Booking Terms & Conditions

1. Definitions & interpretation

1.1. In these Terms and Conditions (T&Cs), the following expressions have the following meanings:

► Client / You: the company or individual booking the services

► Lighthouse Proofreading / Me / I: Lorraine Williams (she/her) trading Lighthouse Proofreading

► We / Us: both Lighthouse Proofreading and you the Client

► Services / Work: any proofreading, formatting, website review, transcription, administration or other mutually agreed-upon services

1.2. These T&Cs apply to any work done on behalf of the Client by Lighthouse Proofreading and form the basis of the contract between us.

1.3. Each reference to ‘writing’, and any similar expression, includes all forms of electronic and online communications.

2. About Lighthouse Proofreading

2.1. I am self-employed, responsible for my own Tax and National Insurance, and not VAT registered.

2.2. All services will be carried out on a freelance basis, unsupervised at such days, hours and locations as I determine, using my own equipment.

2.3. The Client is under no obligation to offer me any work, and I am under no obligation to accept any work offered.

3. Project terms

3.1. Prior to starting the work, we will agree the following project terms in writing:

► the service

► the document format and annotation method (e.g. Track Changes in Word, Annotation Tools in PDF)

► a fee, based on a quote I supply following my evaluation of the material and required time frame

► the date by which the Client will send the materials (start date)

► the latest return date, as advised by me

3.2. If, on receipt of the materials or at an early stage, it becomes apparent that significantly more work is required than anticipated, I reserve the right to renegotiate the fee, scope and/or deadline, or decline the work. I will notify the Client as soon as possible.

4. Quotes & fees

4.1. I will provide a quote upon receipt of a brief and my evaluation of a representative sample of the materials.

4.2. Quotes are valid for 30 days, subject to availability. I may withdraw a quote at any time.

4.3. Unless otherwise agreed, the quoted fee covers one full readthrough or one undertaking of the agreed service. Any further work is subject to an updated or additional quote.

4.4. Once agreed, the project fee is non-negotiable unless the Client extends the scope or requests additional services, in which case a revised scope, deadline and fee will be negotiated.

4.5. A booking fee will be stated as part of the full project fee and is required to secure the booking. The remaining balance will be invoiced upon completion of the work.

5. Booking confirmation

5.1. Once a quote is confirmed, a Statement of Work, these T&Cs and the Booking Contract will be issued for agreement.

5.2. By completing and submitting the Booking Contract or providing other written confirmation, the Client agrees to the contract of services and confirms they have read and agreed to these T&Cs.

5.3. The Client may request changes to the booking before work commences by notifying me in writing as soon as possible. I reserve the right to renegotiate the fee, scope and/or deadline, or decline the work.

5.4. Any services requested outside of the Statement of Work will be charged at the prevailing hourly rate.

6. Booking fee

6.1. An invoice for the booking fee will be issued upon written confirmation or completed Booking Contract. Booking fees are non-refundable, as the dates are allocated exclusively to the Client’s project.

6.2. Booking fee tiers:

► Project fee up to £1000: 100% booking fee

► Project fee £1,001 to £4,000: 50% booking fee

► Project fee £4001 and above: 35% booking fee

6.3. The booking fee invoice is payable within up to 3 days of issue (depending on project start date). The booking is confirmed once payment is received. If the booking fee is not paid as per the invoice terms, the provisional dates will be released from my schedule.

7. Payment

7.1. All invoices are issued in GBP (£). I accept BACS and bank transfer/faster payment.

7.2. All invoices must be paid in full within 14 days of issue (booking fee invoices within up to 7 days, as per clause 6.3). The Client is responsible for any additional bank charges or transaction fees to ensure I receive the full invoice amount.

7.3. If payment is not received by the due date, I will charge statutory interest at 8% plus the Bank of England base rate, accruing daily from the due date until payment is received.

7.4. The Client is liable for any costs I incur in connection with the performance of the contract, including recovery of the costs of collection of unpaid invoices and court fees.

7.5. Refunds will be given solely at my discretion.

8. Cancellation policy

8.1. Either party may terminate the contract with immediate effect, by providing written notice, if there is a serious breach of its terms.

8.2. I may cancel with immediate effect if the Client fails to make any payments due.

8.3. The Client may cancel by providing written notice; cancellation is valid only once I have acknowledged it in writing.

8.4. If I cancel for any reason, I will issue a prorated refund of any fees paid (including the booking fee).

8.5. If either party is affected by extraordinary circumstances (e.g. family crisis, illness, bereavement), they should contact the other as soon as possible. In such cases affecting me, I will do my best to renegotiate the time frame or find an alternative supplier, and the booking fee will be refunded. If the Client is affected, I aim to be fair and helpful and will discuss the cancellation terms with them.

Cancellation prior to project commencement:

8.6. If the Client cancels with 5 or fewer working days’ notice before the agreed start date, I reserve the right to invoice 100% of the agreed project fee (less the booking fee).

8.7. If the Client cancels with 6 or more working days’ notice, the booking fee is forfeited and no further charge applies.

Cancellation due to Client delay at project commencement:

8.8. Materials must be received on or before the agreed start date. If the Client’s delay means I can no longer meet the agreed return date, I reserve the right to renegotiate or cancel the project. If cancellation results, I reserve the right to invoice 100% of the agreed project fee (less the booking fee).

Cancellation during the project:

8.9. If the Client cancels whilst work is being undertaken, I reserve the right to invoice 100% of the agreed project fee (less the booking fee).

9. Providing the services

9.1. I am contactable Monday to Friday, 09:00–17:00, excluding bank holidays and any pre-stated unavailable days. I may reply outside these hours but do not expect a response at those times. Email is my preferred contact method. If I am unavailable for an extended period, I will set an out-of-office email stating my return date.

9.2. I will make every reasonable effort to complete the services on time and in accordance with the Client’s booking.

9.3. I am not liable for any failure or delay caused by events beyond my reasonable control (force majeure), including power failure, internet service provider failure, fire, epidemic or pandemic. I will inform the Client as soon as reasonably possible in such circumstances.

9.4. If I require information from the Client to provide the services, I will request it promptly. If the information is received incomplete, incorrect or late, I will not be responsible for any resulting delay or errors, and reserve the right to renegotiate the fee, scope and/or deadline, or decline the work.

9.5. I carry out all proofreading, formatting and website review services personally. Where necessary – such as for transcription or specialist provision – I am permitted to subcontract. I will undertake the final proofreading and sign-off to ensure completion to my standards.

10. Copyright, liability & indemnity

10.1. All content supplied to me is owned by the Client or the Client’s client. The Client is responsible for its accuracy, completeness and compliance with plagiarism and copyright guidelines.

10.2. The Client agrees to hold me harmless from and against all claims, liabilities and expenses arising out of any potential or actual copyright or trademark infringement against them.

10.3. I am not liable for incidental, indirect, consequential, special, punitive or exemplary damages.

10.4. Following payment of the final invoice, any content created by me as part of the services will become the copyright of the Client, unless otherwise agreed.

11. Artificial intelligence (AI) & digital tools

11.1. I may use AI tools to assist with background research, competitive analysis or investigating a topic. All research is verified through authoritative sources before being included as a comment. I do not use generative AI to proofread Client text or make editorial recommendations, and I do not input confidential Client information into public AI systems.

11.2. I may use AI for project-related administrative tasks (e.g. summarising briefs, organising research, drafting internal notes). This does not affect the project output.

11.3. Client materials will never knowingly be used to train a language model. All work is carried out and reviewed by me, a human proofreader, before delivery. Except for secure storage, backup and recovery, I will never upload Client text to a third-party site without express permission.

11.4. When subcontractors are engaged, they are required to follow the same standards regarding AI use and confidentiality.

11.5. I use the following digital tools:

► Microsoft Office 365: Hosted locally via a licensed version. Copilot runs in the background and may transmit small prtions of text to generate suggestions. GitHub provides privacy controls to protect this work.

► PerfectIt: Word add-in used for consistency checking. Hosted locally via a licensed version. Runs offline. Does not use AI.

► Macros: Used for text analysis. Hosted locally. Runs offline. Does not use AI.

► Search engines: Used for fact-checking. Cloud-based. Uses multiple AI systems to match queries with relevant results.

► OneDrive: Used for secure file storage, backup and recovery. Licensed version. Cloud-based.

12. Service quality, standards & ‘perfection’

12.1. I aim to provide an accurate, thorough, reliable and trusted service of a high standard.

12.2. Owing to the subjective nature of editorial work, I cannot guarantee that my services will be free of ‘errors’. It is impossible to offer ‘perfection’ as the word is open to individual interpretation, and it is possible that an error may not be amended. You may wish to read my Will your copy be perfect? article.

12.3. The final responsibility for the Client’s materials and any errors remains with the Client. It is strongly advised that the Client checks the work prior to release, publication or print. I take no responsibility for direct, indirect, special or consequential losses or costs arising from grammatical, typographical or factual errors, or from the Client’s failure to communicate requirements clearly.

12.4. I welcome feedback. If the Client wishes to notify me of an issue relating to the services, please do so in writing within 10 working days of delivery.

13. Marketing materials

13.1. The Client agrees that I may refer to them by company or trading name and/or logo in marketing or promotional materials, and grants me a royalty-free licence to do so.

13.2. The Client agrees that I may reproduce and publish any written or verbal positive feedback or testimonials across my website, marketing materials and social media channels.

14. Confidentiality, privacy & GDPR

14.1. The nature and content of the work will be kept confidential and not disclosed to anyone other than the Client, the Client’s contractors and any specialist subcontractors appointed by me to complete the project. I will sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement as required.

14.2. I use a cloud storage system. Please refer to the Privacy Policy.

14.3. For information on the data I collect, how I use and store it, and my compliance with GDPR, please refer to the Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

15. Governing law & jurisdiction

15.1. This agreement (including these T&Cs, Statement of Work and Booking Contract) is subject to the laws of England and Wales. Both the Client and I agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the English and Welsh courts.