TERMS & CONDITIONS

Cornerstone Services, Inc. (“Cornerstone”, “CRST”, “we”, “us”, “our” or “Company”) offers to its clients services for graphic design, direct mail, website creation, web development, software, SEO/blog support and website hosting, programming, printing, and other related business and or communication services.

Because we strive to undertake and complete the project or work we do with a high possible degree of professionalism, efficiency, and clarity, we feel it is essentially necessary to explain our responsibilities, your (as the client) responsibilities, and the role of third-party vendors in the projects. Therefore, the following Terms and Conditions are set forth regarding the work we do or will do on your behalf.

If you have any questions about these Terms and Conditions, or if you have internal requirements that might conflict with any of the Terms and Conditions set below, please let us know immediately in writing before we engage in new or recurring work for you. Pending any in-writing request from you to us, and accompanying return in-writing return acknowledgment from us to you, you unconditionally agree to these Terms and Conditions when you engage Cornerstone for services rendered, such as those listed above.

Below are important details related to our expectations from you, the services that we provide, communication protocols, third-party vendors (and their requirements), etc. Please read the sections carefully and, once again, ask us via contacting the CRST Customer Services desk at info@crst.net with any questions.

Because your mailings are presented by Cornerstone in accordance with United States Postal Service (USPS® ) DMM (Domestic Mail Manual) and IMM (International Mail Manual) regulations, it is important that you understand that our services are also subject to the success, or lack thereof, of the USPS® and its operations as well as other factors. Additionally, our work also involves creative services, graphic design, list data, data processing, programming, and pre-printed materials, it is imperative that you read and understand the nature and limitations of our Company’s product offerings and services as detailed in these terms and conditions (collectively “Terms and Conditions”) to follow:

Data Receipt & Data Formats:

All data information received from you, along with any job-related/data handling instructions, are to be sent electronically in a “processable” file format to the CRST Project Management Desk at production@crst.net. A processable file format is a singular and electronic data file whereby the name/address/email information is uniformly structured, in a self-evident manner, with partitioned indices between data fields. Examples of typical data file formats are *.dat, *.txt, *.csv, *.tab, *.dbf, *.xls and *.xlsx.

Word processing files, Adobe *.pdf documents, and MS Excel (or GoogleSheet files) with multiple bottom spreadsheet tabs do not constitute “processable” standardized file formats and are not suitable for immediate data processing without secondary and billable efforts. Should you present multiple singular files for processing, you must include any specific data handling instructions; such multi-file presentments will also require secondary and billable work by the CRST Project Management desk.

There may be instances where additional, unforeseen data repair, appending, or enhancement efforts are necessary by the CRST Project Management department to render your file processable. We will automatically make any reasonable and conventional data repairs under three (3) hours unless you specifically state otherwise in writing. Should such work take more than three (3) hours, you will be notified in advance of such billable time needed beyond the three (3) hour mark.

Should you decline to have our Project Management area make any CRST-determined data repair, appending, or enhancements beyond three (3) hours and wish to cancel your scheduled mailing, you will be subject to a $50.00 CRST Project Management scheduling and cancellation fee. The cancellation fee is stackable and additional to any time taken regarding the submitted and received data files.

Data Processing for Mailfile Production:

If you do not already have a USPS® CRID (a Customer Registration Identification) number, we will verify with the US Postal Service® whether a CRID already exists for you, or, we will assign you one at no additional expense. As part of this verification and/or set-up process, we will provide similar contact information to the USPS® that you give to us. Additionally, the CRID information registered with the USPS® represents a direct relationship between you and the United States Postal Service®, CRST does not undertake anonymous mailings. Although our work with you is done with confidentiality and non-disclosure, CRST still abides by USPS® protocols necessary for the Postal Services® Full Service and eDoc web-based software.

Since CRST only submits its mailings at automation service standards, all submitted files are subsequently verified via NCOA/Move Update address quality requirements as established by the U.S. Postal Service®. CRST Project Management only uses USPS® qualified software vendors who have received direct approval and certification to execute such name/address verification within postal regulations. Your requesting mailing services from Cornerstone further entails that you accept and abide by our handling of submitted domestic destination names and addresses in accordance with these standards. In short, these are not our standards; any concerns arising from our data file handling may well be answerable by the US Postal Service® directly.

Given our engagement with the U.S. Postal Services® at the elevated Full Service level for professional mailers, with our further use of the PostalOne! and eDoc web-based software, it is important that you understand we have only thirty (30) days (calendar days not business days) in which your automation presorted addressed mail data must enter the domestic postal mail stream. Given this requirement, should you request that your mailing with us be held, paused, or delayed in any way so that the mail cannot enter the mailstream within these thirty (30) days, there will be a re-processing charge identical to the original processing charge, for postal documentation. Should you request that your mailing materials, once addressed by us, be held, paused, or delayed, it may be necessary either to reorder such materials at your expense or, request that we use mailing labels to cover the names/addresses (if possible), whichever is less expensive. Consequently, we strongly suggest that you plan ahead carefully.

Project Communication:

CRST Customer Service and Project Management promise to make best efforts to clarify and confirm your project instructions to us. Our model for project management is that you and your project are assigned to a CRST Project Management Communications Coordinator. This person may be reached at production@crst.net, the general inbox email for all project management efforts. Regarding the set-up or wrap-up of your project, including invoicing and post-production questions, you may work with a member of the CRST Customer Service team, using info@crst.net for communication. Our internal standard is to acknowledge received instructions within one (1) hour of receipt; however, there may be times at which we require 24 hours to provide confirmation or return to you with additional questions.

For ongoing and scheduled projects, you agree to designate a single and qualified point-person who will act as the unique point of communication between Cornerstone and you or your organization. It is not necessary that we remind you to use a single point person for direction or communication regarding your project in the context of our services. Even with a singular point of contact, your inclusion of multiple staff members (or other interested parties affiliated with your organization) may increase billable Project Management hours and create direction confusion.

The initial and specific person authorizing the scheduled work will de facto become Cornerstone’s sole point of contact. You, or such designated point-person, should have singular and unconditional decision-making authority to relay all relevant project guidance to Cornerstone. For good measure, instructions should be specific and submitted in writing to our Project Management area via email at production@crst.net.

Additionally, instructions regarding your project must be received in writing. If, for reasons of convenience or urgency, you alternatively provide verbal direction or guidance to us, CRST will do its best to state and/or reconfirm these instructions in a return email. Our courtesy-only efforts to state and reconfirm verbal instructions will constitute default acknowledgment by you of these verbal instructions and will not be accepted as a substitute for your having delivered to us writing project instructions. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to provide critical project guidance in writing.

Finally, these Terms and Conditions are in no way diluted by potentially conflicting, partial, incoherent, or incorrect instructions from you to Cornerstone. You are at all times wholly responsible for the content of your written instructions and for the clarity of such instructions to the Company. CRST is further not responsible for the implications of our receipt of guidance from a fellow staff member or interested party regarding the direction of your project. Therefore, regarding your engagement of our services, you are solely responsible for direction and/or approvals originating from individuals whom you chose to involve in the context of your project with us, be they inside or outside your organization.

Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure:

Your electronic mailing data is safe with us and we will not use it for any purpose other than that for which you have requested of us. If you supply a mailing list to Cornerstone, we will uphold absolute privacy and industry-standard care regarding its use and archival.

Data Quality Reports:

With your uniquely submitted customer files, which carry no additional third-party restrictions, that are submitted by you to us for automation mailing, Cornerstone will return back a “Data Quality Report” which will include the following:

• Non-CASS (“Invalid Address”) Certificate or Report
• DPV (Delivery-Point Validation) Detail
• Listing of Repaired Addresses
• Listing of Undeliverable Records
• Duplicate Name/Address Removal
• NCOA/Move Update Report

For duplicate name/address consolidation efforts, you will see that we only remove duplicate names where (a) the name is identical or a “near duplicate” and (b) when the addresses are identical. We do not scan data lists for potential duplicate name-only names. There are few national standards for name/address repair, and therefore you understand that such work is a “best efforts” endeavor based upon deemed or said list importance as well as the time available by the CRST Data Project Manager. Data Quality Reports are not provided for list rentals or use of Board of Election data files. Data Quality Reports are usually returned within 30 days after payment and project completion.

Non-Profit Mailings:

If your organization has previously mailed at USPS® Non-Profit mailing rates, it is likely that you have USPS® not-for-profit mailing privileges or permission to mail at these rates. For all our new clients, a member of the CRST Customer Service or the CRST Project Management will contact the national USPS® help desk and obtain confirmation of your CRID (Customer Registration identification) number and the existence of an NPA (Non-Profit Authorization) number. We undertake this verification at no charge.

For reference, your USPS® NPA (Non-Profit Authorization) number is a unique 6-digit or 7-digit number issued by the US Postal Service® to a qualified not-for-profit organization that has been granted privileges to mail at the Postal Services’ Marketing Mail Nonprofit postage rates. While a uniquely bestowed and nationally recognized NPA permits a specific organization to mail (alone) at these discounted postage rates, an NPA must be used in conjunction with a mailer’s bulk mail permit (such as with our Permit# 473 in Newburgh NY). Please note that additional requirements apply such as proper mailpiece design construction.

Initially and periodically, we verify an organization’s non-profit recognition with the Postal Service. Your organization’s having mailed in the past at said-not-for-profit rates in the past does not guarantee your future ability to do so. Additionally, mere IRS recognition of your organization as, for example, an IRS 501(c)(3) class incorporation further does not automatically bestow such USPS® rate privileges. Therefore, prior to our availing your permission to mail at not-for-profit discounted mailings, we will need at least 1 – 3 days to verify the existence and status of your NPA as well as provide required, up-to-date contact details (i.e. contact name, website, email address, physical and mailing addresses) to the Postal Service.

If you have not previously mailed at non-profit rates, and have no recollection of your initial NPA number approval, CRST may assist with your application process to issue, reissue, or recover your NPA. To do this, you will need to fill out an “Application to Mail at Nonprofit USPS® Marketing Mail Prices” via the PS Form 3624. And, to assist you with this process, we have created step-by-step instructions for your convenience “How To Complete The Non-Profit Mailing Application”. Please note, that as per the application, Cornerstone is not allowed to file this application on your behalf – your receipt of an NPA and your non-profit mailing permission represent a direct relationship between your organization and the US Postal Service®.

Mailpiece/Graphic Design:

Client or Third-Party Provided Designs: prior to printing either at Cornerstone or with an approved CRST Print Partner, the CRST Project Management team must review your proposed design(s) to ensure (1) compliance with USPS® physical mailing requirement standards (e.g. USPS® Postal Explorer’s DMM 300 Section “200 - Commercial Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels” and (2) abidance with internal Cornerstone mailpiece set-up SOP requirements (such as having the correct postal permit, crop marks for bleeds, thematic alignment with other mailing materials or your or your organization’s web presence, proper font selection, QR code functionality, mail-merge field placement matching the submitted data, etc.). In short, we want to prevent any misdesign issues that could interfere with your organization’s achieving possible postal discounts or planned functioning, and, we want to achieve a level of cosmetic quality with the overall appearance of the project effort.

Cornerstone Created Designs: If Cornerstone creates your mailpiece design, then these points will be handled automatically. Cornerstone assumes full responsibility for the quality of USPS® physical mailing requirement standards design compliance and general professional design guidance offered.

Please note that we work only with Adobe InDesign which is also the standard graphic design package for pre-press in the United States. We do not accept other graphic design formats such as MS Publisher, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, CorelDraw, Quark, or Canva. If you provide a *.pdf document for our review and or approval, and you do not provide an accompanying Adobe InDesign file (*.indd), your provided design will be used as guidance only for the work that we undertake on your behalf. Once we complete a design, and you approve such design for printing, mailing, web development, or other purposes, you will be entitled to have a minimum resolution *.pdf file in return but the *.indd original file does not leave our offices.

Additional: (a) Union Printing will include the Union bug after the client-approved design is finalized; due to Union printing regulations, CRST is not allowed to keep images on file/in-house for on-demand use. All qualified Union print materials will have the appropriate union bug placed on each design. (b) EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) Saturation artwork designed by the CRST Project Management desk will include the words “Designed and printed by www.CRST.net” in no greater than 10-point font. This tagline will be tastefully located, but may or may not appear for your review prior to our ordering finalized materials. (c) CRST may be required to use third-party images for your design if we are unable to find no-cost images. Unless otherwise stated, such paid images (technically, rented images) are typically one-time use and will incur separate, additional charges, which we pass on at cost.

Stamps/Stamped Mail:

Other than stamp applications for single-piece international letter rate or flat rate mail, CRST only uses pre-canceled stamps (or postal permit indicia) for mail presentment and delivery. To utilize precancelled stamps for any mailing, you or your organization must have at least 500ct addresses with verified, CASS-Certified U.S. domestic addresses. We no longer hand-stamp domestic mail with commemorative or Forever Stamps or other single-piece rate stamp items.

Permit Use

Client Permits: CRST no longer presents mail under permits other than its own permit. Further, mailings are not presented other than a standard BMEU entry point in Newburgh NY.

CRST Permits: Below are simple representations of some of our various permit indicias.

If you are designing, or having designed by a print partner, an automation-ready mailpiece image, your graphic design must include the correct, pre-approved postal permit as approved by a member of the CRST Project Management team. There is no additional charge for the use of any of our postal permits. If you do not include one of these permits as part of your mailpiece design, then your submitted design will be altered as necessary by CRST and graphic design charges may apply.

Third Party Service Vendors:

You and we both engage third party service and fulfillment vendors who assist both you and we with the handling of your mailings or parcel distribution. They may include, but are not limited to, the United States Postal Service (“USPS®”), United Parcel Service (“UPS”), Federal Express (“FedEx®”), commercial printers, internet service providers, and other companies that provide similar service support as/where need be. In many cases the success of the work we do on your behalf is also contingent upon the successful support of such business service providers.

In particular, it is important to recognize that your engagement with Cornerstone Services for automation rate mail undestanding and abidence with the United State Postal Service. Technically, you have a direct relationship with the USPS® and, like we, also agree to the service benefits and risks that come with engagement of the USPS® services. For example, while the Postal Service does have internal delivery standards, there are no publicly stated mail delivery guarantees for any class of mail that is also offered by CRST to its clients. Further, the USPS® and similar fulfillment providers are occasionally subject to unforseen service delays related to weather, seasonal or cyclical volume, internal re-routing, workforce shortages, logistics distruptions, and similar business service disruptions. Additionally, some non-retail postage rates may possibly change without advance notice and some previously available services (such as Regional Priority Mail) may be unavailable on short notice. Please note that CRST does its best to work with known issues and likewise any resolve service issues as best as possible given the limits of both control and jauthority with such providers.

Approved Third Party Printing:

CRST works closely with many local or regional print partners along with some national print providers. If we are unable to assist you with your printing (such as for perfect binding) we may refer you to one of our printer partners. If you come to us from a printer partner referral, then it is likely that such print partner is aware of the following restrictions in place for any work that we undertake upon your behalf:

1. we do not accept any materials printed 20/50 lb. paper stock (a.k.a. “copy paper”) without prior approval (which is rare);
2. prior to any printing, your intended mailing materials, that enter the Postal Service mail stream for automation presort, must be reviewed and approved by our CRST Project Management desk (production@crst.net) for both USPS® and internal standards mailpiece design complaint;
3. CRST must undertake any mail-merge merges done on your behalf prior to commercial printing by a CRST approved third-party printer;
4. we do not accept any materials printed by Staples, OfficeMax, home-based (noncommercial) printers, or printers of unknown or uncollected origin;
5. we do not accept materials that were printed over 1 year prior and/or not stored in a temperature-controlled environment (e.g. materials exposed to humidity); even upon our acceptance of any client materials for mailing or service fulfillment, CRST reserves the right to return or reject in whole or part materials that it finds non-compliant with automation equipment handling; and,
6. additional: all provided print materials must be uniform and cannot include combined printing lots or mixed paperweights; materials cannot have UV (high gloss) coating on any mailing face; provided materials must be professionally packaged and not require unexpected set-up times aside from conventional, industry-standard set-up preparation.

Turn-around Times:

Aside from printing timeframe requirements, a formal mailing turn-around timeframe begins upon your advance completed payment for all services and postage and ends with the our entry of your mail at the USPS® Mid-Hudson facility in Newburgh, NY. If you have not pre-paid for services, there are no guaranteed fulfillment turn-around timeframes by us.

Political Mail:

Properly designed USPS® political mail may be eligible for heightened or expedited USPS® handling over conventional Marketing (commercial bulk mail) services, meaning the USPS® will often upgrade qualified bulk mail to First-Class mail services at no additional service surcharge. However, the USPS® also has very strict guidelines regarding both political mailpiece designs and First-Class upgrade acceptance. Submitted designs for public office positions must include at least (a) candidate name(s) and/or political party name(s), (b) the publicly electoral position(s), and (c) the publicly cited election date(s). If you have questions, please submit your intended, draft artwork for review well in advance to our Project Management desk at production@crst.net. If you are concerned about whether your intended mailpiece design qualifies, please present to us your intended design well in advance of your political mailing to allow us time to seek USPS® formal guidance. (Political mailpiece designs created by us for you will be done with political mailpiece compliance in mind.)

Please note that USPS® regulations may be subject to frequent changes and revisions; further, a Postal Service BMEU (Business Mail Entry Unit) clerk may interpret these regulations differently than we hope or anticipate and, outside of Company control, may elect to remove political tagging and decelerate the mail to be regular commercial bulk mail.

Payment Terms:

Cornerstone has never formally had any service payment arrangement other than “On Receipt” and this payment term is still in effect. Therefore, payment for all services, data rental, postage, web services, print materials, etc. must be done in advance of the final delivery of products or services. In some cases, such as for websites or large projects ($2500 and over), you may be asked for a 50% deposit prior to our commencing the work you ask of us. All funds must either clear Cornerstone’s account before any design, data processing, or mailing presentments are made by Cornerstone on your behalf.

You are encouraged to send a check for all services. Checks should be made to “Cornerstone Services, Inc.” and sent to the address on your invoice. Alternatively, you may pay online on our website using Stripe, PayPal, or Venmo payment services, although a 3% ACH pass-through charge will be applicable. We regret that we cannot receive credit card payments over the phone.

If for any reason (such as a bounced check or stopped payment by you) your payment to us is not transacted and non-payment is resolved quickly, you agree unconditionally to cover any reasonable legal or collection costs after thirty (30) days that we may incur in order to recover payment for any services rendered or materials provided.

Residual Materials:

It is now our policy to request guidance from you regarding the handling of any residual materials prior to fulfillment services. If, for any reason, a mailing project is completed and we do not have prior/advance direction regarding the handling of your residual materials, a CRST Customer Service representative will make two (2) electronic (i.e. email) attempts to reach you and two (2) telephonic attempts – a combined total of four (4) attempts -- to reach you for your specific direction. After twenty (20) days, without having received specific guidance from you to us about your residual mailing materials, CRST will add your post-mailing materials to our other commercial recycling residual materials for monthly, offsite paper recycling.

Please note that CRST does not archive or return materials to our inventory unless you have a specific schedule for our working with such materials.

Limits of Liability:

Your request for the design, printing, and mail fulfillment services of Cornerstone is done with the understanding that Cornerstone makes its best efforts regarding its design, data handling, printing, and general mailing fulfillment services. Further, you agree to indemnify and hold Cornerstone harmless against any and all claims, costs, and expenses, including attorney’s fees, that may arise from the mailing(s), work, projects, etc. that you requested of Cornerstone.

You hereby unconditionally understand and agree that Cornerstone is not responsible to you or any other interested party for damages, or perceived damages, including pain and suffering, that may arise from our execution of any work requested by you of Cornerstone.

Additional Conditions:

(a) additional charges and expenses, usually minor and reasonable, may arise as a natural consequence of our services rendered on your behalf. Although we do our best to approximate accurately and specifically our services and product charges in advance, any CRST-provided estimate or projected invoice is an estimate or projection only of the anticipated costs that we may bill, and you may incur, due to limited, presumed or partial point-in-time information. Further, please note that our estimates are only valid for thirty (30) days and that after thirty (30) days final invoice charges may change from the original estimate you were provided.

(b) should there be any dispute arising from your requesting services, information, or materials from Cornerstone, your sole resource beyond direct negotiation with Cornerstone is binding arbitration through the American Arbitration Association. Further, any dispute you may have regarding such charges must without fail be sent by you to Cornerstone in writing within twenty (20) days upon receipt of our invoice; and,

(c) these Terms and Conditions fully support your obligation to Cornerstone to pay for services, materials, data, postage, artwork, graphic design, etc. as rendered. Notwithstanding any other written instructions or agreements between you and Cornerstone, your requesting Cornerstone to undertake specific services or materials ordering as described in writing or verbally represents your full consent to the Terms and Conditions as detailed above.