Terms of Service

Last updated October 8, 2026

These terms are an agreement between you and Deckhand Trash Co. ("Deckhand," "we," "us"), a disabled veteran-owned small business in Southport, North Carolina. By checking the box at signup or using our service, you agree to them.

1. Our services

• Curbside. We move your trash and recycling carts to the curb before your scheduled town or county pickup, and return them to their usual spot the same day.
• Sanitize & Deodorize. Once a month, after pickup, we spray the inside of your emptied carts with a biodegradable enzyme cleaner and deodorizer and wipe the lid and handle. This is not a pressure wash.
• First Mate Valet. Doorstep trash pickup for apartment communities, under a separate written agreement with the property (section 9).

Who can sign up. You must be at least 18 and the owner, tenant, or authorized manager of the property. Service is available only at addresses on an active Deckhand route. Addresses outside our area can reserve a spot for free and are not charged.

Start date. Service starts on your first scheduled pickup day at least 48 hours after signup. We confirm the start date by text or email.

What we don't do. We don't empty carts or haul loose trash, bulk items, yard waste, hazardous waste, or anything outside your carts. Your hauler (for example GFL or the Town of Southport) collects the trash. We are not that hauler and don't control its schedule.

2. Billing, pauses and cancellation

• Autopay. You authorize us to charge your card each month, starting on your signup date, for your plan and any add-ons. Prices are shown before you pay. Payments are processed by Stripe.
• Extra carts. Each cart beyond one trash and one recycling cart is $5 per month.
• Failed payments. If a charge fails, we'll let you know. Service pauses if the balance is unpaid after 7 days.
• Vacation hold. You can pause for up to 8 weeks per calendar year. Set a hold in My account, or text or email us.
• Cancel anytime. Plans are month to month. Cancel from My account on our website, or by text or email. Service continues through the end of the period you've paid for. We don't give partial-month refunds.
• Missed visits. If we miss a scheduled visit for reasons within our control, we credit that visit on your next bill.
• Price changes. We'll give at least 30 days' notice by email or text before a price change takes effect.
• Hero discount. Veterans, active-duty military, firefighters, EMS, and law enforcement officers get 20% off any monthly Deckhand plan (not First Mate Valet contracts). You confirm eligibility at signup and show a military, VA, or department ID at your first visit. If we can't verify eligibility, the discount ends with the next bill. The discount doesn't combine with other promotions.

3. Property access and your responsibilities

You give Deckhand and its workers permission to enter your property only to reach, move, and return your carts and to take service photos. You agree to:

• Tell us where your carts are kept, and give us any gate code, keypad code, or key needed to reach them. We store codes securely and use them only for service.
• Keep a clear, safe path to the carts: no locked gates without a code, no aggressive pets loose, and no hazards like broken steps.
• Keep carts in working order with lids that close. We may skip a cart that is overweight (over about 150 pounds), broken, or holds loose or prohibited material, and we'll send you a photo.
• Follow your hauler's rules about what goes in the carts.
• Tell us about schedule changes, new gate codes, or HOA rules that affect where carts may sit.

If we can't reach your carts because of something on your side, the visit counts as completed.

4. Liability waiver and limits

By checking the waiver box at signup, you agree to the following.

• Hauler damage. Carts are often damaged by collection trucks. Deckhand is not responsible for damage, loss, or spills caused by your hauler, its trucks, or its workers.
• Normal wear. We are not responsible for normal wear on carts, wheels, or lids, or for carts that were already cracked or brittle.
• Missed pickups. We put carts out on the schedule your hauler or town publishes. If the hauler skips, changes, or delays pickup, we aren't responsible for that or for any fines. We'll let you know if we see your carts weren't emptied.
• Weather and events beyond our control. We may delay or skip service for hurricanes, tropical storms, flooding, lightning, ice, road closures, or evacuation orders. We don't bring in, tie down, or store carts for storms. Securing carts before severe weather is the customer's responsibility.
• Sanitize & Deodorize. We use biodegradable enzyme products. Tell us about any allergies or sensitivities before your first visit. We aren't responsible for reactions you didn't tell us about, or for odors that come back from new waste.
• Pets, children, property. You're responsible for keeping pets and children away from our workers during service. We aren't responsible for pets that get out through a gate you asked us to use, if we closed it as instructed.
• Insurance. Deckhand carries general liability insurance. Proof of insurance is available on request, and we can name your HOA or property manager on a certificate.
• Our responsibility. If we damage your property through our own carelessness, tell us within 7 days with photos. Our total liability for any claim is limited to the amount you paid us in the 3 months before the claim, except where North Carolina law does not allow that limit.

5. Text messages

If you check the text consent box at signup, you agree to receive automated service texts from Deckhand Trash Co. at the number you gave us, including service photos, schedule changes, weather delays, and billing notices. Sign-in codes are sent only when you request one in My account. Consent is not a condition of buying service. Customers who don't opt in get email updates instead.

• Program: Deckhand Trash Co. service notifications.
• Frequency: varies, usually 2 to 3 texts per service week, up to 12 per month.
• Cost: message and data rates may apply.
• Opt out: reply STOP at any time. You'll get one confirmation text and no more messages. Reply START to rejoin.
• Help: reply HELP, call or text (910) 239-4435, or email hello@deckhandtrash.com.
• Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
• We never sell or share your phone number or text consent with third parties for marketing.

6. Your online account

You sign in to My account with a one-time code texted to the cell number on your account. Keep your phone secure and don't share codes; anyone with your code can see your account, including access codes. Call us right away if you lose your phone or change numbers. Changes you make in My account, like new gate codes or a vacation hold, take effect once we've seen them, usually before your next visit.

7. Photos and privacy

We photograph your carts at each visit as proof of service. Your most recent visit photo is shown in My account. See our Privacy Policy for how we handle photos and personal information.

8. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. We'll post the new version here and tell active customers about material changes at least 30 days before they take effect.

9. First Mate Valet

First Mate Valet runs under a written service agreement with each apartment property, not these consumer terms. Residents' questions about fees or violations go to their property management office.

10. Contact

Deckhand Trash Co., Southport, NC 28461 · (910) 239-4435 · hello@deckhandtrash.com