1. General
1.1 These General Terms and Conditions shall, to the exclusion of terms and conditions applied by third parties, govern all requests for quotations made by Landguard Engineering to a third party ("Supplier"), as well as all agreements and acts, whether of a preparatory or executional nature, which are related thereto, such as quotations, order confirmations, purchasing orders, orders and delivery dates, except to the extent that these General Terms and Conditions specify otherwise. These General Terms and Conditions shall not apply to the performance of work by employees from a temporary employment agency.
1.2 Deviating conditions shall only apply to the extent that Landguard Engineering expressly agrees to them in writing, and they shall apply exclusively to the agreement(s) for which they are made.
1.3 In these General Terms and Conditions, "goods" shall be understood to include products and materials, inclusive of software, firmware, databases, documentation and the results of services.
2. Requests for quotations
2.1 All requests for quotations and all information furnished in this context by or on behalf of Landguard Engineering may contain industrial secrets, shall be treated with confidentiality and may only be used to prepare for the submission of a quotation.
2.2 If a request for a quotation explicitly deviates from these General Terms and Conditions, said deviations shall prevail. The applicability of the Supplier's own general terms and conditions is hereby expressly ruled out.
2.3 The Supplier is aware that Landguard Engineering can also act as a supplier and/or sub-contractor and that, in such an event, each and every request for a quotation is drawn up to the best of Landguard Engineering’s knowledge on the basis of information from Landguard Engineering’s client and that Landguard
3. Agreement
3.3 An agreement shall be deemed to have been concluded as soon as Landguard Engineering accepts a written quotation by means of placing a written order. If, however, the order is sent after expiry of the period referred to in Article 3(1) or the order deviates significantly from the quotation, the agreement shall be deemed to have been concluded in accordance with the order, unless the Supplier rejects the order in writing within fourteen (14) days of the date of the order.
The following items shall form an integral part of the agreement:
1. the (purchase) order from Landguard Engineering;
2. these General Terms and Conditions
3. the quotation;
4. the request for a quotation;
In the event of any contradiction between the provisions contained in two different documents, the documents shall prevail in their numerical order, with 1 taking precedence over 2 etc.
3.4 If the Supplier has not made an offer or has made a verbal offer, the agreement shall be deemed to have been concluded by the Supplier accepting, in writing, a written order from Landguard Engineering within fourteen (14) days of the date of said order.
3.5 Agreements may only be amended and/or supplemented in writing.
4. Quality
4.1 The goods supplied must satisfy the provisions of the agreement. They shall not be deemed to have satisfied the provisions of the agreement, if they do not possess the properties which Landguard Engineering was entitled to expect pursuant to the agreement.
4.2 Where no detailed description has been provided of the requirements of the goods, they shall in any event be of good quality and satisfy, at the very least, the normal requirements of reliability, effectiveness and workmanship.
4.3 Landguard Engineering shall be entitled to reject goods because they do not satisfy the provisions of the agreement, provided that Landguard Engineering informs the Supplier accordingly within four (4) weeks of having discovered this to be the case. If Landguard Engineering subjects the goods to inspection, a notification of defects which Landguard Engineering could reasonably be expected to have detected during said inspection, must take place within four (4) weeks of the inspection having been completed.
4.4 The goods delivered must be free from all special third-party charges, limitations and rights, including limitations and rights which result from or are connected with intellectual property rights, with the exception of third-party charges, limitations and rights which the Supplier informed Landguard Engineering about in writing and which Landguard Engineering has expressly accepted in writing. The Supplier shall hold Landguard Engineering harmless against third-party claims in this respect, wherever and whenever such claims might be instigated, and also against any and all damage and costs which Landguard Engineering might incur in this connection.
5. Testing and inspection
5.1 Landguard Engineering shall be entitled to test and/or inspect the goods for, amongst other things, damage, quantity, quality and weight within 4 (four) weeks of their delivery.
5.2 The Supplier shall be obliged to render, free of charge, all reasonable cooperation required by Landguard Engineering within the context of the testing and inspection, including the granting of access to the Supplier's facilities and the provision of personnel expertise.
5.3 Should the goods become damaged or are used during testing, the Supplier shall have no claims against Landguard Engineering if the goods are partially or totally rejected, and Landguard Engineering shall have no claims against the Supplier if the goods are approved.
5.4 Should Landguard Engineering reject the goods or find them not to be in order during an inspection, the Supplier shall collect them at its own expense from Landguard Engineering within fourteen (14) days of Landguard Engineering having informed the Supplier in this respect. Should the Supplier fail to satisfy this obligation, Landguard Engineering shall be entitled to have the goods delivered to the Supplier at the Supplier's expense, without prejudice to any of Landguard Engineering’s other rights or claims.
6 Delivery and transfer of title
6.1 The Supplier shall deliver the goods within the agreed period to the agreed place.
6.2 Landguard Engineering shall acquire title to the goods: - as soon as the goods are approved or found to be in order, in cases where Landguard Engineering tests or inspects the goods after delivery in accordance with Article 5 - four (4) weeks after delivery in all other cases, unless Landguard Engineering informs the Supplier in writing within this period that the goods do not satisfy the provisions of the agreement.
7. Risk of loss
7.1 The risk of loss attaching to the goods shall pass to Landguard Engineering with effect from the moment of delivery.
7.2 In the event that Landguard Engineering rejects the goods, finds them not to be in order during inspection, or invokes its right to dissolve the agreement on reasonable grounds or its right to have the goods replaced, the risk of loss attaching to the goods shall be deemed to have remained with the Supplier throughout.
8. Prices, charges, invoices and payment
8.1 All prices and charges shall be deemed to include all direct and indirect costs of whatever kind. The prices and charges shall be exclusive of turnover tax. Delivery shall take place D.D.P. (Delivery Duty Paid) in accordance with the Incoterms 2010.
8.2 The prices and charges shall be fixed, unless the agreement specifies the circumstances which may lead to price adjustments, as well as the way in which such adjustments are to take place.
8.3 Once Landguard Engineering has acquired title to the goods, the Supplier shall send its invoices to the address specified by Landguard Engineering in its order, quoting, in any event, the agreement number and the purchase order number (without prejudice to the other legally required invoice details) and enclosing the agreed documentation.
8.4 Invoices which satisfy the conditions of Article 8(3) shall be paid within sixty (60) days of the date of their receipt, after any possible settlement or compensation of Landguard Engineering’s claims against the Supplier has taken place.
8.5 Landguard Engineering shall not be required to pay a proportional part of an invoice if it has not received the agreed quantity of goods at the agreed address.
8.6 Payment as described in Article 8(4) shall not prejudice any possible recovery rights or other claims on the part of Landguard Engineering with regard to the goods delivered and/or services rendered.
8.7 Invoices and payments shall take place in GBP currency, unless otherwise specified in a purchase order.
8.8 Should Landguard Engineering have failed to pay an invoice which satisfies the conditions of Article 8(3), without a valid reason, within the period specified in Article 8(4), Landguard Engineering shall be liable to pay interest on the amount owed to the Supplier, to be calculated on an annual basis and equivalent to the promissory note discount rate of the Bank of England.
8.9 The expiry of a payment period or non-payment of an invoice by Landguard Engineering, shall not entitle the Supplier to terminate its services or, in the event that the expiry or non-payment is a result of the defective nature of the invoiced goods or services and/or the inaccuracy (of the content) of the invoice (details), to postpone its services.
9. Force majeure
9.1 To the extent that a failure to comply with an obligation cannot be attributed to the Supplier itself and is not at the Supplier's risk, the Supplier shall not be deemed to be in default and shall not be liable to pay compensation, provided that the Supplier informs Landguard Engineering in writing about the default and the underlying reasons forthwith and, in any event, within the period agreed for compliance with the obligation.
10. Compliance
10.1 If the goods delivered fail to satisfy the provisions of the agreement, Landguard Engineering may demand that the Supplier deliver the missing goods, or repair or replace the goods, within a reasonable period to be specified by Landguard Engineering. Any and all costs related and/or involved shall be at the Supplier's expense.
10.2 In the event of the Supplier still failing to render the service in question within the period referred to in the first paragraph, Landguard Engineering shall be entitled to have the delivery, repair or replacement carried out by a third party, and recover the costs involved from the Supplier, without seeking prior court intervention.
10.3 The provisions of this paragraph 10 shall not prejudice Landguard Engineering’s other rights and claims with respect to the default.
11. Warranty
11.1 Without prejudice to the provisions contained in an agreement, the Suppliers warrants that:
- software, firmware and databases shall be free of viruses and other foreign items at the time of delivery, testing and/or inspection.
- the Supplier is unconditionally authorised to perform the services and deliver the goods encompassed in the context of the agreement.
- the goods are suited to the purpose for which Landguard Engineering ordered and received them.
- the employees and third parties whose services the Supplier uses in the performance of its contractual obligations have sufficient and relevant expertise, experience and training.
- all services rendered and goods delivered in the context of the agreement satisfy all the relevant laws and regulations in this respect, which shall also be understood to include EC regulations, in, amongst others, the field of hazardous components, certification and standardisation.
- the Supplier possesses the permits and licences required for the performance of this agreement.
11.2 If, in the opinion of Landguard Engineering, the warranty stipulations described in the first paragraph have not been satisfied, the Supplier shall be deemed to be in default and Landguard Engineering shall be entitled to exercise, forthwith and without seeking court intervention, the rights which it derives from said default.
11.3 In the event that Landguard Engineering invokes Article 11(1) or (2), the resulting costs shall be at the Supplier's expense.
11.4 Article 11(1) through (3) shall not prejudice, either during or after the warranty period, the rights or claims which Landguard Engineering can derive from an event of default.
12. Licences for software/firmware/databases
12.1 Landguard Engineering shall acquire a non-exclusive licence to use the software, firmware and databases (including new versions and releases) furnished by the Supplier under the terms of an agreement, for an indefinite period of time with effect from the time of delivery of said goods. Without prejudice to this licence, the right to use the goods may be transferred to one of the companies belonging to the Landguard Engineering group. The Supplier agrees that Landguard Engineering is and shall remain entitled to pledge this licence.
12.2 The licence shall, in any event, be understood to include loading, displaying on screen, copying, executing, transmitting and storing. In certain cases, the licence shall also be understood to include the right to issue sub-licences and all activities required in that context.
12.3 The provision of the second paragraph of this Article shall not prejudice the provisions of the Copyright Act 1988.
13. Transfer of intellectual and industrial property rights
13.1 Without prejudice to the provisions contained in Article 4(4), Landguard Engineering shall hold title to and may exercise all the intellectual and industrial property rights with regard to the results of services to be performed by the Supplier on the basis of an agreement. If any action is required in transferring title and/or any intellectual and/or industrial property rights, the Supplier shall render its unconditional cooperation in this respect at no charge. The Supplier hereby grants Landguard Engineering an irrevocable power of attorney to effect the transfer (including signing the necessary documents on behalf of the Supplier) and agrees that Landguard Engineering is unconditionally entitled to register and/or file the intellectual and industrial property rights in the appropriate registers or to have this done on its behalf.
13.2 The Supplier shall be obliged, either at Landguard Engineering’s first request or immediately after the dissolution and/or termination of this agreement, and for whatever reason, to accurately and fully complete and sign in duplicate the documents required to execute the provisions of the first paragraph, and to send these documents to Landguard Engineering immediately.
13.3 In the event that the Supplier fails to comply with the provision of the second paragraph in full, in part, or on time, the Supplier shall forfeit a penalty, payable without court intervention, of £10,000 per event and for each consecutive day of default, without prejudice to Landguard Engineering’s other rights in this respect. The burden of proof with regard to the Supplier having fully and correctly completed the deed of transfer on time, and having sent it to Landguard Engineering in a timely fashion, shall rest exclusively with the Supplier.
13.4 The Supplier hereby unconditionally and irrevocably waives its right to exercise any possible droit moral with regard to the results of the services and/or activities to be performed on the basis of an agreement.
13.5 The Supplier guarantees that:
- it is unconditionally entitled and authorised to transfer the aforementioned results to Landguard Engineering;
- the aforementioned results are not encumbered with any third-party claims whatsoever and/or that no such claims have been created.
14. Protection of intellectual property rights
14.1 The Supplier guarantees that the goods it supplies and the services it renders shall not infringe any current third-party intellectual and industrial property rights and that the use of said goods and services shall not otherwise constitute a wrongful act towards third parties.
14.2 The Supplier shall indemnify Landguard Engineering against claims from third parties in this respect, wherever and whenever such claims might be instigated.
14.3 In the event that the Supplier admits that the goods it supplies and/or the services it renders infringe on any current third-party intellectual and industrial property rights and/or constitute a wrongful act towards any third party, or in the event that Landguard Engineering is prohibited from this use pursuant to an arbitral award or court ruling, the Supplier shall, at the choice of Landguard Engineering, either:
a) acquire the right, on behalf of Landguard Engineering, to continue using the goods and/or services under the conditions of the agreement in question; or
b) replace the goods and/or services or change them in such a way that the infringement no longer exists; or, if the aforementioned options are not reasonably feasible,
c) take back the goods, crediting Landguard Engineering for the amounts it has already paid to the Supplier; all of this without prejudice to Landguard Engineering’s other rights, including its right to compensation.
14.4 The Supplier shall conduct out the defence in any legal proceedings which might be instigated against Landguard Engineering for infringement of any current third-part intellectual and industrial property rights and/or (otherwise) any wrongful act against a third party in connection with goods supplied and/or services rendered by the Supplier. The Supplier shall indemnify Landguard Engineering against all damage and costs incurred by Landguard Engineering as a result of such legal proceedings.
15. Dissolution
15.1 Landguard Engineering shall be entitled to dissolve any agreement and related purchase orders by means of a registered letter, without notification of default or court intervention, if the Supplier applies for or is granted a (temporary) moratorium, files for bankruptcy or is declared bankrupt, the Supplier's business enters into liquidation, the Supplier ceases its current operation, a considerable portion of the Supplier's assets are seized, Landguard Engineering considers the Supplier to be no longer capable of independently guaranteeing the continuity of the use by Landguard Engineering of the goods (to be) supplied under the agreement and/or the results of the services, or the Supplier can no longer be deemed capable of meeting its obligations under an agreement.
15.2 If Landguard Engineering dissolves an agreement on the basis of the provisions of the first paragraph, Landguard Engineering shall, at the moment of dissolution, acquire an unconditional and irrevocable right to use the information furnished by the Supplier for an indefinite period, irrespective of the nature of this information and the way and manner in which this was and/or will be acquired.
15.3 Landguard Engineering shall be entitled to terminate or cancel an agreement without cause by means of a registered letter, without notification of default or court intervention, at least thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled delivery date, without having any liability to Supplier. If delivery of any Goods is delayed more than three (3) days beyond the scheduled delivery date, Landguard Engineering may cancel the delivery by notice, and without liability, to Supplier. Landguard Engineering may reschedule the delivery of all or part of the Goods ordered by Landguard Engineering by notice to Supplier at least thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled delivery date. Except as expressly stated by Landguard Engineering in a purchase order, Landguard Engineering will not reschedule a purchase order scheduled for delivery date within thirty (30) days.
15.4 Termination and/or dissolution of an agreement and/or any related purchase order, for whatever reason, shall not prejudice the licences and other rights granted to Landguard Engineering.
16. Confidentiality
16.1 The Supplier shall treat as confidential the information which it receives, such as specifications, technical information, company information and other information of a confidential nature, and shall not disclose such information to any person(s) other than its own employees, nor use it for any purpose other than in the performance of an agreement. With the termination and/or dissolution of an agreement, the Supplier shall immediately send all the carriers of this information and all copies thereof to Landguard Engineering.
16.2 Without Landguard Engineering’s prior consent, the Supplier shall in no way disclose, advertise or publish (the existence of) provisions from, or transactions performed under this agreement.
16.3 The Supplier shall also ensure that these obligations are also imposed on its own employees and any independent third parties involved, in any way, in the performance of this agreement.
16.4 Any infringement of the provisions of the first and second paragraphs by an employee of the Supplier shall be deemed to be an infringement of this obligation by the Supplier.
16.5 In the event of any infringement of one of the obligations contained in the first, second and third paragraphs, the Supplier shall immediately pay a penalty of £10,000, without court intervention and without prior notification of default being required.
17. Specific provisions with regard to the applicability of conditions contained in agreements concluded between Landguard Engineering and its clients
17.1 The Supplier hereby undertakes that it shall comply with and duly observe all the terms and conditions of any agreement concluded or to be concluded between Landguard Engineering and Landguard Engineering’s clients, irrespective of the nature of such agreement, to the extent that these terms and conditions are relevant to that part of the aforementioned agreement which the Supplier is required to perform. All of this shall be done properly and, needless to say, in accordance with the conditions of the aforementioned agreement. Landguard Engineering shall always inform the Supplier of the terms and conditions referred to above. Consequently, the Supplier shall indemnify Landguard Engineering against any and all claims by Landguard Engineering’s clients and/or third parties in this respect, wherever and whenever these might be instigated on whatever grounds. Furthermore, the Supplier shall indemnify Landguard Engineering against the damage and costs involved in this respect. The part of the aforementioned agreement which the Supplier is required to perform, comply with and duly observe, shall, in any event, be understood to include that part which relates to the goods supplied by the Supplier as well as the services which the Supplier renders.
17.2 The Supplier hereby undertakes that it shall reimburse and pay all compensation, including costs and possible penalties, which Landguard Engineering may have to pay to its client as a result of the Supplier's non-compliance or inadequate compliance with the terms, conditions and provisions in question.
17.3 The provisions of this Article shall apply without prejudice to the other provisions of these General Terms and Conditions.
18. Governing law and settlement of disputes
18.1 These General Terms shall be governed by the laws of England, and the Customer agrees to submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts. However, all disputes shall first be discussed between the Supplier and Landguard Engineering in order to reach a solution in mutual consultation.
19. General
19.1 The Supplier shall inform Landguard Engineering immediately if problems arise with respect to the services or goods which pose a threat to the Supplier complying with its obligations in full and on time. The Supplier shall consult with Landguard Engineering in order to find a solution which will protect the interests of Landguard Engineering, without prejudice to any other rights conferred upon Landguard Engineering. Whenever appropriate, the Supplier shall, at Landguard Engineering’s request, provide substitute and functionally equivalent goods and render services on a temporary basis and at no cost for Landguard Engineering.
19.2 The Supplier shall, at its own expense and risk, take the necessary measures to obtain permits, if and to the extent that these are required in the context of the performance of this agreement.
19.3 Any failure on the part of one of the parties to enforce any of the provisions of this agreement within a period specified in these General Terms and Conditions shall not affect the right of said party to demand compliance at a later stage, unless the party in question has expressly accepted the event of non-compliance in writing. The provisions of the previous sentence shall not prejudice the parties' (other) rights and obligations in this respect.
19.4 The Supplier hereby agrees that it is willing to service the goods supplied, or to have these serviced, by concluding a separate service agreement.
19.5 To the extent that Landguard Engineering deems it necessary, the Supplier hereby agrees that it is willing, under reasonable conditions, to conclude an escrow contract for the goods.
19.6 The rights and obligations resulting from an agreement may be transferred by Landguard Engineering to a third party without further requirements. The Supplier's consent shall not be required in this respect.
19.7 Where applicable, each agreement shall be concluded subject to the dissolving condition that Landguard Engineering is unable to conclude a lawfully signed agreement with one or more clients which fully matches the scope of the agreement with the Supplier.
19.8 Except in cases where legal claims cannot be excluded, and subject to these General Terms and Conditions, Landguard Engineering shall have no obligations and the Supplier shall not be able to invoke any claim in this respect.
19.9 If any of the provisions of the General Terms and Conditions proves to be void or is repudiated, the other provisions shall remain in full force and this shall have no effect whatsoever on (the performance of) the other parts of an agreement. Furthermore, in such an event, the parties shall consult with one another as soon as possible in order to reach a solution suited to the nature of the agreement and which most closely matches the aim and meaning of the void or repudiated provision.
19.10 During the term of the agreement and for a period of one year after termination of the agreement, both parties shall refrain from employing the other party's employees who were involved in the performance of an agreement, or having these persons work for them, directly or indirectly, unless this has been the subject of proper consultations with the other party.
19.11 To the extent that Landguard Engineering requires certain personal details about the Supplier's employees in the context of normal procedures and/or applications in Landguard Engineering’s branch, the Supplier hereby agrees that it is willing to see to it that these employees shall give permission for this to take place, unless this could be considered unreasonable. To the extent that, in the context of the performance of an agreement, it is necessary to process the personal details of an employee of the Supplier involved in the performance, the Supplier shall see to it that the employee in question gives his/her permission for this processing to take place.
19.12 In the event that the Supplier fails to comply with any of the provisions of these General Terms and Conditions, the Supplier shall, irrespective of Landguard Engineering’s other rights, including the right to compensation, and without court intervention, forfeit a penalty of £5,000 (which may not be offset) for each event of non-compliance, to be increased by £1,000 for each day of non-compliance.
19.13 Landguard Engineering shall at all times be entitled to have the Supplier's compliance with its obligations under an agreement monitored by an independent expert at Landguard Engineering’s own expense. The Supplier shall be obliged to render all reasonable cooperation free of charge, irrespective of the nature of this cooperation, including the granting of access to the Supplier's facilities.
19.14 Termination or dissolution of this agreement shall not prejudice the provisions of these General Terms and Conditions with regard to intellectual property, warranty, confidentiality and the settlement of disputes.
For more information call 01255 552940 or email: info@landguardengineering.co.uk