Terms and Conditions

Welcome to the Book Club Buddies® terms and conditions (Terms). These Terms set out both your and our legal rights and responsibilities and certain key information required by law. If you sign up for one of our book clubs then you agree to be legally bound by these Terms. In these Terms:

• ‘We’, ‘us’ or ‘our’ means Lizzy Laymond trading as Book Club Buddies®;
• ‘You’ or ‘your’ means the parent or guardian buying a book club from us;
• ‘book club’ means any of our online book clubs which we may operate from time to time;
• ‘book club materials’ means any course materials which may be accessible via our website bookclubbuddies.com or which we may provide to you, and which may be revised and updated from time to time;
• ‘Buddy Guide’ means our guidelines for children participating on one of our book clubs.
• ‘Terms” mean these Terms and Conditions.
• ‘video platform’ means the third party video platform we use from time to time to host book clubs over, for example Zoom.com.

1. About us and contacting us Book Club Buddies® is a business setup in 2021 by Lizzy Laymond a qualified primary school teacher living in London. If you want to talk to us then please email us at: info@bookclubbuddies.com. We will endeavour to respond to all emails within four hours of receipt during our office hours: Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm (London time) (excluding bank or public holidays in the UK).
2. Your privacy and personal information
   1. Our Privacy Policy is available at https://bookclubbuddies.com/privacy-policy/.
   2. Your privacy and personal information are important to us and we are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office under registration number: ZB182788. Any personal information that you provide to us will be dealt with in line with our Privacy Policy, which explains what personal information we collect from you, how and why we collect, store, use and share such information, your rights in relation to your personal information and how to contact us if you have a query or complaint about the use of your personal information.
   3. At the date of these Terms, as all books clubs are being personally provided by Lizzy Laymond, we are not recording book clubs.
3. The Teachers of Book Club Buddies®
   1. All book clubs are led by UK qualified teachers who have been DBS checked. Initially, all book clubs will be provided by Lizzy Laymond herself personally.
   2. We are a member of the Tutors’ Association and adhere to their Code of Practice for Tutors and Tutoring Companies.
4. The Buddy Guide The Buddy Guide sets out our guidelines for how we operate our book clubs and what makes a successful book club. Parents and children should read the Buddy Guide so that all children participating on a book club can maximise their benefit and enjoyment from the book club for themselves and other book club participants.
5. Book Club Timetable
   1. All our book clubs operate over five, 45 minute sessions. The specific dates and times are set and based on the time and date of the book club you enrol on. Following each book club session we may contact you (for example by text message, WhatsApp or email) to let you know what content was covered within the book club session and a reminder what we have asked your child to read for the next session.
   2. As our book clubs are online, please ensure you have checked your technology for connecting onto the book club is ready and working at least five minutes before sessions commence. It is in the discretion of the teacher running the book club whether to admit a late joiner or whether to mute or remove a participant with sound or other difficulties which may disrupt the experience for other course participants.
   3. Around one week before the start of a book club we will send to you a copy of The Buddy Guide and the book chosen for the enrolled book club. If you do not receive this within two working days before the start date of the book club then please let us know as soon as possible.
6. Book Club Suitability If you are not sure whether any of our online book clubs may be suitable for your child then please review the section of our website relating to the book you and your child are interested in enrolling on. If you still have further questions then please email us at info@bookclubbuddies.com.
7. Enrolling on an online book club training course
   1. Below, we set out how a legally binding contract between you and us is made for any of our book clubs.
   2. You apply to enrol on a book clubs by completing our enrolment form which is available at https://www.bookclubbuddies.com/booking.
   3. When you apply to enrol, e.g. when you click on the “Enrol Now” button at the end of the enrolment form, this does not mean that your application has been accepted.
   4. We may contact you to say that we do not accept your enrolment. This may typically be for the following reasons:
      1. the book club training course is no longer available;
      2. you are not allowed to enrol on the book club with us for any reason; or
      3. there has been a mistake on the description of the book club.
   5. We will only accept your enrolment for an online book club when:
      1. we send to you an email confirmation with the access details to join the book club; and
      2. we have received payment in full for the book club; At this point a legally binding contract will be in place between you and us.
      3. around one week before the commencement of the online book club we will send to you a book club pack.
   6. You may only enrol on a book club if you are over 18 and for your own child.
   7. You acknowledge that all the enrolment information that you provide to us is accurate and complete. It is your responsibility to update us of any changes to your enrolment information (including your email address) by contacting us using the contact details on page 1 of these Terms.
   8. Before you enrol for any of our book clubs you should check that the software and hardware requirements of your computer or other device your child will be using can properly access the book club. For example, you should be able to join and use Zoom.com (or similar video platform); you should have a working camera and microphone; and you should have a good internet connection.
8. Cancellation and Refunds
   1. Your statutory right to cancel: When you enrol on any of our online book clubs, and we have provided our confirmation of your enrolment (in accordance with clause 6.5), you acknowledge that you will lose your right to cancel if: 8.1.1 14 days have passed; or 8.1.2 you have accessed the course within the initial 14 day period.
   2. Missed book club, late attendance and other situations: We are not able to offer a refund if your child misses, is late attending, or has to leave early from any book club session. However, we will provide a short email setting out the content of the session and the recommended reading for the next session.
   3. Serious changes to personal circumstances: If at any time during a book club course you suffer a serious change in your personal circumstances which would mean it is no longer possible for your child to attend or continue with a book club then you can contact us to discuss the matter. We will consider any request for a one-off change as soon as reasonably possible but we reserve the right whether to grant or refuse any change in our sole and absolute discretion. In order to help us make the determination, we may request that you provide us with reasonable evidence of the situation.
   4. Our right to cancel: We have the right to cancel a book club for any reason and at short notice. This may be because the teacher scheduled to take the book club becomes unavailable (and we are unable to provide a substitute) or due to low enrolment on any book club. If we cancel a book club then we will provide a full refund, which will usually be processed within 2 business days. If during a book club course, one or more sessions have to be cancelled for any reason, then we will endeavour to provide an alternative date and time for the cancelled session, or offer a partial refund relating solely to the cancelled session.
9. Payment
   1. We only accept payment using the payment platform Stripe.com.
   2. The price of our book clubs:
      1. is in pounds sterling (£)(GBP); and
      2. where relevant VAT at the applicable rate will be added to the book club fee.
10. Availability of the video platform and events beyond our control
    1. We have no control over the availability of the video platform and accordingly we cannot promise that the video platform will be available at all times or that it will remain uninterrupted throughout a book club session.
    2. We shall have no liability to you for any breach of these Terms caused by any event or circumstance beyond our reasonable control including, but not limited to, strikes, lock-outs or other industrial disputes; breakdown of systems or network access; or flood, fire, explosion or accident.
11. Use of the Training Video platform
    1. All of our book clubs are operated through a third party video platform, for example Zoom. As a condition of the enrolment you agree not to use the video platform:
       1. in any manner that disrupts the operation of the video platform or our business;
       2. to distribute viruses or malware or other similar harmful software code;
       3. for purposes of promoting unsolicited advertising or sending spam;
       4. to simulate communications from us or another service or entity in order to collect identity information, authentication credentials, or other information (‘phishing’);
       5. in any manner that harms minors;
       6. to promote any unlawful activity;
       7. to represent or suggest that we endorse any other business, product or service unless we have separately agreed to do so in writing;
       8. to gain unauthorised access to or use of computers, data, systems, accounts or networks; or
       9. to attempt to circumvent password or user authentication methods
       10. to commit any act of fraud; or
       11. for any purpose that is unlawful under any applicable law or prohibited by these Terms.
12. Your statutory rights Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013
    1. By law, the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 say that we must give you certain key information before a legally binding contract between you and us is made. If you want to see this key information, please:
    2. read the acknowledgement email (see clause 6.5); or 12.1.2 contact us using the contact details as section 1 of these Terms. 12.2 The key information we give you by law forms part of the contract between us and entered into in accordance with clause 6.5 (as though it is set out in full here).
    3. If we have to change any key information once a legally binding contract between you and us is made, we can only do this if you agree to it. Consumer Rights Act 2015
    4. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you certain legal rights (also known as ‘statutory rights’), for example, that the online book club: 12.4.1 is of satisfactory quality; 12.4.2 is fit for purpose; and 12.4.3 matches its description.
    5. We must provide you with an online book club that complies with your legal rights.
    6. When we provide access to our book club: 12.6.1 we do not promise that our online book club is compatible with any third party software or equipment except where we have said that it is on our website; 12.6.2 you acknowledge that there may be minor errors or bugs in it; and 12.6.3 you acknowledge that we reserve the right to right in our discretion to make changes to the online book club and the video platform at any time. Problems with a book club
    7. For more detailed information on your rights and what you should expect from us, please: 12.7.1 contact us using the contact details at section 1 of these Terms; or 12.7.2 visit the Citizens Advice website www.citizensadvice.org.uk or call 03454 04 05 06.
    8. Nothing in this contract affects your legal rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (also known as ‘statutory rights’). You may also have other rights in law.
    9. If there is a fault with any of our online book clubs then please contact us using the contact details at section of these Terms.
13. Accuracy of book club materials
    1. While we try to make sure that the content of our online book clubs and any course materials we may provide from time to time are accurate and up-to-date, we cannot promise that they will be or that they will be fit or suitable for any purpose other than as an online book club for primary school children.
14. Permission to use our book club materials
    1. When you enrol on any of book clubs you will not own any digital content or course materials we may provide. Instead we give you permission to use our digital content and course materials (also known as a ‘licence’) for the purpose of you and your child using and enjoying them for the purpose of your child participating in an online book club according to these Terms.
    2. Any course materials we provide will be personal to you and non-exclusive (as we may supply the same or similar course materials to other customers). Our course materials may not be copied or changed by you. We have no obligation to update any of our course materials we may provide. Our course materials may contain information which is owned by us or third parties or both. You must not conceal, change or remove any markings which show who owns this information, such as copyright (©), registered trade mark (®) or unregistered trademark (™) markings.
    3. Except where you have permission to use any of our book club course materials under this clause, you will not otherwise obtain any rights of ownership or other rights (of whatever nature) in them or in any copies of them.
15. Limitation on our liability
    1. Except for any legal responsibility that we cannot exclude in law (such as for death or personal injury) or arising under applicable laws relating to the protection of your personal information, we are not legally responsible for any: 15.1.1 losses that: (a) were not foreseeable to you and us when a contract between us is formed; or (b) that were not caused by any breach on our part; and 15.1.2 business losses.
16. Disputes
    1. We will try to resolve any disputes with you quickly and efficiently.
    2. If you are unhappy with: 16.2.1 any of our online book clubs; 16.2.2 our service to you; or 16.2.3 any other matter, please contact us as soon as possible.
    3. If you and we cannot resolve a dispute, we will let you know as soon as reasonably that we cannot settle the dispute with you.
    4. If you want to take court proceedings, the English courts will have exclusive jurisdiction in relation to this contract.
    5. The laws of England and Wales will apply to this contract.
    6. If any provision of these Terms shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, in whole or in part, such provision shall to that extent be deemed not to form part of these Terms but the enforceability of the remainder of these Terms shall not be affected.
17. Other
    1. These terms apply solely in relation to our online book clubs and they do not apply in relation to any of our other products and services we may provide from time to time.
    2. The Terms are only available in English.
    3. No changes to these Terms are valid or have any effect unless agreed by us in writing or made in accordance with this clause 17.3. We reserve the right to vary these Terms from time to time. Our updated Terms will be displayed on our website and by continuing to use and access any of our book clubs, you agree to be bound by any variation made by us. It is your responsibility to check these Terms from time to time to verify such variations.
    4. No one other than a party to a contract with us, subject to these Terms, has any right to enforce any of these Terms.

Updated 13 September 2021