Terms for trades

Last updated [DATE YOU PUBLISH IT]

1. About these terms

These terms apply to every business listed on North East Trade Hub (northeasttradehub.co.uk), run by [YOUR FULL NAME], trading as North East Trade Hub, [YOUR BUSINESS ADDRESS] ("we", "us"). "You" means the business applying to be listed and the person applying on its behalf.

By ticking the box when you apply, you agree to these terms. Our privacy policy explains how we handle personal information.

2. Applying and your listing

• We review every application and may decline any, without giving a reason.
• The details you give us must be true and kept up to date. Tell us straight away if anything changes, such as your phone number, the areas you cover, or your insurance.
• We may tidy up your listing's wording so it fits the site, but we won't change its meaning without asking you.
• Your business name, trade, phone number, areas covered and description are shown publicly. Your contact name, email and billing details are kept private.

3. Plans and prices

Paying yearly gets 15% off (£306 a year for Verified, £714 a year for Featured). Prices are as shown on the website when you apply. We'll give you at least 30 days' notice by email of any price change, and you can cancel before it takes effect.

4. Invoices and payment

• We invoice paid plans in advance, monthly or yearly as you chose. No payment is taken on the website.
• Invoices are due within [14] days, by bank transfer to the account shown on the invoice.
• If an invoice is unpaid 14 days after it's due, we may hide your listing or move you to the free Listed plan until it's paid.
• Any free period we offer is shown when you apply. Billing starts when it ends, unless you've cancelled.

5. Cancelling and changing plan

• You can cancel or change plan at any time by emailing [YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS].
• Cancelling stops future invoices. Your paid features stay until the end of the period you've paid for. We don't refund part-months or part-years.
• Upgrades start straight away. Downgrades start at the end of the period you've paid for.
• You can ask us to remove your listing completely at any time.

6. Insurance, qualifications and "Verified"

• You must hold the insurance, qualifications and registrations the law requires for your work, for example public liability insurance, and Gas Safe registration for any gas work.
• Before showing a Verified tick, we check [your public liability insurance certificate, and any registration your trade requires, such as Gas Safe or an electrical scheme like NICEIC or NAPIT]. We may ask to see these again at any time.
• Verified means we've seen those documents. It is not a guarantee of the quality of your work.
• Only show badges or accreditations on your listing that you actually hold.

7. Customer jobs and contact details

• We don't guarantee any number of enquiries, jobs or customers, or any amount of income.
• A job a customer posts can be taken by up to 5 tradespeople. A job a customer sends to you by name is shown only to you. Verified and Featured members see new jobs before Listed members.
• Only take jobs you genuinely intend to quote for, and contact the customer promptly.
• Use a customer's details only to deal with their job. Don't add them to marketing lists or pass them on. Once you have their details, you are responsible for handling them under data protection law.
• Keep your jobs-page login private. Tell us straight away if you think someone else has used it.

8. Dealing with customers

• Any work you do is agreed directly between you and the customer. We're not part of that agreement and don't handle payments for it.
• Quote honestly, do the work with reasonable care and skill, and follow consumer law, including giving customers their cancellation rights where they apply.
• Ratings and reviews must be genuine. Don't write, buy or arrange fake reviews, or offer customers anything in return for a good review. Fake reviews are against the law.
• If a customer complains to us about you, we may share the complaint with you and ask for your side.

9. When we can remove or suspend a listing

We may hide, suspend or remove your listing, and your jobs-page access, if:

• an invoice is unpaid (section 4)
• information you've given us is false or out of date, or you no longer hold the insurance or registrations your work needs
• we receive serious or repeated complaints about you
• you misuse customer details or the jobs page, or break these terms

Where we can, we'll tell you why and give you a chance to put it right first. If we remove a paid listing for a reason that isn't your fault, we'll refund any period you've paid for but not used.

10. Our responsibility to you

• We run the website with reasonable care, but we can't promise it will always be available or free of errors.
• We're not responsible for customers' actions, for the work you agree with them, or for payment for that work.
• We're not liable for loss of profit, business or opportunity.
• Our total liability to you is limited to the fees you've paid us in the 12 months before the claim.
• Nothing in these terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or for anything else that can't be limited by law.

11. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. We'll email you about any important change at least 30 days before it applies. If you don't agree, you can cancel before then.

12. Law and contact

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales can deal with any dispute.

Questions about these terms: [YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS].