First Chapter Writing Privacy Policy & Terms & Conditions

We collect personal information from you, including information about your:

• name
• contact informaiton
• location
• computer or network
• interactions with us
• billing or purchase information

We collect your personal information in order to:

• make contact with you with offers and promotions
• track our personal reach and services

We keep your personal information for seven years at which point we securely destroy it by securely deleting all digital files and shredding physical copies.

You have the right to ask for a copy of any personal information we hold about you, and to ask for it to be corrected if you think it is wrong.

If you would like to ask for a copy of your information, or to have it corrected, please contact us at: sandragroves@firstchapter.co.nz

The Privacy Policy was updated on 4 April 2025. 

The standard terms and conditions apply for all work booked with and carried out by Sandra Groves trading as First Chapter for you, except to the extent that we otherwise agree in writing.

A separate contract may be provided to each client depending on the work project.

These terms and conditions are broad and cover all work Sandra Groves undertakes.

1. Service

1.1 The service provided will include business support, content writing, communications/media, editing and heritage research for a range of client purposes, including websites, interpretation signage, brochures, articles, newsletters, blogs etc.

1.2 If you accept a quote or estimate by First Chapter, your acceptance in writing, and an agreed timeframe for completion of the work in writing is required. An e-mail or signed contract will suffice.

1.3 A completed project expectation sheet must accompany each heritage project before any research commences.

1.4 Disbursements are excluded from the cost estimate. For example, but not limited to travel charges, courier charges, printing and copying, incurred fees etc.

1.5 Final proof-reading of all work is the client’s responsibility. First Chapter does not take any responsibility for errors/omissions after final sign-off of the work.

2. Accounts

2.1 We require a deposit on all estimates and quotes to be payable immediately. Work will not commence until a deposit of 30% is paid unless otherwise agreed with a client. This will be on a case-by-case basis.

2.2 All quotes or estimates are valid 30 days from the submission date.

2.3 All quotes include:

1. i) One round of revisions at no extra charge.
2. ii) One round of proofreading at no extra charge.

iii) An additional charge, at an hourly rate of $100, will be charged for any additional revisions or proofreading outside the proposal scope.

2.4 Interim fees will usually be rendered every month while work is in progress, with a final account sent to you on completion or termination of our engagement. In some instances, we may invoice you after the work. We may also send you an invoice when we incur a significant expense. Accounts are payable on receipt within seven business days unless alternative arrangements have been made with us.

2.5 An urgency fee of double the hourly rate is available to any client who requires a project to be completed within 24 hours above other clients’ work. This will be subject to negotiation on a case-by-case basis.

2.6 First Chapter is currently not registered for GST.

2.7 If any account is not paid within 30 days, interest will be charged on the outstanding balance at the rate of 5% above our firm’s main trading bank’s base rate at the close of business on the date payment became due. You will be responsible for any reasonable debt collection costs that we incur in recovering the outstanding amount due to us.

2.8 If your account is outstanding, no further work will be undertaken until payment is made.

3. Privacy of information

3.1 Refer Privacy Act section.

3.2 Please inform us if you have any objection to us displaying the work undertaken for you on our website on completion and following your own public release. We will respect any need you have for confidentiality. 

4. Timeframes

4.1 We will endeavor to complete projects by the agreed deadline. However, we may be prevented from doing this due to illness or a family emergency. You will be advised within two working days if we are unable to meet a deadline.

4.2 If we are unable to complete work because we have not received information from you, we will continue the project at our next opportunity. This may affect your overall timeline.

5. Termination

5.1 You may terminate our services upon giving us fourteen days’ written notice.

5.2 If our services are terminated, you must pay us all fees due up to the termination date.

5.3 We also reserve the right to terminate this agreement in writing by giving you 14 days written notice. 

6. Retention of files and documents

6.1 Provided that any fees and costs have been paid, please give us reasonable notice before collecting your file should you wish to do so.

6.2 We will return all information provided by you once the job is complete or destroy it if you prefer.

7. Copyright

7.1 The copyright to any documents created by the writer remains with the writer until any outstanding balance for the writing is paid in full. Full copyright and related rights pass to the client when the writing is paid for. At that point, the client takes full ownership of the writing and may make any changes and publish the document wherever they wish.

8. Portfoilio

8.1 If you have no objection we may use samples of the work we have prepared on your behalf for the purposes of marketing our services and our business.

9. Complaints

9.1 If you have any problems with the work undertaken by Sandra Groves trading as First Chapter, please advise as soon as possible so we can resolve any issues with minimal disruption.

9.2 Our relationship with you is governed by New Zealand law.

These terms were updated in April 2025