TERMS OF USE
Last updated 01-01-2020
AGREEMENT TO TERMS
These Terms of Use constitute a legally binding agreement made between you, whether personally or on behalf of an entity (“you”) and BH Consulting (Harris Consulting Services(, concerning your access to and use of the HarrisConsultingServices.com website as well as any other media form, media channel, mobile website or mobile application related, linked, or otherwise connected thereto (collectively, the “Site”). You agree that by accessing the Site, you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by all of these Terms of Use. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ALL OF THESE TERMS OF USE, THEN YOU ARE EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED FROM USING THE SITE AND YOU MUST DISCONTINUE USE IMMEDIATELY.
Supplemental terms and conditions or documents that may be posted on the Site from time to time are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to make changes or modifications to these Terms of Use at any time and for any reason. We will alert you about any changes by updating the “Last updated” date of these Terms of Use, and you waive any right to receive specific notice of each such change. It is your responsibility to periodically review these Terms of Use to stay informed of updates. You will be subject to, and will be deemed to have been made aware of and to have accepted, the changes in any revised Terms of Use by your continued use of the Site after the date such revised Terms of Use are posted.
The information provided on the Site is not intended for distribution to or use by any person or entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution or use would be contrary to law or regulation or which would subject us to any registration requirement within such jurisdiction or country. Accordingly, those persons who choose to access the Site from other locations do so on their own initiative and are solely responsible for compliance with local laws, if and to the extent local laws are applicable.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
Unless otherwise indicated, the HarrisConsultingServices.com Site is our proprietary property and all source code, databases, functionality, software, website designs, audio, video, text, photographs, and graphics on the Site (collectively, the “Content”) and the trademarks, service marks, and logos contained therein (the “Marks”) are owned or controlled by us or licensed to us, and are protected by copyright and trademark laws and various other intellectual property rights and unfair competition laws of the United States, international copyright laws, and international conventions. The Content and the Marks are provided on the Site “AS IS” for your information and personal use only. Except as expressly provided in these Terms of Use, no part of the Site and no Content or Marks may be copied, reproduced, aggregated, republished, uploaded, posted, publicly displayed, encoded, translated, transmitted, distributed, sold, licensed, or otherwise exploited for any commercial purpose whatsoever, without our express prior written permission.
Provided that you are eligible to use the Site, you are granted a limited license to access and use the Site and to download or print a copy of any portion of the Content to which you have properly gained access solely for your personal, non-commercial use. We reserve all rights not expressly granted to you in and to the Site, the Content, and the Marks.
USER REPRESENTATIONS
By using the Site, you represent and warrant that: (1) you have the legal capacity and you agree to comply with these Terms of Use; (2) you are not a minor in the jurisdiction in which you reside; (3) you will not access the Site through automated or non-human means, whether through a bot, script, or otherwise; (4) you will not use the Site for any illegal or unauthorized purpose; and (5) your use of the Site will not violate any applicable law or regulation.
If you provide any information that is untrue, inaccurate, not current, or incomplete, we have the right to suspend or terminate your account and refuse any and all current or future use of the Site (or any portion thereof).
PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES
You may not access or use the Site for any purpose other than that for which we make the Site available. The Site may not be used in connection with any commercial endeavors except those that are specifically endorsed or approved by us.
As a user of the Site, you agree not to:
USER GENERATED CONTRIBUTIONS
The Site does not offer users to submit or post content. We may provide you with the opportunity to create, submit, post, display, transmit, perform, publish, distribute, or broadcast content and materials to us or on the Site, including but not limited to text, writings, video, audio, photographs, graphics, comments, suggestions, or personal information or other material (collectively, “Contributions”). Contributions may be viewable by other users of the Site and through third-party websites. As such, any Contributions you transmit may be treated in accordance with the Site Privacy Policy. When you create or make available any Contributions, you thereby represent and warrant that:
- The creation, distribution, transmission, public display, or performance, and the accessing, downloading, or copying of your Contributions do not and will not infringe the proprietary rights, including but not limited to the copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, or moral rights of any third party.
2. You are the creator and owner of or have the necessary licenses, rights, consents, releases, and permissions to use and to authorize us, the Site, and other users of the Site to use your Contributions in any manner contemplated by the Site and these Terms of Use.
3. You have the written consent, release, and/or permission of each and every identifiable individual person in your Contributions to use the name or likeness of each and every such identifiable individual person to enable inclusion and use of your Contributions in any manner contemplated by the Site and these Terms of Use.
4. Your Contributions are not false, inaccurate, or misleading.
5. Your Contributions are not unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, pyramid schemes, chain letters, spam, mass mailings, or other forms of solicitation.
6. Your Contributions are not obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, violent, harassing, libelous, slanderous, or otherwise objectionable (as determined by us).
7. Your Contributions do not ridicule, mock, disparage, intimidate, or abuse anyone.
8. Your Contributions do not advocate the violent overthrow of any government or incite, encourage, or threaten physical harm against another.
9. Your Contributions do not violate any applicable law, regulation, or rule.
10. Your Contributions do not violate the privacy or publicity rights of any third party.
11. Your Contributions do not contain any material that solicits personal information from anyone under the age of 18 or exploits people under the age of 18 in a sexual or violent manner.
12. Your Contributions do not violate any applicable law concerning child pornography, or otherwise intended to protect the health or well-being of minors;
13. Your Contributions do not include any offensive comments that are connected to race, national origin, gender, sexual preference, or physical handicap.
14. Your Contributions do not otherwise violate, or link to material that violates any provision of these Terms of Use, or any applicable law or regulation.
Any use of the Site in violation of the foregoing violates these Terms of Use and may result in, among other things, termination or suspension of your rights to use the Site.
CONTRIBUTION LICENSE
You and the Site agree that we may access, store, process, and use any information and personal data that you provide following the terms of the Privacy Policy and your choices (including settings).
By submitting suggestions or other feedback regarding the Site, you agree that we can use and share such feedback for any purpose without compensation to you.
We do not assert any ownership over your Contributions. You retain full ownership of all of your Contributions and any intellectual property rights or other proprietary rights associated with your Contributions. We are not liable for any statements or representations in your Contributions provided by you in any area on the Site. You are solely responsible for your Contributions to the Site and you expressly agree to exonerate us from any and all responsibility and to refrain from any legal action against us regarding your Contributions.
SUBMISSIONS
You acknowledge and agree that any questions, comments, suggestions, ideas, feedback, or other information regarding the Site (“Submissions”) provided by you to us are non-confidential and shall become our sole property. We shall own exclusive rights, including all intellectual property rights, and shall be entitled to the unrestricted use and dissemination of these Submissions for any lawful purpose, commercial or otherwise, without acknowledgment or compensation to you. You hereby waive all moral rights to any such Submissions, and you hereby warrant that any such Submissions are original with you or that you have the right to submit such Submissions. You agree there shall be no recourse against us for any alleged or actual infringement or misappropriation of any proprietary right in your Submissions.
SITE MANAGEMENT
We reserve the right, but not the obligation, to: (1) monitor the Site for violations of these Terms of Use; (2) take appropriate legal action against anyone who, in our sole discretion, violates the law or these Terms of Use, including without limitation, reporting such user to law enforcement authorities; (3) in our sole discretion and without limitation, refuse, restrict access to, limit the availability of, or disable (to the extent technologically feasible) any of your Contributions or any portion thereof; (4) in our sole discretion and without limitation, notice, or liability, to remove from the Site or otherwise disable all files and content that are excessive in size or are in any way burdensome to our systems; and (5) otherwise manage the Site in a manner designed to protect our rights and property and to facilitate the proper functioning of the Site.
TERM AND TERMINATION
These Terms of Use shall remain in full force and effect while you use the Site. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF THESE TERMS OF USE, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO, IN OUR SOLE DISCRETION AND WITHOUT NOTICE OR LIABILITY, DENY ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE SITE (INCLUDING BLOCKING CERTAIN IP ADDRESSES), TO ANY PERSON FOR ANY REASON OR FOR NO REASON, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION FOR BREACH OF ANY REPRESENTATION, WARRANTY, OR COVENANT CONTAINED IN THESE TERMS OF USE OR OF ANY APPLICABLE LAW OR REGULATION. WE MAY TERMINATE YOUR USE OR PARTICIPATION IN THE SITE OR DELETE ANY CONTENT OR INFORMATION THAT YOU POSTED AT ANY TIME, WITHOUT WARNING, IN OUR SOLE DISCRETION.
If we terminate or suspend your account for any reason, you are prohibited from registering and creating a new account under your name, a fake or borrowed name, or the name of any third party, even if you may be acting on behalf of the third party. In addition to terminating or suspending your account, we reserve the right to take appropriate legal action, including without limitation pursuing civil, criminal, and injunctive redress.
MODIFICATIONS AND INTERRUPTIONS
We reserve the right to change, modify, or remove the contents of the Site at any time or for any reason at our sole discretion without notice. However, we have no obligation to update any information on our Site. We also reserve the right to modify or discontinue all or part of the Site without notice at any time. We will not be liable to you or any third party for any modification, price change, suspension, or discontinuance of the Site.
We cannot guarantee the Site will be available at all times. We may experience hardware, software, or other problems or need to perform maintenance related to the Site, resulting in interruptions, delays, or errors. We reserve the right to change, revise, update, suspend, discontinue, or otherwise modify the Site at any time or for any reason without notice to you. You agree that we have no liability whatsoever for any loss, damage, or inconvenience caused by your inability to access or use the Site during any downtime or discontinuance of the Site. Nothing in these Terms of Use will be construed to obligate us to maintain and support the Site or to supply any corrections, updates, or releases in connection therewith.
GOVERNING LAW
These Terms shall be governed by and defined following the laws of King County in the state of WA. BH Consulting, LLC and yourself irrevocably consent that the courts of King County in the US shall have exclusive jurisdiction to resolve any dispute which may arise in connection with these terms.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Binding Arbitration
Any dispute arising out of or in connection with this contract, including any question regarding its existence, validity, or termination, shall be referred to and finally resolved by the International Commercial Arbitration Court under the European Arbitration Chamber (Belgium, Brussels, Avenue Louise, 146) according to the Rules of this ICAC, which, as a result of referring to it, is considered as the part of this clause. The number of arbitrators shall be no more than two. The seat, or legal place, of arbitration, shall be held in the state of Washington in the US. The language of the proceedings shall be English. The governing law of the contract shall be the substantive law of the USA.
Restrictions
The Parties agree that any arbitration shall be limited to the Dispute between the Parties individually. To the full extent permitted by law, (a) no arbitration shall be joined with any other proceeding; (b) there is no right or authority for any Dispute to be arbitrated on a class-action basis or to utilize class action procedures, and (c) there is no right or authority for any Dispute to be brought in a purported representative capacity on behalf of the general public or any other persons.
Exceptions to Arbitration
The Parties agree that the following Disputes are not subject to the above provisions concerning binding arbitration: (a) any Disputes seeking to enforce or protect, or concerning the validity of, any of the intellectual property rights of a Party; (b) any Dispute related to, or arising from, allegations of theft, piracy, invasion of privacy, or unauthorized use; and (c) any claim for injunctive relief. If this provision is found to be illegal or unenforceable, then neither Party will elect to arbitrate any Dispute falling within that portion of this provision found to be illegal or unenforceable and such Dispute shall be decided by a court of competent jurisdiction within the courts listed for jurisdiction above, and the Parties agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of that court.
CORRECTIONS
There may be information on the Site that contains typographical errors, inaccuracies, or omissions, including descriptions, pricing, availability, and various other information. We reserve the right to correct any errors, inaccuracies, or omissions and to change or update the information on the Site at any time, without prior notice.
DISCLAIMER
THE SITE IS PROVIDED ON AN AS-IS AND AS-AVAILABLE BASIS. YOU AGREE THAT YOUR USE OF THE SITE AND OUR SERVICES WILL BE AT YOUR SOLE RISK. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN CONNECTION WITH THE SITE AND YOUR USE THEREOF, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE MAKE NO WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE SITE’S CONTENT OR THE CONTENT OF ANY WEBSITES LINKED TO THE SITE AND WE WILL ASSUME NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY (1) ERRORS, MISTAKES, OR INACCURACIES OF CONTENT AND MATERIALS, (2) PERSONAL INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE, OF ANY NATURE WHATSOEVER, RESULTING FROM YOUR ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE SITE, (3) ANY UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR USE OF OUR SECURE SERVERS AND/OR ANY AND ALL PERSONAL INFORMATION AND/OR FINANCIAL INFORMATION STORED THEREIN, (4) ANY INTERRUPTION OR CESSATION OF TRANSMISSION TO OR FROM THE SITE, (5) ANY BUGS, VIRUSES, TROJAN HORSES, OR THE LIKE WHICH MAY BE TRANSMITTED TO OR THROUGH THE SITE BY ANY THIRD PARTY, AND/OR (6) ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN ANY CONTENT AND MATERIALS OR FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OF ANY CONTENT POSTED, TRANSMITTED, OR OTHERWISE MADE AVAILABLE VIA THE SITE. WE DO NOT WARRANT, ENDORSE, GUARANTEE, OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE ADVERTISED OR OFFERED BY A THIRD PARTY THROUGH THE SITE, ANY HYPERLINKED WEBSITE, OR ANY WEBSITE OR MOBILE APPLICATION FEATURED IN ANY BANNER OR OTHER ADVERTISING, AND WE WILL NOT BE A PARTY TO OR IN ANY WAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING ANY TRANSACTION BETWEEN YOU AND ANY THIRD-PARTY PROVIDERS OF PRODUCTS OR SERVICES. AS WITH THE PURCHASE OF A PRODUCT OR SERVICE THROUGH ANY MEDIUM OR IN ANY ENVIRONMENT, YOU SHOULD USE YOUR BEST JUDGMENT AND EXERCISE CAUTION WHERE APPROPRIATE.
LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY
IN NO EVENT WILL WE OR OUR DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, OR AGENTS BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFIT, LOST REVENUE, LOSS OF DATA, OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SITE, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY CONTAINED HEREIN, OUR LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CAUSE WHATSOEVER AND REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF THE ACTION, WILL AT ALL TIMES BE LIMITED TO THE LESSER OF THE AMOUNT PAID, IF ANY, BY YOU TO US OR $100. CERTAIN US STATE LAWS AND INTERNATIONAL LAWS DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF CERTAIN DAMAGES. IF THESE LAWS APPLY TO YOU, SOME OR ALL OF THE ABOVE DISCLAIMERS OR LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU, AND YOU MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL RIGHTS.
INDEMNIFICATION
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold us harmless, including our subsidiaries, affiliates, and all of our respective officers, agents, partners, and employees, from and against any loss, damage, liability, claim, or demand, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, made by any third party due to or arising out of: (1) use of the Site; (2) breach of these Terms of Use; (3) any breach of your representations and warranties set forth in these Terms of Use; (4) your violation of the rights of a third party, including but not limited to intellectual property rights; or (5) any overt harmful act toward any other user of the Site with whom you connected via the Site. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we reserve the right, at your expense, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter for which you are required to indemnify us, and you agree to cooperate, at your expense, with our defense of such claims. We will use reasonable efforts to notify you of any such claim, action, or proceeding which is subject to this indemnification upon becoming aware of it.
USER DATA
We will maintain certain data that you transmit to the Site for the purpose of managing the performance of the Site, as well as data relating to your use of the Site. Although we perform regular routine backups of data, you are solely responsible for all data that you transmit or that relates to any activity you have undertaken using the Site. You agree that we shall have no liability to you for any loss or corruption of any such data, and you hereby waive any right of action against us arising from any such loss or corruption of such data.
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS, TRANSACTIONS, AND SIGNATURES
Visiting the Site, sending us emails, and completing online forms constitute electronic communications. You consent to receive electronic communications, and you agree that all agreements, notices, disclosures, and other communications we provide to you electronically, via email and on the Site, satisfy any legal requirement that such communication be in writing. YOU HEREBY AGREE TO THE USE OF ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES, CONTRACTS, ORDERS, AND OTHER RECORDS, AND TO ELECTRONIC DELIVERY OF NOTICES, POLICIES, AND RECORDS OF TRANSACTIONS INITIATED OR COMPLETED BY US OR VIA THE SITE. You hereby waive any rights or requirements under any statutes, regulations, rules, ordinances, or other laws in any jurisdiction which require an original signature or delivery or retention of non-electronic records, or to payments or the granting of credits by any means other than electronic means.
MISCELLANEOUS
These Terms of Use and any policies or operating rules posted by us on the Site or in respect to the Site constitute the entire agreement and understanding between you and us. Our failure to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms of Use shall not operate as a waiver of such right or provision. These Terms of Use operate to the fullest extent permissible by law. We may assign any or all of our rights and obligations to others at any time. We shall not be responsible or liable for any loss, damage, delay, or failure to act caused by any cause beyond our reasonable control. If any provision or part of a provision of these Terms of Use is determined to be unlawful, void, or unenforceable, that provision or part of the provision is deemed severable from these Terms of Use and does not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions. There is no joint venture, partnership, employment, or agency relationship created between you and us as a result of these Terms of Use or use of the Site. You agree that these Terms of Use will not be construed against us by virtue of having drafted them. You hereby waive any and all defenses you may have based on the electronic form of these Terms of Use and the lack of signing by the parties hereto to execute these Terms of Use.
CONTACT US
In order to resolve a complaint regarding the Site or to receive further information regarding the use of the Site, please contact us at HCS@HarrisConsultingServices.com
Terms and Conditions for Web Services.
Payment Obligations, Renewals, and Cancellations
- Website Development Payment Obligations: A down payment is required to begin development of your website. This is usually 50% of the upfront design fee, unless an alternative contract or proposal specifies a different amount. The outstanding balance on your website is due after the design, navigation and pages have been approved and built. Final payment is due regardless of whether all content for the pages has been sent by the client. We will set up a meeting to review the site in its entirety. Issues not brought up at this time will not be considered part of the development phase. Failure to respond within 5 days after the final meeting, will result in the site being deemed complete. Any changes past this point are subject to an hourly or bulk hour rate of $45.00 or higher.
- This provision is in place to encourage the client to get content submitted promptly so that their site can go live. It also ensures that Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC gets paid for performing their duty under the proposal, despite tardy content from the client. In the event an “under construction” page is posted due to missing content, Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC will post ONE copy of any text/pictures on existing pages only, for up to 3 months after publish date. After the three months have expired, content posted to site will be billable at our current regular hourly rate. If design and navigation changes are requested by client after they have been specifically approved by the client, these changes will be billable at our current regular hourly rate. Payment will be made via direct deposit only. Payments made via PayPal or other similar payment processing portals will be subject to a 4% fee.
- Website Development Cancellation: If site design and development work has already begun (such as creating a design concept), then the down payment is non-refundable. Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC may elect at its sole discretion to offer a partial refund depending upon the circumstances.
- Stock Photography Payment Obligations: Stock photography includes most photos and/or images not provided by the client. Stock photography purchased on behalf of client for use in website development is billable. This amount is separate from the amount quoted for website design and development. Some pictures are more expensive than others, in which case we will solicit client approval and communicate the cost to purchase photos before purchasing. Photo touch up of your photos is not included in the build price and will be billed separately. If payment is not received for photos touched up at client request, photos will be taken down and either stock images or the former image will be put in its place.
- Description of Ongoing Costs: There are 3 types of ongoing costs: domain registration/renewal and hosting and maintenance.
- Domain name registration/renewal: This cost recurs annually. Domain name registration gives you exclusive rights to a certain name, such as www.mygroup.org, so that you can use it for your web-based purposes. You are NOT required to register a domain through us, but we strongly PREFER that you do. Many services are not honest in the way they sell names and we spend a lot of time helping people re-secure rights to the name they thought they had already purchased. If you have registered your own name, make sure you have yourself as the Registrant and Administrative Contact with a current, easily accessible email address. This will help to ensure that your domain can be renewed or transferred should the need arise. Domain name registration fees are not refundable.
- Hosting: This cost recurs annually. Hosting places the website on a server connected to the web, which allows you to post a website for viewing through a browser. You are NOT required to host through us, but we strongly PREFER that you do. Hosting comes with domain-based emails, bandwidth, storage space, database and security tools, and other features. Projects that involve custom programming must be hosted with Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC to ensure the programs that we write will work. If you want to host your site on another server this must be disclosed before we begin programming.
- Hosting Renewal Payment Obligations: Your hosting account will be automatically renewed unless you give written notice to Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC fifteen (15) days before the renewal date that you do not wish to renew the account. If payment is not receive within 10 days of site renewal, your site will be taken offline until payment is received and site is transferred into your name at our transfer rate of $200.00
- Hosting Cancellation Payment Obligations: You may cancel at any time. If you cancel before the first 30 days from the opening of your account, please refer to the details under “Limited 30-day Money Back Guarantee.” If you cancel after the first 30 days, you will be obligated to pay all fees and charges accrued prior to the effective date of the cancellation. Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC will refund the prepaid fees for basic hosting for the full months remaining after effective date of the cancellation, less any prior fees and charges, and an early cancellation fee of $75. Accounts that are terminated by Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC for abuse or violations of internet standards or these terms and conditions will not receive any refund. All cancellations must be received in writing according to the deadlines indicated: regular mail and e-mail are acceptable. Phone requests will not constitute acceptance of any cancellation. Refunds will be issued back to you within 10 business days from your cancellation date.
- Hosting Transfer Payment Obligations: If you wish to transfer your hosting to another provider Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC can, upon request, assist with this. There may be charges related to any transfer that cannot be easily facilitated by providing cpanel access and/or ftp access.
- Limited 30-day Money Back Guarantee on Hosting: If you are not completely satisfied with our services within the first 30 days from the opening of the account, you will be given a refund on your hosting fee excluding setup fees and time accrued from setup date. If paid by credit card, refunds will be issued to the original credit card provided at the time of purchase. If your account has been cancelled by us due to a breach of the terms and conditions on your part, you will not be eligible for a refund. Domain name registration is non-refundable.
- Sites NOT Hosted by Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC: Should client decide to host their site on another server, Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC cannot guarantee that all elements of the site will work. Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC will make a reasonable effort to research the problem on the foreign platform to let the client know what we think the problem is. However, we cannot take responsibility for problems caused by or on another hosting server, including but not limited to email, FTP, SSL, database, server software, and site security issues. If Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC believes it will take a significant amount of time to fix the problem, we will advise the client before proceeding. In most cases, fixing problems on a foreign hosting server is billable.
- Website Maintenance: There are no required maintenance fees other than domain registration and hosting. Most people do some work on their site every year, for which we offer several plans. We can make certain parts of the site updatable by you by implementing a custom Content Management System. For work we do on the site after going live, we charge on an hourly basis. If you expect that maintenance will be a regular occurrence, you can buy a prepaid maintenance contract that affords a discounted hourly rate. If need be, we can customize a maintenance plan for your needs, but no plan is required.
- Website Maintenance Payment Obligations: Depending upon the nature of the website changes, prepayment may be required. Should the client be invoiced after the changes are completed, the invoice is due upon receipt. If payment is not received within 30 days, the site may be taken down until payment is received. After 60 days, there may also be a reposting fee added to the outstanding maintenance invoice balance.
Development Process
- Homepage Design – Once the site design is approved by the client, usually via email consent, the design is considered ready for implementation. Should the client wish to make changes to a design they have approved, those changes are billable at our standard hourly rate.
- Navigation – Once site outline/map is approved by the client, usually via email consent, the site navigation is considered ready for implementation. Combined with the approved graphic design, this becomes the site structure. Once we build this structure per client approval, any subsequent changes are billable at our standard hourly rate.
- Content – Provision of content is customer’s responsibility, unless specifically negotiated ahead of time as part of the project proposal. Harris Consulting Services will not provide grammar or spelling corrections to content supplied by the client. This includes sites that are being transferred from one hosting platform to another. Revisions to pages, outside of the client’s two revision requests, that need to be updated to due grammar or spelling errors is subject to either an hourly rate or will count towards the client’s allotted clock hours.
- Text content – Copy for all website pages and links needs to be delivered digitally and should be carefully proof-read by the client. Two rounds of revisions will be provided free of charge. Subsequent revisions will be billable at our regular hourly rate.
- Copy development – Should client wish Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC to develop content for the site, website copy is billable at our regular hourly rate and not included in the development or maintenance fee. Development of copy is accomplished via Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC Web Development interviewing the client about the topic areas to be addressed on their web pages. Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC then composes appropriate copy, submits to the client for review, edit, and approval. Approved copy is then posted to the web pages.
- Graphical content – Images outside of the website design must be provided in digital form or in a form that can be easily scanned, unless otherwise provided for in customer’s contract. Subsequent revisions will be billable at our regular hourly rate.
- Database Implementation – Entry of data for database applications is considered client’s responsibility. Entry of data by Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC is billable, unless otherwise provided for in customer’s contract.
- Email – We offer free domain-based email accounts to our clients as part of any hosting contract. If site is not hosted by Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC, we take no responsibility for setting up and troubleshooting email problems.
- Training – For websites with administrative control panels or content management systems, a one-hour Basic Training (Editor Access) will be provided. Additional training and/or Advanced Training can be scheduled at an additional fee.
- Technical Support – We offer local and long-distance phone support to our clients.
Training and Tutorials
Because customer service is in integral part of our business strategy, our projects include a one-time complimentary training session in order for our clients to better make use of their new web technology. Additional training hours can be purchased at our standard hourly rate or applied against your existing maintenance contract.
Domain Transfers and DNS Management
For domains not originally registered with Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC, there will be a fee to either transfer to the domain into our registration platform, or to transfer-out to another registrar. If your domain is not registered with Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC, DNS management and troubleshooting tasks are billable at our hourly rate.
Websites with Proprietary Source Code
Should client contract with Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC to write custom code for a website application, this code is not transferable to a new developer or host. Custom written source code is considered the property of Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC Web Development and cannot be shared with other developers. Clients are granted a license to use custom software code while on Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC servers only. Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC Web Development retains ownership of the code.
In some cases, Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC will install software for the client’s use that has been built by a third party. Examples include WordPress software, FCK editor software, shopping carts, photo galleries, etc. In these instances, clients will be subject to the terms and conditions of the third party who owns the software, and may use the software as a licensee only. No ownership rights of any kind are transferred to the client.
Access to or transfer of proprietary source code could result in a security risk to Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC and its clients who are running similar pieces of code. In order to provide custom software development services, clients give us access to private and/or sensitive information, trade secrets, proprietary pricing and business methods. If clients believed that we may be sharing this information with outside developers, they could lose faith that we are protecting their proprietary information. Therefore, neither access nor transfer of any code built for any purpose that is unique and not commonly and publicly available can be granted. Should client want us to build software to run on another server, it must be disclosed upfront and specifically contracted for.
Website components that ARE transferable to another host include html code, graphics, logos, pictures, navigation, text, and the data residing within a database (but not the code). Hourly fees will apply for any special work that needs to be done to transfer those parts of website that do not violate the other paragraphs in this section.
Non-Domain-Based Troubleshooting
Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC Web Development maintains and troubleshoots the websites we develop for our clients, as well as any domain-based email accounts of those websites. We do NOT assume responsibility for upkeep or provide non-billable troubleshooting on our clients’ ISPs (Internet Service Providers), ISP-based email accounts (name@charter.net, name@3rivers.net, etc), your home or office internet connections, or any other non-domain-based issues outside Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC Web Development’s realm of service. Provision of non-domain-based troubleshooting services will be billable at our normal hourly rate.
SEO/SEM
Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC, makes no guarantees for SEO ranking. SEO ranking heavily relies on site content and images corelating to site’s purpose/mission. Since Harris Consulting Services does not create client business names, product names, or main content, they cannot guarantee ranking of such items by Google bots/crawlers. Harris Consulting Services highly recommends that every client familiarizes themselves with SEO/SEM basics prior to building or engaging in the modification of their site, if SEO/SEM is one of their primary objectives. It is not the duties of Harris Consulting Services, aka BH Consulting LLC to educate their clients as to why their site or pages are not performing as client expects but will provide all analytical data paid for by the client.