Terms And Conditions
UNIPAC SHIPPING (UK) LTD STANDARD TRADING CONDITIONS
DEFINITIONS AND APPLICATION
1. In these Conditions:-
“Company” MeansUnipac Shipping (UK) Ltd.
“Person” Includes persons or any Body or Bodies Corporate.
“The Owner” Means the Owner of the goods (including any packaging, containers or equipment) to which any business concluded under these Conditions relates and any other person who is or may become interested in them
“Customer’ Means any person at whose request or on whose behalf the Company undertakes any business or provides advice, information or services.
2. (A) Subject to Sub-Paragraph (B) Below, all and any activities of the Company in the course of business whether gratuitous or not are undertaken subject to these Conditions.
(B) If any legislation is compulsorily applicable to any business undertaken, these Conditions shall, as regards such business, be read as subject to such legislation and nothing in these Conditions shall be construed as a surrender by the Company of any of its rights or immunities or as an increase of any of its responsibilities or liabilities under such legislation and if any part of these Conditions be repugnant to such legislation to any extent such part shall as regards such business be overridden to that extent and no further.
3. The Customer warrants that he is either the Owner or the authorised Agent of the Owner and also that he is accepting these Conditions not only for himself but also as Agent for and on behalf of the Owner.
4. In authorising the Customer to enter into any Contract with the Company and/or in accepting any document issued by the Company in connection with such Contract, the Owner and Consignee accept these Conditions for themselves and their Agents and for any parties on whose behalf they or their Agents may act, and in particular, but without prejudice to the generality of this Clause, they accept that the Company shall have the right to enforce against them jointly and severally any liability of the Customer under these Conditions or to recover from them any sums to be paid by the Customer which upon proper demand have not been paid.
THE COMPANY
5. (A) Subject to Clauses 13 and 14 below, the Company shall be entitled to procure any or all of its services as an Agent or to provide those services as a Principal.
(B) The offer and acceptance of an inclusive price for the accomplishment of any service or services shall not itself determine whether any such service is or services are to be arranged by the Company acting as Agent or to be provided by the Company acting as a Contracting Principal.
6. When and to the extent that the Company has contracted as Principal for the performance of any of its services, it undertakes to perform and/or in its own name to procure the performance of those services, and subject always to the totality of these Conditions and in particular to Clauses 26-29 hereof accepts liability for loss of or damage to goods taken into its charge occurring between the time when it takes the goods into its charge and the time when the Company is entitled to call upon the Customer, Consignee or Owner to take delivery of the goods.
(A) for the carriage of goods by any route or means or person;
(B) for the storage, packing, trans-shipment, loading, unloading or handling of the goods by any person at any place and for any length of time;
(C) for the carriage or storage of goods in or on transport units as defined in Clause 19 and with other goods of whatever nature; and
(D) to do such acts as may in the opinion of the Company be reasonably necessary in the performance of its obligations in the interests of the Customer.
8. The Company reserves to itself a reasonable liberty as to the means, route and procedure to be followed in the handling, storage and transportation of goods.
9. The Company shall be entitled to perform any of its obligations herein by itself or by its parent, subsidiary or associated Companies. In the absence of agreement to the contrary any Contract to which these Conditions apply is made by the Company on its own behalf and also as Agent for and on behalf of any such parent, subsidiary, or associated Company, and any such Company shall be entitled to the benefit of these Conditions.
10. (A) Subject to Sub-Clause (B) hereof, the Company shall have a general lien on all goods and documents relating to goods in its possession, custody or control for all sums due at any time from the Customer or Owner, and shall be entitled to sell or dispose of such goods or documents as Agent for and at the expense of the Customer and apply the proceeds in or towards the payment of such sums on 28 days notice in writing to the Customer. Upon accounting to the Customer for any balance remaining after payment of any sum due to the Company and the costs of sale or 0disposal the Company shall be discharged of any liability whatsoever in respect of the goods or documents.
11. The Company shall be entitled to retain and be paid all brokerages, commissions, allowances and other remunerations customarily retained by or paid to Freight Forwarders.
12. (A) If delivery of the goods or any part thereof is not taken by the Customer, Consignee or Owner, at the time and place when and where the Company is entitled to call upon such person to take delivery thereof, the Company shall be entitled to store the goods or any part thereof at the sole risk of the Customer, whereupon the liability of the Company in respect of the goods or that part thereof stored as aforesaid shall wholly cease and the cost of such storage if paid for or payable by the Company or any Agent or Sub-Contractor of the Company shall forthwith upon demand be paid by the Customer to the Company.
(B) The Company shall be entitled at the expense of the Customer to dispose of (by sale or otherwise as may be reasonable in all the circumstances):-
13. (A) No Insurance will be effected except upon express instructions given in writing by the Customer and all Insurances effected by the Company are subject to the usual exceptions and conditions of the Policies of the Insurance Company or Underwriters taking the risk. Unless otherwise agreed in writing the Company shall not be under any obligation to effect a separate Insurance on each consignment but may declare it on any open or general Policy held by the Company.
(B) Insofar as the Company agrees to arrange Insurance, the Company acts solely as Agent for the Customer using its best endeavours to arrange such Insurance and does so subject to the limits of liability contained in Clause 29 hereof.
14. (A) Except under special arrangements previously made in writing or under the terms of a printed document signed by the Company, any instructions relating to the delivery or release of goods in specified circumstances only, such as (but without prejudice to the generality of this Clause) against payment or against surrender of a particular document, are accepted by the Company only as Agents for the Customer where Third Parties are engaged to effect compliance with the instructions.
15. Advice and information, in whatever form it may be given, is provided by the Company for the Customer only and the Customer shall indemnify the Company against any liability, claims, loss, damage, costs or expenses arising out of any other persons relying upon such advice or information. Except under special arrangements previously made in writing, advice and information which is not related to specific instructions accepted by the Company is provided gratuitously and without liability.
16. (A) Except under special arrangement previously made in writing the Company will not accept or deal with bullion, coin, precious stones, jewellery, valuables, antiques, pictures, human remains, livestock or plants. Should any Customer nevertheless deliver any such goods to the Company or cause the Company to handle or deal with any such goods otherwise than under special arrangements previously made in writing the Company shall be under no liability whatsoever for or in connection with such goods howsoever arising.
(B) The Company may at any time waive its rights and exemptions from liability under Sub-Clause (A) above in respect of any one or more of the categories of goods mentioned herein or of any part of any category. If such waiver is not in writing, the onus of proving such waiver shall be on the Customer.
17. Except following instructions previously received in writing and accepted by the Company, the Company will not accept or deal with goods of a dangerous or damaging nature, nor with goods likely to harbour or encourage vermin or other pests, nor with goods liable to taint or affect other goods. If such goods are accepted pursuant to a special arrangement and then in the opinion of the Company they constitute a risk to other goods, property, life or health, the Company shall where reasonably practicable contact the Customer, but reserves the right at the expense of the Customer to remove or otherwise deal with the goods.
18. Where there is a choice of rates according to the extent or degree of the liability assumed by carriers, warehousemen or others, no declaration of value where optional will be made except under special arrangements previously made in writing.
THE CUSTOMER
19. The Customer warrants:
(B) that all goods have been properly and sufficiently prepared, packed, stowed, labelled and/or marked, and that the preparation, packing, stowage, labelling and marking are appropriate to any operations or transactions affecting the goods and the characteristics of the goods
20. Should the Customer otherwise than under special arrangements previously made in writing as set out in Clause 17 above deliver to the Company or cause the Company to deal with or handle goods of a dangerous or damaging nature, or goods likely to harbour or encourage vermin or other pests, or goods liable to taint or affect other goods, he shall be liable for all loss or damage arising in connection with such goods and shall indemnify the Company against all penalties, claims, damages, costs and expenses whatsoever arising in connection therewith, and the goods may be dealt with in such manner as the Company or any other person in whose custody they may be at any relevant time shall think fit.
21. The Customer undertakes that no claim shall be made against any Director, Servant, or Employee of the Company which imposes or attempts to impose upon them any liability in connection with any services which are the subject of these Conditions and if any such claim should nevertheless be made, to indemnify the Company against all consequences thereof.
22. The Customer shall indemnify and keep the Company indemnified from and against:-
(B) Without derogation from Sub-Clause (A) above, any liability assumed or incurred by the Company when by reason of carrying out the Customer’s instructions the Company has reasonably become liable or may become liable to any other party, and
(C) All claims, costs and demands whatsoever and by whomsoever made or proferred in excess of the liability of the Company under the terms of these Conditions regardless whether such claims, costs and demands arise from or in connection with the negligence or breach of duty of the Company, its Servants, Sub-Contractors or Agents, and
(D) Any claims of a General Average nature which may be made on the Company.
23. (A) The Customer shall pay to the Company in cash or as otherwise agreed all sums immediately when due without reduction or deferment on account of any claim, counterclaim or set-off.
(B) In respect of all sums which are overdue the Customer shall be liable to pay to the Company interest calculated at 4% above the Prime Lending Rate for the time being of the Bank of England.
24. Despite the acceptance by the Company of instructions to collect freight, duties, charges or other expenses from the Consignee or any other person the Customer shall remain responsible for such freight, duties, charges or expenses on receipt of evidence of proper demand and in the absence of evidence of payment (for whatever reason) by such Consignee or other person when due.
25. Where liability for General Average arises in connection with the goods, the Customer shall promptly provide security to the Company or to any other party designated by the Company in a form acceptable to the Company.
LIABILITY AND LIMITATION
26. The Company shall perform its duties with a reasonable degree of care, diligence, skill and judgement.
27. The Company shall be relieved of liability for any loss or damage if and to the extent that such loss or damage is caused by:-
28. Except under special arrangements previously made in writing the Company accepts no responsibility for departure or arrival dates of goods.
29. (A) Subject to Clause 2(B) above and Sub-Clause (D) below the company’s liability howsoever arising and nothwithstanding that the cause of loss or damage be unexplained shall not exceed
(i) in the case of claims for loss or damage to goods
(ii) in the case of all other claims
(c) 75,000 SDR’s in respect of any one transaction whichever shall be the least.
For the purposes of Clause 29(A) the value of the goods shall be their value when they were or should have been shipped. The value of SDR’s shall be calculated as at the date when the claim is received by the Company in writing.
(C) Save in respect of such loss or damage as is referred to at Sub-Clause (B) and subject to Clause 2(B) above and Sub-Clause (D) below, the Company shall not in any circumstances whatsoever be liable for indirect or consequential loss such as (but not limited to) loss of profits, loss of market or the consequences of delay or deviation however caused.
30. (A) Any claim by the Customer against the Company arising in respect of any service provided for the Customer or which the Company has undertaken to provide shall be made in writing and notified to the Company within 14 days of the date upon which the Customer became or should have become aware of any event or occurrence alleged to give rise to such claim and any claim not made and notified as aforesaid shall be deemed to be waived and absolutely barred except where the Customer can show that it was impossible for him to comply with this Time Limit and that he has made the claim as soon as it was reasonably possible for him to do so.
(B) Notwithstanding the provisions of Sub-Paragraph (A) above the Company shall in any event be discharged of all liability whatsoever howsoever arising in respect of any service provided for the Customer or which the Company has undertaken to provide unless suit be brought and written notice thereof given to the Company within nine months from the date of the event or occurrence alleged to gi ve rise to a cause of action against the Company.
JURISDICTION AND LAW
31. These Conditions and any act or contract to which they apply shall be governed by English Law and any dispute arising out of any act or contract to which these Conditions apply shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.
WAREHOUSING CONDITIONS OF CONTRACT
IMPORTANT NOTE
Warranty of Agency
1. The Customer warrants that it is either the owner of the Goods or is authorised by such owner to accept these Conditions on the owner’s behalf.
2. (i) The Customer undertakes that:-
2. (ii) Notwithstanding any notice under Condition 3 (iii), if there is a breach of contract by the Customer, the Customer will indemnify the Company against any loss or damage it suffers which is related to the breach, and will pay all costs and expenses (including professional fees) incurred in, and the Company’s reasonable charges for, dealing with the breach and its consequences. The Customer will pay an extra storage charge equal to the amount of any fine or penalty payable by the Company wholly or partly as a result of a breach by the Customer of this contract. If the Company suspects a breach of warranty in Condition 1 or of any undertaking in Condition 2 (i), it may demand the immediate removal of any goods held for the Customer, or itself arrange their removal without notice, at the Customer’s expense.
Company’s Liability for Goods and Other Losses
3. (i) Except as provided in Condition 3(iii) below, the Company does not insure the Goods and the Customer shall make arrangements to cover the Goods against all risks to the full insurable value thereof.
Employees and Sub-Contractors
4. (i) The Customer and the Owner of the Goods will not take any proceedings against any employee or sub-contractor of the Company for a Claim.
Change of Customer
5. The Customer may give written authority for the Goods or any part thereof to be transferred by the Company to the account of another party but subject to the Customer ensuring before the effective date of the transfer that such other party notifies the Company in writing that it is to become the Customer and is to be bound by these Conditions and by any notice given under Condition 3(iii) (a). Further, the Customer agrees to continue to pay the Company’s charges until receipt by the Company of the other party’s written notification.
Charges, Payments and Lien
6. The Company’s charges, which may be increased from time to time by at least 21 days prior notice to the Customer, shall be payable free of any deductions at such periodic intervals as may have been agreed between the parties and in any event on the earlier of (a) the expiry of any agreed period of credit and (b) the time immediately before the removal of the Goods from the Company’s custody or control. Interest on amounts due and unpaid shall be payable from the date when payment of such amounts fell due and shall be calculated at the rate of 2 per cent for each calendar month during all or part of which a payment is overdue. Further, the Company shall have on the Goods a particular lien, as well as a general lien entitling it to retain the Goods as security for payment of all sums due from the customer on any account (relating to the Goods or not). Storage charges shall continue to accrue on any goods detained under lien.
Termination
7. (i) The Goods shall be removed by the Customer from the custody or control of the Company at such date as may have been agreed between the parties. In the absence of such agreement, and otherwise where reasonably necessary, the Company may at any time by notice in writing to the Customer require the removal of the Goods within 28 days from the date of such notice or, in the case of perishable goods, within 3 days.
(iii) In the case of perishable goods, notice under Condition 7 (ii) may be combined with a notice under Condition 7(i).
Frustration of Contract
8. The Company shall be relieved of its contractual obligations to the extent that their performanceis prevented by, or their non-performance results wholly or partly, directly or indirectly from the act, neglect, or default of the Customer, including any breach by the Customer of these Conditions, or by storm, flood, fire, explosion, breakdown or failure of plant and/or machinery, riot, civil disturbance, industrial dispute, labour disturbance or cause beyond the reasonable control of the Company.
General
9. (i) Each exclusion or limitation in these Conditions exists separately and cumulatively.
Governing Law
10. All contracts between the Company and the Customer shall be governed in all respect by English Law, and the Customer hereby submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.
Other Conditions of Business
11. If the business undertaken comprises or includes any of the following activities, then these Conditions shall still apply to the activity except to the extent that they are inconsistent with the Company’s own standard terms (if any) for such activity in which case those standard terms shall apply.
(b) Vehicle repair and maintenance.
(c) Freight Forwarding.