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Conditions
of Contract
1.
Definitions and Guarantees.
In
this agreement
1a)
“Client” shall mean the person who requests the
Company to arrange for the carriage of Goods or for the provision of
other
services
on its behalf . Where the Client is an incorporated body the
directors of the Client guarantee its performance. Where the Client
is
not present during loading or unloading, the term Client shall extend
to the Client’s representative.
1b)
“Company” shall mean the person whose name is printed
on the face of the accompanying quotation or other document or in
the
absence thereof who is otherwise identified as the person with whom
the Client entered into a contract that incorporates these
Conditions.
1c)
“Contractor” shall mean any person who has appointed
the Company as agent to procure orders for the carriage of goods or
to find other work on behalf of that person.
1d)
“Goods” shall mean any goods, which the Client has
requested to be carried or arranged to have carried.
1e)
“Services” shall mean any storage, pre-packing and
any other services whatsoever that the Client has requested the
Company
to
provide.
1f)
“Time rate” shall be $30 per 15 minutes or part
thereof as at 20 February 2009 and adjusted annually with the CPI
movement
from
its level as at December 2008.
2.
Interpretations and Governing Law.
2a)
Any provision of this agreement which is capable of being
interpreted as being void, voidable, illegal or unenforceable, shall
not
be
so interpreted if at all possible, and shall otherwise be severed to
the minimum extent necessary with the remainder of the agreement
remaining
in force.
2b)
All the rights, immunities and limitations of liability in these
conditions of contract shall continue to have their full force and
effect
in
all circumstances, notwithstanding any breach (including fundamental
breach) of contract.
2c)
Unless otherwise apparent from the context, singular words
include the plural and vice versa, words in any one gender include
any
other gender and any reference to person includes both natural
persons and corporations.
2d)
Words in italics are for guidance only and do not and shall not
be deemed to form part of this agreement.
2e)
This agreement shall be governed by and interpreted and enforced
in accordance with the laws applicable in the Australian
Capital
Territory. This agreement shall be deemed to have been entered into
in the Australian Capital Territory.
3.
Applicability of these Conditions.
3a)
These Conditions of Contract shall apply to any Contract for the
carriage of Goods (or the provision of other services) that was
entered
into after being given a reasonable opportunity to view them on the
Company’s web site, booking on the Company’s web
site
or as a result of the acceptance of any quotation accompanied by
these Conditions. These Conditions shall also apply to any
further
such contracts if they are entered into without reference to any
other conditions.
3b)
The Client acknowledges that the Company acts as agent for every
Contractor referred to in these conditions in procuring
the
Client’s business and that the Company has disclosed that fact
to the Client prior to the Client entering into any
contract.
3c)
By entering into this contract the Client also accepts these
Conditions on behalf of all other persons on whose behalf they are
acting.
3d)
Any term of these conditions which limits the liability of the
Company, also extends to and enures for the benefit of its employees,
agents,
contractors and sub-contractors and also to their employees, agents,
contractors and sub-contractors. For the purposes of this sub-clause,
the Company shall be deemed
to be the agent or trustee of such persons and such persons shall, to
the extent necessary to give effect to this sub-clause, be deemed to
be parties to this agreement. However this provision shall not be
construed as imposing or implying any additional liability on those
persons to any person for any reason.
4.
Variation of Conditions.
Unless
otherwise specified in this agreement, these conditions can only be
varied by mutual consent. The consent of the Company
for
such a variation can only be given in writing by a director,
secretary or manager of the Company.
5.
The Company and the Contractor are NOT COMMON CARRIERS and will
accept no liability as such. All goods are carried
subject
only to the Conditions that were agreed upon for the carriage of
those goods and the Company and the Contractor reserve
the
right to refuse to carry any Goods.
6.
Terms relating to the Nature and Ownership of Goods.
6a)
The Client expressly warrants that the Client is either the owner
or the authorised agent of the owner of any Goods or property the
subject matter of this contract. If the Client is not the owner the
Client warrants that the Client has the authority to enter into this
contract.
6b)
Goods are accepted by the Company on the condition that they
comply with the requirements of any applicable law relating to
the
nature, condition and packaging of the Goods, and without limiting
the generality hereof:
i)
that the Client notifies the Company whenever any Dangerous Goods
Act or similar legislation (“DGA”) applies to any Goods,
and
guarantees
that all requirements of such laws have been met, and
ii)
that the goods are fully described in writing on all relevant
paperwork, including their name and nature, and in the case of goods
to
which a DGA applies, are accompanied by a consignment note that
complies with the Act.
6c)
Where in the opinion of the Company any Goods are are unable or
unsafe to be loaded, unloaded or placed as requested due
to
their nature, condition or location, or are dangerous, corrosive,
noxious, explosive, flammable, perishable or capable of attracting
vermin
or pests the Company may refuse to carry or, if carriage has
commenced, take any action reasonable to dispose, destroy or
otherwise
deal with the Goods at the expense of the Client and without
incurring any liability to the Client.
6d)
The Client agrees to notify the Company in writing, prior to
pickup, of any Goods that are inherently fragile or of a nature or
value
that
is not readily apparent, and of any special precautions of which the
Company cannot reasonably be expected to be aware that
should
be taken when carrying such Goods.
7.
Ongoing 17.5% Engagement Fee.
Where
within 18 months of the Client entering into a Contract governed by
these Conditions the Client engages the services of any
Contractor introduced to the Client by the Company, the CLIENT AGREES
that in consideration of the Company introducing the
Contractor
it will immediately pay to the Company an engagement fee equal to
17.5% of any charges made by the Contractor for such
services.
8.
Charging Methods.
8a)
Fixed price quotations to Clients are calculated on the basis of
information supplied by the Client as to the nature and
quantity
of items to be moved and as to any difficulties in gaining access at
the pickup or delivery locations. The Client warrants
that
all information that is reasonably necessary to assess the work
involved and to prepare a quotation for carrying out that
work
has been accurately provided.
8b)
If the information supplied by the client regarding the nature or
quantity of goods to be carried is incorrect, inaccurate
or
varied after a quotation has been given, the Client acknowledges
that the Company has satisfied its obligation once
those
goods that fit the Client’s description as to nature and
quantity have been carried. The Company may at its discretion
agree
to carry any additional goods of the client if the Client agrees to
pay an additional charge calculated pro-rata, in accordance
with
the variation in the specified quantity, volume or weight of the
goods and any variation in estimated loading and
unloading
times charged at the time rate, however the Client acknowledges that
it understands that for operational or other
reasons
the Company may not be able to carry all or any other goods of the
Client.
8c)
Delays and Cancellations. Where the loading or
unloading process is delayed by over 30 minutes due to any factors
outside
the Company’s control, an additional charge at the time rate
shall apply. Where a job is cancelled or postponed by the
Client
on or after the day before pickup is due the Client agrees to pay:
i)
2 Hours at the “Time Rate” if the Pickup address for a
job is within 40 Km radius of a Capital City, or;
ii)
Half of the quoted job charge plus any time spent at pickup charged
at the time rate with minimum charge of 2 hours for
jobs
with a Pickup address greater than a 40 Km radius from a Capital
City.
8d)
The Client agrees to pay or reimburse to the Company any costs,
fees and taxes incurred in complying with Customs, Quarantine,
Import
or Export requirements. These are not included in
any quoted prices unless specifically stated in writing.
9.
Payment Methods and Obligations.
9a)
Unless the Client has arranged and the Company has agreed for the
charges to be invoiced to a pre-authorised credit
account,
charges are payable prior to completion of unloading for hourly
rate jobs and, like airline tickets, on or before
pickup
for all other jobs. Storage charges are payable monthly in
advance. Payment is required in the form of cash, bank
cheque,
Visa, Mastercard or non-reversible EFT showing the job number as
reference. Where a credit card has been provided,
the
client expressly authorises any ongoing charges for storage and the
like to be charged to that card after they fall due.
9b)
The Company hereby assigns its rights and the rights of any
persons on behalf of whom it is acting, to collect all charges
and
payments from Clients to the Contractor. The Contractor agrees to
issue invoices and to collect all such charges and payments
directly
from Clients.
9c)
In the case of a credit account, whether pre-authorised or
otherwise established:
i)
The Company shall invoice its charges on 14 day terms (unless
otherwise stated) together with any out of pocket expenses,
accounting
fees and industry surcharges.
ii)
The Client agrees that where the Company does not receive payment
of any amount charged to the credit account by the
due
date, the Client will accept joint and several liability for any
outstanding amount together with any third party to whom the
invoices
have been sent and will pay those charges within 7 days.
10.
Lien on Goods until Payment is Received.
10a)
All goods of the Client, or carried on behalf of the Client, that
are received by the Company shall be subject to a general
lien
for any monies owed by the Client or the owner of the goods to
the Company or the Contractor as a result of this agreement
or
any previous agreement between the Company and the Client or the
owner of the Goods.
10b)
In order to exercise its rights under the aforementioned lien,
the Company shall have the right to seize or retain or to defer
or
refuse delivery of any goods that are the subject of this lien should
circumstances arise that make it reasonable to conclude
that
the Client is unwilling or unable to pay any due charges in the
required form or at the required place or time.
10c)
Where the charges of the Company remain unpaid for a minimum
period of 28 days, the Company may give 28 days written
notice
by certified or registered mail to the last known address of the
Client of intention to sell. If the amount owing is not
paid
within that further period the Company may open any packages, DISPOSE
OF THE GOODS or SELL ALL OR ANY OF THE
GOODS
by auction or by private treaty at its absolute discretion. Out of
any monies arising the Company may retain its charges
and
all charges and expenses of the detention and sale. It shall credit
the surplus, if any, to the person entitled to it. Any such
sale
shall not prejudice or affect any other rights that the Company may
have to recover any outstanding charges due or payable
in
respect of such service or the said detention or sale.
11.
Terms relating to the movement of Goods.
11a)
Movement of incorrect goods. The Client shall
provide an authorised representative who will be responsible for
ensuring
that
the correct goods are loaded. Whether or not such a representative is
provided, and WHETHER OR NOT the Client provided
the
Company with a LIST of ITEMS to be moved, the Client shall pay all
reasonable additional charges whatsoever resulting
from
the movement of incorrect goods or non-movement of goods that the
Client intended to have moved.
11b)
If there is no-one in attendance at the place for delivery of the
Goods the Company shall be entitled at its discretion to
leave
the Goods at that place or to return at a later time until delivery
is completed, storing the Goods at any convenient place
in
the meantime, and the Client agrees to pay any reasonable additional
charges incurred thereby to the Company.
11c)
The method, route and time by which the carriage of Goods or
provision of services under this contract are performed
shall
be at the absolute discretion of the Company.
11d)
The client agrees to fully address all items prior to pickup and
to prepare whatever paperwork, lists, itemised inventories
or
consignment notes that it requires in order to substantiate proof of
pickup.
12.
Trade Practices Act.
12a)
Nothing in this agreement shall be construed as having the effect
of in any way excluding, restricting or modifying any
warranty
express or implied by virtue of the provisions of the Trade Practices
Act (1974) as amended.
12b)
Where this contract is for the provision of services for the
purposes of a business, trade, profession or occupation in which
the
Client is engaged, any liability for negligence shall be limited to
$100 per package or carton and total of $1000 per consignment.
14.
Responsibility for Losses and Damages.
14a)
All quoted prices are for the performance of the work specified
in accordance with the Warranties implied by the Trade
Practices
Act 1974.
14b)
The Client recognises that there are always risks involved in the
movement of any Goods or the provision of services under
this
contract, many of which are outside the Company’s or the
Client’s control. All basic quoted prices are for the provision
of
carriage and other services whereby the Client understands and
accepts that there are such risks, accepts any financial detriment
or
other losses that may result from the performance or non-performance
of such work and agrees that the Company
shall
NOT be responsible or liable for such losses. The effect of this
sub-clause may be varied where the Client chooses a Transit
Protection
option. (See Clause 16) or where it is otherwise agreed in writing.
14c)
Save as expressly provided in these conditions the Company shall
not be liable to the Client for any loss or damage suffered
by
the Client directly or indirectly caused by:
i)
any damage loss or destruction to Goods whilst in the
possession of the Company whether in transit (which includes,
amongst
other things, any packing, handling, installation, removal, assembly
or erection), or in storage, or after they have been
delivered
or mis-delivered;
ii)
a mis-delivery, delay in pickup or delivery, or non-delivery of
Goods;
iii)
the carriage of Goods by a route other than the shortest or usual
route;
iv)
any failure to collect Cash on Delivery (COD) on behalf of the
Client; and 14(c)(iv) shall apply whether or not any such occurrence
was due to any
willful, fraudulent negligent or other act or omission of the
Company.
14d)
For the purpose of clause 14, “loss or damage” shall
include all or any direct or consequential loss or damage to the
Client
whatsoever
and howsoever arising and without limiting the generality of the
foregoing includes loss of profits, liabilities of the
Client
to third parties (whether actual or contingent) the cost of repair or
replacement of Goods and the cost of collecting and
redelivering
Goods.
14e)
The reference in clause 14 to damage or to loss and destruction
of goods shall include damage loss or destruction caused
by:
i)
fire, overturning, collision road or rail accident involving the
conveying vehicle,
ii)
theft or flood, or;
iii)
mishandling, incorrect loading or unloading or stowage of any
vehicle, the method by which it is driven or through any
other
cause whatsoever.
14f)
The Client shall INDEMNIFY the Company against any action, claim,
suit, fine or demand brought by any third party, the
Client
or the Contractor against the Company as a result of or in connection
with any breach by the Client of any term of this
contract
or the occurrence of any of the events listed in this clause or
clauses 10, 12 or 14 and this indemnity shall extend to the
reasonable
solicitor client costs of the Company in defending any action and in
enforcing this indemnity.
15.
Valuation of goods.
15a)
Where it is necessary to value any goods, the following
principles shall be applied and used for determining the current
market
value of those goods unless there is clear evidence to the contrary:
i)
Items less than 5 years old shall be depreciated from their
purchase price (or if this cannot be ascertained, a reasonable
estimate
of the purchase price) to account for the reduction in their value
for age, condition, wear & tear, on the basis of the
diminishing
value method from the date of purchase or acquisition at the rate of
20% per annum. eg: Item is purchased 4 years
ago
for $1000. Depreciated value at 20% is $1000 x0.8x0.8x0.8x0.8 = $409.
ii)
Items over 5 years old shall be valued at 25% of the current
market value of a new item of similar type and function at the
time
of commencement of this contract.
15b)
Valuations obtained in accordance with Clauses 15 a) shall be
subject to the following maximum values:
i)
The value of the contents of individual cartons, bags, packages
or containers of any type with a value of over $250 are
deemed
to be limited to a maximum of $250 unless the client notifies the
company in writing of a higher value prior to pickup.
ii)
The value of all other items, shall be deemed to be limited to a
maximum of $1500 per item unless the client notifies the
company
in writing of an alternate value prior to pickup.
15c)
Nothing in this clause shall operate in any way to extend the
liability of the Company or to vary clauses 12, 14 or 16.
15d)
Dispute Resolution: Where for the purposes of this
agreement a Party disagrees with any valuation of goods that has been
carried
out in accordance with clause 15 a), that party may within 28 days
supply any clear evidence of an alternate valuation
and
the matter shall then be re-assessed by a Director or Manager of the
Company within a further 28 day period.
16.
Claims and Transit Protection Options.
16a)
Where the Client agrees to make an additional payment in
accordance with one or more of the Transit Protection (hereafter
“TP”)
options offered by the Company, the Company agrees to accept an
increased level of responsibility for damage, loss or
destruction
of the goods, in the event of some or all of the occurrences listed
in clause 14 (e).
16b)
The effect on this Contract of the Client selecting a Transit
Protection option will depend upon the option selected, as follows:
i)
For fire, overturning or collision Transit Protection, sub-clause
14 (e)(i) shall not apply to this agreement.
ii)
For fire, overturning, collision and theft Transit Protection,
sub-clauses 14 (e)(i) and (ii) shall not apply to this agreement.
iii)
For All-risk Transit Protection, sub-clauses 14 (e)(i),(ii) and
(iii) shall not apply to this agreement.
iv)
For Top Cover Transit Protection, sub-clauses 14 (e)(i),(ii) and
(iii) and 16(e)(v) shall not apply to this agreement and the
amount
of $100 in 16(e)(ii) shall be varied to $20.
provided
those goods can be reasonably identified from the list that formed
the basis of the quotation,as being those that
were
contracted to be carried.
16c)
Time Limit. In the event of a claim or potential
claim:
If
a delivery of goods is not made due to loss or total destruction of
the goods, the Client agrees to notify the Company in writing
of
any claims or potential claims within 28 days of the Client becoming
aware of the event that caused the damage, loss or
destruction
of the Goods. In all other cases the Client agrees to notify the
Company in writing of any claims or potential claims
within
7 days of the receipt of the goods. Any claim forms sent by the
Company to the Client shall be completed and returned
to
the Company with 8 weeks from the date when they are sent.
16d)
In the event of a claim for loss or damage or destruction, any
indemnity or damages that the Company or the Contractor
shall
pay to the Client shall be calculated as follows:
i)
In the event of total loss or destruction: The current market
value of the item (calculated in accordance with clause 15)
ii)
In the event of partial loss or damage: An allowance for the
reduction in value of the item, or the reasonable costs of
repair
or
restoration, or the current market value of the item (calculated in
accordance with clause 15); whichever is the lower amount.
In
the alternative, the Company may at its discretion choose to arrange
for the repair of any damaged items at a repairer of its
choice.
iii)
Where applicable, this indemnity or other payment shall be
subject to the limitations in clause 16(e)
iv)
The Company shall not pay on the basis of replacement value of
“new for old”.
16e)
Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the following LIMITATIONS
are applicable to Transit Protection Options:
i)
Any liability resulting from the acceptance of an increased level
of responsibility relating to antiques, jewelery, collections,
documents,
works of art and the contents of individual cartons, bags, packages
or containers of any type with a value of over
$250
is limited to $250; or $500 if nominated in writing prior to pickup
and any liability for other items is limited to $1500 per
item
or $4000 if nominated in writing prior to pickup.
ii)
The first $100 of any claim shall be payable by the Client and
the maximum amount claimable where not otherwise specified
by
the terms of this agreement shall be $50,000 per conveyance or
occurrence.
iii)
Any increased responsibility accepted for pairs or sets of items
is limited to the repair or replacement of the lost or damaged
part
without reference to any special value that such item may have as
part of such pair or set.
iv)
The increased level of responsibility does not extend to plants,
animals, accidental damage to the contents of self-packed
cartons.
v)
The increased level of responsibility does not extend to
electrical or internal derangement or failure of electrical or
electronic
goods,
instruments or machinery.
vi)
The increased level of responsibility does not extend to loss or
damage due to the nature, characteristics or inherent vice of
any
item making it susceptible to damage as a result of normal transit
handling, road trauma or atmospheric conditions.
vii)
Averaging: Where the amount paid to the Company for accepting an
increased level of responsibility is based on a valuation
of
the consignment that is less than the current market value of the
consignment, then any compensation for damage,
loss
or destruction will be made only in the same reduced proportion.
For example: Your goods have a current market value
of
$10,000. You take the transit protection option based on a $4,000
current market value (ie: 40% of the real current market value of
your
goods). Now assume that there is water damage due to flooding
en-route to a bed with a current market value of $1000. You will
receive
only $400; ie: 40% of $1,000. To get the full $1000, you would need
to have paid the higher transit protection rate applicable to
a
$10,000 consignment value. A $100 excess also applies, making the
final payout $300.
viii)
The Company does not accept an increased level of
responsibility whilst goods are in storage, other than storage
required
as part of the normal transit process.
16f)
Except as provided in this clause, nothing in this clause shall
operate in any way to extend the liability of the Company or
to
vary clauses 12 or 14.
16g)
Fraud or attempted fraud shall void our acceptance of an
increased level of responsibility and all attendant legal or other
consequences.
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