Terms & Conditions

Definitions

In these terms and conditions of hire, the following meanings shall apply:

“we, us, our” refers to The Prop Factory Ltd, Company 08494316.
“you, your” refers to the named person on the booking.
“your hire" means all arrangements and items sourced and organised for you by us.

We reserve the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time and you should therefore check them each time you hire items from us. The terms and conditions applying to your hire will be those in place on the date that you make your reservation.

01. Property Ownership & Responsibility

01.1 All equipment and hire items are the property of us and remain so at all times throughout your hire.

01.2 By accepting these terms and conditions, you agree that you are solely responsible for the hire items at all times throughout your hire, from acceptance or pick up of the items until you return the items or they are accepted back by us.

02. Payment Terms

02.1 A non-refundable deposit of 20% is due upon booking. Your items are not reserved for you until the deposit has been accepted by us. You will receive a receipt as confirmation of your deposit payment upon acceptance. The remaining 80% balance is due 21 days before the date of hire, unless alternate payment options have been agreed in writing upon booking. All quoted prices are subject to a standard rate of VAT at 20%.

2.2 Payment of your deposit is deemed an instruction of your booking. An alternative to payment of the deposit is a signed Purchase Order. Items may be added, subject to availability and our own discretion. Items can also be swapped, up until 14 days before your event start date, but the value must not go below the agreed total hire value. If you wish to remove items but do not wish to take other items in exchange, no refunds or part refunds will be applicable. You will be billed for any additional hire value.

2.3 Our quotes are valid for 7 days. Price changes will not affect quotations within the 7 day period. However, after 7 days, if the deposit payment has not been made, prices will be amended to match our current inventory price.

03. Standard Hire Period

03.1 Unless specifically arranged at the time of booking, all standard hires are based on a total of three days:

Day one: delivery/pick up.
Day two: event.
Day three: collection/drop off.

Please note that our standard delivery and collection hours are between 09:00 and 17:00 Monday to Friday. Weekend events include an extra day’s hire, as delivery will take place on Friday and collection will take place on Monday. No further costs will be incurred in this instance. Please see section 7.7 in relation to surcharges for requested delivery/collection outside of these standard times.

04. Extended Hire

04.1 Extended hire will be charged at 10% of the hire value for each additional day past the above three days and can be arranged upon booking.

05. Failure to Pay for or Return Items

05.1 If any items are not returned in the agreed time and we have not made an arrangement with you, you will be charged 50% of the three day hire value for each additional day the items are away from us. If items are not returned in the agreed time and this impacts another booking, you will be liable for the full value of the second booking, including VAT & any delivery charges applicable. If items fail to be returned after an extended period of time (deemed so at our discretion), you will be liable for the full replacement value and we will exercise our right to pursue you legally for this cost.

05.2 If an agreement has been made to accept late payment, but a final payment deadline has passed, or if failure to pay a damage invoice has taken place, we will pass the debt on to a third party debt collection agency who add their own fees. We will then no longer hold responsibility for the collection of the debt or the fees that may be applied and you will need to liaise with the agency and pay them directly to settle the debt.

06. Hire Item Condition

06.1 On signing the delivery/pick up statement, you are agreeing that the items are in good condition and are as advertised. No complaint on the condition or quality of the items will be valid at a later stage if concerns have not been raised, or if inspection has not occurred before signing this statement. You may not request a reduction/refund on payment based on quality or condition of our items if this statement has been signed.

06.2 Breakages, missing parts & damages to items will be charged according to the full replacement value.

06.3 If an item you have booked is damaged or lost prior to your hire taking place you will be informed and every effort will be made to replace the item like for like. If this is not possible or if this is unsatisfactory, you will be entitled to a refund for that item only. No further compensation will be due.

06.4 Unless agreed by us in advance, all props are for indoor use only; any items used outside are done so entirely at the hirer’s risk.

06.5 Electrical items should be tested for functionality by the hirer prior to event usage.

07. Delivery & Collection

Please note that our standard delivery and collection hours are between 09:00 and 17:00 Monday to Friday and typically take place the day before and the day after your event. Weekend events include an extra day’s hire, as delivery will take place on Friday and collection will take place on Monday. Other arrangements can be made subject to a surcharge mentioned in point 07.7.

07.1 If delivery and collection has been selected, hired items must be available for collection at the delivery address, unless otherwise agreed. Items must be collated and must not be left in an unsecured or unattended location. Our drivers are often subcontracted and not employed directly by The Prop Factory. Therefore, our drivers should not be asked or expected to transfer items across venues, up and down stairs, etc. They will unload the items within 10 metres of the delivery vehicle, but manoeuvring props beyond this is your responsibility. Please ensure someone is available to help with unloading the vehicle and manoeuvring the props. Please don't ask our drivers to manoeuvre items, as they may feel awkward having to refuse. We refuse due to business health & safety, our insurance and the timing allocated for deliveries - not because we're being unhelpful :) Any extra expenses incurred where subsequent journeys and/or extra vehicles are made necessary, will be charged accordingly. Additional time spent beyond what is reasonable to collect items will also be charged accordingly. The items are your responsibility until they have been signed over to us. If no-one is present to sign over the items when they are collected, our decision is final as to the condition and availability of the items.

07.2 It is your responsibility to ensure all the items you have hired are returned to us by making sure all items are loaded by our driver. If items are left behind, it is your responsibility to return them to us as soon as possible, incurring any costs associated; including extended hire costs, if applicable.

07.3 It is your responsibility to ensure there is legal parking available to carry out the delivery and collection. We will not be held responsible for any costs incurred out of the necessity to park or if we are unable to deliver the items due to a lack of legal parking.

07.4 On return or collection of the items, we will not accept any goods other than those hired by you and specified on the order. We will notify you of any goods collected in error, which do not belong to us. Should they not be collected or a return arranged within 14 days, we reserve the right to dispose of them. Should you wish to have these items returned to you then it will be at your expense. It is your responsibility to organise and collate the items for collection or return.

07.5 Any person signing a delivery/collection note on behalf of the hirer is deemed to be authorised to do so. Please make us aware if you will not be there to sign for your hire.

07.6 If you selected customer pick up, we are assuming you have measured available space in your vehicle and taken into account the need for securing the items, alongside bringing protective material to avoid any damage in transportation. We will not supply this and if appropriate preparations have not been made and/or we feel the risk of damage to our props is too high to release them, we reserve the right to refuse you to transport the items in this way, with no recompense due to you.

07.7 A £50 surcharge is applicable for each and every delivery/collection request which falls outside of our normal working hours, or requires us to amend our logistical arrangements to our detriment. Working Hours exclude Bank Holidays. For example, for a Saturday event, we would typically deliver on the Friday and collect on the Monday. If requests to amend this or to fit to a specific schedule do not fit our own schedule, then a £50 surcharge is applicable to each and every trip made outside of our normal delivery & collection hours. More information on this can be obtained on request. Deliveries or collections which fall outside of reasonable daytime working hours will be subject to additional charges and should be discussed before any bookings are made. Please note that we cannot always guarantee out of hours delivery, even if a surcharge is paid; please contact us to confirm.

07.8 A guide time for delivery and collection can be sometimes given upon booking, if requested. However, please note that this is subject to change in order to fit in other bookings. We will contact you around 7 days before your event date to confirm times and days. Please note that if you have specifications on delivery or collection that are not compatible with these times or days, the aforementioned surcharge will be applicable.

08. Customer & Pick-up / Drop-off

08.1 If you have chosen to drop back the items yourself, you must ensure the items are dropped off ONLY to Unit 2, 8 Marsh Green Road North, Exeter, EX2 8NY. They must be accepted back into our possession by a member of our staff. You must not leave the items unattended outside our unit, or with neighbouring units unless we have agreed this in writing.

08.2 Customer Pick-ups and Drop-offs cannot be made on Bank Holidays or during the Christmas break. Please check Google and Facebook for up to date opening times relating to Christmas.

09. Cancellation Fees

09.1 See Terms & Conditions Standard Hire Period for hire period definition.
Please note that the 20% deposit is non-refundable in all scenarios:

More than 21 days before day one of your hire: 80% of full hire value refunded.
Between 21 and 14 days before day one of your hire: 50% of full hire value refunded.
Between 13 and 7 days before day one of your hire: 25% of full hire value refunded.
Less than 7 days before day one of your hire: No refund available.

09.2 By paying the 20% down payment you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions of hire. Once the 20% deposit has been paid items can be added to your order but not removed.

10. Payment Terms

10.1 A non-refundable deposit of 20% is due upon booking. Your items are not reserved for you until the deposit has been accepted by us. You will receive a receipt as confirmation of your deposit payment upon acceptance. The remaining 80% balance is due 21 days before the date of hire, unless alternate payment options have been agreed in writing upon booking. All quoted prices are subject to a standard rate of VAT at 20%.

10.2 Payment of your deposit is deemed an instruction of your booking. An alternative to payment of the deposit is a signed Purchase Order. Items may be added, subject to availability and our own discretion. Items can also be swapped, up until 14 days before your event start date, but the value must not go below the agreed total hire value. If you wish to remove items but do not wish to take other items in exchange, no refunds or part refunds will be applicable. You will be billed for any additional hire value.

10.3 Our quotes are valid for 7 days. Price changes will not affect quotations within the 7 day period. However, after 7 days, if the deposit payment has not been made, prices will be amended to match our current inventory price.

10.4 (Venue Hire) A non-refundable deposit of 20% is due upon booking. Your booking is not reserved for you until the deposit has been accepted by us. You will receive a receipt as confirmation of your deposit upon funds clearing to our account. The remaining 80% balance is due 21 days before the date of your booking, unless alternate payment options have been agreed in writing. All quoted prices are subject to a standard rate of VAT at 20%.

10.5 (Venue Hire) 10.5 Payment of your deposit is deemed an instruction of booking your event.

11. Risk Assessments & Safety

11.1 We carry out risk assessments for all our items to ensure items are handled and used correctly. Electrical items are PAT tested. All items are checked before and after hire and undergo regular maintenance. Due to the nature and age of some of the hire items they may not meet current EC regulations. We do everything we can to ensure the safety and safe handling of the items. 

11.2 We are not responsible for any injury or damage to animals, property, persons or objects arising from the use of any equipment under hire. We shall not be liable for any direct, indirect or consequential loss, damage or additional costs that may arise as a result of the use of our hire items.

12. Extreme Circumstances / Force Majeure / Cancellation by Us

12.1 In the event of extreme weather or road conditions which result in us being unable to safely deliver or collect the hire goods, we reserve the right to alter the arrangements for delivery or collection and shall not be liable to for any losses or costs to you that may arise as a result.

12.2 We reserve the right to cancel in extreme circumstances that make your hire unviable for us, up to and including the day of your hire. We are the ruling party on deciding if the hire is unviable and we will not be liable for any compensation or additional costs you may incur as a result of our cancellation, however a full refund will be issued.

13. Item Setup

13.1 You are hiring the items from us; we do not run a styling service and therefore are not obliged to set the items up. Please ensure you have someone on hand who is prepared to set up the items; our delivery drivers are drivers only. Some items require two or more people to assemble or setup. We will let you know upon booking which items these are.

14. Competitions & Promotions

14.1 Only one entry is accepted per person per prize draw/competition.

14.2 In the case of discount codes, only one code can be used per order.

14.3 The closing date is stated on each individual prize draw or competition.

14.4 All prizes are subject to availability, and The Prop Factory reserves the right to replace the prize with an alternative product or colour of equal or higher value if necessary at the Company's discretion.

14.5 Winner(s) will be selected at random after the closing date by an independent judge from all entries received. The judge's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

14.6 If we cannot: (i) contact the winner (via the details provided at the date of entry) within a reasonable period of time (to be established at the Company's sole discretion); or (ii) the winner does not claim the prize within 14 days of notification that they have won the Prize, we reserve the right to re-draw a winner of the Promotion and thereafter until a winner on these terms is found.

14.7 Winner(s) will be notified by email or telephone (using the details provided at entry) within 6 weeks of the closing date. Following such notification, the winner will be required to send the Company full details of the postal address to which the Prize will be delivered (if applicable).

14.8 Any props within our 'Christmas' Theme may not be hired with the benefit of a voucher between 1st November to 31st December Inclusive.

15. Hire Refusal

15.1 We have the right to refuse a booking to you if we feel the items are not suited to the purpose of your hire, or if you, your company or your event contradicts our company ethos.

16. Copyright

16.1 All images, photography and wording on our website, Facebook page and other social media are copyrighted to us unless expressly confirmed otherwise. our company name and logo are trademarked and may not be used by anyone other than us. Images may not be copied, printed or otherwise disseminated.

17. Liability

17.1 If full monies due are not paid by the date of the booking, we hold no responsibility to provide the hire and hold no liability in this circumstance.

18. Colours of Items

18.1 All efforts have been made to represent our items accurately in our photographs, however sometimes there may be slight discrepancies with colour due to different monitors showing different saturation and photographs being taken in different lighting and we cannot be held accountable for this. Every care is taken to provide the items as you expect them.

19. Disclosure

19.1 Any typographical, clerical or other error or omission in any sales literature, quotation, price list, acceptance of offer, invoice or other document or information issued by us shall be subject to correction without any liability on the part of us.