Standard Terms and Conditions of Business

General
Southern Care Maintenance Ltd (SCM) have a commitment to providing a quality service to our customers, and as a BAFE and BSI Kitemark registered independent company monitor this regularly.

Our normal hours of work are Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00, excluding bank holidays and no on-site service is provided on Christmas Day.

Our services are provided under the terms detailed here and in our maintenance contracts and are not subject to any other conditions verbal or other than those contained here.

All orders placed or services provided are subject to these terms and conditions of sale which may be updated from time to time. We do not enter into any rolling contracts with our suppliers and when an order is placed for a service it will be for a specific period of time. All invoices presented for payment should quote the purchase order number and any invoices without this will not be approved.

Warranty
All works carried out will receive a full 12 month warranty covering faulty goods or workmanship. Any repairs carried out on site or in our workshops are subject to a six month warranty for the same. Any warranty work is only carried out during normal working hours.

For a period of twelve months after the company’s completion of an installation the company will repair or replace all faulty parts free of charge, apart from in the case of goods and components not of the company’s manufacture. Liability under this clause is limited to the corresponding liability of the manufacturer to the company.

Our charges and rates
All charges quoted are exclusive of VAT and this will be added at the rate applicable at the time of invoicing. Labour charges are listed in our standard company charges which are sent out with any new maintenance contract and are made in units of half an hour. These may be amended at any time and any queries should be notified to us within 7 days of receipt of invoice.

Our maintenance charges cover systems in good working order and a charge may be made at the first inspection of systems under a new maintenance contract if significant defects are discovered. Any work carried out outside normal working hours will incur additional charges unless previously agreed or cover in the maintenance contract. 

If work is being carried out under a written estimate, and additional materials or labour are required these will be invoiced on completion of the works, as we provide estimates and not fixed price quotations, unless specified as fixed pricing - E & OE.

After the works have been completed we will clear up as best we can and leave site clean and tidy, but making good is not included in our estimate. Any estimate not completed by the end of the month will have a work in progress invoice raised for the proportion of the works carried out to that date.

Payment Terms
Goods and services must be paid for at the time of delivery unless the customer has an approved credit account with the company. For credit account customers, all invoices are due for payment within 30 days from the date of invoice unless otherwise stated. If any are unpaid after that time, or if the customer shall commit any breach of or fail to observe any of these terms and conditions or the conditions as detailed in the maintenance contract, the company may suspend service or charge interest on the outstanding balance. Such action shall not prejudice the rights of the company and all goods provided remain the property of the company until paid for in full.
Any certification required can only be provided after full payment has been received for the works carried out.

Returns and Cancellations
Goods supplied may not be returned without our written consent and this must be made to the company in writing within 7 days of the date supplied. For unwanted goods these should be returned for credit within 14 days from the date of delivery and be in their original condition and packaging. Once they have been received and inspected a credit note will be raised and a 20% re-stocking charge may be applied.

If a customer cancels an order before the goods are dispatched from our supplier a 10% admin cancellation charge of the total order value will become due. If an order is cancelled after goods have been received from our supplier, a 20% admin cancellation charge of the total order value will become due. 

Refunds are not provided if a maintenance contract is terminated before the end of the year, unless the Company has agreed this in writing.

Complaints
Any complaint about any aspect of our service or works should first be taken up with the member of staff that you have been dealing with. If this is not resolved a written complaint should be made addressed to ‘The Manager’ who will carry out an investigation of the facts and report back within a maximum of ten working days.

Website Use
All information provided on our website by our company and our partners is provided with best endeavours to be as accurate as possible but we cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies, errors or omissions. 

Usernames and passwords are provided for secure access to mySCM, the customer online portal, and it is the customer's responsibility to safeguard this information. The company cannot accept any responsibility for any loss occurring from using this service.

Limitation of Liability
The company will always use its best endeavours and experience with offering advice, instruction and design of any system or installation, but cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions with this information.

The company shall not be liable for any consequential loss or damage occasioned by the interruption or disturbance of the service from any cause whatsoever. Any liability for faulty equipment is limited to the corresponding liability of the manufacturer. 

The company shall not be liable for any delay or failure in performing its obligation arising from industrial disputes or any cause beyond the reasonable control of the company.

These terms and conditions and all contracts to which they apply shall in all respects be governed and constructed in accordance with English law and shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the English courts.

Southern Care Maintenance Ltd - published and last updated 31st March 2023.