Terms of Service
 
 
My terms of service, are in plain English, so you know what you will get when you book me for chimney sweeping (or related services), what you need to do, what I will do, payment & cancellations and what happens if there is a problem.


Bookings and Cancellations
When you book my services, your appointment will be confirmed by email (if you have opted to receive an electronic certificate) and a text. Nearer the date I shall send you a text reminder, with a link to this document. If there are no changes to your appointment, at the time the reminder is sent, you will have accepted the terms & conditions written here and have entered an agreed contract with me. If you wish to opt out of the contract, please contact me to cancel your appointment at this point.
 
I will provide you with an approximate time that I aim to arrive with you.  My services can over or under run depending on traffic, previous jobs etc so my arrival time could be +/- 30mins either side. You should ensure someone is at the property, to provide access during this window (unless agreed otherwise). If I am running late or early, I will let you know by text or call you direct.
 
I am usually busy and I make bookings based on your location. Therefore, my day is planned around geography. Should you cancel between 24hrs and 48hrs before your appointment a cancellation fee of £30 (per job) is payable. If you cancel with less than 24hrs notice, including if I arrive and am unable to get a reply at the door, a cancellation fee of £60 (per job) is payable. I will send you an online payment request for this cancellation fee which is payable by you within 24hrs. This same £60 cancellation fee (per job), also applies, if I arrive and you have double booked me and already had the work carried out, or it's booked out to another sweep, or if I am unable to carry out the work if your appliance is in operation when I arrive (I cannot sweep hot flues or work around hot surfaces). 
 
Why do I need to do this? I am a small business that provides the best professional service I can to my customers. This includes arranging my diaries to minimise travelling time. If you forget or otherwise cancel your appointment at such short notice, I am unlikely to be able to re-book someone in who lives nearby to that day’s route, meaning I lose out financially. I hope you agree, that this is not either fair or acceptable, therefore I need to charge a fee.
 
Parking Up
When I arrive, I try to park close to your property to enable me to move my heavy equipment back and forth, from the van. If you are in a residents parking zone you should provide me with a visitor’s permit, to enable me to park. If you do not have a visitor's parking permit for me, you will hereby accept responsibility to pay for any potential parking fine issued, which will be sent to you in a separate invoice. If you have off road parking then please make a space for me. You may consider blocking a space for me close by, the night before, to facilitate my arrival, if parking is particularly difficult. My kit is heavy and often I need to go back and forth, depending what we find when sweeping etc. If I am unable to park within a reasonable distance of your home, I will be unable to provide a service to you that day and the cancellation fee applies. If there is parking available, away from your property, there will be a charge for extra time taken to park up. plus any fees incurred, should it be a pay & display car park. This also applies to tenants without parking permits, where the cost will be billed to the landlord.
Parking, particularly in Swindon, can be a lottery, please help me out if you can!!
 
Work Area Access
You do not need to cover internal furniture and fixings, unless I specifically ask you to. If it is wet and/or muddy on the approach to your door I provide floor coverings. For health & safety reasons, I do not remove my footwear, but will wear protective shoe coverings where required.
 
Please remove all nik-naks and items in close proximity to the fire and clear a work area around the fire hearth, allowing me to work effectively. Please clear all ash and other debris from your stove or fireplace before I arrive. Not only is it good manners, but it helps me considerably. It's not particularly nice encountering old tissues, sweet papers, toe nail clippings, nails/screws etc, at my work place; please clear out the appliance, as you would normally do.
 
Problem Solving / Site Visits
Customers sometimes ask me to visit to evaluate problems they are suffering (e.g. damp, smoking appliances etc). I  will make a firm booking to visit and carry out a visit and provide a verbal briefing on the findings at the time. I may, if the issue is complex or repairs likely to be expensive, provide a written report to you, at my discretion. The cost of a basic site visit is £60. If internal camera inspection, roof access or drone work is required, additional costs will be discussed with you, prior to carrying it any out.
 
Why do I do this? Solving pre-existing chimney problems often needs skill and knowledge and sometimes analysis with specialist equipment. Previously I have identified problems and their solutions, only to find this knowledge has been passed on to other contractors who have then completed the work. Whilst I am happy that my visit has proved correct and the problems solved, I no longer invest time and money with no recompense, hence I must charge a realistic and reasonable, initial fee.
 
After your Sweep
I will leave your appliance and surrounding area at least as clean as it was on my arrival, but normally much better. I do remove soot from your property, but please make sure any other ash or debris is removed before my visit, as mentioned previously. Some people like to use the soot on gardens/allotments. Please let me know your preference on my arrival.
 
If you have asked me to perform a particularly dirty service e.g. extensive tar removal where sealing the fireplace is difficult, then I will advise you accordingly prior to starting the job so you know what to expect, as this type of job can be extensive.
 
If I am unable to sweep an appliance effectively or safely (this happens frequently with home installed stoves that do not comply with current guidance/regulations) the full annual sweeping fee of £60 is charged.
 
I will issue you with either a certificate of sweeping or written report, detailing key findings, any problems if they exist and a warning notice attached.
I will also take photos of your appliance and store them for future reference, should you require them.
 
Payment
Payment is made at the time of work completion, by card or cash only, unless other methods have been agreed at the time of booking. 
 
I only invoice landlords, letting agents or commercial customers (hotels, B&B;s etc),  if agreed at the time of booking, with 28 day payment terms. Late payments of 8 weeks or more, are subject to an interest charge of 5% per day. I will pursue all late/non-payments through the small claims court and seek to recover the additional legal costs.
 
I am happy to collect and return keys by arrangement, usually for estate agents, at a charge of £20.
 
After Service / Problems
I pride myself on my exceptional level of professional service, both during the appointment and afterwards. Most post sweep problems such as smoke coming back into the room are due to either operator error or ventilation issues. I strongly encourage all customers to visit www.burnright.co.uk to establish how best to use your appliance.
 
If you have a problem after my visit then please get in contact with me as soon as possible, so I can promptly sort it out. If I have made a mistake, I will rectify the problem free of charge. I want you to be satisfied and recognise that mistakes can be made and, if I have made a mistake, I will sort it out, no question.
 
If this happens, I will prioritise your appointment. If however, there is nothing wrong or problems are due to how you are operating the appliance, the visit will be charged at the normal sweeping fee of £60

I hope these simple terms are to your satisfaction. I operate them to help both you and I to continue to achieve an excellent working relationship.