TERMS AND CONDITIONS

I am self-employed, and I work as a freelancer and an independent contractor. I run my business as a sole-trader, and I am registered with HMRC as such.

Communication with a client will be by email only. This allows all parties concerned to have a written record of what has been discussed and agreed.

If a client terminates a project prematurely, then costs will still be charged. These costs will be based on the number of hours already worked.

Related costs, such as printing and postage, are all included in the project fee.

In the unlikely event that circumstances beyond my control result in a deadline being missed, then this will be communicated to the client at the earliest possible opportunity. 

If the client has agreed to meet certain deadlines themselves, such as for the submission of a document by an agreed date or a payment deadline, then these must be adhered to. If such deadlines are missed and this then makes the final project deadline impossible to meet, I reserve the right to alter the project deadline or to cancel the Project Agreement and charge any costs already incurred.

I accept documents in the following formats: MS Word and PDF. 

I edit MS Word documents using the Track Changes feature. This allows the client and/or author to accept or reject any of the changes that are made to the document. Queries and comments are made using the comment tool. If you do not have experience of working with Track Changes, then I am happy to provide an instruction sheet.

I edit PDF documents using the Adobe editing tools. Since PDFs cannot be edited directly, the text is edited using marking tools and the comment tool. Please note that this will mean that the client and/or author will need to make the recommended corrections and/or revisions to their text directly, and this can increase the overall time needed for the editing process.

Clients will be required to pay 50% of the total fee at the start of the project, with the remaining 50% due within 14 days of completion. A late payment charge of 10% of the total fee will be charged, if payment has not been received after the 14-day payment period has elapsed.

Work on your document will only begin once the first payment instalment has been received.

Payment should be made by bank transfer.

It is the responsibility of the client and/or author to ensure that the content of their work is accurate and does not contain legally problematic text, such as libellous statements or information, incitement to racial or religious hatred, plagiarism or the reproduction of copyright material without the necessary permissions. 

I will make every effort to identify such issues and raise them as queries for the client and/or author, but the ultimate responsibility for identifying and resolving such issues lies with the client and/or author.

The privacy of clients’ documents and personal data is of the utmost importance. In accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), I will never pass on the personal data of clients to third parties, and I will store clients’ data and documents in accordance with the aforementioned legislation. 

All data will be stored securely on a password-protected device that uses high-quality anti-virus and anti-malware software. Clients’ documents will be stored electronically for a minimum period of six months from the date of completion.  

I will retain personal data, specifically the client’s name, address and Project Agreement, for a total of six years for tax purposes. As a business, I am required by law to obtain this information for this period of time.

Once the terms of the project have been agreed, the client will be asked to sign a Project Agreement. This contractual form will include: client details, details of the project, the service definition, the project deadline, the project fee and invoicing terms.

Samples are requested from prospective clients so that an accurate quote can be drawn up and the appropriate service can be recommended. 

Three sections of sample text should be submitted, one from the beginning, one from the middle and one from the end of the document. Each section should amount to approximately 500 words, with a total of approximately 1500 words. If the total word count of the document is less than 1500 words, then the whole document should be submitted. For Reference Checking, please submit the entire references section.*

One section will be edited according to the recommended service. This sample edit is free of charge and will be returned to the client with a no-obligation quote.

*Please note that a free edit will not be carried out for the Reference Checking service, but a no-obligation quote will be provided after an assessment of the references section has been made.

Service definitions are intended to clearly outline the service being provided. This allows all relevant parties to have a clear understanding of the service that is being undertaken. 

After the service definition has been agreed via the Project Agreement, it cannot be amended mid-project. 

Further services can be added after the service has been completed for a further fee, if availability allows.

Please note that each service includes one detailed assessment only. If the client wishes to obtain a final proofread after queries have been resolved and corrections have been made, then this will be a separate paid service.