VPhase Plc: Trade Terms and Conditions of Sale
The Buyer's attention is in particular drawn to the provisions of condition 10.4.
1. INTERPRETATION
1.1 The definitions and rules of interpretation in this condition apply in these conditions.
Buyer: the person, firm or company who purchases the Goods from the Company.
Company: ENERGETIX VOLTAGE CONTROL LIMITED (no.5244769) t/a VPhase registered office: 3rd Floor Castlefield House, Liverpool Road, Castlefield, Manchester, M3 4SB.
Contract: any contract between the Company and the Buyer for the sale and purchase of the Goods, incorporating these conditions.
Delivery Point: the place where delivery of the Goods is to take place under condition 4.
Goods: any goods agreed in the Contract to be supplied to the Buyer by the Company (including any part or parts of them).
1.2 A reference to a particular law is a reference to it as it is in force for the time being taking account of any amendment, extension, application or re-enactment and includes any subordinate legislation for the time being in force made under it.
1.3 Words in the singular include the plural and in the plural include the singular.
1.4 A reference to one gender includes a reference to the other gender.
1.5 Condition headings do not affect the interpretation of these conditions.
2. APPLICATION OF TERMS
2.1 Subject to any variation under condition 2.3 the Contract shall be on these conditions to the exclusion of all other terms and conditions (including any terms or conditions which the Buyer purports to apply under any purchase order, confirmation of order, specification or other document).
2.2 No terms or conditions endorsed on, delivered with or contained in the Buyer's purchase order, confirmation of order, specification or other document shall form part of the Contract simply as a result of such document being referred to in the Contract.
2.3 These conditions apply to all the Company's sales and any variation to these conditions and any representations about the Goods shall have no effect unless expressly agreed in writing and signed by a Director of the Company. The Buyer acknowledges that it has not relied on any statement, promise or representation made or given by or on behalf of the Company, which is not set out in the Contract. Nothing in this condition shall exclude or limit the Company's liability for fraudulent misrepresentation.
2.4 Each order or acceptance of a quotation for Goods by the Buyer from the Company shall be deemed to be an offer by the Buyer to buy Goods subject to these conditions.
2.5 No order placed by the Buyer shall be deemed to be accepted by the Company until a written acknowledgement of order is issued by the Company or (if earlier) the Company delivers the Goods to the Buyer.
2.6 The Buyer shall ensure that the terms of its order and any applicable specification are complete and accurate.
2.7 Any quotation is given on the basis that no Contract shall come into existence until the Company despatches an acknowledgement of order to the Buyer. Any quotation is valid for a period of 30 days only from its date, provided that the Company has not previously withdrawn it.
3. DESCRIPTION
3.1 The quantity and description of the Goods shall be as set out in the Company's quotation or acknowledgement of order.
3.2 Whilst care is taken in the preparation of promotional material all samples, drawings, descriptive matter, specifications and advertising issued by the Company and any descriptions or illustrations contained in the Company's catalogues or brochures are issued or published for the sole purpose of giving an approximate idea of the Goods described in them. They shall not form part of the Contract and this is not a sale by sample.
4. DELIVERY
4.1 Unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Company, delivery of the Goods shall take place at the Company's place of business.
4.2 The Buyer shall take delivery of the Goods within seven days of the Company giving it notice that the Goods are ready for delivery.
4.3 The Company shall endeavour to observe any dates quoted for delivery. Any dates specified by the Company for delivery of the Goods are intended to be an estimate and time for delivery shall not be made of the essence by notice. If no dates are so specified, delivery shall be within a reasonable time.
4.4 Subject to the other provisions of these conditions the Company shall not be liable for any direct, indirect or consequential loss (all three of which terms include, without limitation, pure economic loss, loss of profits, loss of business, depletion of goodwill and similar loss), costs, damages, charges or expenses caused directly or indirectly by any delay in the delivery of the Goods (even if caused by the Company's negligence), nor shall any delay entitle the Buyer to terminate or rescind the Contract [unless such delay exceeds 180 days].
4.5 If for any reason the Buyer fails to accept delivery of any of the Goods when they are ready for delivery, or the Company is unable to deliver the Goods on time because the Buyer has not provided appropriate instructions, documents, licences or authorisations:
(a) risk in the Goods shall pass to the Buyer (including for loss or damage caused by the Company's negligence);
(b) the Goods shall be deemed to have been delivered; and
(c) the Company may store the Goods until delivery, whereupon the Buyer shall be liable for all related costs and expenses (including, without limitation, storage and insurance).
4.6 The Buyer shall provide at the Delivery Point and at its expense adequate and appropriate equipment and manual labour for loading the Goods.
4.7 The Company may deliver the Goods by separate instalments. Each separate instalment shall be invoiced and paid for in accordance with the provisions of the Contract.
4.8 Each instalment shall be a separate Contract and no cancellation or termination of any one Contract relating to an instalment shall entitle the Buyer to repudiate or cancel any other Contract or instalment.
5. NON-DELIVERY
5.1 The Company shall not be liable for any non-delivery of Goods (even if caused by the Company's negligence) unless the Buyer gives written notice to the Company of the non-delivery within three days of the date when the Goods would in the ordinary course of events have been received.
5.2 Any liability of the Company for non-delivery of the Goods shall be limited to replacing the Goods within a reasonable time or issuing a credit note at the pro rata Contract rate against any invoice raised for such Goods.
6. RISK/TITLE
6.1 The Goods are at the risk of the Buyer from the time of delivery.
6.2 Ownership of the Goods shall not pass to the Buyer until the Company has received in full (in cash or cleared funds) all sums due to it in respect of:
(a) the Goods; and
(b) all other sums which are or which become due to the Company from the Buyer on any account.
6.3 Until ownership of the Goods has passed to the Buyer, the Buyer shall:
(a) hold the Goods on a fiduciary basis as the Company's bailee;
(b) store the Goods (at no cost to the Company) separately from all other goods of the Buyer or any third party in such a way that they remain readily identifiable as the Company's property;
(c) not destroy, deface or obscure any identifying mark or packaging on or relating to the Goods; and
(d) maintain the Goods in satisfactory condition and keep them insured on the Company's behalf for their full price against all risks to the reasonable satisfaction of the Company. On request the Buyer shall produce the policy of insurance to the Company.
6.4 The Buyer's right to possession of the Goods shall terminate immediately if:
(a) the Buyer (being a body corporate) convenes a meeting of creditors (whether formal or informal), or enters into liquidation (whether voluntary or compulsory) except a solvent voluntary liquidation for the purpose only of reconstruction or amalgamation, or has a receiver and/or manager, administrator or administrative receiver appointed of its undertaking or any part thereof, or documents are filed with the court for the appointment of an administrator of the Buyer or notice of intention to appoint an administrator is given by the Buyer or its directors or by a qualifying floating charge holder (as defined in paragraph 14 of Schedule B1 to the Insolvency Act 1986), or a resolution is passed or a petition presented to any court for the winding-up of the Buyer or for the granting of an administration order in respect of the Buyer, or any proceedings are commenced relating to the insolvency or possible insolvency of the Buyer or, (being an individual) the Buyer has a bankruptcy order made against him or makes an arrangement or composition with his creditors, or otherwise takes the benefit of any statutory provision for the time being in force for the relief of insolvent debtors; or
(b) the Buyer suffers or allows any execution, whether legal or equitable, to be levied on his/its property or obtained against him/it, or fails to observe or perform any of his/its obligations under the Contract or any other contract between the Company and the Buyer, or is unable to pay its debts within the meaning of section 123 of the Insolvency Act 1986 or the Buyer ceases to trade; or
(c) the Buyer encumbers or in any way charges any of the Goods.
6.5 The Company shall be entitled to recover payment for the Goods notwithstanding that ownership of any of the Goods has not passed from the Company.
6.6 The Buyer grants the Company, its agents and employees an irrevocable licence at any time to enter any premises where the Goods are or may be stored in order to inspect them, or, where the Buyer's right to possession has terminated, to recover them.
6.7 Where the Company is unable to determine whether any Goods are the goods in respect of which the Buyer's right to possession has terminated, the Buyer shall be deemed to have sold all goods of the kind sold by the Company to the Buyer in the order in which they were invoiced to the Buyer.
6.8 On termination of the Contract, howsoever caused, the Company's (but not the Buyer's) rights contained in this condition 60 shall remain in effect.
7. PRICE
7.1 Unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Company the price for the Goods shall be the price referred to in the Company’s acknowledgement of the order issued in accordance with condition 2.5 above.
7.2 The price for the Goods shall be exclusive of any value added tax and all costs or charges in relation to packaging, loading, unloading, carriage, and of any other tax imposed from time to time in respect of the sale, and insurance and export and import taxes relating to the Goods and any other duties imposts or levies imposed from time to time, all of which amounts the Buyer shall be responsible for.
7.3 The Buyer shall be responsible for complying with any legislation or regulations governing the exportation of Goods to, or importation of Goods into, the country of destination and for the payment of any relevant duties.
8. PAYMENT
8.1 Subject to condition 8.4, payment of the price for the Goods is due in pounds sterling in accordance with the time for payment specified in the invoice issued by the Company under the Contract (being no later than 30 days from the date of the invoice).
8.2 Time for payment shall be of the essence.
8.3 No payment shall be deemed to have been received until the Company has received cleared funds.
8.4 All payments payable to the Company under the Contract shall become due immediately on its termination despite any other provision.
8.5 The Buyer shall make all payments due under the Contract in full without any deduction whether by way of set-off, counterclaim, discount, abatement or otherwise unless the Buyer has a valid court order requiring an amount equal to such deduction to be paid by the Company to the Buyer.
8.6 If the Buyer fails to pay the Company any sum due pursuant to the Contract, the Buyer shall be liable to pay interest to the Company on such sum from the due date for payment at the annual rate of 2% above the base lending rate from time to time of H.S.B.C Bank Plc, accruing on a daily basis until payment is made, whether before or after any judgment.
9. QUALITY
9.1 Where the Company is not the manufacturer of the Goods, the Company shall endeavour to transfer to the Buyer the benefit of any warranty or guarantee given to the Company.
9.2 The Company warrants that (subject to these conditions) the Goods will on delivery and for a period of five years following delivery be of satisfactory quality within the meaning of the Sale of Goods Act 1979.The Company will, without charge, either repair or, at its option replace the Goods or any part of them which becomes defective due to faulty material or workmanship within a period of five years after delivery to the Buyer provided that:
(a) the alleged defect is discovered within such period of five years after delivery and is notified to the Company within thirty days of such discovery;
(b) the Goods or relevant part is returned to the Company carriage paid, identified and properly packed;
(c) the Company is satisfied that the Goods are defective;
(d) the Goods have been handled, stored, maintained, installed, operated or otherwise used in accordance with any written instructions issued by the Company; and
(e) the Goods have not been subjected to any use other than that for which they were designed nor been involved in any accident. Such repair or replacement will not amend the original warranty period.
(f) the Goods or relevant part is returned to the Company with the appropriate installation certificate (minor works certificate or full electrical installation certificate) in accordance with British Standard BS7671 “Requirements for Electrical Installations”.
9.3 The Company’s obligations under paragraph 9.2 shall not apply to any part of the Goods not of the Company’s manufacture, in respect of which the Company shall endeavour to pass to the Buyer the benefit of any guarantee given to the Company in accordance with 9.1 above.
9.4 Any defective part of the Goods replaced by the Company shall become the property of the Company.
9.5 Nothing herein or in any warranty given by the Company shall impose any liability upon the Company in respect of any defect in the Goods arising out of the acts, omissions, negligence or default of the Buyer, its servants and agents including without limitation any failure by the Buyer to comply with any recommendations of the Company as to storage and handling or use or servicing of the Goods, use of the Goods with other goods or other misuse of the goods or accident or fair wear and tear of the Goods.
10. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
10.1 Subject to condition 4, condition 5 and condition 9, the following provisions set out the entire financial liability of the Company (including any liability for the acts or omissions of its employees, agents and sub-contractors) to the Buyer in respect of:
(a) any breach of these conditions;
(b) any use made or resale by the Buyer of any of the Goods, or of any product incorporating any of the Goods; and
(c) any representation, statement or tortious act or omission including negligence arising under or in connection with the Contract.
10.2 Except as provided for in these conditions, any warranties, conditions and other terms, (whether express or implied by statute or common law or howsoever) including without limitation those of satisfactory quality or of fitness for a particular purpose (even if that purpose is made known expressly or by implication to the Company) are hereby to the fullest extent permitted by law excluded from the Contract (save for the conditions implied by section 12 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979).
10.3 Nothing in these conditions excludes or limits the liability of the Company:
(a) for death or personal injury caused by the Company's negligence; or
(b) for any matter which it would be illegal for the Company to exclude or attempt to exclude its liability; or
(c) for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
10.4 Subject to condition 10.2 and condition 10.3 the Company's total liability in contract, tort (including negligence or breach of statutory duty), misrepresentation, restitution or otherwise, arising in connection with the performance or contemplated performance of the Contract shall be limited to the Contract price.
11. ASSIGNMENT
11.1 The Company may assign the Contract or any part of it to any person, firm or company.
11.2 The Buyer shall not be entitled to assign the Contract or any part of it without the prior written consent of the Company.
12. FORCE MAJEURE
The Company reserves the right to defer the date of delivery or to cancel the Contract or reduce the volume of the Goods ordered by the Buyer (without liability to the Buyer) if it is prevented from or delayed in the carrying on of its business due to circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the Company including, without limitation, acts of God, governmental actions, war or national emergency, acts of terrorism, protests, riot, civil commotion, fire, explosion, flood, epidemic, lock-outs, strikes or other labour disputes (whether or not relating to either party's workforce), or restraints or delays affecting carriers or inability or delay in obtaining supplies of adequate or suitable materials, provided that, if the event in question continues for a continuous period in excess of 60 days, the Buyer shall be entitled to give notice in writing to the Company to terminate the Contract.
13. GENERAL
13.1 Each right or remedy of the Company under the Contract is without prejudice to any other right or remedy of the Company whether under the Contract or not.
13.2 If any provision of the Contract is found by any court, tribunal or administrative body of competent jurisdiction to be wholly or partly illegal, invalid, void, voidable, unenforceable or unreasonable it shall to the extent of such illegality, invalidity, voidness, voidability, unenforceability or unreasonableness be deemed severable and the remaining provisions of the Contract and the remainder of such provision shall continue in full force and effect.
13.3 Failure or delay by the Company in enforcing or partially enforcing any provision of the Contract shall not be construed as a waiver of any of its rights under the Contract.
13.4 Any waiver by the Company of any breach of, or any default under, any provision of the Contract by the Buyer shall not be deemed a waiver of any subsequent breach or default and shall in no way affect the other terms of the Contract.
13.5 The parties to the Contract do not intend that any term of the Contract shall be enforceable by virtue of the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 by any person that is not a party to it.
13.6 The formation, existence, construction, performance, validity and all aspects of the Contract shall be governed by English law and the parties submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
14. COMMUNICATIONS
14.1 All communications between the parties about the Contract shall be in writing and delivered by hand or sent by pre-paid first class post or sent by fax:
(a) (in case of communications to the Company) to its registered office detailed above or such changed address as shall be notified to the Buyer by the Company; or
(b) (in the case of the communications to the Buyer) to the registered office of the addressee (if it is a company) or (in any other case) to any address of the Buyer set out in any document which forms part of the Contract or such other address as shall be notified to the Company by the Buyer.
14.2 Communications shall be deemed to have been received:
(a) if sent by pre-paid first class post, two days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and bank and public holidays) after posting (exclusive of the day of posting); or
(b) if delivered by hand, on the day of delivery; or
(c) if sent by fax on a working day prior to 4.00 pm, at the time of transmission and otherwise on the next working day.
14.3 Communications addressed to the Company shall be marked for the attention of a Director of the Company.