Terms of Use

Last updated: August 10, 2026

What American Cattle Union is (and isn't)

American Cattle Union LLC, a Tennessee limited liability company ("American Cattle Union," "ACU," "we," "us"), operates an online marketplace and communication platform for US-based cattle producers, ranchers, and breeders. ACU is a venue that connects buyers and sellers. ACU is not a party to any sale, purchase, or transfer between users. ACU does not own, inspect, take title to, warrant, transport, or hold funds for any animal, semen, embryo, or other item listed. All sales are made directly between the buyer and the seller. ACU does not buy or sell livestock, does not sell livestock on commission, does not furnish stockyard services, and is not a stockyard owner, market agency, or dealer within the meaning of the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921.

These terms cover the website and our mobile apps

These terms apply to americancattleunion.com and to the American Cattle Union mobile applications for iOS and Android (together, the "Services"). By creating an account or using the Services on any device, you agree to these terms.

Who can use American Cattle Union

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account. By registering, you confirm that the information you provide is accurate and that you are a legitimate agricultural producer or someone engaged in the cattle industry. Profile fields describing FFA or 4-H involvement refer to the adult account holder's affiliation with those programs (for example, as a parent, alumnus, or advisor) — the Services are not offered to anyone under 18.

Listing accuracy and seller responsibilities

Sellers are solely responsible for: the accuracy of every listing, including EPD data, health records, registration papers, photos, and pedigree; having lawful ownership and the right to sell what they list; and completing all legally required steps of a sale, including bill of sale, title or registration transfer, and state brand inspection where required. Misrepresenting an animal — including falsifying registration papers, EPD scores, health status, or breeding records — is grounds for immediate account termination and may constitute fraud under applicable law.

Buyer responsibilities and due diligence

Buyers are solely responsible for inspecting animals (in person or through an agent of their choosing) before paying, verifying health, condition, and registration, arranging transport, and complying with all interstate movement, health-certificate, and brand-inspection requirements. We recommend that buyers inspect at pickup, pay by cashier's check or wire on delivery, complete brand inspection where required, and consider a bonded dealer for high-value purchases. Livestock are living animals whose health, behavior, and performance are inherently unpredictable; you assume the risks that come with buying, handling, and transporting them.

Payments are between users — ACU holds no funds

ACU does not process, hold, escrow, or transmit payments for sales between users. Buyers pay sellers directly by whatever method they agree to. ACU is not responsible for non-payment, non-delivery, chargebacks, or any payment dispute between users.

Platform fees

American Cattle Union does not currently charge for anything. Buyer accounts, seller accounts, listing, messaging, and closing a sale are all free. There are no memberships or subscriptions on sale, no per-sale or success fee, no per-head or per-embryo fee, and no commission or percentage of your sale price. We do not ask for or store a payment method, so there is nothing for you to cancel.

If we introduce paid features in the future, we will describe the price and the terms plainly before you are asked to agree to them, and no existing account will be charged for anything without first opting in. We will give at least 30 days' notice of any change on this page and by email.

Any sale price is paid directly between the buyer and the seller. American Cattle Union does not receive, hold, or deduct from sale proceeds.

Electronic records and signatures

By using the Services you consent to transact electronically, including receiving disclosures and records electronically and signing documents — such as the generated bill of sale — by electronic signature, in accordance with the federal ESIGN Act and applicable state UETA statutes. You may withdraw this consent by closing your account, and you may request a paper copy of any record we are required to provide by contacting support.

Verification is screening, not a guarantee

ACU reviews documents sellers submit (such as a USDA Farm ID or state brand registration) before granting Verified status. Verification means the seller passed our document screening at the time of review. It is not an endorsement, inspection, or guarantee of any seller, animal, or transaction, and it does not replace your own due diligence. Verified status can be revoked if documentation is found to be invalid or a member engages in prohibited conduct.

No warranty on animals or listings

ACU MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO THE HEALTH, CONDITION, FERTILITY, TEMPERAMENT, GENETICS, REGISTRATION ACCURACY, MERCHANTABILITY, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OF ANY ANIMAL OR ITEM LISTED, AND DISCLAIMS ALL SUCH WARRANTIES TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. Any warranties between a buyer and a seller, or the exclusion of them, are a matter of their own agreement and applicable state law. Buyers should be aware that many states exclude implied warranties in livestock sales by statute. Listing data — including EPDs and health information — is reported by sellers, and ACU does not independently verify it. Consult a veterinarian for health-related decisions.

The same goes for the platform itself: THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. ACU DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR SECURE, OR THAT ANY CONTENT OR DATA SHOWN ON THE SERVICES IS ACCURATE, COMPLETE, OR RELIABLE.

Your content

You keep ownership of the content you post — listings, photos, messages, reviews, and community posts. By posting, you grant ACU a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, display, and distribute that content as needed to operate and promote the Services. We may remove any content, at our discretion, that violates these terms, is inaccurate or misleading, or harms other users or the platform.

Our intellectual property

The Services — including the American Cattle Union name, the bull logo, our trademarks and branding, the website and app design, text and graphics, and the underlying software — are owned by American Cattle Union or its licensors and protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the Services for their intended purpose. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or create derivative works from the Services or their content except as these terms allow.

Reporting and blocking

You can report a listing, message, or member from the relevant page, and you can block another member by declining or blocking a connection request. We review reports and may remove content, restrict features, or terminate accounts in response. To report something you cannot flag in the product, email [email protected].

Prohibited conduct

Posting false or misleading information about animals, yourself, or your operation
Harassing, threatening, or abusing other members
Soliciting payment or conducting transactions outside the platform to avoid fees
Creating multiple accounts to evade a ban or misrepresent your identity
Scraping, copying, or republishing platform content without permission
Using the platform for any purpose unrelated to livestock or agriculture
Using the Services for any unlawful purpose or in violation of any applicable law
Attempting to gain unauthorized access to accounts or systems, interfering with or disrupting the Services, introducing malware, or circumventing security, authentication, or rate limits
Sending spam or unsolicited commercial messages through listings, messages, offers, or connection requests

Disputes between users

American Cattle Union provides agreement tools and formal transaction records to help users document their deals. However, ACU is not a party to transactions between users and does not guarantee the performance of any agreement. Any assistance ACU offers in a dispute is informal and non-binding; users resolve disputes between themselves. We encourage all parties to use our formal agreement tools and to conduct appropriate due diligence before entering any transaction.

Account termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate any account at any time for violation of these terms, fraudulent activity, or conduct that harms other users or the platform. You may close your own account at any time from your account settings, which removes your profile and listings from public view.

Limitation of liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW: ACU IS NOT LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES; ACU IS NOT LIABLE FOR THE ACTS, OMISSIONS, LISTINGS, ANIMALS, PAYMENTS, OR TRANSACTIONS OF ANY USER; AND ACU'S TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM THE SERVICES IS LIMITED TO THE PLATFORM FEES YOU PAID TO ACU IN THE TWELVE MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM AROSE. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so parts of this section may not apply to you.

Indemnification

In plain terms: if your listings, deals, or conduct on the platform get ACU sued, you cover the cost. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless ACU and its officers, employees, and agents from claims, damages, and reasonable legal fees arising from your listings, your sales or purchases, your content, your conduct on the Services, or your breach of these terms.

Copyright complaints (DMCA)

If you believe content on the Services infringes your copyright, send a notice under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to our designated agent, registered with the U.S. Copyright Office:

Your notice must identify the copyrighted work, identify the infringing material and its location on the Services, include your contact information, a statement of good-faith belief that the use is unauthorized, a statement made under penalty of perjury that you are authorized to act for the copyright owner, and your physical or electronic signature. We will remove or disable access to material identified in a valid notice.

If your content was removed and you believe that was a mistake or misidentification, you may send our designated agent a counter-notification containing your contact information, identification of the removed material and its prior location, a statement under penalty of perjury of your good-faith belief that the removal was a mistake, your consent to the jurisdiction of the federal district court for your address (or, if outside the United States, the Middle District of Tennessee), and your signature. We may restore the material in accordance with the DMCA unless the complaining party files a court action.

We terminate the accounts of repeat infringers in appropriate circumstances.

Arbitration and class-action waiver

Most concerns can be sorted out informally — before filing any claim, email [email protected] describing the dispute, and we'll try to resolve it with you within 30 days.

If we can't, you and ACU agree to resolve any dispute arising out of these terms or the Services through binding individual arbitration, administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, rather than in court. The arbitration will be conducted by videoconference or, if either party requests, in the county where you live or another mutually agreed location; the AAA's rules govern filing fees and costs. Two exceptions: either party may bring an individual claim in small-claims court, and either party may seek injunctive relief in court to protect its intellectual property.

If twenty-five (25) or more similar arbitration demands are filed against ACU by the same or coordinated counsel, the AAA's Mass Arbitration Supplementary Rules will apply, a process arbitrator will be appointed as those rules provide, and the demands will be resolved in staged batches, with each side selecting an equal number of demands per batch, until all are resolved.

Class-action waiver: disputes will be resolved on an individual basis only. Neither you nor ACU may bring or participate in a class, consolidated, or representative action. If this waiver is found unenforceable for a particular dispute, then this entire arbitration section does not apply to that dispute.

Opt-out: you may reject this arbitration section without penalty by emailing [email protected] within 30 days of first creating your account, with your name, account email, and a statement that you opt out of arbitration. Opting out does not affect any other part of these terms.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee and the United States, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Any dispute not subject to arbitration shall be brought in the state or federal courts located in Tennessee, and you consent to their jurisdiction. If you are a California resident, nothing in these terms requires you to arbitrate a California-arising claim outside California or under the substantive law of any state other than California.

General

These terms, together with our Privacy policy, are the entire agreement between you and ACU about the Services. If any part of these terms is found unenforceable, the rest remains in effect. Our not enforcing a provision is not a waiver of it. You may not assign these terms; we may assign them in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets. Sections that by their nature should survive account closure — including content licenses, disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnification, arbitration, and governing law — survive it.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. For material changes we will notify you by email or an on-platform notice before they take effect. Continuing to use the Services after changes take effect means you accept the updated terms. Changes to the "Arbitration and class-action waiver" section will not apply to disputes that arose before the change and will apply to you only after you affirmatively accept the updated terms.

Contact

Questions about these terms: [email protected]