Terms & Conditions
1. All contracts between Three Rivers stone (“the Company”) and the person, firm or company who accepts the quotation from the company for the sale of the goods or whose order of the goods is accepted by the company (“the Customer”) shall be governed exclusively by these terms and conditions of sale. No variation or addition to these conditions shall be binding unless agreed in writing by the authorised representatives of the Customer or the Company.
2. On receipt of an order from a Customer, Three Rivers stone. will issue a formal order acknowledgement which will confirm the relevant specification details and price. It will be the responsibility of the Customer to ensure that this acknowledgement correctly reflects their requirements and where the Customer has not given the Company a written order a signed copy of the order acknowledgement must be returned or the receipt of the deposit referred to in the order acknowledgement.
3. A quotation by the Company does not constitute an offer and the Company reserves the right to withdraw or amend the same at any time prior to the Company’s acceptance of the Customer order.
4. The quality, quantity and specification of the goods shall be those set out in the order form, subject always to the following:
a. All natural materials supplied are subject to their natural markings, veining, variations in colour, cracks and vents. These are supplied cramped, stopped or reinforced where necessary and no claim on this account can be made.
b. When samples have been submitted identical resemblance of the product supplied to the sample cannot be guaranteed.
c. Any descriptions of material offered are for guidance only and do not imply suitability for any particular purpose.
d. All thicknesses quoted are nominal and no liability is accepted for reasonable variations of whatsoever nature.
5 The price of the goods is the price stated in the Company’s order acknowledgement. Unless otherwise stated all prices are given inclusive of VAT which will be chargeable at the rate applicable at the time of delivery.
6. Customers without an account with Three Rivers stone will be required to make payment as follows:
STAGE 1 initial deposit to reserve the stone, STAGE 2 deposit for material and STAGE 3 outstanding balance is paid directly to our third party stone fitters.
7. Customers with an account with the Company will be required to make a deposit of 20% of the estimated value of the granite including templating, fitting and transport costs and the balance payment within 20 days of the date of the invoice which will be submitted to the Customer on or after delivery of the goods or on such earlier date if delivery is delayed by the customer.
8. Three Rivers stone. Reserves the right to charge interest at the rate of 1.5% per month on unpaidbalances (whether before or after any judgement).
9. Delivery of goods shall be made by the Company as follows:
a. For goods being installed by the Company, on the date of completion of such installation.
b. For other goods, upon physical delivery by the Company or collection by the Customer or authorised agent from the Company.
c. Any dates quoted for delivery of the goods are approximate only and the Company shall not be liable for any delay in delivery of goods howsoever caused. The Company will endeavour to fulfil its agreed commitments to its Customers, however due to the vagaries of the availability of materials used we can only offer an expected time. Time for delivery shall not be of the essence of the contract unless expressly agreed by the Company in writing. The Company shall not be liable for failure to deliver the goods if the failure is due to reasons beyond the Company’s reasonable control.
10. Risk of damage to or loss of the goods shall pass to the Customer at the time of delivery or, if the Customer wrongly fails to take delivery of the goods, the time when the Company has tendered delivery of the goods.
11. Notwithstanding any other provision of these conditions, the property in the goods shall not pass to the Customer until Three Rivers stone. has received full payment for the goods.
12. Until such time as the property in the goods passes to the Customer (and provided the goods are still in existence and have not been re-sold) the Company shall be entitled at any time to require the Customer to deliver up the goods to the Company, and if the Customer fails to do so forthwith, to enter upon any premises of the Customer or any third party where the goods are stored and repossess the goods. If the Customer shall have re-sold the goods, the proceeds of such sale shall be held by the Customer as trustee
for and to the account of the Company.
13. Subject to condition 4 above and the conditions set out below, the Company warrants that the goods will correspond with their description at the time of delivery.
14. The Company shall be under no liability in respect of any defect in the goods arising from any sample drawing, design, specification or template supplied by or on behalf of the Customer.
15. The Company shall be under no liability in respect of any defect arising from wear and tear, wilful damage, negligence, abnormal working conditions, failure to follow the Company’s instructions (whether oral or in writing), misuse or alteration or repair of the goods without the Company’s approval.
16. Subject as expressly provided in the conditions, and except where the goods are sold to a person dealing as a Customer (within the meaning of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977) all warranties, conditions or other terms implied by statute or company law are excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.
17. Where the goods are sold under a Consumer Transactions (Restrictions on Statements) Order 1976 the statutory rights of the Customer are not affected by these conditions.
18. Any claim by the Customer which is based on any defect on the quality or condition of the goods or their failure to correspond with their description shall (whether or not delivery is refused by the Customer) be notified to Three Rivers stone. within three days from the date of delivery. If delivery is not refused, and the Customer does not notify the Company accordingly, the Customer shall not be entitled to reject the goods and the Company shall have no liability for such defect or failure, and the Customer shall be bound to pay the price as if the goods had been delivered in accordance with the contract.
19. Where the Customer deals as a consumer, the provisions of s35 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended) shall replace the provisions referred to in clause 18 above
Payment method
20. Where any valid claim in respect of the goods which is based on any defect in the quality or condition of the goods or their failure to match their description is notified to Three Rivers stone. in accordance with these conditions, the Company shall be entitled to replace the goods (or the part in question) free of charge or, at the discretion of the Company, refund to the Customer the price of the goods (or a proportionate amount of the price) but the Company shall have no further liability to the Customer.
21. Except in respect of death or personal injury caused by Three Rivers stone negligence, the Company shall not be liable to the Customer by reason of any representation (unless fraudulent) or any implied warranty condition or any other term or any duty at common law, or under the express terms of contract, for any indirect special or consequential loss or damage (whether for loss of profit or otherwise) cost expenses or other claims for compensation whatsoever (whether caused by the negligence of the Company, its employees or agent otherwise) which arise out of or in connection with the supply of the goods, their installation by the Company, their use, and the entire liability of the Company under or in
connection with the contract shall not exceed the price of the goods, except as expressly provided in these conditions. In no event shall the Company be liable to the Customer for any incidental or consequential loss, damage or injury.
22. The Company shall not be liable to the Customer or be deemed to be in breach of the contract by reason of any delay in performing, or any failure to perform any of the Company’s obligations in relation to the goods, if the delay or failure was due to any case beyond the reasonable control of the Company, including but not limited to acts of God, war, riot, fire, flood, drought, exercise of government E C or foreign authority, contrary legislation, strikes, lockouts, trade disputes, import or export regulations or embargoes
and difficulties in obtaining raw materials.
23. Three Rivers stone reserves the right to change these terms and conditions from time to time and when they affect current Customer orders the Company will advise the Customer accordingly in sufficient time to allow the Customer to amend or terminate the contract by written notice.
24. Either party may immediately terminate the contract by written notice if the other becomes insolvent or is deeded to be insolvent within the meaning of s123 of the Insolvency Act 1986.
25. Any notice required or permitted to be given by either party to the other under these conditions shall be in writing addressed to that other party at its registered offices or principle place of business or where a person is dealing as a consumer at such address as may at the relevant time have been notified pursuant to this provision to the party giving the notice.
26. No waiver by the Company or any breach of the contract by the Customer shall be considered as a waiver of any subsequent breach of the same or any other provision.
27. The following information is principally designed to address issues that arise when specifying and working with granite and marble:
a. All reasonable effort should be made by the customer to ensure that cabinets are secured firmly to the wall, are level and have sufficient braces. It is also advisable to ensure the floor can support the weight. When handling granite the fitters are extremely careful, however no responsibility can be taken for damage to cupboard fronts or wall fixings and we would advise customers to remove them prior to fitting and / or remedial work.
b. Most granite supplied by the Company is 30mm in thickness (+/- 2mm) and most hobs supplied by manufacturers are in excess of this measurement. In the event that the fitters need to alter the cabinets by routing / cutting out sections or providing extra braces the fitters reserve the right to charge an extra £150.00 per cabinet at time of installation.
c. Templating and fabrication is not an exact science and slight tolerances in both overhangs and thickness are to be expected. Our fitting team may also need to chop out plaster. Every care is made when conducting such operations, but the Company does not take any responsibility for live plaster falls and it is the responsibility of the customer to make good these areas. Walls are rarely straight and as such natural wall gaps may occur. It is therefore advisable to have splashbacks fitted unless the customer intends to
tile.
Cut outs : Information supplied by the customer such as cut out dimensions, overhangs, splash backs, and positioning of cut outs given to the Company at the time of order or subsequently given by other methods of communication is the customer’s responsibility and no liability whatsoever can be taken for incorrectly
advised dimensions.
d. Some flexing can occur on unsupported joints which can result in them opening and repairs may be necessary. However this can be exasperated by owners standing on their stone surfaces. The best axion is ‘use steps’.
e. POROSITY IN GRANITE : Granite surfaces can stain and are not impervious to damage. However they can easily last a lifetime if properly cared for.
f. Care must be taken to ensure any spilt liquids are mopped up immediately such as cigarettes, hot oil, lemon juice, wine, detergents, alcohol and acidic or alkaline substances. Remember, stones cannot be rendered impervious to all marking and staining.
g. For a long lasting finish granite and marble should be treated at regular intervals. Please view our site for recommended cleaning, polishing and sealing products.
h. The Company can provide not only polished surfaces, but also honed finishes. However we do not recommend such surfaces to be used in a kitchen environment.
I.Hit a stone with something blunt and heavy and the chances are it will crack. Granite is no different. Under the Company’s terms and conditions once a customer’s granite is fitted no responsibility can be taken by the Company for cracks or fissures appearing. To ensure your granite does not crack use a chopping board as a preparation centre and take care not to drop heavy objects onto its surface.
j. TOPSCO is happy to supply small samples of material sized for postage at 100mm x 100mm.. However it must be remembered all our products are made of NATURAL ELEMENTs and can vary in colour. It is for this reason the Company cannot guarantee the colouring or character of stone delivered and fitted, as an exact match to any sample offered.
k. Granite is by its very nature a very dense and heavy material and weighs in excess of 90 kilos per square metre. We therefore will not provide lengths in excess of 3m. The Company also reserves the right to add joints where it feels necessary commensurate with health and safety guidelines and accessibility.
28. If any provision of these terms and conditions is held by any competent authority to be invalid or unenforceable in whole or in part the validity of the other provisions of these conditions and the remainder of the provision in question shall not be affected.
29. The contract shall be governed by the laws of England and the Customer agrees to submit to the non exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
STAGES OF PAYMENTS GUIDELINES | ||||||||||
METHODS OF PAYMENTS / STAGE OF WORKTOPS BEING FITTED | BACS | CASH | DEBIT CARD | CREDIT CARD | ||||||
PAYMENT 1 | BOOKING DEPOSIT (Approx) | 30% | 30% | 30% | 30% | |||||
PAYMENT 2 | MAIN DEPOSIT (Approx) | 40% | 40% | 40% | 40% | |||||
PAYMENT 3 | ON COMPLETION OF INSTALLATION (Approx) | 30% | ||||||||
PAYMENT CHARGES | COST OF TRANSACTION *Please check there will NOT be charges on your method of payments | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |||||
NOTE | PAYMENTS ON TIME WILL PREVENT ANY DELAYS TO YOUR TURNAROUND | |||||||||
Confidentiality agreement
It is understood and agreed to that the below identified disclosure of confidential information may provide certain information that is and must be kept confidential. To ensure the protection of such information, and to preserve any confidentiality necessary under patent and/or trade secret laws, it is agreed that
1. The Confidential Information to be disclosed can be described as and includes:
Invention description(s), technical and business information relating to proprietary ideas and inventions, ideas, patentable ideas, trade secrets, drawings and/or illustrations, patent searches, existing and/or contemplated products and services, research and development, production, costs, profit and margin information, finances and financial projections, customers, clients, marketing, and current or future business plans and models, regardless of whether such information is designated as “Confidential Information” at the time of its disclosure.
2. The Recipient agrees not to disclose the confidential information obtained from the discloser to anyone unless required to do so by law.
3. This Agreement states the entire agreement between the parties concerning the disclosure of Confidential Information. Any addition or modification to this Agreement must be made in writing and signed by the parties.
4. If any of the provisions of this Agreement are found to be unenforceable, the remainder shall be enforced as fully as possible and the unenforceable provision(s) shall be deemed modified to the limited extent required to permit enforcement of the Agreement as a whole.
wherefore, the parties acknowledge that they have read and understand this Agreement and voluntarily accept the duties and obligations set forth herein.
Instruction & guidelines for kitchen worktop installation
● The Customer or their authorised representative must be present to walk the templaters and fitters through their requirements when they first arrive, and to sign off on the completed installation. |
● All cupboards should be levelled as far as possible and be secure with proper support for the weight of the granite. All cupboards should be firm and screwed to each other as well as the wall. This should be checked by the Templater and instructions given to the Customer if not. If there are several issues and the difference is greater than 10mm then templating will be cancelled and re-booked with a £200 fee being levied. |
● Cupboard doors should ideally not be installed until after the worktops are installed and any doors on existing cupboards removed prior to installation. This will minimise any risk of damage. |
● Undermount sinks should be installed and supported by wooden batons under the flange ready for templating and subsequent fitting. 5-10mm play should be given front to back and left to back in case of adjustment required at fitting. They should be fitted 1mm lower than the top of the units to prevent scratching |
● A metal bar (10mm thick, box section) should be inserted at the front of the cupboard containing the hob cut-out and large overmounted sinks, onto which the granite can be glued (to provide extra support for the strip of granite at the front). Alternatively a wooden baton can be used if there is no oven beneath limiting the space available. |
● Any void spaces for appliances should have a baton put on the wall at the back to support the back of the granite. |
● Platforms for islands/ peninsulars should be built and secure and ready to accept the granite onto their surface. Supporting legs should be used where appropriate and screwed into the wooden platform. The base should be completely stable and screwed to the floor if necessary. |
● All worktops (temporary or laminate) should be removed and hobs/ overmount sinks removed and disconnected ready for Templating and subsequently for Fitting the granite. |
● Consideration has been given to whether splashbacks or tiles to be placed on walls and therefore the level of tolerance required in the accuracy of the template and size of gaps where the wall is not straight. High points in walls should be chiselled back if required to enable a tighter fit at time of templating. The granite will ALWAYS be cut straight (at an angle if necessary) and it is the customer’s responsibility to resolve any gaps created if the walls are not straight and have bellies or hollows. |
● Joint placements always to be on the edge of a cupboard., or supported properly |
● Templates should be EXACT. Additional information such as measurements should be MINIMAL to reduce the likelihood of cutting errors. Splashback and polished edge requirements should be marked clearly on the template using 2 different coloured lines. |
● Access should be clear and the ground even to prevent injuries and breakage when the granite is being carried into the kitchen. |
● Templates should have sink and hob holes cut-out and the sinks and hobs placed inside to verify that they fit. |
● Templates with sink and hob cut into them should be placed on cupboards and the cupboards pencil marked to show where the wood needs to be trimmed and to confirm that the hole is in the correct place and not over a cupboard side. |
● The cupboards containing the sink and hob should have any impeding wood trimmed back to accept the hob or sink, by the Customer or their fitter, either at time of template or before the Granite Fitters arrive. |
● Consideration must be given to size of pieces and whether they can be carried inside depending on access. |
● Consideration must given to whether the templated piece is wider at the back or front and therefore whether the granite will be able to be slid in eg between cupboard and wall or 2 walls. Where the wall is wider at the back the edge of the granite should not follow this but should be cut square. A solution will need to be found by the customer for the resulting gap, eg tiles or splashbacks or re-plastering. |
● NO piece to be cut wall to wall if it would not be able to be fitted afterwards eg access insufficient or room too small to manoeuvre. |
● NO end panels or other additions need to be done AFTER templating. |
● If there is a large hob backsplash, have the walls been prepared to a robust standard to enable it to be glued throughly with no danger of subsequently falling? Fitters to make sure it is keyed into the wall thoroughly. |
● All walls should be fully plastered and painted to enable upstands to be bonded correctly and to avoid the granite being damaged if plasterboard and plastering is done subsequent to granite fitting. |
● Plinths should be removed before the Fitters arrive so that any final adjustment of levels can be made by adjusting the legs. |
a) +/- 4mm overhangs |
b) 4-18mm gaps to walls (depending on tile/no tile or upstand) |
c) +/- 2mm thickness variation |
d) Drainage grooves are cut flat, 5mm deep +/- 2mm |
Customer responsibilities |
Grout any gaps behind upstands or worktops and walls in line with b) above |