Terms of business
1. Estimates, Bookings and Repair Location
ChipsAway does not assess for or repair any mechanical, electrical, structural or safety-related damage. Estimates and repairs are for non-structural bodywork damage identified by the customer as requiring repair. The Estimate prepared by ChipsAway is an offer to conduct repairs to the damage indicated at the price stated. The customer's agreement however stated to proceed with repairs constitutes acceptance of that offer and forms a binding legal contract incorporating these Terms of Business. A deposit may be required to secure the booking and/or for any parts or materials to be specially ordered. This deposit shall be non-refundable in case of customer cancellation or no-show (in which cases all obligations on ChipsAway to complete the repair shall cease to exist).
If for any reason, including but not limited to inclement weather, ChipsAway is unable to carry out the repair or collection at the time date or location indicated on the Estimate, any and all liability incurred by ChipsAway as a result shall be discharged by ChipsAway making an offer to conduct the repair at the Estimate price at an alternative time date or location convenient to both parties, whether or not such time date and location is identified or such offer is accepted.
Repairs may be completed at a location agreed with the customer, or at ChipsAway's nominated location. ChipsAway has absolute discretion to decide on the location for the repair. This decision may be changed, including on the date of the booked repair, as variable factors including but not limited to weather and available light affect the decision. If ChipsAway decide that the repair should be completed at a location other than that originally envisaged, the customer authorises ChipsAway to remove the vehicle to such an appropriate location. Removal and return of the vehicle in these circumstances will be a service provided by ChipsAway at no further charge. Any refusal by the customer to permit such removal shall be treated as a cancellation and lead to loss of deposit. If the vehicle is not in a road legal condition, including having appropriate documentation (including but not limited to vehicle excise license ("Tax Disc") and MOT test certificate) this shall be treated as a cancellation and lead to loss of deposit unless the lack of road legal condition was notified to ChipsAway at or before the point of booking.
2. Carrying Out the Repairs
ChipsAway undertakes to carry out the repairs indicated on the Estimate. If it becomes clear during the work that, in the opinion of the repairer, further work is necessary to properly complete the repairs outlined on the Estimate, the customer's authorisation and agreement will be obtained before any further work is undertaken that would increase the price shown on the Estimate. If such authorisation is not forthcoming, ChipsAway reserves the right not to continue with the repairs that require the further work. In these circumstances the full Estimate price remains payable by the customer. Further work that does not increase the Estimate price may be proceeded with without the requirement for customer authorisation. No repair will be identical to an automotive factory finish, which is machine-sprayed to tolerances beyond human capability. Hence no repair will ever be "as good as new". ChipsAway discharges its obligations under any repair agreement by providing a good quality, hand-completed aftermarket repair. In normal circumstances, such a repair is unlikely to be detected by a casual examination of the vehicle by an untrained observer unaware of the previous damage location.
The ChipsAway repair system includes elements (including but not limited to factory paint reproduction recipe database) that are provided by third parties. Finish (including but not limited to colour) match may be approximate only when limitations of such third party supplied elements prevent a more precise finish match. In any such case, provision by ChipsAway of an approximate finish match will be considered supply of a good quality repair. ChipsAway is entitled to subcontract out work to or engage on behalf of the customer as agent such third parties as we see fit.
The ChipsAway paint system is designed to reproduce and be compatible with an original vehicle finish. Hence an approximate finish match will be considered a good quality repair where the vehicle finish is non-original. It is the absolute responsibility of the customer to advise ChipsAway of any non-original finish areas on the vehicle. In case of chemical incompatibility with a non-original finish (whether or not notified by the customer) ChipsAway will not be obliged to complete or rectify any affected repair and the customer will not be obliged to make payment for the portion of the invoice price representing any affected repair. The customer accepts all liability for any occurrence of contractual mistake under this agreement to the extent permitted by law.
3. Extent of Warranty
ChipsAway guarantee repairs for a period of two years. This is a formulation and application guarantee: that the finish will not degrade due to the refinish materials being improperly prepared or applied by ChipsAway. An extended guarantee in these terms without the two year duration limit is available at no further cost, please ask for details.
No guarantee of any sort is offered against damage to the finish by any corrosion or rust (whether or not evident before the repair was carried out) by failure of the surface to which the repair is applied (including but not limited to failure of a previous aftermarket paintwork repair), further accident or impact (including but not limited to stone chipping) or by inappropriate aftercare once the vehicle has been returned to the customer. Aftercare instructions will be supplied by ChipsAway with the customer invoice.
Following EU legislation, all automotive paint, including the ChipsAway system, is now waterbased. ChipsAway apply a clearcoat over your paintwork repair, to provide the gloss, and protect the paint skin from water. If water is allowed to soak into the underlying paint, it can discolour or stain a waterbased paint skin (as well as beginning the rusting process on metal panels). If your protective clearcoat is damaged or chipped, ChipsAway recommend it be repaired without delay to prevent water ingress. Corrosion in metal panels or discolouration or degradation to the paint skin where the clearcoat has been penetrated is not covered by your guarantee.
Chip repairs, "touch-ins", polishing repairs and any other repairs identified as such to the customer by ChipsAway will be on an "improve only" basis, and no representation is made and no guarantee offered that such a repair will be in any way undetectable against the original finish. Repairs may be identified as an "attempt to improve only" in which case ChipsAway do not guarantee any improvement. All repairs involving distortion to panels are on an "improve only" basis as regards reprofiling the panel unless the repair method stated on the Estimate involves panel replacement. Claims under the ChipsAway guarantee are settled by free rectification or (at ChipsAway's discretion) a refund equal to the portion of the invoice price representing the unsatisfactory repair. Any refund or liability shall be limited to the portion of the invoice price representing the unsatisfactory repair. Where the portion of the invoice price representing any particular repair is not specified on the invoice or estimate, ChipsAway's decision on apportionment will be conclusive. ChipsAway will not be liable for any consequential loss incurred as the result of a repair. It is incumbent on the customer to keep a receipt as proof of work carried out. Any warranty claim made without a receipt shall be at ChipsAway's discretion. The ChipsAway warranty is not transferable.
For all repairs, including those repairs carried out on a mobile basis, warranty claims will be begun by inspection of the repair the subject of the claim, at ChipsAway's nominated premises, as warranty inspections require ideal conditions and can be frustrated by inclement weather and poor lighting conditions. This inspection shall be by appointment only. The customer accepts all responsibility for bringing the repair to ChipsAway's premises. This procedure shall be varied only at ChipsAway's absolute discretion.
To the extent permitted by law ChipsAway has the right to make reasonable updates to the terms of the warranty offered at their absolute discretion and without notice and the customer accepts that the terms of the warranty in force at the point of claim and used in the resolution of their claim may not be those that were in force at the point of completion of their repair.
4. Payment
Unless other arrangements have been agreed beforehand, payment is due on completion of the repair and shall be by debit card (credit cards are accepted subject to a transaction fee of 3%). At our discretion mobile repairs may be paid for by cheque (supported by and within the limit of a supplied guarantee card) or cash (change may not be available). ChipsAway is entitled to exercise a lien over the repaired vehicle until satisfactory payment is made by the customer, which in the case of payment by cheque shall be deemed to have taken place when a cheque has cleared the banking process. If payment is not made when due, a credit charge of 20% will be applied to all invoices not settled within one calendar week from the due date.
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