Terms & Conditions
1. General
1.1 These terms and conditions set out an agreement
between you and Steve and Martin’s Precious Pet Services
Ltd.
1.2 We will treat your personal information confidentially and
will not pass on your details to any third parties other than
the pet sitters.
1.3 Information that you have submitted on the booking form/s will be
used for all subsequent bookings, unless we are notified in writing
that there has been a change in your contact details/address, pets’
conditions, or requirements.
1.4 We provide a free first visit in which the sitter will come
and meet you and your pet/s.
1.5 You must ensure that forms requested by Steve & Martin’s
Precious Pet Services Ltd are completed, signed, and
submitted at the same time as the booking fee is paid.
Without this your sitter is unable to sit for you.
1.6 You agree that we can post pictures of your pet(s)
on social media and printed material.
If you do not agree to this, please advise us in writing.
2. Payment
2.1 Payment is in two parts:
2.1.1 Once the booking has been confirmed, a non-refundable
booking fee must be paid directly to Steve & Martin’s
Precious Pet Services Ltd. For new customers and existing
customers who are using a new sitter, this will be once they
have confirmed that they are happy to proceed following the
initial visit. For existing customers who are having the same
sitter they have used before, this will be when the sitter is
confirmed. If this booking fee is not paid your booking will be
cancelled.
2.1.2 Balance will need to be paid directly to the sitter on the last
day of your live-in sit, or directly to the sitter at the end of
the month if you are having on-going visits/sits/walks each
month, or directly to the sitter on the day of the
sit/visit/walk if you are having a one-off sit/visit/walk.
2.2 For any live-in sits, you will be charged a day rate.
2.3 You will be charged time and a half for standard bank holidays and
double time for Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, and
New Year’s Day. This will be for live-in sits only.
2.4 A second visit, lasting up to one hour and a half will be charged at £30. Any subsequent
visits will need to be booked via the office and will be charged at an hourly rate.
2.5 Our sitters will charge petrol costs at 45p a mile or public transport
costs for the first free visit and for the arrival and final departure
journey for your live-in sit. Travel expenses must be paid directly to
your sitter, and you can confirm this cost when they contact you to
arrange their first visit.
3. Cancellations
3.1 Your booking fee paid to Steve & Martin’s Precious Pets
Services Ltd is non-refundable.
3.2 As soon as you become aware of the need to cancel
a booking, you must notify Steve & Martin’s Precious
Pet Service Ltd in writing at
contact@smpreciouspets.com and let the sitter know.
3.3 In the event of live-in sit cancellations, the following
charges will apply:
I. 21 days before the sit commences there will be no
sitter charge.
II. Within 21 days to 48 hours of the live-in sit, 25% of
the sitter fee will be charged.
III. Within 48 hours of the live-in sit, the full sitter fee
with a £500 cap will be charged.
IV. On the actual day of the live-in sit, the full sitter fee
without any cap will be charged.
3.4 In the event of day sits /evening sits/walks/visit cancellations the
following charges will apply:
I. More than 48 hours before the sit/walk/visit
commences, there will be no sitter charge.
II. Within 48 hours of the sit/walk/visit commencing, the
sitters full fee will be charged.
3.5 If you arrive home before the confirmed date, you will not receive
a refund.
4. Pets
4.1 You undertake to make a full disclosure of any quality and/or
characteristic which might make your dog unsuitable for home
sitting or walking including, but not limited to behavioural and/or
health problems, anti-social behaviour including aggression,
incontinence/lack of housetraining and/or excessive loud
barking/whining. Failure on your part to disclose any matter which
might render your pet unsuitable for home sitting and/or walking
will be deemed a material omission amounting to a fundamental
breach of this agreement. You will also be liable for additional costs
if Steve & Martin’s Precious Pet Services Ltd experience difficulties
due to a failure to disclose information in the booking form that
would be accepted as unreasonably unsuitable for home sitting or
walking.
4.2 You will present your pet/s for sitting in a clean and groomed
condition with up-to-date vaccinations, de-flea, and anti-worming
treatments.
4.3 You agree to supply enough food and products for your pet for the
duration of your time away. If insufficient food or products are
supplied, you agree to reimburse the sitter for any costs they may
have to outlay.
4.4 If an off-lead walk is required, you will need to sign an off-lead
insurance disclaimer and before the sit, the sitter will need to
accompany you and your dog/s on a £30 1 hour off-lead walk to
make sure they are happy with your dog’s recall.
4.5 Reasonable efforts will be made to contact you or your emergency
contact in the event of an emergency. If, however we cannot
contact you, Steve & Martin’s Precious Pet Services Ltd reserve the
right to make decisions regarding your pet’s health. At all times we
will be acting in the best interest of your pet and on the advice of
the veterinary surgeon if a vet visit is required. If your pet becomes
unwell, has an accident, or injures themselves we may need to take
them to a veterinary surgeon. You agree to be responsible for
payment of all fees incurred before you come home. Where
possible we will use your preferred vet.
5. Pet Sitters
5.1 Pet sitters are independent contractors and are not
employed by Steve & Martin’s Precious Pet Service Ltd.
5.2 We will always try to find a pet sitter that is relatively close
to you, but this is not always possible in busy periods or for
short notice bookings.
5.3 In the event of an emergency and/or force majeure and
your sitter is unable to proceed, we will endeavour to transfer
your sit to another sitter. In rare cases when no other sitter is
available, we will return your payment in full within 48 hours.
5.4 You agree not to negotiate directly with any pet sitter
introduced by Steve & Martin’s Precious Pet Services Ltd.
You agree to make all future bookings serviced by our
sitters through Steve & Martin’s Precious Pet Services Ltd.
6. Property
6.1 Pet sitters are instructed to leave your property clean and
tidy as they find it.
6.2 If you have a camera activated in your home, this will need to be
de-activated, as this is a breach of privacy for the sitter.
6.3 It is your responsibility to ensure that your household insurer
has been informed that you have a pet sitter in your property and
the dates that this will take place.
7. Insurance and Liability
7.1 You agree to indemnify Steve & Martin’s Precious Pet Services Ltd
in full against any liability arising from the loss or damage to your
property or its contents, if this happens at a time you or your sitter is holding
your property key/s in order to carry out day/evening sits/ visits or walks,
and is not in your property servicing you at that time.
7.2 Steve & Martin’s Precious Pet Services Ltd cannot be held
responsible for any loss of pets that have access to an open cat
flap.
7.3 We accept no liability for damage caused by your pet during an
assignment. You will be liable if a pet sitter or a third party is
injured by your pet.
7.4 Our sitters cannot have guests in your property while sitting
for you as this invalidates our insurance.
7.5 If you, or you have anybody such as family, friends, lodgers,
and/or tradespeople, in your property during a sit, our insurance
will be invalidated .