Last Updated: July 2011

In this document "Hampstead Au Pair Agency" shall be referred to as "the agency". The "Host Family" shall be referred to as "the family". The "person or persons placing an advert" shall be referred to as "the advertiser".

i) The family must complete our Family Registration Form and sign the Terms & Conditions and return both to the agency, before they are accepted as clients. If registering online, filling the online Registration Form constitutes confirmation of acceptance of the agency's Terms & Conditions. If registering by phone, then payment of registration confirms acceptance of the agency's Terms and Conditions. The Au Pair can only be booked for the family when all this documentation and required payment has been received. Should there be any delays or the documents are not satisfactory, the agency reserves the right to cancel the Placement at any stage.

ii) All records, documents and information submitted will be treated as confidential and remain property of the agency. Any documents sent to you regarding an Au Pair are confidential. The passing on of these documents to another potential employer renders the client liable for the payment of the agency Fee. All unwanted documents must be returned to the agency.

SERVICES

iii) We offer the family four distinct services;

a) A standard Au Pair matching service (to be known as "Standard Service")

b) An Exclusive Membership service (to be known as "Exclusive Service")

c) A Fully Exclusive Loyalty Membership service (to be known as "Loyalty Service")

d) A DIY place your own Ad service (to be known as "DIY Service")

The following terms relate to our non DIY services (with the sole exclusion of item labelled "xiii").
For terms relating to our DIY service please read items labelled "xiii" onwards

FEES & PLACEMENTS

iv) A Family is considered as Registered when they have paid the Registration Fee to the agency. A Family using the agency for the first time; There is a one off Registration Fee payable upon registration and a placement fee that is payable according to the service chosen.

The Registration Fee is a one off fee. For a returning Family, only the Placement Fee will be payable according to the service chosen.

v) The Standard Service only requires that you pay a small deposit and the balance is paid on the first day the au pair starts.

The Exclusive Service offers you a £75 discount, and requires that you pay 50% of the discounted placement fee upfront and the balance on the first day the au pair starts.

The Loyalty Service offers you a £150 discount and requires that you pay 100% of the discounted placement fee upfront.

With the Standard Service, the Placement Fee Deposit is valid for three months and is non refundable. If the family chooses the Exclusive or Loyalty Service, but for any reason does not take an au pair from the agency, then any placement fees paid upfront may be used as payment towards gaining an au pair in the future; although there will be a £50 administration fee payable beforehand.

vi) Hampstead Au Pair Agency acts as an agent solely for the purpose of effecting introductions between Families and Au Pair candidates. Any fees charged are solely for introductions.

PAYMENT

vii) It is the Family's responsibility to ensure there are sufficient funds available. Should the family wish to use an alternative debit or credit card then this must be registered with the agency before any fee is due. Where there are insufficient funds, the agency may opt to break any payment(s) due into two or more transactions using any of the credit or debit cards registered. The family is responsible for all charges incurred by the agency through failed debit or credit card transactions. The family agrees that the agency will not be responsible for any overdraft, bank charges or any charges whatsoever, however incurred by the family. Late payment fees will be charged at £25 per week applicable from the payment due date to cover the administration and time costs associated with collection of Late Payments.

Payments are only accepted via debit or credit cards.

REPLACEMENTS, REFUNDS & RESPONSIBILITY

viii) Should the Au Pair leave within the first month for the Standard service or within six weeks for the Exclusive and Loyalty services , a free like for like replacement will be offered. On short term placements (less than 3 months); this period is 1 week.

ix) IMPORTANT NOTE: Any offer of a replacement by the agency must be taken up within four weeks by the family and thus cannot be transferred to a future date. If not taken, the offer is withdrawn. Please note that the agency does not offer refunds, only replacements (where applicable).

x) There will be no free replacement should there be reasonable grounds to believe that the Au Pair's working conditions and/or the way the family treated the Au Pair were unsatisfactory (Hampstead Au Pair Agency's decision will be final in this respect) or should there be a record of several unsuccessful placements in the family.

xi) The Family is responsible for board, accommodation and for giving the weekly pocket money to the Au Pair as confirmed to the Agency and Au Pair. The Family must behave according to the agency's guidelines such as working hours, days off, duties, pocket money, etc. The Family is responsibile for what they write in the Letter of Acceptance and their Family Registration Form. It is the responsibility of the family to protect the Au Pair in their care from accident and illnesses by means of comprehensive home insurance.

TERMINATION

xii) In the event of termination of the placement agreement by the family, the agency must be notified in writing giving reasons for the termination and a two week notice period must be given to the Au Pair. It is the family's responsibility to provide accommodation during this period if required by the Au Pair. The Au Pair should carry on their duties and should be paid pocket money in full. In the event of termination it is extremely important that the agency can talk to the Au Pair before she leaves the family. The agency can refuse to offer a replacement (where applicanle) if this is not possible.

DIY SERVICE

xiii) An advert will be considered as placed, once the credit or debit card has been authorised. The advert will remain for 30 days unless the advertiser chooses to cancel it. The advertiser may amend the content of the ad for as long as the advert remains. The agency may suspend, delete or edit any advert that it believes is inappropriate or if the content of the ad has changed so as not to bear sufficient resemblence to the former. The only condition where a refund is possible is when an advert has been duplicated within a 48 hour period. Otherwise there is no recourse for refunds.
Should you accidentally delete an advert then please email support@hampsteadaupairs.com quoting your name and advert id.

ALL SERVICES

xiv) The agency cannot be held responsible for damage, delay, loss or injury on the part of either the family or the Au Pair arising out of any introduction or advert, nor can the agency be held responsible for any discrepancies in the history, character, age, capability, references of either the family or the Au Pair.

xv) The agency reserves the right at its absolute discretion to reject the family or Au Pair during the application process.

xvi) The agency reserves the right to use its discretion in any situation not covered in this document.

xvii) The Family and au pair confirms that they have read and agreed to abide by the Terms & Conditions.

xviii) Any contract between the agency and the Family is subject to the Law of England and Wales and all disputes arising out of any such contract shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales. -- END --