Terms of Sale for Veterinary Services

Terms of Subscription to Equine Health Plan

These terms include important information - please read them carefully. We recommend that you print a copy of these terms for future reference.

Contents

1. These terms
2. Information about us and how to contact us
3. Our contract with you
4. Equine Health Plan
5. Term of your subscription
6. Your rights to end your subscription
7. Consequences of ending your subscription
8. How to end your subscription
9. Our rights to end your subscription
10. If there is a problem with the services
11. Price and payment
12. Our responsibility for loss or damage suffered by you
13. How we may use your personal information
14. Other important terms
15. We may make changes to these terms

Our Terms

1. These terms

1.1 What these terms cover. These are the terms and conditions on which you may join and use Equine Health Plan. These terms include important information - please read them carefully. We recommend that you print a copy of these terms for future reference. By joining and using the Equine Health Plan, you accept and agree to be bound and abide by these terms. If you do not agree to these terms, you must not join or use the Equine Health Plan.

2. Information about us and how to contact us

2.1 Who we are. We are Independent Vetcare Limited, trading under the name below.

2.2 Our company details. Our company details are as follows:

2.3 How to contact us. You can contact us by post, email or telephone as follows:

Address: Equine Health Plan, The Chocolate Factory, Keynsham, Bristol, BS31 2AU

Email: info@equinehealthplan.co.uk

Telephone: 01225 489821

2.4 How we may contact you. If we have to contact you we will do so by telephone or by writing to you at the email address or postal address you provided to us when you registered with us.

3. Our contract with you

3.1 Equine Health Plan is only available for horses that are registered at a participating practice. A list of participating practices is available on our website.

3.2 You can apply to join Equine Health Plan in a participating practice or online at our website. Your subscription with Equine Health Plan is a contract between you and us (not between you and the participating practice) and is subject to these terms. That contract comes into existence, and your subscription starts, when we or the practice confirms to you that we have accepted your application.

3.3 You are responsible for registering your horse a participating practice. Your registration with a participating practice is a contract between you and that practice (not between you and us) and is subject to their terms and conditions - please read them carefully before you agree to register with them. If your horse is not registered at a participating practice, you must do so within 30 days of us accepting your application to join the Equine Health Plan. We do not promise that a participating practice will accept your registration.

4. Equine Health Plan

4.1 Equine Health Plan is a preventative healthcare plan tailored to maintain your horse's health. The practice and IVC Evidensia cannot be held responsible for any naturally occurring disease whilst your horse is on the Equine Health plan.

4.2 Equine Health Plan is not an insurance policy or intended to be a replacement for an insurance policy. We recommend that our clients take out appropriate insurance for their horse with a reputable insurer. We do not provide insurance or arrange insurance for our clients.

4.3 Your subscription is specific to your registered horse at your practice. Your subscription is specific to that horse and cannot be transferred or used for any other horse.

4.4 Your subscription can only be used at your chosen practice. We may, at our discretion, agree to change your chosen practice to another participating practice (such as when you are moving house).  You can request a change in your chosen practice. We will endeavour to deal with your request within 14 days. If your chosen practice no longer participates in Equine Health Plan, we will let you know by post or email (including details of alternative participating practices in your area and your rights to cancel your registration).

4.5 The veterinary services and benefits of this plan are limited to the routine preventative healthcare treatments and discounts as set out below. We will provide you with details of the plans available when you register to join Equine Health Plan. Your subscription does not include any of the following:

4.5.1 The cost of  any additional treatment;

4.5.2 Any treatment, drugs, medications or general health improvers  that is not expressly included in the published details of the plan that is deemed clinically necessary by your chosen practice in the event of illness (short-term or long-term) and injury;

4.5.3 Treatment provided by your chosen practice outside of normal surgery hours and/or outside of the surgery; and

4.5.4 Any treatment that continues after your subscription has been cancelled.

4.6 Veterinary services under your subscription will be provided by your chosen practice. Your contract for the performance of veterinary services will be between you and your chosen practice and is subject to their terms and conditions - please read their terms carefully before you agree to receive services from them. You will not be required to pay the practice for those veterinary services covered under your subscription (up to any limits set out in your chosen plan). You will be responsible for paying your chosen practice directly for veterinary services not included in your subscription.

4.7 We may make changes to the veterinary services and benefits under your subscription. We may do so annually when the contract automatically renews or during a contract year if any veterinary services or benefits under your subscription are no longer available and will let you know at least 30 days before the change will take effect. If you do not agree to the change, you may end the contract by letting us know at least 7 days before the date that the change will take effect.

4.8 Only horses deemed to be in good health can be accepted onto the Equine Health Plan. This decision will be determined by your veterinary surgeon at your registered practice.

5. Term of your subscription

5.1 Your subscription is an annual rolling contract. The price of your subscription is based on the provision of veterinary services and benefits over a 12-month period. Your subscription starts when we or the relevant practice confirms to you that we have accepted your application to join Equine Health Plan and continues for a 12-month period and then automatically renews for successive 12-month periods (each 12-month period being referred to in these terms as a “contract year”).

6. Your rights to end your subscription

6.1 Ending your subscription when you have changed your mind (Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013). If you apply to join Equine Health Plan online, you have a legal right to change your mind and cancel your subscription immediately within 14 days of the date that we send you an email confirming that we have accepted your application. You do not have a right to change your mind where you have started using or you have received any benefits under your subscription, even if the cancellation period is still running.

6.2 Ending your subscription if you are unable to register your horse with a participating practice. You can end your subscription immediately if your horse is not registered at a participating practice and you are unable to do so within 30 days of us accepting your application to join Equine Health Plan.

6.3 Ending your subscription where your horse has died. You can end your subscription immediately if your horse dies.

6.4 Ending your subscription because you no longer wish to maintain your subscription. You can end your subscription at any time for any reason, including a change of services or a change of price.

6.5 Ending your subscription if you do not want it to automatically renew. If you do not want your subscription to automatically renew at the end of a contract year, you must let us know at least 7 days before the end of that contract year.

7. Consequences of ending your subscription

7.1 At the end of your subscription your contract with us will automatically terminate. You will no longer be entitled to any of the benefits or discounts under your subscription.

7.2 You will be entitled to a refund of the price paid for your subscription or to pay us additional charges as follows:

7.2.1 If you end your subscription under clause 6.1 or clause 6.2, or we end your plan under clause 9.1, we will refund any subscription fees that you have already paid for that subscription.

7.2.2 If you end your subscription under clause 6.3, the subscription will be terminated free of charge.

7.2.3 If you end your subscription under clause 6.4 or we end your subscription under clauses 9.2 or 9.3: (i) if the value of the veterinary services and discounts that you have received in that contract year is less than the amount that you have already paid us in that contract year, we will refund the difference to you; and (ii) if the value of the veterinary services and discounts that you have received in that contract year is more than the amount that you have already paid us in that contract year, we reserve the right to charge the difference OR the remainder of the subscription fees for that contract year, whichever is less.

7.3 Ending of your subscription and your contract with us does not affect your registration and contract with your practice. Your rights to end your registration and contract with your practice depends on the terms of that contract.

8. How to end your subscription

8.1 You must tell us that you want to end your subscription by email to your chosen practice. Please provide your name, home address, details of your horse, details of the practice at which your horse is registered and, where available, your phone number and email address.

9. Our rights to end your subscription

9.1 Ending your subscription if you don’t or are unable to register your horse with a participating practice. We can end your subscription immediately if your horse is not registered at a participating practice and you don’t or are unable to do so within 30 days of us accepting your application to join Equine Health Plan.

9.2 Ending your subscription because of something you have done or not done. We can end your subscription immediately at any time for any of the following reasons:

9.2.1 if the information that you provided to us on registration is inaccurate, incomplete or misleading;

9.2.2 if your horse ceases to be registered with your chosen practice (or alternative practice that we have approved under these terms) except where your horse has died; or

9.2.3 if you break any of the terms of the contract, including if you do not make any payment to us when it is due and you still do not make payment within 7 days of us reminding you that payment is due.

9.3 Ending your subscription in any other circumstances. We may end your subscription at any time for any other reason. We will write to you to let you know at least 30 days before the contract ends.

10. If there is a problem with the services

10.1 How to tell us about problems. If you have any questions or complaints about your subscription or the veterinary services that your chosen practice has provided to you or about any of our staff, please speak to the veterinary practice directly or contact us at our email address or telephone number above.

10.2 How to tell us about problems with payments. If you have any questions or complaints about any payments under your subscription or your direct debit mandate, you can contact us at the e mail address or telephone number above

10.3 Summary of your legal rights. We are under a legal duty to supply services that are in conformity with this contract. See the box below for a summary of your key legal rights in relation to services product. Nothing in these terms will affect your legal rights.

Summary of your key legal rights

This is a summary of your key legal rights. These are subject to certain exceptions. For detailed information please visit the Citizens Advice website www.adviceguide.org.uk or call 03454 04 05 06.

If your product is services, for example, veterinary services, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 says:

a) You can ask us to repeat or fix a service if it's not carried out with reasonable care and skill, or get some money back if we can't fix it.

b) If you haven't agreed a price beforehand, what you're asked to pay must be reasonable.

c) If you haven't agreed a time beforehand, it must be carried out within a reasonable time.

11. Price and payment

11.1 You must pay the price for your subscription in advance in monthly instalments. You must pay the price for the first month to us by debit or credit card when we accept your application. After that, you must pay the price for each month to us by direct debit. We are unable to accept payments by cash, cheque, electronic payment (such as PayPal) or bank transfer. We will provide you with a direct debit mandate (or a link to set up your direct debit online) when you apply to join Equine Health Plan®. You must let us know about any changes to your direct debit details at least 14 days before your next payment is due.

11.2 We may take further action if your direct debit payment fails. If your direct debit payment has failed, we will re-present the payment request to your bank within 3 - 5 working days. If your direct debit payment has failed 3 times, we reserve the right at our discretion to terminate the contract immediately. We reserve the right to charge an administration fee of £10 for each failed direct debit payment to cover our additional administration costs.

11.3 We may increase or decrease the price of your chosen plan. We may do so annually when your subscription automatically renews or may also do so during a contract year if the cost of providing the benefits under your chosen plan substantially increase and will let you know at least 30 days before the change will take effect. If you do not agree to the change, you may end the contract by letting us know at least 7 days before the date that the change will take effect.

12. Our responsibility for loss or damage suffered by you

12.1 We are responsible to you for foreseeable loss and damage caused by us. If we materially fail to comply with these terms, we are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breaking this contract or our failing to use reasonable care and skill, but we are not responsible for any loss or damage that is not foreseeable. Loss or damage is foreseeable if either it is obvious that it will happen or if, at the time the contract was made, both we and you knew it might happen, for example, if you discussed it with us during the sales process.

12.2 We do not exclude or limit in any way our liability to you where it would be unlawful to do so. This includes liability for death or personal injury to human beings caused by our negligence or the negligence of our employees, agents or subcontractors or for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

12.3 Our liability to you is limited. Subject to the above exceptions, our liability to you for any damages, losses, claims, costs or expenses arising out of our supply of any products or services shall not exceed the total fees payable by you for your Equine Health Plan subscription and the veterinary services in question, even if the amount of professional indemnity insurance that we carry is higher.

13. How we may use your personal information 

13.1 When you apply to join and participate in Equine Health Plan, we will collect personal data about you. We will only use your personal information as set out in our Privacy Notice.

14. Other important terms

14.1 We may transfer this agreement to someone else. We may transfer our rights and obligations under these terms to another organisation. We will always tell you in writing if this happens and we will ensure that the transfer will not affect your rights under the contract.

14.2 You need our consent to transfer your rights to someone else. You may only transfer your rights or your obligations under these terms to another person if we agree to this in writing.

14.3 Nobody else has any rights under this contract. This contract is between you and us. No other person shall have any rights to enforce any of its terms.

14.4 If a court finds part of this contract illegal, the rest will continue in force. Each of the paragraphs of these terms operates separately. If any court or relevant authority decides that any of them are unlawful, the remaining paragraphs will remain in full force and effect.

14.5 Even if we delay in enforcing this contract, we can still enforce it later. If we do not insist immediately that you do anything you are required to do under these terms, or if we delay in taking steps against you in respect of your breaking this contract, that will not mean that you do not have to do those things and it will not prevent us taking steps against you at a later date. For example, if you miss a payment and we do not chase you but we continue to provide the products, we can still require you to make the payment at a later date.

14.6 Which laws apply to this contract and where you may bring legal proceedings. These terms are governed by English law and you can bring legal proceedings in respect of the products in the English courts. If you live in Scotland you can bring legal proceedings in respect of the products in either the Scottish or the English courts. 

15. We may make changes to these terms

15.1 We may amend these terms from time to time. We recommend that you check them each time you use our website or place an order to make sure that you are aware and understand the terms that apply at that time.

15.2 These terms were most recently updated on 28^th November 2024.