Terms and Conditions

(1) Introduction

These terms and conditions govern your use of our website and services; by using our services, you accept these terms and conditions in full. If you disagree with these terms and conditions or any part thereof, you must not use our services. These terms and conditions cover all work undertaken by us, including proofreading and editing (also covers re-edits, any work completed free of charge.

(2) Scope of services

Proofreading vs. copy editing

Traditionally, proofreading refers to a thorough check of page proofs created by a designer to ensure all style elements are consistent, and that there are no remaining typos or other issues. Editing occurs before the designer gets involved, and entails correcting errors in the language itself.

We do our best to check documents for errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation and syntax, as well as general consistency and flow. We also format documents to specific guidelines where requested, and check the reference list (where applicable) for completeness and accuracy against the in-text citations. However, we do not verify the content or technical accuracy of the work, and we do not extensively rewrite work or write work for you. In short, we are not responsible for final proof reading of your files, graphics, flyers, designs, websites, brochures etc. or for any ordered prints by you, the client, that contain errors. Final approved artwork; by you, the client, that is printed through our company and contains print or context errors may be reprinted at our cost.

Following completion of work

We strive to provide complete satisfaction to our customers, and all documents are proofread to a high standard. However, you are responsible for reviewing the edited document upon completion and contacting us should any errors be discovered. We will always correct any outstanding issues with a document upon request (where these appeared in the work originally submitted). We are not obligated to refund the cost of the service in the case of an edited document being less than perfect.

If you are unsure about why we have altered a certain word or phrase the way we have, and would like us to explain, please feel free to contact us. We use a wide variety of reference materials including dictionaries, style manuals and writing guides – not to mention our own years of experience – and we are always happy to provide explanations behind the changes we have made.

If you make additional changes to the proofread document, please send it back to us for a final language check. Minor revisions will be checked free of charge (provided they are adequately highlighted), and extensively revised documents will be eligible for re-checking at a discounted rate.

We are not responsible for errors arising from changes made after the edit, from recommended changes being rejected, or from a failure to address issues highlighted during the edit via comments.

Please note that if your edited document requires rechecking at a future date (for example, based on feedback from a journal editor), we will gladly check our original edited version again free of charge (please note: this must be our original edit with no additional changes). In order to do so, we will need to merge your submitted document with our original edited document to verify whether changes were made, so please submit both to us when requesting a recheck. If you are unable to supply our edited version of the document, and if more than 12 months has passed (and therefore we have automatically deleted your work from our system), we will be unable to recheck the document for free and the regular re-edit charge (full fee minus 30%—see subsequent paragraph) will apply.

If you have made changes to a document following our edit that you would like us to recheck, or if you are unable to send our edited version, a charge will apply (based on either the full fee minus a 30% discount for us to check the whole document, or charges for your highlighted changes).

(3) Document submissions and returns

We reserve the right to decline any work, for any reason.

We always aim to complete work within the period agreed with you in advance; however, forces beyond our control, or particularly complex pieces of work, may occasionally mean that we are not be able to complete the work within the specified time frame. If this is the case, we will always let you know as soon as possible.

If you have any problems opening your returned document, please just let us know and we will send your work to you in an alternative format.

(4) Confidentiality

We take intellectual copyright, classified material and other forms of confidential documents very seriously. You retain sole copyright, ownership and control over all materials submitted to us for proofreading. We retain the completed work a maximum of 12 months (in case you have any queries or any follow-up work is needed). After this time it is permanently deleted. If you would prefer that we delete work sooner than 12 months please let us know; however, please bear in mind that re-edits or any related follow-up work may not be possible in this case.

We love feedback. If you say something nice about our work via email or otherwise, we may use this as a testimonial on our website. By agreeing to these terms and conditions you agree to let us use such information in full, including your name, country and institution. However, if you would prefer that we do not use some of this information, please let us know – we completely understand, and we're more than happy to comply.

(5) Payment and discounts

Payment information is sent electronically following our initial confirmed quote. Preferred payment method is via credit debit card (or via Stripe or PayPal), or bank transfer/wire, although alternative methods can be accepted.

We frequently offer promotional discounts. Discounts cannot be combined, and only one discount is applicable per job. We reserve the right to withdraw or adjust discount offerings at any time and without notice.

(6) User-generated content

In these terms and conditions, “your user content” means material (including without limitation text, images, audio material, video material and audio-visual material) that you submit to our website, for whatever purpose.

Your user content must not be illegal or unlawful, must not infringe any third party's legal rights, and must not be capable of giving rise to legal action whether against you or us or a third party (in each case under any applicable law).

You must not submit any user content to the website that is or has ever been the subject of any threatened or actual legal proceedings or other similar complaint.

We reserve the right to edit or remove any material submitted to our website, or stored on our servers, or hosted or published upon a website.

(7) Limitations of liability

Our liability to you in relation to the use of our website or services under or in connection with these terms and conditions, will be limited as follows:
(a) We will not be liable for any consequential, indirect or special loss or damage

(b) We will not be liable for any loss of profit, income, revenue, anticipated savings, contracts, business, goodwill, reputation, data, or information

(c) We will not be liable for any loss or damage arising out of any event or events beyond our reasonable control

(d) We will not be liable for any damages or injury caused by any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, defect, delay in operation of transmission, computer virus, or equipment failure.

(8) Indemnity

You hereby indemnify us and undertake to keep us indemnified against any losses, damages, costs, liabilities and expenses (including without limitation legal expenses and any amounts paid by us to a third party in settlement of a claim or dispute on the advice of our legal advisers) incurred or suffered by us arising out of any breach by you of any provision of these terms and conditions, or arising out of any claim that you have breached any provision of these Terms and Conditions.

(9) Severability

If a provision of these terms and conditions is determined by any court or other competent authority to be unlawful and/or unenforceable, the other provisions will continue in effect. If any unlawful and/or unenforceable provision would be lawful or enforceable if part of it were deleted, that part will be deemed to be deleted, and the rest of the provision will continue in effect.

If you have any questions on these terms and conditions, please let us know via email.