1. Definitions
1.1. ‘Company’ refers to LABhelp Ltd.
1.2. ‘Client’ refers to any customer, business or individual who requests the services of the company.
1.3. ‘Advisor’ refers to the individual(s) who undertake the work on behalf of the company. An advisor may be an employee of the company or a sub-contractor or an independent advisor.
1.4. ‘Work’ refers to the activity requested by the client and agreed by the company in writing prior to its commencement.
1.5. ‘Contract’ refers to the written agreement between the company and the client to undertake the aforementioned work.
1.6. ‘Cost’ refers to the charges to undertake the work.
1.7. ‘Expenses’ refers to additional fees incurred by the company in relation to undertaking the agreed work (can include but not limited to mileage, flights, parking, tolls, subsistence, accommodation).
2. Principles
2.1. The company agrees to provide its clients with advice and support in relation to their business.
2.2. The nature of this support may be agreed with the client verbally but will be confirmed in writing (either by email, letter, quotation) before any work is carried out.
2.3. The company may utilise the services of expert sub-contractors to carry out work.
2.4. The company will be fully transparent in relation to all costs and expenses and no hidden charges will be applied after the quotation has been agreed with the exception of any statutory increases outside the control of the company e.g. airline fuel surcharge levies imposed after payment. In this instance the company will inform the client of such charges as soon as possible.
3. Price
3.1. The company will agree a price with the client dependent on the services offered.
3.2. Each piece of work may be charged differently depending on factors such as time taken to undertake the work, distances involved, nature of work etc.
3.3. Each quotation is unique based on the company’s experience on how much work is needed to meet the client’s needs.
3.4. Prices will normally exclude expenses where incurred. These will be explained prior to commencement of work and can be agreed up front if the client so wishes. In this instance the company will include this information in the written quotation for the client to review.
3.5. Expenses will generally include, mileage (at the prevailing HMRC AMAP rate), air fares, car parking, tolls, hotels, subsistence, hire cars (including fuel and insurances), VISAS and any other charges incurred by the Advisor to carry out the agreed work.
4. Methods of Payment
4.1. The preferred method of payment is by direct bank transfer. Details are included at the foot of the invoice.
4.2. Cheques will be accepted; however for large pieces of work the company reserves the right to request part payment upfront to cover any additional costs or expenses. This will be agreed by the client beforehand.
4.3. Payment is due 30 days after issue of invoice and the company reserves the right to withhold any reports or follow up information for failure to comply.
4.4. Late payment may incur charges as incurred by the company and this may include interest charges incurred for expenses purchased in advance such as flights sourced early to achieve the best cost saving for the client. It is in the clients interest to ensure prompt payment to maximise its saving.
5. Obligations
5.1. The company will endeavour to carry out the agreed work to the best of its ability utilising the resource available.
5.2. The company will provide advice and support where requested; however is not responsible for incorrect implementation of this.
5.3. Advice in regards matters subject to audit by third parties is provided with the best information at the time of giving. The customer agrees that third party audits may identify issues unbeknown to the company and as such the company is not liable for any issues raised at audits.
6. Insurance
6.1. LABhelp Ltd and its employees are covered by appropriate Professional Indemnity and Public Liability Insurance. Copies of policies are available on request.
6.2. Sub-contractors/advisors used/referred by the company will not be covered by LABhelp Ltd insurance policies but will be responsible for providing their own cover. The client is advised to confirm this with the sub-contractor/advisor before commencement of work. The company is not liable for any claims arising from the actions of personnel not employed by LABhelp Ltd.
7. Duration of Contract
7.1. Commencement of contract begins with the acceptance of a written quotation.
7.2. Completion of a contract occurs when an invoice is issued and the account is paid in full.
7.3. Exceptions to the completion of a contract are when a piece of work is ongoing and may be completed in parts. A cost for such work may be agreed but if, for example, split into 4 parts throughout a 12 month period, then payment may be requested on completion of each part. Completion of the contract then only occurs when all parts have been completed and the final invoice has been issued.
7.4. If at any point within a contract split into parts the client wishes to terminate the contract they may do so provided any incurred costs are settled in full. Incurred costs will be discussed on commencement of contract e.g. if flights can be pre-booked in advance after agreement with the client for a considerable saving and payment has been made and is non-refundable the company will seek reimbursement for these expenses.
7.5. LABhelp Ltd does not seek to bind clients into agreements if the client is not happy with the service, once the last piece of completed work has been invoiced the contract/agreement may be terminated.
7.6. Likewise if the client changes the requirements during the contract then the company may seek to modify the contract or end it after the last completed work.
8. Termination & Indemnities
8.1. The client may terminate a contract at any time and is not liable to any payment provided no charges have been incurred by the company after the client has agreed work may proceed. Agreement must be in writing and includes return emails authorising work to proceed.
8.2. The company may terminate any agreed work at any time if the customer has failed to pay for previous work carried out by the company and is outstanding beyond the agreed payment terms.
9. Confidentiality
9.1. All matters discussed and observed by the company are treated in the strictest confidence. These matters will not be discussed with any party outside of the company – client circle including personnel within the same company unless agreed by the main point of contact for the work.
9.2. Exceptions will occur if a third party has requested the services of the company to review another client. By mutual agreement all parties involved will be notified of all outcomes of any work.
10. Data Protection
10.1. The company shall take all reasonable precautions to protect the integrity of its business and clients by virtue of securing access to business computers and using up-to-date anti-virus software.
10.2. No confidential information will be published on the world wide web.
10.3. The company is not responsible if the website is hacked or high jacked without knowledge of the Director and if informed will seek to correct or remove the unauthorised material as soon as possible.