DA Autocheck – Standard Terms and Conditions of Business
Although humorous, we are very serious about what we do.
Welcome to the fine print—where the rules live, the expectations are set, and the legal bits get their moment in the spotlight. At DA Autocheck(DAA), we take our work very seriously: our inspections are thorough, our reports are impartial, and our standards high. But we also believe that clarity doesn’t have to be boring, and professionalism doesn’t mean sounding like a robot.
These Terms and Conditions outline how we operate, what you can expect from us, and what we expect from you. They cover everything from inspection criteria and report timelines to data protection and payment terms—with a dash of dry wit to keep things readable.
So while you may smile as you read, rest assured: when it comes to vehicle inspections, warranty reports, and expert assessments, we maintain professionalism.
1. General
- These Standard Terms apply to all services supplied by DA Autocheck —unless we’ve agreed otherwise in writing, carved it into stone, or had it notarised by a unicorn. All contracted clients will receive a Service Level Agreement (SLA) to ensure compliance with FSA requirements, because rules are rules. We are not personally regulated by the FSA, but we proudly uphold the principles of Treating Customers Fairly.
2. Instrumentality
We accept orders and instructions on the understanding that you’re acting as a principal. That means you’re responsible for payment—no exceptions, no mysterious third parties, and not “my cousin’s mate will sort it.” If you instruct us, you pay us – Simple.
3. Third Party Contractors
Sometimes we bring in backup. If your job requires specialist input, we may (as your agent) engage a Third Party Contractor—be it another engineer, consultant, or someone who’s knowledgeable around a particularly stubborn engine or gearbox.
- We’ll pay them on your behalf and include their charges in our invoice.
- These costs are factored into the fee quoted in your SLA—unless we’ve told you otherwise, either in writing or with a very convincing phone call.
- We take reasonable care in selecting these contractors. If they mess up, we’ll handle it—but we also reserve the right to chase them down with paperwork and polite fury.
4. Fairness of Instructions
We’re good, but we’re not psychic. We provide services on the understanding that you’ll give us all the proper, necessary, and timely instructions, authority, and information we need to do the job lawfully and effectively, that includes signing documents, answering emails, and not vanishing mid-project. All instructions must be in writing—via post, email, or carrier pigeon (as long as it complies with our professional indemnity insurer’s requirements). If things go wrong because we weren’t properly informed, you agree to indemnify us. Fair’s fair.
5. Printing / Publication
If you ask us to print or publish something, we assume you’ve checked it’s not defamatory, plagiarised, or likely to trigger a lawsuit from a pop star. You’re responsible for the content, and you indemnify us against any fallout. We’re engineers, not editors—and we don’t want to end up in court over a spicy paragraph.
6. Third Party Reliance
Our services—including reports, inspections, and information—are for you and your client only. They’re not to be passed around like party favours. If a third party uses or relies on our work without our consent, we won’t be held responsible for any confusion, misinterpretation, or sudden existential crises that arise.
7. Delivery of Services
We deliver reports via first-class post, or email and images via what’s app—unless you request something fancier, in which case you’ll cover the cost. We use reasonable skill and care in everything we do. You’ll receive a confirmation of order and/or invoice with the agreed description, price, and delivery details. We operate in line with the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000, unless we’ve agreed otherwise. Basically: we deliver what we promise, when we promise—unless your inbox ghosts us.
8. Accounts
We may ask for payment upfront—especially if we’ve never met, or you’ve got that “I’ll pay you next week” look. If you’ve been granted an account, invoices are due within 30 days of issue. Late payments may incur interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, plus any costs we incur chasing them. We’d rather not send reminders, but we will—politely at first, then with increasing levels of British firmness.
9. Reports
We do our best to be accurate, but we’re only as good as the data we’re given. If a report is based on information from a third party, and that information contains errors, omissions, or was last updated during the stone age, we can’t be held responsible. If the information isn’t from a third party, we’ll make that clear—but again, we’re not magicians. We report what’s available, not what’s ideal.
10. Non-Completion of Services
If you instruct us to begin a service, you’re responsible for the costs—even if the job doesn’t reach the finish line. Whether the project is paused, cancelled, or abducted by aliens, our time and effort still count. Unless your SLA says otherwise, we invoice for what we’ve done, not just what gets completed.
11. Right to Cancel
Under the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000, you may have the right to cancel your contract with us within 7 working days of receiving a service or concluding a service agreement. However:
- It doesn’t apply once we’ve started performing the service with your approval or in line with your SLA.
If you do cancel a service, you must inform us at your earliest convenience, at your own cost. No coffee stains, no mysterious dents, and preferably not smelling like a takeaway.
12. Liability
We take our responsibilities seriously—but we also know our limits. Except in cases of death or personal injury caused by negligence (or anything else the law says we can’t wriggle out of), our total liability for any loss or damage—whether in contract, tort, statutory breach, misrepresentation, or general cosmic misfortune—shall not exceed £500,000.00.
We’re not liable for indirect or consequential losses. That means if our report doesn’t lead to world peace, save your business, or restore your faith in humanity, we’re not on the hook. This includes (but isn’t limited to) loss of profit, business disruption, goodwill depletion, or emotional damage caused by reading too many acronyms.
13. Data Protection
We respect your privacy. We won’t misuse your personal data—unless you count using it for credit control, market research, or occasionally letting you know about services, legal updates, or training events we think you might actually care about.
We understand you may share customer data with us, including personal information. We treat that data with care, confidentiality, and compliance. DAA will adhere to all relevant Data Protection Laws, including:
- The Data Protection Act 1998 (until it’s no longer applicable)
- The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR – EU 2016/679) from 25 May 2018 onward
- And any other acronym-heavy legislation that comes next
We don’t sell data, leak data, or use it to build a secret AI empire. We use it only to do the job you’ve asked us to do—and to keep things legally watertight.
13.1 Data Protection – Continued
DAA shall:
- Only process personal data in accordance with these Terms and Conditions and your instructions. No freelancing, no improvisation.
- Ensure appropriate technical and organisational measures are in place to protect against unauthorised access, accidental loss, or data disasters. We take security seriously—even if our passwords aren’t quite Shakespearean.
- Not transfer or disclose personal data outside the European Economic Area (EEA) without your written consent—unless legally required to do so by EU law or member state regulations. If that happens, we’ll let you know (unless the law says we can’t, in which case we’ll look apologetic).
- Limit access to personal data strictly to DAA personnel who need it to deliver services and who are bound by confidentiality. No gossip, no leaks, no “guess what I saw” moments.
- Notify you promptly if we become aware of any data breach. We won’t panic—but we will act fast.
In some cases, to provide services, we may need to pass your personal data to parties outside the EEA, in countries with less-than-stellar data protection laws. If so, we’ll take reasonable steps to protect your privacy. Apart from these situations—or where required by law—we won’t pass, disclose, rent, or sell your personal information to third parties without your consent. Publicly available data used in search products doesn’t count, because, well… it’s already public.
You have the right to request a copy of any personal data we hold about you. Just send us a written request and a small fee (we promise it’s not extortionate), and we’ll oblige.
14. Due Diligence
Sometimes, the law asks us to play detective. In certain circumstances, we’re required to collect evidence of identity from our clients. If you don’t provide the requested documentation, we won’t be able to proceed. No ID, no inspection—it’s not personal, it’s compliance.
15. Customer Services
If you’re unhappy with any aspect of our service, please contact us at the relevant address. We’ll listen, respond, and do our best to resolve things quickly and fairly. We don’t do scripted apologies—we do real solutions.
16. Changes to Standard Terms
We reserve the right to update these Terms from time to time. If we do, we’ll make the changes clear. We won’t sneak in anything outrageous—just the usual tweaks to keep things current, compliant, and sensible.
17. Jurisdiction
All contracts between us will be concluded in English, governed by English law, and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts. So if things go legal, it’ll be tea, biscuits, and barristers—not international drama.
18. CPR35 Compliance
DAA is fully committed to the requirements—and the spirit—of CPR35 (Civil Procedure Rules Part 35). We understand them, we respect them, and we do our best to comply without turning into courtroom drama. Our reports are impartial, structured, and suitable for legal proceedings—no bias, no fluff, no nonsense.
For ease of communication, here are our key email contacts:
- Accounts Department: info@daautocheck.co.uk
- New Instructions:info@daautocheck.co.uk
- Customer Services: info@daautocheck.co.uk
19. Inspection Criteria
Our inspections are visual only. That means we look, assess, and report—but we don’t dismantle, pry open, or perform mechanical surgery. Our professional damage insurance says “no touching,” so we stick to what’s visible and accessible.
We work within a strict framework to ensure fairness to all parties. We’ll always aim to inspect in the most cost-effective way possible—but if further inspection is needed, we’ll let you know and usually offer it at a reduced cost. Think of it as a second opinion, not a second invoice.
20. Report Time Scales
We aim to complete inspections promptly—but we’re human (well, some of us), and sometimes workload, holidays, or the occasional bout of flu can slow things down. From the inspection date, the full report may take 5–7 working days, though we often deliver sooner.
Each report goes through multiple checks, including senior management review and field engineer sign-off, to ensure accuracy, clarity, and the best possible chance of helping you achieve your goal. We don’t rush quality—but we don’t dawdle either.