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Terms and Conditions
Last updated 19 October 2023
Devon Family History Research is owned and operated by Catherine Plowden, who is a sole proprietor. It provides genealogical research and location photography services, and is based near Kingsbridge, Devon, UK.
The telephone number is:
44/(0) 1548 531169
The email address is: enquiries@devonfamilyhistoryresearch.co.uk
Devon Family History Research aims to provide a professional, high quality service, and by instructing us to undertake work, clients are deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions in full.
We comply with the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. We are registered under the Data Protection Act 1998 and clients are deemed to have read our privacy and cookies policy in full.
If you need further information, The Citizens Advice consumer service provides free, confidential and impartial advice on consumer issues. You can look on www.adviceguide.org.uk or call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 08454 04 05 06.
The work we will undertake
We will only undertake work which appears to have a reasonable chance of success. It is hoped that clients provide us with information which is as accurate as possible, as we cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in information supplied by clients.
Possible difficulties and problems
We cannot guarantee how much information, if any, can be found on each person, event or location. For instance, it can sometimes be impossible to identify a relation with certainty, and records may have been destroyed, be missing, or inaccurate, and when out on location, information gathering can be just as problematical. For example heavily weathered headstones can be extremely difficult, or even impossible, to read. Please note that if there is a problem with information, a charge will still be made to cover the time spent on the work already carried out as well as any expenses that have been incurred.
Written contracts
All contracts will be agreed with the client in writing before the work starts. Clients must complete one of our order forms. Once we have received this and the appropriate payment has been made, we will formally acknowledge the order in writing. This is the point at which your contract starts with us
When work will start
At the earliest, the work will be commenced 14 days after the day we have acknowledged your order, unless you have expressly asked us to start work within the 14 day cancellation period.
If you wish to ask us to do this, you should tick the box agreeing to this at the bottom of our order form. Please note that this may affect your legal rights. If you do not tick this box, we will not start work for you until the the 14 day cancellation period has expired.
Please note that we may have to place you on a waiting list during particularly busy periods.
Your right to cancel
We want you to be happy with your contract, but you have the right to cancel your contract with us under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 if you wish*. These cover contracts for both goods and services which are negotiated and agreed over the internet, by phone or by post. You have a 14 day cancellation period to cancel your order and receive a refund; this period runs from from the day after the contract was made, which is the date we formally acknowledge your order. No reason is needed for cancellation, and you may cancel your order by completing one of our cancellation forms, or informing us by email or by post. You will automatically be sent a blank cancellation form when we acknowledge you order, so that you have a form if you decide to cancel within the 14 day cancellation period.
The consumer has a 14 day cancellation period for digital content which is downloaded i.e. not supplied on a tangible medium.
* Please note that the consumer has no right to cancel the provision of digital content if it is provided on a tangible medium, where the goods are prepared for the customer's individual needs and are therefore personalised (e.g. photographs on a disc or on paper).
If you expressly ask us to start work within the 14 day cancellation period
A consumer loses her right to cancel a service contract that has been performed fully within the cancellation period, providing she requested this and acknowledged that she would lose her right to cancel once the contract had been performed fully.
Where a service has been started within the cancellation period at the express request of the consumer, but has not been completed, the consumer still has the right to cancel. However, the consumer will have to pay for the service used during the time up to when she informed you of her decision to cancel. What she should pay will be in proportion to what has been supplied in comparison with the full contract price.
We can supply digital content that is not on a tangible medium (e.g. downloaded) within the cancellation period provided the consumer has expressly requested this and acknowledged that by doing this she has lost her right to cancel.
The consumer has no right to cancel the provision of digital content that it is provided on a tangible medium (e.g. on a disc or on paper) as the goods are prepared for the customer's individual needs and are therefore personalised.
When we will send the research results/photographic work commissioned
On completion of the agreed work, we will invoice the client for the total amount owed. Once the final payment has been received and the funds have cleared, the client will be sent a copy of the research results/photographic work commissioned.
VAT
We do not charge VAT.
Complaints procedure
In the unlikely event that you wish to complain, please address your concerns by email, telephone or in writing to Catherine Plowden as quickly as possible.
Your complaint will be acknowledged within 7 days.
If we are unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, we would seek to have the matter referred to an independent professional mediation service in an attempt to resolve matters.
OUR SERVICES AND PAYMENT TERMS, COMPLETION TIMES AND PAYMENT METHODS
OUR SERVICES AND PAYMENT TERMS
What we provide: A full (electronic) report which contains recommendations for future research.
Prices: The price of this service is £350.00.
Final report: The report will be sent as an electronic PDF file only.
Return of any material submitted to us: Please note that an extra charge will be made to cover the post and packing for the return of any material submitted to us for examination, either within the UK or internationally.
Payment: Clients are asked to pay in full and in advance, before any work is started. Payment methods are as below.
B. Hourly Research Service
What we provide: Full analysis and a final report (formal reports are supplied for orders of 5 hours and over. For minimum fee orders, we communicate the results of our work in an email), GRO certificates, copies of any parish register entries, any copies from the census returns and any other documents if relevant. In addition, an A4 size chart(s) will be supplied if relevant. Larger size charts are available separately to order for an additional fee.
Prices: Our time is charged at £43.00 per hour, plus expenses. Our minimum fee is £172.00 (4 hours) plus expenses.
Travel time: Our time spent travelling is charged at the rate of £10.00 per hour.
Expenses: Examples of expenses include travel costs (mileage is charged at 45p per mile), parking, copying or downloading any relevant documents or images, any fees for access to special websites, postage, telephone calls, the cost of purchasing birth, marriage or death certificates etc.
Final report, any charts and their postage cost: The client will receive a copy of the research results by email, or by post, as preferred*, once his/her final payment has been received and the funds have cleared.
* Please note that one free hard copy is provided for all work of bookings of 8 hours and over. For bookings of less than 8 hours, reports are only provided in the form of an electronic PDF file, which will be emailed to you. No free hard copies are provided for bookings of less than 8 hours. A hard copy is available for £15.00. Additional copies can be supplied for an extra charge.
Please note that UK postage is free, but international postage will incur an extra charge.
Charts: Charts are printed on high quality A4 size paper. Larger size charts are available separately to order for an additional fee.
Return of any material submitted to us: Please note that an extra charge will be made to cover the post and packing for the return of any material submitted to us for examination, either within the UK or internationally.
Payment: Clients are asked to pay a 60% deposit before any work is commenced. The balance of 40% will be payable upon completion. Payment methods are as below. Please note that for minimum fee bookings (4 hours), we require payment in full in advance, and this applies to fees as well as estimated expenses (if applicable).
What we provide: A report (either short or full - depending on which package is selected), GRO birth, marriage and death certificates where possible, copies of any parish register entries and any census returns, plus any other documents which may be relevant. In addition, an A4 size chart will be provided.
Prices: Clients must pay the price quoted.
Final report, charts and their postage cost: The client will receive a copy of the research results by email or by post, as preferred, once his/her final payment has been received and the funds have cleared. One hard copy is provided, but additional copies can be supplied for an extra charge. UK postage is free, but international postage will incur an extra charge.
Charts: Charts are printed on high quality A4 size paper. Larger size charts are available separately to order for an additional fee.
Return of any material submitted to us: Please note that an extra charge will be made to cover the post and packing for the return of any material submitted to us for examination, either within the UK or internationally.
If the client already has original GRO certificates and official copies from original parish records: As we require original certificates etc to carry out accurate research, we are happy to use any the client may already have and deduct what would be the current purchase price from the contract sum.
If we are unable to trace a client’s family back as far as quoted: The client will receive a partial refund, which would take into the account how much work had been carried out, and the level of expenses incurred. Alternatively, the client may wish us to spend more time researching another branch of his/her ancestry.
Payment: Clients are asked to pay a 60% deposit before any work is commenced. The balance of 40% will be payable upon completion. Payment methods are as below.
D. Location Photography Service
What we provide: a selection of high quality digital images (JPEG).
Number of digital images provided: The number of images provided is left to the judgment of Devon Family History Research. We always aim to provide a good selection.
Prices: Our time is charged at £43.00 per hour, plus expenses. Our minimum fee is £172.00 plus expenses.
Travel time is charged at the rate of £10.00 per hour. Examples of expenses include printable CD-Rs, travel costs (mileage is charged at 45p per mile), parking, telephone calls etc.
The provision of images and their postage cost (if applicable): these will either be emailed/sent electronically or posted to the client on a CD-R once his/her final payment has been received and the funds have cleared. UK postage is free, but international postage will incur an extra charge.
Photographic prints: These are available for an extra fee.
Copyright: We retain the copyright of all digital images we have taken unless we have expressly renounced it in writing. We are happy for clients to make unlimited personal i.e. non-commercial use of the digital photographs we have taken, on the condition that their provenance is clearly stated. We do not permit the commercial use of any of the digital images we have taken.
Payment: Clients are asked to pay a 60% deposit before any work is commenced. The balance of 40% will be payable upon completion. Payment methods are as below. Please note that for minimum fee bookings of 4 hours, we require payment in full in advance, and this applies to fees as well as estimated expenses (if applicable).
COMPLETION TIMES
Projects are usually completed within two to twelve weeks, depending on the size and the nature of the project. Please note that we endeavour to be as accurate as possible when estimating likely completion dates and to keep clients informed of progress, but clients should bear in mind that we often have to rely on the receipt of information from other sources which can cause unavoidable delays.
PAYMENT METHODS
Payment is taken in sterling only and by the following methods:
• Direct bank transfer to Devon Family History Research. Our account details can be provided on request, once a completed order form has been submitted to us.
• Online, by credit or debit card via PayPal using the pay page of this website. UK clients do not need to have a PayPal account, and all major credit and debit cards are accepted.
If you are outside the UK and you do not have a PayPal account, please ask us to send you a PayPal invoice - which you may pay online using a credit or debit card. Please note that a charge will be made by us for using the PayPal invoicing service. This is to cover our PayPal fees. Our charge will be itemised in your invoice, and varies according to the country of your location. Our charges are currently the same as if you were paying using the PayPal button on our website (as below).
If you are using the pay page of our website to pay via PayPal, please note that: if you are in the UK you should add 4% to your Paypal payments to cover our PayPal fees, if you are in Australia/New Zealand you should add 6% to your Paypal payments to cover our PayPal fees, and if you are in the USA/Canada you should add 5% to your PayPal payments to cover our PayPal fees.
All payments should be made in £ GBP, as we will not be liable for any currency conversion fees.
• Cheque made payable to Devon Family History Research.
TEL: 44/(0) 1548 531169
© Copyright Devon Family History Research 2024