Terms and conditions

1. About these terms

• Website Lane is the trading name of Manpreet Rana, a sole trader based in Auckland, New Zealand (“I”, “me”). “You” means the person or business I’m doing work for, or anyone using this website.
• These terms apply together with your written quote. If the two conflict, the quote applies.
• I may update these terms from time to time. Changes never apply to work you’ve already agreed to — the terms published when you accepted your quote apply to that work.

2. Quotes and getting started

• Quotes are free and valid for 30 days unless the quote says otherwise.
• You accept a quote by confirming in writing — email, text message or WhatsApp is fine — and paying any deposit due. Work starts once both have happened.
• The Starter Website price ($300) and inclusions are as shown on the pricing page when you accept.

3. What’s included

The Starter Website ($300, one-off) includes:

• One custom web page with up to 5 sections — for example intro, services, about, photos and contact
• A responsive design that works on phones, tablets and computers
• Your branding, images and content, put together professionally — with light editing of your text
• Tap-to-call, email and social media links, plus a link to your location on Google Maps
• A working enquiry form that sends messages to your inbox
• Basic on-page SEO: page title, description, headings, image descriptions and fast loading
• Google Search Console set up when your site goes live
• Two rounds of revisions before launch
• Help connecting your domain and deploying your site — once you’ve approved it and the balance is paid

It doesn’t include:

• Domain name and hosting fees
• Extra pages — quoted before any work starts
• Advanced booking systems or e-commerce features
• Logo design
• Extensive copywriting
• Photography
• Ongoing services such as maintenance, SEO or advertising

• A round of changes is one set of feedback sent together. The Starter Website includes 2 rounds before launch.
• Extra rounds, or changes that go beyond the agreed scope (like new sections, pages or features), are extra. I’ll always tell you the cost and get your OK before doing them.
• For bigger websites and other services, the scope is whatever your written quote describes.

4. Payment

• All prices are in New Zealand dollars. I’m not registered for GST, so no GST is charged. If that changes, I’ll tell you before quoting.
• Starter Website: a $150 deposit (50%) before work starts, and the remaining $150 once you’ve approved the finished site, before it goes live.
• Other work: as set out in your quote. Invoices are due within 7 days unless the quote says otherwise.
• If a payment is overdue, I may pause work, hold off launching, or pause an ongoing service until it’s paid. I’ll always tell you before I do.
• Costs charged by other providers — such as your domain name, hosting, advertising spend, software or stock images — are paid by you, directly to the provider wherever possible.

5. Approval and going live

• I’ll share a private preview of your website for you to review on your own phone and computer.
• Your website only goes live once you’ve told me in writing that you’re happy with it, and the full price has been paid.
• Approving the site means you’ve checked its content — spelling, prices, opening hours, contact details and any claims about your business. Changes after launch may be charged, unless they fix a fault in my work.

6. Your part

• Send the content I need — such as your text, logo, photos and business details — and reply to questions and feedback within a reasonable time.
• Make sure the content you give me is accurate and lawful. You’re responsible for what your website says about your business, including prices, qualifications, licences and any claims or reviews.
• You confirm you own, or have permission to use, everything you give me (for example photos, logos and text), and that using it won’t break anyone else’s rights. If someone makes a claim against me because of content you supplied, you’ll cover my reasonable costs of dealing with it.
• If I don’t hear from you for 60 days during a project, I may close it. Work done until then is still payable — for the Starter Website, that’s covered by the deposit — and restarting may need a new quote.
• Share logins and access securely (never by plain email if you can avoid it), and keep your own passwords safe. I’ll never ask for card or bank details through this website.

7. Domains, hosting and other providers

• Your domain name should be registered in your own (or your business’s) name, so you always control it. I can help you set it up, but you are the registrant.
• Hosting companies, domain registrars, email providers, Google, Meta and other platforms have their own terms and fees. I’m not responsible for their outages, price changes, policy changes or account decisions — but I’ll help you sort out problems where I can.
• Your website’s visitors and enquiries are your responsibility — including having your own privacy policy where you collect personal information. I’m happy to help you write a simple one.

8. Ownership of your website

• Until you’ve paid in full, I own the design and code I’ve created for you.
• Once you’ve paid in full, you own the custom design and source code I created specifically for your website, and I’ll give you a copy of the source code.
• Anything made by others — such as fonts, icons, stock images, plugins or open-source code — stays under its own licence, and you’ll need to follow that licence.
• I keep ownership of my general tools, templates, code snippets, methods and know-how that I use across projects. You get a permanent, free licence to use them as part of your website.
• Content you give me stays yours. You allow me to use it to build, launch and look after your website.
• I won’t show your website in my portfolio or marketing unless you say I can.

9. Ongoing services

For website maintenance, local SEO, Google Ads, Facebook & Instagram ads and social media management:

• The scope, fee and start date are set out in your quote.
• Either of us can end an ongoing service by giving 30 days’ written notice, unless your quote says otherwise. Fees for work done up to the end date are payable.
• Advertising spend is paid by you directly to Google or Meta. Your ad and business accounts stay in your name, and I use the access you give me. You can remove my access at any time.
• I only publish posts or ads you’ve approved, unless you’ve told me in writing that I don’t need to ask first.

10. No guaranteed results

I’ll do every job with reasonable care and skill. But no one can honestly guarantee search rankings, website traffic, enquiries, sales or advertising results — they depend on things outside my control, like Google, Meta, your competitors and your market. I don’t promise them, and I’ll always be straight with you about what’s realistic.

11. Cancelling a project

• You can cancel at any time by telling me in writing.
• If you cancel before I’ve started work, I’ll refund your deposit in full.
• If you cancel after I’ve started, the deposit isn’t refundable, because it covers the time already spent. For bigger projects, work done up to that point is payable as set out in your quote.
• I may end a project if a payment is well overdue, if I don’t hear from you for 60 days, or if I’m asked to do something unlawful or misleading. I’ll refund anything you’ve paid for work I haven’t done.
• If I can’t finish your project for my own reasons, I’ll refund what you’ve paid for work not completed and give you what’s been built so far.

12. If something goes wrong

• If something I built doesn’t work as we agreed, tell me and I’ll fix it promptly at no cost.
• As far as the law allows, I’m not liable for indirect or consequential loss — such as lost profits, revenue, data or business opportunities.
• As far as the law allows, my total liability for any claim about a project is limited to the amount you paid me for that project, or, for an ongoing service, the fees you paid in the three months before the claim.
• I’m not liable for delays or failures caused by events outside my reasonable control.
• Nothing in these terms limits any rights you have that the law says can’t be excluded.

13. Your rights under consumer law

• If you’re buying as a consumer (for personal or household use), you have rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 and the Fair Trading Act 1986. Nothing in these terms takes those rights away.
• Most clients buy for their business. If you’re getting my services for the purposes of a business, we agree that the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 doesn’t apply (as allowed by section 43 of that Act), and that this is fair and reasonable. You still have the refund and fix commitments in sections 11 and 12 of these terms.

14. Confidentiality and privacy

• I keep your business information confidential and only use it to do your work — unless you agree otherwise or the law requires me to share it.
• If I handle your customers’ personal information while working for you (for example, enquiries through a form I set up), I only use it to provide the service and never sell or share it.
• My privacy policy explains how I handle personal information.

15. Sorting out disagreements

• If something isn’t right, please talk to me first — most things can be sorted quickly.
• If we can’t agree within 20 working days, either of us can suggest mediation with an independent mediator we both agree on, sharing the cost equally, before taking further action.
• Nothing stops either of us going to the Disputes Tribunal or seeking urgent relief from a court.

16. Using this website

• You’re welcome to browse this website and use the quote form, phone, email or WhatsApp links to get in touch. Please don’t misuse it — for example by trying to disrupt it, gain unauthorised access or send spam.
• The information here is general and isn’t advice for your particular situation. The example designs on the Examplespage are original illustrations, not real businesses or client projects.
• The text, design, graphics and logo on this website belong to Website Lane. Please don’t copy or reuse them without permission.
• Links to other websites are for convenience. I’m not responsible for their content or privacy practices.

17. General

• Your quote and these terms are the whole agreement between us about the work.
• Written communication — including email, text message and WhatsApp — counts as “in writing” for these terms, including approvals and notices.
• I do the work on your project myself, and won’t pass it to anyone else without your agreement.
• You can’t transfer your agreement to someone else without my agreement.
• If any part of these terms can’t be enforced, the rest still applies.
• If either of us doesn’t enforce a term straight away, we can still enforce it later.
• These terms are governed by New Zealand law, and New Zealand courts and tribunals deal with any dispute.

Questions?

Email sales@websitelane.nz or call 022 393 5450 — happy to explain anything here before you go ahead.