Terms and Conditions We hope these are clear. If in doubt about any of our terms, please ask.   Information We can offer customers our best service if we are given good information. Customers agree to provide accurate information and undertake that is correct at the time of booking regarding the time and date of assignments, the anticipated duration, the name of the person or people the interpreter will be working with, the address and phone number of the venue, and a contact name at the venue. They shall provide any necessary maps and other travel information, including details of relevant public transport. Please let us know the type of assignment a booking involves.   If, on arrival an assignment is dramatically different from that described at the time of booking, or relevant information  has been withheld, Verbatim Interpreters reserves the right to withdraw its interpreter and charge customers as if a same day cancellation time charge is payable. (See ‘Cancellations’ below)   Customers shall provide accurate information regarding any case/file reference or purchase order numbers and clearly identify the name, address and phone and fax number of the person who will process our invoices.   Invoices If we are paid promptly, we can pay our interpreters. This is an essential element in ensuring that we are able to retain the best interpreters, plan and develop our services and keep customers happy. Customers of Verbatim Interpreters undertake to meet all invoices in full within 30 days of presentation. Credit control is a chore. In cases where customers fail to pay within this period, they shall be liable to pay an additional administration fee of £20 and interest will be paid at a rate of 5% above Bank of England base rates.   Cancellations Experienced interpreters know that customers’ plans do change due to fluid circumstances. They are entitled, however, to expect that they will be able to make a living and not lose work because those plans change at very short notice or are not communicated. Please appreciate that interpreters may cancel other plans, or not look for or accept other work when customers book them.   The purpose of cancellation charges are to ensure that interpreters are compensated for making themselves available to work for customers or customers’ clients who subsequently change their minds about an appointment. In the event that an interpreter is booked and the scheduled assignment is subsequently cancelled at any time on the same day as the scheduled assignment, or, if cancelled the previous working day after 4.00pm, a time charge will be payable:   If a cancellation occurs on the same day  this same day cancellation time charge shall be equal to two hours traveling time, [or the actual time traveled, if the interpreter has begun their journey prior to the cancellation] (whichever is the greater), plus one hour’s interpreting time plus whatever actual travel expenses have been incurred by the interpreter.   If a cancellation is made after 4.00pm on the working day before the date of the scheduled assignment, the time charge shall be equal to two hours travel time and one hours interpreting time. Please note that this charge will still apply in cases where bookings are taken after 4.00pm for the following day and then cancelled the same afternoon or evening.   There will be normally no time charges in cases where a cancellation is made before 4.00pm on the working day before the scheduled assignment. However, in cases where a customer has been warned in advance that a specifically booked interpreter will not be contactable for a specific period (i.e. they are working abroad in the days before the assignment) then a cancellation charge will be payable in these circumstances. Premium rates will apply to cancellation time charge rates where relevant.   Travel Expenses Travel expenses shall be payable at the actual public transport rate paid by the interpreter. This shall not include the cost of taxis unless agreed in advance by the customer. A mileage fee shall be charged for car use. Car parking will be payable at cost.   Working Hours For the purposes of calculating working days, Verbatim Interpreters is open from Mondays to Fridays, not including bank holidays. Normal working hours for interpreters and translators are from 9.00am to 5.00pm. These are also our normal office hours.   Please note that we do accept bookings for interpreters to work on weekends, bank holidays and after 5.00pm on normal working days. However, premium rates will apply for those times.   Direct Approaches to Interpreters If customers want to reuse the services of the interpreters and translators booked by Verbatim Interpreters previously, please make sure all future bookings are made through Verbatim Interpreters.   Interpreters’ Privacy Interpreters are entitled to personal privacy within a professional relationship. Our interpreters are professional and will not allow their personal lives or views to interfere in their work. Please respect this. Customers shall not under any circumstances reveal, to their clients or third parties, any personal information about an interpreter which they may come to know about an interpreter without their consent. This includes social or work information as well as details of nationality, immigration status, family status, clan or tribal origins, religion, political opinions, marital status, sexual orientation, educational background or qualifications.