or 5 business days before the ad go-live date—whichever comes first.
• Accepted Methods:
  • Credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express)
  • Stripe.com
  • ACH/wire transfer
  • PayPal (if arranged in advance)
• Late Payment:
  • If payment is not received by the due date, we reserve the right to hold or cancel your ad spot.
  • Any cancellation for nonpayment will be subject to Section 5 (Cancellation Policy).

5. Cancellations & Refunds

5.1 Client-Initiated Cancellations

1. More than 14 days before the scheduled start date
   • You may cancel your ad run in writing (email to MDN@themetrodetroitnews.com) without penalty.
   • We will issue a full refund (if payment was already made).
2. Between 7 and 14 days before the scheduled start date:
   • You may cancel, but a 50 percent cancellation fee applies (half of the total package cost).
   • The remaining 50 percent will be refunded within 10 business days of cancellation confirmation.
3. Less than 7 days before the start date:
   • Cancellations are not accepted. You remain responsible for the full ad cost.
   • No refund is available because production and site scheduling are already in progress.

5.2 TheMetroDetroitNews.com-Initiated Cancellations

• We reserve the right to cancel or postpone your ad run if:
  1. Your creative violates our Content Guidelines (e.g., discriminatory language, copyright infringement).
  2. We experience technical issues preventing us from delivering your ad as promised.
• If we cancel for any reason, you will receive a full refund for the unused portion of your ad run (prorated by run days not served).

6. Refund & Cancellation Requests

• To request a cancellation or refund, email MDN@themetrodetroitnews.com with:
  1. Your company or client name
  2. Invoice or order number
  3. Reason for cancellation (optional)
  4. Desired cancellation date
• We will confirm receipt within 1 business day and process any applicable refund within 10 business days.

7. Content & Compliance

1. Acceptable Content:
   • Ads must comply with all federal, state, and local laws.
   • No hate speech, sexually explicit material, illegal products, or misleading claims.
   • If you promote a regulated product (e.g., alcohol, finance, healthcare), you must include any required disclaimers.
2. Review Rights:
   • TheMetroDetroitNews.com reserves the right to refuse or remove any ad at any time if it violates our standards.
   • If we remove an ad mid-campaign (for a confirmed policy violation), you will not be billed for any remaining run days, and a prorated refund will be issued.

8. Technical Issues & Support

• Downtime or Display Errors:
  • If our site experiences unplanned downtime or your ad fails to display, we will:
    1. Investigate the problem within 24 hours.
    2. Work to restore your ad as soon as possible.
    3. Credit you for any run days missed due to a technical error on our end.
• Tracking & Reporting:
  • For most ad packages, we provide a simple report (impressions and clicks) at the end of each month only if requested.
  • If you need real-time or more advanced tracking, let us know in advance so we can arrange third-party ad monitoring (additional fees may apply).

9. Changes to This Policy

• We may update this Fulfillment & Refund Policy at any time.
• The “Last updated” date at the top indicates when the current version took effect.
• Any material changes will be emailed to active advertisers, and the new policy will be posted at: themetrodetroitnews.com/fulfillment-policy

10. Contact Information

If you have questions about this policy or need help with your ad order, please reach out:

TheMetroDetroitNews.com
Email: MDN@themetrodetroitnews.com

Michigan Ave.

Thank you for advertising with The Metro Detroit News. We look forward to helping you reach our engaged Metro Detroit audience.