Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of these terms

These terms form a binding agreement between you and AFE Certification Limited. If you do not agree with them, please do not use this website or open a certification file. By submitting an enquiry through the contact form, sending an email to the contact desk, telephoning the bureau or booking an appointment, you confirm that you have read and accepted these terms.

Where a separate written agreement or proposal has been signed by both parties for a particular engagement, that agreement takes priority over these terms to the extent of any conflict. These terms continue to apply to the website, to general enquiries and to any matter that the separate agreement does not address.

2. Definitions

In these terms, the words listed below have the meanings given. The Client means the organisation or person that opens a file and engages the services. The Bureau means AFE Certification Limited. The Register means the official record maintained by the Bureau in which marks, findings, renewals and corrections are entered. The Mark means the certification reference assigned to a register line. The Certificate means the pressed sheet, plate proof card and associated documents issued to the Client. The Services mean the ring audits, register entries, plate runs, site visits, renewal checks and hearings described on this website.

Where the singular is used, it includes the plural, and where the plural is used, it includes the singular. A reference to a working day means a day other than a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday in England. A reference to writing includes email, unless a clause specifically requires a signed document.

3. Our services

The Bureau provides certification stamping for integrated computer systems through six services: conformity ring audits, register entry desks, stamp plate runs, site visit certificates, renewal mark checks and discrepancy hearings. The Services are performed in accordance with the working method described on the services page and in any engagement letter agreed with the Client.

The Bureau is a certification body and does not act as a designer, installer or maintainer of the systems it certifies. Nothing in these terms makes the Bureau responsible for the safety, fitness for purpose or compliance of a system beyond the findings recorded in a certificate. The Client remains responsible for the design, installation and operation of the system at all times.

The Bureau may decline to open a file where it lacks the competence, capacity or independence to perform the work properly. In that case the Bureau will tell the Client as soon as the limitation becomes apparent and will suggest an alternative route where it can.

4. Eligibility and authority

By opening a file, the Client confirms that it has authority to submit the design record for audit and to accept the certificate. Where the system is owned by a third party, the Client confirms that it has obtained permission to have the system examined and labelled. The Bureau may ask for written confirmation of this authority before a site visit is booked.

The Client must be at least eighteen years of age and acting in the course of a business or profession. This website is not intended for consumer use, though a sole trader or freelance supplier may engage the Bureau where the system in question forms part of a professional engagement.

5. Enquiries and appointments

Enquiries may be sent by email to certify@afecertify.hair, by telephone on +12233022423, or through the contact form on this website. The contact form prepares a message in the email application of the visitor, so an enquiry is only received once the visitor sends that message. An automated acknowledgement does not mean that a file has been opened or that a date has been reserved.

Appointments for an audit, a press viewing or a register desk visit are arranged by the contact desk. An appointment is confirmed only when the desk has recorded it in writing and the Client has supplied the documents the desk requested. The Bureau may reschedule an appointment where an officer becomes unavailable, and will offer the nearest reasonable alternative date.

6. Engagement and scope of work

Every engagement begins with a written scope that states the system boundary, the service or services required, the expected timeline and the fee. The scope is prepared at intake and is agreed before work begins. Work outside the agreed scope, such as an additional site visit or an expanded plate run, requires a written variation signed by both parties.

The Bureau may work with the Client to refine the system boundary, but it will not expand the boundary after an audit has begun without returning the file to the desk for a new entry. If the Client supplies a design record that does not match the system presented for audit, the Bureau may pause the file and ask for clarification before continuing.

7. Client responsibilities

The Client agrees to provide accurate and complete information, to grant access to the system and to any premises required for a site visit, and to respond to requests for clarification within a reasonable time. Delays caused by incomplete information or by access restrictions may extend the timeline, and the Bureau is not liable for a missed date caused by such delays.

The Client agrees not to alter a ring, a plate or a label after a certificate has been issued without informing the Bureau. Any such alteration may invalidate the mark, and the Client bears responsibility for withdrawing the certificate from use until the Bureau has re-examined the system. The Client also agrees to store its certificate and proof card safely, since a replacement may require a fresh plate run.

Where the Client provides documents that belong to a third party, the Client confirms that it has permission to share them. The Bureau will treat those documents as confidential and will use them only for the engagement.

8. Fees and payment

Fees are stated in the engagement letter and are payable in accordance with the payment terms set out there. Unless otherwise agreed, invoices are due within thirty days of the invoice date. Fees may be charged separately for an audit, a register entry, a plate run, a site visit, a renewal check and a hearing, and the engagement letter will show which fees apply.

The Bureau may charge a reasonable additional fee for work caused by a change of scope, a repeated visit or the re-cut of a plate. Interest may be charged on an overdue invoice at the rate permitted by law. Where an invoice remains unpaid beyond the agreed period, the Bureau may suspend work and, in serious cases, withdraw a mark from the register after giving written notice. Fees already paid for work completed are not refundable unless the Bureau has failed to deliver the agreed service.

9. Ring audits and findings

A ring audit is an examination of the conformity ring against the issued specification. The Bureau records the measured values and states whether each value falls within the permitted range. The finding is a professional opinion based on the evidence available at the time, and it is not a warranty that the system will perform as designed in all conditions.

Where the audit reveals a deviation, the Bureau will set out the finding in writing and give the Client an opportunity to correct the record. A corrected system may be re-audited on payment of the applicable fee. The Bureau does not negotiate a finding to suit a commercial outcome, and a request to do so will be declined in writing.

10. Register entries

The Register is maintained by the Bureau as an official record. A register entry records the mark, the date, the scope, the responsible officer and any renewal or correction. Entries are written twice, by two officers, to guard against clerical error, and they are never edited in silence. A correction is appended to the entry rather than replacing it.

The Client may request a certified extract of its register line at any time. The extract carries the current mark and is intended for procurement, handover and archive. The Bureau may also disclose a register line to a regulator or to a party who relied on the mark where the law requires it or where a correction must be communicated.

11. Stamp plates and certificates

A stamp plate is cut from the brass die held under the current mark and is proofed on vellum before any certificate is pressed. The Bureau retains the proof card so that a future comparison can be made if the impression on a client label is questioned. Plates remain the property of the Bureau, and the Client receives the pressed certificate, the proof card and the register extract.

The Certificate is issued for the system and the scope recorded in the register. It does not transfer with a system to a new owner unless the Bureau has confirmed the transfer and recorded it. Where a plate wears out, a replacement is treated as a new run, and the Bureau will say so on the replacement certificate.

12. Site visits

A site visit is carried out by a named officer on an agreed date. The Client agrees to provide safe access, to make the system available for examination and to have a responsible person present during the visit. The officer may stop the visit where conditions are unsafe or where the system differs materially from the design record.

The visit certificate records the conditions found on the day and states any limitation on its scope. The Bureau is not responsible for conditions that were concealed during the visit or that changed after the officer left the premises. Photographs taken during the visit are used only for the certification record.

13. Renewal mark checks

A mark is subject to renewal at the end of its cycle. The Bureau will notify the Client of the renewal window and the documents required for the check. Where the check confirms that the system and the plate remain within the register, the mark is extended with a renewal note. Where the check reveals a change, the file returns to the audit desk.

A mark that is not renewed within the window may no longer support a fresh certificate. The Bureau is not obliged to backdate a renewal, and a late renewal may require a full audit. The Client is responsible for keeping its contact details up to date so that renewal notices reach the responsible person.

14. Discrepancy hearings

A discrepancy hearing is convened where the record and the system disagree. The hearing is chaired by an independent officer and follows a short written procedure provided in advance. The Client may attend, may be represented and may submit evidence. The panel issues a written finding that restores the mark, records a correction or withdraws the mark.

A finding is final on the facts as presented, but the Client may request a review where new evidence comes to light. A review is granted at the discretion of the Bureau and is recorded in the register. Hearing fees are payable whether or not the Client is successful, unless the panel finds that the Bureau made an error that caused the hearing.

15. Use of the mark and the register

The Client may use the mark only in connection with the system and scope recorded in the register. The mark must be reproduced exactly as issued and must not be altered, combined with other symbols or used in a way that suggests a wider certification than has been granted. The Client must stop using a mark once it has been withdrawn or has passed its renewal window.

The Client must not describe itself as certified by the Bureau in a general or unqualified way. Any public statement about the mark should refer to the system and the scope of the certificate. The Bureau may ask the Client to correct a misleading statement and may withdraw a mark where a misleading statement is repeated after a written request to correct it.

16. Intellectual property

The Bureau owns the design of its ring, its plates, its certificates, its website and its written materials. The Client receives a licence to use the mark and to display the certificate for the purpose described in the engagement. The licence is limited, non-exclusive and does not permit the Client to sublicense the mark or to register it as a trade mark.

Documents provided by the Client remain the property of the Client, and the Bureau uses them only for the engagement. The Bureau may retain a copy of the audit record as part of the register, and that copy is subject to the confidentiality clause below. Nothing in these terms transfers ownership of the register, which remains the property of the Bureau at all times.

17. Confidentiality

Each party agrees to keep confidential the information it receives from the other in connection with an engagement. The Bureau treats design records, plate files and visit notes as confidential and limits access to the officers who need them. The Client treats the plate proof card and the internal correspondence of the Bureau as confidential.

Confidentiality does not apply to information that is already public, that is independently developed without use of the confidential material, or that must be disclosed by law. Where disclosure is required, the party required to disclose will give the other party notice where it is lawfully able to do so. Confidentiality obligations continue for five years after an engagement ends, and indefinitely for trade secrets.

18. Personal data

Personal data is handled in accordance with the Privacy Policy published on this website. The Client agrees to provide personal data only where it has a lawful basis to do so, and to tell the individuals concerned how their data will be used. The Bureau processes personal data as a controller for the register and as a processor for documents supplied solely for an engagement.

Where a site visit involves recording information about a person present, the officer records only what is necessary for the certificate. The Bureau will respond to a request from that person in accordance with the Privacy Policy.

19. Limitation of liability

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud or for any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded. Subject to that, the Bureau is liable only for direct loss caused by its own failure to perform the Services with reasonable care and skill.

The Bureau is not liable for loss of profit, loss of contract, loss of goodwill or any indirect or consequential loss, whether arising in contract, tort or otherwise. The total liability of the Bureau for all claims arising from an engagement is limited to the total fees paid by the Client for the service that gave rise to the claim. Where the claim concerns a certificate, the limit is the fee paid for the plate run and certificate.

The limits above apply to the extent permitted by law. The Bureau keeps insurance in place and will provide details on request. A claim must be notified within six months of the date on which the Client became aware, or ought reasonably to have become aware, of the circumstances giving rise to it.

20. Indemnity

The Client agrees to indemnify the Bureau against claims, losses and costs arising from inaccurate information supplied by the Client, from the Client using a mark outside the scope of its certificate, or from the Client failing to tell the Bureau about a material change to a certified system. This indemnity does not apply where the loss is caused by the negligence of the Bureau.

The Bureau agrees to indemnify the Client against claims that a plate or a certificate supplied by the Bureau infringes the intellectual property of a third party, provided that the Client has used the material exactly as issued and has not altered it.

21. Suspension and termination

Either party may terminate an engagement by giving written notice. Where the Client terminates, the Client pays for the work completed up to the date of termination, including any plate run that has already begun. Where the Bureau terminates for convenience, it will refund the fee for work that has not been performed.

The Bureau may suspend or terminate an engagement immediately where the Client provides false information, where payment remains overdue after notice, or where the Client uses a mark in a way that brings the register into disrepute. Suspension does not affect the Bureau right to recover unpaid fees, and it does not oblige the Bureau to restore a mark that has been withdrawn.

22. Events beyond control

Neither party is liable for a failure to perform caused by an event beyond its reasonable control, such as a natural disaster, an epidemic, a failure of public utilities, an industrial dispute or a change in law. The affected party must notify the other promptly and use reasonable efforts to resume performance.

Where an event beyond control continues for more than sixty days, either party may terminate the engagement by written notice. Fees for work completed before the event remain payable.

23. Website use

This website is provided for information and for enquiries. The Bureau aims to keep it accurate and available, but it does not warrant that the site will be free from interruption or error. Content may be updated without notice, and a page may be withdrawn where it no longer reflects the Services.

Visitors must not attempt to gain unauthorised access to the site, to interfere with its operation, or to use it in a way that is unlawful or harmful. Automated scraping of the register is prohibited. The Bureau may block access where it detects abusive activity and may report serious incidents to the relevant authority.

24. Complaints and disputes

If you are dissatisfied with a service, write to the contact desk at certify@afecertify.hair with the register mark or the date of the engagement and a short description of the concern. The Bureau will acknowledge the complaint within two working days and will investigate it through the discrepancy hearing procedure where the complaint concerns a finding.

The parties will try in good faith to resolve a dispute through discussion before starting legal proceedings. If a dispute cannot be resolved within thirty days, either party may refer it to mediation or to the courts. Nothing in this clause prevents a party from seeking urgent relief from a court where that is necessary to protect its rights.

25. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. The parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales, save that the Bureau may enforce a judgment in any jurisdiction where the Client has assets. If any provision of these terms is found to be invalid, the remaining provisions continue in full force.

These terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any signed engagement letter, form the entire agreement between the parties and replace any earlier understanding on the same subject. A waiver of a breach is not a waiver of any later breach.

26. Contacting us

AFE Certification Limited operates from Charlotte House, 500 Charlotte Road, Sheffield - S2 4ER, United Kingdom (GB). Write to certify@afecertify.hair or telephone +12233022423 with any question about these terms. The contact desk is open Monday to Thursday from 09:00 to 17:00 and Friday from 09:00 to 16:00.