Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

These terms are between you and Paddy Dewhurst (sole trader), the operator of CertBox ("the Service"). By accessing or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, you must not use the Service.

2. Description of Service

CertBox is a digital platform for tradesmen, landlords and property managers to create, store and share compliance certificates and property records. The Service does not replace professional advice or regulatory compliance obligations.

3. User Accounts

You must provide accurate information when creating an account. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity under your account. You must notify us immediately of any unauthorised use.

4. Acceptable Use

You agree not to: upload fraudulent or misleading certificates; use the Service for any unlawful purpose; attempt to gain unauthorised access to other accounts or systems; or interfere with the operation of the Service.

5. User Content

You retain ownership of all content you upload, including certificates, property data and organisation information. By uploading content, you grant CertBox a limited licence to store, process and display it as necessary to provide the Service.

6. Subscriptions and Payment

Paid plans are billed in advance on a monthly or annual basis. You may cancel at any time; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. Outside the 14-day cancellation right below, refunds are not provided for partial billing periods.

Cancelling within 14 days

Whatever your reason for signing up, you can cancel a new paid subscription or trial within 14 days of starting it and pay nothing — or get a full refund if you have already been charged. You do not have to give a reason.

• If you are on a free trial, cancel any time before it ends and you will not be charged at all.
• Starting your access straight away, rather than waiting 14 days, is something you ask us to do by pressing "Start free trial" or "Subscribe" — it is not something we assume on your behalf. If you cancel during the 14 days after using some of that time, we will only ask you to pay for the part of a paid period you actually had. Nothing is charged during a free trial, so cancelling during the trial always means paying nothing.
• To cancel, use Cancel subscription in Account > Billing, or email support@certbox.app. We will confirm and refund anything owed within 5 working days.

This 14-day right exists as a matter of law for individuals signing up other than for the purposes of their own trade or business — a private landlord managing their own rental property, for example, rather than someone running a letting business. We give the same right to every subscriber regardless of how you use CertBox, to keep this simple.

7. Risk Assessments & Method Statements (RAMS)

CertBox provides a digital tool to assist competent persons in creating RAMS documents. CertBox does not provide safety advice, safety consultancy, or professional health and safety services. Specifically:

• RAMS documents are created by you, the user, not by CertBox. CertBox provides the tool; the content and its accuracy are your responsibility.
• You are solely responsible for ensuring that any RAMS you produce is suitable for the specific project, site, and work being undertaken.
• The hazard library within CertBox provides general guidance only and does not constitute professional safety consultancy. You must verify that all hazards relevant to your work have been identified and that control measures are appropriate.
• You must hold appropriate competence, training, and qualifications to prepare risk assessments and method statements for the work you are undertaking.
• CertBox does not warrant or guarantee that any RAMS created using the platform will be accepted by any main contractor, client, regulatory body, or enforcing authority.
• You must review and, where necessary, update your RAMS before each use and whenever site conditions, scope of work, or personnel change.
• CertBox is not a competent person scheme, a health and safety consultancy, or a CDM duty holder. Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 you are the duty holder responsible for the health and safety of everyone your work affects, and for the adequacy of your own risk assessment and method statement — not CertBox.
• We keep RAMS documents for as long as your account is active, in line with our Privacy Policy. Because injury claims and HSE investigations can be brought years after work finishes, keep your own copy of every RAMS you issue — including any changes made by hand on site after it was generated.

8. Limitation of Liability

The Service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. CertBox shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages arising from the use of the Service. Our total liability is limited to the amount you have paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim.

To the extent permitted by law, CertBox excludes all liability for any loss, injury, or damage arising from the use of RAMS documents or any other documents created using the Service, including but not limited to claims arising from incomplete hazard identification, inadequate control measures, or rejection of documents by third parties.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law, including the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977.

9. Data Protection

We process personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable UK data protection legislation including the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.

If you process personal data of your clients through CertBox (for example, entering client names, addresses, or contact details on certificates), you are the data controller for that data. CertBox acts as a data processor on your behalf. Our data processing terms are set out in our Privacy Policy.

10. Termination

You may cancel your paid subscription at any time. Upon cancellation, your account reverts to the Free plan and you retain read-only access to your existing documents. We may suspend or terminate your account for breach of these terms, in which case you may request export of your data within 30 days. After that period, data may be permanently deleted.

11. Changes to Terms

We will give you at least 30 days' notice of material changes to these terms via email or in-app notification. If you do not accept the changes, you may close your account before they take effect. Continued use of the Service after the effective date of any changes constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

12. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. Nothing in this clause affects any rights you may have as a consumer under the mandatory laws of the country or state in which you are based, which cannot be excluded or limited by contract.

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless CertBox and its officers, employees, contractors and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in connection with: (a) your use of the Service; (b) any document you create using the Service, including any RAMS; (c) your breach of these terms; or (d) your infringement of any third party rights. This indemnity does not apply to the extent that any claim arises from CertBox's own negligence or wilful misconduct.

14. Severability

If any provision of these terms is held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that provision shall be severed from these terms and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

15. Contact

For questions about these terms, contact us at support@certbox.app.