Mechanic Terms & Conditions

These Mechanic Terms & Conditions ("Mechanic Terms") form a legally binding agreement between Hon Car Service Ltd ("Hon Car Service", "we", "our" or "us") and you, the independent mechanic, technician or garage ("you", "your", "the Mechanic") who registers to provide services through the Platform.

By registering for, accepting work through, or otherwise using the Platform as a Mechanic, you agree to be bound by these Mechanic Terms. These Mechanic Terms are in addition to our general Terms & Conditions and our Privacy Policy.

1Introduction and Acceptance

Hon Car Service operates an online marketplace that connects customers seeking vehicle repair, servicing, MOT, recovery and related services with independent mechanics and garages.

These Mechanic Terms set out the basis on which you may receive and carry out work introduced through the Platform, how you are paid, and your obligations to customers and to us.

2Definitions

• "Platform" means the Hon Car Service website, applications, mechanic dashboard, booking system and associated services.
• "Customer" means a person who requests or books services through the Platform.
• "Booking" means a confirmed customer order accepted through the Platform.
• "Services" means the repair, servicing, diagnostic, inspection, MOT-related, recovery, collection or delivery work you carry out for a Customer.
• "Commission" means the platform fee payable to Hon Car Service as set out in these Mechanic Terms.
• "Connected Account" means the Stripe Connect account you are required to maintain to receive payouts.
• "Payout" means the amount remitted to you for completed work after deduction of Commission and applicable VAT on the Commission.

3Our Relationship

You operate as an independent contractor and an independent business. Nothing in these Mechanic Terms creates an employment, agency, partnership or joint-venture relationship between you and Hon Car Service.

You are the supplier of the Services to the Customer. Hon Car Service provides a technology, booking, administration and payment-collection platform, and introduces Customers to you. You are responsible for the physical work you carry out and for the standard of that work.

You are responsible for your own business costs, tools, materials, taxes, National Insurance, insurance and regulatory compliance.

4Onboarding and Eligibility

Before you can accept work, and on an ongoing basis, we may require you to satisfy onboarding and verification requirements, including:

• identity and address verification;
• business verification;
• evidence of appropriate public liability and other relevant insurance;
• evidence of recognised qualifications or documented experience;
• right-to-work confirmation;
• a DBS check where appropriate for the work undertaken.

You must keep this information current and notify us promptly of any change that affects your eligibility, insurance, qualifications or right to work. We may suspend or remove you where you fail to meet, or cease to meet, our requirements.

5Your Obligations

You agree to:

• carry out all Services with reasonable care and skill and to a professional standard;
• comply with all applicable laws, regulations and health-and-safety requirements;
• attend bookings punctually and communicate clearly with Customers and with us;
• use suitable parts and materials and follow manufacturer and industry guidance;
• obtain Customer approval through the Platform before carrying out any Additional Work, except where required by law or necessary to prevent an immediate safety risk;
• treat Customers, their vehicles and their property with care and respect;
• protect any Customer personal data you receive and use it only to perform the Services.

6Insurance

You must hold and maintain appropriate public liability insurance and any other insurance reasonably required for the work you carry out, and provide evidence on request. You are responsible for claims arising from your own negligence or breach, and your insurance must be adequate to cover such claims.

7Accepting Jobs and Slots

Work is offered to you through the Platform. You are responsible for reviewing the job details, confirming an appointment slot and a fulfilment method (such as mobile, collection or drop-off) where required, and for only accepting work you are competent, equipped and insured to perform.

Once you accept a Booking, you are responsible for fulfilling it in accordance with these Mechanic Terms. Repeated failure to attend or fulfil accepted work may result in suspension or removal.

8Quotes, Pricing and the Platform's Role

Quotes are generated through the Platform using vehicle data, labour times, parts pricing, location, service type and marketplace pricing rules. The price shown to the Customer is the price on which payment and your Payout are based.

You must not seek payment from a Customer outside the Platform for work introduced through the Platform, except where expressly agreed with us.

9Additional Work

Where Additional Work is required, you must record it through the Platform and obtain the Customer's approval before carrying it out, unless it is required by law or necessary to prevent an immediate safety risk. Approved Additional Work is authorised and collected through the Platform and forms part of the amount on which your Payout is calculated.

10Payment Processing via Stripe Connect

Payments from Customers are processed through Stripe, including Stripe Connect. To receive Payouts, you must create and maintain a Stripe Connect account and complete Stripe's identity, business and bank-verification requirements. Your use of Stripe is also subject to Stripe's own connected-account terms.

You are the supplier of the Services and, for payment purposes, charges for your work are made on your behalf through your Connected Account. Hon Car Service collects payment from the Customer, deducts its Commission and applicable VAT on that Commission, and remits the balance to your Connected Account.

You authorise Hon Car Service to place authorisations, capture payments, collect approved Additional Work, process refunds, and make corresponding deductions and adjustments in connection with your work.

11Commission and Fees

In consideration for the Platform, introductions, payment collection and related services, Hon Car Service charges a Commission on each completed Booking.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing or notified to you through the Platform, the Commission is 20% of the repair price excluding VAT. VAT (currently 20%) is charged on the Commission, as the Commission is a business-to-business service supplied by Hon Car Service to you.

The Commission rate applicable to a job is shown to you through the Platform before or at the point you accept the work. We may change the Commission rate from time to time on reasonable notice; the rate applicable to a Booking is the rate in effect when you accept it.

12Payouts

Your Payout for a Booking is calculated as the amount actually captured from the Customer for that Booking, less the Commission and less VAT on the Commission.

• Payouts are calculated only on amounts that have been successfully captured from the Customer. Amounts that are authorised but not captured, that fail, or that remain uncollected do not generate a Payout.
• Where the Customer is charged VAT because you are VAT-registered, that VAT forms part of the price you supply and is your responsibility to account for to HMRC.
• Payouts are transferred to your Connected Account via Stripe Connect after the work is completed and payment is captured, subject to a short holding period (currently 7 days after capture) and to any holds described below.

Payout statements are available to you through the Platform. You are responsible for checking your statements and notifying us promptly of any discrepancy.

13Payout Holds, Refunds and Set-Off

We may withhold, pause, reverse or adjust all or part of a Payout where:

• a Customer payment has not been successfully collected;
• a complaint, dispute, chargeback or warranty claim relating to your work is being investigated or resolved;
• a refund or remedial work is required;
• we reasonably suspect fraud, abuse or breach of these Mechanic Terms;
• we are required to do so by law or by our payment provider.

You agree that we may set off against your Payouts any amounts you owe us, including Commission, refunds, chargebacks, the cost of remedial work, and any losses, fees or costs arising from your breach. Where amounts owed exceed sums due to you, the balance remains payable by you on demand.

14VAT and Tax

You are solely responsible for determining whether you are required to register for VAT and for charging, collecting, reporting and remitting VAT to HMRC on the Services you supply. Where you are VAT-registered, the Customer price is treated as VAT-inclusive and the invoice will show a VAT breakdown; where you are not VAT-registered, no VAT is shown or charged on your Services.

You are responsible for your own income tax, National Insurance and any other taxes arising from your work. Hon Car Service charges VAT on its Commission and accounts for that VAT itself.

15Invoices

Because you are the supplier of the Services, invoices to Customers are issued in your name, showing your trading name, business address and — where you are VAT-registered — your VAT number.

You authorise Hon Car Service to generate and distribute these invoices through the Platform on your behalf, and to reflect VAT in accordance with your VAT-registration status. You must ensure the trading name, business address, VAT number and registration status held on your account are accurate and up to date, and you remain responsible for the accuracy and VAT treatment of invoices issued for your work.

16Warranty Obligations

Workmanship carried out through the Platform is covered by a 12-month or 12,000-mile workmanship warranty, whichever occurs first, beginning on the date the work is completed.

Where a covered workmanship defect arises, you agree to carry out remedial work at no additional cost to the Customer, or to bear the reasonable cost of remedial work arranged by us or another mechanic, except where the failure results from customer-supplied parts, fair wear and tear, misuse, accident or causes outside your work.

17Customer-Supplied Parts

Where a Customer asks you to install parts they have supplied, you should record this through the Platform. Compatibility, quality and manufacturer warranty of customer-supplied parts remain the Customer's responsibility, and no workmanship warranty applies to failures resulting from such parts. Labour charges remain payable regardless of the suitability of customer-supplied parts.

18Complaints, Disputes and Chargebacks

You agree to cooperate fully and promptly with any complaint, dispute, warranty or chargeback investigation, including by providing photographs, videos, reports, records and other evidence on request.

While a complaint or dispute is being investigated, we may pause your Payouts in respect of the relevant Booking and may temporarily prevent you from accepting new bookings. Decisions on complaints, resolutions and remedial action are made by Hon Car Service acting reasonably.

19Reviews and Ratings

Customers may rate and review your work. Reviews and ratings may be displayed on the Platform and may be used by us to assess performance and quality. Persistent poor performance may result in suspension or removal.

20Code of Conduct

You agree to act professionally and lawfully at all times, including by being punctual and communicative, behaving courteously towards Customers and staff, presenting honest assessments and pricing, not pressuring Customers into unnecessary work, and not engaging in fraudulent, discriminatory or abusive conduct. Breach of this Code may result in immediate suspension or removal.

21Records and Data Protection

In carrying out the Services you will receive personal data about Customers. You must handle that data in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, use it only to perform the Services, keep it secure, and not retain or use it for any other purpose, except as permitted by law.

You and Hon Car Service are each responsible for compliance with data protection law in respect of the personal data each of you controls. Our handling of personal data is described in our Privacy Policy.

22Anti-Circumvention

You agree not to accept, solicit or carry out work directly from a Customer introduced to you through the Platform outside the Platform, for a period of 12 months following the first introduction, except with our written agreement. This restriction protects the marketplace and the services provided by Hon Car Service.

23Confidentiality

You must keep confidential all non-public information you obtain through the Platform, including Customer data, pricing methods, business information and these Mechanic Terms where not publicly available, and use it only to perform the Services and operate within the Platform.

24Intellectual Property and Platform Licence

All intellectual property rights in the Platform, including its software, branding, content, pricing systems and designs, remain the property of Hon Car Service or its licensors. We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to use the Platform solely to receive and fulfil work in accordance with these Mechanic Terms.

25Suspension and Removal

We may suspend or remove your access to the Platform, withhold offers of work, or terminate your account where you breach these Mechanic Terms, fail to meet our standards or verification requirements, receive serious or repeated complaints, or where we reasonably suspect fraud, unsafe work or unlawful conduct. Where appropriate and lawful, we will give you notice and an opportunity to respond.

26Liability and Indemnity

You are responsible for the Services you provide and for any loss, damage, injury or claim arising from your work, negligence or breach. You agree to indemnify Hon Car Service against any claims, losses, costs and expenses (including reasonable legal costs) arising from your Services, your breach of these Mechanic Terms, or your breach of any law.

Nothing in these Mechanic Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded by law. Subject to that, Hon Car Service's total liability to you arising from these Mechanic Terms or any Booking shall not exceed the total Commission retained by us on the relevant Booking, and we shall not be liable for loss of profit, loss of business or any indirect or consequential loss.

27Term and Termination

These Mechanic Terms apply for as long as you maintain a Mechanic account. Either party may terminate on reasonable notice, and we may terminate immediately for serious breach. On termination, you must complete any accepted Bookings unless we agree otherwise, and outstanding obligations — including warranty obligations, Commission, set-off and anti-circumvention — survive termination.

28Changes to These Terms

We may update these Mechanic Terms from time to time. Updated versions will be published on the Platform, and material changes will be notified to you where appropriate. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Mechanic Terms.

29Governing Law

These Mechanic Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and any dispute arising from them is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

30Contact Us

If you need to contact us, please use the details below.

By registering as a Mechanic, accepting work, or otherwise using the Platform as a Mechanic, you confirm that you have read, understood and agreed to these Mechanic Terms & Conditions.