ASHTHORNE

1. Assessment and scope

Work begins with an assessment of the item and confirmation of scope, whether that's diagnosing a specific fault, or servicing/recapping on a unit with no known fault. We record the item's condition at intake. No work beyond that initial assessment proceeds without your explicit go-ahead, given by phone, WhatsApp, email, or in person, and recorded by us.

2. Pre-existing condition and further deterioration

Much of the equipment we handle is decades old. Working on aged electronic equipment — whether repairing a reported fault or carrying out routine servicing/recapping on a unit that arrived working — can expose or accelerate latent weaknesses in the unit that were not caused by us and could not reasonably have been foreseen at intake.

Where we have exercised reasonable care and skill, we are not liable for deterioration, additional faults, or failure of the item that stems from its pre-existing condition, age, or a latent fault revealing itself during our work. In such cases our liability is limited to refunding any parts cost already incurred by you for that job, and we will tell you promptly if this happens.

This does not limit our liability for loss or damage caused by our own negligence falling below reasonable care and skill, or for any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under UK law.

3. Right to stop work

If, once work is underway, we judge that continuing is not economical (for example, a fault found mid-job that would cost disproportionately more than the item's value or your stated budget to fix), we may stop and return the item to you in the condition reached, without obligation to restore it to its original state. We will tell you before this happens wherever practical.

4. Fees and payment

A diagnostic or assessment fee applies as set out on the Pricing & Policy page, and covers the time spent assessing the item whether or not work is possible or proceeds.

• If you approve the work, the diagnostic/assessment fee is folded into the total cost.
• If the work does not go ahead (declined by you, or judged uneconomical by us), the diagnostic/assessment fee is payable for the work already done.
• We may waive this fee at our discretion, including where an item is further damaged during our work under circumstances not clearly covered by clause 2 — this is a goodwill gesture and does not set a precedent for other jobs.
• Where we're confident a repair is viable, we may add further labour at our discretion rather than issuing a fresh quote at every stage. These stay reasonable for the job and will not exceed £100 unless we agree more work first.

Full payment is due on collection unless otherwise agreed in writing.

5. Parts

Where original manufacturer parts are unavailable, we may use good-quality reclaimed, refurbished, or compatible replacement parts, and will tell you if we do so for a significant component.

6. Warranty

Work carries a 90-day warranty covering the specific fault repaired, or the specific servicing/recapping carried out, using the parts and work we supplied. This does not cover unrelated faults, further wear, or deterioration of parts of the unit not part of the work covered.

7. Uncollected items

Items not collected within 90 days of us notifying you that work is complete (or that we cannot proceed) may be disposed of or sold to recover reasonable costs, provided we have made reasonable attempts to contact you using the details you provided at booking.

8. Liability cap

Subject to clause 2's carve-out for our own negligence and any liability that cannot legally be limited, our total liability to you in connection with any job is capped at the lower of: the item's fair market value at the time it was brought to us, or the price paid for our services on that job. We are not liable for indirect or consequential losses.

9. Data and media

Where a device stores personal data, media, or settings, it is your responsibility to back these up before handing the item to us. We are not liable for loss of data or stored media as a result of our work.

10. Your right to cancel

If you booked by phone, WhatsApp, email, or our website, you have a legal right to cancel within 14 days of booking without giving a reason, under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

By ticking the agreement box when booking, you expressly ask us to begin work before that 14-day period ends. If we complete the job within that time, your right to cancel ends once the work is finished. If you cancel before the job is complete, you'll be charged a reasonable amount for the work carried out and any parts used up to that point.

To cancel, contact us using the details on the Contact page before work is complete. See our Privacy page for how we handle your personal data.