Terms and Conditions

Effective Date: [Insert Date]

These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern the relationship between The Historic Investigation Agency (“we”, “us”, or “our”) and you, the client (“you” or “your”), in connection with the provision of genealogical research services. By placing an order, you agree to these Terms.

1. Contact Information

The Historic Investigation Agency
Email: thehistoricinvestigationagency@gmail.com
Address: [Insert Address]
Governing Law: England and Wales

2. Services Provided

We offer three core services:

Package 1 – Surname Trace: Includes a family chart with surname chart for both parental lines, accompanied by written commentary.
Package 2 – Family Lineage: A more detailed lineage chart for both parental lines, with accompanying commentary.
Consultancy Service: A fixed-fee one-on-one consultation via Zoom, Teams, or email correspondence (£25.00 per hour).

All services are provided digitally, in JPEG and PDF format.

3. Ordering & Payment Process

To initiate a service, you must complete the relevant Google Form and submit the required information. A non-refundable deposit of 50% of the total fee is payable upfront via PayPal.

This deposit covers the feasibility review and initial research stage.

Once the final product is complete, the remaining balance must be paid before the materials are released.

4. Delivery & Turnaround

Typical turnaround is 1–2 weeks from receipt of the deposit and required information.
We guarantee delivery within 3 weeks. If this cannot be met, a full refund will be offered.
Delivery is by email or secure download.

5. Refunds and Cancellations

Refunds will be considered on a case-by-case basis. We may offer:

A full refund if we are unable to carry out the research.
A partial refund if only part of the agreed service can be delivered (e.g., one parental line traced).
A free consultancy call if you are not satisfied with the outcome, to discuss next steps and possible improvements.

Refunds are not available due to unmet expectations where research was conducted appropriately but records were limited.

6. Client Responsibilities

Clients must:

Provide accurate and honest information to the best of their knowledge.
Provide consent for the use of any personal, familial, or documentary data shared with us.

7. Assumptions and Limitations

Our research involves professional judgement and interpretation, especially where official records are incomplete, ambiguous, or absent.
Where necessary, we may make informed assumptions about family connections, which will be explained in the final report.
We do not guarantee that all family lines or surnames can be traced due to historical record limitations.

8. Intellectual Property

All materials, including charts and reports, are the intellectual property of The Historic Investigation Agency.

Clients may share or publish the work with proper credit (e.g., “Research conducted by The Historic Investigation Agency”).
Commercial reproduction or resale is not permitted without prior written permission.

9. Ongoing Support

After final delivery, clients are entitled to 30 minutes of free follow-up consultancy, either via one call or accumulated correspondence time. Beyond this, additional support is available at £25.00/hour.

10. Limitation of Liability

While we make every effort to provide accurate, thorough, and well-supported research:

We do not guarantee completeness or total accuracy, especially where records are sparse or inconsistent.
Our liability is limited to the amount paid for the service in question.
We are not responsible for any indirect, incidental, or consequential losses.

11. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms periodically. The most recent version will always be available on request or on our website.
Reviews will take place at least every 6 months.

12. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.