Terms of service

1. Who you are dealing with

Ask Steve is a trading name used by Steve Dixon, sole trader, and is a service from Strategic Data Services.

Email: steve@askstevenow.co.uk
Phone / WhatsApp: 0118 391 3456
Business / service address: 33 Blagrove Drive, Wokingham, RG41 4BD

2. Quotes and pricing

Your initial chat or assessment is free. Before any chargeable work starts, I will tell you the applicable rate, any known travel charge, and any other unavoidable charge that can be calculated in advance, and ask for your agreement. Prices shown on this website and the rate card are indicative unless expressly stated to be a fixed quote. Parts, software licences and other third-party costs will be agreed before purchase.

3. Appointments and minimum charges

On-site visits normally carry a minimum first-hour charge. Additional time is charged in the increments shown on the current rate card. If you need to cancel or rearrange an appointment, please give as much notice as reasonably possible.

4. Repairs, diagnostics and the “No Fix? No Labour Fee!” policy

I will take reasonable care when diagnosing and repairing equipment. If I cannot resolve the issue, you will not pay a labour fee. This does not apply to diagnostic work agreed as chargeable in advance, parts, software licences or other third-party charges, or where I identify a solution and you choose not to proceed. Diagnosis does not guarantee that a device can be economically repaired. I will not purchase chargeable parts or software for you without agreement.

5. Your data and backups

Computer repair and troubleshooting can involve a risk of data loss, particularly where hardware is failing. You should maintain an up-to-date backup of important data where reasonably possible. If you need help making a backup, tell me before work begins. I will take reasonable care but cannot guarantee recovery of data from damaged or failing equipment.

6. Passwords, banking and sensitive services

You should remain in control of sensitive accounts. I will never ask you to disclose your bank PIN, full online-banking password or one-time passcode, and I will not initiate or authorise a financial transaction on your behalf. Where a service requires authentication, you should normally enter credentials yourself.

7. Distance and off-premises contracts

If you enter into an applicable consumer service contract by phone, email, WhatsApp or away from my business premises, you may have a statutory 14-day cancellation period. Where the law applies, I will provide the required pre-contract information and cancellation information.

If you ask me to start providing a service during a statutory cancellation period, I may ask you to expressly request early performance. If you then cancel after work has started, you may have to pay a proportionate amount for work already performed. If a service is fully performed during the cancellation period after the legally required express request and acknowledgement, the cancellation right may end.

A model cancellation form is available here.

8. Consumer rights

Nothing in these terms removes or limits rights you have under consumer law that cannot legally be excluded. Services will be provided with reasonable care and skill.

9. Third-party services

I may assist you with products or services supplied by third parties, such as broadband providers, software companies, device manufacturers and online public services. I am not responsible for their availability, terms, charges or decisions, although I will help you understand or troubleshoot them where I reasonably can.

10. Liability

I do not exclude liability where it would be unlawful to do so. Subject to your statutory rights, I am not responsible for losses that were not reasonably foreseeable when the service was agreed, or for business losses arising from services purchased by a consumer for private use.

11. Complaints

If you are unhappy with a service, contact me promptly at steve@askstevenow.co.uk or 0118 391 3456 so I can try to resolve the issue.

12. Governing law

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. This does not affect any mandatory consumer rights that apply to you.