Terms of Service

Last updated: January 2025

What We Do

We build websites and provide hosting services with a focus on quality, reliability, and transparent pricing. Our approach is straightforward: we design and build custom websites, WordPress sites, online shops, and web applications tailored to your specific needs.

Website Projects range from simple brochure sites starting at £500 to comprehensive business websites from £2,500. Every project is quoted individually based on your requirements, ensuring you get exactly what you need without paying for features you don't.

Our Hosting Plans are designed to grow with your business:

• Wayfarer (£30/month) provides reliable hosting with all the essentials
• Shipwright (£75/month) adds proactive maintenance to keep your site running smoothly
• Monarch (£100/month) delivers premium hosting with comprehensive maintenance and performance optimization

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How Projects Work

Our project process is designed to be clear, collaborative, and stress-free from start to finish.

Discovery and Planning begins when you tell us what you need. We'll discuss your goals, requirements, and timeline, then provide you with a detailed quote that's valid for 30 days. Our quotes include everything needed to complete your project with no hidden costs or surprise charges.

Getting Started requires a deposit to secure your project slot and begin development. For smaller projects under £1,000, we require 50% upfront with the balance due on completion. Larger projects follow the same 50/50 structure, while substantial projects over £5,000 are split into three manageable payments to improve cash flow for both parties.

Development and Collaboration is where the magic happens. You provide the content, images, and feedback while we handle all the technical development. We'll keep you updated throughout the process and incorporate your feedback to ensure the final result exceeds your expectations.

Launch and Handover occurs once your website is complete and final payment is received. At this point, your website is fully yours, and we'll provide you with all necessary login credentials and documentation.

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Our Services

Website Development

We specialize in creating custom websites that work beautifully across all devices and browsers. Our services include responsive design, content management systems, e-commerce solutions, and website redesigns. Every site is built with modern web standards, search engine optimization, and user experience best practices.

Hosting Packages

Our hosting infrastructure is designed for reliability, speed, and security. All packages include domain management, DNS services, and SSL certificates as standard.

Wayfarer provides solid, dependable hosting for websites that don't require frequent updates or maintenance. Perfect for established sites with stable content.

Shipwright adds proactive maintenance including WordPress updates, security monitoring, and basic performance optimization. Ideal for business websites that need to stay current and secure.

Monarch delivers premium hosting with comprehensive maintenance, advanced security hardening, performance optimization, and priority support. The best choice for mission-critical websites and growing businesses.

Maintenance Services

We keep your website secure, fast, and up-to-date with regular maintenance that includes WordPress core and plugin updates, security monitoring and hardening, performance optimization, content edits and updates, and ongoing technical support. Our maintenance services ensure your website continues performing at its best long after launch.

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Project Terms

Scope & Specifications

Every project begins with a comprehensive written scope covering all deliverables, timelines, and responsibilities for both parties. This scope serves as our roadmap and ensures everyone understands what's included in the project.

Changes to the original scope require written agreement from both parties and may affect the project cost and delivery timeline. We're always happy to accommodate changes, but clear communication helps avoid misunderstandings.

You are responsible for providing accurate requirements, timely feedback, and ensuring all content, images, and materials you provide are legally owned or properly licensed for use.

Timelines & Delivery

Project timelines are estimates based on our experience and the scope of work involved. These timelines rely on you providing feedback, content, and approvals promptly when requested.

Delays in providing feedback, content, or approvals may extend the project timeline accordingly. We'll always communicate any potential delays and work with you to get back on track.

Final delivery of your completed website requires full payment and your written approval of the work completed.

Client Responsibilities

Your cooperation is essential for project success. This includes providing all necessary content, images, and materials according to the agreed timeline, responding to our feedback requests and questions promptly, ensuring all provided content is legally owned or properly licensed, and providing access to relevant accounts or systems as required for the project.

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Payment Terms

Quotes & Pricing

All quotes are valid for 30 days unless otherwise specified in writing. Our prices are quoted in British Pounds (GBP) and exclude VAT where applicable according to current HMRC regulations.

Any work requested outside the originally agreed scope will be quoted separately and requires your written approval before we proceed. This ensures transparency and prevents unexpected costs.

Payment Schedule

Our payment structure is designed to be fair and manageable for projects of all sizes:

• Projects under £1,000 require a 50% deposit to begin work, with the remaining balance due upon completion and delivery.
• Projects between £1,000 and £5,000 follow the same structure: 50% deposit to start, with the balance due when your project is complete and delivered.
• Larger projects over £5,000 are divided into three payments: 33% deposit to begin, 33% at an agreed milestone, and the final 34% upon completion and delivery.
• Hosting and maintenance services are billed monthly in advance, ensuring uninterrupted service for your website.

Payment Methods & Terms

We accept payment via bank transfer, card payments, or other pre-approved payment platforms. All invoices are due within 14 days of issue date.

Late payments may incur interest charges of 1.5% per month on the outstanding balance. For significantly overdue accounts, we reserve the right to suspend services after providing appropriate notice and opportunity to resolve the outstanding balance.

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Hosting Terms

Service Levels & Commitments

We guarantee 99.9% uptime for all hosting services, excluding scheduled maintenance windows that are announced in advance. Our support team responds to hosting issues within 24 hours for standard support, or within 4 hours for priority support customers.

All hosting accounts include daily automated backups retained for 30 days, giving you peace of mind that your data is protected. We also apply regular security updates during scheduled maintenance windows to keep your site secure.

Acceptable Use Policy

Our hosting services must be used responsibly and legally. Prohibited activities include hosting illegal content, distributing spam or malware, excessive resource usage that affects other customers, copyright infringement, and adult content, gambling, or illegal substances (subject to our discretion).

Violations of our acceptable use policy may result in account suspension or termination after appropriate notice, depending on the severity of the violation.

Data Protection & Backups

While we maintain automated daily backups retained for 30 days, we strongly recommend you maintain your own backup copies of important data. Additional data recovery requests beyond our standard backup service may incur additional fees.

We are not liable for data loss caused by client actions, third-party service failures, or events beyond our reasonable control (force majeure). However, you retain complete ownership of all your data and content at all times.

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Intellectual Property Rights

Your Content & Materials

You retain complete ownership of all content, data, images, and materials you provide for your project. By engaging our services, you grant us a limited license to use these materials solely for the purpose of delivering your project.

This license allows us to incorporate your content into your website, optimize images for web use, and make necessary technical modifications to ensure proper functionality across different browsers and devices.

Our Custom Work

Once your project is fully paid for, all custom code, designs, and other materials we create specifically for your project become your property. This includes custom themes, templates, graphics, and any bespoke functionality developed for your site.

However, we retain rights to our general methods, techniques, processes, and accumulated know-how, which allows us to continue developing similar solutions for other clients.

We may showcase completed work in our portfolio and marketing materials unless you specifically request otherwise in writing. When showcasing work, we focus on design and functionality rather than your specific content or business details.

Third-Party Components

Third-party themes, plugins, libraries, and other components remain subject to their original licensing terms. We carefully select reputable, well-licensed components for all projects but cannot guarantee long-term licensing compatibility or ongoing support from third-party developers.

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Warranties & Limitations

What We Guarantee

We warrant that all services will be delivered with reasonable skill and care consistent with industry standards. Your completed website will function as specified in our agreed scope at the time of delivery.

Our hosting services will meet the uptime and support response levels specified in your service agreement. Any defects in our workmanship will be corrected free of charge for 30 days after project delivery.

What We Cannot Guarantee

While we strive for excellence, we cannot guarantee specific business results, sales figures, or search engine rankings. Website performance depends on many factors beyond our control, including your content, marketing efforts, and market conditions.

We cannot guarantee the ongoing performance of third-party services, plugins, APIs, or payment processors that may be integrated with your website. We also cannot guarantee complete compatibility with all browsers or future browser updates, though we build to current web standards.

Important: Except for the specific warranties listed above, all services are provided "as is" without additional warranties of any kind, express or implied.

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Liability Limitations

Financial Liability Cap

Our total financial liability for any claim related to our services is strictly limited to the total amount you paid us for the specific service in question. This limitation applies regardless of the legal theory underlying your claim.

Excluded Damages

We are not liable for indirect, consequential, or incidental damages of any kind, including but not limited to loss of profits, revenue, business opportunities, data (beyond our backup commitments), reputation, or goodwill.

We are also not responsible for third-party claims, failures of third-party services, or damages arising from your use of third-party components integrated with our services.

Force Majeure

We are not responsible for delays, failures, or damages caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, government actions, infrastructure failures, cyber attacks affecting third-party services, or other force majeure events.

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Support & Maintenance

Included Support Services

Support levels vary by service package:

• Wayfarer customers receive email support for hosting-related technical issues and guidance on using basic hosting features.
• Shipwright customers get priority email support plus basic maintenance including security updates and performance monitoring.
• Monarch customers receive priority support via multiple channels plus comprehensive maintenance including advanced security hardening, performance optimization, and proactive monitoring.

Support Scope

Our support covers technical issues with services we provide, guidance on using systems and features we've implemented, security monitoring and updates as specified in your service level, and performance optimization within the scope of your maintenance package.

What's Not Included

Support does not include general training on web technologies, custom development requests (these are quoted separately), troubleshooting issues with third-party services we don't manage, or content creation and writing services.

For requests outside our support scope, we're happy to provide separate quotes for additional services.

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Contract Termination

Termination by You

You may terminate hosting services with 30 days' written notice. For development projects in progress, you remain responsible for payment of all work completed to the date of termination.

Maintenance services may be terminated with 30 days' written notice, after which maintenance responsibilities transfer back to you.

Termination by Us

We may terminate services immediately for non-payment after appropriate notice and opportunity to cure, violations of our acceptable use policy, breach of these terms of service, or illegal or harmful activities.

In most cases, we'll provide notice and opportunity to resolve issues before termination, except for serious violations that pose immediate risk to our services or other customers.

Post-Termination

Following termination, your data remains available for download for 30 days, after which it may be permanently deleted from our systems. All unpaid fees remain due regardless of termination.

Confidentiality obligations for both parties continue indefinitely after termination of services.

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Confidentiality

Mutual Obligations

Both parties agree to keep confidential information secure and use it solely for the purpose of delivering the agreed services. Confidential information includes business plans, technical details, customer lists, financial information, and any other sensitive information shared during our business relationship.

Neither party will disclose confidential information to third parties without written consent, except as required by law or court order.

Exceptions

These confidentiality obligations do not apply to information that was already publicly available, known to the receiving party before disclosure, independently developed without using confidential information, or required to be disclosed by law or regulatory authority.

Upon termination of services, both parties will return or securely destroy confidential information as requested, though some information may be retained as required for legal, accounting, or regulatory compliance.

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Dispute Resolution

Governing Law

These Terms of Service are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of English courts.

Resolution Process

We believe most disputes can be resolved through good communication. Our preferred dispute resolution process follows these stages:

1. Direct Discussion: We'll first attempt to resolve any issues through direct communication between the parties, as most problems can be solved quickly and amicably at this level.

2. Mediation: If direct discussion doesn't resolve the issue, we'll attempt mediation through a qualified neutral mediator agreed upon by both parties.

3. Arbitration: Unresolved disputes may be submitted to binding arbitration under the UK Arbitration Act, with proceedings conducted in English.

4. Court Proceedings: Legal action through English courts will be used only as a last resort when other methods have failed.

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General Provisions

Complete Agreement

These Terms of Service represent the complete agreement between the parties and supersede all prior negotiations, representations, or agreements relating to the subject matter.

Any amendments to these terms must be made in writing and signed by authorized representatives of both parties. Verbal modifications are not binding.

Severability & Assignment

If any provision of these terms is deemed unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

We may assign these Terms of Service to a successor company or new ownership. Clients require our written consent to assign their rights or obligations under these terms.

Survival of Terms

The following sections survive termination of services: payment obligations, intellectual property provisions, confidentiality requirements, liability limitations, and dispute resolution procedures.

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Special Programs

Free Charity Services

We provide one free website per quarter to a registered UK charity, selected at our discretion based on need and our capacity. Standard terms and conditions apply except for payment requirements.

Ongoing hosting and maintenance for charity websites are covered under separate agreements and are not included in the free website service.

Charity Discount Program

Registered UK charities receive a 20% discount on all paid services upon providing proof of current charity registration. This discount cannot be combined with other promotional offers.

We're proud to support the valuable work of charitable organizations in our community and beyond.

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Contact Information

Meon Valley Web
Email: info@meonvalleyweb.com
Phone: +44 (0) 7850 037850
Location: Meon Valley, Hampshire, UK

We're here to help with any questions about these terms or our services. Don't hesitate to reach out if you need clarification on any aspect of our service agreement.

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By engaging our services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. We look forward to working with you.