Amethyst Proofreading Terms & Conditions

 

These terms and conditions apply to any work undertaken by me (Helen McLachlan​), when contracted by you to do so.

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You must acknowledge, in writing, that you have read, understood and agreed to these terms and conditions.

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Written correspondence between us may be via post or email. 

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I will provide the proofreading services agreed upon between you and me. The work will be carried out, unsupervised, at such times and places as determined by me, using my own equipment.

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I confirm that I am self-employed and am responsible for my own Income Tax and National Insurance contributions. I am not VAT-registered.

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Project Terms:

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Prior to commencement of the proofreading work, you and I will agree, in writing, the terms of the project:

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• the medium in which the proofreading service will be carried out (e.g. in Word, on PDF, on paper)

• how the material will be annotated (e.g. Track Changes in Word, PDF Commenting and Markup tools, or BSI correction symbols on paper)

• the length of time required to complete the project, as advised by me

• a fee for the project, based on a quotation supplied by me, in writing, following my evaluation of the material to be proofread and the time frame required to complete the job

• the date by which the material will be delivered by you to me

• the latest date by which the completed project will be returned, following my advice to you.

 

Please note that if, on receipt of the project to be worked on (or at an early stage), it becomes apparent that significantly more work is required than had been anticipated in the preliminary discussion or from the sample supplied, I may renegotiate the fee and/or the deadline, or decline to carry out the work.

 

Project Fees:

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A quotation for the work will be provided by me following my evaluation of a representative sample of the materials to be worked on, and a discussion with you as to what is required.

 

An initial deposit of 50% of the fee will be due before work commences, with the remainder due on completion.

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If additional material is requested to be added to the project at any point after the original fee has been agreed, a revised quotation and project completion date will be negotiated. 

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Unless otherwise agreed, the fee quoted is for one pass of a manuscript. Additional passes are new projects, the terms of which will be agreed separately.

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Project Cancellation:

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Both you and I have the right to terminate the contract for services at any time if there is a serious breach of its terms.

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You are free to cancel a service for any reason by providing me with written notice; I must acknowledge this cancellation in writing for this to be valid.

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If, in the unlikely event that you experience extraordinary or difficult circumstances that cause cancellation or delay (e.g. family crisis, illness, bereavement), you should contact me to discuss the terms of the cancellation policy. I aim to be fair and helpful at all times.

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If you cancel the work during the proofreading project, I reserve the right to invoice for 100% of the agreed fee (less any deposit already paid).

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If you cancel the work prior to commencement of the proofreading project:

• If you wish to cancel with less than two weeks' notice, I reserve the right to retain any deposit already paid.

• ​If you wish to cancel with more than two weeks' notice, the deposit will be refunded and no other charge will apply.

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I may cancel a service at any time for any reason by providing written notice to you. In the unlikely event that I cancel a service, I will provide a proportionate refund of any fees paid.

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If I experience extraordinary or difficult circumstances that cause cancellation (e.g. family crisis, illness, bereavement), I will contact you in writing at the earliest opportunity and do my best to renegotiate the time frame of the project, find an alternative supplier of proofreading services, or provide a proportionate refund.

 

Project Completion:

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I will supply you with an invoice immediately upon completion of the proofreading project.

Payment should be made within 14 days. Under the terms of the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 (amended 2002 and 2013), I reserve the right to charge interest and compensation should payment exceed 14 days. This statutory interest is set by the UK Government at 8% plus the current Bank of England base rate (see their page regarding interest on late commercial payments).

 

Payment should be made by bank transfer (account details will be supplied on the invoice). 

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I endeavour to provide the best service possible, but cannot guarantee perfection. You must read over your document to ensure you are happy with it before proceeding to publication.

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The author is responsible for ensuring that the material is appropriate for publication, and I can accept no liability for any action raised as a result of incorrect or defamatory material.

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You may choose to accept some or all of my corrections or suggestions, but declining to accept some or any of them does not constitute nonperformance on my part, and does not entitle you to a refund. 

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Any acknowledgement of me by name in the final document must only be done with my permission. 

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Privacy & Backup: 

 

The nature and content of the work will be kept confidential and not be made known to anyone other than you without prior written permission.

 

I will not, under any circumstances, upload your files to external websites or distribute them to third parties unless specifically authorised to do so, in writing, by you. 

 

Under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998, I may keep on record such information (e.g. contact details) as is necessary.   

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