About me
Reverse Polarity Studios is the trading name of Nick Metcalfe, a sole trader based in Paisley, Renfrewshire. In these terms, "I", "me" and "my" mean Nick Metcalfe trading as Reverse Polarity Studios, and "you" means the person or business booking work or using this site.
You can contact me at nick@reversepolarity.studio or ask for a postal address by email.
Using this site
The information on this site is a general guide to my services and prices. It is not an offer: the terms of any job are set by the written quote you approve.
You may use the site for your own information. Please don't copy large parts of it, misuse the contact form, or try to interfere with how the site works. I try to keep the site accurate and available, but I can't guarantee it will always be either.
Quotes and approval
Every job starts with a written quote setting out the work, the price and, where it matters, the start date. A contract is formed when you approve the quote in writing (an email reply is fine).
Quotes are valid for 30 days unless they say otherwise. Parts prices can change, so if a part costs more by the time it is ordered I will tell you before buying it.
If the job needs to change after you approve it, for example because a repair turns out to need different parts, I will give you a revised quote and won't go ahead until you approve it.
Prices and payment
Prices are shown as final amounts. How and when you pay depends on the job:
- Repairs, upgrades and builds: payment is due when you collect your device or when the work is handed over. For builds and larger part orders, I may ask you to pay for the parts before I order them.
- Software and website projects: invoiced in stages set out in the quote, usually a deposit to book the start date and the balance at handover.
- IT support: invoiced after the work.
- Invoices are due within 14 days. I accept bank transfer and card payments.
- For business customers, I may charge interest and compensation on late payments as allowed by the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.
Parts and warranties
Parts are charged at cost plus a handling fee, and are non-returnable once fitted.
Repairs, upgrades and builds carry a 90-day warranty on my labour from the date the work is handed back. Parts are covered by the supplier's or manufacturer's warranty, and I'll help you claim on it.
The labour warranty covers a fault in the work I did. It doesn't cover new damage, liquid damage, faults in other parts of the device, or problems caused by software or changes made by someone else. If something goes wrong, email me as soon as you can with your job details.
Your devices and data
Please back up your data before handing over a device. I recommend a backup before every repair, and I can't accept liability for data loss unless you've booked a backup service with me.
Only give me passwords or access that the job needs, and change them afterwards if you prefer. I only access what is needed to do the work, and I never copy your personal files except as part of a backup or transfer you have asked for. My privacy policy explains how I handle your information.
I look after devices carefully while they are with me, but I am not responsible for faults that existed before you handed the device over.
Uncollected devices
I'll let you know when your device is ready. Devices left uncollected 30 days after that may incur a storage charge, which I'll tell you about in advance.
If a device is still uncollected after 90 days and I haven't been able to reach you, I will write to you at your last known contact details giving at least 28 days' notice before disposing of it or selling it to cover what is owed, as far as the law allows.
Software and website projects
The quote sets out the scope of the project. Changes to the scope are quoted separately and only go ahead once you approve them.
You are responsible for the content you give me (text, images, logos and data) and for having the right to use it. Third-party costs such as domains, hosting and paid plugins are passed on at cost, and the accounts for them are set up in your name wherever possible.
Once the project is paid for in full, you own the code written specifically for you, and you get the repository and a deploy script. I keep ownership of my own pre-existing tools and code, and you get a permanent licence to use them as part of your project. Open-source software stays under its own licence.
Every project includes 30 days of fixes after handover. After that, further work is quoted as new work.
Cancellations
If you are a consumer and we agree the job by email, phone, online or anywhere away from my premises, you can cancel within 14 days of agreeing to it without giving a reason. Tell me by email.
If you ask me to start work within those 14 days and then cancel, you pay for the work done up to that point, and you lose the right to cancel once the work is complete.
Outside that, you can cancel by telling me in writing. You'll pay for work already done and for any parts already ordered for you that can't be returned. Deposits for software projects cover time set aside for your project and are not refundable if you cancel close to the start date, unless the quote says otherwise.
I may cancel a job if I find I cannot carry it out, in which case I will refund anything you have paid for work not done.
Liability
I carry out all work with reasonable care and skill. If you are a consumer, you have legal rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and nothing in these terms affects them.
I'm not responsible for losses that weren't reasonably foreseeable when we agreed the job. For business customers, I'm not liable for loss of profit, business or data, and my total liability for a job is limited to the price paid for it.
Nothing in these terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or for anything else that cannot be limited by law.
Changes to these terms
I may update these terms from time to time, and the date at the top shows when they last changed. The terms that apply to a job are the ones in force when you approved its quote.
Governing law
These terms are governed by Scots law, and disputes go to the Scottish courts. If you are a consumer living elsewhere in the UK, you may also bring proceedings in the courts where you live.
If you're unhappy with any work, please email me first. I'll reply in writing and try to put things right.
Questions about this policy
Email me at nick@reversepolarity.studio and I'll reply in writing within 24 hours.