Date: 01 April 2022
1. General Terms
1.1. These Terms & Conditions govern the provision of laundry, dry cleaning, professional textile care, garment cleaning, household textile cleaning and other related services provided by Share the Load.
1.2. By submitting items for cleaning or treatment, the customer enters into a contract for the agreed services. The applicable Terms & Conditions are made available to the customer before the contract is entered into.
1.3. Share the Load undertakes to provide its services with reasonable care and skill, using appropriate cleaning methods and professional products.
1.4. The Company reserves the right to refuse any item for cleaning where its condition, material or construction presents an increased risk of damage during processing. Alternatively, the Company may accept the item for cleaning provided that the customer has been informed in advance of the potential risks and has agreed to accept responsibility for the risk of damage arising from the item’s condition, material or construction.
1.5. Nothing in these Terms & Conditions shall exclude or restrict the customer’s statutory rights under applicable UK consumer protection legislation.
2. Acceptance of Items
2.1. Upon receipt of items, Share the Load may carry out a visual inspection to identify visible damage, stains, fabric defects, missing care labels or other relevant characteristics.
2.2. An inspection carried out upon receipt does not constitute a comprehensive technical examination and does not guarantee the identification of all hidden defects.
2.3. Customers are advised to inform the Company, before cleaning begins, of any known damage, colour instability, previous stain-removal attempts, repairs, alterations or other circumstances that may affect the cleaning result.
2.4. Items without care labels may be accepted following an assessment of their condition and discussion of the associated risks with the customer. The Company reserves the right to refuse such items for cleaning.
2.5. Customers are advised to check all pockets and remove money, documents, jewellery, electronic devices and other personal belongings before submitting items for cleaning.
2.6. If personal belongings are discovered, the Company will take reasonable steps to safeguard them. Liability for any loss or damage will be determined according to the circumstances of the individual case.
3. Cleaning and Treatment Procedures
3.1. Cleaning methods are determined by Share the Load’s staff, taking into account the characteristics of the item, manufacturer’s care instructions, type of soiling and professional assessment of the risks involved.
3.2. Depending on the item, appropriate methods may include professional laundering, dry cleaning, wet cleaning, stain removal and other suitable treatments.
3.3. Where the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning method is unsuitable for achieving the expected result or presents a significant risk, the Company may propose an alternative treatment or refuse to undertake the service.
3.4. Where a proposed treatment involves a specific risk identified in advance, the Company will inform the customer and, where appropriate, obtain separate consent before proceeding.
3.5. The customer’s acceptance of a specific risk does not release the Company from its obligation to exercise reasonable care and skill when providing the service.
4. Stain Removal
4.1. Share the Load uses professional stain-removal products and techniques appropriate to the type of stain and the characteristics of the material.
4.2. Complete removal of all stains cannot be guaranteed. The result depends on various factors, including:
- The chemical composition and origin of the stain;
- The length of time the stain has remained on the fabric;
- Previous attempts to remove the stain;
- The structure, composition and degree of wear of the material;
- The colourfastness of dyes and the durability of fabric finishes.
4.3. Certain stains and contaminants may cause irreversible changes to the colour or structure of a fabric before the item is submitted for cleaning.
4.4. Intensive stain-removal treatment may present a risk of damage to the item itself. In such circumstances, the Company reserves the right to limit the treatment or agree further action with the customer.
4.5. Failure to remove a stain completely does not, in itself, constitute a failure to provide the service with reasonable care and skill. The quality of the service will be assessed with reference to the agreed service and whether the treatment was carried out with reasonable care and skill.
5. Delicate, High-Value and Specialised Items
5.1. Items requiring particular assessment may include garments made from silk, wool, leather, suede, faux leather, and items containing decorative elements, bonded components, complex finishes or unusual materials.
5.2. Some items may have hidden manufacturing defects or deterioration resulting from prolonged use, exposure to light, moisture, cosmetic products or previous cleaning treatments.
5.3. Where such characteristics are identified before cleaning, the Company may inform the customer of the specific risks and propose an appropriate course of action.
5.4. The Company may request additional information concerning the item’s composition, value, age and manufacturer’s recommendations where necessary to select a suitable cleaning method.
5.5. Where insufficient information is available to make a reasonable assessment of the risks, Share the Load reserves the right to refuse the service.
6. Curtains, Duvets and Household Textiles
6.1. Certain curtains, bedspreads, duvets, pillows and other household textiles may have construction characteristics that cannot be fully assessed through an external inspection.
6.2. Potential issues include shrinkage, changes in shape, different reactions between outer fabrics and linings, deterioration of bonded components and changes to filling materials.
6.3. Share the Load assesses the available information concerning the item and will inform the customer of any increased risks identified before treatment.
6.4. Where treatment may affect the dimensions of an item, the Company may propose recording its measurements before cleaning.
6.5. Any shrinkage, distortion or other changes following treatment will be assessed individually, taking into account the cause of the changes, the original condition of the item and whether appropriate professional cleaning procedures were followed.
7. Turnaround Times
7.1. The estimated completion date will be communicated to the customer when the order is accepted or subsequently, following an assessment of the work required.
7.2. Completion times may vary depending on the nature of the soiling, the characteristics of the item, the need for repeat treatment and other relevant circumstances.
7.3. If the Company anticipates a significant change to an agreed completion date, it will take reasonable steps to notify the customer.
7.4. Where a particular completion date is essential to the customer, this must be agreed when the order is placed.
7.5. The customer’s rights in the event of a failure to meet an agreed completion date are governed by applicable legislation.
8. Prices and Payment
8.1. Prices are determined in accordance with the Company’s current price list or an individual quotation.
8.2. Prices for specialised items and services may be determined individually, depending on size, material, level of soiling and complexity of treatment.
8.3. Where additional chargeable work is found to be necessary after an item has been accepted, the customer will be informed of the additional cost before the work is undertaken.
8.4. The Company will not undertake additional chargeable work without the customer’s agreement, unless otherwise provided for in a separately agreed contract.
8.5. Unless otherwise agreed, payment for services must be made before the cleaned items are released to the customer.
9. Collection, Storage and Uncollected Items
9.1. Customers are required to collect their completed orders within 90 calendar days of being notified that the order is ready for collection.
9.2. Share the Load will notify customers that their orders are ready by SMS or telephone call using the number provided when the order was placed.
9.3. The Company may issue additional reminders requesting collection. A failure by the customer to respond does not extend the agreed collection period.
9.4. Any order not collected within 90 calendar days will be regarded as uncollected.
9.5. After this period, Share the Load may initiate any procedures permitted by law in relation to uncollected items. The donation, sale or disposal of items will take place only where there is a lawful basis for doing so.
9.6. Where permitted under the law of England and Wales, Share the Load reserves the right to retain cleaned items until the agreed charges directly relating to those items have been paid in full.
9.7. Where an unpaid order remains uncollected for 90 calendar days after notification that it is ready, the Company may consider commencing the statutory procedure for the sale of uncollected goods.
9.8. Any sale of uncollected items will take place only where legally permitted and in accordance with the requirements of the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977, including any necessary notices and statutory time limits.
9.9. Where a sale is legally permitted, the proceeds will be accounted for in accordance with the applicable statutory requirements.
10. Complaints, Defects and Compensation
10.1. Customers are advised to check the number of items, their appearance, condition and the quality of cleaning upon collection.
10.3. The customer must notify Share the Load of any defects or problems not identified at the time of collection within 24 hours of receiving the items.
10.4. Defects that could not reasonably have been identified during an ordinary visual inspection may include damage to internal garment components, linings, padding, concealed seams or other changes that become apparent only when the item is tried on or used.
10.5. When submitting a complaint, customers are advised to make the item available for inspection and, where possible, refrain from further washing, cleaning, repair or other treatment until the circumstances have been assessed.
10.6. Share the Load may request an inspection of the item to assess the nature of the defect and its possible causes.
10.7. If further investigation is required, the customer will be informed of the reasons and the proposed next steps in handling the complaint.
10.9. The liability of Share the Load and the remedies available to the customer are governed by applicable legislation, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
10.10. Compensation for Damaged or Lost Items
10.10.1. Where Share the Load is found to be responsible for damage to or loss of an item, compensation will be determined taking into account the nature of the loss and applicable legislation.
10.10.2. Where damage can be remedied, the Company may offer an appropriate method of restoring the item or reimbursement of reasonable repair costs, taking into account the circumstances and the customer’s statutory rights.
10.10.3. Where an item is lost or damaged beyond repair, compensation will be assessed with reference to its reasonable value at the time it was entrusted to Share the Load, rather than automatically being based on the cost of purchasing a new equivalent item.
10.10.4. The assessment may take into account the original purchase price, age, degree of wear and tear, actual condition, value of comparable items and any supporting evidence provided by the customer.
10.10.5. Share the Load may request reasonable evidence of the claimed value of an item. The absence of an original receipt does not, in itself, prevent the value from being established through other forms of evidence.
10.10.6. The value claimed by the customer will not automatically be accepted as established and may be subject to reasonable assessment.
10.10.7. Nothing in these provisions shall restrict the customer’s statutory rights to compensation or other remedies available under applicable law.
11. Commercial Customers
11.1. Share the Load may provide services to hotels, beauty salons, massage and therapy businesses and other commercial organisations.
11.2. Separate arrangements may be agreed with commercial customers regarding volumes, sorting, packaging, collection and delivery schedules, payment terms and specific textile-care requirements.
11.3. Commercial customers must provide information known to them that is material to the safe processing of their laundry, including details of relevant contaminants and any special treatment requirements.
11.4. Items containing potentially hazardous substances, needles, sharp objects or other materials presenting a risk to staff or equipment must be identified and disclosed before being submitted for processing.
11.5. Liability arrangements for commercial services may be governed by a separate written agreement, subject to applicable legislation.
12. Order Cancellation
12.1. Customers may request cancellation of an order before cleaning or treatment has commenced.
12.2. Where cleaning or treatment has already commenced, cancellation rights and charges for work already undertaken will depend on the circumstances of the order, the agreed terms and the customer’s applicable statutory rights.
12.3. Contracts entered into at a distance or away from the Company’s business premises may be subject to additional legal requirements concerning pre-contract information and cancellation rights.
12.4. Nothing in these Terms & Conditions shall restrict any statutory right to cancel a contract.
13. Contact Information and Governing Law
13.1. All enquiries relating to orders, service quality and complaints should be directed to:
Share the Load 19 Westexe South Tiverton, Devon EX16 5DQ United Kingdom Telephone: 01884 242424 Email: Tivertonlaundry@gmail.com
13.2. The full legal name of the business operator and any other mandatory registration details shall be provided in accordance with applicable legal requirements.
13.3. These Terms & Conditions shall be governed by the laws of England and Wales, without prejudice to any mandatory statutory rights of consumers.
Date: 01 April 2022