Terms of Service

Search Scientist Ltd Terms of Service

The Search Scientist team work hard to get the best possible results for our clients, and aim to build a lasting, friendly relationship with them as we do. Our clients tend to stay with us for the long term as a result of good service, thus we don’t believe in contractual tie-ins. We only ask for 30 days notice if you wish to terminate working with us. We do ask though that invoices are paid on time, and collect payment via Direct Debit for ongoing management fees.

Search Scientist’s Terms of Service outline the conditions you can expect from us. This document lays out responsibilities for both us and you. In addition to these Terms of Service, we may also provide email communication detailing the work that we will be doing for you. If there is any conflict between the Terms of Service and this, the details specified in the latter will prevail.

Who we are

Search Scientist Ltd (“Search Scientist”, “we”, or “us”) is a limited company registered in Northern Ireland, company number: NI603064. Our services focus on digital marketing management and related consultancy. We are VAT registered, VAT number 181 9293 80. All of our fees are subject to VAT, levied at the standard rates.

Our duty of care is to give your business all reasonable skill, care and attention in the field of digital marketing.

Office Hours

Our normal office hours are 10am – 6pm, with an earlier finish at 5pm on Fridays. Our office is based at 51 Malone Road, Belfast, BT9 6RY. We take bank holidays. In case of emergency outside of office hours please email louise@searchscientist.co.uk, CCing your account manager. If you instruct us to work outside normal working hours we reserve the right to charge an appropriate uplift on the standard hourly rate, depending on the circumstances. We will tell you where work is chargeable over and above any work already agreed, before carrying out the work.

Performance

Our work, in almost all cases, brings about improved performance for our clients. However, there are always some factors beyond our control, so we can’t make guarantees on performance. Digital marketing performance can be difficult to predict, especially when in a new untried area/account. Our experience helps to minimise surprise outcomes, but there can still be an element of “trial and error”. Our fees are charged on a basis of work done, rather than the financial outcome of that work. We may agree targets with you but these should be viewed as performance aims rather than guaranteed outcomes.

Fees

Fees will be stated in advance of work beginning. Where we are providing services on an ongoing basis and no specific end date or fixed total budget has been agreed with you, it will be taken that you have authorised us to continue advertising on your behalf until you’ve given notice (via email) informing us otherwise.

Any third party expenses (e.g. Google AdWords clicks cost) will be paid directly by you to that third party.

Payment

Payment is to be made as outlined on the invoice, typically by the last day of the month in which the work is done. Your agreement to proceed is an agreement to pay those fees by the date issued on the invoice. Any additional fees will be put to you for approval before we proceed.

In the event of non-payment within 14 days of the invoice due date we shall be entitled to charge you for all costs associated with chasing the outstanding amount together with interest on the outstanding amount at the rate of 8% above the Royal Bank of Scotland base rate. We shall be under no obligation to carry out any further work for you until outstanding invoices have been paid in full. In the event that any of our fees or other costs due by you to us remain outstanding you authorise us to remove your access to any third party accounts we have been working on for you, until payment is made in full.

Ownership

Any third party account set up and/or managed on your behalf (e.g. Google Ads, Bing Ads, Google Analytics, Google Search Console, WordPress, Shopify etc.) belongs to you and you are welcome to continue using this account after management by us has ceased. You will have full access to these accounts. However, we ask that you don’t make changes to the account when under our management without first letting us know. If there are any specific changes that you would like made, please instead ask us to do so and we can make these changes for you as appropriate.

It is your responsibility to ensure that the wording and search keywords comply with all applicable laws and regulations (including without limitation, trademark laws). In the event of no response to the contrary, we will assume that you have given us permission to use the said wording. You hereby agree to indemnify us against any claims, losses, damages, costs and expenses that may be incurred.

Where appropriate, we may give you login details to third party accounts. You are responsible for the security of these details and hereby agree to indemnify us against any losses, claims, damages, costs and expenses that may result from a breach of security or misuse of login details.

Non-exclusivity 

Unless otherwise agreed, we may work for any other clients including those you may consider to be in competition with you.

Recruitment of Search Scientist Staff

You agree to not attempt to recruit or recruit our employees or those of our former employees who have been employed by us in the past 6 months. In the event of any breach by you of this clause, we will be entitled to immediate payment of £5,000 or 25% of the employee’s basic annual salary, whichever is the greater figure. This clause will remain in place until a period of 18 months beyond the termination of your business relationship with us.

Confidentiality

We will respect your confidentiality. All employees of Search Scientist have signed Non-Disclosure Agreements. Any information (including reports and data) we make available to you may not be shared with any third party without our permission. Any knowledge you gain from us as a direct result of receipt of our services should be treated as confidential.

You hereby give Search Scientist permission to include your name as a client in our promotional material. You may withdraw such permission at any time on giving us written notice. This restriction applies beyond the end of your business relationship with us.

Termination

Either party may cancel management by giving 30 days’ prior notice in writing (via email). If at any point you wish to cancel management, simply email louise@searchscientist.co.uk, CCing both your account manager and eoin@searchscientist.co.uk. It is your responsibility to give us 30 days’ notice if you wish to cancel your management. If you cancel management prior to a full calendar month’s end, then a full month’s management fee will still apply. If, following termination, we are required to carry out any work to make any third party accounts usable under your own management, then we reserve the right to charge an appropriate fee.

No Waivers of our Rights

Failure (or delay) by us to exercise any rights available to us within these Terms of Service will not in any way diminish our rights.

Acceptance of these Terms of Business

These Terms of Service shall govern our relationship with you unless we agree otherwise with you in writing by email. By asking us to do work for you, whether it’s in writing or otherwise, you will be deemed to have accepted our terms of service.