Terms and Conditions

1. General terms

1.1 Agreement and service-specific terms

The quotation or invoice accepted by the client and these terms together form the service agreement. If a signed agreement or accepted quotation expressly conflicts with these general terms, the signed or accepted service-specific term applies to that engagement. Third-party services, including domain registries, hosting infrastructure, advertising platforms and software licences, may also have terms that apply directly.

1.2 Professional conduct and communication

Both parties will communicate respectfully and lawfully. Official project communications should use the contact methods agreed for the engagement, such as Vertico’s business email, approved WhatsApp number or project-management channel. Each party should respect agreed working hours and response times. Threats, harassment, discriminatory abuse or unlawful conduct may lead to a reasonable pause or termination after notice where appropriate.

1.3 Client cooperation

The client will provide accurate information, materials, access, decisions and payments required for the service by the dates agreed. Repeated non-response, late materials, late payment or changes may require rescheduling, a revised quotation or a pause. Any added fee or revised schedule will be discussed with the client before the additional work is undertaken, except where urgent work is expressly authorized.

1.4 Confidentiality

Each party will use the other party’s non-public business information only to perform or receive the services and will take reasonable steps to protect it. This does not cover information that is public through no breach, already lawfully known, independently developed, or required to be disclosed by law. This clause is subject to the privacy and data-protection obligations that apply.

1.5 Complaints and disputes

Please raise concerns promptly through the contact details in section 8. The parties will first try to resolve a dispute through good-faith discussion. This does not prevent either party from using any rights or remedies available under applicable law.

1.6 Changes to these terms

Vertico may publish updated terms for future engagements. For an existing engagement, a material change will apply only if the parties agree to it, or if applicable law otherwise permits it. Continued service use alone will not be treated as acceptance of a material change unless legally effective notice and consent requirements have been met.

2. Domain registration, renewal, transfer and deletion

2.1 Registration

Domain availability is not guaranteed until the relevant registry or registrar confirms registration. Zimbabwean “.zw” domains are subject to applicable ZISPA and registry requirements; international domains are subject to the relevant registrar and ICANN policies. Registration periods depend on the domain extension and registry rules. The client is responsible for checking that the requested name does not infringe another party’s rights and for providing accurate registrant information.

2.2 Fees and third-party charges

Domain registration, renewal and transfer fees, including registry or registrar charges, will be shown in the quotation or invoice where available. Once a registry or registrar has processed a purchase, renewal or transfer, it may be irreversible and its fee may not be recoverable. Any refund is subject to the third party’s rules and applicable law.

2.3 Renewals

The client is responsible for renewing a domain before expiry and for keeping contact and billing details current. Vertico may send reminders where contact information and service arrangements permit, but the client remains responsible for renewal. A grace or recovery period, if any, depends on the registry or registrar and may carry additional fees; no recovery period is guaranteed.

2.4 Transfers and deletion

Transfers may require authorization, an EPP/Auth code, unlocking, verified contact details or other registry steps. Some international domains are subject to transfer locks under registrar or ICANN rules. Incorrect information or third-party review may delay or prevent a transfer. An expired or deleted domain may be suspended, enter a paid recovery period, or become available to another registrant. Recovery cannot be guaranteed after deletion.

2.5 Client duties and lawful use

The client will maintain accurate registration information and use the domain lawfully. Vertico may take proportionate action where required by a registry, court or applicable law, or to address a credible abuse or security risk, and will give notice when reasonably possible.

3. Hosting services

3.1 Services covered

These terms cover shared web and email hosting, reseller hosting, virtual private server (VPS) hosting and cloud hosting, as applicable to the client’s selected plan. The selected plan, billing cycle, included resources, support level, backups and any managed services are those stated in the quotation or plan description.

3.2 Accounts and acceptable use

The client is responsible for account credentials and activity carried out through its account, and must take reasonable steps to secure access. Hosting may not be used for phishing, spam, malware, hacking, unlawful content or activity that materially harms other users or infrastructure. Email may not be used for unsolicited bulk campaigns without any required approval. Vertico may restrict or suspend affected services where reasonably necessary for security, abuse prevention, legal compliance or non-payment, and will provide notice and a reasonable opportunity to address the issue where practicable.

3.3 Plan-specific responsibilities

• Shared hosting: resources are shared; unusually high use may result in fair-use controls or a plan change.
• Reseller hosting: resellers manage their own customers, billing and support and must ensure their customers follow applicable use rules.
• VPS: unless a managed service is included, the client manages the operating system, applications, updates, security and backups. Harmful or excessive use may be restricted.
• Cloud hosting: resource use and any usage-based charges follow the selected plan and quotation. The client configures its cloud services unless management is included.

3.4 Backups, security and availability

Backup frequency, retention and restoration support depend on the purchased plan. The client should keep an independent copy of important data, particularly for unmanaged VPS and cloud services. Vertico will use reasonable operational measures, but no hosting service can be guaranteed to be uninterrupted, error-free or immune from data loss, unauthorized access or third-party outage. Any uptime commitment must be expressly stated in the applicable plan; a general target is not a service-level guarantee unless expressly made one.

3.5 Billing, suspension and termination

Hosting is billed in advance on the agreed monthly, quarterly or annual cycle. The invoice states the due date. If an invoice remains unpaid for seven calendar days after its due date, Vertico may suspend the affected service after giving notice where reasonably practicable. An account unpaid for more than 30 calendar days may be terminated after notice where reasonably practicable. Data may be deleted after termination. The client should maintain independent backups and promptly request any available export. Retention or retrieval is subject to the selected plan and applicable law. Third-party, setup and domain charges are addressed in section 6.

3.6 Third-party systems and liability

Some hosting functions depend on registries, data centres, networks and software providers outside Vertico’s control. Vertico will take reasonable care in selecting and managing services it supplies, but cannot promise that third parties will be continuously available. Nothing in these terms excludes rights or liabilities that cannot lawfully be excluded.

4. Website development and graphic design

4.1 Portfolio fit and project acceptance

Before paying a deposit, the client should review the Vertico portfolio, examples and experience shared for the proposed work, and confirm that Vertico’s demonstrated capabilities and style are suitable for the project. Examples help the client make an informed choice; they are not a guarantee that a new project will be identical. Vertico may accept a project after reviewing the brief, requirements, resources and schedule.

4.2 Scope and deliverables

The accepted quotation, invoice or written brief will state the included pages, features, design items, integrations, deliverable formats, price and estimated schedule. Work is limited to that stated scope. Additional pages, features, integrations, significant content changes or deliverables are outside scope and require a separately approved quotation or invoice before work begins on them. Website development may include front-end or back-end development, CMS integration (such as WordPress), e-commerce functionality, responsive layouts or basic SEO only where listed in the project scope. Graphic design may include logos, flyers, social media graphics, banners, business cards or branding materials only where listed.

4.3 Deposit and payment schedule

A 60% deposit is due upfront before project work starts. The deposit reserves project time and covers the time, planning and resources used during the process. The client should assess the portfolio and Vertico’s experience before engagement. The deposit is credited toward the quoted project price. The remaining 40% balance is due within 14 calendar days after final submission for client review, unless a different due date is expressly agreed in the accepted invoice. Final submission means the completed work is presented for review; it does not mean production deployment or transfer of operational control. Vertico may send payment reminders at intervals determined by Vertico; no fixed reminder schedule is promised, and reminders do not change the due date. Deployment and operational handover occur after all amounts due have been paid. If payment is late, Vertico may pause work, deployment or handover after notice. Any recovery costs or additional charges must be lawful, disclosed and agreed in writing.

4.4 Start conditions and client materials

Work starts after both (a) the required deposit has cleared and (b) the client has supplied the information, content, assets and access needed for the agreed first stage. The client is responsible for supplying accurate final text, images, logos, product information, approvals and third-party materials, and for ensuring it has the rights and licences needed for those materials. If required information is not yet available, the parties may agree a staged start in writing.

4.5 Drafts, revisions and feedback

The number of revision rounds is the number stated for the selected package or accepted quotation. The existing terms mention up to two rounds, but package limits may differ; the quotation must state the applicable number before work starts. The quotation or package description will state the number of revision rounds included. A revision round means one consolidated set of feedback on the submitted draft. The seven-day period is calendar days. The client should submit consolidated feedback within seven calendar days after each draft is sent. Feedback after that window, extra rounds, or requests that materially change the approved brief may require additional fees and a revised schedule, subject to approval.

If no feedback arrives within seven calendar days, Vertico may send a reminder and, if no response follows, treat the draft as approved for scheduling purposes and move to the next stage. This does not waive any legal rights or make an unfinished deliverable a final accepted deliverable. The client should raise any defect or concern promptly.

4.6 Change requests and schedule impacts

Changes to the original brief, supplied information, approved content or agreed functionality may require a revised quotation or invoice and adjustment of the delivery dates. Vertico will explain the cost and schedule effect and obtain the client’s approval before doing chargeable extra work. Late content, decisions, approvals, access or payments may delay the project; delivery estimates will be adjusted reasonably to reflect the resulting pause or rework.

4.7 Final review, payment, deployment and handover

When the in-scope work is complete, Vertico will provide a final review submission, normally as a preview, staging site or final design files that do not transfer production control. The client should review it promptly and identify any material issue against the accepted scope. The remaining 40% balance is due within 14 calendar days after this submission, in accordance with section 4.3. Once all amounts due are paid, Vertico will complete the agreed deployment and operational handover, including the transfer of control or delivery of files expressly listed in the quotation. Domain registration, hosting, third-party subscriptions and source files are included only if the quotation says so. Vertico will not charge for recovery, storage or additional files unless the amount and conditions were disclosed and accepted in advance. If the client identifies an in-scope defect, Vertico will address it in accordance with the agreed scope and applicable law.

4.8 Ownership and portfolio use

Upon full payment, rights in the final project materials created specifically for the client transfer to the client to the extent stated in the quotation and permitted by law. Vertico retains its pre-existing tools, methods, reusable components and third-party materials, which remain subject to their own licences. Any source files, stock assets or third-party licence transfers must be identified in the quotation. Vertico may display the completed work in its portfolio for promotion unless the client requests confidentiality in writing before publication; client confidential information and personal data will not be intentionally disclosed.

4.9 Cancellation, defects and post-launch support

Either party may request cancellation in writing. If Vertico has not started work, the client will receive a full refund of project payments received, subject to any mandatory law. If work has started, the parties may discuss and agree in writing on any amount refundable, taking account of work completed, time and resources used, approved costs and the reason for cancellation. No refund amount is guaranteed solely because the client elects to use another provider; all statutory rights remain unaffected. Amounts attributable to work already completed or third-party costs already committed may be retained only to the extent permitted by law. Any agreed refund will be documented in writing.

The quotation should identify any included post-launch support period and its scope. Unless the quotation provides otherwise, this project price does not include ongoing maintenance, hosting, future browser or software compatibility work, new features or support beyond correcting a defect in the agreed deliverables. Any applicable consumer rights are not limited by this clause.

5. Social media management, online marketing, SEO and website maintenance

5.1 Scope

• Social media management: content creation, scheduling, posting, engagement and basic advertising support only as stated in the package.
• Online marketing: campaign planning, design, targeting and reporting as stated. Platform advertising spend is separate from Vertico’s service fee and is paid in advance as agreed.
• SEO: on-page/off-page optimization, keyword work, technical review, link building and reporting only as stated in the package. SEO is ongoing and outcomes depend on factors outside Vertico’s control; no particular ranking is promised.
• Website maintenance: routine CMS, theme and plugin updates, monitoring, backups, malware checks and minor content edits only as stated. Redesigns, major development and new features are quoted separately.

5.2 Client cooperation and accounts

The client will provide timely account access, accurate business information, licensed content, approvals and campaign budgets. The client remains responsible for its products, claims, offers and regulatory permissions. Vertico will not publish content requiring client approval until approval is received, except where the package expressly authorizes a defined workflow.

5.3 Fees, term and cancellation

Fees are billed monthly, quarterly or annually as agreed; a minimum one-month advance payment is required to begin unless the quotation states otherwise. Invoices more than seven calendar days overdue may result in service suspension after notice where reasonably practicable. Either party may terminate recurring services on 30 days’ written notice, unless the accepted quotation states an agreed minimum commitment. Advertising platform charges and third-party subscriptions are separate. Cancellation does not remove liability for services already performed or authorized third-party charges, subject to applicable refund rights.

5.4 Performance, intellectual property and maintenance limits

Vertico will use reasonable professional efforts and agreed practices but does not guarantee follower counts, leads, sales, search rankings or uninterrupted platform availability. Platforms may change their rules, algorithms, access or pricing. Materials created by Vertico remain Vertico’s property until payment in full; on full payment, the client receives rights to the deliverables as agreed, subject to third-party licences and any stated exclusions. Vertico is not responsible for issues caused by client changes, expired third-party licences, platform outages or updates outside its reasonable control.

6. Cancellations and refunds

6.1 Website development and graphic design

If the client cancels before Vertico has started work, Vertico will refund all project payments received. If work has started, the parties may discuss and agree in writing on any amount refundable, taking account of the reason for cancellation, work completed, time and resources used, and authorized costs. A request to move the project to another provider does not by itself entitle the client to a refund. The parties will handle any refund consistently with applicable law; statutory rights are not limited.

6.2 Domains and third-party charges

Domain registration, renewal and transfer charges are non-refundable once the order has been submitted to or processed by the registry or registrar, subject to any rights that cannot be excluded by law. Third-party charges, including advertising platform fees and software or infrastructure costs, are generally non-refundable once paid or committed to the provider. Refunds are not guaranteed for third-party charges; any recovery depends on the third party’s own decision and applicable law.

6.3 Hosting

Monthly hosting fees are not refundable after the service is activated, subject to rights that cannot be excluded by law. For an annual hosting plan, a refund may be requested within 14 calendar days after activation. If approved, Vertico will deduct the used service period, rounded up to one full month, together with any disclosed setup, domain or non-refundable third-party charges. No refund is available for periods after that 14-day window except where required by law or agreed in writing. Service interruption complaints will be assessed on their facts and any express service commitment in the selected plan.

6.4 SEO and marketing

Where a client cancels SEO or marketing services, Vertico will account for the work already completed, campaign spend or other third-party charges already paid or committed, and any prepaid service not yet performed. A refund of any unused prepaid service will be assessed under the agreement and applicable law. Marketing service fees attributable to work already completed are not refundable, subject to statutory rights. Advertising budgets paid to platforms are controlled by those platforms and are generally not refundable. SEO results take time and depend on external factors; no ranking or outcome is guaranteed. Clients should allow a reasonable period, often 90 days or more, to assess trends, without this limiting any rights concerning the service provided.

6.5 Refund process and disputes

Refunds, when due, will ordinarily be made to the original payment method unless the parties agree otherwise or the payment provider requires another method. A billing complaint should be sent to the contact in section 8 with the invoice and a description of the issue. Nothing in this clause restricts a client’s statutory rights or lawful remedies.

7. Privacy, liability and changes to terms

7.1 Privacy and personal information

Each party will comply with applicable privacy and data-protection laws. The client is responsible for ensuring that it has the rights and lawful basis required to provide personal information to Vertico and to use it for the requested services. Where Vertico processes personal information on the client’s behalf, the parties will document appropriate processing instructions and safeguards before that processing begins. Vertico will provide information about personal data it collects for its own purposes in a separate privacy notice. The client should not send sensitive personal information unless it is necessary for the agreed service and appropriate safeguards have been agreed.

7.2 Liability

Vertico will perform the agreed services with reasonable care and skill. Each party remains responsible for loss directly caused by its breach of the agreement, negligence or wilful misconduct, subject to applicable law. To the extent permitted by law, neither party is liable to the other for indirect or consequential loss, including loss of profit, business opportunity or anticipated savings. This limitation does not exclude liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, including applicable consumer rights, or liability for fraud, wilful misconduct, or personal injury caused by negligence. Vertico does not guarantee uninterrupted third-party hosting, domain, advertising or social-media platforms. Any service-specific liability cap or service credit applies only if expressly stated in the accepted quotation.

7.3 Amendments and acceptance

Updated terms will be dated and made available to clients. Changes to an existing engagement that materially affect price, scope, payment, cancellation or liability will be notified and require the client’s agreement before they apply, except where a change is required by law or a third-party provider’s binding rules. Continuing to use a service will not by itself be treated as acceptance of a material change to an existing agreement.

7.4 Applicable rights

Nothing in these terms removes rights or remedies that cannot be excluded under applicable Zimbabwean law. Any dispute will be handled in accordance with the applicable law and competent courts. The parties may first attempt to resolve the matter through the process in section 1.5.

8. Contact details

For complaints or further information about the services, contact: