Terms and Conditions

The terms and conditions defined below govern all transactions between Blue Dog Digital Marketing and its respective Clients, for the sale and provision of any goods and/or services by Blue Dog Digital Marketing to its Clients. For the purpose of these terms and conditions Blue Dog Digital Marketing includes The Blue Dog Group Trust, trading as Blue Dog Digital Marketing. Please read these term and conditions carefully. These terms are subject to change without notice, at any time, without prior notice.

The use of services provided by Blue Dog Digital Marketing constitutes an agreement to these terms.

Blue Dog Digital Marketing will take every precaution possible for the protection of its Clients’ intellectual property and will not disclose any information about Clients business to any third party, without prior consent from the respective Client. These terms and conditions are subject to change at any time, without prior notice.

Design and Build Process & Allocated Changes

A design layout is provided to the Client upon receipt of deposit and within the time frame provided in the quotation. Two sets of design changes can be requested by the Client prior to sign off of Design Scope of Work. A set of design changes is defined as a series of changes requested in one email or meeting. Design changes prior to sign off of Design Scope of Work do not include any Client content input in any shape or form.

Once the Design Scope of Work has been signed off by the Client and all content has been received Blue Dog Digital Marketing can commence with the Build of the website. The Client is provided with two sets of post-design changes after the website has been built and these changes can include content and design changes within the limits of the Design Scope of Work and agreement.

In the event the client is adding content themselves the website will be built using 'filler' content and any reference to content does not form part of the agreement. The handover of the website to the client concludes the agreement. 

After the two sets of post-design changes have been completed the website is sent live on the web or handed over to the client. A one month period of “settling in” is provided by Blue Dog Digital Marketing at no charge. During this one month “settling in” period the Client can request any number (within reason) of text, heading or image changes and can request the upload of up to six blog posts onto their website (all content to be provided by Client). All other changes fall into the category of additional changes and will be quoted for the Client to approve before commencement.

Additional Changes Charges

Any additional changes requested by the Client during the design, build or “settling in” period that fall out of the limits on the Client Contract as defined in the Website Design and Build Process & Allocated Changes section above will be quoted by Blue Dog Digital Marketing at the standard hourly rate and completed after Client approval and payment.

Content

Unless included in the Client Contract, all content for a Clients website is to be provided by the Client prior to the commencement of the Build stage of the project. Content includes but is not limited to words, headings, images, graphs, charts, testimonials, products, product descriptions and prices. Should the delivery of content from the Client delay the progress of the website project this will effect the Website Delivery Timeline and is not the responsibility of Blue Dog Digital Marketing. Please see the Website Delivery Timeline section of these terms and conditions for more details.

Delivery Timeline

A delivery timeline is provided to the Client at the time of the Website Quotation Acceptance and forms part of the Client Contract and thus, these terms and conditions. Upon payment of deposit this timeline is agreed and accepted as part of the Client Contract with Blue Dog Digital Marketing. In order for this timeline to be adhered to both parties agree to provide and/or complete specific tasks by specific deadlines. Should either party not complete these tasks by the specified and agreed timeline deadline(s) it is agreed that they are to notify the other party and that this will delay the project delivery timeline. Should the delays be caused by the Client, the Client agrees to pay Blue Dog Digital Marketing the agreed progress payment(s) as per the original agreed timeline deadlines.

Changes after Clients Website is Live

During the one month “settling in” period the Client must choose a Service Package. Should the Client not choose a Service Package they will be invoiced for the smallest package available and the Client agrees to pay this invoice by the due date on the invoice.

There are several Service Package options available to the Client once the Clients Website has gone live on the web. Some of which include Blue Dog Digital Marketing making changes/edits to a Clients website. Should a Client who has paid for such a Service Package that includes changes, request changes, edits or additions to their website that take longer than the allocated monthly hours in the Service Package the Client is being billed for, or are outside the Clients paid for Service Package inclusions, Blue Dog Digital Marketing will provide an estimate of the number of hours the requested changes, edits or additions may take and upon approval to go ahead by the Client, will complete these requested changes, edits and/or additions at the standard hourly rate. The Client agrees to pay Blue Dog Digital Marketing for these services.

Ownership of Files and Data on Servers

All designs, artwork, logos and content remain the property of Blue Dog Digital Marketing, until paid for in full. Once paid in full, and on the condition there are no outstanding monies, all files and data, design, images, logos and content are considered the Clients property however Blue Dog reserves the right to charge a fee should a copy of the files and data be required.

Client Access to Backend

Access login details may be provided to the Client upon request which will provide the Client with access to the back end of the website and the opportunity to complete changes themselves however please note the “Fixes” section of this document for the terms and conditions of this arrangement. cPanel or server root access is not available to the client or any associate or employee of the clients at any time.

Fixes

Once a Client is provided with the access login details to the back end of their website Blue Dog Digital Marketing is no longer responsible for anything that may happen to the website such as coding issues, broken links, security, the look and design of the website, the content structure and layout, and anything else that forms part of the website front or back end. Should anything be required to be “fixed” Blue Dog Digital Marketing can provide a quotation to complete the work at the standard hourly rate.

Training

Training of any kind for the client, their employees or associates in using, managing or changing the website is not included in the cost of a Client’s website, or in any ongoing Service Packages provided by Blue Dog Digital Marketing but may be provided by Blue Dog Digital Marketing at the entire discretion of Blue Dog Digital Marketing.

Procedure Manuals

Procedure Manual(s) of any kind are not included in the cost of a Client’s website, or in any ongoing Service Packages provided by Blue Dog Digital Marketing but may be provided by Blue Dog Digital Marketing at the entire discretion of Blue Dog Digital Marketing.

Intellectual Property

The intellectual property of all websites created by Blue Dog Digital Marketing is transferred to the Client at time of full payment and Blue Dog Digital Marketing agrees to make no claim of copyright or ownership whatsoever.  In return, the Client agrees that, all pages within a website designed, or substantially designed, by Blue Dog Digital Marketing will continuously display a statement (and hyperlink) crediting Blue Dog Digital Marketing for the site's design at the discretion of Blue Dog Digital Marketing.

Cancellation

Should either party wish to cancel the website at any time this must be received within 28 days notice, in writing by the other party outlining the reason(s) why the party wishes to terminate the contract and these reason(s) must be reasonable in nature. The other party must be given the opportunity to rectify these reason(s) in order to complete the contract. Should the reason(s) not be rectified satisfactorily then the contract can then be terminated. In the event that the Client is terminating the contract the Client agrees to pay Blue Dog Digital Marketing for all works completed up to and including the date of termination.

Client Contact Person

The Client agrees to nominate a suitable primary and/or secondary coordinator within their organisation to act as the sole points of contact with Blue Dog Digital Marketing for any website matters.  Blue Dog Digital Marketing does not provide direct support to individual Client committee members, and/or Client employees or associates, other than the nominated Client coordinators.

Domain Name Ownership

Provided there are no monies outstanding, a Client retains ownership and control of any and all of their domain name(s) at all times.

Portfolio

The Client agrees that Blue Dog Digital Marketing may use the work and the Client’s name and identity as part of its portfolio of works for the purposes of promoting and advertising Blue Dog Digital Marketing, unless the Client specifically requests otherwise. This includes both a listing on Blue Dog Digital Marketing’s website and in the footer of the Client’s website.

Delivery

All products provided by Blue Dog Digital Marketing will be delivered electronically via email. It is the clients responsibility to ensure a current and correct email address is provided to Blue Dog Digital Marketing.

Limit of Liability

Whilst all efforts will be made to ensure premium service to the Client, Blue Dog Digital Marketing does not claim infallibility and, in particular, cannot guarantee a continuous uninterrupted hosting service. The Client agrees to hold Blue Dog Digital Marketing totally harmless for any damages, which may occur as a result of any hosting, server, or computer failure, delay of services, errors, omissions, missed deadlines, virus or security attack, or any other event relating to the services provided by Blue Dog Digital Marketing.  In addition, the Client agrees that Blue Dog Digital Marketing will not be held responsible for services provided by other third party suppliers.

Dispute Settling Procedure

In the event of a complaint or dispute, both the Client and Blue Dog Digital Marketing agree to make the other party aware of the problem at the earliest convenient time and to commit to resolving the matter through reasonable discussion and conciliation prior to resorting to any other dispute settling mechanisms or processes.

Contradictions

Any details or information published on Blue Dog Digital Marketing’s website, or in/and on any other material, which may be considered to contradict this agreement (or any subsequent variations), will not apply.

Variations

Blue Dog Digital Marketing reserves the right to vary any aspect of this Base Terms and Conditions of Business, or any services, including charge rates, at any time.  It will be deemed that the Client has accepted any such variation unless a notice of termination is received.

General

A selection of Care Plans will be supplied to the Client once their website has gone live. The latest selection of Care Plans can be found on the Blue Dog Digital Marketing website. Should Blue Dog Digital Marketing not be informed of which Care Plan the Client prefers the Client will be placed on the lowest package. The Client can upgrade or downgrade their Care Plan at any time. There is a minimum commitment of six months by the Client to the Blue Dog Digital Marketing Care Plans. These Care Plans are subject to change without notice. Website changes, edits or additions are NOT included in the Care Plans unless specified. IT support, telephone support and advice, electronic services, support or advice and any other technical or advisory support and/or services are NOT included in the Care Plans. These additional services may or may not be available through the Blue Dog Digital Marketing Service Support Ticket System.

Hours and Changes

Some of the Blue Dog Digital Marketing Care Plans may include allocated hours of website changes, edits and additions available to the Client. These allocated hours do NOT accrue on a month by month basis. The types of changes, edits and additions available within these Care Plans include text, headings and image changes, product updates, adding blog posts or a special offer. All of the content of these changes, edits and additions are to be supplied by the Client and the types of changes, edits and additions included in the Care Plans are subject to change at any time without notice.

Cancellation

Providing the requested cancellation is after the initial six month Care Plan agreement period, the Client agrees that until, and unless Blue Dog Digital Marketing is notified in writing by the Client providing 10 days notice of their wish to cancel any, or all services provided by Blue Dog Digital Marketing and received by the Client, services will continue to be billed on a recurring basis, with payment(s) to be made by the Client to Blue Dog Digital Marketing on the due date(s) of the invoice(s). Blue Dog Digital Marketing has the right to cancel any service or agreement at any time by providing 7 days written notice to the Client.

Refunds

No refunds of any kind will be granted on the monthly Care Plan fee. 

Script/Software Updates

As part of the Service Packages, software and script updates are included however Blue Dog Digital Marketing is not responsible for the regularity or irregularity of these updates or the quality of the updates as this service may be provided by a third party. These software and script updates are only available on WordPress websites and not applicable to any other website platform. If a Client’s scripts, or software is deemed by Blue Dog Digital Marketing as a risk to the network, Blue Dog Digital Marketing reserves the right to update them at their discretion, or disable, or remove them entirely.

File and Database Backups

As part of the Service Packages file and database backups are conducted on a regular basis however Blue Dog Digital Marketing are not responsible for the regularity or irregularity of these file and database updates nor for the quality of these file and database updates as this service may be provided by a third party. Should a Client require a website to be restored from these backups or request a copy of a backup, this will be charged at the standard hourly rate and the Client agrees that Blue Dog Digital Marketing is not be responsible for the quality or date of these backups and restoration.

Website Hosting Account Content

Website Hosting is included in all Service Packages. All website hosting provided by Blue Dog Digital Marketing may only be used for lawful purposes. The Client agrees to abide by the terms and conditions set out by the website host. Contact Blue Dog Digital Marketing for an up to date copy of these terms.

Time & Quotations for all Additional Services

Due to the nature of the industry of technology, an estimate of time to complete any task, project or service is only an estimate. Should the time taken to complete a requested task or service be less than estimated Blue Dog Digital Marketing will only charge for the time taken to complete the said quoted task or service. Should it take Blue Dog Digital Marketing longer than estimated to complete the quoted task or service, the Client will be notified at the completion of the estimated time and provided with an updated estimate and the options available for them to choose from.

As a client of Blue Dog Digital Marketing you will always own the content (copy, images & layout design) of your website, provided all invoices are up to date.
 
The software we use to build your WordPress website is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL). https://wordpress.org/about/license/ The license is mostly 'lawyer speak' but what that means for you as a client of Blue Dog Digital Marketing is good news. 
 
The premium themes & plugins we use to provide the functionality you need in your website are often expensive, complex and difficult to configure and manage. 
 
Many of the themes and plugins we use have a 'developer' license, which means we can freely use this software on clients websites as part of our ongoing fee. For you as a Care Plan customer this means you don't need to pay a license fee for this software. Should you choose to not take up one of care plan offers then you will be responsible for any ongoing license fees any software used on your website. A license holder "cannot distribute, freely give away, or resell your license key. You may not transfer the license key to a new owner".
 
For any software, plugins or themes we don't hold a 'developer' license for, you will be responsible for any ongoing license fees.

Customer Support Ticket System

Website changes, edits or additions are NOT included in the Service Packages unless specified. IT support, telephone support and advice, electronic services, support or advice and any other technical or advisory support and/or services are NOT included in the Service Packages. These additional services may be available through the Blue Dog Digital Marketing Service Support Ticket System.

The Blue Dog Digital Marketing Service Support Ticket System provides Clients with the opportunity to request support, advice, website changes, edits and additions, and other services at any time of the day or night. This service is provided by Blue Dog Digital Marketing and is charged on a user pays basis. For any request that takes longer than five minutes to read and respond to, that Client will be charged the current Blue Dog Digital Marketing hourly rate or part there of in fifteen minute increments up to 1 hour. For services requiring more than one hour, the Client will be contacted with an estimate of the time required for the Clients approval.

Access the Blue Dog Digital Marketing Service Support Ticket System

Viruses and Corrupt Files

Whilst Blue Dog Digital Marketing deploys all best security practices, we make no guarantee that each Client’s website will remain virus free or safe from digital attacks. The security of your website has nothing to do with the hosting of your website as all Blue Dog Digital Marketing Clients websites are hosted on secure servers. Blue Dog Digital Marketing reserves the right to remove any infected or corrupt files from its servers which are deemed a threat to the network. If a Client’s website is corrupted the Client will be charged an hourly rate to investigate the cause and restore it where possible, unless otherwise specified in a Service Package.

File and Database Access

Blue Dog Digital Marketing will not grant access to the root directory of its servers.  Should a client require a copy of the files and data from the Blue Dog Digital Marketing servers, the Client will be charged a fee by Blue Dog Digital Marketing to provide this. This is particular to WordPress Multisite configurations where, under no circumstance will server access be granted.

Additional Security

Additional security packages are available from Blue Dog Digital Marketing. This product does not guarantee that a Client’s website will not be compromised. This product simply minimises the opportunities for corruption. Blue Dog Digital Marketing is not responsible for any breaches of security of a Clients website. If a Clients website is corrupted the Client will be charged an hourly rate to investigate the cause and restore it where possible.

Quotations and Pricing

Quotations for all services are valid for 30 days from the date of the quotation. All pricing is subject to change without notice, and is solely at the discretion of Blue Dog Digital Marketing.

Standard Service Rates

All services provided by Blue Dog Digital Marketing, which includes telephone and electronic services, and changes of any kind to a Client’s website other than the provision included in the Service Packages, shall be charged at the Blue Dog Digital Marketing hourly rate.  Blue Dog Digital Marketing rates are subject to change at any time without notice.

Currency/Tax

All prices quoted are the currency of the Clients Country whether in AUD, NZD or USD unless otherwise stated.  GST (Goods and Services Tax) is applicable for all Australian and New Zealand Clients and is additional to prices quoted.  Blue Dog Digital Marketing is a registered company under the Corporations Law of Queensland, Australia and is registered for GST purposes.

Payments Terms

The Client agrees to make payment of all Blue Dog Digital Marketing invoices for all services received from Blue Dog Digital Marketing, by the due date specified on the invoice(s).  The Client understands and agrees that, should there be a delay in payment, this may have an effect on the commencement and/or completion of agreed tasks or projects.

Invoicing

The Client agrees to receive all tax invoices electronically via a nominated email address, and accepts responsibility for checking their email regularly and notifying Blue Dog Digital Marketing of any changes to their email address immediately.  Monthly Service Package fees and/or any other monthly fees, as prescribed, are payable in advance and are non-refundable. Additional services may be invoiced as a once-off amount, paid in advance, monthly or otherwise, at the discretion of Blue Dog Digital Marketing.

Refunds

Due to the nature of the business there are no refunds available to the Client for any of the Blue Dog Digital Marketing website(s), services or products, unless otherwise specified.

Late Payments

The Client agrees that payment(s) for all invoice(s) will be made by the due date of each invoice, as defined in the terms of payment on each invoice. The Client agrees they are entirely responsible to ensure that they maintain an up to date record of all invoices received from Blue Dog Digital Marketing and update any changes to their email address to Blue Dog Digital Marketing immediately.

Seven days after the due date, should invoice(s) remain unpaid for a period of Seven Days from the due date of the invoice a non-payment fee of $15+GST will be applied to each outstanding invoice. The Client agrees to pay this non-payment fee without question.

Twenty days after the due date, should invoice(s) remain unpaid for a period of Twenty days from the due date of the invoice the Client agrees that Blue Dog Digital Marketing has the right to suspend services until all outstanding invoice(s) have been paid.

Thirty days after the due date, should invoice(s) remain unpaid for a period of Thirty Days from the due date of the invoice a further non-payment fee of $60+GST will be applied to each outstanding invoice per 30 day period. The Client agrees to pay this non-payment fee without question.

Suspended Services

In the event of extended non-payment of overdue invoice(s) over twenty days from the due date on the invoice, the Client agrees that Blue Dog Digital Marketing has the right to suspend services until full payment of any and all outstanding invoice(s) is received.  Suspension of services may include, but is not limited to, the temporary shut-down of a Client's website, the lapse of a domain name registration, and/or the suspension of email accounts. In the event of suspension of services, the Client will be given a further period of one calendar month to make full payment of all outstanding invoice(s).

Continued non-payment will result in complete closure of the Client's account, and the commencement of debt recovery action for all unpaid invoice(s).  Any costs incurred by Blue Dog Digital Marketing for the debt recovery will be the responsibility of the Client.

Reinstatement

Upon payment being received for any and all outstanding invoice(s) a Client can request for their website and/or service(s) to be reinstated by Blue Dog Digital Marketing. Any reinstatement will incur a fee from Blue Dog Digital Marketing that the Client agrees to pay prior to the reinstatement commencing, and any future services may require payment in advance by the Client before Blue Dog Digital Marketing will proceed with any work/tasks for the Client.

Please note that in the event of domain name registration lapses, Blue Dog Digital Marketing is not responsible for the domain name being available to the Client once full payment of any and all outstanding invoice(s) has been received as this is service is provided by a third party.

Hourly Rates

  • Website and all other services: $97.00 plus GST where applicable.
  • Business and Marketing Consulting: $240.00 plus GST where applicable.

A $20 per hour discount applies to customers who are currently on one of our Go Live and Thrive Plans.

We offer a 10% referral fee for any person referring a new customer to us. This will be paid on completion & final payment of the project, and only applies to the initial purchase, no ongoing services to incur referral fees of any kind.

We offer payment plans to approved clients, exact details will vary depending on the situation but as a general guide:

  • The website must be hosted on our servers
  • Only applies to customers purchasing a Go Live and Thrive plan from us.
  • Editor access only provided, you won’t be able to add plugins, but you;ll be able to do your own content updates if you wish.
  • Payments must be made on time, your website will be taken offline if payments are more than 10 days overdue.