The Lonely Hearts Club Terms & Conditions
Effective Date: 12.06.2026
Governing Law: England and Wales

By submitting an advertisement to The Lonely Hearts Club (“we”, “us”, “our”), you (“you”, “Advertiser”) agree to the following terms and conditions.

1. Eligibility

  • You must be at least 18 years old to place or reply to an ad.

  • You confirm that all information provided is accurate and truthful.

  • You agree not to impersonate another person or entity.

2. Ad Submission

  • Ads must be submitted through our official online form.

  • Word count must not exceed 40 words.

  • Ads must not contain personal contact details, URLs, or social handles.

  • We reserve the right to refuse, edit, or remove any ad that breaches our editorial guidelines or these Terms.

  • You are responsible for ensuring your submission does not infringe copyright, privacy, or any third-party rights.

3. Content Standards

You agree that your ad will not contain:

  • Hate speech, harassment, discrimination, or defamation.

  • Misleading, fraudulent, or illegal content.

  • Explicit sexual or obscene material.

  • Commercial promotions unrelated to our readership.

We reserve the right to edit or reject ads at our discretion.
You are legally responsible for the content you submit.

4. Replies

  • Replies will be forwarded using Royal Mail and/or other postal, courier or delivery service providers selected by The Lonely Hearts Club at its discretion. One advertisement placement includes up to four forwarded replies. Additional forwarding services may be subject to separate charges.

  • We act solely as an intermediary. We do not read, censor, or verify replies, but we reserve the right to withhold any that breach our decency or safety standards.

  • After all the forwards have been used, you may extend forwarding for a small admin and postage fee.

  • We are not responsible for the content of replies or for any outcomes arising from correspondence.

5. Payment & Refunds

  • Payment is required in full before publication.

  • All fees are non-refundable once an ad has been submitted, except in cases of our error or failure to publish.

  • If your ad is withdrawn before going to print, we may, at our discretion, issue a partial refund or credit.

6. Privacy

  • We handle all personal data in accordance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

  • Personal details are used solely for correspondence forwarding and publication administration.

  • We will never sell, rent, or share your information with third parties unless required by law.

  • Full details are available in our Privacy Policy.

7. Intellectual Property

  • You retain full copyright ownership of your ad.

  • By submitting, you grant The Lonely Hearts Club a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to reproduce, publish, and distribute your ad:

    • In print and digital editions of the paper.

    • In promotional materials, exhibitions, or anthologies related to the publication.

  • We will never publish your full name or personal details without written consent.

8. Liability

  • We make no guarantee of replies or outcomes.

  • To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for any loss, damage, or distress resulting from your ad or replies.

  • Nothing in these Terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for fraud.

9. Complaints & Corrections

  • If you believe your advertisement contains an error, please contact us as soon as possible and, where feasible, before publication. We will make reasonable efforts to correct any errors before printing. Once an advertisement has been published, corrections may not be possible, but we will consider appropriate remedial action where reasonably practicable.

  • If you have a complaint about an advertisement, our content, our services, or our handling of your personal data, please contact us at hello@thelonelyheartsclub.co.uk. We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint, investigate the matter and aim to provide a substantive response within 30 calendar days. If additional time is required due to the complexity of the matter, we will keep you informed of progress.

    Nothing in this section affects your statutory rights, including your right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office where applicable.

10. Amendments

We may update these Terms from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website. Continued use of our services after updates constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

11. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.
Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.