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Chrissie Brown Copywriting Services Terms and Conditions

 

These terms and conditions (T&C) apply when you use my copywriting services. They are designed to work in conjunction with proposal prices or quotations as agreed with you, prior to commencing work (or continuing with new projects in line with previous agreements between us, for simplicity). Rather than write solely in legalese, I’ve tried to keep these clear and to the point. Do let me know at chrissie@chrissiebrowncopywriter.com if you have any questions regarding these terms before commissioning me to start work!

Before work starts

  1. Before I start working for you for the first time, I will give you a proposal or estimate, usually by email. This sets out the cost of the work you require and its scope. 
  2. At this stage I state if the costs are fixed, per word, or on an hourly/per day basis.
  3. I don’t start work until I have written (email) confirmation from you that you are happy with this proposal.
  4. If we have worked together previously, the anticipated costs will be calculated in the same previously agreed way for satisfactorily completed work. I will take your instructions, or request for new work, as the acceptance of the same pricing structure based on previous work, unless you specifically ask for a new cost proposal.
  5. Once you have provided written confirmation that you are happy to go ahead at the stated costs, or you as a returning client have sent through new instructions, you agree to these terms and conditions.
  6. For new clients, I require your registered name and address (for limited companies) and full name and address (for sole traders and individuals) before I start work. 
  7. I am not your employee (one of the benefits for you as there’s no tax, NI, or pensions!), worker, agent or provider. I am a freelance service provider. As such, please do not give me a company specific email address or login, or expect me to work for you in such a way as would make me an employee. 

Time frames

  1. At the outset, I will provide you with an estimated turnaround time. I take all reasonable steps to ensure I provide the work to you within this time. I will give you confirmation of the timescale once you provide the brief, and have agreed to go ahead with the work.
  2. If, for some unforeseen reason (e.g. sickness), I am unable to complete your work within the pre-arranged timeframe, I will let you know as soon as possible.
  3. If you do not provide me with the brief in sufficient time, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to fulfil the estimated turnaround time. Furthermore, there may be significant delay to your project, depending on my schedule availability and when I can reschedule the work.

Fees and payment

  1. My fees for copywriting services are set out in the quotation, proposal or email in advance of work commencing. These are usually calculated per project/per piece, or my hourly rate, whichever you prefer, or which we have mutually agreed works best according to the nature of your requirements.
  2. Feeds are calculated based on the time required to research, write, proofread and make feedback edits your project. Edits and revisions are included as two sets of revisions in line with your original brief. Fees do not include extensive briefing time via meetings or phone calls (briefs should be predominantly provided by email) and they do not include time spent liaising with designers, web developers or other agencies unless previously agreed.
  3. For projects over £250 and for all new clients, a deposit of 50% of the total fee is payable in advance of work commencing. For projects in excess of £800, I usually arrange staged payments.
  4. Fees include reasonable revisions, in line with your original brief. Payment of the invoice should not be withheld based on any critical appraisal of the copy; you are paying for my time, quantum meruit.
  5. In exceptional circumstances, where I do not feel we can reach agreement, I may offer a partial refund in exchange for the agreement not to use the copy provided.
  6. I invoice on completion of the work (or completion of the agreed stage). Payment is required within 14 days. Late payment fees and charges apply. Please see my additional late payment terms at the end of this document. These are also enclosed in each invoice.
  7. Unless otherwise specified, fees are for copywriting services only and do not include images, graphs, tables or other content, meta data etc. 
  8. I am not registered for VAT.

Cancellations and changes

  1. Should you wish to cancel the project prior to me starting work; a refund of any amounts paid will be given, less a 10% administration fee if I am able to fill the time in my schedule, or 50% if I am unable to do so.
  2. Should you wish to cancel the project when I have already commenced work, I shall do my best to refund you according to the amount of work completed so far. However, if I am unable to fill the time in my schedule with another project then full payment will need to be made.
  3. Should you request changes to the copy format after I have completed the first draft, due to the format of the copy being uploaded to your website, when you have not provided me with the website template or confinements in advance, I reserve the right to charge my hourly rate to make the required amendments.
  4. It’s understandable that a change in project scope is needed occasionally. I reserve the right to review and alter my project fee if the scope of the project changes substantially.
  5. If you wish to delay the project, please let me know immediately. I will do my best to give you a revised delivery date in line with your expectations, but cannot guarantee I will be available at such a date. Please see clause 17 regarding refunds.

What I need from you

  1. Copywriting is always more in line with a client’s expectations if they provide a full and clear brief. Therefore, please give me as much information about what you need as possible. I am happy to accept a brief in most formats – usually in an email or Word document. If you are unsure what to include in the brief, please email chrissie@chrissiebrowncopywriter.com and I will supply you with a brief template to use.
  2. Clear and timely email communication regarding any questions I have around the brief/instructions either before work commences, and once I have started.
  3. Your address, as detailed in clause 6. 
  4. If you go incommunicado with me, during the time I am working on your project, preventing me from completing the work (or to your expectation), or fail to supply a brief in time, then I reserve the right to charge you for the full project amount as I will have reserved this time for you.
  5. By giving me the go ahead to start work, you agree to these terms and conditions and also confirm, through implication, that you are authorised to commission the project. 

I will

  1. I will complete your copywriting project to the very best of my ability, in line with the brief provided by you, utilising my professional expertise, knowledge and skill.
  2. I will endeavour to ensure I complete copy which is accurate in terms of spelling, grammar and facts. However, it remains your responsibility to thoroughly check the copy before uploading it or using it.
  3. I will always do my best to answer your questions, take on board feedback, and understand your expectations.
  4. I will seek clarification if I am unsure of something in the brief.
  5. I will make all reasonable revisions, in line with the brief.
  6. I will, wherever possible, extend a project in line with your requirements (for agreed extra fee). However, it may not always be possible to complete it in the time you require.
  7. I will ensure all work is unique and plagiarism free.
  8. Occasionally, I use other copywriters to complete work. If I intend to do this I always agree it with the client in advance and I edit and proofread all work before submitting to you. Your agreement is still with me, as if I am the primary writer.
  9. I do not use AI to complete writing and all work will pass AI detection checks, unless you specifically ask me to use AI to produce larger quantities of basic copy at a lower cost. However, I do use AI tools like Grammarly to improve the quality of the content I write.

Indemnification

  1. You shall indemnify me against all costs, expenses and claims which I experience as a result (directly or indirectly) of your failure to meet the terms of this agreement.
  2. I will not be held liable to you for any loss (opportunity, profits, business or other) which are as a result (directly or indirectly) of my provision of copywriting services, either by you or a third party.
  3. I take every effort to avoid errors, mistakes, misrepresentations or inaccuracies. However, the final responsibility for the published copy if yours. As such, you absolve me of responsibility for any costs incurred as a result of any errors in final published copy, regardless of whether these errors were in any draft of the copy supplied by me. 

Intellectual Property

  1. By paying for my copywriting services, you are buying the copyright to the work that I write for you. If you do not make full and complete payment then the copyright remains with me. Copyright remains with me until you make complete payment.
  2. I have the right to use the copy in my portfolio, or as an example to prospective clients, unless specifically requested by you not to by way of an NDA in advance of starting work. If you would like me to sign an NDA, I am happy to do this. Please send it over in advance of work commencing. 
  3. All copy displayed on this site, both within my own content and my portfolio, is copyright of me or the commissioning company and displayed for viewing purposes only. You may not copy or adapt any item, in whole or part, for any use whatsoever, except to demonstrate to others, such as a colleague, the nature of my copywriting with a view to commissioning copy.

Payment terms

  1. Payment should be made via BACs. Details are on invoices.
  2. Payment made by any other means must be arranged in advance. You will need to cover all additional fees I incur e.g. PayPal fees and conversion fees.
  3. Invoices should be paid within 14 days of issue, unless previously agreed in writing.
  4. In the event of late payment:
    1. On the day an invoice becomes overdue you will be sent Reminder 1.
    2. 3 days after an invoice becomes overdue you will be sent Reminder 2.
    3. 7 days after an invoice becomes overdue you will be sent Reminder 3.
    4. 8 days after an invoice becomes overdue a late payment fee of £40 will be added to your invoice and interest (at 5% of the original amount per day) will be levied.
    5. 14 days after an invoice is overdue OR when the total invoice amount exceeds £250 small claims court action will begin.
    6. Interest will continue to accrue at 5% of the original amount per day until settlement is made.
    7. At any point that a final figure for settlement is required, please email Chrissie@chrissiebrowncopywriter.com or the email address within these terms on the invoice itself.
  5. Debt recovery costs and interest are chargeable in accordance with The Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 as amended and supplemented by Late Payment of Commercial Debts Regulations 2002.
  6. If your accounts or finance department needs more information than that detailed on your invoice, they must request the further information that they need in order to complete payment by the payment date.
  7. The existence of 30, 60, or 90 day payment terms, or an ‘end of following month’ payment practice within your company does not alter your obligation to make payment by the date shown on invoices.

Our contract will be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales. By doing business with me, you accept these Terms & Conditions. 

If you have any questions about my T&Cs, please email me at chrissie@chrissiebrowncopywriter.com.