Terms of Engagement

Our Terms

We value our ongoing relationship with you. These Terms form the foundation of that relationship and reflect our commitment to providing diligent, efficient, and professional service to meet your needs. These Terms of Engagement (“Terms”) apply to all work we carry out for you unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Services

The services we provide will be detailed in our proposal, statement of work, or itemized quotation.
In some cases, specific work details may also be outlined via email communication with you.

Client Care

We are dedicated to ensuring that your needs are met and will:

  • Protect and promote your interests: Act independently, free from conflicting influences or loyalties.
  • Discuss your objectives: Collaborate with you to determine the best way to achieve them.
  • Act competently and timely: Follow your instructions and honor the arrangements made.
  • Provide clear information: Upon request, outline the work to be done and how services will be delivered.
  • Maintain confidentiality: Protect your privacy and ensure appropriate confidentiality.
  • Treat you with respect: Act fairly, respectfully, and without discrimination.
  • Keep you informed: Update you on the progress of the work and notify you upon completion.
  • Charge fair and reasonable fees: Provide transparency on fees and billing schedules.
  • Address complaints promptly: Inform you of the process to raise concerns and resolve complaints fairly and efficiently.

These Terms are designed to uphold our commitment to high-quality service and ensure your satisfaction.

The Basis of Our Charges

Unless otherwise agreed, our rates are determined by a variety of factors, including the time involved, the expertise required, the importance and urgency of the work, and the results achieved. Detailed information about our charges is available upon request.

In addition to our service fees, we charge for administrative disbursements and travel expenses incurred on your behalf. These charges will be itemized separately, and you will be notified if any fees or disbursements require advance payment.

Quotations & Fees

The fees we charge or the method by which they are calculated are outlined in these terms or a subsequent quotation.

  • Fixed Fees: If a fixed fee is specified in the agreement or quotation, it applies to the agreed scope of services.
  • Scope Adjustments: Quotations are based on the client’s information at the time of quoting. Any additional work falling outside the agreed scope or changes to the originally stated requirements may incur extra charges. These will be calculated on an hourly basis, with a minimum billing increment of 15 minutes.
  • Material Deadlines: Delays in providing required materials may impact agreed deadlines.
  • Hourly Rates: Where fees are based on an hourly rate, the applicable rates will be outlined in a quotation or invoice. Hourly rates reflect the expertise and specialization of our professional staff.

Estimates

Our estimates cover design, development, unit testing, deployment, and acceptance support. These are based on our best judgment and experience.

However, it’s important to note that estimates are not guarantees. If we identify that more or less time is required than initially estimated, we will communicate with you promptly. We will work collaboratively to understand the variance, explain the reasons, and adjust the course of action based on your input and approval.

Please note that all logged hours, including those exceeding the estimate, will be billed accordingly.

Disbursements and Expenses

In delivering our services, we may incur disbursements or make payments to third parties on your behalf. These expenses will be included in our invoice to you as they arise. In some cases, we may request advance payment to cover anticipated disbursements or expenses on your behalf.

Security

We may require you to pre-pay certain amounts or provide security to cover our fees and expenses.

You authorize us to:

  • Debit prepaid amounts; and
  • Deduct from prepaid amounts any fees, expenses, or disbursements for which we have issued an invoice.

Invoicing

You will receive invoices and statements for the following month by the 6th day of each month, with payment due 14 days later, on the 20th. Monthly invoices, along with attached statements, will be emailed directly to your account contact.

For larger projects, fees will be divided into three installments as follows:

  • 33% upon project kickoff,
  • 33% upon design approval, and
  • 34% prior to the project’s go-live date, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing.

Retained Services

We invoice for digital marketing campaigns monthly and in advance. Third-party platform fees must be paid directly to the relevant platforms using a credit card, which must be set up prior to the campaign’s commencement. Upon signing your contract, your credit card will be added to your account file. You authorize us to use this card to:

  • Pay your monthly subscription,
  • Deduct our fees and expenses, and
  • Settle any overdue amounts.

Clients will be billed the agreed monthly fee for subsequent months until the contract is fulfilled.

Cancellations

After the initial term, if you wish to cancel your marketing services, written notice is required in accordance with your contract. If a contract is not in place, we require a minimum of four weeks’ written notice.

If cancellation occurs before the minimum contract period is completed, you agree to pay for the full campaign setup.

All assets created as part of the campaigns remain the property of Fruit Punch Digital unless purchased separately.

Pausing Services

In specific circumstances, marketing retainers may be paused. However, we advise against pausing as it can negatively impact campaign performance, leading to lost momentum and diminished results when resumed.

If you wish to pause your retainer:

  • Notice Required: Provide at least four weeks’ written notice.
  • Duration: Retainers may be paused for up to one month within a 12-month period.
  • Restrictions: Retainers cannot be paused within the first six months of the contract.

If you’d like to discuss pausing your retainer, please contact your account manager to explore your options.

Rollover of Retainer Hours

Unused retainer hours may roll over for a maximum of three months.

Invoice Disputes

We must be notified in writing within 5 calendar days from the date you first received the invoice.
The client shall identify the specific cause of the disagreement and shall pay when due that portion of the invoice, not in dispute.

For any queries on disputed invoices, please send to accounts via email at accounts@fruitpunch.digital or complete a dispute form https://fruitpunch.digital/invoice-dispute. Your queries will be redirected back to your account manager for resolution and where required the invoice will be amended for payment.

Overdue Invoices

A late payment fee of 10% per month will be applied to all overdue accounts.

Accounts that remain unpaid for 90 days will be referred to a debt collection agency, Baycorp. The account holder will be responsible for covering all associated administration costs, collection fees, and legal expenses.

Debt Collection Clause

In the event of an unsatisfied debt at the conclusion of the agreement, the client agrees to be liable for and cover all costs associated with the recovery of the debt. These costs may include legal fees, commissions, collection agency fees and disbursements, as well as court filing fees and related expenses.

Providing Feedback on Work

We use various tools designed to streamline and simplify the feedback process, enabling us to offer competitive pricing to you, our client. While it is your choice whether or not to use these tools, we reserve the right to charge for additional time if feedback is provided outside these platforms.

Logins

To carry out the agreed work, Fruit Punch Digital requires access to your website, social media profiles, and any other relevant platforms. You are responsible for providing this access promptly to avoid delays in the production of your campaign. Fruit Punch Digital will supply instructions on how to grant access when needed.

Intellectual Property

  • Client Rights: The client retains intellectual property and copyright ownership of all finalized deliverables, including logos, drawings, photographs, designs, artwork, proofs, and websites created by Fruit Punch Digital under this agreement. These deliverables may only be used for the purposes and works specified in this agreement.
  • Outstanding Payments: If any fees or expenses remain unpaid or in default, the client forfeits the right to use any of the deliverables.
  • Fruit Punch Digital Rights: Fruit Punch Digital retains the right to use and showcase the results, including logos, drawings, photographs, designs, artwork, proofs, and edits developed for the client. These may be used for promotional purposes such as newsletters, websites, portfolios, advertising, or other marketing materials.

Acceptance of Design and Ideas

All work completed, whether experimental or finalized—such as designs, mock-ups, visuals, or other ideas—will be treated as an order and charged accordingly, regardless of whether it is accepted by the client. Any concepts not accepted remain the property of Fruit Punch Digital.

If the work does not meet your satisfaction, please notify Fruit Punch Digital within five working days so we can resolve the matter promptly.

Warranty Period

All development work completed on behalf of a client is covered by a 3-month warranty period. During this time, we will address any issues or bugs directly related to the completed work. After this period, normal rate card fees will apply, and an estimate can be provided upon request.

To maintain the warranty, all project fees must be paid in full within 15 days after the project’s go-live date. Failure to meet this payment deadline will void the warranty.

Hosting

All projects developed by Fruit Punch Digital are deployed to our hosting servers upon go-live. Hosting is charged on a monthly basis for a minimum term of 12 months. Hosting plans are available for review [here].

If you opt to host your own website, please note:

  • We do not provide support for bug fixes within the warranty period or for the website’s code.
  • An access fee may apply if we are engaged to work on an externally hosted website. This fee covers the additional time required to set up and access the external server.

Cancellation of Hosting Services

Hosting fees are non-refundable and renew automatically on a monthly or yearly basis. If you wish to cancel your hosting services, 90 days’ written notice is required.

Upon request, we will supply all website files, provided your account is in good standing. A website hosting transfer fee of $500 + GST will apply. This fee covers the preparation and supply of a website deployment package and providing necessary information to the new hosting provider.

After transferring your services to another provider, we require written confirmation from the new provider or you to confirm the transfer is complete. We will not terminate services until this final confirmation is received.

Please note:

  • Proprietary code developed by Fruit Punch Digital may not be accessible after the transfer.
  • You will no longer have access to our agency licences, which help run your website
  • Cancelling your hosting account will remove your website’s files from our servers. Ensure you retain copies of any files you wish to keep before cancelling your account.

SSL Certificates

All projects developed by Fruit Punch Digital include an SSL Certificate at the time of deployment. SSL technology establishes an encrypted link between a web server and a browser, ensuring data remains private and secure, accessible only to intended parties.

SSL Certificates are renewed annually, and the associated fees are passed on to you. Details of SSL costs can be viewed [here].

Domain Name Registrations & Renewals

As part of our service, we register and manage domain names on behalf of our clients. We ensure domains are renewed prior to their expiry date, and you will be invoiced annually for this service.

If you wish to cancel your domain name renewal(s), you must notify us at least 4 weeks before the expiry date. To transfer your domain services, you must provide written confirmation. Upon receiving your request, we will supply the domain key (UDAI). Please note that some charges may apply for supplying the domain key.

Domain Name Fees are Non-Refundable.

Important: Cancelling your domain name may cause your website to go offline. Be sure to keep copies of any important files before cancelling your account with us.

Duplication of Website Code or File Supply

If requested, we can provide duplicate code and design of a client-built website for duplication onto another domain. A 25% fixed percentage of the original project fee is required upon file supply.

If you need a copy of your website’s code for any other purpose, your account must be up to date before we can supply the files.

Third-Party Access

To ensure the security of your website and our hosting infrastructure, we do not provide third-party access to a website’s code or plugins.

However, we are happy to collaborate with third-party providers by adding the required code or plugins on your behalf. Please note that some work may incur additional charges.

Code Updates

When performing updates or development work on your website, we may need to update the framework, code, or plugins to their latest versions. If this is necessary, we will notify you in advance, and additional costs may apply.

This may include addressing conflicts between legacy code and updated code to ensure the website remains functional.

Content Management System Use

The content management system (CMS) of your website allows flexibility for basic content and image updates. However, it is not designed to handle updates to 100% of the website’s content.

Certain areas of the CMS may be more complex, and making changes without the necessary expertise could affect the appearance or performance of your website.

  • Only update areas you are familiar with.
  • Avoid updating the WordPress platform or plugins without consulting us first.

If any issues arise due to unauthorized CMS changes, additional charges may apply to revert changes and resolve problems.

WordPress Maintenance

Updates to the WordPress framework and plugins used in your website are not included in the original website build price. To ensure your website continues to function effectively, periodic updates are necessary. Fruit Punch Digital will contact you annually regarding these updates.

Clients are advised not to attempt these updates themselves, as doing so can result in errors and additional costs to resolve them.

Suspensions & Terminations

You may terminate our services at any time with a 4-week written notice. Similarly, Fruit Punch Digital may terminate our services to you with the same notice period.

If any work commissioned by the client is canceled or suspended for more than 90 working days, Fruit Punch Digital will be entitled to full payment for the portion of work completed and any expenses incurred up to the date of termination.

Stopping & Restarting a Project

If a project becomes stagnant, meaning Fruit Punch Digital has been unable to continue work due to client inaction for a period of 8 weeks or more, additional charges will apply to resume the project. These charges cover the time required to review the project status and re-brief the team.

Retention of Files and Documents

You authorize Fruit Punch Digital (without further notice to you) to destroy all files and documents related to the matter 1 month after our engagement ends, unless otherwise agreed. This excludes documents held in safe custody for you or documents already converted to electronic format and supplied to you.

Confidentiality

We will maintain the confidentiality of all information related to you or your affairs that we acquire while acting on your behalf. Such information will not be disclosed to any other party except within our agency or to individuals providing services for you.

Complaints

We have a procedure in place to address client complaints, ensuring they are handled promptly and fairly.

  • If you have a complaint about our services or charges, you may raise it with the person within our agency who has overall responsibility for your work.
  • If you are uncomfortable addressing your complaint to that individual or are dissatisfied with their response, you may escalate your complaint to any other partner.

Indemnity

Both parties agree to indemnify the other, including its officers, employees, and agents, against any loss, damage, claim, action, or expense (including legal costs) arising from:

  • A breach of this Agreement by the indemnifying party;
  • Inaccuracy in materials or information supplied by the indemnifying party; or
  • Infringement of any third-party rights (including intellectual property rights) or violation of laws through the use of materials or information supplied by the indemnifying party.

Dispute Resolution

  • Any disputes will initially be referred to mediation for resolution.
  • If mediation does not result in a satisfactory resolution within 30 days, either party may pursue legal action to resolve the dispute.

This clause does not prevent us from:

  1. Taking legal action to enforce payment of any debt; or
  2. Seeking interlocutory or injunctive relief when necessary.

Validity of Terms

If any provision of these terms is found to be invalid, void, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain unaffected and enforceable.

Failure to enforce any of these terms will not be considered a waiver of our rights or obligations under these terms.

If you are not happy with the terms of engagement

You will let us know if any of these terms are unclear or you would like to alter the terms in any way. If your request is reasonable we will redraft them to ensure you are happy.