Terms of Business

These terms apply when you ask StrandWire Systems to carry out work. They are written to be read, so please tell us if anything isn't clear. Nothing in them affects your legal rights as a consumer.

1. About us

1.1 StrandWire Systems is the trading name of James Aston, a sole trader. Our address is on our Legal information page (strandwire.co.uk/legal/) and on your quote.

1.2 You can contact us on 01952 897212 or at info@strandwire.co.uk. We don't discuss prices over the phone, and we confirm prices and any changes in writing.

1.3 We are not VAT registered, so we do not charge VAT. If this changes, your quote will show any VAT in the total price.

2. Our agreement with you

2.1 We usually survey the property, then send a written quote. Your quote describes the work, any equipment we will supply, the total price and any other charges. Surveys are free, and you do not have to go ahead with the work afterwards.

2.2 A quote is valid for 30 days. Our agreement starts when you accept the quote in writing, such as by email, and we confirm it.

2.3 Your quote and these terms make up the agreement. If they differ, the quote applies.

2.4 A customer is a consumer if they are an individual acting mainly outside their trade, business or profession. Clauses marked "business customers" only apply to everyone else.

3. What we need from you

3.1 Internet connection. We are not an internet provider. You will need an active connection from a provider, unless we are installing Starlink kit under a plan you have arranged. Your provider's contract, charges and service stay between you and them.

3.2 Access. Please give us safe access at the agreed time, and clear the areas we need to work in.

3.3 Permission. You are responsible for any permission the work needs, such as from a landlord, freeholder or management company, or consent for a listed building or conservation area. If you are unsure, please tell us before we start.

3.4 Hidden services and hazards. Please tell us about anything you know of that could affect the work, including hidden pipes, cables, underfloor heating, or suspected or known asbestos. We will stop work if we find or suspect asbestos or another hazard until it is safely dealt with.

3.5 Your details. We rely on the information you give us. If it turns out to be wrong in a way that changes the work, we will explain and agree any change with you first.

4. Prices and payment

4.1 The price in your quote is the total you pay for the work described, including any mandatory charges. We will not add charges you have not agreed.

4.2 If we find extra work is needed, we will explain why and send you the price in writing. We will only carry it out if you agree.

4.3 Small jobs do not need a deposit. For larger jobs needing equipment, your quote may ask for a deposit to cover it, and it will show the amount. A deposit is part of the total price and is refunded if you cancel within your 14-day right to cancel, as explained in the Cancellation Notice. Please pay any balance by bank transfer within 7 days of our invoice, using the details on it.

4.4 We will never ask for your bank or card details over the phone in order to fix a problem.

4.5 Equipment we supply stays ours until it has been paid for in full, but it is your responsibility once it has been delivered to you. This does not affect your right to cancel or your rights if the equipment is faulty.

4.6 Business customers: we may charge interest on late payment under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.

5. Your right to cancel

5.1 If you are a consumer and made the agreement at your home, away from our business premises, or by email or online, you normally have 14 days to change your mind. Our separate Pre-contract Information and Cancellation Notice explains how this works and includes a form you can use. We give you this before you accept a quote.

5.2 We will not start work during the 14 days unless you ask us to in writing. If you do, and then cancel, you must pay a fair proportion of the price for the work done up to that point.

5.3 If you cancel after your 14-day right has ended, we will refund what you have paid, less our reasonable costs for work already done and equipment already bought for your job that we cannot reasonably return or reuse.

6. Changing or rearranging a visit

6.1 We will agree visit times with you. If you need to rearrange, please give us as much notice as you can. We do not charge for missed visits.

6.2 If we have to rearrange because of illness, unsafe weather or something else outside our control, we will tell you as soon as we can and agree a new time. If the delay is long, you can cancel and get a refund for work not done.

7. How we will do the work

7.1 We will carry out the work with reasonable care and skill, within any time agreed or otherwise within a reasonable time, and we will follow what we have told you about ourselves and the work where you have relied on it.

7.2 We will agree cable routes and fixing points with you before drilling. Some drilling, dust and minor marks can be unavoidable. We will tell you beforehand and tidy up after ourselves. We do not do plastering, decorating or making good beyond what the quote says.

7.3 We do not carry out mains electrical work. If you need a new supply, you will need a qualified electrician.

7.4 We may decline or stop any part of a job we reasonably believe is unsafe. If so, we will explain why and what your options are, and we will not charge for work not done.

8. What we can and cannot promise

8.1 We can improve how your connection reaches your property. We cannot increase the speed your provider delivers. Wi-Fi speed also depends on your provider, devices, building materials, and nearby networks, so we do not guarantee a particular speed unless your quote says so.

8.2 We will test the rooms and areas agreed in your quote and show you the results before we leave.

9. Starlink installations

9.1 We are an independent installer and are not part of, or authorised by, Starlink or SpaceX. You order your kit and internet plan from Starlink and your plan, payments and service stay between you and Starlink.

9.2 A dish needs a clear view of the sky. We will use Starlink's app and our own checks to help choose a position, but trees, buildings and other changes can affect it, and we do not control Starlink's service or coverage.

9.3 We will assess each property and agree the mounting position with you before fitting. Your quote will include any access equipment the job needs. We may decline any position we reasonably believe is unsafe.

9.4 You are responsible for checking whether you need any consent to fit a dish, such as from a landlord, or for a listed building or conservation area.

10. Help with Wi-Fi and devices at home

10.1 If we help with your devices, please back up anything important first if you can. We will ask before doing anything that could affect your data.

10.2 We will only access your device, accounts or personal information as far as needed for the job, and with your permission. Please enter your own passwords where possible. We do not keep copies of your passwords or files.

10.3 We do not provide virus removal or data recovery.

11. If something goes wrong

11.1 If you are a consumer, the law says services must be provided with reasonable care and skill, and goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. If they are not, you have legal remedies, which can include having the service repeated or fixed, a price reduction, or a refund for faulty goods. These terms do not reduce those rights.

11.2 Please tell us as soon as you can if you think something is wrong, so we can come back and put it right.

11.3 We guarantee our workmanship for 12 months from completion. If a problem is caused by our workmanship in that time, we will come back and fix it at no charge. This does not cover faulty equipment, changes made by you or someone else, or accidental damage, although you may have other rights for these. This guarantee is in addition to your legal rights and does not reduce them.

11.4 Equipment may also come with a manufacturer's warranty, which we will pass on to you where we can.

12. Our responsibility for loss or damage

12.1 Nothing in these terms limits our responsibility for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything else the law does not allow us to limit.

12.2 Consumers: if we break this agreement or fail to use reasonable care and skill, we are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result. We are not responsible for loss that was not foreseeable, for loss we did not cause, or for business losses if you use your home connection for work, except where the law says we are.

12.3 If we damage your property while doing the work, we will put it right or pay for the reasonable cost of doing so.

12.4 Business customers: subject to clause 12.1, we are not liable for loss of profit, business, revenue, data or goodwill, or for any indirect loss. Our total liability under each agreement is limited to the price payable under that agreement.

13. Your information

13.1 Our Privacy Notice explains how we use your personal information. You can read it at strandwire.co.uk/privacy/.

14. Complaints

14.1 If you are unhappy, please call 01952 897212 or email info@strandwire.co.uk. We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to give you a full reply within 14 days. Our Complaints Procedure gives more detail.

14.2 If we cannot settle it, we will confirm this in writing and tell you about an alternative dispute resolution provider that may be able to help. We do not currently use one. Citizens Advice can also give you free advice.

15. Other important terms

15.1 We may update these terms for future work. The version you accepted with your quote applies to your job.

15.2 Neither of us can transfer this agreement to someone else without the other's permission, except that we may transfer our rights if we sell the business, and we will tell you if this happens.

15.3 If a court finds that part of these terms is invalid, the rest stays in place.

15.4 Only you and we have rights under this agreement.

15.5 The law of England and Wales applies. If you are a consumer, you can bring a claim in the courts of England and Wales, or in the courts of Scotland or Northern Ireland if you live there. Business customers agree to the courts of England and Wales.