Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern all courier and document-delivery services provided by USA Venture Group LLC, doing business as The Baltimore Courier Company ("Company," "we," "us"), whether booked as a one-time delivery through our website or booked by a Client under a separate Master Service Agreement ("MSA") governing a standing account. By booking a delivery, checking the agreement box at booking, or otherwise engaging our services, you ("Client," "you") agree to be bound by these Terms. Where a signed MSA exists between the Company and a standing-account Client, the MSA governs the ongoing account relationship and these Terms apply to the extent they do not conflict with the MSA.

1. Description of Services

The Company provides three categories of service in the Baltimore metropolitan area and Harford County, Maryland:

Courier Services: point-to-point legal document transport, including but not limited to courthouse filings and courtesy copies, file-stamped return of filed documents, State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) filings, title and real estate settlement packages, deed recordings, sealed probate and domestic relations records, and secure business document delivery.

Same-Day Package Delivery: point-to-point delivery of small packages and auto parts, each weighing no more than 75 pounds and no longer than 5 feet, small enough to fit in a standard sedan with the rear seats folded (through an opening about 3 feet wide and 14 inches tall) and to be carried by one person, subject to the Prohibited Items in Section 3 and the declared value and liability limits in Section 8. The Company may refuse any package that exceeds these limits or cannot be safely carried in its vehicle.

Process Serving: service of a summons, complaint, subpoena, or other legal process on a named individual or entity, on behalf of an attorney or litigant, in compliance with the Maryland Rules of Civil Procedure. Process serving is governed by the additional terms in Section 2 below, which apply specifically to that service and not to ordinary courier work.

These two services are priced, scheduled, and governed differently — see Section 2 for process serving specifically, and Sections 3–10 for terms that apply to both unless otherwise noted.

2. Process Serving — Additional Terms

The following terms apply specifically to process serving engagements, in addition to the general terms elsewhere in this document.

No guarantee of successful service. Process serving is an effort-based service, not a guaranteed-outcome service. The Company will make documented attempts at varied times where reasonable, but cannot guarantee that a subject will be successfully served — a subject may not be present, may be evading service, or may no longer reside or work at the address provided. Attempts continue at the Client's direction; the Company will discuss next steps directly with the Client if a subject proves difficult to locate or serve, rather than continuing indefinitely without that conversation.

Per-attempt billing. Each attempt is billed individually — a flat attempt fee plus actual round trip mileage from the Company's hub, calculated fresh for that attempt. There is no bundled flat rate covering multiple attempts. Rush or Same-Day surcharges, if applicable, apply once, to the first attempt only. The Company will invoice for attempts as they occur or upon conclusion of the engagement, at the Company's discretion; the Client is not required to prepay for attempts that have not yet been made.

Client-provided address, no skip tracing. The Client is solely responsible for providing an accurate, current address at which the subject may reasonably be found. The Company does not perform skip tracing, investigative location services, or background research to locate a subject at this time. If the address provided proves incorrect, the Company will notify the Client; a new attempt at a corrected address may be booked as a new engagement.

Affidavit of Service. Upon successful service, the Company will execute and provide a sworn Affidavit of Service documenting the date, time, location, manner of service, and description of the person served, consistent with Maryland Rule 2-126 (Circuit Court) or the corresponding District Court rule. The Client is responsible for filing the Affidavit with the appropriate court. The Company makes no representation as to the legal sufficiency of service for any particular purpose beyond accurately documenting what occurred — that determination belongs to the Client's attorney and the court.

No legal advice. The Company is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice, including advice about proper methods of service, whether substituted service is appropriate in a given case, or the legal effect of a completed or attempted service. Clients should direct such questions to their attorney.

Neutrality requirement. Consistent with Maryland Rule 2-123, the individual performing service will not be a party to the action being served.

Scope of process serving liability. The limitation of liability in Section 8 applies to process serving engagements as it does to courier work, with this addition: the Company is not liable for the legal consequences of a subject not being served (e.g., a missed filing deadline, a case delay, or a dismissal), provided the Company made the documented attempts it was engaged to make in good faith and in accordance with Maryland law. The Company is liable for its own negligence or misconduct in the manner service was attempted or documented, consistent with the gross-negligence carve-out in Section 8.

3. Prohibited Items & Regulated Deliveries

The Company transports documents, filings, related business paperwork, and small packages within the limits in Section 1, including the regulated deliveries described below. We do not accept, and reserve the right to refuse or discontinue transport of: any package over 75 pounds or longer than 5 feet, too large to fit in a standard sedan with the rear seats folded, or too heavy or bulky for one person to carry safely; cash, gift cards, or negotiable instruments above an amount we specify at booking; blank stock certificates; original wills or stock certificates without advance written arrangement specifying declared value and handling terms; hazardous or flammable materials, hazardous waste, regulated medical waste, or Category A infectious substances; firearms, ammunition, weapons, or explosives; tobacco or vape products; live animals; or any item whose transport would require a license or authorization the Company does not hold. The Client is responsible for accurately describing the contents of any package and for packing it securely.

Prescriptions & Pharmaceuticals. We transport prescription medications, including controlled substances, on behalf of licensed pharmacies, practitioners, and other senders legally permitted to release them. The sender seals the package and is responsible for labeling, recordkeeping, and its own compliance with pharmacy and controlled-substance laws, and may give us written handling instructions, which we will follow. We do not open a sealed pharmacy package. It is handed only to the patient or the person the sender names, with a signature and, on request, a photo ID check and scan; it is never left unattended. A package that cannot be handed over is returned to the sender.

Medical Specimens. We transport Category B biological substances (UN3373) and exempt specimens that the sender has packaged for transport, including a sealed leak-proof inner container and absorbent material. We carry them in a rigid, labeled outer container and, when the booking asks for it, in temperature control with a recorded temperature log. Category A infectious substances are not accepted.

Food & Perishables. We transport prepared food, catering, and other perishable items packed by the sender in sealed packaging, insulated where the item requires it, and booked as a food or perishable delivery. The sender is responsible for food safety, preparation, and packing. Our responsibility is delivering the sealed package within the booked window.

Alcohol. We deliver alcoholic beverages only on behalf of a licensed retailer, only in a jurisdiction where the Company holds any delivery permit required by that jurisdiction, only in the manufacturer's original sealed containers, during the retailer's permitted hours, and only to a person 21 or older whose valid photo ID the courier checks at delivery. If no such person is present, the order is returned to the retailer.

Flowers & Plants. Flower arrangements and potted plants are accepted, including multi-piece and event orders, provided each piece and the full order fit within the size and weight limits in Section 1.

4. Booking, Scheduling & Capacity

Quotes generated through our online calculator are based on driving mileage from our nearest dispatch point to the pickup address, then to the drop-off address (and any additional stops, in sequence), using typical (not live-traffic-adjusted) drive time estimates. No return trip is charged. The dispatch point is our White Marsh hub, or, for a booking dispatched the same day, the courier's location at the end of their current run when that is closer to the pickup; a quote is never higher than one measured from the hub. The base fee covers the first 15 miles. The final price is confirmed at the time of booking and will not change after booking absent a change in the addresses, stop count, or service tier initiated by the Client.

The Company operates with limited solo-driver capacity and may decline a booking, or offer the next available slot, when weekly volume approaches a level that would put on-time performance at risk for existing commitments. This is not a breach of any obligation to you; it is how we protect the reliability we've already promised to other clients.

5. Rush & STAT Service

Rush and STAT surcharges secure priority dispatch relative to other bookings. They do not and cannot guarantee that a courthouse, recorder's office, or other destination will be open, staffed, or willing to accept a filing outside its own posted hours or internal procedures. It is the Client's responsibility to confirm that a rush window is procedurally realistic before booking a time-sensitive delivery.

6. Client Responsibilities

You are responsible for:

• Providing complete, accurate pickup and drop-off addresses, including any unit or suite number, and accurate contact information.
• Ensuring the document or package is fully prepared, properly executed, and ready for pickup at the scheduled time. The Company is responsible for timely transport, not for the legal sufficiency, completeness, or accuracy of a document's contents.
• Confirming that the destination will accept delivery, including confirming courthouse or office hours where relevant.
• Disclosing at booking if a package requires special handling, contains an original that cannot be reissued, or exceeds normal declared-value limits (see Section 8).

7. Chain of Custody & Handling

Every delivery is handled point-to-point by a single driver from pickup to drop-off, without routing through a third-party sorting facility. Sealed and confidential handling is standard practice on every delivery at no additional charge. Delivery is confirmed by signature and timestamp at drop-off. Where a courthouse or recording office requires a file-stamped copy to be returned, that return leg is billed as an additional stop unless otherwise agreed.

8. Declared Value & Limitation of Liability

Included coverage. Every delivery includes coverage of up to $100. Unless a higher value is declared at booking and reflected in the price charged, the Company's liability for loss of, theft of, or damage to a document or package while in our care, custody, and control is limited to $100 per delivery.

Declared value. At booking, the Client may declare the value of what is being delivered. For a declared value above $100, the Client pays the coverage price shown at checkout, which is added to the trip price and is not discounted. Online bookings accept a declared value of up to $5,000 per delivery; for a higher value, the Client must contact the Company before booking, and the Company may accept the higher value on written terms, decline the delivery, or require additional payment. The declared value is the most the Company will pay for that delivery, and any loss above it is the Client's responsibility. A Client may choose not to declare a value; that delivery is covered up to $100 only, whatever the actual value of its contents.

High-Value deliveries. A delivery with a declared value of $500 or more is a High-Value delivery. It is handed only to the named recipient (or the Client, if receiving it), after the recipient's photo ID is checked against the booking and the barcode on the back of the ID is scanned into the delivery record. If the barcode cannot be read, the courier checks the ID by eye and notes it. A High-Value delivery is never left unattended. Items worth $500 or more that are booked without a declared value do not receive High-Value handling and are covered up to $100 only.

Claims. Loss or damage must be reported to the Company within 72 hours of delivery (or, for a delivery that was never completed, within 72 hours of the scheduled delivery), with supporting documentation provided within 30 days. Supporting documentation includes proof of value, such as a purchase receipt, invoice, or appraisal, and photos of any damage. The Company pays the lowest of: the declared value (or $100 if no value was declared), the item's actual value at the time of loss, or the reasonable cost of repair. The trip price and coverage price are not refunded except as part of an approved claim. Damage to the contents of a package that arrives with its outer packaging intact, or caused by packing the Client provided, is not covered.

This limitation applies to ordinary negligence only. Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes the Company's liability for gross negligence, willful misconduct, or any liability that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded under Maryland law. The Company will exercise ordinary care and diligence consistent with its duties as a bailee for hire under Maryland law.

The Company is not liable for indirect, consequential, or incidental damages — including but not limited to lost business, missed deadlines, adverse court rulings, or the cost of reconstructing a lost document beyond the declared value limit above — except to the extent such damages arise from the Company's gross negligence or willful misconduct. Nothing in this section limits any remedy available under a Client's own document-loss insurance, including Valuable Papers & Records coverage, where applicable.

9. Timeliness, Delays & Force Majeure

The Company will use commercially reasonable efforts to complete each delivery within the service window selected at booking. The Company is not liable for delay or failure to perform caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to severe weather, traffic accidents not involving the Company's vehicle, courthouse or government office closures, security delays at a destination, or other events of force majeure. Where a filing is rejected by a clerk or recording office for reasons unrelated to the timeliness of delivery — such as an incomplete, unsigned, or improperly prepared document — that is not a failure of the Company's performance, and re-delivery following correction may be billed as a new run.

10. Pricing & Payment

Rates are published on our website and confirmed at booking. For online bookings, the Client's card is authorized at booking for the quoted price, after any applicable discount, and that amount is charged when delivery is completed. Standing-account Clients are billed according to the payment terms in their MSA; as a general matter, the Company bills standing accounts via card-on-file or ACH and does not offer net-terms invoicing.

Wait time. Each stop (pickup, any additional stop, and drop-off) includes 10 minutes of wait time at no charge, measured from the courier's arrival at the stop to departure (at the drop-off, to the recipient's signature). Time beyond those 10 minutes is billed at the published wait-time rate (currently $1.00 per minute), including time spent waiting at a courthouse, clerk's office, or reception desk. Wait time is not part of the booking authorization; it is charged separately after delivery.

Card on file. By booking online, the Client authorizes the Company to store the payment card securely with its payment processor and to charge that card after delivery for wait time incurred under this section. Stored card details are held by the payment processor, not by the Company, and are not used for any other purpose without the Client's further authorization.

Fuel surcharge. No fuel surcharge applies while the U.S. Energy Information Administration's weekly average retail price of regular gasoline for the Central Atlantic region is at or below $4.50 per gallon. Above that price, a fuel surcharge equal to the price difference divided by 23, per billed mile, is added to the trip price (for example, about $0.043 per billed mile at $5.50 per gallon). The surcharge in effect when a booking is made is shown at checkout and itemized on the receipt, and is not discounted.

11. Standing Accounts & Online Accounts

A standing account requires a minimum monthly commitment of 12 trips or $400 per month, or as specified in the Client's MSA. Standing accounts are approved by the Company after an application; once approved, trips booked while signed in to the Client's online account receive 10% off the trip price (the fuel surcharge, if any, is not discounted). The Company may change or end a standing account's discount if the minimum commitment is not met, with notice to the Client.

Any Client may create an optional online account to view past trips and receipts and to save addresses. Trip history is shown only after the account's email address is verified. The Client is responsible for keeping its password confidential and for activity under its account.

12. Insurance

The Company maintains commercial insurance coverage described at baltimorecourier.com/insurance. Current certificates of insurance are available on request. This Section does not expand the liability limitation in Section 8; insurance coverage and contractual liability limits are separate matters.

13. Cancellations

A booking may be canceled at no charge before a driver has been dispatched. Once a driver has been dispatched toward pickup, a cancellation fee may apply reflecting time and mileage already incurred. Repeated late cancellations on a standing account may be addressed in the Client's MSA.

14. Termination

The Company may decline or discontinue service to any Client at its discretion, including for non-payment, provision of false information, requests for prohibited items, or conduct that puts our driver or the public at risk. Standing-account termination is governed by the applicable MSA.

15. Dispute Resolution & Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Maryland, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. Any dispute arising from these Terms or our services shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Baltimore County, Maryland, and both parties consent to jurisdiction there.

16. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The version in effect at the time of a given booking is the version that applies to that booking. Material changes will be reflected by an updated effective date at the top of this page.

17. Severability & Entire Agreement

If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force. These Terms, together with any applicable MSA, constitute the entire agreement between the parties regarding the services described here and supersede any prior understanding on the same subject.

18. Contact

Questions about these Terms can be directed to info@baltimorecourier.com or (410) 648-FAST.