Terms of Service

Effective from: 1 January 2025

Provider: Rod Fernandez Design

ABN: 93 374 494 660

These Terms of Service apply to all clients and projects unless otherwise agreed in writing. By proceeding with payment, accepting a proposal, or engaging our services, you confirm your acceptance of these terms when engaging Rod Fernandez Design.

1. Scope of Work

All services provided are limited to the scope outlined in your written proposal or email communication. Any work not explicitly stated as included - such as additional pages, CRM setup or access, logo design, re-designs, SEO campaigns, copywriting, custom integrations, or asset collation, will be quoted separately and require written approval before commencement.

We do not provide unlimited support or an open-ended retainer. Projects are delivered as defined.

2. Payment Terms

Project build: the deposit invoice must be paid before work commences. This secures your place in the development queue.
Larger projects may be offered in fortnightly milestone instalments. Delayed payments will result in project pause or cancellation.
Your monthly maintenance plan commences on the date your website is launched (made publicly accessible), regardless of your usage or communication activity.
Monthly plans are charged at a minimum of $249 + GST, billed monthly in advance.
Recurring billing requires a valid credit card on file. Direct deposit is not available for subscription services.
Payments not received within 7 days of the due date may result in hosting suspension or account deactivation until resolved.
To resume hosting after any suspension, all overdue payments must be settled, and a reinstatement fee of $125 + GST will apply. Service will not resume until both conditions are met.

3. Communication Policy

All communication must be sent via email to: [email protected].

Support, project requests, and billing queries will only be managed through email to ensure documentation and tracking, according to the support protocols in Section 5. We do not manage support through SMS, WhatsApp, social media messaging, or phone calls unless previously arranged.

4. Monthly Maintenance Plan

The monthly maintenance plan includes:

Hosting on our managed platform
SSL security certificate
Security patches and platform updates
Website health and speed monitoring
Light content updates (text or images) to existing pages only
Monthly performance report via email

Excluded from the maintenance plan:

New feature development
New page creation
Redesigns
CRM access or integrations
SEO or AEO campaign management
Copywriting, photography, or paid media
These services will be quoted and agreed separately.

5. Support Protocol

For outages, security breaches, or urgent technical issues:

Email with the word URGENT in the subject line to: [email protected].
Response within 1 business day for urgent issues
Standard support: response within 2 business days, delivery within 5 business days

Please reserve "URGENT" status for critical issues only, like sites going down or security issues.

6. Intellectual Property (IP)

All intellectual property created by Rod Fernandez Design - including website design, code, copy, schema data, images, logo concepts, page layouts, and structural architecture - remains the sole property of Rod Fernandez Design until full payment has been received.

Upon full and final payment:

A non-exclusive license is granted for the client to use the completed work for its intended purpose.
ntellectual property not explicitly paid for (such as unused logo concepts, bonus pages, SEO schema, or unpaid design components delivered out of scope) remains the property of Rod Fernandez Design and may not be used, exported, modified, or published without express written permission.

Any unauthorised use of unpaid design or technical assets may constitute a breach of IP rights under Australian law.

7. Asset Transfer

If you wish to move your website or hosting to another provider:

Your website is hosted on a proprietary platform. It is not automatically exportable, manual asset collation (copy, images, design structure, schema data) is required.
Asset transfer is charged at $130 + GST/hour, billed in 30-minute increments. A detailed quote can be provided upon request.

No assets will be transferred unless: Your account is in good standing with no outstanding invoices The transfer fee is paid in full. You provide the destination platform or developer details in writing.

8. Termination and Suspension

Rod Fernandez Design reserves the right to:

Pause or suspend service delivery and hosting if payment terms are not met
Terminate client relationships in cases of abuse, harassment, or repeated scope/communication violations
Withhold intellectual property and platform access until all payments are settled

If you choose to terminate the relationship, all outstanding fees (including final maintenance or hosting charges, and any agreed export fees) must be paid before account closure.

9. Site Data Retention and Deletion

We aim to resolve any disputes professionally and in good faith. If you believe a term has been breached or there is a genuine disagreement:

Please raise your concern in writing within 7 business days
We will review and respond within 5 business days
If the issue cannot be resolved amicably, both parties agree to pursue resolution through NSW small business mediation channels before legal action

11. Legal Jurisdiction

These terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia. By engaging our services, you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in NSW for any disputes arising under these terms.