Terms and Conditions

In these Terms & Conditions, “we” means Droplet Management Limited and “you” means you – our very important customer

1. PAYMENT

– We do =accept cash and card payments
– All prices are subject to VAT at the current VAT rate
– All prices are from, and subject to change from time to time and may vary due to the texture of garment, service required and value of the garment
– Payment needs to be made to us in full before we can release items back to you
– We reserve the right to suspend servicing you indefinitely, the firm does not need to give any grounds for this suspension. Please note the Firm’s decision is final.

– Refunds are only authorised on reasonable grounds, and as per T&C’s below, any refunds will only be directly authorised by head office. Credit card payments can take up to seven days to be processed by the sender bank

1. DROPPING OFF ITEMS

You will be given a till ticket. Check the ticket order, count, and description together with the annotated state and condition of the items and ticket value. This is final between you and the Firm.

If you believe the depreciated value of your garment/item exceeds 10 times our service charge, please declare the value. In which case the garment/item will be serviced at 1/10th of the declared value of the item. [This service charge is limited to the lesser of 10 times the cleaning cost or the depreciated value of the item as determined by the Textile Service Association (TSA) fair compensation guidelines as our maximum liability for any claim]

We will require a completed and signed Customer Consent Form to authorise the processing of any item that we consider a risk. We also request this form to be completed for processing – curtains, rugs, leather, fur and suede, wedding/ beaded/evening dresses, shoes and or other household or non-clothing items. In each case a non-refundable deposit will be taken. We reserve the right to re-schedule take-downs or rehangs in the case of curtains/blinds within 10 working days if we are unable to complete the work on the day. The full service charge needs to be prepaid before the service can take place.

1. COLLECTING ITEMS

Lost tickets will require ID and phone number on the Droplet account.

Check your order is complete in the shop or on delivery to your home, office or hotel-no liability for missing items once you leave.

Uncollected items may be disposed of after 90 days. We will not be held liable for any loss that you may suffer in such an event.

For curtain collection and take-downs we will provide a quotation based on your measurements. Should the measurements differ, we will charge accordingly at the same rate. In the event you request the items back without cleaning a minimum collection and delivery of £150 will be levied. If multiple curtains, and or a takedown has been requested then the carriage will be worked on the weight of curtains and labour will be charged at £115 per hour.

Should your curtains or rug(s) be in storage for more than two weeks after the service has been complete, we reserve the right to charge a minimum of £150 per week per item to keep them in storage.

1. GENERAL EXCLUSIONS

Unfortunately, we cannot be liable for:

(a) Any item which suffers colour loss /colour run/ shrinkage/ texture, additional staining and or any damage, during the cleaning process, whereby the manufacturer’s care label instructions have been adhered to, and or were we have tested the textile prior to cleaning (due to no care label),and it consequently fails during any cleaning method employed by us

(b) Any shirt processed by us  (cleaned , laundered, or pressed only) that gets ripped or damaged, shrunk, experiences colour loss/change and or suffers button or attachment loss following our shirt cleaning procedures. Any synthetic /feather and or down filled item e.g., ski wear, all household (duvets, mattress toppers, pillows), puffa /Down jackets, and coats that shrinks, clumps, or loses texture

(c) Any accessory attached to or contained within any item. An “accessory” means (but is not limited to) belts, buckles, buttons, broaches, beading (all types), painted logos, leather trims, furs, signs, zips, detachable hoods, collars, and inner linings lost and damaged during processing

(d) Any item which is damaged by any accessory on that item E.g. zips, belts, buttons, beading, broaches, leather strips and patches during the cleaning process. This is not an exhaustive list

(e) Any ink marks/colour run left behind by our labelling system, or third-party colour runs from any other garments in cleaning cycle

(f) In the event that any item or garment is lost or damaged by us and is part of a set E.G., two-piece suit/furnishings/curtains/upholstery/laundry, we will only compensate for that lost/damaged item that is documented on the customer’s ticket. We will not compensate for the retrospective value of whole set loss/damage.

(g) Any item that does not show cleaning instructions, and has not shown colour fastness dye following testing, that runs on other garments, or a dark colour onto a lighter colour in the same garment.

(h) Any item that has deliberate crinkles or creased effects on the fabric which are removed during our cleaning process, including all types of pleating as well as sunray pleating

(i) Any item with adhesives or interfacing which leave a mark after cleaning

(j) Any item which, due to wear and tear or due to its integral nature, is unable to withstand an industrial laundered or dry-cleaned process E.g., shirt cuffs, collars, and body, any abrasions on garments from friction marks from handbags and belts and accessories ,to garment stress areas, such as crotches, seats, knees and all hems

(k) Labelling procedures and policies undertaken by Droplet on all client garments and goods for the purposes of any service or storage we undertake

(l) Curtains, blinds (venetian, roman) – For the avoidance of doubt we are not responsible for the following :

– Glued-on trims – many adhesives will not withstand the solvents used in cleaning, especially if affected by exposure to light or if more than one year old
– Tassels – these may have been weakened by the effects of light and mechanical action
– Tie-backs – many of these are not designed to be dry-cleaned. Some are stiffened with plastic liners and often glued during make-up for ease of manufacture
– Weights in the bottoms of curtains – these can be small, round, lead weights or chains that can do untold damage during cleaning as they are smashed against the cage sides during the tumbling action. Customer must remove if possible
– Swags and tails – these are often cut on the cross (bias) to aid the drape. They can be pulled out of shape during cleaning.
– Silver and gold painted designs – most pigments only adhere lightly to the surface of the fabric and can be lost during cleaning. Some may survive the first or second clean, but loss can be progressive over each clean, depending on the amount of mechanical action they are subjected to. Please be aware we are not responsible for this loss
– Flocked velvet may change in nature and become hardened
– Watermarks contained within the fabric – May not be possible to be removed during cleaning
– Old or Poor Stitching – May loosen during cleaning
– Weakened Fabric as a result of ultraviolet light exposure – May only be noticeable after they are taken down. Weak fabric may be damaged during cleaning, especially curtain linings, and blackout linings
– Shrinkage – In the cleaning process may be up to 10%. Stretching post-cleaning may restore some of this length, but they may relax over time. We are not responsible for curtain shrinkage

– We reserve the right to re-schedule takedowns or rehangs in the case of curtains within 10 working days if we are unable to complete the work on the day.

We will require a completed and signed Customer Consent Form to authorise the processing of any item, as these are considered high risk. We also request this form to be completed for processing – you accept and agree that no liability for damage will lie with the company.

(m) Household items (duvets, bedspreads, cushion/sofa/upholstery covers, rugs, curtains) can demonstrate up to 25% shrinkage and fabric texture change, including but not limited to leather and suede items that shrink, lose colour. Melted buttons/zips/Velcro, in addition can also demonstrate shrinkage

Please note that adhesives, defects, and faults which were previously camouflaged in manufacture may become more apparent after the cleaning process, and although every care is taken, we cannot always disguise natural flaws or totally remove adhesives, or stretching techniques employed by the manufacturer. These items may “age” after cleaning. All items are therefore only accepted by us for cleaning at your own risk.

(n) Alterations, Repairs & Reweaving that do not prescribe to the client’s final instructions, as these may vary on conversations and expectations between the parties

All alterations, repairs and reweaving must be prepaid. We will be not held liable for any pinning carried out by the customer prior to mending. We will not be liable for the finished repair results for All pinning carried out by our representatives such as shorting, lengthening, taking in or out, tapering, hemming and not limited to all alterations and repair instructions will be confirmed as full and final by the customer. All repairs must be cleaned and paid for prior to repairs for Health, Hygiene and Safety purposes.

You the customer are fully aware and have understood, that any reweaving/invisible repair method employed by Droplet on your instruction, will not be invisible to the naked eye, will contain fabric blemishes, as new material is being introduced, and may have a differential colour tone as the light hits the repaired reweaved fabric.

(o) Shoes, trainers, suede, boots we will require a completed and signed Customer Consent Form to authorise the processing of any item, as these are considered high-risk. We also request this form to be completed for processing – you accept and agree that no liability for damage will lie with the company.

(p) Textile Restoration items (garments, curtains, rugs, blinds, sofa/cushion covers and similar items) undergoing fire, flood or smoke damage is at the risk of the owner/agent providing these restoration works. Irrespective of the perceived results these works are payable in full as quoted, and not at the discretion of instructing owner or agent.

(q) Any dry cleaned, laundered, or pressed garments or items that presents tears and rips following the cleaning process , where no adverse conditions occurred during the cleaning process,

(r) Any feather / down or synthetic filled item, or garment e.g., duvets, mattress protectors, bedspreads, any bedding, or household items. All ski wear, puffer/down jackets, coats ,gilets and head wear that rip or tear, The inner filling clump and or change structure following the cleaning process of these items. Please note these items may still fail even if cleaned successfully in the past

(s) Any leather, suede and or fur garment we will require a completed and signed Customer Consent Form to authorise the processing of any item, as these are considered high risk. We also request this form to be completed for processing – you accept and agree that no liability for damage will lie with the company.

(t) Any wedding ,bridesmaids, christening, evening and cocktail dresses and wear we will require a completed and signed Customer Consent Form to authorise the processing of any item, as these are considered high risk. We also request this form to be completed for processing – you accept and agree that no liability for damage will lie with the company.

 

 

1. CUSTOMER SERVICE

In the unlikely event you are not satisfied, please return the item to the branch with the receipt, ensuring it is returned unworn/unused with the original packaging and original ticket. You will receive a Customer Service Form that must be fully completed by an account holder with the relevant receipt. The service for the affected item(s) must have been paid for in advance in order for us to proceed with the complaint. Failure to do so will invalidate any potential complaint.

Please notify us of any such complaints within 48 hours from collecting your item. After those 48 hours we will not be responsible for any such claims. For missing or lost items, we have 14 working days search our depots and to return the item.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the service provider has the statutory right to be given an opportunity to rectify any issues before any complaint can progress

We will not be held liable where the customer service process is not followed, and the garment is not made available for inspection within 7 days of raising a complaint. In such circumstances we will not be able to progress with your complaint.

 

1. CLAIMS

Liability for any reason (including, but not limited to, lost or damaged items) is limited to the lesser of 10 times the cleaning cost or the depreciated value of the item as determined by the Textile Service Association (TSA) fair compensation guidelines when a valid proof of purchase is provided. Where proof of purchase cannot be provided, liability will be the lesser of 5 times the cleaning cost or the depreciated value of the item as determined by the Textile Service Association (TSA) fair compensation guidelines. A submitted claim will be subject to the underwriting terms where the garment will be deemed to be written off by the insurance company who will determine the value of the claim calculated using the TSA fair compensation guidelines.

We will not be liable for any item(s) not collected more than 3 months after dropping-off such item(s) with us.

– Any claim settled by us will be on condition that it is accepted by you as full and final settlement
– We will not be liable for any damage which is not related to or caused by the cleaning process
– We will not be liable for any claim which is excluded under the General Exclusions paragraph above [clause 4] or if you haven’t followed the process for making a claim under the Customer Service paragraph above [clause 5] – We follow the Textile Service Association (TSA) industry guidelines for fair compensation. From these guidelines we would potentially compensate you once liability is proven by us, only once the age, original value, and proof of purchase from you is clearly established. Please note, for the avoidance of doubt, where a garments age is not proven e.g., Presentation of a purchase receipt, we will refer to the industry guidelines where most dry cleanable garments have an average age of three to five years. We do not replace old for new and therefore need to establish the age, state, and condition of the item(s) prior to any compensation being paid out. We will apply a depreciated value to the item(s) as set out by the TSA guidelines.

[For avoidance of doubt our maximum liability is limited to the lesser of 10 times the cleaning cost (including the service charge) or the depreciated value of the item as determined by the Textile Service Association (TSA) fair compensation guidelines as our maximum liability for any claim]. Where the operator has put in a description and the charged for the service is deemed as final for compensation purposes.

– If there is doubt as to the cause of damage to any item, and only provided the garment has a care label, then an independent third party will be appointed jointly and paid by yourself initially. You will be provided up to a minimum of two independent fabric testing houses to choose from. The result of such analysis will be final and will form the basis for any compensation due or used by the parties in any escalated claims. The costs of any such analysis shall be paid for by the party which the testing house determines is liable. Should Droplet be found liable we will compensate you as per our T&Cs in clause 6 above.

– All alterations, repairs and reweaving must be prepaid. We will be not held liable pinning carried out by the customer. Any pinning carried out by our representatives such as shorting, tapering and alterations of repair instructions will be confirmed as full and final by the customer. All must be cleaned and paid for prior to repairs for Health, Hygiene and Safety purposes.

– You the customer are fully aware and have understood, that this reweaving repair method will not be invisible to the naked eye, will contain fabric blemishes, as new material is being introduced, and may have a differential colour tone as the light hits the repaired reweaved fabric.

– Bag Wash and Fold – We are not responsible for any losses of socks, underpants/ boxer shorts, panties/ tights ,T-shirts, polo shirts, trousers , blouses, towels … this isn’t an exhaustive list that is handed in by you for a bag wash service

We are not responsible for any shrinkage, stretching or colour run, that occurs in this service of any items.

 

1. COLLECTION AND DELIVERY

– Upon booking in your collected order at one of our branches or via home collection, our description and count on how many items are received in is final. Any discrepancy in collection counts need to be vocalised upon collection. We accept no liability for any discrepancy in count after arriving in a branch or our Central Processing Facility, for home collected orders.

– We endeavour to deliver your items when expected, however, due to London traffic, circumstances may arise which make it impossible to deliver at the time originally booked. In these rare instances we will endeavour to inform you of the delay ahead of time and reschedule the delivery at your convenience, subject to availability.
– If you need to change your booking time for any reason, please inform us as soon as possible so we can rearrange your delivery.
– If there is no response or we are unable to gain access to your property at the scheduled time, we will contact you to rearrange your delivery; however, we reserve the right not to accept an order, to cancel an order or terminate your account if this occurs repeatedly.

– We reserve the right not to accept an order or cancel and order if there is reason to suspect our staff may be at risk of physical or verbal abuse upon collection or delivery of your items. If we have attempted to make a collection or delivery the first failed attempt will be charged at £10.00, the second attempt £20.00 and the third attempt at £30.00. If we have attempted to deliver twice your items to your address, on the allotted time, and you have not been in.  A £30.00 surcharge will apply for a third delivery, on every further attempt. Please note that our count and description are final. Any stains or damage on your garments, together with price changes you will be informed via email or text prior to processing. All payments for your orders must be made prior to the deliver

– We will charge you Congestion Charge (CC) at the daily chargeable rate each time we enter the CC zone on collecting and delivering your order.

– Please make us aware of any issues that may arise when attempting to access your property. We reserve the right to decline any order that requires collection or delivery above the third floor, should there be no access by lift, either permanently or temporarily. Where possible, practical and not a health and safety issue, we will endeavour to explore ways of completing your collection or delivery but cannot guarantee we will be able to do so.

1. OTHER

Refunds on retail items will require a proof of purchase must be returned in a saleable condition within 72 hours.

Prices displayed on our website are subject to change and may vary from those in our physical stores. For the most accurate and up-to-date pricing information, we recommend contacting the specific store directly.

We reserve the right to amend these Terms & Conditions without notice. New Terms & Conditions will be made available in our shops and on our website.

Only one offer is available to be used at the one time of advertising, offers will not be available to be used in conjunction with each other at the same time

Service wash Terms and conditions – Wash Dry and Fold (Service Washes)- Term and conditions :

We do not take responsibility for sorting through soiled laundry prior to washing. Please prepare it as if washing it yourself.

Separate and sort your colours (preferably into different bags) therefore no liability for colour run and discolouration

Check the suitability of all items for;

• Washing
• Tumble drying is at 60c. (Unless you clearly request lower drying temperature). No liability for shrinkage
• Do not leave dry cleaning only or non-tumble dry items in your bag!.
• Check garment pockets etc for pens, tissues etc.
• Check and count your items on day collection We do not accept claims for missing items in service washes – It is not practical or cost-effective to individually ticket all of your items therefore we have no record of what is in your bag. However CCTV and thorough inspection of machines throughout processing ensures every sock is returned!
• Wash & Fold is priced by our Bag ( small, medium, large bag) mixed colours has to be separated into 2 different machines will be charged as 2 loads.
• Non-tumble dry, hand wash items cannot be included in Wash & Fold.

1. NOTICES AND COMMUNICATION AND CHANGES IN THE INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY THE CUSTOMER

The Customer agrees to accept service of notices and communication from the Company, to include, without limitation, product and offer notifications, accounts and payment notifications and reminders and will accept formal service by all of the methods listed overleaf in the application for trade account and shall include for the avoidance of doubt, post by any class and recorded delivery, fax, e-mail, telephone call and text message.
The Customer must inform the Company in writing of any change of name, trading status or any change in contact details contained within the trade account and must be able to provide copies of such request as evidence in any dispute that may arise out of such changes notwithstanding the fact that acceptance of any changes for the purpose of continue trading and use of the trade account will be at the sole discretion of the Company.

These Terms & Conditions do not affect your statutory rights.