Terms & Conditions
Vocus Fire Safety Ltd — Terms and Conditions of Business
Vocus Fire Safety Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales (company number: 17188109), registered office: 30-32 Clarence Place, Newport, South Wales, NP19 0AG.
1. Definitions
1.1 "The Company" refers to Vocus Fire Safety Ltd.
1.2 "The Customer" refers to the person, partnership, limited company, or other legal entity who agrees to Services being provided by the Company.
1.3 "The Conditions" refers to these terms and conditions of business, together with any special terms agreed in writing by a Director, or other authorised member of the Company's management team, acting for and on behalf of the Company.
1.4 "Services" refers to any services provided by the Company, including but not limited to: fire risk assessments; fire strategies; fire stopping and compartmentation surveys, remediation and installation; fire door inspection, remediation and installation; fire detection, alarm and smoke control system design, installation and maintenance; fire extinguisher supply and servicing; fire safety training; and any Compliance Contract.
1.5 "Goods" refers to any equipment, materials, products or parts supplied by the Company in connection with the Services.
1.6 "Compliance Contract" refers to a rolling annual agreement under which the Company schedules, delivers and evidences an agreed programme of statutory fire safety checks at the Customer's premises, whether on a standard annual rolling basis or a smoothed annual payment plan.
1.7 "Reports" refers to any fire risk assessment, fire strategy, survey report, certificate, inspection record or other documentation produced by the Company in the course of providing the Services.
1.8 "Responsible Person" has the meaning given in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
1.9 "Portal" refers to the Vocus Fire Safety Portal, the Company's online system through which the Customer may access compliance records and documentation.
2. Application of these Conditions
2.1 These Conditions shall apply to all contracts for any Goods or Services provided by the Company to the Customer, to the exclusion of all other terms and conditions, including any terms the Customer may purport to apply under any purchase order, confirmation of order, or similar document.
2.2 The Customer's instruction to the Company to carry out work, or the Customer's acceptance of a quotation or proposal, shall be deemed conclusive evidence of the Customer's acceptance of these Conditions.
2.3 No variation of these Conditions shall be binding unless agreed in writing by a Director of the Company.
2.4 These Conditions are intended for Customers acting in the course of a business. Where the Customer is dealing as a consumer, the Customer has additional statutory rights, including under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and (where applicable) cancellation rights under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. Nothing in these Conditions affects those rights, and to the extent any provision is inconsistent with a consumer's non-excludable statutory rights, those rights prevail.
3. Quotations and Proposals
3.1 Quotations and fixed-scope proposals are valid for 30 days from the date of issue, unless otherwise stated.
3.2 All quotations are based on the information provided by the Customer and, where applicable, a site survey. If the condition, size, layout, occupancy or use of the premises differs materially from that disclosed or reasonably apparent at survey, the Company may vary the price accordingly and will notify the Customer before proceeding.
3.3 All quotations are subject to variation in the Company's costs of labour, materials, equipment and specialist subcontractors between the date of quotation and the date of performance. Where a variation occurs, the Company may require the Customer to pay any increase attributable to it.
3.4 If no quotation is provided, or if only part of the quoted work is carried out, the Company shall be entitled to charge a reasonable and proper price for the work done, including any investigatory or survey work, and for any Goods supplied.
3.5 The Company may decline to carry out all or part of any work for any reason, whether or not a quotation has been provided.
3.6 Variations to the scope of the Services or the price shall be subject to these Conditions and shall not constitute a new or separate contract.
3.7 The Company may require a deposit before commencing any work.
4. Price and Payment
4.1 The price of the Services shall be the price agreed between the Company and the Customer at the time the Customer instructs the work. All prices are exclusive of VAT, which, where applicable, shall be charged at the rate ruling on the date of the VAT invoice.
4.2 Unless otherwise agreed in writing, payment is due within 30 days of the date of invoice.
4.3 Under a Compliance Contract, the annual fee shall be invoiced as set out in the contract schedule (annually in advance, or in instalments where agreed). Fees under a smoothed annual payment plan are calculated across the full contract term, including forecast replacement works, and remain payable as scheduled notwithstanding that the works to which they relate fall in a later contract year.
4.4 Where credit terms have been extended to the Customer, the Company reserves the right to decline to provide further Goods or Services where doing so would cause the Customer to exceed the credit limit extended.
4.5 The Customer shall pay all sums due under any contract in full and in cleared funds, without any set-off, deduction, counterclaim, abatement or withholding of any kind, except as required by law. The Company may at any time, without limiting its other rights or remedies, set off any amount owing to it by the Customer against any amount payable by the Company to the Customer.
4.6 Notwithstanding clause 7.1, time for payment of every invoice shall be of the essence of the contract.
5. Remedies for Late Payment
5.1 If any invoice is not paid by its due date, the Company may charge interest on the overdue amount in accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, at 8% per annum above the Bank of England base rate, accruing daily from the due date until payment, together with the fixed sum compensation permitted under that Act.
5.2 If any invoice is not paid by its due date, all sums due and owing from the Customer to the Company shall become immediately payable.
5.3 The Company shall be entitled to recover from the Customer all reasonable administrative, collection and legal costs incurred in recovering overdue amounts.
5.4 Without prejudice to its other rights, the Company may suspend performance of any Services (including scheduled checks under a Compliance Contract, and access to the Portal) while any sum remains overdue. The Company shall not be liable for any consequence of such suspension, including any lapse in the Customer's statutory compliance.
5.5 Where the Customer owes the Company amounts under more than one invoice or contract, the Company may apply any payment received from the Customer to such invoice or amount as it sees fit, regardless of any purported appropriation by the Customer.
5.6 Interest under clause 5.1 shall continue to accrue both before and after any judgment, until the overdue amount is paid in full.
6. Customer Obligations
6.1 The Customer shall co-operate with the Company in all matters relating to the Services and shall, in particular:
- (a) provide safe and timely access to the premises, including all areas reasonably required (roof voids, risers, plant rooms, service ducts and communal areas);
- (b) provide accurate and complete information about the premises, including existing fire safety documentation, plans, previous assessments and known defects;
- (c) notify the Company of any material change to the premises, their use or occupancy which may affect the Services or the validity of any Report;
- (d) ensure a suitable representative is available where required; and
- (e) obtain any consents required from third parties (including tenants, leaseholders and landlords) for the Company to access and work at the premises.
6.2 If the Company is unable to perform the Services because of any act or omission of the Customer (including failure to provide access), the Company may charge for abortive visits at its standard rates and any rescheduling shall not place the Company in breach of any programme or of a Compliance Contract.
6.3 If the Customer cancels or postpones any booked visit or works on less than two working days' notice, the Company may charge a reasonable cancellation or abortive-attendance fee at its standard rates, to cover the resources reserved and any non-recoverable costs incurred.
7. Delivery and Completion
7.1 The Company will make every reasonable effort to provide the Goods and/or Services by any estimated date, but time shall not be of the essence and the Company shall not be liable for any delay, including delay caused by outside influences such as goods not delivered on time, goods sent incorrectly, subcontractor availability, or restrictions on access to the premises.
7.2 Additional work identified during the course of the Services (including remedial works arising from a survey or inspection) requires the Customer's authorisation before it is carried out and will be charged in addition to the agreed price.
8. Reports, Assessments and Professional Advice
8.1 Reports are prepared on the basis of the condition of the premises, the information available, and the legislation and standards in force at the date of the relevant visit. They are valid only as at that date and do not account for subsequent alterations, changes of use or occupancy, or changes in law.
8.2 Fire risk assessments are carried out in accordance with the PAS 79 methodology by suitably qualified assessors. An assessment is a professional opinion based on reasonable inspection; it is not a guarantee that fire will not occur, nor a certification of every concealed element of the building. Unless expressly agreed in writing, assessments are non-destructive and do not include opening up of construction.
8.3 The statutory duties of the Responsible Person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Fire Safety Act 2021, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and the Building Safety Act 2022 remain at all times with the Customer (or other duty holder) and are not transferred to the Company by any engagement, including a Compliance Contract. The Company's role is to assess, advise, deliver and evidence; responsibility for acting on recommendations and findings rests with the Customer.
8.4 Reports are prepared for the Customer alone and for the premises and purpose stated. They may be relied upon by the Customer's regulators and insurers in the ordinary course, but shall not otherwise be relied upon by any third party, assigned, or reproduced other than in full, without the Company's prior written consent.
8.5 Copyright and all other intellectual property rights in Reports remain the property of the Company. Upon payment in full, the Customer is granted a non-exclusive licence to use Reports for the purpose for which they were produced.
9. Compliance Contracts
9.1 A Compliance Contract runs for an initial term of 12 months from the commencement date and renews automatically for successive 12-month periods unless either party gives at least 60 days' written notice of termination, to expire at the end of the then-current term.
9.2 The scope of checks covered, the visit frequencies, and the annual fee are set out in the contract schedule. Specialist checks (including fire alarm servicing to BS 5839-1, AOV, suppression, sprinkler, and riser testing) may be delivered by approved third-party specialists coordinated by the Company in accordance with clause 10.
9.3 Where the Customer has chosen a smoothed annual payment plan, the annual fee spreads the forecast cost of the full replacement cycle (including scheduled extinguisher replacement under BS 5306-3) evenly across the plan term. If the Customer terminates a smoothed plan before the end of the full cycle stated in the schedule, the Company may invoice, and the Customer shall pay, a reconciliation amount equal to the difference between the fees paid and the fees that would have been payable for the same period under the standard annual rolling contract, so that neither party is unfairly advantaged by early termination.
9.4 Scheduling of visits is managed by the Company, which will use reasonable endeavours to agree convenient dates. The Customer's failure to provide access does not suspend the fee, and the Company shall not be responsible for any gap in statutory compliance arising from access being refused or unavailable.
9.5 The Company may adjust the annual fee at each renewal by written notice given no later than 90 days before renewal. If the Customer objects, the Customer may terminate at the end of the current term by notice under clause 9.1.
10. Subcontracting
10.1 The Company may subcontract the performance of any part of the Services to suitably qualified and, where applicable, third-party-certificated specialists (including BAFE and BAFSA registered organisations). The Company remains responsible to the Customer for the coordination of subcontracted Services under a Compliance Contract.
11. The Portal
11.1 Where Portal access is provided, the Customer is granted a non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access it for the purpose of viewing and downloading its own compliance records for the duration of the relevant contract.
11.2 The Customer is responsible for keeping login credentials secure. The Company may suspend Portal access where sums are overdue in accordance with clause 5.4, and will provide the Customer with copies of its statutory records on written request following termination.
12. Goods, Title and Risk
12.1 Risk in Goods passes to the Customer on delivery or installation at the premises. Title in Goods shall not pass to the Customer until the Company has received cleared payment in full of all sums due in respect of those Goods and any other sums owing from the Customer to the Company.
12.2 Until title passes, the Customer shall hold the Goods as bailee for the Company, and the Company may, where sums remain unpaid beyond 31 days from invoice, and so far as permitted by law, enter the premises at reasonable times to inspect or repossess Goods in which title has not passed. This clause does not apply to Goods incorporated into the fabric of the building.
12.3 Components and equipment removed by the Company in the course of the Services shall, if not claimed by the Customer within 7 days of completion, be deemed the Company's absolute property and may be disposed of. Goods specially ordered are non-returnable; returned Goods are subject to a handling charge.
13. Warranty
13.1 The Company warrants that the Services will be performed with reasonable skill and care by appropriately qualified personnel.
13.2 Goods supplied carry the warranty given by their manufacturer, for the term denoted by the manufacturer. In the event of a potential claim, the Customer should notify the Company immediately, whereupon the defect will be assessed and, where covered, repaired or replaced free of charge, provided the exclusions do not apply.
13.3 Warranties are conditional upon the Goods and installed systems being used, maintained and serviced in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and applicable British Standards. Any repair, modification or interference by another organisation without the Company's prior written authorisation will void the relevant warranty.
13.4 Nothing in these Conditions affects the Customer's statutory rights.
14. Defects and Notification
14.1 The Customer should satisfy itself, so far as reasonably practicable, that work has been carried out to a satisfactory standard before the Company's personnel leave the premises. The Customer shall notify the Company in writing of any alleged defect in the Services within 14 days of the date of completion of the relevant visit. Subject to clause 15.5, the Company shall have no liability for defects not so notified, except where the defect could not reasonably have been discovered within that period.
14.2 Where a valid defect is notified, the Company's obligation shall be, at its option, to re-perform the relevant Services or remedy the defect at its own cost.
15. Liability
15.1 Nothing in these Conditions excludes or limits the Company's liability for death or personal injury caused by its negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any other liability which cannot be excluded or limited by law.
15.2 Subject to clause 15.1, the Company shall not be liable for any loss of profit, loss of business, loss of contracts, business interruption, or any indirect or consequential loss.
15.3 Subject to clause 15.1, the Company's total liability arising out of or in connection with any contract, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty or otherwise, shall be limited to the greater of (a) the price paid or payable for the Services giving rise to the claim, and (b) the amount recoverable by the Company under its professional indemnity and public liability insurance in respect of the claim.
15.4 The Company shall not be liable for any enforcement action, prohibition notice, fine, penalty or other loss arising from the Customer's failure to implement, or delay in implementing, recommendations or significant findings set out in any Report, or from the Customer's failure to provide access for scheduled checks.
15.5 The Company holds professional indemnity and public liability insurance, details of which are available on request.
16. Force Majeure
16.1 The Company shall not be in breach of contract or liable for any failure or delay in performance caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including severe weather, epidemic, supply chain failure, industrial action, or failure of utilities or third-party networks. Performance shall be suspended for the duration of the event and reasonable adjustments made to any programme.
17. Data Protection and Confidentiality
17.1 Each party shall comply with applicable data protection legislation, including the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. The Company processes personal data in accordance with its Privacy Policy, available on its website.
17.2 Each party shall keep confidential all information of a confidential nature obtained from the other in connection with the Services, save as required by law or by a regulator, and save that the Company may share information with its subcontractors and insurers as reasonably necessary for the performance of the Services.
18. Waste
18.1 Where the Services include the removal of waste (including expired extinguishers or removed equipment), the Company holds the appropriate waste carrier registration and arrangements for the disposal of hazardous waste, evidence of which is available for inspection on request.
19. Complaints, Disputes and Jurisdiction
19.1 If the Customer is dissatisfied with any Services carried out by the Company, the Customer should first contact the Company so the matter can be resolved. The Company operates a complaints procedure, details of which are available on request.
19.2 All contracts between the Company and the Customer shall be governed by the laws of England and Wales, and all disputes arising out of or in connection with them shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
20. Suspension and Termination
20.1 Without limiting its other rights or remedies, the Company may suspend all or part of the Services, or terminate any or all contracts with the Customer with immediate effect by written notice, if:
- (a) the Customer commits a material breach of these Conditions and (where the breach is capable of remedy) fails to remedy it within 14 days of written notice requiring it to do so;
- (b) the Customer repeatedly breaches these Conditions in a manner that reasonably justifies the conclusion that its conduct is inconsistent with an intention to perform;
- (c) any sum owing to the Company remains unpaid beyond its due date; or
- (d) the Customer becomes, or the Company reasonably believes the Customer is about to become, insolvent or unable to pay its debts as they fall due, suspends or ceases (or threatens to suspend or cease) to carry on all or a substantial part of its business, enters into any arrangement or composition with its creditors, has a receiver, administrator, administrative receiver or liquidator appointed over any of its assets, passes a resolution or has a petition presented or order made for its winding-up, or any analogous event occurs in any jurisdiction.
20.2 The Customer shall notify the Company in writing as soon as reasonably practicable if any event described in clause 20.1(d) occurs or is likely to occur.
20.3 The Company shall not be liable for any consequence of a suspension or termination properly made under this clause, including any lapse in the Customer's statutory compliance.
20.4 On termination or expiry of any contract for any reason:
- (a) the Customer shall immediately pay all of the Company's outstanding invoices and, in respect of Services supplied but not yet invoiced, the Company may submit an invoice which shall be payable immediately on receipt;
- (b) the Customer shall pay for all work carried out, and all Goods supplied, up to the date of termination;
- (c) the Customer shall return any of the Company's equipment, materials or other property not paid for in full, failing which the Company may enter the premises and repossess it in accordance with clause 12; and
- (d) any provision of these Conditions that expressly or by implication is intended to continue in force after termination shall remain in full effect, and termination shall not affect any right, remedy, obligation or liability that has accrued up to the date of termination.
20.5 This clause is without prejudice to the provisions governing Compliance Contracts in clause 9.
21. General
21.1 If any provision of these Conditions is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remainder shall continue in full force and effect.
21.2 No failure or delay by the Company in exercising any right shall operate as a waiver of it.
21.3 The Customer may not assign any contract with the Company without the Company's prior written consent. The Company may assign or subcontract in accordance with clause 10.
21.4 A person who is not a party to a contract between the Company and the Customer shall have no rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any of its terms.
21.5 Notices. Any notice given under or in connection with any contract shall be in writing and sent to the relevant party at, in the case of the Company, its registered office, and in the case of the Customer, the address or email address notified for the contract or last known to the Company. A notice is deemed received: if delivered by hand, on signature of a delivery receipt; if sent by pre-paid first-class post, at 9.00am on the second business day after posting; and if sent by email, at the time of transmission or, if sent outside business hours, at 9.00am on the next business day. This clause does not apply to the service of any proceedings or other documents in any legal action.
21.6 Entire agreement. Each contract constitutes the entire agreement between the parties in relation to its subject matter and supersedes all prior discussions, correspondence and representations. Each party acknowledges that it has not relied on, and shall have no remedy in respect of, any statement or representation not expressly set out in these Conditions or the relevant quotation or proposal, save that nothing limits any liability for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
21.7 Anti-bribery, tax evasion and modern slavery. Each party shall comply with all applicable laws relating to anti-bribery and anti-corruption (including the Bribery Act 2010), the prevention of the facilitation of tax evasion (including the Criminal Finances Act 2017), and modern slavery (including the Modern Slavery Act 2015), and shall not do anything that would cause the other party to be in breach of any of them.
21.8 Authority. Any person instructing the Company on behalf of the Customer warrants that they have authority to bind the Customer. Where no such authority in fact existed, that person shall be personally liable to the Company as if they were the Customer.
22. Publication
22.1 These terms and conditions of business can be viewed on the Company's website: www.vocusfire.co.uk
© 2026 Vocus Fire Safety Ltd. All rights reserved.