T&Cs

ICA Freecert ISO Certification Offer – Terms and Conditions Ver. 1.0

Please read all these ‘Terms and Conditions’ of business in addition to our ‘Privacy Policy’ and ‘Cookie Policy’ also published on this site. If you proceed to register your business as an ICA Freecert Customer, then you will be legally bound by these Terms and Conditions unless ICA agrees otherwise in writing.

Note: Throughout these Terms and Conditions, the term ‘Customers’ is collectively used to describe both ‘Enquirers’ i.e. those individuals (and businesses) that have made a request for a copy of the ‘Freecert ISO Book’ through this website (or by any other means) and also those individuals who then proceed to register their business for the ‘Freecert ISO Scheme’ on either the ‘Toolkit’ or the ‘Fast-Track’ Methods of Certification.

1. Terms and Conditions

   The ‘ICA Freecert Certification Contract’ will become the ‘entire’ contractual ‘Terms of Business’ between the two parties and no other information literature, leaflets, brochures, websites, representation, term or statement, made either orally or in writing by either party, its ‘Partners, Licensees’, or ‘Agents’, shall be relied upon by either party.

2. FREE ISO Book

   Customers can request to receive their copy of ICA’s ‘FREE ISO Book’ (worth £35) by completing the brief ‘Application Form’ on this website. Customers must first order their FREE ISO Book before they can register for the ‘Freecert ISO Certification Scheme’. ICA does not charge Customers for its FREE ISO Book and Customers may be required to only pay the small ‘Post and Packaging’ charge. If charged, this Post and Packaging fee will be fully refunded to Customers upon registration to the Freecert ISO Scheme. Without charge, ICA’s local ‘Freecert Advisor’ may deliver the FREE ISO Book to Customers and also provide them with a hardcopy of their ‘Freecert Registration Information Pack’. ICA reserves the absolute right to only supply the Free ISO Book hardcopy version to Customers that are serious about becoming ISO certified by ICA and registering for the Freecert ISO Scheme. As part of this verification, ICA may telephone Customers to verify their interest in becoming ISO certified by ICA through the Freecert ISO Scheme before supplying them with their FREE ISO Book and Freecert Registration Information Pack.

3. Customers are under No obligation to make any purchase

   Customers making a request from this website (or by any other means) to claim their FREE ISO Book are under ‘No Obligation’ to then proceed to register for the Freecert ISO Certification Scheme or make any purchase from ICA.

4. ICA Company

   International Certification Agency Limited (Registered in England Company Number: 07417011) hereinafter referred to as ‘ICA’ is an independent ‘Not-for-Profit Company Limited By Guarantee’ and as such has No Shareholders. The ‘Freecert ISO Certification Scheme’ is exclusively owned and operated internationally by ICA.

5. English Law

   These Terms and Conditions between ICA and the ‘Customer’ (the company contracted to use ICA Freecert Certification Services) shall be covered by English Law and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of English Courts. Customers accept that all disputes between ICA and Customers will be adjudicated at ICA’s local Court.

6. Copyright and Trade Marks

   All Copyright vested in ICA products and services, including but not limited to Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Total Certification Management System, ISO Toolkit, APSS Scheme, Trade Marks, Service Marks, are and shall remain the sole ownership of ICA or provided to its Customers under License and are protected under International Intellectual Property Rights laws. ‘Freecert’ is a Registered Trade Mark. ICA will vigorously pursue individuals or businesses through the Courts who either acting on their own or in collusion with other third parties breach any of ICA’s Intellectual Property Rights. Where ICA’s IPR has been breached, ICA will prosecute all such perpetrators for damages, loss of business, its legal costs in addition to all other remedies and permissible compensation as determined by the Courts.

7. ICA Certification Services

   As an independent Certification Body, ICA provides its Customers with Certification using its own ‘independent’ Audit and Certification Criteria.

   7.1 ICA certifies all its Customers to its ‘Standard 5 Years Certification Term’ and provides Customers with ‘5 Years Term Registration Certificates’.

   7.2 ICA provides its Freecert Customers with two Methods of Certification: ‘Toolkit Method’ and ‘Fast-Track Method’.

   7.3 ICA does not charge its Customers any ‘Audit’ or ‘Certification Fees’.

   7.4 Only companies that are committed and serious about gaining and retaining their ISO Certifications throughout their full five years Certification Term should register with the Freecert Scheme. To ensure this is the case, all ICA Customers pay a ‘Freecert Registration Fee’; however, this is ‘Fully Refunded’ at the expiry of their Certification Term.

   7.5 ‘Toolkit Method’ Customers are supplied by ICA with one ‘ISO Toolkit’ of Learning Resources Manual containing comprehensive learning resources covering four key Management Standards including an example Management System. Customers use these learning resources to develop their own four Management Systems (one for each ISO Standard) which they then send to ICA (the ‘Compliance Submissions’) in electronic format via the online Certification Management System (‘CMS’) for ‘Assessment and Certification’ within their stipulated ‘Submission Period’. Customers failing to submit all their four full Management System Compliance Submissions within their stipulated ‘Submission Period’ are automatically transferred to the Fast-Track Method to be certified by ICA for their full Certification Term.

   7.6 The ‘Fast-Track Method’ is designed for Customers that require an ‘implemented certification solution’. Fast-Track Customers pay an ongoing Monthly Support Fee throughout their full Certification Term.

   7.7 All Freecert Customers have access to the CMS which contains comprehensive learning resources appropriate to their method of certification. After completion of the ICA Certification Contract, Customers will receive from ICA Head Office their ‘CMS Password’ by email. All Customers pay an on-going ‘CMS Account Management Fee’.

8. Use of ICA Certification logos

   Upon Certification, ICA will supply Customers with its ‘Certification Logos’ which Customers can use within their marketing activities. Customers must only display the ICA Certification Logos in conjunction with their relevant ICA ‘Registration Certificate Number’. For the purpose of verification, Freecert Customers displaying ICA Certification logos on their websites must be hyperlinked to the www.freecert.info website.

9. VAT

   All ICA Fees are subject to VAT and ICA will provide Customers with VAT Invoices where VAT has been charged.

10. Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy

    Customers should read the ICA ‘Cookies Policy’ and ‘Privacy Policy’ which are both available on this website along with these Terms and Conditions before proceeding to register their business with ICA.

11. Withdrawal of Service

    ICA will withdraw its Certification Services to Customers if Customers take any actions that are in the sole opinion of ICA not acceptable to ICA including the provision of products and services which are in direct or indirect competition with ICA or if Customers take any actions that in the sole opinion of ICA may damage its ‘Reputation’ or ‘Business’.

12. Connected Companies

    ICA does not sell its Customers’ details to any third parties and will only allow Customer details to be used for marketing purposes by ICA and its ‘Partner Companies’.

13. Non-Competition

    As a condition of using ICA Certification Services, Customers agree they will not by themselves or in conjunction with any other third parties, set-up in competition against ICA by offering the same or (in the sole opinion of ICA) similar services to its business products and services. Any breach of this condition will enable ICA to prosecute perpetrators for compensation through the Courts covering ‘Breach of Contract’ and ‘Damages’ including ‘Loss of Business’ in addition to its legal costs and all other remedies and permissible compensation as determined by the Courts.

14. Customer Support

    Customers must make all requests for ICA Consultant Support via the CMS.

15. Customer Submissions

    Toolkit Customers must submit all their four Management System Compliance Submissions (one for each ISO Standard) to ICA for Assessment using the CMS and within their stipulated ‘Submission Period’.

16. ICA’s Total Aggregate Liability

    For the entire duration of any contractual agreement between ICA and Customers for its Certification Services, ICA’s total aggregate liability in respect of all claims, losses or damages and/or any other defaults whether arising from tort (including negligence or errors), breach of contract or otherwise under or in connection with this and any other Contract or Agreement, shall in no event exceed five hundred pounds.

17. Contact by ICA

    By completing the Application Form on this website, Customers are giving their express permission to ICA to contact them by telephone, email and post regarding registration to the Freecert ISO Scheme.