Anchor Estudio | TERMS & CONDITIONS
Effective September 2012.
Last Updated 02/14/2019 _ can be updated without notice
GENERAL TERMS
This website enables the ordering of a variety of products and services designed to help your business grow and stand out. The terms "we", "our", and "us" in this Terms of Use statement refer to ANCHOR ESTUDIO and its affiliates.
GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
By entering into any contract or agreement with ANCHOR ESTUDIO for products and/or services to be provided by ANCHOR ESTUDIO, including, without limitation, ordering any products or services through the ANCHOR ESTUDIO website (hereinafter referred to as your “Contract” with ANCHOR ESTUDIO), you hereby agree to abide by, comply with, and be legally bound by the policies, terms, and conditions hereinafter set forth (these “Terms and Conditions”).
For the purpose of these Terms and Conditions, references to the products and/or services provided by ANCHOR ESTUDIO shall include, without limitation, logos, designs, graphics or similar materials or information, website design, and other design and marketing services or other coding services, and any and all future product or service offerings of ANCHOR ESTUDIO.
ANCHOR ESTUDIO proudly uses the Squarespace system for our website Content Management Systems (CMS) and e-Commerce platform. We use PayPal as our payment provider, processor, and gateway. We use Sentry Log-in as our membership management service. These providers were chosen for their quality, consumer usability and ease of use, security, and streamlined service offerings. Your interactions with and use of these services and features are governed by the individual Privacy Policies and Terms of Service of each provider.
If you do not agree with any provision of these Terms and Conditions, you should not order any products or services from ANCHOR ESTUDIO or enter into your Contract with ANCHOR ESTUDIO. These Terms and Conditions are hereby incorporated by reference into your Contract. To the extent that any provision of these Terms and Conditions conflicts with any provision of your Contract, the provision set forth herein shall be deemed amended so as to be consistent with the provisions of your Contract.
ANCHOR ESTUDIO reserves the right to modify, amend, update, and change these Terms and Conditions from time to time without notice. You are responsible for regularly viewing these Terms and Conditions. You acknowledge and agree that ANCHOR ESTUDIO shall not be liable to you or to any third party for any modification, amendment, suspension, discontinuance, or other change to these Terms and Conditions.
If any provision of these Terms and Conditions are found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unenforceable in whole or in part for any reason, the remainder of the Terms and Conditions shall remain valid and enforceable.
All headings in this agreement are for convenience only and shall not affect the meaning of any provision hereof.
Agreement
This document between Anchor Estudio “AE” and you, the “Client” defines the terms and conditions and any expressed warranties in our working relationship. When you hire AE you agree to be subject to the following regarding your project, development, advertising, marketing and/or service(s):
Responsibility to Participate
Client understands and agrees that AE will need participation from Client during your project, including but not limited to, content, images, feedback, direction, login credentials, or other information from the Client (“Client Deliverables”) during the course of the Client’s project, and in order to complete the Work Product and other obligations under this Agreement. Client is required to provide all Client Deliverables as requested by AE and do so within seven (7) business days of the request, or on the agreed upon date. Failure to meet the agreed upon timelines and schedule of Client Deliverables by the Client may result in the project being paused, rescheduled, suspended or cancelled. All applicable fees for such an action will be due per the terms of this Agreement and must be paid prior to resuming the Project.
Payment Terms, Phases & Change Work Orders
Each project, scope of work, estimate or contract will include billing phases and or milestones with terms on payments. AE always requires a deposit for any work (“work agreement”) that we are being hired to do. Upon approval of said work agreement in writing or electronic acknowledgement we will initiate the said billing terms. Any new requested work after the work agreement is approved by client will be considered a revision or alteration and billed accordingly. Commonly AE refers to these as “CWO’s” (Change Work Orders). Client must agree to said changes or alterations including scheduling and costs before any additional work will be completed. Furthermore, client agrees to pay AE in accordance with the terms specified in each project, scope of work, estimate or contract or CWO. All fees charged are non-refundable. If Client withdraws payments via a bank or credit card (“charge-back”) Client agrees to pay a $100 fee to AE. AE reserves its rights to defend such charge-backs and recover the original monies from the card issuer. Client shall pay, or promptly reimburse AE for any and all out-of-pocket expenses, including, without limitation, travel and travel-related expenses, incurred by AE in connection with the performance of services provided that all such expenses are pre-approved by the Client. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, all invoices are due upon receipt.
Interim / Alternate Work Product
It is understood that the finished, client-approved product(s) are the “Deliverables” (as defined herein). Unless otherwise stated and agreed to in writing “Work Product” (as defined herein) not selected or chosen by client or interim work product(s) remains the full property and license of AE. All Work Product shall remain the property of AE until all monies are paid in full under the terms specified in each project, scope of work, estimate or contract or CWO. During any time that client is using the Work Product prior to final payment being made, AE grants client a license to use the Work Product only for as long as client is not in default and may revoke the client’s license to use at any time.
Authorization
Client may identify and select an individual that will be their “point of contact” who will work with AE and serve as authorized agent to provide authorization for work, agree to, sign-off and receive files on behalf of client. Unless specified in writing, any requests made by the client’s agent(s) (employees or contractors on behalf of the client) will be considered a client approved request for services or CWO. Unless otherwise specified in writing we will consider any requests as authorized and bill appropriately, and client will assume full responsibility for payment of all charges for said development, advertisements and services, whether placed individually or through your authorized agents or delegates. If you want to limit approvals, you must specify a “point of contact” in writing. By your signature in agreement, you confirm that you are authorized to bind your company or firm to the terms set forth in this Agreement, that all information you have submitted in connection with this Agreement is complete and correct, that the terms set forth herein become a binding contract upon you, your company or your firm and that you and your company or firm each have the necessary financial ability and willingness to pay for all goods and/or services promptly and in accordance with all applicable terms and conditions. Accordingly, client acknowledges that client will pay for any and all charges billed to client, and if in a term contract, through the end of the term. Client will not be entitled to a refund of any amounts previously paid.
Project Delivery & Launch
Final payment regarding any work agreements, launch or delivery of said project files to client or to the public, whichever is earliest, signifies consummation of the contract and is deemed “approved” by client and “delivered” by AE unless client objects in writing within 30 days of consummation. If no objection is received then your approval is final. Any work required or requested beyond the consummation date is billable unless otherwise specified and agreed to in writing by AE, except where such work is funded under a maintenance agreement. In such a case the maintenance agreement will control.
Archiving
Unless otherwise specified and agreed to in writing AE does not imply or contractually agree to archive materials, digital or traditional, related to the production of client work product. Client understands that AE has no obligation to store or archive any client work product unless otherwise specified and agreed to in writing for a fee. In the event that the client needs an archive created or restored, and that AE has the capability to restore or provide an archive, client agrees to compensate AE for time, materials and any associated fees with its procurement or delivery at AE’s then current rates.
Intellectual Property & Third Party Assets
You will own the Deliverables upon full payment of all outstanding invoices. Deliverables are the website, and assets we build for you, but not the code and methods that were used to produce it. The code and methods used to produce it are AE’s work product and AE specifically retains ownership in this. AE assigns an exclusive, non-transferable license of its work products produced specifically for client upon payment in full of all outstanding invoices. If Client is under a maintenance agreement, AE retains all rights to the work product until the end of the term of the maintenance agreement or if Client fails to pay under the terms of the agreement, the assignment shall be considered revoked. AE retains all original rights of any work product without limitations or restrictions. Copyright of the completed web designs, images, pages, code and source files created by AE for the project shall be with the Client upon final payment and only by written agreement. Without agreement, ownership of designs and all code is with AE. Client agrees to grant AE an exclusive, non-transferable license of the Deliverables.
Client agrees not to use the Deliverables or Work Product for resale or redistribution, and acknowledges that any redistribution or resale may be subject to copyright(s) from third parties and must be approved by AE and specified in original agreements. All third-party licenses for software, code, copy, video, sound or images (assets) are the sole responsibility of the client. AE does not issue any copyrights or licenses for third-party licensed products unless stated in original agreement beyond a single non-transferable use if available. Client acknowledges such limitations of AE’s rights and if a client wishes to use any said third party assets for other purposes client will be responsible for coordinating the payment of appropriate royalties, fees and costs of licensing.
Indemnification
Client warrants that all material supplied by Client is owned by Client or that Client has a legal right to use the material. You must obtain all necessary permissions and authorities in respect of the use of all copy, graphic images, registered company logos, names and trademarks, or any other material that you supply to us to include in your website or we applications. To the extent permitted by applicable law, Client agrees to indemnify and hold AE harmless for any claim or dispute arising out of the use of materials provided to us by client or any third party assets that may be protected by copyright or license, either domestic or international laws including but not limited to software, code, copy, video, sound or images (assets). In the event of such a situation, client will pay for all legal and employee fees associated with the preparation, defense, fines, judgments or settlements associated with the claim or dispute. AE has the right to charge the Client its standard hourly rate of each employees’ involvement in addition to any other costs associated with the preparation, defense, fines, judgments or settlements associated with the claim or dispute. Client is responsible for complying with all relevant laws relating to e-commerce, and to the full extent permitted by law will hold AE harmless, protect and defend and indemnify AE and its representatives, employees, or other agents from any claim, penalty, tax, tariff loss or damage arising from your or your clients’ use of Internet electronic commerce.
Non-Solicitation of Staff
During the term of any agreement with AE and for two years following the consummation or termination thereof, client will not, without the express written approval, hire, solicit, engage or attempt to solicit, hire or engage directly or indirectly, any individual either employed or contracted by AE or any former employee or contractor who remains subject to the terms of the Non-Disclosure, Confidentiality and Non-Compete Agreement with AE. This includes contacting and or contracting the individual to utilize the services of the former employee or contractor. Because the actual damages that AE would sustain in the event that the client actually hires or successfully solicits a current or former AE employee or contractor, or make attempts to solicit, hire or engage directly or indirectly, the employee(s) or contractor(s) or another third party would be difficult to ascertain, the parties agree in good faith that the client will pay AE, as liquidated damages, a sum equal to the annualized compensation over the immediately preceding twenty-four (24) months, plus twenty five percent of the annualized compensation of that employee(s) or contractor(s) at the time of breach or conclusion of employment for former employee(s) or contractor(s). The parties involved acknowledge and agree that this is a good faith attempt to estimate the actual damages that will be sustained in the event of a breach and is not an attempt to impose any penalty. This shall not limit the right for AE to seek injunction or other equitable relief or to seek additional monetary damages by AE in excess of the agreed upon liquidated damages stated.
Suspension & Termination
Client’s failure to pay for services on or before the payment due date may result in suspension or termination of said services or agreement without notice. This means that AE, without liability, may hold delivery of production materials and software code and other data, and may suspend performance of any and all services to Client pending payment of all charges that are outstanding. All unpaid balances are subject to a 7% per annum finance charge, or the highest rate allowable under the law, whichever is less. Services may be reinstated after client has made payments in full along with reinstatement fees to restore service in the sole discretion of AE.
Projects that are “stalled” or “paused” by customer for longer than a period of 30 days will be removed from our active work schedule and a $500.00 rescheduling fee will be assessed to the project if you restart the project within 60 days of the stall date. The stall date will be considered the 30th day following the last day work was performed by AE. Any restart of the project will be at the sole discretion of AE. All unpaid balances, including any time for work performed that has not been billed to you, is due immediately. “Stalled” and “paused” refer to any instance where AE is awaiting Client’s input, approval, submission of information or documentation or anything else that prevents AE from completing the work. Any time frames or estimates that we give are contingent upon your full cooperation. During development there is a certain amount of feedback required in order to progress to subsequent phases and any delay in providing requested feedback will be considered “stalled” or “paused” by you.
After 60 days of the project being “stalled” or “paused”, the project is considered “cancelled”. If the project is cancelled by the Client, the project will be removed from our systems, and you will be charged a project “kill fee” of 15% of the project’s value or $500.00, whichever is greater. The “kill fee” will be due immediately and be in addition to any sums previously paid by client so long as it does not exceed the overall price of the agreement. Any restarting, rescheduling or reconsideration of the project will be at the sole discretion of AE.
The parties may agree to terminate the agreement after work has commenced. If Client elects to terminate relationship they must provide 30 day written notice of agreement termination by certified mail, return receipt requested to our corporate offices, and send a copy to admin@anchorestudio.com to receive acknowledgement and will be responsible for all associated fees with termination, including but not limited to the “kill fee”.
At the termination of any agreement between Client and AE for any reason all files, databases, security certificates and email may be removed from the server(s) and may or may not be retrievable from back-up sources. This means your project files may be lost forever. You are responsible for maintaining your own backups with respect to your website and we will not be liable for restoring any client data or client websites except to the extent that such data loss arises out of a negligent act or omission by AE. If retrievable, client will be subject to a four-hour reinstatement of files fee at our standard hourly rate then in effect. In the event that you have a larger system and more than four hours is required, you will be required to provide approval for additional time before we proceed. Suspension/termination of any services is in addition to any other remedies available to AE to collect payment.
Ownership of Domain Names and Web Hosting
If we obtain any domain name registrations for you we will supply to you your account credentials that we purchased when you reimburse us for any expenses that we have incurred related to obtaining the domain name. AE reserves ownership of the domain name and website until such time as your financial obligations with AE are paid in full under the terms of the entire Project.
Privacy
AE respects privacy of its clients. AE will not monitor, edit or disclose any personal information about your accounts, including hosted content, without your prior consent, unless AE has a good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) comply with legal process or other legal requirements of any relevant authority; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of AE; (c) enforce the terms of this Agreement or these Terms and Conditions; or (d) protect the interests of users of AE’s services.
Severability & Enforcement
The terms and conditions are severable; if any of them are held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, in whole or part, the legality, validity and enforceability of the remaining terms and conditions shall not be affected or impaired. The failure of AE to enforce any term or condition shall not be construed as a waiver or limitation of its rights to subsequently enforce and compel strict compliance with every other term or condition.
Limitation of Liability
If AE is to be found liable for loss or damage, regardless of whether the claim is based on contract, tort, strict liability or otherwise, the liability shall be limited to the value of the services causing such loss or damage and shall not exceed the aggregate amount due under the agreement; said liability shall be treated as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, and this remedy shall be exclusive. AE shall not be liable for any loss of any kind, consequential or otherwise, arising from inaccuracy, omissions or errors in carrying out the work, or by delay in completion. In no event shall AE be liable for any consequential, incidental, direct, indirect, special, exemplary, punitive, or other damages of any nature (including without limitation, loss of client’s business, revenues, profits, business interruption, loss of business information, cost of substitute services, or other pecuniary loss), or for any claim against the client by any other party, even if AE has been advised of the possibility of such damages.
Limited Warranty
AE will perform all work in accordance with generally accepted professional and technical standards. Due to the ever-changing landscape of technology and the World Wide Web, AE does not warrant the development, functionality or marketing of any said work product or associated third-party products or services, unless otherwise specified in writing. AE provides services based on client specifications or selected services, vendor feedback, technology constraints and the collaboration arising thereunder.
AE expressly disclaims, whether express or implied, any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with regard to its service including any and all oral and written information and communication about such services. On the basis of creating work for hire, AE is not responsible for any defects, quality issues, compliance or integration with other services or products from a request from client for any errors in content or omissions in any material provided by the client. To the best of its ability, AE will seek to provide solutions that maximize the quality of its product(s); however, client acknowledges that specific request(s) of techniques and methods may impact the deliverable(s). In addition, AE supports warranty issues based on specifications provided and technology available at time of launch or delivery. As part of doing business with AE client understands that technology changes extensively and that AE can only warranty its work at the point of its release. That said, it is imperative that the client tests and validates the functionality and meeting the specifications of project prior to launch or delivery of said product(s). AE’s expressed implied warranty is for 30 days from launch or delivery or said product(s) only pursuant to technical errors made on the part of AE; all other requested changes, edits, modifications, additions or deletions will be subject to a CWO with appropriate billing terms. Any warranties granted are non-transferable and are not effective in instances of misuse of the deliverables, breach of software or service by third-party that exceed the rights granted under this or other operative agreements.
Provisions
The validity and enforceability of any agreement between the parties will be interpreted in accordance with the laws in the County of Santa Clara, state of California in the United States of America. In the event of AE’s enforcement of any term or condition, AE is entitled to all costs, including reasonable attorney’s fees, together with appropriate costs and interest, related to such enforcement in collecting any sums owed to AE.
Integration
These terms and conditions constitute the entire agreement between both parties and there are no representations, warranties, covenants or obligations except as set forth herein. These terms and conditions apply to the sale of software development, development and marketing/or services and supersede all prior and contemporaneous agreements, understandings, negotiations and discussions, written or oral, of the parties hereto, relating to any transaction contemplated by the terms and conditions. Application of these terms and conditions may be amended only in writing executed by the parties affected by such and agreement.
General
AE will not be liable to return any art work to you or any other material that you supply to us for the purpose of providing our services to you.
We reserve the right to change these terms and conditions and the nature of our services, which we have agreed to provide to you by giving you written notice. This notice will appear on our website. You may not transfer any of your rights or obligations under this Agreement to anyone else without our prior written agreement. If you wish to communicate with us, your letter must be sent to our legal office at 5793 Rachel CT, San Jose California 95123 C/O AnchorEstudio: to the attention of D. Alamillo, by means of certified mail. Any other methods apart from email with proof of sending will be classed as unsent.
These terms and conditions together with the proposal, work orders, change orders and any additional attachments form the whole of our agreement.
Schedule A – Website Development & Design Services
AE designs and develops websites based on the current best practices and web development standards at time of project execution. AE will use common languages and technologies in its web development that will be able to be utilized or modified by most professional web developers. These languages include, but are not limited to, HTML, JavaScript, CSS, PHP, MySQL and their derivatives. The final product, at time of release, will be free of any hidden code, encrypted code (unless a part of a third-party application), obfuscation or any known security holes.
Client acknowledges that it is the Client’s responsibility to maintain their website after it has been delivered, including, but not limited to, the security, code, software, functionality, hosting environment, domain name, SSL certificates or any other item or task that is needed to maintain a fully functioning and secure website, unless otherwise agreed to in writing and compensated via a maintenance agreement with AE. Client understands and acknowledges that AE is in no way responsible or liable for changes or the effects of changes made to the website, its software or parts, by the Client or a third-party.
AE will develop the Client’s website to display and function properly in the latest versions of the most popular browsers, normally consisting of the top 90-95% of browser usage, based on AE’s clients’ Google Analytics data. These browsers are commonly the two (2) newest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer at the time of project development. AE understands that some clients may need support for older or alternative browsers, upon such a request from the Client, and for an additional fee (at AE’s discretion), AE will do its best to ensure that the website will function and display as best as possible, normally utilizing “Graceful Degradation” (as defined herein). Client acknowledges that many modern technologies do not always function or display properly in older or alternative browsers and that the website may not function of display exactly the same in these browsers. Client acknowledges that any effort to properly render these websites in older or alternative browsers is based on best-efforts and that there are no guarantees about exact functionality or display.
AE will make reasonable efforts to deliver the Work Product substantially in accordance with the delivery schedule as set forth in this agreement. The actual project development timeline will be determined upon the timely approval and delivery of the design, content and any other approvals, information or assets needed by AE.
When completing maintenance or changes to a website, software, design comps, other assets created or controlled by a third-party, AE has a reasonable expectation that these elements were created within the same best-practices and standards as the Work Product that AE completes. However, AE sometimes finds that these third-party assets were inadequetly constructed or created, which results in additional time needed to complete our tasks. Client understands that all estimates, Work Product and results of this type of work are subject to change and are strictly best-effort. In the event that additional time is needed to complete tasks with third-party assets or information, or that working with these assets prevents AE from completing the Client’s objectives, the Client will be notified by AE. The Client is responsible for the costs of any time used to research, communicate regarding or modify these assets in an effort to complete the Client’s objectives, up to and including the original estimate provided to the Client by AE. If additional time is needed to complete tasks with these third-party assets, the Client will be notified prior to reaching budget, and will be required to approve this time in writing via an email or CWO, and is responsible for any related costs.
It is the Client’s responsibility to maintain their website and associated assets after it has been delivered, including, but not limited to the security, code, software, functionality, hosting environment, domain name, SSL certificates or any other item or task that is needed to maintain a fully functioning and secure website, unless otherwise explicitly agreed to in writing and compensated via an agreement with AE.
Client is responsible for providing AE with all content, imagery, feedback and approvals at various points throughout their project, for the completion of their project, unless otherwise agreed to in writing or specified in this agreement. This includes all words, pictures, videos, logins, access to information, opinions, feedback or other assets as needed by AE in the completion of the Work Product. Manipulation of images or other assets provided by the client will be charged as a per hour basis unless included in the proposal. Client acknowledges that their timely participation is needed in order to complete their project and that failure to provide such feedback, confirmations, acceptances or assets within the timeframe requested will result in their project being delayed, stalled, paused, rescheduled or cancelled, per the terms of this agreement, and at AE’s discretion.
Before proceeding with the development phase, and during the development phase, of the Client’s website, AE will require a signature on various approval documents or other written confirmations, including but not limited to design approval and content approval documents. Client understands and acknowledges that development of the project will not proceed without these written authorizations as requested. Upon receiving these authorizations, the items that were approved in such a document are “accepted to be built” and “locked-in” and cannot be changed, without the issuance and acceptance of a Change Work Order and new estimate of fees for the completion of those changes and/or items that are outside of the project’s explicit scope. AE will estimate all Change Work Orders at its then-current standard hourly rate.
Schedule B – Custom Web Software Development Services
Custom software development is defined as any custom coding, integrations and/or interactions with third-party softwares. This is typically an integration or custom developed software to achieve a set of pre-defined goals and objectives for the Client, as opposed to a public-facing website. This service is subject to the same terms as those defined in Schedule A – Website Development and Design Services. In addition:
In most cases, and at AE’s discretion, prior to engagement in this type of project, AE will require that the specifics of the software and these integrations be defined in a software scope document prior to development. The development of this software scope is traditionally undertaken over a period of time and involves several meetings with the client, research, planning and ultimately agreement between AE and the Client about how the custom web software will be built and how it will function.
Prior to the development of the custom web software, the Client must fully review and agree to the software scope document, acknowledging that the deliverables described are complete and include the exact details of what the Client wants built. No assumptions are to be made in regards to the functionality, scope, inclusions, exclusions or details of the software development project by either party. The software scope document is customarily a separate Work Product and will be estimated and charged for as such. Upon acceptance of the software scope document, AE will provide the Client with a separate estimate for the development of the project.
In some cases, and primarily with smaller development projects, AE reserves the right to receive details of a custom software development from their Client in the form of email or other written form. Submission of these details by the Client, and acceptance of those details by AE, holds the same purpose and intent as a software scope acceptance. As such, the deliverables defined therein will be estimated and treated as the fully inclusive request for services and the details of the developments to be performed.
In the event that the requirements change from the approved software scope, those items will be treated as Change Work Orders and be estimated as project changes.
Client understands and acknowledges that due to the complexities of these types of projects, even seemingly small changes may have a major impact on the overall development of the project and/or work product that has already been completed; sometimes requiring completed work product to be discarded or re-engineered to accommodate for those changes. As such, AE will make best effort to provide the Client with accurate estimates for any change requests by the client to the project, and the client acknowledges and agrees that these estimates may change in the event that the requested changes have a larger impact on the development or completed Work Product than anticipated. Any changes to these estimates will be provided to the client for additional approval before proceeding.
All custom software development projects are estimated and completed based on the number of hours estimated, multiplied by AE’s standard hourly rate. Client will be notified if and when more than 90% of their project’s estimated budget is utilized, and informed if any additional budget is needed for the completion of the deliverables. Based on AE’s experience, most estimates are accurate within 10% +/-, barring any unforeseen circumstances, lack of information or clarity from the Client, or change requests.
TM is not responsible for the effectiveness, longevity, security or interoperability of any third-party service or product utilized in the development of the custom software project.
Schedule C – Website Maintenance & Retainer Services
Website Maintenance and Retainer Services (“Retainer Services”) are defined as any website maintenance, social media management, search engine optimization (“SEO”), search engine marketing (“SEM”) management, marketing, consulting or other services that are performed by AE on a residual basis for its Clients.
Clients engaged in Retainer Services with AE have an allotted time to be utilized in each time period, typically a month, in which to have specific tasks, objectives or types of work completed. The tasks, objectives or types of work to be completed differ by Client and will be defined within the external agreement (“Proposal”) to which these terms are bound.
AE will make best-effort to utilize the Client’s entire Retainer Services time each month through Work Product requested by the Client, changes to the Client’s website, software or assets that AE believes to be beneficial to the Client’s objectives, competitive research, performance analysis, and the like.
As with any project, AE will occasionally need feedback and direction from the Client on how to best utilize this time. AE will also make an effort to communicate ideas, goals, plans, completed Work Product and work effort to the Client whenever necessary. In the event that AE is unable to contact the Client, get timely feedback, have a means for consistent communication, receive approval for work or receive additional ideas of work to be completed, AE is under no obligation to utilize the Retainer Services budget in full. Upon written request, AE will supply all Retainer Services clients with a monthly report that documents how their Retainer Services time was utilized. This report will be completed with a portion of the Client’s retainer time and will take 30-60 minutes to complete.
Payments for all residual and retainer services are due on the 1st of the month in which the services are to be performed. AE invoices all Retainer Services and other residual services one month in advance of the services to be performed, in order to provide Client enough time to pay for their services before the 1st of the month. In the event that services are started after the monthly billings have been completed, an invoice will be issued immediately and is due upon receipt.
Each Residual Services and retainer agreement is for a specified duration, typically 12 months, unless otherwise specified in writing. Upon agreement, the Client is responsible for the entire duration and amount of the agreement. In exchange, a discounted hourly rate may be made available to the Client for this commitment and any other work, above and beyond the agreement, for the duration of the agreement. Upon agreement expiration date the agreement will auto renew with the same services, rates and terms and conditions. Beyond the initial agreement’s term, thirty-days written notice is needed by the client to discontinue any residual or Retainer Services. Early cancellation of a contract imposes a 1 month service fee at termination.
AE may offer its retainer clients a discounted hourly rate for their Retainer Services and any work that is completed above and beyond the retainer agreement, for the duration of that agreement. The hourly rate agreed to in that agreement will remain the Client’s hourly rate until contract expiration, and month-to-month after agreement expiration, until such time that AE modifies its hourly rates. After agreement cancellation and at such a time that AE modifies its rates, AE will provide the Client with at least thirty-days written notice of a rate modification. The Client will have the opportunity to renegotiate a new Residual Services Agreement at this time.
In the event that the Client requests additional, or different services during the Residual Services Agreement’s duration, AE, at its sole discretion, may negotiate a new agreement, or amend an existing agreement, with the Client. This renegotiation may include a rate change based on the services requested and the size of the retainer.
Schedule D – SEM and Marketing Services
AE agrees to provide to the Client the marketing and search engine marketing services (“Marketing Services”) as outlined and detailed in the external agreement/Proposal. AE will utilize its experience and the proper parties to complete any and all services as requested under this agreement and to the best of its ability.
AE makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the Marketing Services, including without limitation any implied warranty of reliability, usefulness, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement or those arising from the course of performance, dealing, usage or trade.
Client acknowledges that search engines and other third-party services, including, but not limited to, email marketing programs, advertising platforms, social media networks, and the like, may, at any time, change their methods, techniques, protocols, algorithms or policies. As such, Client acknowledges that AE cannot and will not guarantee any particular result for its marketing efforts, including, but not limited to, profitability, search engine ranking, effectiveness, return on investment, or any other metric of measurement.
Client further acknowledges that AE is not responsible for the consequences from a any such changes by third-party services or service providers, including, but not limited to loss of ranking, traffic, sales, public attention, costs, conversions, search engine appearance, account performance, account suspension, backlinks, changes to website code, services provided by former service providers or Client agents, etc.
AE will make best effort to communicate any potential issues to the client as that information is identified and becomes available. AE will not engage in any methods, practices or techniques that are against the terms of service for any of these third-party services, including what is commonly referred to as “Black-Hat SEO”. The Client agrees to do the same, and to follow all third-party terms of service, including, but not limited to, the CAN-Spam Act of 2003 and Google’s terms of service.
In addition, the Client also represents, warrants and agrees that all information communicated as a part of the their marketing efforts and through their website:
shall not include any unlawful, fraudulent, deceptive, misleading, defamatory, libelous, harassing, hateful, harmful, threatening, abusive, tortious, or pirated material of any kind;
shall not violate or infringe upon any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other intellectual property right of any third party;
shall not violate any third party’s right of confidentiality or privacy under any federal, state or local law;
shall not contain or facilitate the transmission, downloading, uploading, installation or implementation of any computer virus, worm, spyware or other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy, limit or interfere with the functionality of any computer software, hardware or telecommunications service or equipment;
shall not be used for any “mail bombing”, SPAM or “denial of service” (DDOS) attacks;
shall not be used to remove or export from the United States any services, product, technical data, or other information in violation of any restrictions, laws, or regulations of the United States or any other applicable country; and
shall not violate any applicable law.
Any violation of this Section shall result in immediate termination of the Customer’s right to use the AE network, provide grounds for the immediate termination of this Agreement by AE and subject the Customer to liquidated damages.
Schedule E – Website Hosting, Domains and SSL Certificates
AE is not a domain registrar, website hosting company, or SSL certificate provider. All such services are facilitated through third-party services, and these services are provided to the Client as an ancillary service.
Clients who choose to host with AE will be hosted on one of the third-party servers that AE leases through a chosen reputable service provider. These servers have individual uptime guarantees, SLAs (Service Level Agreements) and dedicated teams at the third-party provider to monitor the performance of the equipment and ensure that it remains online. AE also monitors these servers during normal business hours and makes every effort to keep these servers running efficiently and without interruption. In the rare event of a server outage, AE and the third-party server provider will make every effort to return the server to normal operating levels as quickly as possible.
AE and its third-party service providers keep the servers’ operating systems, software and any necessary hardware up-to-date, as frequently as needed and prudent to the operating necessities of the websites on that server. Further, AE works with the third-party service providers to ensure that a suitable back up and restoration plan is in place for each device. This typically means that the databases are backed up daily and that the files are backed up incrementally throughout the week. More extensive backup and retention plans, including those for emails, are available upon the request from the Client and for additional costs. AE provides no warranty to the recoverability of data.
The Client acknowledges that many security breaches, “hacking” attempts, speed issues, network connectivity issues, resource allocation and other common issues with these types of environments are outside of AE’s control. In the event of such an occurrence, AE will make full effort to remedy the issues and return the server to full operating capacity. At times, this may involve removing an offending website from that server, including the Client’s. In such a case, AE has the right to remove the website and any offending scripting, code or otherwise disable a website, in full, or in part, to prevent further damage to the Client’s website, the server, or other websites on that server. AE will notify the client of any such issue as soon as it is aware, and communicate the remedy to the client as soon as feasible.
Hosting is offered by AE to its clients on a month-to-month basis, unless the Client has their own dedicated server, in which there is a minimum commitment of 12-36 months. In either event, and upon conclusion of any commitment, at least thirty-days written notice is needed to stop hosting services with AE. Hosting charges will be invoiced to the client one month in advance of the month in which services are to be performed. Payments for hosting are due on the first of the month for the month in which hosting is to be performed. In the event that hosting is begun mid-month, an invoice will be presented for that month’s hosting charges and is due immediately.
AE is not a domain registrar, meaning that domains are not registered directly with AE. When domains are registered through a third-party service with AE, AE will make best-effort to monitor the domains for expiration and updated payment information for renewal. However, it is ultimately the Client’s responsibility to ensure that all of their domains and other property are properly renewed, registered, paid and accounted for. AE recommends that Client registers or renews domain names for an extended period of time to minimize any short-term renewal issues.
SSL certificates are needed on any website that is conducting business that contains sensitive information. This includes websites with logins, except for Content Management Systems, ecommerce websites or any website that is collecting sensitive information such as credit cards, social security information, or personally identifiable information from its users. SSL certificates must be renewed at their expiration, typically every year. AE will purchase and install an SSL for any user that needs or requests it for a fee. These fees are to be paid by the Client and are due immediately upon receipt of invoice.
AE is not responsible for the enforcement or compliance of any law, regulations directive or specific details pertaining to the Client’s specific industry or business, including, but not limited to; HIPPA compliance, PCI Compliance or SEC regulations. However, upon receiving a request from the Client for assistance in meeting these standards, AE will assist the Client as much as possible, and this may be done at an additional cost. In an effort to protect both AE and its Clients, AE will not store credit card information, social security information, or any other highly sensitive information on its servers, without written acknowledgement and request by the client. AE is in no way liable for the storing or accessing of such information, and the Client agrees to hold and protect AE harmless in the event of any legal action resulting from such a request.
REFUNDS/CANCELLATION POLICY
No refunds will be given after 24 hours of a project booking or payment being received. ANCHOR ESTUDIO will determine, in its sole discretion, whether you are entitled to any refund. Should you receive a refund, you will be refunded an amount, less applicable termination and service fees. You agree that your acceptance of the refund shall constitute your sole and exclusive remedy with respect to related Responses. Additionally, you acknowledge that you will have no right (express or implied) to use any Response or other work product, content, or media, nor will you have any ownership interest in or to the same.
