Approved Service Provider Contract

What is the Purpose of this Contract?

Tradestamp is committed to providing customers using this or any affiliated websites with the best service possible. To achieve this aim we will only permit those service providers who can demonstrate similar values to register their business so that we can deliver our goal of “Taking the Gamble out of Hiring Services”.

This contract sets out our expectations of service providers using the Tradestamp website and affiliated websites. By agreeing to our Service Provider Terms and Conditions you are also agreeing to comply with the requirements set out this contract.

Applying for “Approved Status”

All Service Providers that register their business on our websites are required to apply for “Approved Status”. This involves supplying us with the details of two existing or previous customers (“Referees”) who we can contact to obtain feedback on the quality of the services that you are intending to promote to customers of Tradestamp and of our affiliated websites.

Feedback obtained from your referees will be posted into the service history section of your personal profile, which can be viewed by prospective customers posting requirements on Tradestamp and our affiliated sites.  Feedback posted on the site is completely anonymous and the identity of the referees will not be disclosed anywhere on the site or divulged to any third party. As soon as feedback has been obtained, personal details about your referees will be immediately removed from our database.

We ask that you obtain permission from your referees as we will contact them directly either via email or by telephone. We WILL NOT accept feedback from family members, friends or parties associated with or directly involved in your business.

By applying for Approved Status, you are also signing up to the Tradestamp Customer Charter. Applying for Approved status is very straight forward:

1. Once you have completed the initial registration form, you will automatically be invited to apply for Approved Status. You will be required to complete a short form, where you will be asked to supply us with details of two referees who have given their permission for us to contact them
2. Once you have completed and submitted the form, we will review it and we may contact you if we have any further questions
3. We will start contacting your referees.
4. Once we have obtained feedback from your referees, we will let you know whether you have passed our screening procedures and confirm our acceptance of the registration of your business on Tradestamp
5. Once we have granted you “Approved Status” you will be able to respond directly to customers who have posted requirements on our site that match with your profile. We will also send you a copy of the Tradestamp Customer Charter, to which you have signed up to by completing an application for Approved Status, which you are free to print off and use for advertising purposes for the duration of this contract.
6. If you have not applied for Approved Status within 30 days of registering your business on the Tradestamp website, we reserve the right to suspend your registration and remove your details from the website without prior notice.

The Benefits of Being a Tradestamp Approved Service Provider

• You will be able to access the full contact details of relevant customers who post requirements on the site. You can respond to them directly to pitch for their business.
• You are able to promote your business to prospective customers using our sites in your business profile section – including a link to your own web site. Customers are able to view your profile when they have posted a relevant requirement on Tradestamp or one of our affiliated websites. Feedback obtained from your referees as well as other customers who have engaged you through our site is also contained in the service history section of your profile – which again can increase your chances of winning the new business as this area is accessed by prospective customers, as our customers tend to select service providers on the basis of skills and integrity, rather than simply on price
• You have the option of receiving FREE SMS text messages each time you are alerted to a new requirement. This enables you to respond quickly to new prospective customers even if you are not at home or in the office
• You will be able to promote yourself as being a Tradestamp Approved Service Provider and benefit from the positive publicity that this can bring.

What does it cost?

• There is no charge to register your business and apply for Approved Status.
• There are no annual administration or any other fixed fees to pay
• You will not be charged for receiving new customer leads or for accessing customer contact details
• We operate on a “No Win No Fee” basis. If a customer who is introduced to you via a service requirement posted on Tradestamp.com or one of our other affiliated websites agrees to employ your services, you will be charged a “Success” fee amounting to a proportion of the value of business won.
• We apply three different charging streams, each based on the concept of a Success Fee. When you have been granted “Approved Status” you will be invited to choose one of the charging streams below that best suits your business and personal preferences

A success fee equating to 1% of the value of the business* won will be applied providing you introduce coding, supplied by Tradestamp, into your company’s website so that an outbound link from your company website to tradestamp.com and an additional affiliated website of our choosing is activated.

Stream 2

A success fee equating to 1.5% of the value of the business won* will be applied if your business does have a link from your company website to tradestamp.com but does not agree or is unable to provide links from your company website to an additional affiliated website, of our choosing.

Stream 3

A success fee equating to 2% of the value of the business won* will be applied if your business does not agree or is unable to provide links from your company website to tradestamp.com and an additional affiliated website, of our choosing.

*For some service providers, the value of business won will be based upon the average cost of providing that service. For example, for Driving schools, we will apply the average number of driving lessons taken by the average pupil (as per the DSA’s own statistics) and the average cost of a driving lesson nationwide.

* Where the total cost of a service being provided can not be ascertained at the point at which the service provider is engaged by a customer using Tradestamp, for example, when instructing a solicitor, we will base the success fee on the final bill charged to the customer on completion of the service.

• By registering your business, you agree to the pay the fees owed to us that apply to the charging stream that you have selected. You agree to make payments by using one of our preferred payment methods. You will be notified of our preferred payment methods and Billing arrangements once you have been granted “Approved status”
• You agree to notify us immediately of any business won through Tradestamp or any of our affiliated websites by logging into your Tradestamp profile and selecting the “My Quote Has Been Accepted” tab.
• In addition, you agree to review a monthly statement that will be sent to you at the end of each month detailing all of the customer enquiries, to which you have been alerted. On receipt of the report, you agree to confirm whether you have been engaged by any of the customers listed, where you have not already done so, either by sending an email to support@tradestamp.com or by logging in to your Tradestamp account. We encourage you to retain these reports for your records.
• We reserve the right to amend these charges and fees at any time. You will be notified in writing of any material changes to our charging policy. You are entitled to de-register your business at any time without charge, if we are notified in writing, not withstanding any outstanding monies that may be owed to us at the time this notification is received.

Dealings with Customers

• Your status as a Tradestamp Approved Service Provider is conditional at all times on your commitment to and compliance with the Tradestamp Customer Charter.
• We work to facilitate communication between customers and service providers. We do not act as anyone's agent and your contract will always be solely between you and your customer. Any information about a customer appearing on the Tradestamp website is subject to confirmation by the customer.
• So far as permitted by law, we shall not be liable for any loss or damage of any kind which you may incur as the result of the presence of any customers on or through the Tradestamp website or affiliated websites. 

Customer Feedback

• You appreciate, accept and agree that customers using Tradestamp and any of our affiliated websites can see the ratings given to you by your customers, including customers engaged through Tradestamp and our affiliated websites. We have developed a unique "traffic light" rating system to enable customers to effectively compare one service provider against another.
• We stress to customers that positive feedback is just as important as negative feedback and we ask that they give every Tradestamp Approved Service Provider fair and reasonable feedback.
• We do not check customer feedback for accuracy or censor any comments and cannot be held responsible for what your customers say about you. You agree that we may publish any feedback posted by a customer about you without any liability towards you whatsoever.
• However, if you believe that the accuracy or fairness of any feedback is in question, please let us know. We will consider your comments and may remove the feedback in question from the Tradestamp website at our sole discretion, if we feel that this is warranted in the circumstances.  

Use of the Tradestamp and Affiliated Website Names and Logos

• Once you have been granted Tradestamp Approved Service Provider status and subject to your full compliance with this contract and the Service Provider terms and conditions, we shall permit you to use the Tradestamp logo and any other affiliated website logos at the bottom of your letterhead, quotations, invoices and business cards. You may also describe yourself in the course of your business as being a "Tradestamp-approved Service Provider" for the duration of this contract.
• The size of the Tradestamp and affiliated logos must not be any larger in any circumstances and must always appear smaller than your own name and logos. You agree to comply with any directions that we give you from time to time in relation to this. You may not adapt the Tradestamp and affiliated logos in any way other than its size without our prior written permission.
• You agree to cease all use of the Tradestamp and affiliated logos and to cease holding yourself out in any way as being a Tradestamp Approved Service Provider if this contract is terminated for any reason.
• Any goodwill which is generated in the Tradestamp and affiliated logos, our name or other trade marks by virtue of your use of them shall be owned solely by us. You agree to do all such things and to sign any documents required by us to confirm and perfect our ownership and rights in our trade marks and the goodwill attached to them.  

Complaints

• If we receive a complaint about you or your goods or services, we are under an obligation to our customers to take it seriously. We shall decide on the individual facts and in our sole discretion whether or not to investigate the complaint. In either case we shall not be obliged to inform you about it or pass any details to you.
• If we decide to investigate the complaint, we will require you to co-operate with us fully. If the complaint calls into question your compliance with the Tradestamp Customer Charter, or any other serious matter, we shall be entitled to immediately suspend your access to the Tradestamp website and any other affiliated websites without any liability towards you. You accept that this is necessary in order to protect the integrity and reputation of the Tradestamp website and affiliated websites and does not mean that we have accepted that the complaint is justified.
• If you wish to make representations to us in the case of any complaint, we will do our best to give these proper consideration 

Rejected Applications

If your application to become a Tradestamp Approved Service Provider is rejected, we will tell you what the problems were and you will be given three [3] months in which to make the necessary improvements or changes to your services. If you have not remedied the problems within that time, you will not be able to apply again for the next twelve {12} months.

Termination

Without prejudice to our other rights and remedies, we may by notice to you terminate your status as a Tradestamp Approved Service Provider with immediate effect following the occurrence of one or more of the following events:

• If you have committed any breach of any term of this contract and/or the service provider terms and conditions and / or the Tradestamp Customer Charter and (if the breach is capable of remedy) you have failed to remedy such breach within fourteen [14] days of receipt of written notice specifying the breach and requiring remedy; or
• If you are declared bankrupt, your business becomes insolvent or are otherwise unable to pay your debts as they fall due, or you otherwise cease trading.
• Termination shall not affect any accrued right or liability arising hereunder and shall be without prejudice to any other rights or remedies of either of us.