Terms and Conditions

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General

Definitions

1. The term "in writing" used throughout these Terms and Conditions shall be taken to mean by physical letter, by email, or by any persistent timestamped messaging platform with sender identification such as text message, WhatsApp, Skype, etc.

Sound Systems

Hire Period

1. The hire period shall include any days before or after the main event where the equipment is away from our site, including delivery days and unused periods where the equipment cannot be removed from site.
2. Any reasonable off-site time prior to the commencement of the event that is required for setup, configuration, programming, sourcing or custom assembly shall be included in the billable hire time.

Location

3. Parking must be available for our vehicle (small van) in a suitably close location to allow for unloading and loading. Space for a trailer may be required for larger installations.
4. Sufficient space must be provided for setting up any hired equipment in a safe and secure manner.
5. For outdoor installations, sufficient protection against weather for all the hired equipment must be provided. Where the hirer cannot provide this then The Lacuna Works must be informed of the situation at the time of hiring so alternative (chargeable) measures can be put in place.
6. Where there is a requirement to leave equipment unattended during the hire period (e.g. overnight for multi-day installations) the hirer will accept full liability for any loss or damage that may occur during the unattended period.

Power Supply

7. Unless otherwise specified, all our equipment requires a power supply of 220-240V AC at 50Hz, provided via BS1363 (standard UK 13A) sockets. If power at your installation location is distributed via EN60309 (aka "Commando") connections then this must be specified at the time of hiring.
8. The hirer shall be responsible for providing a safe and appropriate power supply for the connection of all hired equipment.
9. We reserve the right to test and inspect any power supply or power generation equipment prior to the installation of hired equipment and to refuse to connect to any supply that we deem as inappropriate, non-standard, or unsafe.
10. The cost of any damage to the hired equipment caused by incorrect voltage, frequency, polarity, stability, earthing, or any other parameter of the power supply shall be covered by the hirer.*
11. Failure to provide an appropriate power supply or power generation equipment will not result in the cancellation of the hire agreement, and the hirer will still be responsible for the full cost of hiring.

Consultancy

Scope

1. The scope of any consultancy shall be defined by the initial formal Quotation document, or the Contract of Engagement, and shall be agreed by all parties prior to commencement of any work.
2. Any changes to the scope must be proposed in writing and agreed by The Lacuna Works also in writing.

Invoicing

3. Consultation work shall be invoiced weekly, or less frequently if the weekly total does not exceed £500 including VAT. The maximum period between invoices shall be one calendar month.
4. VAT is charged at 20% and is applicable to all Consultation work.
5. Disputes regarding billed hours must be raised in writing within sixty (60) days of the date of delivery of the relevant invoice.

Notes

* (Sound Systems para. 10) This is not a theoretical situation but one we have encountered in the wild. Petrol and diesel generators rely on mechanical govenors to regulate their output and generate the correct voltage at the right frequency. If they have been badly maintained they can run over-voltage or at a frequency other than 50Hz and this has been seen to cause damage to certain types of electronic equipment. As a result we now test everything before use.

Last updated: 13th April 2020