Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using ChallengeMyRates ("we", "our", or "us"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, do not use our services.

2. Services Provided

ChallengeMyRates provides business rates analysis, relief claiming, VOA challenges, and compliance support services. We offer:

• Free property checks against VOA data
• Subscription-based monitoring and case management
• Relief claim submissions to local councils
• VOA Check and Challenge support
• Duty to Notify compliance handling

We act as your agent when submitting challenges and claims, but we are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice.

3. Subscription Terms

3.1 Pricing and Payment

• We offer a flat annual subscription at £99/year per property
• Annual subscriptions are billed upfront
• Payments are processed securely via Stripe
• All prices are in GBP and exclude VAT where applicable

3.2 Cancellation and Refunds

• You may cancel your subscription at any time via your account dashboard
• Cancellations take effect at the end of the current billing period
• We offer an outcome refund guarantee: if our work gets you nothing, we refund your subscription fee in full (see section 4)
• No refunds for partial months or used services

3.3 Renewals

Annual subscriptions auto-renew unless you cancel at least 7 days before the renewal date. We will send a renewal reminder 14 days before your renewal date.

4. Outcome Refund Guarantee

4.1 What we promise

Our job is to get you genuine money back from your council or the VOA, or a genuine reduction in what you pay — whether as backdated relief, a refund or credit of overpaid rates, or relief applied going forward. If we don't, you get your £99 subscription fee back in full.

4.2 When the refund applies

You are entitled to a full refund of your annual subscription fee if all of the following are true:

• A claim or challenge was submitted on your behalf during your subscription year (either by us, or by you sending the personalised challenge letter we prepared)
• Your council (or the VOA) has confirmed in writing that you were not owed anything — no backdated relief, no refund or credit, and no reduction going forward
• You have not received any money back, credit, or reduction in your rates as a result of our work

4.3 How to claim

Forward the council's or VOA's written response to hello@challengemyrates.co.ukwithin 60 days of receiving it. We will process your refund within 14 days. No forms, no review board — the council's reply is the evidence.

4.4 If the council does not respond

Councils can be slow, and silence does not defeat this guarantee. If 12 months have passed since your claim was submitted and you have received no response, no money back, and no reduction, you may claim the refund on the same terms.

4.5 Estimates and discretionary backdating

Some reliefs are mandatory: councils must apply small business rate relief where the criteria are met (section 43, Local Government Finance Act 1988). Others are discretionary: backdated retail, hospitality and leisure relief for past years is granted at your council's discretion and subject to subsidy limits. The per-year recovery figures we show are estimates pending your council's verification of your relief history.

This guarantee is about the overall outcome, not any specific figure. If your council pays or credits you less than we estimated — for example, by declining discretionary backdated relief for some years — that does not trigger a refund, provided you received genuine money back or a genuine reduction. If you receive nothing at all, the refund stands.

4.6 Conditions

The guarantee does not apply if:

• The claim failed because information you gave us was materially inaccurate or incomplete
• You did not submit the personalised challenge letter we prepared, or you withdrew the claim before the council responded
• The relief claimed was already applied to your bill for the years in question

5. Your Obligations

You agree to:

• Provide accurate and complete information about your property
• Respond to our requests for documentation in a timely manner
• Not share your account credentials with others
• Notify us promptly of any changes to your property that may affect your rates
• Comply with all applicable laws and regulations
• Not use our services for fraudulent or unlawful purposes

6. No Guarantee of Outcome

While we use best efforts to identify savings and submit strong challenges, we cannot guarantee specific outcomes. Business rates valuations and challenges are ultimately determined by the VOA and the Valuation Tribunal, and backdated relief for past years may depend on your council's discretion.

Estimated savings and recovery figures shown on our platform are indicative only, based on analysis of VOA data and comparable properties, and are pending verification by your council. Actual results may vary. If the outcome is that you receive nothing, our Outcome Refund Guarantee (section 4) applies.

7. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

• We are not liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages
• Our total liability is limited to the amount you paid in the preceding 12 months
• We are not liable for delays or failures caused by circumstances beyond our control
• We are not responsible for decisions made by the VOA, councils, or tribunals

Nothing in these terms excludes our liability for fraud, death, or personal injury caused by our negligence.

8. Intellectual Property

All content, trademarks, and intellectual property on our platform are owned by or licensed to ChallengeMyRates. You may not copy, reproduce, or distribute our content without permission.

9. Data Protection

We process your personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws (GDPR, UK Data Protection Act 2018).

10. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to our services if:

• You breach these Terms of Service
• You provide false or misleading information
• Your payment fails or is disputed
• We are required to do so by law

We will provide reasonable notice before terminating your account unless immediate termination is required.

11. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes via email or a notice on our website. Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the new terms.

12. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

13. Contact

For questions about these Terms, contact us at:
Email: hello@challengemyrates.co.uk
Address: ChallengeMyRates, Farthing Corner, West Tytherley, Salisbury, SP5 1NR