REPAIR QUOTATION TERMS & CONDITIONS

SERVICE & REPAIR QUOTATION TERMS & CONDITIONS

(Updated 26/03/2025)

IMPORTANT PLEASE READ

Thank you for choosing CaterCare Catering Equipment Ltd. These Terms and Conditions apply to all repair quotations, services, and related activities provided by our company. By accepting our repair quotes, you agree to comply with these terms.

Please review the following sections carefully. They outline your responsibilities, the scope of our services, and any other important information related to the repair process. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

1. Acceptance & Application

1.1 These Terms & Conditions apply to all quotations and works carried out by CaterCare Catering Equipment Ltd (“the Company”).

1.2 Acceptance of any quotation, whether in writing, by email, purchase order, electronic approval, or by instructing the Company to proceed, constitutes full acceptance of these Terms.

1.3 The customer is responsible for reviewing these Terms prior to acceptance. Acceptance confirms agreement to be legally bound by them.

1.4 These Terms and the accepted quotation constitute the entire agreement between the parties. No verbal statement or representation shall be binding unless confirmed in writing by a director of the Company.

1.5 No variation to these Terms shall be binding unless agreed in writing by a director of the Company.

1.6 These Terms shall prevail over any conflicting customer terms.

2. Estimates, Charging Basis & Payment

2.1 Unless expressly stated in writing as a “Fixed Price Quotation”, all works are carried out on a time and materials basis.

2.2 Any labour time or cost stated within a quotation is an estimate only and does not constitute a fixed price.

2.3 The final invoice shall be calculated based on the actual time spent on site and materials supplied.

2.4 By accepting the quotation, the customer expressly acknowledges and agrees that:

The estimated figure may be exceeded;
Charges are based on actual time and materials used;
The final cost may be higher than the estimate.

2.5 Chargeable labour includes diagnosis, dismantling, repair, testing, reassembly, commissioning, sourcing parts, travel, waiting time, and all time reasonably required to complete works safely and competently. Diagnostic attendances and “no fault found” visits remain chargeable at the Company’s standard rates.

2.6 Invoices are payable within 30 days of invoice date unless otherwise agreed in writing.

2.7 The customer shall not withhold, deduct, or set-off any sums due unless agreed in writing by the Company.

2.8 The Company reserves the right to suspend ongoing or future works where any account remains overdue.

2.9 Interest may be charged on overdue accounts in accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 together with reasonable recovery costs.

2.10 Disputes as to whether works fall within recall or chargeable service shall not entitle the customer to withhold payment pending resolution.

3. Variations, Unforeseen Circumstances & Progressive Faults

3.1 The full scope of works cannot always be determined until inspection, testing and/or dismantling has taken place.

3.2 Additional time and/or parts may be required due to equipment condition, access limitations, seized components, scale build-up, wiring faults, previous repairs, safety requirements, or further defects identified during repair.

3.3 Works may reasonably take longer than initially anticipated even where no additional faults are identified.

3.4 The Company cannot guarantee that replacing one faulty component will resolve all issues. Further faults may become apparent and will be chargeable separately.

3.5 The Company shall not be liable for deterioration or failure arising from the age, condition, or underlying defects of the equipment or associated installations.

4. Supplier Pricing, Incorrect Parts & Availability

4.1 Quotations for parts are based on supplier information and pricing available at the time of quoting.

4.2 Where supplier information, part identification, or pricing proves incorrect, unavailable, discontinued, or misidentified, the Company reserves the right to revise the quotation accordingly.

4.3 If the correct replacement part is more expensive than originally quoted, the additional cost shall be chargeable.

4.4 Where parts are ordered in good faith and later found to be incorrect due to supplier error or incomplete equipment details, the customer shall remain liable for supplier charges, restocking fees, abortive costs, or handling charges incurred.

4.5 The Company shall not be liable for delays caused by supplier shortages or incorrect supply.

5. Authority to Proceed

5.1 By accepting the quotation, the customer authorises the Company’s engineer to proceed for such time as is reasonably required to diagnose, repair, test and commission the equipment.

5.2 Unless expressly instructed to cease works, the engineer may continue working as necessary.

5.3 Where no instruction to stop is given, the works shall be deemed authorised in full.

5.4 All time spent up to completion or instruction to cease works shall be chargeable.

5.5 If works are suspended or aborted at the customer’s request, all time spent remains chargeable.

5.6 Time reasonably spent diagnosing, rectifying multiple defects, addressing installation-related issues, or undertaking works necessary to return equipment to safe or proper operation shall be chargeable, notwithstanding the customer’s retrospective view of the time taken.

6. Commercial Viability & Non-Repairable Equipment

6.1 The customer is responsible for deciding whether to proceed with repair having considered that final costs may exceed the estimate.

6.2 Where equipment is deemed beyond economical or practical repair, the customer remains liable for all labour, diagnostic time, and parts supplied up to that point.

7. Access, Appointments & Site Conditions

7.1 The customer shall provide safe, unrestricted access and suitable working conditions.

7.2 If an engineer attends but cannot carry out work due to lack of access, equipment being in use, or other factors outside the Company’s control, a call-out charge shall apply.

7.3 A minimum of 24 hours’ notice is required for cancellation.

7.4 Time lost due to unsafe, restricted, or unsuitable conditions may be chargeable.

7.5 The Company reserves the right to suspend works where conditions are unsafe or non-compliant.

8. Subcontracting & Compliance

8.1 The Company may engage subcontractors to carry out works.

8.2 Subcontractors act as authorised representatives of the Company.

8.3 The customer shall not, without the Company’s prior written consent, enter into direct contractual arrangements with, solicit, or engage any subcontractor introduced by the Company for works outside this agreement.

8.4 The Company shall take reasonable steps to ensure engineers are suitably qualified. Where legally required, appropriate Gas Safe registration will be held. Engineers maintain appropriate public liability insurance.

8.5 All subcontractors engaged by the Company shall carry out works under the same Terms & Conditions as the Company. The Company remains fully responsible for the quality and execution of all works performed by subcontractors.

8.6 Where the Company arranges works through a subcontractor or authorised service partner, the customer’s contract remains solely with the Company and the customer shall remain liable for the Company’s charges as invoiced, regardless of any direct contact or communication between the customer and such subcontractor or service partner.

8.7 The customer shall not circumvent the Company by directly instructing, engaging, or attempting to contract with any subcontractor, engineer or authorised service partner introduced by the Company in relation to works arranged by the Company. Any such action shall not affect the customer’s liability for charges due to the Company.

9. Warranty & Recall

9.1 Parts supplied and fitted by the Company are warranted only to the extent of the applicable manufacturer’s or supplier’s warranty, which is generally 90 days unless otherwise stated in writing.

9.2 Labour and workmanship relating directly to repairs carried out by the Company are warranted for 30 calendar days from the date of repair (“Workmanship Warranty”).

9.3 A return visit will only be treated as a non-chargeable recall where the reported fault is found by the attending engineer to arise directly from defective workmanship or a defective part previously supplied and fitted by the Company and falling within the applicable warranty period.

9.4 A return visit shall not be treated as a recall and shall be chargeable at the Company’s standard rates where the attendance reveals, including but not limited to:

a) the reported fault is unrelated to the original repair;
b) no fault is found or the equipment is operating within normal parameters;
c) the issue arises from user error, misuse, operator settings, blocked filters, poor maintenance, inadequate cleaning, limescale or scale build-up, water quality issues, detergent or chemical dosing issues, consumables, or other operational issues;
d) the issue arises from site services or external causes including electrical supply, gas, water, drainage, power surges, voltage irregularities, third-party interference, or force majeure / events beyond the Company’s reasonable control;
e) further or progressive faults are identified unrelated to the original repair; or
f) the equipment has been altered, tampered with, or repaired by others since the Company’s attendance.

9.5 Any “no fault found” attendance or attendance where the reported issue cannot be replicated by the engineer shall be chargeable at standard rates.

9.6 Issues believed to relate to the original repair must be reported in writing within the 30-day workmanship warranty period. Reports outside this period shall be treated as new service calls.

9.7 Where a part supplied and fitted by the Company is found to be defective within its applicable manufacturer’s or supplier’s warranty period, replacement of that part shall be subject solely to the terms of that warranty. Labour to diagnose, remove, refit or replace the defective part may be chargeable at the Company’s standard rates unless expressly agreed otherwise in writing. Any additional faults identified during such attendance shall be treated as separate faults and charged accordingly.

9.8 Acceptance of a return visit request, or permitting engineer attendance without prior written objection to these Terms, shall constitute agreement that where the attendance falls outside a valid recall under this clause, the visit will be chargeable.

9.9 Any warranty or recall applies only to the specific repair or part previously supplied and fitted by the Company and does not constitute a warranty or guarantee of the appliance as a whole.

9.10 For the purposes of determining whether an attendance constitutes a valid recall under this clause, the findings of the Company’s attending engineer, acting reasonably and in good faith, shall be conclusive for billing and recall determination purposes unless demonstrably shown to be materially in error.

9.11 If the customer believes a fault relates to a previous repair, the customer must provide the Company a reasonable opportunity to inspect the equipment and assess any recall claim before instructing any third party. Failure to do so shall invalidate any claim that the issue should be treated as a warranty recall by the Company.

9.12 Any warranty or recall entitlement in relation to the alleged fault shall cease where the equipment has been altered, adjusted, repaired, dismantled or otherwise worked upon by any third party prior to the Company being given reasonable opportunity to inspect the alleged fault.

10. Retention of Title & Risk

10.1 All goods remain the property of the Company until paid in full.

10.2 Risk in goods passes to the customer upon delivery or installation.

10.3 The Company reserves the right to remove unpaid parts, which may render the appliance non-functional.

11. Evidence & Record Keeping

11.1 The Company may take photographs, video recordings, and written records of equipment and site conditions before, during, and after works for evidential purposes.

11.2 Such records may be relied upon in the event of any dispute.

12. Hazardous Materials

12.1 The Company shall not be liable for the discovery or disturbance of asbestos, hazardous materials, or unsafe installations.

12.2 Where such materials are suspected, works may be suspended and time spent remains chargeable.

13. Customer Instructions

13.1 Where the customer instructs the Company to proceed contrary to the Company’s recommendation, the Company shall not be liable for any resulting defect, failure, or damage arising from such instruction.

14. Insurance

The Company maintains appropriate Public Liability and Employers’ Liability insurance.

15. Limitation of Liability

15.1 The Company shall not be liable for indirect or consequential loss, business interruption, loss of profit, or downtime.

15.2 To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company’s aggregate liability arising out of or in connection with the works shall not exceed the charges paid for those works.

15.3 Nothing excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence.

16. Force Majeure

The Company shall not be liable for delay or failure due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control.

17. Data Protection

The Company will process personal data in accordance with applicable UK data protection legislation.

18. Dispute Resolution

The parties shall attempt to resolve disputes amicably and may seek mediation before commencing legal proceedings.

19. Severability

If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force.

20. Governing Law

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

21. Questions or concerns

If you have any questions or concerns about any of the Terms and Conditions outlined above, please contact us in writing. We encourage you to reach out before accepting the quotation or proceeding with the service.

All queries should be sent to:

CaterCare Catering Equipment Ltd
Unit 1 Nimbus Park,

Porz Avenue,
Dunstable, Beds,

LU5 5WZ

Alternatively, you can call us at 01582 862000 or email us at enquiries@catercare.com