Terms and Conditions

1. Who we are and what these Terms cover

1.1 PA Hire London is a trading name of Demapal Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales under company number 11059790. Our registered office and correspondence address is 16 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H 0AF, United Kingdom.

1.2 You can contact us at info@demapal.com, by telephone on +44 20 7183 6090, or by post at the address above. Visits, collections and returns are by prior arrangement.

1.3 These Terms cover short-term hire of PA systems, speakers, mixers, microphones and accessories, together with any delivery, collection, installation, soundcheck, handover or on-site support expressly included in your booking. We refer to these items as the Equipment and to the agreed work as the Services.

1.4 They apply to a PA Hire London booking when supplied or brought to your attention before the contract is made. They do not retrospectively change an existing booking, NDA or other agreement. Services supplied through another Demapal brand are governed by the documents agreed for that booking; using the same company does not automatically combine separate bookings or terms.

1.5 A consumer is an individual acting wholly or mainly outside their trade, business, craft or profession. A business customer is a customer acting for business or professional purposes. Your actual circumstances determine your status. The name on an invoice or a statement that these Terms are intended for business use does not remove consumer rights.

2. Enquiries, quotations and confirmed bookings

2.1 An enquiry, instant estimate, availability discussion, supplier-registration form or purchase order does not by itself reserve equipment or create a confirmed booking. Website prices and audience-size examples are guides unless expressly confirmed for your event.

2.2 Before acceptance we will provide the proposed equipment and service scope, hire dates, event and access times, venue, total price or agreed calculation method, payment deadline and any material exclusions or assumptions. You must check these details and tell us about errors or requirements that could affect the booking.

2.3 A booking becomes binding when we confirm acceptance in writing and receive the advance payment required for that booking, unless we have expressly agreed another payment arrangement. Confirmation may be an email or another written document that expressly confirms the booking. A payment receipt that does not confirm acceptance is not, by itself, a booking confirmation. We will promptly confirm or decline an unaccepted request and refund any payment for a request we decline.

2.4 After these Terms and the booking details have been provided, accepting them in writing or paying the relevant invoice can demonstrate your acceptance; a separate signature is not normally required. We will supply the agreed booking details and applicable Terms in a form you can retain, such as an email and attachment.

2.5 If booking for an organisation, you must have authority to act for it and identify the contracting customer accurately. An agency remains the customer unless we expressly accept an arrangement under which it acts only for an identified principal. We do not impose a personal guarantee on an employee merely because they arrange a company booking.

3. Which documents apply

3.1 Your contract consists of these Terms, our written booking confirmation and any additional document expressly agreed to form part of it.

3.2 The following rules resolve inconsistencies, subject always to mandatory law:

• A separately agreed contract variation takes priority where it expressly changes an identified provision and is approved by a director of Demapal Ltd and your authorised representative. Any signature requirement in an existing agreement must also be followed.
• An applicable signed NDA or data-processing agreement governs its own subject matter, including any specific confidentiality, permitted-provider, AI-use, data-handling, retention or liability provisions. These Terms do not amend it unilaterally.
• An applicable radio licence and Permit to Use govern lawful radio operation. They do not, by themselves, change commercial payment or cancellation terms.
• The booking confirmation governs the agreed equipment, services, dates, locations, price, payment arrangements and any expressly agreed booking-specific conditions.
• These Terms govern the remaining hire and service matters.

3.3 Your purchase-order conditions, procurement-portal terms, vendor handbook or automated acknowledgements do not become part of our contract merely because we quote an order number, complete administrative registration, receive a document or perform the booking. Alternative contractual terms require the express written agreement described above.

3.4 A general website disclaimer or a later website update does not override the contract, an applicable NDA or mandatory customer rights. Our Privacy Notice explains processing of personal information; it is not a mechanism for changing a signed NDA or obtaining every form of consent.

4. Prices, payment and additional work

4.1 Unless we expressly agree otherwise in writing, the full agreed hire and service price is payable in advance by the deadline stated on the invoice and before equipment is released or delivered. Credit, monthly supplier statements and payment after the event are available only where expressly agreed; submitting a purchase order does not create credit terms.

4.2 We will identify what is included in the price. Delivery, collection, installation, on-site operation, parking, access costs, out-of-hours attendance, additional microphones, licensing arrangements and overtime are included only to the extent stated in the booking confirmation.

4.3 Consumer quotations include any VAT and other unavoidable charges applicable to the agreed booking. Business quotations state the VAT position. We will charge VAT only where lawfully chargeable and will not add an undisclosed compulsory charge to an agreed consumer price.

4.4 Additional equipment, a changed venue or programme, extra attendance or an extended hire requires agreement on availability, scope and price. Where your instructions or undisclosed access restrictions make extra work necessary, we will explain the resulting costs and obtain your agreement before undertaking chargeable additional work wherever practicable. We may pause the affected work where an acceptable arrangement cannot be agreed.

4.5 Payment methods are those offered on your invoice or payment link. Do not send full payment-card details, card security codes or payment-account passwords by email, WhatsApp or a general website form.

4.6 If a required payment is overdue, we may withhold delivery or suspend the affected booking after reasonable notice and an opportunity to resolve the issue where time permits. Cancellation consequences are assessed under section 6; non-payment does not automatically entitle us to retain every sum already paid.

4.7 For qualifying late business debts, we may claim statutory interest, fixed compensation and reasonable recovery costs under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, where applicable. We will not add arbitrary penalty charges. Any recovery costs claimed from a consumer must be lawful and reasonable. A dispute should be raised promptly, and the undisputed amount should be paid when due; statutory withholding and set-off rights are preserved.

5. Security deposits and verification

5.1 A refundable security deposit or card pre-authorisation is required only if disclosed before you confirm the booking. It is separate from an advance payment towards hire charges and is not a limit on a liability you otherwise owe under the contract.

5.2 We may request proportionate identity, address, authority or insurance verification relevant to the hire. We will explain the requirement and handle the information under our Privacy Notice. We do not require unnecessary identity documents or irrelevant personal information.

5.3 We normally release or refund the undisputed balance of a security deposit within five working days after return and a reasonable inspection of the complete equipment. If a deduction is proposed, we will explain it and provide an itemised calculation and relevant evidence. We may retain only a reasonable amount while a genuine issue is investigated, review it promptly and release the remainder. We will not make an additional card charge without appropriate authority or another lawful basis.

6. Changes, cancellation and rescheduling

6.1 Tell us promptly if you need to change or cancel a booking. Email is recommended so that there is a clear record. A consumer may exercise a statutory cancellation right by any clear statement as explained in section 7.

6.2 Changes are subject to equipment, staffing and transport availability and agreement on any revised price. A request to move a date does not change the booking until accepted. If no alternative is agreed and you do not proceed on the original terms, the cancellation provisions apply.

6.3 Where no statutory cancellation right applies, or it has expired, we may charge for Services already properly provided and our reasonable net losses directly caused by cancellation. These may include event-specific preparation, irrecoverable third-party commitments and net profit lost where reserved capacity cannot reasonably be rebooked. We will take reasonable steps to reduce loss and deduct costs saved, refunds obtained and replacement bookings that reduce the same loss. Cancellation is not an automatic forfeiture of all payments.

6.4 The total charged for cancelling the affected booking will not exceed its agreed price. We will not recover the same loss twice. We will explain the calculation and return any overpayment without undue delay, normally within 14 days of receiving the cancellation, using a reasonable assessment of loss where necessary and adjusting the amount if subsequent mitigation reduces that loss.

6.5 If a separate cancellation schedule is proposed, it must be provided and expressly agreed before booking and remains subject to applicable law. It does not displace consumer statutory cancellation rights or justify a disproportionate charge.

6.6 Early return or a decision not to use otherwise conforming equipment does not automatically reduce the agreed price. We will take account of any applicable cancellation rights, material service failure and savings or reletting that the law requires us to credit.

7. Consumer cancellation rights

7.1 This section applies if you are a consumer and the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 give you a right to cancel a distance or off-premises contract. It is additional to rights relating to faulty equipment or inadequate services.

7.2 For a service contract to which the right applies, you can normally cancel without giving a reason until the end of 14 days after the day the contract is entered into. Equipment hire without transfer of ownership is dealt with under the rules applicable to that contract, rather than automatically using the cancellation period for the sale of goods. If the law extends your cancellation period because required information was not supplied, the extended period applies.

7.3 Some specific-date leisure services are legally exempt. We do not assume that every PA or microphone booking is exempt merely because it has an event date. If we rely on an exemption for your particular booking, we will explain it before the contract is made. An exemption applies only where the legal conditions are actually met.

7.4 To cancel, contact Demapal Ltd at info@demapal.com, +44 20 7183 6090 or 16 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H 0AF. You may use the optional form at the end of these Terms or any other clear statement of your decision. Sending your notice before the cancellation period ends is sufficient. Please identify the booking so that we can locate it.

7.5 If you want Services to begin during the cancellation period, we will obtain your express request separately, on a durable medium where required. Simply accepting these Terms or choosing an event date is not treated as an automatic waiver. If you validly request an early start and then cancel, you may have to pay a proportionate amount for Services properly supplied up to the time you inform us, but only where the law permits that charge and the required information was given.

7.6 The cancellation right is lost through full performance only where the relevant service has been fully performed following your express request and your acknowledgement that the right will be lost at that point. We will not charge early-performance costs where the Regulations prohibit them, including where the necessary request or information was missing.

7.7 We will make refunds required by a statutory cancellation without undue delay and within the applicable statutory deadline, normally 14 days after being informed of your decision for a service contract. We will use the original payment method unless you expressly agree otherwise, and will not charge a refund fee. Any lawful proportionate charge under section 7.5 will be identified separately.

7.8 If Equipment has already been supplied, stop using it once the hire is cancelled and cooperate with safe return or collection. You pay direct return costs only where the law permits and the required information about those costs was provided before booking. Return arrangements do not remove statutory refund rights or deadlines.

8. Delivery, collection, venue access and appointments

8.1 The booking confirmation states the delivery and collection arrangements. Please distinguish arrival/access time, installation and soundcheck time, the first use of the system, event finish and collection time. Allow the setup window we agree; an event start time alone is not an installation appointment.

8.2 You must arrange the permissions and access within your control, including a venue contact, loading and parking arrangements, lifts or stairs, security clearance, a suitable equipment position, power and access to any agreed house-system connections. Tell us in advance about restricted routes, long carrying distances, parking permits, induction requirements and other material constraints. We remain responsible for assessing our own work and using reasonable care and skill.

8.3 For a timed handover or collection, unless otherwise agreed, up to 15 minutes of waiting is included. If access or a recipient is unavailable, we will make reasonable attempts to contact the booking party and site contact. Further waiting depends on availability and the rate agreed for the booking. If we cannot reasonably remain, we may leave and arrange another visit. Any charge must reflect a previously disclosed rate or reasonable additional loss caused by the failure of access, with no double recovery.

8.4 We may hand equipment to a named or otherwise authorised representative, including an agreed reception or concierge. Please arrange onward custody and briefing. Equipment must not be left at an unattended address or outside a closed office without our express agreement.

8.5 Weekend, early-morning and evening attendance is by prior arrangement and subject to any charge agreed before booking. Published contact hours do not mean the office is continuously staffed for unannounced collection or return.

8.6 If we are late or fail to attend, we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and take reasonable steps to resolve the problem. No waiting or redelivery charge is payable for delay caused by us. Sections 15, 19 and 20 govern the resulting remedies and any event outside reasonable control.

9. Installation, soundcheck, handover and live operation

9.1 Equipment-only hire, delivery with setup and handover, and attendance to operate or support an event are different services. Your confirmation identifies what is included and the booked attendance hours. Delivery or installation alone does not include remaining throughout the event.

9.2 Where setup is included, we will install the agreed equipment, make agreed connections and carry out a reasonable soundcheck within the agreed access arrangements. You should make the relevant presenters, playback devices and venue AV contact available for any agreed tests. Tell us about changes after the check.

9.3 For customer-operated hire, you must nominate someone who can follow the handover and instructions. We will explain the agreed controls and any restrictions. Do not change protected mixer settings, microphone frequencies, speaker positions or connections without agreement where doing so could affect safety, licensing or performance.

9.4 For live support, the technician performs the work and hours specified in the booking. Extra programme time, additional rooms, unplanned feeds, recording or other additional tasks require agreement. A technician cannot control every presenter, guest, venue system or third-party supplier.

9.5 Audience numbers, wattage descriptions and suggested package sizes are guides. Suitable coverage depends on room dimensions, seating, background noise, speaker and microphone positions, programme content and the required sound level. We remain responsible for advice we give with reasonable care and skill and for any suitability requirement we expressly accept.

9.6 Venue-system feeds, internet connections, presentation devices and third-party equipment are included only where agreed and accessible with the necessary permission. Please identify the venue AV contact and available connections before the event. We will use reasonable care with integration but do not promise compatibility with an unidentified or unavailable system.

9.7 Good equipment and automatic processing cannot guarantee the absence of acoustic feedback, radio interference or other disruption in every environment. Any specific redundancy, spare-equipment, encryption, recording, monitoring or response-time commitment must be expressly included. These explanations do not excuse our own defective equipment, negligent setup or failure to provide the agreed Services.

10. Safe and authorised use

10.1 Use Equipment only for the agreed purpose, at the agreed venue, in accordance with the instructions and manufacturer requirements. Keep it secure, clean and protected from liquids, weather, excessive heat, unstable surfaces and unauthorised handling. Outdoor use requires advance agreement on suitable equipment and protection.

10.2 Do not open, modify, repair, retune, sub-hire, sell, pledge or move Equipment to another venue or outside the United Kingdom without our prior written agreement. Use only agreed accessories, power supplies and connections. Prevent excessive input levels, sustained distortion and bypassing of protective settings.

10.3 Provide a safe environment and an appropriate electrical supply within your control. We may refuse an unsafe connection, reduce levels, reposition equipment or suspend affected work where reasonably necessary for safety or legal compliance. We will explain the issue and seek a practical solution where possible. We remain responsible for safety matters within our control.

10.4 The event organiser and venue must arrange the permissions, music/content licences and event-management measures for which they are legally responsible, including applicable noise limits and audience safety. Equipment hire does not itself provide a public-performance music licence. Each party remains responsible for its own legal duties, including hearing safety and reasonable accessibility adjustments where applicable.

11. Wireless microphones, radio licences and permits

11.1 Wireless use must comply with the applicable licence or exemption, venue rules and the agreed frequency plan. Where you are permitted to use equipment under our UK Wireless Microphone Licence, we will provide the written Permit to Use required for that arrangement. Follow its dates, locations, frequencies, power limits and other conditions and retain it with the equipment where required.

11.2 Do not transmit on an unconfirmed frequency or retune without our agreement. Tell us about other wireless microphones, in-ear systems or radio equipment expected at the venue so that coordination can be considered. Any additional coordinated licensing arrangement and related charge must be agreed before the relevant transmission.

11.3 Shared and licence-exempt spectrum may be used by others. A licence or digital system does not provide exclusive spectrum or guarantee freedom from interference. Report interference promptly; stop or change transmission only as safely instructed or legally required. We will take the steps included in the agreed support scope and remain responsible for complying with our own licensing obligations.

12. Ownership, custody, risk and insurance

12.1 Equipment remains the property of Demapal Ltd or its lawful third-party owner. You acquire only the right to use it for the agreed hire. We are responsible for having the right to supply it on hire.

12.2 The custody period normally begins on actual handover to you or your authorised representative and ends on actual return to us or our authorised representative. We remain responsible for equipment in our own transport and for acts or omissions of our personnel. Where our technician operates Equipment, responsibility follows the actual control and cause of any loss rather than automatically passing every risk to you.

12.3 Business customers bear the risk of physical loss, theft or damage during their custody period, except to the extent caused by fair wear and tear, an inherent defect or our breach or negligence. Consumers are responsible for loss or damage caused by their failure to take reasonable care, follow reasonable instructions or comply with the contract; there is no automatic consumer liability for every incident regardless of fault.

12.4 Arrange appropriate hired-equipment and event insurance where needed. If insurance is a condition of a particular hire, we will say so before booking and provide the relevant equipment value on request. A refundable deposit is not insurance. Any insurance recovery is credited against the same loss, so that we do not recover twice.

13. Return and late collection or return

13.1 Return all Equipment, cases, cables, accessories and agreed documents at the confirmed time and location, in the supplied condition allowing for fair wear and tear. Please secure the equipment and make it accessible for an agreed collection. Do not disconnect or dismantle items where the agreed instructions require us to do so.

13.2 Extensions require agreement. If delay attributable to you prevents return or collection, we may charge the previously agreed extension rate. In the absence of a separately agreed rate, additional equipment hire is calculated pro rata from the agreed daily rate for the affected items and the actual period of delay. Additional visits or attendance are charged only as disclosed or reasonably incurred under section 8.

13.3 We may also recover a reasonable, evidenced and foreseeable net loss from a missed subsequent hire caused by your breach, after reasonable mitigation and credit for overlapping hire charges or other recovery. We do not charge twice for the same loss or impose indefinite continuing hire charges unrelated to an actual, reasonable loss.

13.4 You owe no additional hire charge merely because we collect late when equipment was ready and available as agreed. While it remains on site, continue to take reasonable care and tell us about any safety or security issue.

14. Loss, theft, damage and cleaning

14.1 Report a fault, loss, theft or damage promptly and stop using an item where continued use could be unsafe or worsen damage. For theft, reasonably assist with reporting and provide available reference details. Do not commission repairs without our written agreement.

14.2 Where you are responsible under these Terms, we may recover reasonable inspection, repair or exceptional cleaning costs. We do not charge for normal wear, routine maintenance, inherent faults or damage caused by us. A failed component or damaged speaker is not automatically treated as misuse without a reasonable assessment of the cause.

14.3 For a lost item or damage beyond economic repair, the amount is the reasonable cost of an equivalent replacement, taking account of the item’s condition, age, availability and any required adjustment for betterment. Any value identified before booking is an assessment for that equipment, not permission for a disproportionate recovery. We will provide a reasonable explanation and evidence.

14.4 We may claim a reasonable, evidenced net loss of use during a reasonably necessary repair or replacement period where caused by your breach and legally recoverable. We will mitigate that loss and credit overlapping charges, recoveries and savings. An automatic loss-of-use penalty does not apply merely because an item needs repair.

14.5 We will issue an itemised claim and allow you a reasonable opportunity to query it. Unless another reasonable period is agreed, an undisputed post-hire damage invoice is payable within seven calendar days. A dispute does not justify retaining our Equipment, and no charge removes your right to challenge the claim.

15. Faults, service problems and our failure to supply

15.1 We will supply Equipment as described, with the quality, fitness and other characteristics required by law, and carry out Services with reasonable care and skill. Tell us promptly about an issue and give us a reasonable opportunity to investigate and resolve it. A handover signature or delay in reporting does not waive a latent defect or statutory right.

15.2 Depending on the circumstances and available time, we may give operating assistance, correct a connection, repair an item, provide an appropriate replacement or agree another remedy. We will not make a material substitution that undermines an agreed essential requirement without your agreement. If a proposed change materially affects your booking and is not accepted, you may cancel the affected part and receive the refund due, without losing any further legal remedy.

15.3 If we fail to provide an agreed item or Service, we will refund the appropriate amount for what was not provided or agree another lawful remedy. We do not treat technician attendance as automatically non-essential where your booking required managed sound. If an unresolved failure substantially defeats the purpose of the booking, we will consider the booking as a whole rather than limiting the remedy to the smallest individual component.

15.4 Consumers may have rights to repair or replacement, repeat performance, a price reduction, refund or other remedy depending on the contract and failure. These Terms do not replace or limit those rights. Business claims are subject to section 19 where lawful.

16. Confidentiality and NDAs

16.1 Both parties will take reasonable care to protect non-public information received in connection with a booking that is marked confidential or would reasonably be understood to be confidential. Use is limited to arranging, performing and administering the booking and exercising lawful rights. This does not depend on a separate NDA being signed.

16.2 Information that is lawfully public, already lawfully known without a duty of confidence, independently developed, or lawfully received without restriction is not covered by that confidentiality obligation. Necessary disclosure may be made to authorised personnel, professional advisers and operational providers subject to appropriate duties, the Privacy Notice and any stricter agreed NDA or data-processing terms. Disclosure required by law or a competent authority is permitted to the necessary extent, with notice where lawful and reasonably practicable.

16.3 We do not routinely accept a customer’s standard NDA, unlimited confidentiality liability, exclusivity, non-solicitation or procurement terms. If needed, request review before disclosing restricted information or confirming the booking. An NDA is binding only when agreed in accordance with its own formation requirements.

16.4 An applicable signed NDA remains effective on its agreed terms and for its agreed duration. Its restrictions on permitted recipients, service providers, AI tools, disclosure, retention and liability continue to apply to its subject matter. An NDA does not by itself reserve Equipment, create a credit account or oblige either party to place or accept a booking.

16.5 Ordinary hire charges, cancellation, access, Equipment responsibilities and other commercial matters remain governed by the booking contract unless the parties expressly agree otherwise. We cannot use new public Terms or a revised Privacy Notice to remove an obligation already accepted in a signed agreement.

17. Personal information, business systems and AI

17.1 We handle personal information under applicable UK data-protection law, including the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 as amended. Our Privacy Notice explains the information used, purposes, lawful bases, providers, international transfers, retention and individual rights. General privacy information is available at https://www.demapal.com/privacy-policy/; any PA Hire London service-specific notice and agreed data-processing terms also apply.

17.2 We normally act as controller for our own enquiries, quotations, customer contacts, invoicing, payment administration and business records. If particular work requires us to process personal information only on your documented instructions, the roles and any required Article 28 data-processing agreement must be agreed before that processing. These Terms and an ordinary NDA are not, by themselves, a complete data-processing agreement for every event.

17.3 Our operational systems may include Microsoft 365/Outlook, WordPress/Fluent Forms, Xero, Stripe, WhatsApp, and business storage and backup systems such as pCloud and Synology, as relevant to the task. Providers receive only information reasonably needed for their role, subject to appropriate arrangements and applicable law. Mentioning a provider does not override an agreed approved-provider list, authorise every kind of disclosure or mean all information stays in the United Kingdom.

17.4 These Terms do not authorise submission of identifiable confidential customer or participant information to a public or general-purpose AI service. Any such processing requires a separately agreed lawful arrangement and compliance with applicable confidentiality and data-processing restrictions. Effectively anonymised or non-identifying material may be used only where it no longer reveals protected confidential information. No permission to train a general-purpose AI model on your confidential information is granted by these Terms.

17.5 Please supply only information needed for the booking. Do not send attendee lists, health information, special-category data or confidential event content unless necessary and appropriate handling has been agreed. Accounting, legal and evidential records may need to be retained where law permits or requires; that does not remove continuing confidentiality duties. Statutory data rights and regulator powers are preserved.

18. Recordings, photographs, content and intellectual property

18.1 Audio recording, streaming, transcription, recording storage and delivery of recording files are included only if expressly agreed. Ordinary microphone or PA hire is not consent for us to record an event or its participants. Any agreed recording work must address permissions, notices, access, security, delivery and retention, including any required data-processing terms.

18.2 The party arranging or providing content must have the rights and permissions necessary for its agreed use. You retain rights in your content. We do not acquire a general right to publish your event, client name, logo, attendees, photos or recordings for marketing merely because you book with us. Any intended publicity use will be separately agreed or otherwise have an appropriate lawful basis without overriding an NDA.

18.3 We may keep proportionate Equipment-condition or handover evidence, avoiding identifiable participants and confidential content wherever possible and handling any personal information under our Privacy Notice. Business-call recording, if proposed, is subject to the information and agreement process in that notice.

18.4 Rights in our existing technical materials, settings, documentation and branding remain with us or the relevant owner. You may use supplied operating instructions as needed for the agreed hire. No ownership, exclusivity or wider licence is transferred except as expressly agreed or required by law.

19. Liability

19.1 Nothing in the contract excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, our legal right to supply the Equipment, breach of any statutory right that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited, or any other liability which the law prohibits us from excluding or limiting. Nothing removes rights of data subjects or the powers of a regulator.

19.2 Consumers: we are responsible for foreseeable loss or damage caused by our breach of contract or failure to use reasonable care and skill, subject to applicable law. Loss is foreseeable if it is an obvious consequence of the breach or was contemplated when the contract was made. We do not apply the business fee cap below to consumers. Because a consumer booking is wholly or mainly for private purposes, we do not accept liability for business losses arising from a business use not agreed as part of that booking, to the extent lawful.

19.3 Business customers: subject to section 19.1, any applicable separately agreed NDA or data-processing liability provisions, and the statutory requirement of reasonableness, our total aggregate liability arising from or in connection with the affected booking, whether in contract, tort including negligence, misrepresentation other than fraud, or otherwise, is limited to the total hire and service fees paid or payable for that booking.

19.4 For business customers, subject to the same exceptions and legal requirements, we exclude liability for indirect or consequential loss and for loss of profit, revenue, business, anticipated savings, contracts or goodwill. Tell us before booking about any unusual or substantial exposure or a required higher limit so that we can consider whether different scope, cover, pricing or contractual terms can be agreed.

19.5 Each party must take reasonable steps to reduce its loss. We are responsible only to the extent a loss is attributable to our breach or another legal basis for our liability. A fault in your or a venue’s equipment does not excuse a separate negligent act by us. Your lawful obligations to pay for hire, responsible loss or damage to Equipment are not reduced to our business liability cap; their amount remains governed by the relevant sections above.

20. Suspension, termination and events outside reasonable control

20.1 We may suspend affected work or end a booking where payment is materially overdue, there is a serious or repeated breach, Equipment is at material risk, or continuation would be unsafe or unlawful. Where the issue can reasonably be remedied, we will explain it and allow an appropriate opportunity to put it right, taking account of event timing. Termination charges remain subject to section 6 and applicable law.

20.2 Neither party is responsible for a failure caused by an event beyond its reasonable control to the extent that the law excuses that failure. The affected party must notify the other promptly and take reasonable steps to reduce disruption. Ordinary foreseeable traffic, avoidable planning failures and routine equipment-maintenance failures are not automatically treated as events beyond reasonable control.

20.3 We will discuss a practical alternative where one is available. You are not required to accept a materially different date, venue or service. If the agreed event cannot be served and no suitable alternative is agreed, either party may end the affected part. We will refund payments for Equipment or Services not provided, subject to mandatory law; amounts properly due for conforming Services already supplied remain payable. A credit note or reschedule will not be imposed instead of a refund required by law.

20.4 Ending a booking does not remove rights or obligations that have already arisen, the obligation to return Equipment safely or continuing confidentiality and lawful data-handling duties. We will recover Equipment only by lawful means and with required permissions; these Terms do not authorise forced entry.

21. Complaints and dispute resolution

21.1 During an event, contact the agreed operational contact promptly so that a problem can be addressed while there is still time. For a complaint afterwards, email info@demapal.com with the booking reference, relevant facts and requested outcome. We aim to acknowledge a complaint within five working days and explain the next steps. This is not a deadline limiting your legal right to complain or bring a claim.

21.2 We will try to resolve a dispute through direct discussion. Where appropriate, we will consider mediation or another suitable alternative dispute resolution process and provide any information required by law. We do not state that we are a member of an ADR scheme for equipment hire unless that membership is specifically confirmed. No compulsory arbitration or restriction on statutory court rights is imposed by these Terms.

22. Governing law and general provisions

22.1 The contract is governed by the law of England and Wales. For business customers, the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction. Consumers retain any right to rely on mandatory protections and bring proceedings in another court that applicable law gives them, including relevant rights for residents of Scotland or Northern Ireland.

22.2 Please confirm important booking instructions and agreed changes by email or the agreed business messaging channel so that both parties have a record. Nothing in these Terms removes the binding effect of information or statements where consumer or other mandatory law makes them binding. Formal notices may also be sent to our correspondence address.

22.3 We may use competent subcontractors for an agreed part of the work while remaining responsible for our contractual performance and complying with applicable confidentiality and data-processing restrictions. A transfer of the contract itself must not reduce a consumer’s rights; where a proposed transfer would materially disadvantage a consumer, we will obtain agreement or allow cancellation of the affected unperformed part with the refund due. You may transfer a booking only with our reasonable written agreement.

22.4 If a provision is unenforceable, it will be treated as ineffective to the extent required without removing the remaining valid provisions. A delay in enforcing a right is not a waiver. The contract does not create a partnership or employment relationship. A person who is not a party has no contractual enforcement right under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 unless expressly agreed; this does not remove rights that exist independently by law.

22.5 We may revise these Terms for future bookings. The version supplied and agreed when your contract was made continues to apply unless a lawful variation is agreed. An updated website page does not, by itself, amend a confirmed booking or signed NDA.