1. About us
Osborne Home Services is the trading name of Ben Osborne, a sole trader, whose address is [HOUSE NUMBER AND STREET], Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4UF (“Osborne”, “we”, “us” or “our”).
You can contact us at osbornehomeservicesuk@gmail.com or [TELEPHONE NUMBER].
These terms apply when a consumer (“you” or “your”) requests or books a home service from us. They do not affect your statutory rights.
2. Our services
We arrange and supply home services using suitably selected independent contractors. Your contract for the booked service is with Osborne. The contractor carrying out the work is engaged by us to fulfil that service.
The service included in your booking is limited to the description, property details, frequency and optional extras shown in our quotation, invoice or booking confirmation. Work outside that scope requires our agreement and may cost extra.
We may refuse or stop work where:
- the site, equipment or conditions are unsafe;
- the information supplied to us was materially incomplete or inaccurate;
- the requested work is unlawful or requires a licence or qualification our assigned contractor does not hold;
- a person at the property behaves abusively, threateningly or inappropriately; or
- severe weather or another circumstance makes the work unsafe or impractical.
3. Quotations and bookings
A website submission, message or telephone enquiry is a request for a quotation and is not a confirmed booking.
Unless stated otherwise, quotations are based on the information and photographs you provide. You must tell us about anything likely to affect the work, including difficult access, unusual height, restricted parking, fragile surfaces, existing damage, hazards, pets or specialist materials.
A binding contract is formed when we send written confirmation accepting the booking. We may correct an obvious pricing or description error before accepting a booking.
If the property or required work materially differs from the information supplied, we may:
- agree a revised price with you before continuing;
- limit the work to the original scope; or
- cancel the affected work and refund any amount paid for work not supplied.
4. Prices and payment
The price and any applicable taxes will be shown before the booking is confirmed. The price is fixed for the agreed scope.
Payment is due by the date shown on the invoice or payment request. Card payments are processed by Stripe using a secure payment link sent after the booking is confirmed. We do not receive or store your complete payment-card details.
You must not pay a contractor directly unless Osborne has expressly authorised this in writing. Tips are optional and are not part of the service price.
For recurring services, we may change future prices by giving at least 14 days' written notice. A changed price will not affect a booking already confirmed unless you agree otherwise.
5. Your responsibilities
You agree to:
- provide accurate booking and contact information;
- provide safe and timely access to the property and work areas;
- obtain any permission needed from an owner, landlord, occupier or managing agent;
- disclose known hazards, fragile surfaces and pre-existing damage;
- secure pets and keep children and other people safely away from the work area;
- remove or identify valuable, delicate or irreplaceable items;
- provide access to water and electricity where the service reasonably requires it; and
- follow reasonable safety instructions.
You are responsible for ensuring that gates, windows, fixtures, surfaces and other property to be worked on are sound and suitable for the service.
6. Arrival times, delays and contractor changes
Arrival times are estimates unless we expressly agree a fixed time. Traffic, weather, earlier work and other circumstances can cause delays. We will try to notify you of a significant delay.
We may assign a different suitably qualified contractor or, with your agreement, reschedule the booking. If we cannot provide the service within a reasonable period, you may cancel the affected booking and receive a refund for work not supplied.
7. Cancellation and rescheduling
Our detailed cancellation rules are set out in the Booking, Cancellation and Refund Policy, which forms part of these terms.
In summary:
- cancellation or rescheduling at least 24 hours before the scheduled arrival is free;
- cancellation or rescheduling with less than 24 hours' notice may incur a charge equal to 50% of the booking price; and
- if a contractor attends but cannot obtain access or start because of something within your control, up to 100% of the booking price may be charged.
We will not charge a cancellation fee where we cancel, or where charging one would be unlawful or clearly unfair in the circumstances.
8. Your statutory cancellation right
Where you book online, by telephone, by email or by text message, you will normally have 14 days from the day after the contract is formed to cancel it without giving a reason.
If you ask us to begin the service during that 14-day period:
- you must make an express request for early performance;
- if you cancel after work has begun, we may charge a proportionate amount for work supplied up to cancellation; and
- once the service has been fully performed, you lose the statutory right to cancel if you expressly requested early performance and acknowledged that consequence.
The ordinary booking cancellation charges in section 7 do not override rights that the law gives you.
To exercise the statutory right, send a clear cancellation statement to osbornehomeservicesuk@gmail.com or Ben Osborne, Osborne Home Services, [HOUSE NUMBER AND STREET], Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19 4UF. You may use the model form at the end of our Booking, Cancellation and Refund Policy, but you do not have to.
9. Service standard and satisfaction guarantee
We will provide the service with reasonable care and skill. The Satisfaction Guarantee and Complaints Policy forms part of these terms.
If work has not been completed with reasonable care and skill, you may have a statutory right to repeat performance or, where repeat performance is impossible or cannot be completed within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience, an appropriate price reduction.
Our voluntary satisfaction guarantee adds to, and does not replace, those rights.
10. Damage and pre-existing conditions
You should report alleged loss or damage as soon as reasonably possible, normally within 24 hours of discovery, and provide photographs, receipts or other reasonable evidence where available. A reporting deadline will not remove a legal right where it would be unreasonable or unlawful to do so.
We are not responsible for:
- pre-existing damage, wear, corrosion, instability or defects;
- damage arising because a surface, fixture or item was not reasonably suitable for the agreed method;
- loss that could not reasonably have been foreseen when the contract was made;
- damage caused by inaccurate or withheld information; or
- indirect business losses where you booked as a consumer.
Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability where doing so would be unlawful, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
11. Events outside reasonable control
We are not responsible for delay or failure caused by events outside our reasonable control, including dangerous weather, road closures, utility failures, illness, emergencies or government restrictions. We will take reasonable steps to minimise disruption and offer a new appointment or appropriate refund for work not supplied.
12. Recurring services
A recurring arrangement continues until you or we end it. There is no minimum term unless your booking confirmation expressly states one.
You may end future recurring bookings at any time. The cancellation rules continue to apply to an appointment scheduled within the next 24 hours.
We may end or suspend a recurring arrangement on reasonable notice, or immediately for non-payment, unsafe conditions, abuse or a serious breach of these terms.
13. Personal information
We use personal information as described in our Privacy Policy. Information needed to fulfil the booking will be shared with the assigned contractor.
14. Complaints and disputes
Please contact osbornehomeservicesuk@gmail.com first so that we have a reasonable opportunity to investigate and resolve a problem. We aim to acknowledge complaints within two working days.
These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. You may bring proceedings in the courts applicable to where you live. Nothing in this section restricts any mandatory consumer right.
15. General
If a court finds part of these terms invalid, the remainder will continue to apply. A delay in enforcing a right does not waive that right.
We may update these terms. The version in force when a booking is confirmed applies to that booking.