Effective Date: 22nd August 2024
Company Name: TMF Lines trading under Virtual Aid Ltd (“We”, “Us”, or “Company”)
By accessing or using our services, including the 7-day free trial, you (“Client”) agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, you do not have the right to use our services or access our website.
Definitions:
- ‘the company’ means the telephone answering service provider, TMF Lines trading under Virtual Aid Ltd
- ‘the client’ means an individual, company or organisation at whose application the company agrees to provide a service to under the terms of this agreement.
- ‘agreement’ means the contract and understanding between the company and the client to which these terms and conditions apply for the duration that any services are provided.
Scope:
The content of this agreement shall apply in relation to any services ordered by the client from the company
Terms and Conditions for 7-Day Free Trial
1. Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years of age to use our services and participate in the Free Trial. By agreeing to these Terms, you confirm that you meet this age requirement.
2. Free Trial Overview
- Professional call answering.
- Message taking.
- Message forwarding via email or text.
2.2 Call Limit: The Client is permitted a maximum of 30 calls during the 7-day trial period
2.3 Call Duration: Each call is limited to 3 minutes. Calls exceeding this duration may be disconnected automatically.
2.4 Upon completion of the Free Trial, if the Client has not cancelled their trial, they will automatically be enrolled in a paid plan, and charges will commence as outlined in our pricing structure.
3. Fair Usage Policy
To ensure fair use of our Free Trial services:
- Call Limit: Clients must not exceed 30 calls during the Free Trial
- Call Duration: Each call must not exceed 3 minutes.
Detected misuse or abuse of the services during the Free Trial may result in immediate termination of the trial without notice.
4. Liability and Indemnification
TMF Lines is not responsible for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages during the Free Trial, including errors in message taking or forwarding, or interruptions in service.
Indemnification: The Client agrees to indemnify and hold TMF Lines harmless from any claims
or damages arising from their use of the services
5. Cancellation of Free Tria
The Client may cancel the Free Trial at any time before the conclusion of the 7-day period without incurring any charges. If the trial is not cancelled, the Client will automatically be charged for the plan they selected.
6. Allocated Telephone Number
As part of the service, the company will allocate the client a telephone number which they may divert their calls to and/or advertise directly. The client may stipulate their dialling code preference during the sign-up process; if no particular dialling code is requested, the company will allocate a regional number of their choice at random. If the client wishes to change their allocated telephone number at any point, a setup fee will apply.
If the client wishes to cease using the company’s telephone answering service but wishes to continue using the allocated telephone number, the client may have it redirected to a UK landline or mobile number of their choice; monthly rental and call forwarding charges will apply. The company does not allow clients to port numbers away.
While the company makes every effort to maintain the continuity of allocated telephone numbers, it may need to change them for operational or technical reasons; such instances are extremely rare, but should it be necessary, the company will given the client at least seven (7) days notice of any such proposed change. The company cannot be held responsible for any expenses or losses incurred, directly or indirectly, as a result of a telephone number being changed.
If the clients service is terminated by either party and the client subsequently wishes to reinstate service(s) with the original allocated telephone numbers, a reactivation fee will apply as follows: £29.00 + £0.27 per day for the duration the line(s) were deactivated for, per number. However it should be noted that the company cannot always guarantee to restore previously deactivated telephone numbers.
7. Other terms:
The client undertakes to provide the company with all the information and co-operation that the company may reasonably require from time to time to enable the company to perform and observe its obligations. The client agrees with the company not to conduct any business activities which could/is considered as illegal, immoral or obscene and agrees not to use the company’s services for any such purpose.
Neither party shall be held liable to the other for any loss or damage which may be suffered by the other party due to any cause beyond the first party’s reasonable control, without limitation.
The company reserves the right to amend or alter its scale of charges and/or terms of business
by giving the client one month’s written notice.
8. Billing
The company endeavours to answer all incoming calls that come into the switchboard in a timely manner, normally within the first three rings. On rare occasions, where an unexpected and/or unusually high volume of calls come in, the company may take longer than normal to answer and in extreme cases, this may result in some calls being missed.
If the client wishes to make changes to their service and/or account with the company, this should be put in writing to: hello@tmflines.co.uk. The company aims to action such requests as quickly as possible (within 24 hours). Minor changes to services and/or accounts are free,
however, major changes (such as, but not limited to change of company name) will incur an admin fee from £10.00+ depending on the changes required.
The company makes no warranties or representations that services will be uninterrupted or error-free and the company shall not, in any event, be liable for interruptions of service which are beyond the company’s reasonable control.
General Terms and Conditions for Services
9. General Service Overview
9.1 Services Provided:
- Professional call answering
- Message taking.
- Message forwarding via email or text.
9..2 Pricing:
The standard rate for calls up to 5 minutes is £1.50 per call. Extended calls will incur additional charges:
- 6-10 minutes: £3 per call
- 11-15 minutes: £6 per call.
- Each additional 5-minute block adds to the base cost. For example, a call lasting 16-20
minutes will be charged at £12 per call.
10. Fair Usage Policy
- To ensure equitable access to our services, TMF Lines applies a Fair Usage Policy:
- Standard calls up to 5 minutes are included in the base rate.
- Calls exceeding 5 minutes will incur additional charges as outlined above.
- TMF Lines reserves the right to terminate or limit service if we detect excessive or
improper use.
11. Message Handling and Call Forwarding
While we make every effort to handle and forward messages accurately, TMF Lines does not guarantee the complete accuracy of every message or call forwarding. We are not liable for any errors, delays, or missed calls.
12. Billing and Payment Terms
12.1 Invoicing:
Clients will be invoiced monthly for the total number of calls handled during the month.
12.2 Payment Deadline:
All payments are due within 3 days of the invoice date. Failure to make payment within this period will incur a 10% late charge on the outstanding balance.
12.3 The company reserves the right to invoice and request payment before the 1st of the month in cases where the clients’ billing threshold / pre-defined credit limit has been exceeded due to higher than usual usage.
The company accepts payment by Direct Debit or Credit/Debit Card. Bank Transfers (BACS) are accepted if agreed in writing and are subject to an admin fee of £2.50 per month. Cheques are not accepted. The company accepts pre-payments on account from which future invoices will be deducted from. Unsolicited payments or over-payments of invoice received by the company from the client shall be deemed as a pre-payment and will be applied as credit to the clients account. Pre-payments are non-refundable but may be redeemed against all services offered by the company.
All invoices will be delivered by email. Any disputes should be made within 24 hours of receiving the invoice, after which, all invoices are final.
If an account remains unpaid for seven (7) or more days from the date it fell due, the company reserves the right to charge interest at a rate of 4% per annum above the NatWest bank base rate. Should the client initiate a dispute, reversal or chargeback of any payment made, the company will charge a fee of £35.00 per dispute/reversal/chargeback. The company may also suspend all or part of the provision of services to the client, withholding caller details/information until payment has been received.
Without prejudice, the company reserves the right to request a deposit from the client (from £20+) which would be held for the duration service is provided. This will be refunded in full subject to all invoices being settled. A deposit would normally be requested if the client fails to pay any monies due to the company on time, or should following a review of the client, their status is deemed as higher than usual risk.
In addition to the published package prices on the main website, the following charges will be applied to the clients monthly invoice:
– Call log request (consists of date, time, call duration and caller ID if available): £7.00
– Account change/update request: £5.00
– Customer call backs (outbound calls on behalf of the client): £2.50 per call
13. Cancellation Policy
All services renew automatically until cancelled by the client. It is the clients’ responsibility to cancel services prior to renewal as invoices will not be cancelled once renewal has occurred. The client must notify the company at least 30 days before a service is renewed if they wish to cancel that service. Cancellations should be put in writing by email to: hello@tmflines.co.uk. Non-payment and/or not using the service does not constitute as a request to cancel.
14. Allocated Telephone Numbers:
As part of the service, the company will allocate the client a telephone number which they may divert their calls to and/or advertise directly. The client may stipulate their dialling code preference during the sign-up process; if no particular dialling code is requested, the company will allocate a regional number of their choice at random. If the client wishes to change their allocated telephone number at any point, a setup fee will apply.
As part of the service, the company will allocate the client a telephone number which they may divert their calls to and/or advertise directly. The client may stipulate their dialling code preference during the sign-up process; if no particular dialling code is requested, the company will allocate a regional number of their choice at random. If the client wishes to change their allocated telephone number at any point, a setup fee will apply.
While the company makes every effort to maintain the continuity of allocated telephone numbers, it may need to change them for operational or technical reasons; such instances are extremely rare, but should it be necessary, the company will given the client at least seven (7) days notice of any such proposed change. The company cannot be held responsible for any expenses or losses incurred, directly or indirectly, as a result of a telephone number being changed.
If the clients service is terminated by either party and the client subsequently wishes to reinstate service(s) with the original allocated telephone numbers, a reactivation fee will apply as follows: £29.00 + £0.27 per day for the duration the line(s) were deactivated for, per number. However it should be noted that the company cannot always guarantee to restore previously deactivated telephone numbers.
15. Other terms:
The client undertakes to provide the company with all the information and co-operation that the company may reasonably require from time to time to enable the company to perform and observe its obligations. The client agrees with the company not to conduct any business activities which could/is considered as illegal, immoral or obscene and agrees not to use the company’s services for any such purpose.
Neither party shall be held liable to the other for any loss or damage which may be suffered by the other party due to any cause beyond the first party’s reasonable control, without limitation. The company reserves the right to amend or alter its scale of charges and/or terms of business by giving the client one month’s written notice.
The company aims to setup all new client services/accounts as quickly as possible (within 24 hours) after confirmation of cleared funds of the relevant fees (if applicable).
The company endeavours to answer all incoming calls that come into the switchboard in a timely manner, normally within the first three rings. On rare occasions, where an unexpected and/or unusually high volume of calls come in, the company may take longer than normal to answer and in extreme cases, this may result in some calls being missed.
If the client wishes to make changes to their service and/or account with the company, this should be put in writing to: hello@tmflines.co.uk. The company aims to action such requests as quickly as possible (within 24 hours). Minor changes to services and/or accounts are free, however, major changes (such as, but not limited to change of company name) will incur an admin fee from £10.00+ depending on the changes required.
The company makes no warranties or representations that services will be uninterrupted or error-free and the company shall not, in any event, be liable for interruptions of service which are beyond the company’s reasonable control.
16. Liability and Indemnification
TMF Lines will not be held liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from the use of our services. Additionally, TMF Lines is not responsible for any interruptions or technical difficulties that may occur during service provision.
Indemnification: The Client agrees to indemnify and hold TMF Lines harmless from any claims,
losses, or damages resulting from their use of the service.
17. Privacy and Data Protection
TMF Lines adheres to applicable UK data protection laws. Personal data collected from Clients will be used solely for service provision and invoicing purposes, and will not be shared with third parties unless required by law. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy.
18. Modifications to Terms and Services
We reserve the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at any time. Clients will be notified of
significant changes via email or written notice. Continued use of the services after such changes
indicates acceptance of the revised terms.
Targets / Results:
Unless specifically agreed in writing, the company makes no implied or implicit guarantee of the outcome of campaigns. All forecasts for ‘deliverables’, including appointments and sales leads, are estimated in good faith using the company’s experience and judgement and do not constitute a guarantee.
Quality Control / Reporting:
Any necessary quality control and/or reporting procedures should be stated by the client from the outset. The company makes no implied or implicit guarantee that information and/or data from a campaign will be available if it was not requested by the client from the outset.
Client Confidentiality:
The company undertakes to treat all client information as confidential. However, should it be served with an appropriate court order, the company may be legally required to co-operate with law enforcement agencies and required to disclose information about the client.
Refund Policy:
Refund requests should be put in writing and are at the sole discretion of the company. Any pre-payments made in respect of calls/campaigns are non-refundable.
19. Governing Law
This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England, and the High Courts of Justice in London shall be the sole courts of competent jurisdiction for any disputes arising from this Agreement or the use of our services.
By using our services or participating in the Free Trial, you acknowledge that you have read,
understood, and agreed to these Terms and Conditions.