Terms & conditions of service

1. Who we are

• Trading name: True North Valeting.
• Legal status: sole trader — Michael North, trading as True North Valeting.
• Address for correspondence: 237 Garth Twenty Four, Killingworth, Newcastle upon Tyne NE12 6DH.
• Telephone / WhatsApp: 07518 854678. Email: michael@truenorthvaleting.co.uk.
• Insurance: we hold public liability insurance and motor trade road risk / custody and control cover. Details available on request.

2. Definitions

• “Customer”, “you” — the person or business booking the service.
• “Service” — the valeting package, upgrade or specialist treatment booked.
• “Operative” — any person carrying out the Service on our behalf, including approved subcontractors.
• “Vehicle” — the vehicle presented for the Service.

3. Quotations, prices and vehicle categories

• Advertised prices are “from” guide prices for a vehicle in typical condition, and are inclusive of any VAT where applicable.
• Vehicle size category (small / medium / large) is determined by us and confirmed at booking.
• Where the condition of the Vehicle on arrival requires materially more time, materials or specialist treatment than the package booked, we will explain this before starting and offer a revised price or an alternative package. Work will only continue once you have agreed the revised price.
• If you decline the revised price and the package booked cannot reasonably be completed to a satisfactory standard, we may decline the booking. Where we have travelled to site, a call-out charge of £65 may apply.
• Quotations for biological clean-up, pet hair removal, mould, paint overspray or similar are given only after inspection (in person or by photograph) and are valid for 30 days.
• Emergency, same-day and out-of-hours valets are charged at a call-out fee of £65. The call-out fee is payable in advance and includes the first hour of work on site. Time beyond the first hour is charged at £30 per hour in whole hours only; any part hour is charged as a full hour.

4. Bookings, deposits and payment

• A booking is confirmed when we accept it in writing (text, WhatsApp, email or messaging app).
• A deposit of £20 is required to secure a date, rising to £30 where the total is over £100. The deposit is deducted from the final balance. The balance, together with any extras or upgrades agreed on the day, is payable on completion.
• Payment is due on completion unless agreed otherwise. You can pay by card using the secure payment link on your invoice, or by cash or bank transfer.
• Business customers on agreed account terms must pay within 14 days of invoice. We reserve the right to charge statutory interest and compensation under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 on overdue business accounts. This clause does not apply to consumers.

5. Your right to cancel (consumers)

Because bookings are normally made away from our business premises or at a distance, the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 apply. This section sets out rights that are additional to the arrangements in section 6.

• You have the right to cancel within 14 days of the day the contract is made, without giving a reason. You do not need a reason and you will not be charged, subject to the points below.
• To cancel, simply tell us clearly — by phone, text, WhatsApp or email using the contact details in section 1. You may use the cancellation form at the end of these Terms, but you do not have to.
• If you ask us to start the Service within the 14-day period, and we do so, you must pay for what has been supplied up to the point you cancel, in proportion to the full price of the booking. Where the Service has been fully performed within that period at your express request, and you acknowledged that you would lose the right to cancel once it was complete, the right to cancel is lost.
• Any refund due will be made using the same payment method you used, within 14 days of us being told you are cancelling.
• This section does not apply where you are booking for business purposes.

6. Changing or cancelling an appointment

• Please give us at least 48 hours’ notice to move or cancel an appointment. We will always try to accommodate changes at shorter notice.
• Where less than 48 hours’ notice is given, or where we attend and cannot start because the Vehicle is unavailable, inaccessible or nobody is present, we may retain the deposit or charge a call-out fee of £65 to cover our travel and lost slot.
• We may reschedule where weather, illness, equipment or vehicle failure, or events beyond our reasonable control prevent us from working safely or to standard. We will offer the earliest alternative date and no additional charge will be made.
• Most of our work is carried out outdoors. Heavy rain, ice, high winds or extreme heat can prevent a proper finish and are a common reason for rescheduling.

7. Site, access, water and power

• You must ensure the Vehicle is parked lawfully in a safe, publicly accessible or authorised space, with roughly 1 metre of clear working space around it.
• You are responsible for obtaining any permission needed from a landlord, employer, managing agent or neighbour, and for any parking charges, permits or penalty notices arising at the location.
• Where a service requires mains water or electricity, please confirm this is available at booking. We carry our own water and power where stated, but some treatments require a supply.
• We may decline or stop work where the location is unsafe, obstructed, on a busy road, or where working would breach site rules. In that event a call-out fee of £65 may apply.

8. Preparing your vehicle

• Please remove all personal belongings, money, valuables, documents, electronic items, medication and child seats before we arrive. We will work around anything left in place, and those areas cannot be cleaned.
• We are not liable for loss of or damage to personal items left in the Vehicle.
• Items that reasonably appear to be rubbish may be disposed of. If something must be kept, please bag it and tell us.
• Tell us before we start about any alarm, immobiliser, tracker, dashcam, aftermarket electrics, split hoses, loose trim, leaks or warning lights.

9. Vehicle condition and pre-existing damage

• Before work starts you may be invited to walk around the Vehicle with the Operative so that existing damage can be pointed out and, where appropriate, photographed.
• We are not responsible for damage that already existed, including scratches, dents, stone chips, swirl marks, faded or oxidised paint, lacquer peel, rust, cracked or perished leather and trim, damaged decals or wraps, previous SMART or body repairs, resprayed panels, or leaks.
• Cleaning can reveal defects that were previously hidden beneath dirt, and can worsen damage that is already present. Where the Vehicle is in poor condition we will say so before starting.
• You must tell us in advance about any respray, wrap, SMART repair, matt or satin finish, or paintwork not protected by lacquer. These are cleaned at your risk and we cannot accept liability for damage to them.
• Engine bay cleaning carries an inherent risk to electrical components on older or previously repaired vehicles. It is carried out at your request and at your risk, and we do not accept liability for subsequent electrical faults or non-starting, which are commonly pre-existing.

10. What we can and cannot achieve

• We will carry out the Service with reasonable care and skill, using suitable products and methods.
• Valeting improves the appearance of a vehicle but is not a repair or restoration service. Deep scratches, stone chips, clear coat failure, burns, cuts, ingrained dye transfer, permanent staining, sun damage and long-standing odours may be reduced but cannot always be removed.
• Results vary with the age, condition, material and history of the Vehicle. We do not guarantee a specific outcome, only that the work will be done properly.
• If the level of service booked is not suitable for the condition of the Vehicle on arrival, we will recommend the appropriate service before starting, and we reserve the right to decline or cancel the booking where the package booked does not cover the level of cleaning required.

11. Biological clean-up and pet hair removal

• Cleaning involving bodily fluids, waste, mould, infestation or other biological contamination is quoted individually and is never included in a standard package.
• You must tell us before booking if any such contamination is present. If we are presented with it without notice, we may decline or stop work, requote, and charge for the time and travel already committed.
• Heavy pet hair removal is a separate chargeable service. Complete removal cannot be guaranteed on some fabrics.
• Contaminated waste is removed and disposed of lawfully. Additional disposal costs will be included in the quotation.
• Emergency biohazard and spill valets, for example sickness or vomit removal, are charged from £80 to £150 or more depending on the extent of the contamination and the time required. A firm price is agreed with you before we travel and is payable in advance.

12. Our liability

• Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything else that cannot lawfully be limited.
• Nothing in these Terms excludes our duty under section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 to carry out the Service with reasonable care and skill, or your remedies of repeat performance and price reduction.
• Where we are at fault, we will put it right. Our liability to consumers for any claim arising from a booking is limited to the price paid for that booking, except where the law does not allow such a limit.
• We are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, loss of use, loss of profit, or loss of business opportunity.
• We are not liable for delay or failure caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including severe weather, road closures, accident, illness, equipment or vehicle breakdown, or interruption to water or power supply.

13. Damage claims and complaints

• Please inspect the Vehicle with the Operative before they leave site. Any concern about the finish or about damage should be raised at that point wherever possible.
• Any claim for damage must be reported to us within 24 hours of completion, with photographs, so that we have a fair opportunity to inspect it.
• We must be given a reasonable opportunity to inspect and, where appropriate, to put matters right before you arrange any repair elsewhere. Claims for third-party repairs arranged without giving us that opportunity may not be accepted.
• Complaints will be acknowledged within 3 working days and resolved as quickly as we reasonably can. If we cannot resolve matters between us, you may seek advice from Citizens Advice consumer service, and we are willing to consider alternative dispute resolution.

14. Photographs and social media

• We may photograph or film vehicles before and after work for quality records and for promotion on our website and social media.
• Registration plates and any other identifying details are obscured. Tell us before we start if you would prefer your Vehicle not to be used, and we will not use it.

15. Conduct and safety

• Our Operatives will be courteous at all times, and we ask the same in return. We may stop work and leave site where behaviour is abusive, threatening or discriminatory, or where drugs, alcohol or an unsafe environment put our staff at risk. The full booking price will remain payable in those circumstances.
• Children and pets must be kept clear of the working area and of our equipment and chemicals.

16. Data protection

• We process your name, contact details, address and vehicle details only to provide and administer the Service, in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
• We do not sell your data. Marketing messages are sent only where you have agreed, and you can opt out at any time.
• You may request a copy of the information we hold, or ask us to correct or erase it, by contacting us using the details in section 1.

17. General

• We may use approved subcontractors. We remain responsible to you for the Service.
• If any part of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining parts continue to apply.
• We may update these Terms from time to time. The version in force at the date of your booking applies to that booking.
• These Terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction.