TERMS & CONDITIONS
Detailed below are our terms and conditions
DOMESTIC CLEANING
1. Definitions
1.1. In these Terms of Business the following definitions apply:
"The Company" - means HCS Home Clean Services,18,Ewenfield Road,Finedon.Northampton.NN9 5LR..
"Cleaner" - means the person or firm carrying out cleaning services on behalf of the Company.
"Client" - means the person, firm or corporate body together with any subsidiary or associated company as defined by the Companies Act 1985 to whom the cleaning services are supplied by the Company.
"Service" - means the cleaning services carried out on behalf of the Company.
"Cleaning Visit" - means the visit to the Client's service address by the Cleaner in order to carry out the Service.
1.2. Unless the context requires otherwise, reference to the singular include the plural and references to the masculine include the feminine and vice versa.
1.3. The Headings contained in these Terms are for convenience only and do not affect their interpretation.
2. Contract
2.1 These Terms and Conditions represent a contract between HCS and the Client.
2.2 The Client agrees that any use of the Company's services, including placing an order for services by telephone, fax, email, website forms shall constitute the Client's acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.
2.3 Unless otherwise agreed in writing by the owner of the Company, these Terms and Conditions shall prevail over any other terms of business or purchase conditions put forward by the Client.
2.4 No variation or alteration of these Terms and Conditions shall be valid unless approved in writing by the owner of the Company.
3. Cost
3.1. New Clients, are charged at the verbal or written quoted rate on the job quote form which is supplied to them by HCS.
3.2. Clients, who have not signed a service contract with the Company, are charged at the agreed hourly rate or quoted cost for the service. There is a minimum charge of £60.
4. VAT
4.1. All quoted prices exclude VAT at 20%.
5. Equipment
5.1. Cleaning materials (detergents, solutions, towels, cloths, gloves) and equipment (vacuum cleaner, mop, brush and broom etc.) will be provided by the Company unless specifically requested by the client. All equipment must be safe to operate, in full working order and must not require any special skills to be used for the purpose of cleaning. Specialist chemicals supplied by the client for HCS are used at the clients own risk
5.2. If the Client has supplied chemicals or equipment, the Client must provide clear and detailed instructions to the Cleaner including COSH sheets and handling procedures.
5.3. If the Client does not have requested cleaning materials or equipment as detailed in section 5.2, and Client asks the Company/company operative to purchase said items on their behalf, the Client understands that a £5.00 service charge will apply and will be added to the cleaning materials bill.
5.4. Use of HCS property, equipment or chemicals by the client is strictly prohibited.
5.5. A detailed list of cleaning specifications (cleaning tasks) must be provided by the Client to the cleaning operatives prior to service commencing .This will be detailed on the written quotation. If only verbal description of the tasks has been provided, the Company shall not be responsible for any tasks not carried out. Additional task will be charged at the appropriate rate.
6. Payment
6.1 Payment is due at the completion of the service commencement in the form of a cheque or cash payment. Contract payments may be made as above or by bank transfer. We reserve the right to cancel services without notice due to declined cheques, late payments or non-cleared funds. All payments must be made on completion or within 30 days. If payment is not made the service will be suspended immediately and legal action will be taken to recover payment..
6.2 One off cleaning service requires payment on completion. If no payment has been received at the time of completion of the cleaning service, the Client agrees to and authorizes the Company to pursue payment for the outstanding amount including late payment interest and any other costs incurred..
6.3 The Client agrees to and understands that late payments incur an interest charge of 3% per week on the outstanding amount plus legal and personal costs involved in recovering the outstanding sums.
6.4 Although greatly appreciated and a powerful way to say 'Thank you', the Client understands that tipping is not required we would rather you recommend us to your friends.
6.5 The Company reserves the right to charge interest on invoiced amounts unpaid for more than 30 days at the rate of 3% per week above the Bank of England base rate from the due date until the date of actual payment.
6.6 If the Company is forced to refer the Client's account for collection to a third party then extra costs may be added to the outstanding amount by the debt collecting company.
6.7 Any bank charges incurred due to a Client's cheque being returned unpaid will be passed to the Client at a flat rate of £40.00 per cheque.
6.8 The Company reserves the right to cancel any contract and back charge additional for past services to reflect the balance of the standard rate(s) if any misleading or false information was used to obtain discounted services.
6.9 The Client agrees to and authorises the Company to charge for any outstanding amounts owed to the Company.
7. Refunds
7.1. No refund claims will be entertained once the cleaning service has been carried out.
7.2. Refunds will be issued only if the Client has canceled a cleaning visit within the allowed time (24 hours) prior to the start of the cleaning session and a payment has been already taken by the Company.
7.3. Refunds will be issued if a cleaning operative does not attend a cleaning visit, payment for which has been already collected by the Company.
8. Cancellation
8.1. There is a £30.00 late cancellation/lock-out fee for canceling or rescheduling a visit with less than 24 hour notice for non-contract Clients. The same fee applies if the cleaning operatives are unable to gain access to the Client's home, through no fault of the Company.
8.2. The contracted Client agrees to pay the full price of the cleaning visit, if: a) The Client cancels or changes the date/time less than 24 hours prior to the scheduled appointment; b) The Client fails to provide access to the service premises thus preventing the Company to carry out the booked work; c) There is a problem with the Client's keys and the cleaning operatives cannot let themselves in. If keys are provided they must open all locks without any special efforts or skills; d) There is no provision of hot water and/or electricity which prevents the agreed clean from being completed or started; e) there is insufficient lighting or acces for the clean to be performed or acces is restricted by furnishings or other goods deposited in the area to be cleaned or acces to it.
8.3. If the Client needs to change a cleaning day or time the Company will do its best to accommodate him. A minimum 24 notice is required. Please note that the Company cannot guarantee that the service will be available on the new day and at the time the Client requires. Any changes in the cleaning schedule are subject to availability.
8.4. The Company's cleaning operatives work on any day of the week including Bank Holidays. If the Client's cleaning visit is due on a Bank Holiday and he hasn't called, faxed or e-mailed the Company to cancel the visit 24 hours prior to the start of the cleaning session, the Client agrees to and understands that the regular amount due for that cleaning visit will be charged regardless of whether the cleaning operative has cleaned the Client's property or not.
9. Termination Of Contract
9.1. The Client may terminate the cleaning contract by giving 30 days prior notice. The Client agrees to have least 2 cleaning visits carried out during the 30 days notice period.
9.2. The Client agrees to pay a cancellation fee of £60.00 if: 1) No notice is given; 2) The Client provides a termination notice and requires less than 2 cleaning visits.
10. Employment Referral Fee
10.1. The Client is liable for an employment referral fee of £1500.00 per person, should he directly employ (either legally or on a cash basis) anyone currently employed/sub-contracted by the Company, or employed/sub-contracted by the Company within the 1 year period prior to such employment. The Client agrees to pay this fee whether he notifies the Company of his action or the Company discovers this employment independently at any time after it occurs. The Client further agrees to reimburse the Company for any and all collection or legal fees the Company incurs in collecting this fee.
11. Claims
11.1. The Company's public liability insurance will cover damages caused by a cleaning operative working on behalf of the Company up to £5,000,000.00. All claims are subject to an excess of £50.00. The insurance policy includes extra protection by adding Fidelity Risk cover of up to £20,000.00.
11.2. The Client agrees that due to the nature of the service the Company guarantees only to correct any problems reported within 24 hours. If a problem occurs on a Saturday it must be reported by Monday 12:00 in order to be accepted as a valid claim. Failure to do so will entitle the Client to nothing. The Company may require entry to the location of the claim within 24 hours to correct the problem. Any refunds or adjustments must be requested to the Company directly and subject to approval by the Company.
11.3. The Client waives his right to stop payment on his cheque or reverse a bank transfer unless the Company fails to make good on the guarantee shown in part 15.
11.4. While the Company operatives make every effort not to break items, accidents do happen. Identical replacement is always attempted but not guaranteed. For this specific reason, the Company requests all irreplaceable items (whether monetarily or sentimentally valuable) be stored away and /or not cleaned by the cleaning operatives.
11.5. In case of damage, The Company will repair the item at its cost. If the item cannot be repaired the Company will rectify the problem by crediting the customer with the item's present actual cash value toward a like replacement from a Company's source upon payment of cleaning services rendered.
11.6. The Company shall not be responsible for damage due to faulty and/or improper installation of any item. All surfaces (i.e., marble, granite, etc.) are assumed sealed and ready to clean without causing harm. Or if the client is warned in advance that possible damage may be cause by cleaning of an item or equipment using particular chemicals or machinery.
11.7. No claims shall be entertained if the Client has an outstanding balance aged more than 30 days.
11.8. Any attempt to commit insurance fraud or any use of false information to commit any type of fraud will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law together by the Company and the Insurance Provider(s). Monetary compensation as well as legal fees may incur.
11.9. Key replacement/locksmith fees are paid only if keys are lost by our operatives. There is a £30 per location liability limit.
11.10. No liability will be accepted for incorrect and inappropriate use of chemicals or equipment sold, lent, hired or supplied to the client. Nor for loss damage or injury caused by incorrect storage and handling of the same.
12. Complaints
12.1. All complaints must be received in writing by letter, fax or email.
12.2. If the Client is unhappy with a currently occurring service, the Company asks that the Client notifies it as soon as he notices anything that might be to their dislike by calling 01933 681419. Please do not wait until the service is ending.
13. Liability
13.1. The Company shall not be liable under any circumstances for any loss, expense, damage, delay, costs or compensation (whether direct, indirect or consequential) which may be suffered or incurred by the Client arising from or in any way connected with a late arrival of Company operatives at the service address. The Company endeavours to be right on time on any visit but sometimes due to transport related and other problems which are beyond the Company's control, the Company operatives may arrive with a delay or the cleaning visit may be re-scheduled.
13.2. The Company shall not be liable under any circumstances for any loss, expense, damage, delay, costs or compensation (whether direct, indirect or consequential) which may be suffered or incurred by the Client arising from or in any way connected with : 1. A cleaning job not complete due to the lack of suitable/enough cleaning materials, lack of hot water or electricity, or equipment not in full working order; 2. Third party entering or present at the Client's premises during the cleaning process; 3. An existing damage to Clients property in the form of old stains/burns/spillages etc. which cannot be cleaned/removed completely by the cleaning operative using the Client's cleaning equipment and materials and in accordance with the industry standard cleaning methods as described in the Company's method statements; 4. Any damages caused by faulty/not in full working order equipment or materials supplied by the Client; 5. Any damages worth £50.00 or less.
13.3. The Company shall not be liable under any circumstances for any loss, expense, damage, delay, costs or compensation (whether direct, indirect or consequential) which may be suffered or incurred by the Client arising from or in any way connected with the Company carrying out services for the Client if the Client has an outstanding amount aged 30 days or more from the date the payment was due.
13.4. We record in writing all agreements, quotes and survey information for quality control, record keeping and back-referral for any inquiries or investigations.
14. Supplementary Terms
14.1. If the Client requests keys to be collected by the Company's operatives from a third party's address outside the postal code of the serviced address then a £10.00 charge will apply. Plus a return mileage charge of £1.00 per mile over 5 miles from the property to be cleaned. The charge will cover only the pick up of keys. If said keys need to be returned back to the third party's address or any other address another charge of £10.00 plus mileage will apply.
14.2. The Company, reserves the right to reevaluate rates at any time should the Client's initial list of tasks changes.
14.3. The Company reserves the right to amend the initial quotation, should the Client's original requirements change. Differences in excess of 5% will be discussed with the Client prior to the start of the work.
14.4. If any estimates of how long it will take the cleaning operatives to complete the job are being provided those are only estimates based on the average time it takes to clean a home or an office of similar size to the Client's, it being difficult to calculate precisely how long such tasks may take and that a degree of flexibility may be required. Please note that one off cleans may take longer to complete due to longer intervals between cleaning sessions, number and type of cleaning tasks required, when compared to the regular maintenance cleaning of the same property. A suitable quotation will be prepared for signature by the client which constitutes acceptance of the agreed price.
14.5. The Client understands that the price he has been quoted is not for a "package deal" and does not include anything apart from cleaning labour, time and materials (where applicable).
14.6. The Company shall arrange an immediate replacement should an operative cannot attend a scheduled visit, and will inform the Client prior to the visit.
14.7. Post rental (Landlord Cleaning), Event Cleaning or badly neglected homes may take up to three times longer than a well maintained home requiring general cleaning. Therefore the Company advises the Client to ask for our specialist cleaning services: Landlord Cleaning or Event Cleaning.
14.8. The cleaning operatives will clean and maintain their clothing and equipment. Access to clean water (both hot and cold and a suitable electrical supply) is essential. In the case of .empty properties these services must be left on for us to carry out effective cleaning. Failure to supply these will result in a charge for services of £60 even if the cleaning was not carried out and the agreed service will not be provided..
14.9. All fragile and highly breakable items must be secured or removed.
14.10. The cleaning operatives are not allowed to use and work with asbestos or asbestos containing products, radioactive materials and hazardous waste. The Company advises the Client to notify us immediately if such products exist within the property. The Client shall be liable if any contamination, injury or personal harm comes to any operative working in such an environment when suitable notification has not given in advance. Nor will the company or it's operatives be responsible for the removal and disposal of waste from the clients premises.
14.11. The Company reserves the right to make any changes to any part of these Terms and Conditions without giving any prior notice. The Company may add to or alter these Terms and Conditions from time to time and any alterations or additions will apply to new business but not to existing contracts. Please refer to your copy of these Terms and Conditions.
15. Our Guarantee
15.1 The Company has built its business and reputation by providing its clients with the best possible cleaning service available. Still, the Company realises, that because its operatives are human beings, they sometimes make mistakes. For this reason, the Company offers you a guarantee. If the Client is not satisfied (within reasonable limits) with the cleaning standard of certain areas after the cleaning, the Company's operatives will come back to the Client's home and re-clean those areas free of charge If it has been found that the client has erroneously claimed that a service is not up to our high standard we reserve the right to charge a £50 return fee.
16. Referrals
16.1. Any Client of the Company may receive and incentive if they refer a new client to the company. This is at the discretion of the company.
17. Law
17.1 These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of England, and Wales.
END OF TENANCY CLEANING
1. Definitions
1.1. In these Terms of Business the following definitions apply:
"The Company", "We", "Us" - means HCS Home Clean Services,18,Ewenfield Road,Finedon.Northampton.NN9 5LR.
"Cleaner", "Cleaning Operative" - means the person or firm carrying out cleaning services on behalf of the Company.
"Client" - means the person, firm or corporate body together with any subsidiary or associated company as defined by the Companies Act 1985 to whom the cleaning services are supplied by the Company.
"Client's Address" – means the address where the Client has requested the cleaning service to be carried out.
"Service", "End of Tenancy Cleaning", "EOT", "Move In / Out Cleaning" , Deep Cleaning" - means the cleaning services carried out on behalf of the Company.
"Cleaning Visit" - means the visit to the Client's service address by the Cleaner in order to carry out the Service.
1.2. Unless the context requires otherwise, reference to the singular include the plural and references to the masculine include the feminine and vice versa.
1.3. The Headings contained in these Terms are for convenience only and do not affect their interpretation.
2. Contract
2.1 These Terms and Conditions represent a contract between HCS Home Clean Services and the Client.
2.2 Both parties shall ensure that their respective responsibilities under this agreement are undertaken in compliance with all statutory regulations and codes of conduct.
2.3 The Client agrees that any use of the Company's services, including placing an order for services by telephone, fax, email, post in addition website forms shall constitute the Client's acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.
2.4 Unless otherwise agreed in writing by a owner of the company, these Terms and Conditions shall prevail over any other terms of business or purchase conditions put forward by the Client.
2.5 No variation or alteration of these Terms and Conditions shall be valid unless approved in writing by a owner of the company.
3. Quotations
3.1. End of Tenancy Cleaning is charged per job taking into account the current condition, number of rooms, bathrooms, WCs, shower rooms and en-suites. Please note that we do not charge per hour per cleaner and the number of operatives attending your property may vary. The number of operatives in a team cannot affect the initially quoted price.
3.2 The quoted price does not include extras like: carpet and upholstery steam cleaning, stripping and polishing floors, washing up dishes, taking more than 5 items out of cupboards and then putting them back in, dusting books, cleaning walls/ceilings, cleaning balconies/terraces, cleaning patios/gardens/. Those extra services are priced separately.
3.3. The company uses national average room sizes when calculating quotations over the phone.
3.4. All quotations are given by the Company following a request by the Client and shall remain open to acceptance for a period of 30 days from their date.
3.5. The Company reserves the right to amend the initial quotation, should the Client's original requirements change.
3.6. Differences in excess of 10% will be discussed with the Client prior to the start of the work. In such cases the Client will have to pay £60.00 cancellation fee if he does not accept the updated price.
4. VAT
4.1. The Company charges VAT at the current rate of £20%. Any shown prices exclude VAT.
5. Equipment
5.1. The Company shall provide all cleaning supplies and cleaning equipment necessary to carry out the service.
5.2. The Client must provide running water, electricity and sufficient light at the premises where the service takes place.
6. Payment
6.1 Our cleaning service requires a £20.00 deposit payable to the Company by cash, cheque or bank transfer at the time of the booking.
6.2 Unless otherwise agreed in writing by the company the account is rendered for immediate payment on the completion of the work. The Client must make payment either by cash, cheque or bank transfer before the cleaner leaves the Client's premises.
6.3 If no payment has been received at the time of completion of the cleaning service, all waste materials will be redeposited in the property and cleaned items will be returned to their original state.
6.4 The Client agrees to and understands that paying the outstanding balance late will incur a 5% processing charge in addition to interest.
6.5 We reserve the right to cancel services without notice due to declined credit card transactions or non-cleared funds.
6.6 Although greatly appreciated and a powerful way to say 'Thank you', the Client understands that tipping is not required. However we would love you to recommend us to your friends
6.7 The Company reserves the right to charge interest on invoiced amounts unpaid for more than 30 days at the rate of 5% per week above the Bank of England base rate from the due date until the date of actual payment under the Late Payments Act.
6.8 The Company reserves the right to charge £40.00 administrative fee, in addition to the balance due, for any account we must refer for collection. Please note that debt collecting companies may add their charges to the outstanding amount.
6.9 All bank charges incurred due to a Client's cheque being returned unpaid will be passed to the Client at a flat rate of £40.00 per cheque.
6.10 The Company reserves the right to cancel any contract and back charge additional for past services to reflect the balance of the standard rate(s) if any misleading or false information was used to obtain discounted services.
6.11 The Client agrees to and authorises the Company to charge the bank account provided to the Company by the client with any outstanding amounts owed to the Company.
6.12 Where such alternative arrangements have been made the Client must make payment within 30 days of the invoice date.
6.13 The rates of payment by the Company shall be as agreed between the Company and the Client, or his representative. The Client shall make no reduction or retention from the sum due under any invoice.
7. Cancellation
7.1. The Client can cancel the scheduled service by giving no less than 24 hours prior notice in writing.
7.2. There is a cancellation fee of £60.00 for canceling or rescheduling a cleaning visit with less than 24 but more than 2 hours notice.
7.3. The Company reserves the right to retain the £20.00 deposit as a cancellation fee/part of a cancellation fee.
7.4. The Client must pay the full price of the booked service if:
7.4.1 Our cleaners arrive at the Client's address and are unable to gain access to the Client's home, through no fault of the Company. If keys are provided they must open all locks without any special efforts or skills;
7.4.2 The Client cancels the booked service with less than 2 hours prior notice.
7.5. If the Client needs to change a cleaning day or time the Company will do its best to accommodate him. Any changes to booked services are subject to a 24 prior notice and availability.
8. Refunds
8.1. No refund claims will be entertained once the cleaning service has been carried out.
8.2. Refund will be issued only if:
8.2.1 The Client has canceled a cleaning visit within the allowed time (24 hours) prior to the start of the cleaning visit;
8.2.2 A cleaning operative has not been able to carry out the cleaning due to reasons beyond the Client's responsibility.
9. Complaints
9.1. All services shall be deemed to have been carried out to the Client's satisfaction unless written notice is received by the Company with details of the complaint within 24 hours of the work being completed. All complaints must be received in writing by post, fax or email no later than 24 hours after the completion of the service. The Company will fully investigate any complaint and attempt to resolve it to the satisfaction of the Client, or alternatively to a reasonable standard.
9.2. The Client agrees to allow the Company back to re-clean any disputed areas/items before making any attempts to clean those areas/items himself or arranging a third party to carry out cleaning or repair services with regards to the above. Failure to do so will void our Company Guarantee and we will consider the matter fully settled. If payment has not been received in full or has been stopped by the Client we will immediately refer the account for collection.
10. Claims
10.1. The Client agrees that due to the nature of the service the Company guarantees only to correct any problems reported within 24 hours of the completion of the service. If a problem occurs on a Saturday it must be reported by Monday 12:00 in order to be accepted as a valid claim. Failure to do so will entitle the Client to nothing.
10.2. The Company may require entry to the location of the claim within 24 hours to correct the problem.
10.3. The Client agrees to inspect the work immediately after its completion and to draw the operatives' attention to any outstanding cleaning issues while they are still on site. The operatives will carry out any such additional work to the Client's complete satisfaction.
10.4. If the Client or any third party instructed by the Client is not present at the time of completion of the service then no claims regarding any cleaning issues can be made.
10.5. If the Client instructs a third party to inspect the result from the cleaning then the Company must be notified before completion of the service.
10.6. In case of a third party inspecting or refusing to inspect the result from the cleaning then the Company cannot be held responsible for rectifying any outstanding cleaning issues not mentioned by the third party.
10.7. Any refunds or adjustments must be requested to the Company directly and subject to approval by the Company.
10.8. The Client waives his right to stop payment on his cheque or protest a bank charge unless the Company fails to make good on the guarantee shown in part 13.
10.9. While the Company operatives make every effort not to break items, accidents do happen. Identical replacement is always attempted but not guaranteed. For this specific reason, the Company requests all irreplaceable items (whether monetarily or sentimentally valuable) be stored away and /or not cleaned by the cleaning operatives.
10.10. In case of damage, The Company will repair the item at its cost. If the item cannot be repaired the Company will rectify the problem by crediting the customer with the item's present actual cash value toward a like replacement from a Company's source upon payment of cleaning services rendered.
10.11. The Company shall not be responsible for damage due to faulty and/or improper installation of any item. All surfaces (i.e., marble, granite, etc.) are assumed sealed and ready to clean without causing harm.
10.12. No claims shall be entertained if the Client has an outstanding balance aged more than 30 days.
10.13. Any attempt to commit insurance fraud or any use of false information to commit any type of fraud will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law together by the Company and the Insurance Provider(s). Monetary compensation as well as legal fees may incur.
11. Liability
11.1. The Company shall not be liable under any circumstances for any loss, expense, damage, delay, costs or compensation (whether direct, indirect or consequential) which may be suffered or incurred by the Client arising from or in any way connected with:
11.1.1 Its failure to carry out its services as a result of factors that are beyond its control. Factors beyond its control include acts of god, floods, severe weather conditions, and inability to gain access to premises, lack of appropriate resources, such as water, electricity, and lighting;
11.1.2 Late arrival of Company operatives at the service address. The Company endeavours to be right on time on any visit but sometimes due to transport related and other problems which are beyond the Company's control, the Company operatives may arrive with a delay or the cleaning visit may be re-scheduled.
11.1.3 An existing damage to Clients property in the form of old stains/burns/spillages etc. which cannot be cleaned/removed completely by the cleaning operative using the industry standard cleaning methods;
11.1.4 Non satisfactory result from the service due to the Client or third party walking on wet floors or using appliances during or shortly after the cleaning process;
11.2. The Company shall not be liable for any damages worth £50.00 or less.
11.3. The Company shall not be liable for any odours arising during and/or after cleaning when this is due to factors such as, lack of ventilation, and/or appropriate heating.
11.4. The Company shall not be liable under any circumstances for any loss, expense, damage, delay, costs or compensation (whether direct, indirect or consequential) which may be suffered or incurred by the Client if the Client has an outstanding balance aged 30 days or more from the date the payment was due.
11.5. We record all correspondence for quality control, record keeping and back-referral for any inquiries or investigations.
12. Supplementary Terms
12.1. If the Client requests keys to be collected by the Company's operatives from an address outside the postal code of the Client's address then a £10.00 charge will apply. The charge will cover only the pick up of keys. A mileage charge of £1.00 per mile return will be made if the keys are located more that 5 miles from the property to be cleaned. If said keys need to be returned back to the pick up address or any other address another charge of £10.00 will apply.
12.2. If any estimates of how long it will take the cleaning operatives to do the job required are being provided that is only an estimate based on the average time it takes to clean a home of similar size to the Client's, it being difficult to estimate precisely how long such tasks may take and that a degree of flexibility may be required.
12.3. The quotation excludes the clearing of debris created by tradesman or building work unless otherwise stated.
12.4. Our cleaners are happy to move furniture. Due to Health and Safety regulations one cleaner will attempt to move only furniture that requires no more than one person.
12.5. Cleaning of venetian blinds is optional at a cost of £10.00 per regular window.
12.6. The Company shall arrange an immediate replacement should an operative cannot attend a scheduled visit, and will inform the Client prior to the visit.
12.7. All fragile and highly breakable items must be secured or removed.
12.8. The Client shall ensure that all valuables are stored away when work is carried out and that the property is supervised by the Client or his representative at all times during the course of the work. The Company shall not be responsible for the Clients failure to comply with this obligation.
12.9. The provisions of this contract are not intended to confer any benefit upon Third parties and the provisions of the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999, are hereby expressly excluded from this agreement.
12.10. The Company reserves the right to make any changes to any part of these Terms and Conditions without giving any prior notice. The Company may add to or alter these Terms and Conditions from time to time and any alterations or additions will apply to new business but not to existing contracts. Please refer to your copy of these Terms and Conditions.
13. Our Guarantee
13.1 The Company has built its business and reputation by providing its clients with the best possible cleaning service available. Still, the Company realises, that because its operatives are human beings, they sometimes make mistakes. For this reason, the Company offers you a guarantee. If the Client is not satisfied with the Company's service for any reason, the Company's operatives will come back to the Client's home and re-clean to his complete satisfaction.
13.2 Our guarantee is subject to a complaints notice no later than 24 hours after the completion of the service.
14. Insurance
14.1. The Company shall insure all work it undertakes. The Company's public liability insurance covers damages caused by a cleaning operative working on behalf of the Company and includes Treatment Risk and Fidelity Risk covers as standard. All claims are subject to an excess of £50.00.
15. Referral Credit
15.1. Every Client of the Company may receive a one-time credit of £10.00 for referring our carpet cleaning services to another Client, at the discretion of the company. Credit will be issued after we receive cleared funds from the new Client.
16. Law
16.1 These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of England, and Wales.
CARPET CLEANING
1. Definitions
1.1. In these Terms of Business the following definitions apply:
"The Company", "We", "Us" - means HCS Home Clean Services,18,Ewenfield Road,Finedon.Northampton.NN9 5LR.
"Cleaner", "Cleaning Operative" - means the person or firm carrying out cleaning services on behalf of the Company.
"Client" - means the person, firm or corporate body together with any subsidiary or associated company as defined by the Companies Act 1985 to whom the cleaning services are supplied by the Company.
"Client's Address" – means the address where the Client has requested the cleaning service to be carried out.
"Service" - means the cleaning services carried out on behalf of the Company.
"Cleaning Visit" - means the visit to the Client's service address by the Cleaner in order to carry out the Service.
1.2. Unless the context requires otherwise, reference to the singular include the plural and references to the masculine include the feminine and vice versa.
1.3. The Headings contained in these Terms are for convenience only and do not affect their interpretation.
2. Contract
2.1 These Terms and Conditions represent a contract between HCS and the Client.
2.2 Both parties shall ensure that their respective responsibilities under this agreement are undertaken in compliance with all statutory regulations and codes of conduct.
2.3 The Client agrees that any use of the Company's services, including placing an order for services by telephone, fax, email, website forms shall constitute the Client's acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.
2.4 Unless otherwise agreed in writing by a owner of the company, these Terms and Conditions shall prevail over any other terms of business or purchase conditions put forward by the Client.
2.5 No variation or alteration of these Terms and Conditions shall be valid unless approved in writing by a owner of the company.
3. Quotations
3.1. Carpet cleaning is charged per square metre taking into account the type of carpet fibres. Natural carpet fibres e.g. coir, jute, sisal, sea grass etc. require dry cleaning process which is more expensive than the standard hot water extraction method.
3.2. The company uses national average room sizes when calculating quotations over the phone.
3.3. All quotations are given by the Company following a request by the Client and shall remain open to acceptance for a period of 30 days from their date.
3.4. The Company reserves the right to amend the initial quotation, should the Client's original requirements change.
3.5. Differences in excess of 10% will be discussed with the Client prior to the start of the work. In such cases the Client will have to pay £60.00 cancellation fee if he does not accept the updated price.
4. VAT
4.1. The Company charges VAT at the current rate of £20%. Any shown prices exclude VAT.
5. Equipment
5.1. The Company shall provide all cleaning supplies and carpet cleaning equipment required to carry out the service.
5.2. The Client must provide running water and electricity at the premises where the service takes place.
6. Payment
6.1 Our cleaning service requires a £20.00 deposit payable to the Company at the time of the booking.
6.2 Unless otherwise agreed in writing by the company the account is rendered for immediate payment on the completion of the work. The Client must make payment either by cash or cheque before the cleaner leaves the Client's premises.
6.3 If no payment has been received at the time of completion of the cleaning service, the Client agrees to and authorizes the Company to recover by all means possible the outstanding amount.
6.4 The Client agrees to and understands that paying the outstanding balance outside of the -payment terms period will incur a 5% per week interest charge.
6.5 We reserve the right to cancel services without notice due to declined cheques or non-cleared funds.
6.6 Although greatly appreciated and a powerful way to say 'Thank you', the Client understands that tipping is not required we would love you to refer someone else to us.
6.7 The Company reserves the right to charge interest on invoiced amounts unpaid for more than 30 days at the rate of 5% per week above the Bank of England base rate from the due date until the date of actual payment under the Late Payments Act.
6.8 The Company reserves the right to charge £60.00 administrative fee, plus any solicitors' fees, in addition to the balance due, for any account we must refer for collection.
6.9 All bank charges incurred due to a Client's cheque being returned unpaid will be passed to the Client at a flat rate of £40.00 per cheque plus any bank charges incurred by us.
6.10 The Company reserves the right to cancel any contract and back charge additional for past services to reflect the balance of the standard rate(s) if any misleading or false information was used to obtain discounted services.
6.11 The Client agrees to and authorises the Company to charge his/her bank account according to the details they have provided to the Company with any outstanding amounts owed to the Company.
6.12 Where such alternative arrangements have been made the Client must make payment within 30 days of the invoice date. Failure to do so will result in suspension of service and recourse to legal action to recover the debt.
6.13 The rates of payment by the Company shall be as agreed between the Company and the Client, or his representative. The Client shall make no reduction or retention from the sum due under any invoice.
7. Cancellation
7.1. You can cancel the booking by providing a written notice to be received by us not less than 24 hours prior to the service start.
7.2 Please note that our incoming communication is being checked only between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, therefore an email sent at 18:30 on Friday evening will be deemed to have been received on the next Monday at 9am.
7.3 If we are prevented from carrying out the booked services due to your failure to provide: 24 hours cancellation notice, access to your property or electricity/water, you will be charged £60.00+VAT cancellation fee. If keys are provided they must open all locks without any special efforts or skills.
7.4. The Company reserves the right to retain the £20.00 deposit as a cancellation fee/part of a cancellation fee.
7.5. If the Client needs to change a cleaning day or time, the Company will do its best to accommodate him. Any changes to booked services are subject to a 24 prior notice and availability.
8. Refunds
8.1. Refund will be issued only if:
8.1.1 The Client has canceled a cleaning visit within the allowed time (24 hours) prior to the start of the cleaning visit;
8.1.2 A cleaning operative has not been able to carry out the cleaning due to reasons beyond the Client's responsibility.
9. Complaints
9.1. We request that complaints or feedback be provided in writing (by letter or email) within reasonable time of service completion, to ensure that the details are received in a clear and complete manner.
9.2. All services shall be deemed to have been carried out to the Client's satisfaction unless a written notice detailing the complaint is received by the Company within reasonable time of service completion. The Company will fully investigate any complaint and attempt to resolve it to the satisfaction of the Client, or alternatively to a reasonable standard.
9.2. The Client agrees to allow the Company back to re-clean any disputed areas/items or repair damaged items, before making any attempts to clean those areas/items himself or arranging a third party to carry out cleaning or repair services with regards to the above. Failure to do so will void our Company Guarantee and we will consider the matter fully settled. If payment has not been received in full or has been stopped by the Client we will immediately refer the account for collection.
10. Claims
10.1. The Client agrees that due to the nature of the service the Company guarantees only to correct any problems reported within reasonable time of the completion of the service. Failure to do so will entitle the Client to nothing.
10.2. The Company may require entry to the location of the claim as soon as possible in order to rectify the problem.
10.3. The Client agrees to inspect the work immediately upon its completion and to draw the operatives' attention to any outstanding issues while they are still on site. The operatives will carry out any such additional work to the Client's complete satisfaction.
10.4. If the Client or any third party instructed by the Client is not present at the time of completion of the service to inspect the work then no claims regarding any cleaning issues can be made.
10.5. If the Client instructs a third party to inspect the result from the cleaning then the Company must be notified before completion of the service.
10.6. In case of a third party inspecting or refusing to inspect the result from the cleaning then the Company cannot be held responsible for rectifying any outstanding cleaning issues not mentioned by the third party.
10.7. Any refunds or adjustments must be requested to the Company directly and subject to approval by the Company.
10.8. The Client waives his right to stop payment on his cheque or protest a bank charge unless the Company fails to make good on the guarantee shown in part 13.
10.9. While the Company operatives make every effort not to break items, accidents do happen. Identical replacement is always attempted but not guaranteed. For this specific reason, the Company requests all irreplaceable items (whether monetarily or sentimentally valuable) be stored away and /or not cleaned by the cleaning operatives.
10.10. In case of confirmed damage, caused by Company operatives, the Company will attempt to repair the item at its cost. If the item cannot be repaired the Company will rectify the problem by crediting the customer with the item's present actual cash value toward a like replacement from a Company's source upon payment of cleaning services rendered.
10.11. The Company shall not be responsible for damage due to faulty and/or improper installation of any item. All surfaces (i.e., marble, granite, wood etc.) are assumed sealed and ready to clean without causing harm.
10.12. No claims shall be entertained if the Client has an outstanding balance aged more than 30 days.
10.13. Any attempt to commit insurance fraud or any use of false information to commit any type of fraud will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law together by the Company and the Insurance Provider(s). Monetary compensation as well as legal fees may incur.
11. Liability
11.1. The Company shall not be liable under any circumstances for any loss, expense, damage, delay, costs or compensation (whether direct, indirect or consequential) which may be suffered or incurred by the Client arising from or in any way connected with:
11.1.1 Its failure to carry out its services as a result of factors that are beyond its control. Factors beyond its control include acts of god, floods, severe weather conditions, and inability to gain access to premises, lack of appropriate resources, such as water, electricity, and lighting;
11.1.2 Late arrival of Company operatives at the service address. The Company endeavours to be right on time on any visit but sometimes due to transport related and other problems which are beyond the Company's control, the Company operatives may arrive with a delay or the cleaning visit may be re-scheduled.
11.1.3 An existing damage to Clients property in the form of old stains/burns/spillages etc. which cannot be cleaned/removed completely by the cleaning operative using the industry standard cleaning methods;
11.1.4 Non satisfactory result from the service due to the Client or third party walking on the carpets during or shortly after the cleaning process;
11.2. The Company shall not be liable for any damages worth £50.00 or less.
11.3. The Company shall not be liable for the shrinkage of carpets as a result of natural fibre carpets being wet cleaned. The company shall ensure that the Client is verbally informed of this and a written confirmation prior to proceeding with the service will be required; any issues arising subsequently shall be the sole responsibility of the Client.
11.4. The Company shall not be liable for the shrinkage of carpets as a result of poor fitting.
11.5. The Company shall not be liable for carpets expanding or ripples forming during and/or after the cleaning when this is as a result of factors such as fibre content, wear and tear, weak backing and/or poor fitting.
11.6. The Company shall not be responsible for a poor result in cleaning where this is a result of considerable wear and tear, previous treatment or cleaning and/or staining to the carpet fibres prior to the service being carried out.
11.7. The Company shall not be liable for any odours arising during and/or after cleaning when this is due to factors such as, lack of ventilation, and/or appropriate heating.
11.8. The Company shall not be responsible for any damage caused as a result of the Client placing furniture on a carpet which has not completely dried.
11.9. The Company shall not be liable under any circumstances for any loss, expense, damage, delay, costs or compensation (whether direct, indirect or consequential) which may be suffered or incurred by the Client if the Client has an outstanding balance aged 30 days or more from the date the payment was due.
11.10. We record all correspondence for quality control, record keeping and back-referral for any inquiries or investigations.
12. Supplementary Terms
12.1. If the Client requests keys to be collected by the Company's operatives from an address outside the postal code of the Client's address then a £10.00 charge will apply. An additional charge of £1.00 per mile return will be made for collection of keys from locations more than 5 miles from the premises to be cleaned. The charge will cover only the pick up of keys. If said keys need to be returned back to the pick up address or any other address another charge of £10.00 will apply.
12.2. If any estimates of how long it will take the cleaning operatives to do the job required are being provided that is only an estimate based on the average time it takes to clean a home or an office of similar size to the Client's, it being difficult to estimate precisely how long such tasks may take and that a degree of flexibility may be required.
12.3. The Client understands that the price he has been quoted is not for a "package deal" and does not include anything apart from carpet cleaning. Other jobs may be added on-site at an additional agreed cost.
12.4. The quotation excludes the clearing of debris created by tradesman or building work unless otherwise stated.
12.5. Our cleaners are happy to move furniture. Due to Health and Safety regulations the cleaner will attempt to move only furniture that requires no more than one person.
12.6. All fragile and highly breakable items must be secured or removed.
12.7. The Client shall ensure that all valuables are stored away when work is carried out and that the property is supervised by the Client or his representative at all times during the course of the work. The Company shall not be responsible for the Client's failure to comply with this obligation.
12.8. The provisions of this contract are not intended to confer any benefit upon Third parties and the provisions of the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999, are hereby expressly excluded from this agreement.
12.9. The Company reserves the right to make any changes to any part of these Terms and Conditions without giving any prior notice. The Company may add to or alter these Terms and Conditions from time to time and any alterations or additions will apply to new business but not to existing contracts..
13. Our Guarantee
13.1 The Company has built its business and reputation by providing its clients with the best possible cleaning service available. Still, the Company realises, that because its operatives are human beings, they sometimes make mistakes. For this reason, the Company offers you a guarantee. If the Client is not satisfied with the cleaning standard of certain areas after the cleaning, the Company's operatives will come back to the Client's home and re-clean those areas free of charge. If the company feels the complaint is without merit they reserve the right to charge for the cost of the job plus a £50 call out fee.
13.2 Our guarantee is subject to a complaints notice no later than 24 hours after the completion of the service.
14. Insurance
14.1. The Company shall insure all work it undertakes. The Company's public liability insurance covers damages caused by a cleaning operative working on behalf of the Company and includes Treatment Risk and Fidelity Risk covers as standard. All claims are subject to an excess of £50.00.
15. Referral Credit
15.1. Every Client of the Company will be extended a referral credit for referring a new client to us.
16. Law
16.1 These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of England, and Wales.
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