Terms and Conditions

Company Terms and Conditions

By asking me to deliver a service for you directly or on behalf of you, you agree to these Terms and Conditions. A link to these terms and condition can be found on my email signature.

Provisional bookings for funerals, wedding, vow renewal and naming ceremonies:

A provisional booking will hold your date for 7 days, after which a deposit is required in order to secure your date.

If a deposit isn’t received, then the date will be released and be available for other parties to book.

Firm booking:

A firm booking will be made upon payment of a deposit of 50% of the agreed fee. At this point, I will not book any other events on the day of your service/ceremony.

Payment of balance:

The full balance will be required one month before the service/ceremony. If a service/ceremony is booked less than one month in advance, then payment will be required in full at the point of booking.

Images and testimonials:

For the sole purpose of promoting my services, either on my website or via social media I may ask for your permission to use photographs from your service/ceremony. Images that I have or that you have allowed me access to.

I may also ask you to provide a short-written testimonial. With respect, you are not obligated to provide either.

Confidentiality:

The information that you provide is treated as strictly confidential and private, and it will not be disclosed to any third party without your express permission.

The content of your service/ceremony will be kept confidential, with the exception of third parties whom may be included in the creation of your service/ceremony.

Changes and cancellations:

Changes to booking dates and times must be notified in writing or by email. Where possible, they will be accommodated, but they cannot be guaranteed.

If you decide to cancel your booking within 14 days of paying the deposit, it will be refunded in full. After this timeframe, the deposit cannot be returned.

Cancellation fees

Weddings, naming ceremonies, vow renewals and other ceremonies.

• Any travel and accommodation cost already incurred by the celebrant plus –
• Within 3 months of the service/ceremony – 60% of the celebrant’s fee.
• Within 2 months of the service/ceremony – 80% of the celebrant’s fee.
• Within 1 month of the service/ceremony – 100% of the celebrant’s fee.

Funerals 

• Within 3 weeks of the service/ceremony – 60% of the celebrant’s fee.
• Within 2 weeks of the service/ceremony – 80% of the celebrant’s fee.
• Within 1 week of the service/ceremony – 100% of the celebrant’s fee.

These fees take into account any costs from terms of execution, administration, professional time, and travel that may have been incurred.

Please note that the client (family) is liable for these fees, not a third party or booking agency.

If, for whatever reason, I am unable to perform your ceremony, I will do my best to find a suitable replacement celebrant for your ceremony. If I cancel and am unable to find a replacement, you will receive a full refund.

Governing law and jurisdictions:

These terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and any dispute shall be subject to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

For ceremonies that are recognised by law in England and Wales, you must fulfil the legal requirements at a Registry Office. Some variations apply in Scotland, please contact us for details.

Insurance and professional affiliation:

I am a member of the Association of Independent Celebrants and have £5 Million Public Liability Insurance and £1 Million Professional Indemnity Insurance. Certificates available upon request.

Hours of work

My office hours are Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5.30 pm, excluding bank holidays. I may not always be available during these times, as I may be with a family or in chapel delivering a service/ceremony. I will always get back to you as soon as possible.

Threatening and intimidating behaviour

I will not tolerate any form of bullying, harassment, discrimination, and victimisation towards myself or any of my team. If I or any member of my team feel bullied, discriminated against the service/ceremony will be cancelled with immediate effect and the full balance payment due.

Time scales

A tremendous amount of work goes into creating a service/ceremony, reflectively I kindly request for timeframes to be adhered to. Please note that weekends (Saturday, Sunday, and Bank Holidays) are not working days for myself, the funeral directors, the printers, and the music library. This must all be factored into deadlines and timescales. In addition, the service/ceremony must fall within the permitted time allocation and length set by the chapel or venue that the service/ceremony is to be delivered at.

I will be very clear with the time scales required to complete and deliver your service/ceremony in time. It is the family or individuals’ responsibility to make sure that time lines are met having been provided the guidance. I will not be held responsible or accountable if these are not to be met.

It is the responsibility of the named client or their representative to make sure that all information given is correct. I will not be responsible for any errors delivered within the service as such.

The service/ceremony must be authorised by confirmation within 24 hours of being sent to you (or sooner).

No amendments can be made to the service/ceremony 72 hours before the service/ceremony.

Handmade and made items purchased:

When you place an order upon our website for a handmade product you are accepting our Terms & Conditions of Sale.

Ordered with us:

When you place an order, I will need your name, address, and e-mail address. I only accept payment through Paypal, you do not need an account to make a purchase.

When your request has been processed, I will notify you of receipt of your order and you’ll be able to check if all the details are correct. When your order is ready and has been posted I will let you know via email.

It’s useful to have a contact telephone number so that I can quickly reach you if we need to discuss your order. Some couriers also require customer’s telephone numbers.

Stock and delivery:

I do all that I can to ensure your orders are dispatched as quickly as possible. All orders are sent via First Class Royal Mail recorded delivery.

All products are made to order and I ask that you allow three to four workdays to make your product(s). If you need something by a given date on short notice, please contact us via email or telephone and we will do our best to help you.

Unfortunately, I cannot fulfil any obligations if the product you ordered becomes out of stock, if a crafter is unable to fulfil their order due to circumstances beyond reasonable control, if I am unable to obtain authorisation for your payment, or if I identify a pricing or product description error.

If you are ordering from outside the UK please note that customers are responsible for any customs, import charges/duties that may be incurred and must comply with any local regulations. Any tax and duty costs payable outside of the UK are the full responsibility of the customer.

Product, pricing, and description:

All prices published are set in pounds sterling. Each product purchased is sold subject to its Product Description, but please do remember that handmade craft is not mass-produced and therefore slight variables in design and colour are always possible.

Cancellations and refunds:

Once the crafter has started making the commissioned piece, it is unlikely that a cancellation or refund will be possible. If your order has already been dispatched, no refund will be available.

If your item is faulty, you must provide photographic evidence via email before a refund will be issued. If you are returning a product because it is faulty, a full refund will be applied excluding the cost of postage.

If you return goods to us, please use an insured method of despatch, and obtain proof of posting. I cannot accept liability for returned goods being lost or damaged in transit.

Terminology

• The reference of ‘I’ identifies to Jon Matson-Higgins, Minster and Celebrant
• The above Terms & Conditions provides limits, alternatives, accountability, and guidance on the services of Jon Matson-Higgins

Revision Date

• 18/11/22 – Addition to terminology index

Jon Matson-Higgins, Minister & Celebrant is a limited Company, the company registration number is 13070533

Complaints

Jon takes all complaints and concerns about all professional misconduct very seriously.

The following outlines the process for filing a complaint against Jon Matson-Higgins.

Making a complaint:

Jon must receive a complaint in writing or email within 14 days of the alleged incident. It should be posted for the attention of Jon Matson-Higgins, Minister & Celebrant, 505 Broadgate, Weston Hills, PE12 6DB. We will investigate the complaint immediately and you will be given a full and prompt reply. The complaint should include the full names of any persons, as well as the time, place, date(s) and details of the alleged event(s). All complaints should be registered with

Jon will investigate within one month of the event. To maintain confidentiality, Jon asks that any complaints be sent by registered mail or e-mail by the Complainant. Jon will not process any anonymous complaints.

Receiving the complaint:

Once a complaint is filed with Jon, the complainant will receive an acknowledgement in writing within 14 days of the complaint being made. If the complaint is about a member of the team, then Jon will give that team member a further 14 days to respond.

Investigating the complaint:

The investigation process may take an underdetermined amount of time but no more than 150 days. Jon will investigate the complaint and prepare a report following the investigation. Jon will make his formal response or decision within 150 days of receiving the complaint.

The decision:

If the decision is in favour of the complainant, then any of the following may happen.

• All efforts will be taken to resolve the complaint amicably and swiftly.
• Instructions will be given to take other appropriate or formal action as required.

If the decision is in favour of Jon Matson-Higgins or a member of the team, then any of the following may happen.

• The complainant will receive formal notice that no further action will be taken.

The complainant and any relevant members of the team will receive a written copy of the decision.

Appealing the decision:

If the complainant is not satisfied with the decision, then they must take further action and discuss their case with the relevant professional body.

This policy will be reviewed every 12 months by Jon Matson-Higgins.

Website terms and conditions

Jon Matson-Higgins, Minister and Celebrant, registered office is 18 Margaret Street, Brighton, BN21TS, knows that you care how information about you is used and shared and we appreciate your trust in us to do that carefully and sensibly. This notice describes our privacy policy and forms part of our website terms and conditions (“Website Terms”). By accepting our Website Terms or by visiting www.jonmatsonhiggins.co.uk (“the Website”), you are accepting and consenting to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. The Website is brought to you by Jon Matson-Higgins, Minister & Celebrant. Jon Matson-Higgins believes it is important to protect your personal data (as defined in the GDPR 2018), and we are committed to providing you with a personalised service that meets your needs in a way that also protects your privacy.

To view the Jon Matson-Higgins, Minister & Celebrant  Data Protection Policy, please click here.

Collecting information:

We may collect Personal Data about you from a number of sources, including the following:

• When you agree to take a service or product from us, this may include your name, address, telephone number, date of birth, how you will pay, and any other relevant details/information you provide to us.
• We retain this information in our electronic database for five years after the most recent event we host for you and for seven years in our financial records (due to statutory requirements).  Where we have not hosted a course/event for you, we will retain the details relating to your initial enquiries of services for no more than two years.

Using your personal information:

Personal Data about our customers is an important part of our business, and we shall only use your Personal Data for the following purposes and shall not keep such Personal Data longer than is necessary to fulfil these purposes:

• This will help us identify you when you contact us.
• This information helps us administer and contact you about improved administration of any accounts, services, and products we have provided before, provide now, or will or may provide in the future.
• We request that you allow us to contact you in any way (including mail, email, telephone, visit, text or multimedia messages) about the products and services we offer.
• We may monitor and record communications with you (including phone conversations and emails) for quality assurance and compliance.
• We will not disclose your Personal Data to any third party except in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Protecting information:

We have strict security measures to protect Personal Data.

• We work to protect the security of your information during transmission by using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software, which encrypts the information you input.
• When confirming an order, we reveal only the last five digits of your credit card number. Of course, we transmit the entire number to the appropriate credit card company during order processing.
• We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards in connection with the collection, storage and disclosure of personally identifiable customer information. Our security procedures mean that we may occasionally request proof of identity before we disclose personal information to you.

To view the Jon Matson-Higgins, Minister & Celebrant Data Protection Policy, please click here.

The internet:

• If you communicate with us using the Internet, we may occasionally email you about our services and products. When you first give us your personal data through the website, we will normally give you the opportunity to say whether you would prefer us not to contact you by email. You can also always send us an email (at the address set out below) at any time if you change your mind.
• Please remember that communications over the Internet, such as emails and webmail (messages sent through a website), may not be secure unless they have been encrypted. Your communications may go through a number of countries before they are delivered – this is the nature of the Internet.  The Jon Matson-Higgins, Minister & Celebrant website is secure as we use HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). We cannot accept responsibility for any unauthorised access or loss of Personal Data that is beyond our control.
• We may use ‘cookies’ to monitor how people use our site. This helps us to understand how our customers and potential customers use our website so we can develop and improve the design, layout and function of the sites. A cookie is a piece of information that is stored on your computer’s hard drive through your browser to recognise your browser and record how you have used a website. This means that when you go back to that website, it can give you tailored options based on the information it has stored about your last visit. You can normally alter the settings of your browser to prevent it from accepting cookies.
• If you do not want us to use cookies in your browser, you can set your browser to reject cookies or to tell you when a website tries to put a cookie on your computer. However, you may not be able to use some of the products or services on our website without cookies.

Cookies:

What are cookies?

• A cookie is a small text file, usually made up of letters and numbers, downloaded to your computer when you access websites. Its function is to record information such as the site you’re visiting, the duration of your visit, etc. You can read more about cookies here.

How do we use cookies?

• This site uses Google Analytics to help us keep track of our visitors… how many there are, where they are from, what sort of thing they are searching for, etc. Google Analytics uses cookies to achieve this. It is our understanding that certain information accessed through Google Analytics requires the consent of the end user prior to use, though we have NOT enabled this level of data gathering, and thus, in all likelihood, this section of these terms of use is probably redundant. But in the interest of transparency and openness, it is, of course, our wish that you be made aware of their usage on this site.

Disallowing cookies:

• By using this website, you agree to use cookies. If you’re still confused about cookies and their use, this article may help you understand or enable you to disallow certain third-party use. Click here. Similarly, Google has a very helpful video on Cookies in its own policies section that’s very informative. You can also download an opt-out tool from Google here.

The Help menu on the menu bar of most browsers will tell you how to prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, how to have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie and how to disable cookies altogether. Additionally, you can disable or delete similar data used by browser add-ons, such as Flash cookies, by changing the add-ons settings or visiting the manufacturer’s website. If you still have concerns or questions, please contact us, and we will do our best to help.

Links

• The Website may include third-party advertising and links to other websites. We do not provide any personally identifiable customer Personal Data to these advertisers or third-party websites.
• These third-party websites and advertisers, or Internet advertising companies working on their behalf, sometimes use technology to send (or “serve”) the advertisements that appear on the Website directly to your browser. They automatically receive your IP address when this happens. They may also use cookies, JavaScript, web beacons (also known as action tags or single-pixel gifs), and other technologies to measure the effectiveness of their ads and to personalise advertising content. We do not have access to or control over cookies or other features that they may use, and the information practices of these advertisers and third-party websites are not covered by this Privacy Policy. Please contact them directly for more information about their privacy practices. In addition, the Network Advertising Initiative offers useful information about Internet advertising companies (also called “ad networks” or “network advertisers”), including information about how to opt-out of their information collection.
• We exclude all liability for loss that you may incur when using these third-party websites.

Further information:

• If you would like any more information or you have any comments about our Privacy Policy, please write to us at Data Protection Manager, Jon Matson-Higgins, Minister & Celebrant, 505 Broadgate Road, Weston Hills, PE12 6DB.
• We may amend this Privacy Policy from time to time without notice to you, in which case, we will publish the amended version on the Website. You confirm that we shall not be liable to you or any third party for any change to this Privacy Policy from time to time. It is your responsibility to check regularly to determine whether this Privacy Policy has changed.
• You can ask us for a copy of this Privacy Policy and of any amended Privacy Policy by writing to the above address This Privacy Policy applies to Personal Data we hold about individuals. It does not apply to information we hold about companies and other organisations.
• We aim to keep the Personal Data we hold about you accurate and up to date. If you tell us that we are holding any inaccurate Personal Data about you, we will delete it or correct it promptly. Please write to us at the address above to update your Personal Data.
• You have the right to request a copy of some or all the information that we hold about you at any time.
• You can check, amend or ask us to remove information that we hold about you by writing to us at the address shown above.

Contact us:

It is our wish to be as open and honest in our dealings with our clients and website visitors as possible and we have provided the above to display our genuine desire to display complete transparency. If there’s anything you’re at all confused about in regards to these terms of use, please do contact us. We will try our best to answer any of your questions or concerns.