1. General Terms
1.1. “We” and “us” means A P Systems & Solutions Ltd
1.2. “You” means the person (which includes a company or other business) contracting to
obtain goods, software licences or services from us
1.3. Where “you” means more than one person, each one of you is responsible, individually,
for each of the obligations of all of you under this agreement.
1.4. We agree to supply you with the goods, software licences or services (as appropriate) for
the price and subject to the terms set out in the quotation, in this agreement and in the other
documents referred to in this agreement (as appropriate).
1.5. In this agreement, “staff” includes employees and sub-contractors.
2. The Agreement
2.1. These terms and conditions (including documents specifically referred to in it) are the
whole of the terms and conditions governing the agreement between us, unless we both agree
to any amendments in writing.
2.2. “this agreement” means (in reverse order of precedence):
2.2.1. these terms and conditions;
2.2.2. terms and conditions referred to in this agreement;
2.2.3. documents explicitly referred to in the quotation;
2.2.4. the quotation; and
2.2.5. amendments to the agreement agreed in writing.
2.3. Where there is any conflict between different parts of the agreement, the item having the
higher order of precedence referred to in clause 2.2 above shall prevail.
2.4. You confirm that you have told us everything you know or suspect which may make the
goods or services significantly more difficult for us to make or carry out.
2.5. You confirm that you have checked the specifications set out in and attached to the
quotation and that they are correct.
2.6. We cannot be held responsible for any statements we have not confirmed in writing.
(Customers who have been given quotations by sales staff from different companies have
become mistaken as to which sales person from which company said what. If in doubt, ask us
and we will respond in writing). If the quotation contains that statement, or explicitly refers to
the document containing it, then it becomes part of the contract and we will accept
responsibility for it (subject to these terms and conditions).
3. Definitions
3.1. Any rule of interpretation that is contrary to common sense does not apply to this
agreement. Any part of these terms and conditions, or any terms and conditions referred to in
it which is in italics (like this) is not part of it, but is simply a comment.
3.2. Paragraph headings are merely a guide and are not intended to be a part of this
agreement.
4. Quotations
4.1. A quotation does not amount to a contractual offer and is an indication that we may be
willing to supply at a particular price.
4.2. In any event, no quotation is valid after 30 days of its issue.
4.3. No price specified in the quotation or elsewhere includes VAT or other applicable taxes
or duties unless specifically stated.
5. Amendments to Specifications and Cancellation
5.1. We may alter the specifications of goods, software or services from time to time so long
as the alteration does not make the goods, software or services any worse. If you ask us to
alter the specification after the order has been placed we may consider doing so (at our
discretion) but you are warned that this may entail an increase in the price. A variation to the
specification (including the price) (as opposed to a variation to the contract) is only valid
where signed by one of our authorised sales staff.
5.2. If, after you have placed an order, you wish to cancel it, we may consider doing so (at
our discretion) but if we agree, subject to you paying us our anticipated loss on cancellation
(including loss of reasonable profit).
6. Rights of others and Permissions
6.1. If we have agreed that we are to do anything under this agreement on your instructions,
and as a result we are in breach of any rights of anyone else (or anyone else threatens us with
proceedings for breach of their rights) you agree to indemnify us against any loss we may
suffer, including legal costs, in defending or resisting the proceedings or claim, or settling the
proceedings or claim on legal advice. Your obligations under this clause will remain after the
rest of this agreement has terminated whatever the reason for termination.
6.2. If you come across any circumstances which may lead to a claim under clause 6.1 above,
you agree to tell us about them as soon as possible.
6.3. If, as a result of such a claim or threat, we decide that it is no longer commercially
sensible to proceed with your order, we may cancel the order in accordance with the
provision set out below.
6.4. We will use reasonable commercial effort to ensure that nothing we do under this
agreement will infringe the rights of others. If we do anything under this agreement which
results in an actual or threatened infringement of the rights of anyone else (provided that is
was something which was not done at your explicit direction or with your specific consent)
(“a claim”) we may at our option:
6.4.1. obtain a licence or settlement of the claim (at no cost to you);
6.4.2. perform our obligation in a different way to avoid the claim;
6.4.3. cancel the agreement under clause 10.
7. Intellectual Property
7.1. You acknowledge that material of any nature which we provide you with, either under
this agreement or otherwise (for example, quotations or other pre-contractual material) may
contain intellectual property which is either our property or licensed to us (including
copyright, trade marks, registered and unregistered designs and patents). Nothing in this
agreement is intended either
7.1.1. as a licence for you to use such intellectual property
7.1.2. or as a transfer of such intellectual property unless explicitly stated in writing.
8. Sub Contracting
8.1. We may sub-contract any of the services we have agreed to provide under this contract at
our discretion.
8.2. Where we have sub-contracted any services to a third party specified by you, we shall
not be liable for any non-performance of that third party’s obligations, and for the purposes of
this agreement, any delay or hindrance caused by or attributable to that third party shall be
considered to have been caused by you.
9. Third Party Recommendations and Statements
9.1. As part of carrying out our obligations under this agreement we may recommend or
suggest that someone else carry out work, or supplies goods, software or services. By making
this recommendation or suggestion, we do not guarantee that work or those goods, software
or services. However, we accept responsibility for the recommendation or suggestion if, at
the time we made it, a professional with our knowledge of the circumstances could not
reasonably have made that recommendation or suggestion. In that case, we will accept
liability as if we did the work or supplied the goods, software or services ourselves, and
subject to these terms and conditions, provided that you let us have full conduct of any claim
against the third party in question.
9.2. Where we provide goods or software originally manufactured or developed by others, we
may pass on to you statements or representations about such software or goods. We pass this
information on to you in good faith but we do not undertake to verify them or guarantee their
accuracy, and exclude liability except to the extent that we may have been negligent in
passing on such information to you.
10. Unusual Circumstances
10.1. If circumstances arise which are largely beyond our control, and which make it no
longer commercially sensible for us to continue your order, we may cancel it on the terms set
out below:
10.2. If we decide to cancel it
10.2.1. we shall give you notice, and we shall not be responsible for any loss to you which
arises because of that decision (although any other rights which you may have arising before
we made that decision will still stand); and
10.2.2. you will pay us a reasonable sum in relation to the proportion of your order which we
have fulfilled.
11. Consequential Loss and Our Liability
11.1. Unless explicitly stated in the quotation in writing, we do not accept liability for
consequential loss of any kind. UNLESS STATED EXPLICITLY IN THE QUOTATION
WE HAVE PRICED THIS CONTRACT ON THE BASIS THAT CONSEQUENTIAL
LOSS HAS BEEN EXCLUDED: IF YOU WISH US TO BEAR LIABILITY FOR
CONSEQUENTIAL LOSS WE MAY CONSIDER DOING SO BUT ON THE BASIS
THAT THE CONTRACT PRICE WILL HAVE TO BE INCREASED TO COVER THE
INCREASED RISK, WHETHER OR NOT WE CHOOSE TO BEAR IT THROUGH OUR
INSURANCE. Consequential loss includes (but is not limited to) loss of profits, loss of
anticipated savings and costs of loss of staff time.
11.2. If we have not accepted a different level of liability our entire liability under this
contract shall be limited to the value of the goods, software licences or services provided
under it (or, in the case of a breach of any of the terms referred to in clause 16 below, the
appropriate level of liability contained within those terms).
11.3. We do not warrant or guarantee that hardware or software will not suffer from any
problems related to the year 2000 date change unless the quotation specifically states
otherwise. You are advised to refer to the manufacturer’s own statements relating to this. If
we provide manufacturer’s statements of year 2000 compliance we do so in good faith but are
not to be taken as representing or warranting that such statements are true.
11.4. Nothing at all in this agreement (which includes all documentation referred to in it) is
designed or intended to reduce or restrict our liability for the death of or personal injury to
anyone caused by our negligence or the negligence of anyone for whom we are responsible
(which may include, for example, our employees, sub-contractors or agents)
12. Payment of Price
12.1. You must pay us the price specified in the quotation, including any VAT which may
apply in accordance with the terms and on the dates contained in it. If no terms or dates are
referred to, the price is payable within 14 days of our acceptance of the order.
12.2. If you fail to pay the whole or part of any sum you owe to us (whether because of this
agreement or not) by the time it comes due for payment, all sums which you owe us (whether
under this agreement or not) will become due for payment immediately, and we may issue
court proceedings against you to recover them without giving you any further notice.
12.3. You must pay us the whole of the amount due, and may not set off or deduct anything
from this amount without our written permission.
12.4. Any sums which remain unpaid after they became due are subject to interest at a rate of
4% over the base rate of Barclays Bank PLC from time to time, compounded monthly, both
before and after judgment.
12.5. We may assign the benefit of any debt owed to us by you to any third party at any time.
13. Guideline Definitions of Payment Terms
13.1. No terms specified: payment is due in full on acceptance of the order;
13.2. “30 days”: payment is due on the 30th day after you placed the order;
13.3. “On installation”: payment is due in full immediately upon practical completion (as
defined below) of installation
13.4. “lease”: means that
13.4.1. (in the case of hardware) title to hardware does not pass to you (unless explicitly
stated in, and subject to the terms of, the order);
13.4.2. (in the case of software) the licence is a periodic licence and periodic fees are payable
under the provisions of the licence agreement.
13.5. If we have undercharged you the VAT that should have been due on an order, you agree
to pay us the outstanding VAT immediately. If we have overcharged you VAT, we shall
refund you the amount that you have overpaid.
13.6. “Practical completion” means that software or installation has been completed to the
extent that it is reasonably possible to use it for normal contemplated use, save only for any
minor snagging items (which will usually be dealt with under the terms of our warranty).
14. Time for Performance
14.1. Whenever we agree to do anything by or on a particular time, we will try to do it on or
at that time, but we shall not be liable for late performance
14.1.1. if late performance is reasonably beyond our control (it is due, for example, to the
failure of our own suppliers to perform); or
14.1.2. unless you have given us a notice allowing us a reasonable time to perform and we
have failed to do so (in any event, clause 10 above applies).
15. Indemnity
15.1. Where we do anything for you on your premises (or premises under your control), you
agree to indemnify us and keep us indemnified against any loss, damage claim or expense
arising out of the physical injury of or death of any of our staff arising in any way from our
performance of this agreement and arising by reason of the provision of defective equipment,
your failure to provide a safe system of work or otherwise by reason of any negligent act or
default on your part or on the part of your servants or agents or other person on your
premises.
16. Incorporation of Other Terms
16.1. Depending upon what is supplied under this agreement, our following additional
standard terms (in force at the time of this agreement) apply:
16.1.1. Standard Terms for the Supply of Hardware
16.1.2. Standard Terms for the Supply and Licensing of Software (for third-party software or
standard software developed by us)
16.1.3. Standard Terms for the Development of Software (for software developed or
customised by us)
16.1.4. Standard Terms for the Supply of Consultancy
16.1.5. Standard Terms for the Supply of Hardware Maintenance
16.1.6. Standard Terms for the Supply of Software Support
16.2. Definitions in this agreement also apply to the additional standard terms.
16.3. In each case, copies of the above standard terms are available on request.
17. Assignment
17.1. Except as is specifically referred to in this agreement, neither of us may assign the
benefit or the obligations of any part of this agreement without the written consent of the
other.
18. Notices
18.1. Where any notice is required to be given under this agreement (where the word “notify”
is used it means “to give notice”), it is validly given if it is in writing and sent by fax, email
or prepaid first-class or airmail post to the correct fax number, email address or postal address
of the relevant party as contained on the quotation or prior correspondence, or subsequently
notified to the other party. Where sent by fax, the notice is deemed to have arrived
immediately upon sending. If sent by email, the notice is deemed to have arrived 24 hours
after it was sent (unless within those 24 hours the sender has been sent an email saying that
the notice has not been delivered). If sent by post, the notice is deemed to have arrived on the
third working day after the day on which it was sent (if sent to an address within the UK), or
on the sixth working day (anywhere else in the world) (unless in each case within that period
it was returned as undelivered).
19. Confidentiality and Poaching
19.1. You may have or obtain confidential information (which includes but is not limited to
information relating to our products, planned products and details of our marketing, support
and internal structures and similar information relating to our suppliers or related products).
You agree that you will use confidential information solely for the purposes of this agreement
and for evaluating future products or services supplied by us, and that you shall not disclose,
whether directly or indirectly, to any person any confidential information unless the
disclosure is required to carry out this agreement. Before you make any disclosure to another
person, you must obtain from them a binding commitment to keep that information
confidential. That commitment must be at least as effective as this obligation is on you.
19.2. The clause above shall not prevent you from disclosing or using any information
19.2.1. which is public or becomes public through no fault of your own or of those to whom
you have entrusted it;
19.2.2. or to the extent permitted by law.
19.3. We agree to be bound by the obligations contained in the above clauses 19.1 and 19.2
likewise in relation to any confidential information which you may give us.
19.4. You agree not to approach or engage any of our staff (with whom you have had contact)
directly or indirectly within six months after the termination of any contract between you and
us.
19.5. You agree that for at least the six month period set out above you will not introduce or
identify any of our staff to any other person with a view to that other person engaging our
staff member.
20. Termination on Insolvency
20.1. If, in our reasonable opinion, it appears that you will be unable to meet the payment
terms we have agreed we may terminate this agreement immediately without notice, in which
case we shall no longer be under any obligation to do any work for you under it, and you
immediately become liable to pay us all sums which you owe us (whether or not under this
agreement and whether or not they have become due). In addition, you will be liable to pay
us a reasonable sum representing the work we have done up to the date of termination, which
shall be calculated to include the loss of anticipated profit for the whole of the contract.
20.2. For the avoidance of doubt, it shall be reasonable for us to terminate under clause 20.1
above if any of the following occurs:
20.2.1. the presentation of a bankruptcy or winding-up petition against you;
20.2.2. the appointment of a manager, receiver or administrator over all or any part of your
assets;
20.2.3. the commencement of any winding-up process (other than for the purposes of
reconstruction or amalgamation);
20.2.4. the entry into or proposal of any form of arrangement or composition with your
creditors; or
20.2.5. anything analogous to the above sub-sub-clauses in any jurisdiction.
20.3 The above terms shall be deemed to be an extension of our common law rights to
termination.
21. Law
21.1. This agreement is subject in all respects to English Law between you and A P
Systems & Solutions Ltd.
22. Waiver
22.1. If we fail to rely on our strict legal rights under this agreement, that shall not prevent us
from relying on those rights at any time in the future.
23. Disputes
23.1. If any dispute or grievance arises between us out of this agreement, before taking any
further action (such as requiring us to remedy an alleged fault within a specific time), we
each agree that it will be discussed by staff members of each of us who are most closely
involved with the running of the contract. If that does not produce a resolution, the problem
will be escalated to the respective superiors of each staff member respectively. Only if the
respective CEOs of each party cannot reach agreement on the dispute will the matter be taken
to external arbitration or redress through legal channels.
24. Third party rights
24.1 Save as expressly stated, these terms do not confer any rights on third parties as
provided for under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 or any similar or
subordinate legislation and it is not the intention of the parties to confer such rights.