Terms of Service

This web development service provides website design, development, and hosting services primarily to small businesses. These terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("Customer", "you") and the service provider ("we", "us", "our").

2. Service Overview

2.1 Services Provided

We provide:

• Custom website design and development
• Web hosting on Europe-based servers
• Domain name registration and management
• Technical support for hosting-related issues
• Minor content updates and maintenance

2.2 Service Limitations

• This is currently operated as a hobby business with limited availability
• Support is provided on a best-efforts basis during UK business hours
• We do not provide 24/7 support or guaranteed response times
• Hosting infrastructure located in Germany (Hetzner)

3. Payment Terms

3.1 Monthly Hosting Fee

• Fee: £10 per month for hosting and domain management
• Payment Method: Stripe recurring subscription
• Billing Cycle: Monthly on the same calendar date
• Currency: GBP (British Pounds Sterling)

3.2 Payment Processing

• Payments are processed by Stripe, an FCA-authorized payment service provider
• By providing payment details, you authorize recurring monthly charges
• You will receive email confirmation of each payment
• Payment details are stored securely by Stripe, not by us

3.3 Optional Donations

• Voluntary donations may be accepted upon project completion
• Donations are not required and do not affect service quality
• All donations count toward the source code ownership threshold (Section 6)

3.4 Premium Domains

• Standard domains (under £10/year) included in monthly fee
• Premium domains incur additional pass-through costs
• Premium domain costs will be agreed before registration

3.5 Failed Payments

• Grace Period: 30 days from failed payment
• Notifications: Immediate email upon payment failure
• Service Suspension: After 30-day grace period
• Data Retention: 30 days post-suspension before deletion

4. Cancellation and Refunds

4.1 Your Cancellation Rights

• You may cancel at any time with immediate effect
• Email cancellation requests to [email protected]
• No refunds for partial months
• By default website remains active until end of paid period, unless early closure requested by client

4.2 Cooling-Off Period

• 14-day cooling-off period from initial sign-up
• Full refund if cancelled within 14 days
• Cooling-off period does not apply to renewals

4.3 Our Cancellation Rights

• 30 days written notice for any reason
• Immediate termination for serious violations
• Pro-rata refund for unused service period

4.4 Post-Cancellation Data Handling

• Data Retention: 30 days after cancellation
• Data Export: Available during retention period
• Automated Deletion: After 30-day period
• Your Responsibility: Export data before deletion

5. Domain Management

5.1 Domain Registration

• Domains registered in our account on your behalf
• You are the beneficial owner of the domain
• We manage technical aspects and renewals

5.2 Domain Ownership Transfer

• Available after £120 total payments received
• Transfer initiated within 7 days of request
• You become responsible for renewals post-transfer

5.3 Domain Expiry

• Domains not renewed after service cancellation
• 30-day grace period before release
• We are not liable for expired domains

6. Intellectual Property

6.1 Your Content

• You retain all rights to your content and data
• You grant us license to host and display content
• You warrant content doesn't infringe third-party rights

6.2 Website Code Ownership

• Source code remains our property initially
• Ownership transfers after £120 in total payments upon request
• Includes monthly fees plus any donations
• Code provided within 14 days of qualifying request

6.3 Third-Party Components

• May include open-source components
• Third-party licenses apply to those components
• We are not liable for third-party code

7. Service Level Agreement

7.1 Uptime Commitment

• Target: 99.9% monthly uptime
• Measurement: External monitoring service (e.g., UptimeRobot, Pingdom)
• Exclusions:
  • Scheduled maintenance (notified 48 hours in advance)
  • Customer-caused issues
  • Force majeure events
• Remedy: Pro-rata credit for downtime exceeding 0.1%
• Calculation: (Downtime minutes / Total monthly minutes) × Monthly fee

7.2 Performance Standards

• Page load times under 3 seconds (standard pages)
• Weekly full VPS backups
• Code repositories maintained on GitHub

7.3 Support Response Times

• Initial Response: Within 2 business days
• Resolution Target: 5 business days for standard issues
• Critical Issues: Best efforts for faster resolution
• Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 AM-5 PM UK time

8. Data Protection and Privacy

8.1 Data Controller Information

We process personal data as a data controller under UK GDPR. Contact us at [email protected] for data protection queries.

8.2 Personal Data We Collect

• Business name and contact details
• Payment information (processed by Stripe)
• Website usage data and logs
• Communication records

8.3 Lawful Basis for Processing

• Contract Performance: To provide hosting services
• Legal Obligations: Tax and accounting requirements
• Legitimate Interests: Service improvement and security

8.4 Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Rectify inaccurate data
• Erase data (subject to legal requirements)
• Restrict processing
• Data portability
• Object to processing
• Complain to the ICO

8.5 Data Retention

• Customer data: 6 years after relationship ends (legal requirement)
• Website logs: 90 days
• Backups: 30 days rolling retention

8.6 Security Measures

• Encrypted data storage
• Regular security updates
• Access controls and monitoring
• Incident response procedures

8.7 International Data Transfers

• Hosting Location: Hetzner data centers in Germany
• Legal Basis: EU-UK adequacy decision permits transfers
• Your Data Location: Primarily stored in Germany (EU)
• Safeguards: EU data protection standards apply
• Backup Locations: GitHub (US) for code only

9. Acceptable Use Policy

9.1 Prohibited Content

You must not use our services for:

• Illegal activities or content
• Copyright infringement or piracy
• Malware, viruses, or hacking tools
• Spam or unsolicited communications
• Adult content involving minors
• Hate speech or discrimination
• Defamatory content

9.2 Resource Usage

• Fair use applies to all resources
• No cryptocurrency mining
• No excessive database queries
• No file storage service operation

9.3 Security Requirements

• Keep software updated
• Use strong passwords
• Report security incidents immediately
• Cooperate with security investigations

10. Liability and Indemnification

10.1 Our Liability Limitations

To the fullest extent permitted by law:

• Total liability limited to 12 months of fees paid
• No liability for indirect or consequential losses
• No liability for third-party actions
• These limits do not apply to:
  • Death or personal injury from negligence
  • Fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation
  • Breaches of your statutory rights

10.2 Your Indemnification

You indemnify us against claims arising from:

• Your website content
• Breach of these terms
• Violation of laws or third-party rights
• Your negligent or wrongful acts

10.3 Force Majeure

Neither party liable for delays due to:

• Natural disasters
• War or terrorism
• Government actions
• Pandemic or epidemic
• Internet infrastructure failures
• Other events beyond reasonable control

11. General Terms

11.1 Entire Agreement

These terms constitute the entire agreement and supersede all prior agreements.

11.2 Amendments

• Material changes notified 30 days in advance
• Continued use constitutes acceptance
• You may cancel if you disagree with changes

11.3 Severability

If any provision is invalid, the remainder continues in full effect.

11.4 No Waiver

Failure to enforce any right does not constitute waiver.

11.5 Assignment

You may not assign rights without our written consent.

11.6 Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

11.7 Dispute Resolution

• First attempt: Good faith negotiation
• Then: UK court jurisdiction

12. Complaints Procedure

12.1 How to Complain

12.2 Our Process

• Acknowledgment within 2 business days
• Investigation and response within 14 days
• Escalation available if unsatisfied

13. Accessibility

We are committed to digital accessibility. If you experience any accessibility issues, please contact us for assistance.