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Terms and Conditions

1. DEFINITIONS

In this Contract the following terms have the definitions shown next to them:

"Broadband Voice Telephone Adapter" a broadband voice telephone adapter or BT Voyager 220V which may be bought from BT.

"Broadband Voice User Guide" the document detailing how the broadband voice part of the Service may be used, which can be seen at www.bt.com/businessbroadbandvoice.

"BT" British Telecommunications plc of 81 Newgate Street, London EC1A 7AJ, registered in England Number1800000.

"Call" a signal, message or communication that is silent, spoken or visual.

"Conditions" these terms and conditions for BT's business service.

"Contract" these Conditions and the Price List. This Contract begins on the date that BT accepts the Customer's request for the Service.

"Customer" the person with whom BT contracts to provide the Service.

"Customer Equipment" equipment that is not part of BT's network (including the Broadband Voice Telephone Adapter and / or a Personal Computer) and which the Customer uses or plans to use with the Service.

"Customer Information" the information which the Customer provides to BT when registering for the Service.

"Hosted VOIP User Guide" the document detailing how the hosted VOIP part of the Service may be used, which can be seen at www.bt.com/businessbroadbandvoice.

"Minimum Period" the first 3 months of the Service, (or any other period shown in the Price List).

"Office Communicator User Guide" the document detailing how the office communicator part of the Service may be used, which can be seen at www.btbroadbandoffice.com/btoc/userguide.

"Personal Computer" a personal computer which complies with the minimum requirements set out in the Office Communicator User Guide and also has installed on it the BT provided software which allows the Customer to use the Service from a personal computer.

"Premises" the place in the United Kingdom at which BT agrees to provide the Service.

"Price List" the document containing a list of BT's charges and terms that apply to the Service and which can be seen at: http://www.bt.com/pricing (or any other on-line address that BT may advise the Customer) or by visiting one of BT's main offices.

"Primary Line" the Customer's primary BT Business PSTN line.

"Service" the facility to make or receive a Call (or both) using a suitably enabled broadband line in the United Kingdom and any related services listed in the Price List, the Hosted VOIP User Guide, and / or the Office Communicator User Guide that BT agrees to provide to the Customer under this Contract.

"User Guide" collectively the Broadband Voice User Guide, the Hosted VOIP User Guide and the Office Communicator User Guide.

"User ID" the identification number provided to the Customer by BT for the purposes of security in the provision of the Service.

2. PROVIDING THE SERVICE
2.1 BT will provide the Service at the Premises by the date agreed with the Customer. However, if the Customer later moves from the Premises and BT is able to provide the Service at the Customer's new address, then the Customer's Contract with BT will continue.
2.2 In order for BT to provide the Service, the Customer will need:-
(a) to provide BT with the details of its Primary Line;
(b) a suitably enabled BT Business Broadband connection
(c) a Broadband Voice Telephone Adapter; and / or
(d) the Customer Equipment set out in the User Guide
The Customer will need to install the Customer Equipment and, where required, download the Office Communicator software. The Customer agrees to follow any reasonable instructions, including any installation or security instructions, that BT may give about the Service.
2.3 BT aims to provide a continuous service to the Customer, but the Service may impair, or be impaired by, the uploading or downloading of data and / or the making or receiving of simultaneous Calls using the same broadband enabled connection, or by other circumstances beyond its reasonable control.
2.4 Occasionally, for operational reasons, BT may have to change the codes or the numbers given to the Customer, or interrupt the Service. BT will restore the interrupted Service as quickly as possible.
2.5 The ability to make 999 or 112 emergency calls cannot be guaranteed. If the Customer uses the Service to make emergency calls, the location information received by the emergency services will be limited to the installation address of the Primary Line, which may not be the location from which the call originated. Emergency calls may fail if there is a power failure or broadband connection failure. Wherever possible alternative arrangements should be made and a primary telephone line maintained.
2.6 The Service will not work in the event of a power failure or a broadband connection failure.
2.7 The Customer may only access the Service through the software provided and must not attempt to circumvent any security measures.
2.8 The Customer accepts that occasionally BT will provide instructions regarding the Service. The Customer must follow these instructions.
2.9 BT may take instructions from a person who it thinks, with good reason, is acting with the Customer's permission.
2.10 The Service includes a telephone number. The Customer does not own any number nor has any right to sell or to agree to transfer any number provided to it by BT.

3. MANAGING THE SERVICE

BT will use all reasonable endeavours to correct any reported fault as soon as reasonably practicable.

4. MONITORING CALLS
BT monitors and records calls relating to customer services and telemarketing. BT does this for training purposes and to improve the quality of its customer services. BT also records all calls to the 999 or 112 service.

5. CUSTOMER EQUIPMENT
5.1 If the Customer wishes to connect Customer Equipment to BT's network other than as set out in the User Guide, the Customer must get BT's permission.
5.2 Any Customer Equipment must be:
(a) technically compatible with the Service and not harm BT's network or another customer's equipment; and
(b) connected and used in line with any relevant instructions, standards or laws.
5.3 The Customer must ensure that any Personal Computer, data and other Customer Equipment used in connection with the Service is secure and protected from any risks (including viruses) that downloading any software may involve, by installing appropriate software.

6. MISUSING THE SERVICE
6.1 Nobody must use the Service:
(a) to make offensive, indecent, menacing, nuisance or hoax Calls;
(b) fraudulently or in connection with a criminal offence;
(c) to send, knowingly receive, upload, download, or use any material which is offensive, abusive, indecent, defamatory, obscene or menacing, or in breach of copyright, confidence, privacy or any other rights;
(d) to cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety;
(e) to spam or to send or provide unsolicited advertising or promotional material or, knowingly to receive responses to any spam, unsolicited advertising or promotional material sent or provided by any third party;
(f) in any way which in BT's opinion is, or is likely to be, detrimental to the provision of the service to the Customer or any of BT's other customers;
(g) in an unlawful manner, in contravention of any legislation, laws, licence or third party rights or in contravention of BT's acceptable use policies located at http://www.abuse-guidance.com/ as may be amended from time to time (the acceptable use policies also specify actions BT may take to ensure the Customer's compliance and by accepting these terms the Customer authorises BT to take such actions); or
(h) in a way that does not comply with any instructions BT has given to the Customer.
The Customer agrees to take all reasonable steps to make sure that this does not happen. The action BT can take if this happens is explained in paragraph 12. If a claim is made against BT because the Service is misused in this way, the Customer must reimburse BT in respect of any sums BT is obliged to pay.
6.2 The Customer accepts that nobody must advertise the phone number for the Service in or on a BT phone box without BT's consent. If this happens, BT may suspend the Service or end this Contract, but BT will write to the Customer before taking this action.

7. SECURITY
7.1 The Customer is responsible for the security and proper use of all User IDs and passwords and must take all necessary steps to ensure that they are kept confidential, secure, used properly and not disclosed to unauthorised people.
7.2 Customer must immediately inform BT of any changes to the Customer Information.
7.3 If any Customer Equipment is lost, stolen or likely to be used in an unauthorised manner the Customer will be responsible for any charges incurred until the Customer has informed BT.

8. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
8.1 Where software is provided to enable the Customer to use the Service, it is provided for the Customer's own use and BT grants the Customer a non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use the software for that purpose. The Customer must not sell, transfer, assign or sub-licence such software to anyone else.
8.2 The Customer will not, without BT's prior written consent, copy or (except as permitted by law) decompile or modify the software, nor copy the User Guide or any other manuals or documentation.
8.3 BT may update the software used in the Service during the Contract. The Customer agrees to download the updated software in accordance with BT's instructions, as soon as BT informs the Customer to do so. Failure to do so may impair the Customer's ability to use the Service. The terms and conditions of this Contract will apply to any updated software.
8.4 The Customer will sign any agreement reasonably required by the owner of the copyright in the software to protect the owner's interest in that software.

9. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHT INDEMNITIES
9.1 BT will indemnify the Customer against all claims and proceedings arising from infringement of any intellectual property rights by reason of BT's provision of the Service to the Customer. As a condition of this indemnity the Customer must:
  (a) notify BT promptly in writing of any allegation of infringement;
(b) make no admission relating to the infringement;
(c) allow BT to conduct all negotiations and proceedings and give BT all reasonable assistance in doing so (BT will pay the Customer's reasonable expenses for such assistance); and
(d) allow BT to modify the Service, or any item provided as part of the Service, so as to avoid the infringement, provided that the modification does not materially affect the performance of the Service.
9.2 The indemnity in paragraph 9.1 does not apply to infringements caused by the use of the Service in conjunction with other equipment, software or services not supplied by BT or to infringements caused by designs or specifications made by, or on behalf of, the Customer. The Customer will indemnify BT against all claims, proceedings and expenses arising from such infringements.
9.3 The limitations and exclusions of liability contained in paragraph 13 do not apply to this paragraph.

10. CHARGES AND DEPOSITS
10.1 The Customer agrees to pay all charges for the Service as shown in the Price List (or as otherwise agreed) and calculated using the details recorded by BT.
10.2 Rental charges will normally be invoiced quarterly in advance, and call charges will normally be invoiced quarterly in arrears. Where possible the charges will appear on the Customer's next invoice but sometimes there may be a delay.
10.3 BT will send its first invoice shortly after providing the Service, and then at regular intervals, usually every three months. Sometimes BT may send the Customer an invoice at a different time.
10.4 BT will send invoices for the Service to the address requested by the Customer. The Customer may also view its invoices on line at: http://www.bt.com/pricing .
10.5 The Customer agrees to pay all charges for the Service whether the Service is used by the Customer or someone else and upon receipt of BT's invoice.
10.6 In some cases the Customer may need to pay a deposit or provide a guarantee as security for paying future charges.

11. CANCELLING OR ENDING THIS CONTRACT
11.1 The Customer may cancel this Contract or any part of the Service at any time before BT provides the Service. In this event the Customer must pay BT for any work done or money spent in getting ready to provide the Service. BT will take reasonable steps to limit the amount of its costs.
11.2 This Contract can be ended by:
(a) the Customer on seven days written notice to BT; or
(b) BT on one month's written notice to the Customer.
11.3 If this Contract ends during the Minimum Period the Customer must pay BT the rental charges shown in the Price List for the remainder of the Minimum Period. This is not the case if the Customer does so because BT increases its charges, or changes the Conditions in either case to the Customer's significant disadvantage.
11.4 If this Contract ends, BT will refund any money owed to the Customer, after first deducting any money the Customer owes to BT under this Contract or any other agreement BT has with the Customer.

12. IF THE CUSTOMER BREAKS THIS CONTRACT
12.1 BT can suspend the Service or end this Contract (or both) at any time without notice if one of the following applies:
  (a) the Customer breaches this Contract or any other agreement the Customer has with BT and fails to put right the breach within a reasonable time of being asked to do so;
(b) BT reasonably believes that the Service is being used in a way forbidden by paragraph 6.1. This applies even if the Customer does not know that the Service is being used in such a way;
(c) bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings are brought against the Customer; or if the Customer does not make any payment under a judgement of a Court on time, or makes an arrangement with its creditors; or a receiver, an administrative receiver or an administrator is appointed over any of its assets; or the Customer goes into liquidation; or a corresponding event under Scottish law.
12.2 If the Customer does not pay a bill, BT will generally not suspend the Service or end this Contract until 28 days after the payment was due (21 days if the Customer pays monthly). However, sometimes BT may take this action after only 14 days (7 days if the Customer pays monthly).
12.3 If the Service is suspended, BT will tell the Customer what needs to be done before it can be re-instated. However the Customer must continue to pay rental charges whilst this Contract continues.
12.4 If either party delays in acting upon a breach of this Contract that delay will not be regarded as a waiver of that breach. If either party waives a breach of this Contract that waiver is limited to that particular breach.

13. LIMITS OF LIABILITY
13.1 BT accepts unlimited liability for death or personal injury resulting from its negligence.
13.2 BT accepts liability for loss or damage to the Customer's physical property arising from its negligence, up to £1million in any 12 month period.
13.3 BT cannot guarantee that the Service will never be faulty. BT is not liable to the Customer for any loss of business, revenue, profit or expected savings, wasted expense, financial loss or data being lost or corrupted or for any loss that could not have been reasonably foreseen.
13.4 Unless paragraph 13.1 and 13.2 apply, BT's liability to the Customer in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise in relation to this Contract is limited to £250,000 in any 12 month period.
13.5 Each provision of this Contract that excludes or limits BT's liability operates separately. If any part is disallowed or is not effective, the other parts will still apply.

14. MATTERS BEYOND BT'S REASONABLE CONTROL

14.1 Sometimes BT may be unable to do what it has agreed because of something beyond its reasonable control.
14.2 If this happens, BT is not liable to the Customer.

15. RESOLVING DISPUTES
BT will try to resolve any disputes with the Customer. However, if the parties cannot agree, the Customer may refer the dispute to any recognised dispute resolution service. Details of these and how to refer a dispute are set out in BT's Code of Practice for consumers and small businesses.

16. CHANGES TO THIS CONTRACT
16.1 BT can change the Conditions (including the charges) at any time.
16.2 BT will publish details on line at: www.bt.com/pricing at least 2 weeks before the change is to take effect.

17. TRANSFERRING THIS CONTRACT
The Customer cannot transfer or try to transfer this Contract, or any part of it, to anyone else.

18. THIRD PARTY RIGHTS
The parties agree that the terms of this Contract are not enforceable by a third party under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

19. NOTICES
If the parties need to write to each other they must do so as follows:-
  (a) to BT at the address shown on the bill or any address which BT provides to the Customer;
(b) to the Customer at the address to which the Customer asks BT to send invoices, if the Customer is a limited company, its registered office.

20. ENTIRE AGREEMENT
20.1 This Contract contains the whole agreement between the parties and supersedes all previous written or oral agreements relating to its subject matter.
20.2 The parties acknowledge and agree that:
  (a) the parties have not been induced to enter into this Contract by any representation, warranty or other assurance not expressly incorporated into it; and
(b) in connection with this Contract the only rights and remedies of the parties in relation to any representation, warranty or other assurance are for breach of this Contract and that all other rights and remedies are excluded.
20.3 Nothing contained in paragraphs 20.1 and 20.2 above shall affect the rights or remedies of the parties in respect of any fraudulent misrepresentation.