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terms and conditions

Terms and Conditions of Service

Acceptance of Terms

By requesting, accepting, paying for, or making use of any services or products provided by Sautech (Pty) Ltd (“Sautech”), the client (“Client”) agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.

Acceptance applies whether agreement is concluded verbally, electronically, via email, WhatsApp, other messaging platforms, signature, or conduct. Continued use of services constitutes acceptance of the latest version published on our website.


Quotes & Proposals
Acceptance of Quotes:  

  1. Any quote provided by Sautech (Pty) Ltd becomes a legally binding agreement once accepted by the Client via email, WhatsApp, other messaging platforms, telephonically, or by signature.
  2. Acceptance confirms agreement to the scope of work, pricing, exclusions, and these Terms and Conditions.
  3. All services, pricing, and availability are subject to these Terms and Conditions, available www.sautech.net/terms
Validity & Pricing
  • Prices are valid for three (3) calendar days from the quotation date.
  • Prices and product availability may change without notice.
  • All quotes exclude labour unless otherwise specified.
  • Any items ordered for C.O.D clients must be paid in full and proof of payment received before orders are placed.
  • All software is non-refundable, non-creditable, and non-exchangeable once ordered.
  • Hardware products carry a standard one (1) year supplier warranty, unless otherwise specified.
  • Laptop batteries and chargers carry a three (3) month warranty.
Invoices & Billing
Payment Terms

  • Payment is due within 30 days from the invoice date unless otherwise agreed in writing or stated in an accepted quote or proposal.
  • Overdue payments will add a interest of 2.5% per month.
Ownership & Goods Retrieval

  • All goods remain the property of Sautech until paid in full.
  • Sautech reserves the right to retrieve goods if payment is not made in full or if payment is outstanding for more than 60 days without an accepted payment arrangement.
Returns Policy

  • No returns or credits are accepted if goods are received more than 48 hours after delivery.
  • Goods may not be returned if opened, used, damaged, or altered.
Debit Orders

  • Missed debit orders incur a R250 penalty per occurrence.
  • Sautech reserves the right to debit the Client’s account at any time during the month if a debit order fails.
Service Suspension

  • Services may be suspended or terminated if payment is overdue or a payment plan is not accepted in writing.
  • Continued use of services implies acceptance of ongoing charges.
Cancellation

  • Written notice of cancellation is required 30 days in advance.
  • The Client remains liable for the last submitted invoice plus one additional invoice.
  • Agreements automatically renew for 12 months unless cancelled within the agreed period.
Fees, Exchange Rates & Adjustments

  • Fees may be adjusted based on USD/ZAR exchange rate fluctuations.
  • Sautech reserves the right to amend monthly fees at its discretion.
Application of Payments

  • Any received funds will be allocated to the oldest outstanding invoice first.
Invoice Disputes

  • Invoice disputes must be submitted within 7 days of receipt.
  • Failure to do so constitutes acceptance of the invoice as correct.
Errors & Omissions
  • Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE).
  • Sautech may amend terms without prior notice
SLA, Support & Services

  • All Clients fall under Sautech’s Standard SLA, unless a separate written SLA is signed.
  • All support and services are provided on a best-effort basis, unless explicitly governed by a signed SLA.
  • No service shall be deemed “fully managed” unless explicitly stated in writing.
Client Responsibilities

The Client is solely responsible for:

  • Data accuracy, legality, and compliance
  • User access, credentials, and authentication
  • End-user activity
  • Maintaining independent backups (see Section 6)

Sautech is not responsible for client misconfiguration, misuse, or failure to follow recommendations.

Data, Backups & Data Loss

  • The Client is solely responsible for maintaining verified, tested backups of all data, including email, databases, and files, unless a specific backup or disaster recovery service is contracted in writing.
  • Sautech shall not be liable for:
  • Data loss, corruption, deletion, or overwriting
  • Email loss, mailbox corruption, journaling failures, or delivery delays
  • ackup failures or incomplete restores
  • Data loss during migrations, upgrades, transitions, or terminations
  • Backup services, where provided, are best-effort and do not guarantee successful restoration.
Cyber Security & Attacks

  • Sautech applies reasonable industry-standard security practices; however, no system is completely secure.
  • Sautech shall not be liable for loss or damage arising from:
  • Malware, ransomware, spyware, viruses, trojans
  • Phishing, business email compromise, or social engineering
  • Credential compromise or weak authentication
  • DDoS attacks
  • Zero-day or unknown vulnerabilities
  • Third-party software, plugins, APIs, or vendors
  • Security services reduce risk but do not eliminate risk.
Email, Hosting & DNS Services

  • All email and hosting services are provided on a best-effort basis.
  • Sautech does not guarantee:
  • Email delivery or retention
  • Spam filtering accuracy
  • Mailbox availability
  • DNS correctness or propagation timing
  • Sautech is not liable for lost, delayed, filtered, or undelivered email.
Data Centre & Infrastructure Availability

Sautech shall not be liable for downtime or degradation caused by:

  • Data centre outages or maintenance
  • Power failures, load shedding, generator or fuel failure
  • Cooling or environmental failures
  • Network outages or upstream provider failures
  • Fibre cuts, cable theft, or ISP issues
  • Force majeure events (fire, flood, civil unrest, strikes, government action)

No uptime guarantee applies unless governed by a signed SLA.

Third-Party Providers

Sautech relies on third-party providers including data centres, cloud platforms, ISPs, registrars, DNS providers, and software vendors.

Sautech accepts no liability for failures, suspensions, pricing changes, or policy changes imposed by third parties.

Migrations, Transitions & Termination

  • Migration and transition support is provided on a best-effort basis only.
  • Sautech is not liable for:
  • Partial or failed migrations
  • Data loss during migration
  • DNS errors or propagation delays
  • Extended transition periods
  • Support during transition does not constitute full operational responsibility.
Limitation of Liability

  • To the maximum extent permitted by South African law, Sautech shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages, including loss of data, revenue, profit, or business.
  • Sautech’s total liability is limited to the fees paid by the Client in the three (3) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim.
Indemnity

The Client indemnifies Sautech against all claims, losses, or damages arising from:

  • Client data or content
  • Client actions or omissions
  • Breach of these Terms
  • Unlawful or negligent use of services
Amendments

  • Sautech reserves the right to amend these Terms at any time.
  • The latest version published on the website shall prevail.
Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

Errors & Omissions

Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE).

Email Disclaimer

This email and any attachments thereto may contain confidential and/or privileged information and is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply email and delete this message from your system. Unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, or distribution of the information contained in this email is prohibited and may be unlawful.

Please note that while we make every effort to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this email, we cannot guarantee that it is free from errors or omissions. The recipient should verify any information before relying on it, as we are not responsible for any loss or damage that may arise from the use of this email or its contents.

Additionally, although this email and any attachments are believed to be free of viruses or other harmful components, the recipient is responsible for ensuring that it is free from such threats. We do not accept liability for any damage caused by any means or methods transmitted by this email.

Any quote or proposal provided in this email or any attachments, once accepted by you in writing, electronically, or via email, shall be deemed legally binding and enforceable. By accepting such a quote or proposal, you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions therein.

All our terms and conditions can be viewed at Terms and Conditions | Sautech

By communicating with us via email, you consent to the risks associated with electronic communication, including the possibility of delays, errors, and interception by unauthorized parties.

Any views or opinions expressed in this email are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company.


Finance Terms and Definitions

All payments outlined in this agreement are to be made in three consecutive, equal installments.

Software Licensing: All software licenses associated with this agreement will become the property of the client upon completion of this agreement. Licenses cannot be transferred between machines.

Ownership: All items covered by this agreement will remain the property of Sautech until the agreement is fulfilled, at which point ownership will transfer to the Client.

Insurance: The Client agrees to fully and comprehensively insure all items specified in this agreement throughout its duration under the Client's current insurance policy. Sautech reserves the right to request proof of this insurance at its sole discretion.

Cancellation: This agreement cannot be terminated before the cancellation date specified under "Contract Duration."

Default: If the Client fails to make any payment on time, they will be considered in default. In this case, Sautech reserves the right to demand immediate payment of the entire remaining unpaid balance of the loan without further notice. If the full amount of the loan is not paid by the final payment due date, Sautech will charge the Client interest on the unpaid balance at a rate of 15% per annum.

Replacement / Loss / Damage Policy

In the event that any items or assets covered by this agreement are damaged, lost, or stolen, the Client agrees to:

  • Replace the items according to industry standards at the time of loss, with either the same or newer models as listed in this agreement.
  • Notify Sautech immediately of the event or incident.
  • Report the incident to the South African Police Service (SAPS) if necessary.
  • Obtain approval from Sautech for the proposed replacement items.