Terms of Service
General
1.1 Bookings are subject to these Terms and Conditions. Variation to the Terms and Conditions may be made from time to time and will be posted on our website.
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 All communications are to be conducted within Time To Pet. This includes bookings requests, queries and all service updates/reports. This is for the safety and security of both the client and the sitter.
1.4 Information given in the initial registration form will be used for all subsequent bookings unless we are notified that there has been a change in your contact details/address/Pet’s condition or requirements.
1.5 Where possible, we try and assign the same sitter/walker to each booking. In cases where we aren’t able to do this, your visits/walks will be carried out by a different member of the team. By signing up to use our services, you agree to this possibility.
Charges
2.1 Our charges are set out on our website and more information can be found in our Welcome Pack. You will be deemed to have accepted our charges upon confirmation of your booking.
2.2 Any more than 2 cats per household will be charged at a surplus of £5. Any more than 3 dogs per household will be charged at a surplus of £10. Any more than 3 pets of multiple species per household will be charged at a surplus of £10.
2.3 If you are booking less than 48 hours before your departure, we may charge an additional administration fee of £5.00.
2.4 Bank holidays are charged at double rate and so are Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. There is a 25% Seasonal Surcharge in place for some periods of the year.
2.5 We have a key collection charge of £5.00 for all cat, small mammal feeding and dog walking assignments after the initial Meet and Greet.
2.6 If you'd like your sitter to return for another visit/Meet & Greet with you in your home ahead of your second or any further bookings, we charge £7. If you are assigned a new sitter for a subsequent booking, this is complimentary. It is also complimentary for every new sitter you are assigned to.
2.7 If we receive no communication from you for an extended period after your booking, we reserve the right to clear all unpaid fees automatically by charging the card on account. This extends also to outstanding cancellation fees, which may be taken in the same manner if communications have been ignored.
2.8 For Overnight Services, we take a 25% deposit at point of booking.
2.9 For Insulin Injections, we charge an additional £3 per visit.
Cancellations
3.1 The cancellation policy for Pet Sitters will be as follows:-
a. If cancellation is given to The Stamford Catsitter in writing 14 days prior to the booking there will be no charge for these services.
b. If cancellation is given in writing between 13 and 8 days prior to the booking, these services will be charged at 25%.
c. If cancellation is given in writing between 7 days and 48 hours prior to the booking, these services will be charged at 50%.
d. If cancellation is given in writing less than 48 hours prior to the booking you will be charged the full fee for these services.
3.2 If you arrive home earlier than expected you will be charged in line with the cancellation policy for the remaining visits.
3.3 If you have a regular dog walking service you must give at least 48 hours notice to cancel or you will be charged in full. Occasional bookings of any description, including dog walking will be subject to the normal cancellation charges.
Your Pet
4.1 It is of the upmost importance that you give full information to us in relation to the needs and requirements of your Pet, either within Time To Pet, on the Pet Care Instruction form, or in writing. We will rely upon the information that you give at your initial booking in connection with subsequent bookings unless you advise The Stamford Catsitter that your Pet’s condition or requirements have changed.
4.2 We cannot accept bookings for badly behaved or aggressive animals. Either we or a Pet Sitter may terminate an engagement immediately if it is reasonably thought that a Pet is badly behaved or aggressive either towards humans, animals or property. You will be liable if your Pet injures a third party or the Pet Sitter.
4.3 Your dog will not be walked without the lead without your prior authority and it is always at your risk.
4.4 You must ensure that your Pet is in good health and free from fleas and is adequately wormed. If your Pet Sitter believes your Pet is not in good health we reserve the right to seek veterinary advice on your behalf and you will be liable for the veterinary fees.
4.5 If it becomes necessary, your animal will be taken to a veterinary surgeon. You are responsible for any fees that are reasonably incurred during your absence or during the course of an assignment. Please let us know of any insurance details, or if you would like us to call you before we pay for anything on your behalf.
Your Property
5.1 We will endeavour to leave your property as we found it. You are respectfully asked to note that we will not undertake any additional cleaning duties.
5.2 If the Pet Sitter does not consider that your property is of a reasonable standard of cleanliness or that the facilities available to them are inadequate, he or she may decline the booking.
5.3 Clients should communicate to The Stamford and Cambridge Catsitter as soon as they become aware that any other person(s) will be in the property for the duration of our services. Our sitters reserve the right to refuse service if they feel uncomfortable in the presence of this additional person(s).
5.4 In the event of a problem or emergency arising the Pet Sitter will contact you immediately or your emergency contact given at registration.
Insurance and Liability
6.1 It is your responsibility to insure your property and your Pet. We accept no liability for damage caused by your Pet or a Pet Sitter during an assignment. You will be liable in the event that the Pet Sitter or a third party is injured by your Pet.
6.2 The Stamford and Cambridge Catsitter has suitable insurance in place in relation to bookings made through us but it is not a substitute for your own insurance cover.
6.3 Pet Sitters insurance only operates when a Pet Sitter is working on an assignment booked through us for the duration of that booking.
6.4 It is recommended that you take out holiday cancellation insurance as we may not be able to accommodate pets who become ill or are injured after the booking is confirmed.
6.5 You will indemnify us against any claims for loss or injury caused to either a Pet Sitter, their property or the Pet Sitter’s pets which are caused by your Pet or as a result of breach of these terms and conditions, negligence or otherwise.
Media
7.1 You give permission for photographs and videos of your pet(s) to be used on our social media pages and website, unless you specified by you. We endeavour not to include any identifiable or personal articles within this media.
Home Surveillance
8. The Stamford Catsitter & The Cambridge Catsitter believe every Client has the right to have security cameras to monitor both home and pet activity, and encourages the use of to better protect what is precious to the Client. We do require however that any electronic surveillance cameras inside and outside the Client's property should be brought to our attention, either at the Meet & Greet or via the information you can supply on the portal.
8.1 When one of our sitters is providing overnight visits for your pets, it is their right to maintain privacy in the bedroom and bathroom designated for use by the Client while providing pet care. It must be disclosed if there are cameras anywhere the sitter will be using the bathroom and sleeping at night. Not disclosing this is a direct violation of our service agreement, and we will exercise the right to promptly end all overnight visits if the Client does not inform us of cameras in those areas. While The Stamford Catsitter & The Cambridge Catsitter does take the Client's home and pet security very seriously, we are equally concerned with the sitter's privacy. Cameras used include are as follows: wireless/wired cameras, closed circuit TV monitors, analog, HD-SDI, spy/hidden, tablets, digital phones, webcams, and any other form of live feed/recorded video and/or audio recording device. Please understand that this is solely for the privacy of the sitter when changing clothes, using the toilet for personal business, and sleeping.
The Stamford Catsitter Privacy Policy
The type of personal information we collect
We currently collect and process the following information:
· Name, address and telephone numbers of clients
· Electronic means of contact such as Email, Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram
· Employee data to include name, address and telephone numbers
· Bank details for payment of services from clients
· Bank details for payment of salary to staff
How we get the personal information and why we have it
Most of the personal information we process is provided to us directly by you for one of the following reasons:
· To provide the petsitting and dog walking service in and from your home as requested
· To protect staff who are lone working
· To pay staff for services provided
We use the information that you have given us in order to
· Ensure that we are providing the service at the right location
· Provide updates as required
· Contact you in cases of emergency or unexpected matters arising
· Enable you to pay for the services provided
· Pay our staff for services provided.
We may share this information with
· The Police in cases of any illegal activities
· Your pet insurance company
· Your nominated veterinary practice
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the lawful bases we rely on for processing this information are:
(a) Your consent. You are able to remove your consent at any time. You can do this by contacting Lydia Haines
(b) We have a contractual obligation.
(c) We have a legal obligation.
(d) We have a vital interest.
(e) We have a legitimate interest.
How we store your personal information
Your information is securely stored on our encrypted and secure ‘Time to Pet’ electronic system.
We keep your contact and bank account details for as long as you remain a client of The Stamford Catsitter. If you no longer require our services we shall delete all types of electronic contacts/records, files containing your personal information after a period of 12 months in case you request a service from us again.
Your data protection rights
Under data protection law, you have rights including:
Your right of access - You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.
Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.
Your right to erasure - You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.
Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
Your right to object to processing - You have the the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.
You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.
Please contact us if you wish to make a request.
How to complain
If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to us at the address at the top of this document.
You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.
The ICO’s address:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Helpline number: 0303 123 1113
ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk
Health and Safety Statement