Terms of service

1. About these terms

Better Site by Benjamin is a sole-trader website design and development business based in Christchurch, New Zealand. These terms cover use of this website, website projects, refreshes, edits, web apps, hosting, domain services and free mockup requests.

For paid work, the scope, price and these terms must be provided to you before you agree to proceed. A project begins when we both confirm the work in writing, including by email. A general enquiry does not commit you to a purchase. The mockup form records acceptance of these terms for that request, together with the terms version.

An accepted project quote or agreement takes priority over these general terms for that project if they conflict. Mandatory legal rights always apply. You can save this page or request an emailed copy.

2. Quotes, pricing and scope

Prices are in New Zealand dollars. The quote confirms the total payable, any applicable GST, one-off work, ongoing charges and approved third-party costs before you commit. No undisclosed tax or fee will be added to an accepted total.

Advertised starting prices cover the stated scope. Additional work, costs and any effect on timing require your agreement before the work is done. A change to website pricing does not change an already accepted fixed quote.

3. Website projects

The One Page Website is $199 and covers one scrolling page with one revision round. The Business Website is $499, with up to seven pages and up to three revision rounds. Both include content writing, mobile-friendly design, service information, a contact form, and SEO and metadata setup as described on the Services page.

Both packages include one month of Priority hosting and maintenance, and the first year of a .co.nz domain obtained through Better Site. Full website files are available after payment. The optional $99 design-directions add-on covers three homepage concepts for you to choose from before development.

You will be asked to review the content and approve the design before launch. A revision round is one collected set of feedback on the agreed work. Extra pages or features change the scope; an additional standard content page is $15. Fixing a failure to meet the agreed scope is not charged as an extra revision.

4. Refreshes, redesigns and individual edits

The $99 Website Refresh is for an existing Better Site website, using its current structure and content. It covers agreed visual or layout improvements. Larger redesigns, rebuilding and new functionality need a separate quote. The separate homepage redesign service starts from $349, with its scope confirmed in writing.

A $10 individual edit is a straightforward text, image or content change. It does not include a redesign, new feature or substantial structural work. Better Site will confirm whether your request fits an edit or needs a quote before proceeding.

5. Web apps and custom development

Simple web apps start from $199. Ordering systems, portals and more involved applications are quoted for the project. Accounts, stored data, integrations and third-party systems can affect the cost and timeline.

The agreement will set out the functions to be built, how they will be checked, and any ongoing hosting or support needed. Better Site will use reasonable care and skill in development and security, taking account of the agreed purpose and the information the app handles.

6. Free homepage mockups

A free mockup is a temporary homepage concept or preview. It is not a completed free website. Receiving one does not oblige you to buy anything.

A submission asks Better Site to consider the request. Acceptance is confirmed in writing. A request may be declined for legitimate reasons such as capacity, fit with the services offered, incomplete information, a conflict of interest, or inappropriate or unlawful content. There is no charge if a request is declined.

For accepted requests, the aim is to prepare the preview within three business days after receiving the necessary details, with timing confirmed to you. If you do not proceed, the preview is taken down and its working files deleted. Enquiry and business records are handled under the Privacy Policy.

7. Your information, materials and approvals

Please provide accurate business information, the materials needed for the work, timely feedback and approvals, and necessary account access through an agreed secure method. You must have permission or appropriate licences for supplied text, logos, images and other materials.

Your content and use of the service must be lawful and respect other people’s rights. The Acceptable Use Policy gives more detail. Please check business facts and claims before approving publication. These responsibilities do not remove Better Site’s responsibility for its own work.

8. Payment

Website build payment is due within three days of launch. If needed, four equal, interest-free payments over one month may be agreed in writing before launch. No deposit is required under the standard website payment arrangement.

For standalone edits, web apps and other quoted work, the payment date is agreed in writing before work begins and recorded on the invoice. Approved extras are invoiced at the agreed price and due date. Hosting and care are billed monthly.

If an invoice appears wrong or you have difficulty paying, please get in touch. Overdue payments are addressed under the notice and suspension process below; these terms do not add automatic late-payment fees.

9. Timelines and delays

Delivery dates are estimates unless a firm date is specifically agreed. Timing depends on the scope, access, content and your feedback. If missing material or another issue causes delay, Better Site will explain the impact and discuss a revised timeline with you.

Better Site will tell you about delays on its side and work with you on a reasonable next step. If no date is agreed, work will be completed within a reasonable time. A delay does not remove any remedy you have under law.

10. Hosting, care and domains

Hosting is $5 per month and includes website hosting, SSL and scheduled backups. Starter Care is $14.99 per month and includes managed hosting, scheduled backups, support, up to three content changes per month and unlimited price changes.

Priority Care is $24.99 per month and includes managed hosting, scheduled backups, priority support, priority updates within 24 hours, up to ten content changes per month, unlimited price changes and SEO content optimisation every two months. The update window applies to complete requests for included content changes; larger work is separately agreed.

Ongoing hosting or care is agreed with you before the included first month ends. A .co.nz domain obtained through Better Site is included for the first year with a website package, then renews at $10 per year. Renewal arrangements will be confirmed before a charge is incurred. Domain availability and registrar rules apply.

Scheduled backups support recovery but cannot guarantee recovery of every recent change. Any special backup frequency or retention needs should be agreed for the project. Email hosting, third-party subscriptions and custom backend maintenance are outside the standard plans unless agreed. See the Hosting and Care Terms for plan details.

11. Third-party services

A project may use a domain registrar, hosting infrastructure, form or email provider, or an agreed payment, ordering or other integration. Relevant fees, licences and account responsibilities will be identified before you agree to use them. Their own terms and outages can affect availability.

Better Site does not promise uninterrupted third-party services. It remains responsible for reasonable care in its own work, including any setup or management it has agreed to provide, and will help investigate issues within that scope.

12. Ownership and website files

You retain ownership of the materials you supply. Once paid in full, you own the completed website work created specifically for you, and the full website files are available on request, including if you move to another host.

Existing Better Site tools, templates and reusable code remain with their owner. Where included in your paid website, you receive an ongoing right to use and modify them as part of that website, including with another developer or host. Third-party code, fonts and other assets remain subject to their licences; any restrictions affecting your use will be explained before inclusion.

Custom app deliverables and any required service accounts will be identified in the quote. The agreement will explain how to access the paid work and any licences it needs.

13. Portfolio use and confidentiality

Better Site may show your completed website in its portfolio only with your agreement. Confidential work can be excluded or handled separately as agreed. This does not give permission to publish private client information, account details or unpublished material.

14. Changes, cancellations and refunds

You can cancel a mockup request without charge. For a paid project, tell Better Site promptly if you need to pause or cancel. Work that can reasonably be stopped will be stopped.

Any amount due on cancellation is limited to agreed work reasonably completed and approved, unavoidable costs already committed, taking account of what you can use and why the project ended. Better Site will provide an itemised explanation. You will not be charged for unperformed work, and any overpayment will be refunded.

If Better Site cannot complete a project, it will discuss handover and refund amounts paid for work not supplied. Rights to repairs, cancellation, refunds or compensation for service failures are preserved. See the Refunds and Cancellations Policy.

15. Business results

Work can include usability, enquiry paths and SEO fundamentals. Better Site does not guarantee a particular search ranking, number of enquiries, revenue or conversion rate. This does not reduce its responsibility to deliver the agreed work with reasonable care and skill.

16. Liability and your legal rights

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits rights or remedies that cannot lawfully be excluded, including under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 and Fair Trading Act 1986. These general terms do not contract out of those Acts for business customers.

Where the Consumer Guarantees Act applies, services must meet its guarantees, including reasonable care and skill, fitness for an agreed purpose, reasonable completion time where none is agreed, and reasonable price where none is agreed.

Better Site is responsible for its work and for loss for which it is legally liable. These terms impose no blanket exclusion or automatic cap on that liability. Please report a problem promptly so it can be investigated and, where appropriate, put right. Any remedy will reflect the circumstances and your legal rights.

17. Privacy

Enquiry details, project information and service records are handled under the Privacy Policy. It explains the information collected, its uses, relevant providers, retention, and how to request access or correction.

18. Ending or suspending ongoing services

You can cancel hosting or care without a notice period. Service ends at the end of the paid monthly period. Moving to another host does not remove your access to paid website files.

If Better Site needs to end an ongoing service for business reasons, it will give at least 30 days’ written notice, help arrange a reasonable handover and refund prepaid charges for any period it will not supply.

For overdue payment or a material breach, Better Site will explain the issue in writing and allow a reasonable opportunity to resolve it before suspension or termination. Urgent action may be needed for a serious security risk or unlawful activity. Any restriction will be proportionate, explained as soon as practical and reviewed when the issue is resolved.

Before deleting a hosted website, Better Site will contact you and give you a reasonable opportunity to obtain your paid files. It will cooperate with a domain or hosting transfer and explain any registrar requirements or approved external costs. App data exports and retention are agreed for the project; necessary business records may be retained under the Privacy Policy.

19. Changes to these terms

Updates apply to new work prospectively. Posting a new version does not silently change an accepted project agreement. Material changes to active work require agreement. Proposed changes to an ongoing service will be explained in advance, including the effective date and your option to end the service before they take effect.

20. New Zealand law and resolving concerns

New Zealand law governs these terms. Please contact Better Site first so there is an opportunity to understand and resolve a concern. This does not prevent either party from using the Disputes Tribunal, a court or another available legal process.

21. Contact

For project, billing, privacy or terms questions, contact Better Site by Benjamin at contact@bettersite.co.nz.