Wonder Walks' Terms and Conditions

 

Please take time to read the following pages as it will help us provide and maintain the highest standards of care. The terms and conditions detailed in this document represent the key elements of our agreement. However, as you can appreciate, there is a significant amount of day-to-day detail which cannot be reasonably contained in one document. Consequently, there is supplementary information in our policies and procedures, available at all times by contacting Samantha Bowles (Owner).

 

Whilst this agreement naturally has legal implications, we always act with fairness and take into account specific circumstances before making decisions. The success of your dog’s time with us at Wonder Walks is dependent on the partnership between the team and the owners. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you wish to discuss the terms further.

 

Definitions

 

“Terms and Conditions” means our standard terms and conditions relating to the running of our daily adventure service, Wonder Walks. Nothing within these terms and conditions affects your statutory rights. To enable us to provide and maintain the highest of standards of care, we require all owners to be aware of and abide by the terms and conditions.

 

“We” “Us” “Our” means Wonder Walks.

 

“Customer” “Parents” “Carers” “You” “Your” means anyone who requests and is registered for services from us and enters into an agreement or contract.

 

“Service” means the provision of dog care as laid out in our policies, procedures, handbooks, and agreements.

 

"Contract or Agreement" means the contract between us and the customer covering the supply of services by us to the customer.

 

1. Booking and Registration

 

1.1 All new clients must undergo an initial consultation before being onboarded. This consultation is to ensure that Wonder Walks can appropriately meet the client's needs and provide the required services. The consultation can be arranged via the website form, email, or phone.

 

1.2 The booking is not complete until the relevant online booking form has been completed and returned to Samantha Bowles (Owner). This includes any specific requirements for home visits.

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1.3 For day and overnight visits, an additional acknowledgment is required from the client. Wonder Walks will email a confirmation to the client one week before the visit begins. This email will include a link to view the specifics of the booking, including the exact times and dates.

 

1.4 The client must review the confirmation details and complete the Google Form with a checkbox system to provide their agreement before the beginning of the visit. The form must be completed and submitted before the visit can proceed. Details on how to complete the form will be included in the email.

 

1.5 If the Google Form is incomplete or not submitted by the time the visit is scheduled to begin, Wonder Walks is not obliged to go ahead with the visit. This policy ensures that all necessary details are confirmed and acknowledged by the client before the visit commences.

 

1.6 If the client requests changes to the times and dates of the visit during the visit itself, Wonder Walks cannot guarantee that these changes will be accommodated. Due to the nature of our business, which often involves consecutive visits, we may not be able to adjust the schedule as requested.

 

1.7 If the duration of the booked visit is shortened by the client, Wonder Walks will charge the full amount for the original booking. This policy is in place due to the following reasons:

   - Fixed Costs: Costs such as travel, staff time, and equipment are incurred regardless of the visit duration.

   - Operational Disruption: Shortened visits may prevent us from scheduling other clients during that time, leading to potential loss of earnings.

   - Consistency: This policy ensures fairness and consistency for all clients, as it is clearly stated and agreed upon prior to booking.

 

1.8 For any issues or assistance with the Google Form, clients should contact Wonder Walks using the information provided in the confirmation email.

 

2. Fees and Financial

 

2.1 All fees are payable by Direct Debit, cash, cheque, or direct bank transfer. Details are clearly shown on all invoices.

 

2.2 Fees are calculated monthly and payable by the last day of the month of issue. Fees are due for all booked-in sessions and not actual attendance.

 

2.3 New clients will be invoiced weekly for their first month of hiring our services.

 

2.4 All cancellations must be made 24 hours in advance of your booked-in session; otherwise, payment will be expected.

 

2.5 We offer our services at weekends and on Bank Holidays, but on request only. We do have a period off over Christmas and New Year; this is determined closer to the time.

 

2.6 Fees in lieu of notice are a debt, and we will not be required to mitigate our loss or give credit for any mitigation or for the fact that the place is subsequently filled.

 

2.7 Fees are reviewed in April, but the right is reserved to increase fees without any other terms and conditions being affected. Any changes to the fee rates will be communicated via email at least 4 weeks in advance. If clients disagree with the new fees, they reserve the right to end the agreement at any time.

 

2.8 We can provide statements of account on request.

 

2.9 We are unable to refund fees for sessions not taken due to illness, absence, or where the service is forced to close due to circumstances beyond our control.

 

3. Termination and Suspension of Services

 

3.1 You may end this agreement without notice. No specific reason for ending the agreement needs to be given, although naturally, we would wish to understand the reason for the termination.

 

3.2 Specifically, we reserve the right to end this agreement with immediate effect if:

   - (1) You have not paid the agreed fees.

   - (2) You have breached your obligations under this agreement and you have or cannot put right that breach within a reasonable period of being requested to do so.

   - (3) Your dog’s behavior is unacceptable or endangers the safety and well-being of any of the other dogs in the session.

   - (4) There is verbal or physical abuse of any member of staff.

   - (5) Financial, business, or commercial reasons compel us to radically change the nature of our operations, including but not limited to permanent closure of the business.

   - We will provide as much notice as possible given any of these events.

 

4. Staffing

 

4.1 Staff are checked on commencement with the business through the Criminal Records Bureau. In some cases, because of the length of time that this process takes, a person may start work pending clearance provided they are at no time left looking after dogs, or in clients' homes, and in possession of keys on their own.

 

5. Health, Safety, and Absence

 

5.1 In fairness to all our staff and to the clients and dogs that use our services, we expect reasonable standards of behavior at all times. We therefore reserve the right to exclude any dog whose conduct is, in our opinion, disruptive/aggressive or in any other way unacceptable to the smooth and efficient running of our business. Naturally, every effort will be made to avoid this action and may include a special needs assessment or one-to-one care if funding allows. We ask all owners to appreciate this and to understand that, in the event of having to exclude any dog, all fees are non-refundable.

 

5.2 We reserve the right to administer basic first aid and treatment when necessary. Owners will be informed of all accidents and will be required to sign an accident form. For accidents of a more serious nature, involving vet treatment, all attempts will be made by Wonder Walks to contact the owners but failing this, we are hereby authorized to act on behalf of owners and authorize necessary treatment. We will administer prescribed medicines if owners give written consent; however, the first dose of medicine must be given at home, and owners must take all medicines home at the end of each session unless otherwise agreed (home boarders).

 

5.3 Owners are requested to inform the business of any food, medicine, activity, or any other circumstances that may cause the dog to have an allergic reaction/allergy. Owners must provide details, in writing, of the severity of the reaction/allergy and must continue to inform the business of any changes/progress to the condition, in writing, when they become aware. Owners are requested to inform the business of any changes to key information.

 

5.4 Unwell dogs should not attend the session.

 

6. Security and Publicity

 

6.1 From time to time we video and photograph the dogs taking part in their activities. These are used for our website, social media pages, and promotional material.

 

6.2 We observe the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) which is a statutory act of the government of the United Kingdom. The regulation defines what types of data are allowed to be collected, how they should be stored, and what can and cannot be done with that information. In particular, the regulation states that personal data relating to individuals must be stored securely and only used for legitimate purposes.

 

6.3 All keys are kept in a locked safe at the registered address for the business.

 

7. Training

 

7.1 No cruel techniques will be used in any of our training programs; slip leads, choke collars, choke chains, shouting, smacking, hitting, kicking, or any other form of harsh, punitive, or aversive methods.

 

7.2 We aim to raise the dog's confidence to make the right choices and teach them what to do, not what not to do.

 

7.3 We encourage hands-on learning from both dog and owner to ensure the most benefit from their training with us.

 

7.4 Trainers regularly update their Personal Development – taking part in training and enhancing their teaching wherever possible to provide the most up-to-date techniques in dog behavioural training.

 

7.5 Sufficient space should be provided for all training sessions.

 

8. Other

 

8.1 If a client or owner is not happy with our service, they can contact Wonder Walks using whatever method they prefer. Feedback will always be logged and actioned where possible.

 

8.2 Changes to Terms and Conditions will be communicated to clients via monthly newsletters. The updated Terms and Conditions will be fully readable on our website at all times.

 

8.3 Clients must ensure that all contact information provided is current and accurate to receive all notifications regarding service changes, fee increases, and other important updates.

 

8.4 Any legal concerns should be addressed by consulting with a legal professional to ensure compliance with UK laws and regulations.

 

9. Dog Home Visits

 

9.1 For home visits exceeding three hours in duration, an additional acknowledgment is required from the client. Wonder Walks will email a confirmation to the client one week before the visit begins. This email will include a link to view the specifics of the booking, including the exact times and dates.

 

9.2 The client must review the confirmation details and complete the Google Form with a checkbox system to provide their agreement before the beginning of the visit. The form must be completed and submitted before the visit can proceed. Details on how to complete the form will be included in the email.

 

9.3 If the Google Form is incomplete or not submitted by the time the visit is scheduled to begin, Wonder Walks is not obliged to go ahead with the visit. This policy ensures that all necessary details are confirmed and acknowledged by the client before the visit commences.

 

9.4 If the client requests changes to the times and dates of the visit during the visit itself, Wonder Walks cannot guarantee that these changes will be accommodated. Due to the nature of our business, which often involves consecutive visits, we may not be able to adjust the schedule as requested.

 

9.5 If the duration of the booked visit is shortened by the client, Wonder Walks will charge the full amount for the original booking. This policy is in place due to fixed costs, operational disruption, and consistency.

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9.6 If the duration of a visit is extended by the client, an additional fee of £10 will be added to the booking.