Terms and Conditions
These Terms and Conditions will apply for the duration of your membership of the Chamber, or to any event you attend, and you should read them carefully. By applying for, renewing, or continuing your membership of the Chamber, or by booking on to one of our events, you will be deemed to have accepted these terms. We reserve the right to amend these terms from time to time.
References to the Chamber in these terms refer to the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ltd
Use of the expressions “we”, “us” and “our” in these terms refers to the Chamber. References to “you” and “your” refer to members of the Chamber, or to delegates attending our events where applicable.
Part 1: Membership
- Benefits of Chamber membership
1.1. We offer membership based on the number of employees at an organisation locally.
1.2. Being a member of the Chamber can benefit your whole organisation: all of your employees are entitled to use the Chamber benefits and services, for the duration of your membership.
2. Membership and application process
2.1. Membership of the Chamber is open to any of the following, regardless of their size or location:
(a) Trading businesses including limited companies, partnerships, limited liability partnerships and sole traders;
(b) Educational establishments; and
(c) Charities and not-for-profit organisations.
2.2. Applications for membership must be made by:
(a) contacting our membership team who will work with you to complete a member engagement form on your behalf (Application); or
(b) completing the online application form; and
(b) paying the fee (Membership Fee) in accordance with clause 3.
2.3. You warrant to us that all information provided in your Application is true and accurate in all material respects.
2.4. We will consider your Application and inform you whether your Application is approved as soon as practicable. In the event that we refuse to approve an Application, any Membership Fee paid will be refunded to you.
2.5. This clause 2 and clause 3 below shall not apply to those who enter into a patron partnership agreement with the Chamber in accordance with clause 9 (Patrons). Patrons will automatically gain membership as part of their package and any fees due will be payable in accordance with the terms of their patron partnership agreement. Patrons will not incur an additional Membership Fee.
Membership Fee
3.1. The Membership Fees are reviewed at the date of renewal.
3.2. Unless expressly agreed otherwise, the Membership Fee shall be paid to us when submitting your Application, or at such other time as we may agree with you in writing.
3.3. We accept payment of the Membership Fee by bank transfer, by card payment or by direct debit.
3.4. If you have chosen to pay by bank transfer or card payment, the Membership Fee must be paid to us in full within 14 days submitting your Application. However, payment by bank transfer or card payment will incur an additional fee which will be made clear on the membership application.
3.5. If you have chosen to pay by direct debit, you can either pay the Membership Fee in full when submitting your Application, or, you can pay the Membership Fee by monthly instalments, thereby spreading the Membership Fee over the course of 12 months. Monthly payments will be due each month on the day you have signed up. E.g. If you sign up on the 5th of the month, your recurring payments will be taken on the 5th of the month moving forwards.
3.6. If the Membership Fee is not paid in accordance with this clause 3, we shall have the right to terminate your membership in accordance with clause 5.
3.7. The Membership Fee is non-refundable.
3.8. Your membership is non-transferrable.
4. Duration of your membership
4.1. Chamber membership is for a period of 12 months, commencing on the date on which your application is approved by us and payment is received (Initial Term), unless terminated sooner in accordance with clause 5.
4.2. Your membership will automatically renew for a further period of 12 months unless terminated in accordance with clause 5 (Renewed Term), and you will be liable for the then-current Membership Fee for the Renewed Term. If you pay your Membership Fee by direct debit, your payments will continue in the usual way for the Renewed Term. If you do not pay by direct debit, we will provide you with an invoice in respect of the Renewed Term.
4.3. We will endeavour to notify you three months in advance of the Renewed Term commencing, however this is not a condition and your membership will automatically renew regardless of whether or not we have sent you a reminder.
4.4. If you have chosen to pay your Membership Fee by monthly direct debit and you:
(a) miss an instalment; or
(b) cancel your direct debit mid-way through the Initial Term or any Renewed Term; or
(c) your membership is terminated mid-way through the Initial Term or any Renewed Term for any reason;
the full outstanding balance of the Membership Fee shall become immediately due and payable.
5. Terminating your membership
5.1. You can terminate your membership with effect from the end of the Initial Term, or any Renewed Term, by giving us notice in writing. This can be served at any time provided that you give us not less than 3 months written notice (such notice to expire at the end of the Initial Term or any Renewed Term).
5.2. You can send your termination to us by email at membership@cambscci.co.uk or by post to Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, Clifford House, 2 Station Yard, Oakington, CB24 3AH.
5.3. We have the right to terminate your membership immediately on notice in the following circumstances:
(a) you fail to pay the Membership Fee within 14 days of being notified to do so in accordance with clause 4.3;
(b) you commit a material breach of these terms and (if such breach can be remedied) you fail to remedy that breach within 14 days of being given notice to do so;
(c) we discover that you made material misrepresentations in your membership application form;
(d) you suspend, or threaten to suspend, payment of your debts, are unable to pay your debts as they fall due, or admit your inability to pay your debts, or (being a company or limited liability partnership) are deemed unable to pay your debts within the meaning of section 123 of the Insolvency Act 1986 (IA 1986) as if the words “it is proved to the satisfaction of the court” did not appear in sections 123(1)(e) or 123(2) of the IA 1986, or (being an individual sole trader) are deemed either unable to pay your debts or as having no reasonable prospect of so doing, in either case, within the meaning of section 268 of the IA 1986, or (being a partnership) has any partner to whom any of the foregoing apply
6. Consequences of termination
Following termination of your membership in accordance with clause 5:
6.1. You must immediately cease holding yourself out as a member of the Chamber; and
6.2. Any International Documents purchased in bulk from us at a preferential rate, but unused, shall be chargeable at the full rate, and we shall render an invoice in respect of the additional sum due, which shall be payable within 28 days, unless we expressly otherwise agree with you in writing.
6.3. If a Patron’s membership is terminated in accordance with clause 5, then in addition to the consequences in clause 6.1 and 6.2 above, the Patron will immediately cease to be a Patron of the Chamber and must immediately cease holding itself out as such.
7. Business between our members
7.1. We want to build a supportive and engaging network for our members and encourage them wherever appropriate to conduct business with each other.
7.2. If a member purchases a service or product or takes advice or assistance from another member, or an organisation they have been introduced to by the Chamber, the arrangement is made purely between those entities. In no circumstances will the Chamber be a party to any contract between our members, or have any liability for services or products provided.
7.3. The Chamber does not warrant the quality or suitability of, or accept any liability, for the service or product sold or the advice or assistance provided whatsoever. Members should conduct their own due diligence, seeking independent professional advice in accordance with the nature of their situation.
7.4. Members shall not send unsolicited emails or correspondence of any kind (“spam”) to other members. Correspondence may be considered spam if it is not addressed to the intended recipient and/or if the content of the correspondence is not relevant to the intended recipient. Any member who breaches this clause may have their membership terminated in accordance with clause 5.3(b).
8. Data Protection
We take the privacy of our members and all visitors seriously. Details of how collect, store and use your personal information is set out in our privacy policy.
Part 2: Patron packages
9. Bespoke Patron partnership packages
9.1. We build bespoke Patron packages for those members who wish to deepen their relationship with the Chamber. Our team will work with you to tailor the package based on your strategic goals.
9.2. The details of the Patron packages (including fees) shall be agreed with us prior to commencement, and set out in a separate corporate partnership agreement which should be read in conjunction with these terms and conditions. The benefits for each package shall last for a minimum of 12 months.
9.3. Unless we expressly agree otherwise in writing, the fees for Patrons are due within 28 days of the date of our invoice in respect of the same.
9.4. If a Patron’s membership is terminated in accordance with clause 5.3, and at the date of termination we have not provided all of the agreed services under the Patron package, then we may at our sole discretion offer a partial refund of the Patron partnership package fee in respect of those services which have not been provided on the termination date (less any administration expenses we have incurred).
Part 3: Our events
10. Attending our events
10.1. We run a variety of events and training courses (Events). Members and non-members are welcome to attend our Events, unless expressly stated otherwise.
10.2. We will publish a calendar of our available Events from time to time on our website, setting out a brief description of the Event along with the cost of attending.
10.3. For each Event, full payment for each member place booked must be paid at the time of booking unless we expressly otherwise agree with you in writing. Non-member bookings must also be paid at the time of booking.
10.4. We refuse the right of entry to an Event if payment has not been received in accordance with clause 10.3. We reserve the right to exercise our statutory right to interest and compensation for debt recovery costs under the late payment legislation if we are not paid according to agreed credit terms.
10.5. Bookings for our Events are not refundable later than six days before the event. If you are unable to attend, you are permitted to transfer your ticket to another person at your company at no charge.
10.6. If you book a place at a free Event and you do not attend, we reserve the right to charge an administration fee of £10.00 (plus VAT) per delegate.
10.7. We encourage delegates to review our privacy policy which sets out how we gather and use your personal information when attending our Events, including photography.
11. Cancelling an Event
11.1. In some circumstances we may be required to cancel an Event. We shall give all delegates as much notice of any cancellation as we are reasonable able, and shall endeavour where appropriate to rearrange the Event on another date.
11.2. If we cancel an Event, we shall refund you booking fees paid as soon as reasonably practicable following the cancellation.
11.3. We accept no liability for any expenses or losses (including by not limited to pre-booked travel or hotel expenses) you may incur as a result of a cancelled or postponed Event.
Part 4: International Documentation Service
12. International Documentation
12.1. We certify various export documents relating to certificates of origin and the movement of goods for those who trade internationally. Full details of this service are available on request but it includes United Kingdom Certificates of Origin, Arab-British Chamber Certificates of Origin, ATA Carnets, EUR1s, invoices, Customs Declarations and other documents (International Documents).
12.2. We provide these services to both members and non-members.
12.3. We provide three types of service: online, postal and drop-in. The key differences between these services are as follows:
(a) Online: you can apply for documents online on our website. Once issued, documents will be returned to you online, where you print them off. On request, you can collect them from our office, or we can send the documents to you by special delivery at your own expense.
(b) Postal: documents are processed on the day they are received and then returned by first class post unless you request special delivery or collection.
(c) Drop-in: Drop-in is open from the hours of 10am-4pm where you can bring your documents for processing at the main Chamber offices and wait for them to be completed to be taken away.
13. Fees and Charges
13.1. Our Global membership packages include a discounted rate for International Documents for such time as they hold membership with us. We will confirm the price payable on application, and fees charged are non-refundable.
13.2. Our payment terms for our fees are as follows:
(a) for members: 14 days from the date of invoice, unless we expressly otherwise agree with you in writing;
(b) for non-members: immediately on application.
13.3. Depending on the type of International Documents we are certifying, there may be additional fees and charges which we incur with third parties (such as the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce) for example when documents must be legalised. We will pass on these charges to you at cost, with a nominal handling fee, and will confirm the fees on application. Unless we expressly agree otherwise, we will require full payment of these fees in advance in order to progress your application.
13.4 When applying for International Documentation which amounts to a cost greater than £250.00 in advance payment is required from both Members and Non-Members.
14. Your obligations
14.1. You are required to complete a formal undertaking document with a list of signatories authorised to sign off on the International Documents. This undertaking must be updated at least annually, and we will be unable to progress any applications if the undertaking is out of date.
14.2. You must update the undertaking promptly following any material change in personnel at your organisation.
14.3. You agree to provide us with all information and documentation that we require in order to progress your application for International Documentation. You warrant and represent to us that all information you give to us in support of any International Documents is true and accurate in all respects, and not misleading.
14.4. You shall indemnify us against any claims or demands whatsoever which may at any time be made against us by reason of any fault, defect, omission or inaccuracy in the information provided by you in respect of any International Documentation.
15. Rejection of documents
15.1. Where the information you have given is incomplete or incorrect, we will be obliged to reject the application.
15.2. We reserve the right to charge a fresh fee for reconsideration of any application which has subsequently been corrected or amended by you and re-submitted to us for consideration.
15.3 Global Members receive ten free document rejections, once these are used a standard price is charged.
Part 5: General provisions
16. Other services
16.1. From time to time we may offer additional products and services, including consultancy services, details of which shall be set out on our website.
16.2. All services offered will be subject to these terms and conditions, together with any additional documentation we may agree with you relating to those services.
16.3. We shall perform all services in good faith.
17. Force majeure
Neither we nor you shall be in breach of any obligation under this agreement, nor liable for any delay in performing any obligation, if such delay or failure results from events or circumstances beyond each party’s reasonable control. In such circumstances, the time for performance shall be extended by a period equivalent to the period during which performance of the obligation has been delayed or failed to be performed.
18. Governing law and jurisdiction
18.1. Our contract with you, these terms and any dispute or claim (including non-contractual disputes or claims) arising out of or in connection with it or its subject matter or formation shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales.
18.2. We and you both irrevocably agree that the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with these terms, their subject matter or formation.
By proceeding with the engagement and/or registration process for a Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce membership, training course or event, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions and payment liability.