1. APPLICATION, DEFINITIONS AND ENTIRE AGREEMENT

1. Definitions:

Company/Service Provider: Darren Bentley trading as Ashford Lasers of 10 Deyley Way, Ashford, Kent, TN23 5HX (we, us or our).

Client/Customer: The person, firm or business buying the Services/Goods (you or your).

Services/Goods: Laser cutting, laser engraving, metal marking, artwork preparation and materials provided by the Company.

Contract: The agreement between the Company and the Client formed by these Terms and Conditions and our formal quotation.

2. Application: These Terms apply strictly to all quotations, sales and the supply of Services and Goods by Ashford Lasers to business customers.

3. Entire Agreement: You are deemed to accept these Terms upon written confirmation of our quotation, payment of an invoice or performance of Services (whichever happens first). This Contract forms the entire agreement between us and excludes any terms you seek to impose, or which are implied by trade, custom, practice or course of dealing.

2. QUOTATIONS, INVOICING AND ADVANCE PAYMENT

1. Quotations: Formal quotations are valid for 30 calendar days from issue unless withdrawn earlier. Quotes cover only items explicitly listed; additional services (e.g., assembly, hand-finishing, custom packaging) will incur extra charges.

2. Pricing & VAT: Prices are in GBP (British Pounds). Ashford Lasers is not currently registered for VAT and does not add VAT to listed fees.

3. Automated Invoicing: Upon acceptance of a quotation, an automated invoice is generated.

4. Advance Payment Requirement: Payment is due immediately upon receipt of invoice. The contract is accepted on the strict understanding that no work will commence, materials will not be allocated, and machine time will not be scheduled until full cleared payment has been received.

5. Payment Methods: Payments must be made by BACS bank transfer or secure card link free of any deduction or set-off. Time for payment is of the essence. Late payments accrue statutory interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, alongside reasonable recovery costs.

3. DRAWINGS, ARTWORK AND FILE SPECIFICATIONS

1. Digital Artwork Requirement: You are solely responsible for providing complete, accurate vector files scaled 1:1 in millimetres (mm) as specified in our Design File Preparation Policy.

2. Writing Only: Instructions, changes or revisions to artwork specifications must be submitted in writing. Verbal instructions will not be accepted.

3. File Corrections & Drawing Charges: If artwork provided is incorrect, non-vector, annotated or unscaled, we may adjust or vectorise the drawing at our standard hourly shop rate. Drawing work is chargeable even if the main project does not proceed.

4. File Accuracy Liability: We cut, engrave and mark strictly to your supplied artwork. We accept no responsibility for scrap material, defects or incorrect dimensions resulting from errors in your design files (including unclosed paths, overlapping lines, scaling errors or missing font outlines).

5. File Retention: Artwork files are stored for the duration of the current job only, unless a separate written archiving agreement is made.

4. MATERIALS & MANUFACTURING SPECIFICATIONS

1. Company-Supplied Materials: We source laser-grade materials in good faith. However, natural materials (wood, leather) and manufactured materials (e.g., Cast Perspex/Acrylic) carry inherent manufacturing tolerances (e.g., ISO 7823-1 permits acrylic thickness variations of +10% + 0.4mm). We are not responsible for pre-checking sheet variations unless specifically hired to perform tolerance testing.

2. Inherent Process Characteristics: Laser processing is a thermal process. Minor edge burn/heat-affected zones, protective film melting, smoke staining and minor kerf width taper are normal process characteristics. Protective backing tape is left intact for you to peel post-delivery unless finishing services are quoted.

3. Customer-Supplied Material (Free-Issue):

a. Safety Guarantee: You warrant that customer-supplied stock is safe for laser processing and strictly free from PVC, Vinyl or halogenated compounds which emit toxic chlorine gas.

b. Damage & Spoilage Liability: Laser processing carried setup risks. While we use reasonable care, we accept no financial liability for damage, distortion or scrap of Customer-Supplied Material during trial passes or production runs. You must supply a 10-15% extra scrap allowance.

c. Material Storage & Disposal: Customer-supplied material must be used within 30 days of arrival. After 90 days, we reserve the right to charge storage fees or dispose of uncollected material.

5. PACKING, DELIVERY AND PASSING OF RISK (EX WORKS)

1. Ex Works (EXW): Risk of accidental loss, damage or destruction of Goods passes to you the moment the Goods leave our premises (Incoterms EXW).

2. Transit Damage: If Goods arrive damaged in transit, claims must be made against the courier's insurance in the first instance. We will assist where possible, including offering priority re-cuts at reduced rates.

3. Collections: Collection from our premises is strictly by prior appointment only.

6. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & PROMOTIONAL USE

1. Client IP: You retain ownership of your design artwork and guarantee that your designs do not infringe third-party copyrights, patents or trademarks. You agree to fully indemnify us against any third-party IP claims.

2. Company IP: Custom tooling, jigs, modified vector paths or processing profiles created by Ashford Lasers remain our sole intellectual property.

3. Promotional Photography: We reserve the right to photograph finished parts, or processing runs and use the imagery on our digital portfolio and social media accounts. If you require confidentiality, you must notify us in writing prior to production.

7. REPLACEMENTS, REFUNDS AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

1. Company Errors: If an error occurs due to machine fault, operator error or wrong material supplied by us, we will remake the affective parts or issue a full refund within 28 days.

2. Client/Artwork Errors: If processing issues stem from incorrect artwork, unexpected material behaviour or misinterpretation of laser guidelines, costs for remake with be charged to the Client.

3. Consequential Loss Exclude: Our total maximum liability shall be strictly limited to the total Fees paid by you for the specific job. We are not liable for indirect, special or consequential losses, including loss of profit, loss of business, production downtime or third-party claims.

8. FORCE MAJEURE

1. Force Majeure: Neither party is liable for delays or failures resulting from causes beyond reasonable control (including power outages, machine breakdowns, severe weather, material supply chain failures or government restrictions).

2. Law & Jurisdiction: This Contract shall be governed by and interpreted according to the law of England and Wales, and both parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

Dated: 1^st August 2026