Legal

Terms of Service

Last updated: 25 August 2026

1. Who I am

These terms apply to consultancy and engineering services provided by Philip Stinson, an independent consultant trading as a sole trader in England ("I", "me"), based in the United Kingdom. Contact: via the enquiry form on the home page. My full business address is provided on all quotes and invoices and is available on request.

2. Services

I provide professional consultancy and engineering services, including software and web development, aviation operations software, industrial and building automation (PLC), product design and manufacturing engineering, embedded systems development, and operations and fractional-leadership consultancy. Services are primarily business-to-business and are described in more detail on the home page.

3. Engagements and statements of work

Each engagement is defined by a written proposal, quote or statement of work ("SOW") agreed before work starts. The SOW describes the deliverables, timescales, fees and any terms specific to that engagement. If a SOW conflicts with these terms, the SOW takes precedence for that engagement.

4. Fees, invoicing and payment

• Work is charged as a fixed price, a day rate, or a monthly retainer, as agreed in the SOW.
• All prices are quoted in pounds sterling (GBP) unless the SOW states another currency (typically USD for US clients). Quotes state whether VAT applies.
• Invoices are payable within the period stated on the invoice (14 days from the invoice date unless otherwise agreed).
• Payment is accepted by bank transfer or by card. Card payments — including via the online invoice-payment page — are completed on the secure hosted checkout of a regulated payment provider (Revolut); I never see or store your full card details.
• I may suspend work on overdue accounts after giving notice.

5. Cancellation policy

• Either party may cancel an engagement by giving written notice as set out in the SOW. Where the SOW does not state a notice period, 14 days' written notice applies.
• On cancellation, I will invoice only for work performed and expenses committed up to the end of the notice period.
• Individual scheduled sessions or site visits may be rescheduled without charge with at least 2 working days' notice.
• Where a client contracts as a consumer, nothing in these terms affects their statutory rights, including any applicable 14-day cancellation rights under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

6. Refund policy

• Any fees paid in advance for work not yet performed at the point of cancellation are refunded in full, to the original payment method, within 14 days of cancellation taking effect.
• If I am unable to deliver agreed work, you will not be charged for the undelivered portion, and any advance payment for it will be refunded.
• If you believe an invoice or charge is incorrect, contact me via the enquiry form (or by replying to the invoice email) within 30 days and I will investigate and correct any error, including refunding overcharged amounts.

7. Delivery

Services are performed remotely from the UK, or on site by agreement, on the schedule set out in the SOW. Deliverables (reports, designs, source code, documentation) are supplied electronically unless the SOW states otherwise. Progress is reported against the agreed deliverables.

8. Intellectual property

Unless the SOW states otherwise, deliverables created specifically for you under an engagement are assigned to you on payment in full, while my pre-existing tools, libraries, know-how and products (including my aviation operations platform) remain mine, with a licence granted to you to the extent needed to use the deliverables.

9. Confidentiality

Each party will keep the other's confidential information confidential and use it only for the engagement. This survives the end of the engagement.

10. Liability

Nothing in these terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or for anything else that cannot lawfully be limited. Subject to that, my total liability under an engagement is limited to the fees paid for that engagement, and neither party is liable for indirect or consequential loss. Services are provided with reasonable skill and care.

11. Disputes

If you have a complaint or dispute, contact me via the enquiry form (or reply to any email in our correspondence); I aim to acknowledge within 2 working days and resolve matters directly and promptly. These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction, except that consumers resident elsewhere keep any mandatory protections of their local law.

12. Changes to these terms

I may update these terms from time to time; the version published on this page at the time your SOW is agreed is the one that applies to that engagement.