Terms and conditions of trade

Nothing in these Terms limits or removes any rights or remedies you have under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, Fair Trading Act 1986 or any other law that cannot legally be excluded or limited.

For services purchased for personal, domestic or household use, this includes the right to expect services to be carried out with reasonable care and skill and to receive any remedies available under the Consumer Guarantees Act where those guarantees are not met.

Any guarantee or re-clean policy offered by Carpet Master is in addition to your legal rights, not a replacement for them.

Where services are supplied to another business for business purposes, the Consumer Guarantees Act may be contracted out of only where permitted by law and where this is expressly agreed in writing and is fair and reasonable.

All prices are in New Zealand dollars.

For residential customers, we will make the total price payable, including GST, clear before carrying out the agreed work. Commercial prices or quotes may be shown excluding GST where this is clearly stated.

Quotes are generally valid for 20 working days unless another period is stated on the quote.

Quotes may be based on information and photographs supplied by you before we visit. While photographs are often enough for us to provide an accurate price, some conditions cannot be properly assessed until we inspect the carpet, upholstery or other material in person.

If the condition, size, level of soiling or work required is substantially different from what we were told or shown, we will explain this before carrying out additional chargeable work and, where practicable, agree the additional cost with you first.

Our standard pricing assumes normal residential or commercial cleaning conditions. Additional charges may apply for work such as:

• extensive pet hair or contamination

• heavy soiling

• specialist stain treatment

• significant urine or odour contamination

• flood or water damage

• unusual access requirements

• additional areas that were not included in the original quote

• other specialist work outside the original scope.

Any applicable minimum visit or call-out charge will be made clear before your booking is confirmed.

Work requested outside our normal hours, including Sundays and public holidays, may incur an additional charge. Any such charge will be advised before the work is carried out.

Where there is a conflict between these general Terms and a written quote specifically agreed for your job, the specific terms of the written quote will apply to that job.

We may require a deposit to confirm a booking.

If you need to cancel or reschedule, please give us at least one business day's notice wherever possible.

Where a booking is cancelled or rescheduled with less than one business day's notice, or we arrive and cannot access the property, we may retain an applicable deposit or charge a cancellation or call-out fee of up to 10% of the agreed service price to reasonably cover the time reserved and costs incurred.

We may also charge a reasonable call-out or cancellation fee where we arrive and essential services that were expected to be available, such as water or electricity, are unavailable and we cannot carry out the work.

We will not charge a cancellation fee where Carpet Master cancels the booking.

We will agree an appointment time or arrival window with you when your booking is confirmed.

Because cleaning times vary between properties and unforeseen delays can occur, an arrival time is generally an estimate unless we have specifically agreed that a particular time is essential.

If we are running significantly late, we will make reasonable efforts to let you know.

If we need to reschedule because of illness, equipment failure, severe weather, traffic disruption or another unforeseen event, we will contact you as soon as reasonably possible to arrange another time.

You are responsible for arranging reasonable access to the property at the agreed time.

If you will not be present, we can arrange access with you beforehand, including through a key, lockbox or access code.

We will take reasonable care of any keys, alarm information or access details supplied to us and use them only as required to carry out the service.

Please make sure we know about any special access requirements before the appointment, particularly for apartments, gated properties or commercial sites.

This includes, where relevant:

• lift or stair access

• building access times

• loading zones

• security requirements

• concierge or building-manager access

• parking restrictions.

Where reasonably possible, suitable parking should be available close to the property.

If paid parking is required to carry out your service, the reasonable parking cost may be added to your invoice. We will let you know where practicable.

Many of our cleaning services require access to suitable electricity and water. Please let us know before the appointment if either will not be available.

You do not have to thoroughly vacuum your carpet before we arrive, although a light vacuum can be helpful.

Please remove loose items, toys and other belongings from areas being cleaned so we can spend our time concentrating on the clean itself.

Please also remove or secure:

• fragile or valuable items

• unstable decorations

• loose objects that may fall

• electronics or items that could be damaged by moisture

• items sitting directly on carpet that you do not want moved.

We may move small and light furniture where it is safe and practical to do so.

We generally do not move heavy or bulky furniture such as beds, large lounge suites, bookcases, tallboys or furniture weighing more than approximately 15 kg. We will normally clean around these items unless another arrangement has been agreed beforehand.

Please tell us about any known damage, loose carpet, damaged seams, unstable furniture or other problems that may not be immediately obvious.

You are welcome to remain at the property while we work.

However, professional cleaning equipment can be noisy and our hoses, electrical equipment and cleaning products can create temporary hazards.

Children and pets should be kept safely away from the immediate work area.

Please secure pets where they cannot interfere with the equipment or become distressed by unfamiliar people or noise.

We may refuse to begin work, stop work or change the way we carry out a service if we reasonably believe conditions at the property create an unacceptable health or safety risk.

Examples may include:

• aggressive animals

• exposed electrical hazards

• unsafe flooring or structures

• hazardous chemicals

• needles or sharp objects

• significant biological contamination

• unsafe access

• other conditions that could reasonably put someone at risk.

Where we cannot proceed because of a condition at the property that was not disclosed beforehand, a reasonable charge may apply for travel, time already spent or work already completed.

We will explain the reason wherever reasonably possible.

We will carry out our services with reasonable care and skill.

However, professional cleaning does not mean that every carpet, piece of upholstery or other item can be returned to an “as new” condition.

Results can be affected by things such as:

• the age and condition of the material

• fibre type and construction

• wear and permanent traffic damage

• previous cleaning or chemical treatments

• sun fading or colour loss

• the type and age of staining

• damage to the backing or underlay

• pet contamination

• deterioration of fibres

• previous water damage.

Where we identify a significant limitation before starting, we will explain it to you wherever reasonably possible.

Standard stain treatment is included with our standard carpet cleaning where appropriate.

Different stains require different treatments, and treatment must also be suitable for the carpet or fabric being cleaned.

We cannot guarantee that every stain can be completely removed.

Some stains may permanently alter the colour or structure of carpet fibres, particularly where the area has been affected by substances such as bleach, strong household chemicals, permanent dyes, prolonged pet contamination or other substances capable of changing the carpet itself.

If a mark remains because the original carpet colour has been permanently removed or altered, there may no longer be a removable “stain”. Specialist colour repair, carpet repair or replacement may be required instead.

Where possible, we will assess areas of concern and advise you about the likely outcome before carrying out more aggressive or specialist treatment.

If you choose not to proceed after we explain a particular risk or limitation, you will only be charged for work already carried out and any applicable agreed call-out cost.

You will not be entitled to a refund solely because a stain remains after appropriate professional treatment, where the service itself has been carried out with reasonable care and skill.

This does not affect any rights or remedies you may have under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993.

Please tell us if you know that a stain, carpet, rug or piece of upholstery has previously been treated with household stain remover, bleach, peroxide, solvents, carpet shampoo or another chemical.

Previous treatment can affect the way carpet fibres and dyes respond to professional cleaning.

Some pre-existing deterioration, chemical damage or structural damage may not be visible before cleaning begins and may become more noticeable once dirt, residue or previous treatments are removed.

Carpet Master is not responsible for deterioration that is caused by a pre-existing condition and could not reasonably have been identified beforehand, provided we have carried out the service with reasonable care and skill.

Nothing in this clause excludes liability where Carpet Master has caused damage through a failure to exercise reasonable care and skill.

Pet urine can travel beyond the visible surface of carpet and into the backing, underlay or subfloor.

Surface cleaning and professional treatment can significantly improve staining and odour, but where contamination has reached material underneath the carpet, cleaning the carpet alone may not completely resolve the problem.

Further treatment, replacement of underlay or other remediation may sometimes be required.

We will explain this where we believe deeper contamination is likely.

We cannot guarantee that an odour will not return where the source of the contamination remains in the underlay, subfloor, furniture or another untreated area.

Drying time varies depending on the carpet or fabric, humidity, ventilation, temperature and the amount of cleaning required.

Any drying time we give is an estimate rather than a guarantee.

Please follow any aftercare instructions we provide, including ventilation recommendations and avoiding unnecessary traffic over damp carpet.

In some circumstances a stain or residue located deeper in the carpet may migrate back towards the surface as the carpet dries. This is commonly known as wicking.

If this happens, contact us. A further treatment or re-clean may be appropriate.

Customer satisfaction is important to us. If you are unhappy with an area we have cleaned, please contact us and give us an opportunity to put it right.

Under our Unlimited Re-clean Guarantee, there is no fixed limit on the number of reasonable re-clean visits we may provide for the same original cleaning concern where we believe further professional cleaning is appropriate and is reasonably likely to improve the result.

The guarantee applies to concerns relating to the work originally carried out by Carpet Master.

It does not guarantee complete removal of:

• permanent stains or colour loss

• bleach or chemical damage

• permanent wear or fibre damage

• contamination beneath the carpet that was outside the original scope

• odours where the source remains in untreated underlay, subfloor, furniture or another area

• new spills, staining or soiling occurring after our visit

• conditions we advised before cleaning were unlikely to be fully correctable.

We will not repeatedly apply treatments where doing so would be ineffective, unreasonable or risk damaging the carpet, fabric or item being cleaned. If we believe further cleaning is unlikely to improve the result, we will explain why and, where appropriate, discuss other options with you.

This guarantee is provided by Carpet Master voluntarily and does not limit or replace your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993.

If you have a concern about our service, please contact us as soon as reasonably possible.

Where possible, we ask that cleaning concerns are reported within 48 hours of the service. This gives us the best opportunity to inspect the issue while the condition of the carpet or upholstery is still closely connected to the original clean.

We may ask you to provide photographs or allow us reasonable access to inspect the area.

Where a problem can reasonably be put right, we would usually like the opportunity to do so.

Contacting us outside 48 hours does not remove or reduce any rights you may have under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 or other applicable law.

We take reasonable care while working in your property.

Please remove fragile, valuable or unstable items from areas where we will be working wherever reasonably possible.

If you believe we have accidentally damaged something, please contact us as soon as reasonably possible.

We may ask you to:

• provide photographs

• keep the damaged item where practicable

• provide information about its age or value

• allow us or our insurer a reasonable opportunity to inspect it.

Depending on the circumstances, a damaged item may be repaired, replaced, referred to our insurer or otherwise resolved by agreement.

We are not responsible for damage caused solely by a pre-existing defect, unstable item or other condition that could not reasonably have been identified beforehand, provided we exercised reasonable care and skill.

Nothing in this section limits any rights you have under applicable New Zealand law.

Unless another arrangement has been agreed in writing, payment for residential services is due on completion of the service.

Commercial customers may have separate invoicing or account terms as agreed with Carpet Master.

Available payment methods will be shown on your invoice, quote, website or booking information and may change from time to time.

By authorising work, you accept responsibility for payment for the services you have authorised.

If an insurer, landlord, property manager or another third party is expected to pay the invoice, you remain responsible for payment unless that party has confirmed directly with Carpet Master that it accepts responsibility for the account.

If an invoice becomes overdue, we will normally attempt to contact you and provide a reasonable opportunity to make payment or discuss any genuine dispute about the invoice.

We may send payment reminders by email, text message, phone or post.

If an undisputed account remains unpaid after reasonable notice, we may refer it to a debt collection agency or take other lawful recovery action.

Where permitted by law, you may be responsible for reasonable debt collection costs actually incurred by Carpet Master in recovering an overdue undisputed account.

Any court or legal costs will only be recoverable where awarded or otherwise permitted by law.

If you believe an invoice is incorrect or you have a genuine concern about the service, please contact us rather than ignoring the invoice so we can try to resolve it.

During a job we may identify an area, stain, item or material that cannot safely or effectively be treated.

Where this occurs, we will explain the issue wherever reasonably possible and may take photographs to document the condition.

We are not required under our re-clean guarantee to repeatedly treat an area where further treatment is unlikely to improve the result or may damage the carpet, fabric or item.

This does not limit your statutory rights if the original service was not carried out with reasonable care and skill.

We may take photographs or videos of areas being cleaned where reasonably necessary to:

• record pre-existing damage

• document stains or contamination

• record the condition before and after treatment

• support an insurance or commercial job

• assist with a quote or complaint.

We will not intentionally use identifiable photographs of your private property for advertising or promotional purposes without your permission.

Carpet Master will not be responsible for a delay or inability to provide a service caused by circumstances genuinely outside our reasonable control.

These may include severe weather, road closures, major traffic incidents, illness, equipment failure, power or water outages, emergencies or other unforeseen events.

Where this occurs, we will contact you as soon as reasonably possible and arrange another suitable time or discuss the available options.

This does not affect any rights you may have under applicable law.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where doing so would be unlawful.

For residential consumer services, your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 and other applicable consumer legislation continue to apply.

Carpet Master is not responsible for loss or damage to the extent that it results from:

• a pre-existing defect or deterioration

• inaccurate or incomplete information supplied to us

• a risk we specifically warned you about and you nevertheless instructed us to proceed with

• failure to follow reasonable aftercare instructions

• new damage or contamination occurring after the service

• circumstances outside our reasonable control.

For commercial customers, and only to the extent permitted by law, Carpet Master will not be responsible for indirect or consequential business losses such as loss of profit or loss of opportunity unless otherwise expressly agreed in writing.

We may update these Terms from time to time.

The version applying to your service will generally be the version in effect when your booking is confirmed, unless we both agree otherwise.

We will not retrospectively change agreed terms in a way that unfairly disadvantages you.

These Terms are governed by New Zealand law.

If a disagreement arises, we encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve it directly.

Nothing in these Terms prevents either party from using the Disputes Tribunal, a court, or any other dispute-resolution process available under New Zealand law.

If any part of these Terms is found to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable, the remaining Terms will continue to apply to the extent permitted by law.

If you have questions about these Terms, your booking or a service we have provided, please contact us.

Carpet Master
Phone: 0800 471 084
Email: contactus@carpetmaster.nz
NZBN: 9429050591695