“Account” “App” | the account you set up with FREENOW, incorporating your personal and regulatory information, which is used by you to access the App, FREENOW Platform and to provide Ride Services pursuant to these Terms. You may link Network Drivers to your Account as provided for below; however any reference to “Account Holders” shall be to you as the counterparty to these Terms and not to any Network Drivers with whom FREENOW have no direct relationship. The software application provided by FREENOW as part of the FREENOW Platform as made available for download onto certain electronic portable devices through recognised stores including the Apple Store and Google Play. |
“Booking” | A confirmed Booking Request. |
“Booking Request” | A request submitted to us by a User via the App or via a third party platform (“Third Party Platform”) from time to time for the purchase of the Ride Services. |
“Booking Services” | The features and functions of the App provided by us around the arranging and reservation and purchasing by Users, of Ride Services, the notifying of Booking Requests to Drivers and as further explained in clause 2.2 below. |
“Drive” or “Driving” | The act and/or service of driving a User in respect of their Journey under the Ride Services. |
“Driver Allocation” | The point in the Booking process for Ride Services where you agree to sell us Ride Services (subject to the terms herein) for a particular PHV Journey as further described in clause 2.4. |
“FREENOW Platform” | A combination of the App, our website, and the Services as provided by our technology platform. |
“Journey” | The journey taken by a User with a Driver and provided by us to a User. |
“Legislation” | The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998 and any regulations, rules, requirements and policies (including those from time to time stipulated by Transport for London (TfL)) relevant to the operation of private hire vehicles, each as amended, extended or re-enacted from time to time. |
“PHV” | Private hire vehicles (PHVs) including a range of licensed vehicles such as minicabs, executive cars, limousines and chauffeur services. The term ‘PHV’ is used throughout these terms to refer to all such vehicles. |
“PHV Journeys” | The Ride Services bought in by us and sold to the Users relating to PHV Journeys only. |
“Ride Service Area” | The areas and locations in which the Ride Services are available to Users at any given time, as indicated by us through the App. |
“Ride Services” | The Services consisting of Drivers providing a Journey we buy from you and resell to Users. Ride Services are provided in the Ride Service Area. |
“Services” | Any of the services described in these Terms including the Booking Services and the Ride Services. |
“Stop Notice” | Temporary suspension of your Account due to the circumstances described in clause 3.11. |
“us”, “we” or “our” | Transopco UK Ltd trading as FREENOW. |
“User” “VAT” | A user of any PHV Journeys. Value added tax |
“you”or “your” | You as a licensed (in accordance with the applicable Legislation), authorised person who is registered with us as a driver of a PHV and who Drives / may Drive Users during their Journeys. Where we refer to other individuals who you authorised to provide Ride Services on your Account, pursuant to these terms, we refer to these individuals as “Network Drivers”. The term “Driver” and “Drive” refers to the individual providing the Ride Services from time to time which may include you and/or Network Drivers. |
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. We are Transopco UK Ltd, trading as FREENOW, a company registered in England and Wales. Our company registration number is 11435887 and our registered office is at Harling House, Great Suffolk Street, London SE1 0BS, UK. Our registered VAT number is 314 6835 03.
1.2. These are the terms and conditions (the “Terms”) which apply to your use of the FREENOW Platform as a Driver engaged by us as an independent contractor and/or as an Account Holder in respect of facilitating Drivers to provide Ride Services on your Account.
1.3. In order to access the App and receive information relating to providing or facilitating Ride Services sought by Users, Drivers should download and access the App.
1.4. We ask that you read these Terms carefully before you use the FREENOW Platform. These Terms set out how we will provide the App and the Booking Services to you, for Drivers to access; how you and we may change or end your right to use FREENOW Platform, what to do if there is a problem and other important information.
1.5. For important information about our legal relationship with you as an Account Holder, and the legal relationship between you and Users, please see clause 7.
1.6. There are other terms that may apply to your use of the FREENOW Platform. This includes the following:
a) our Privacy Policy, Fee Policy and our driver onboarding process and its related conditions and standards as determined by us from time to time;
b) the terms of the Apple, Google Play and/or such other third party mobile application and/or software application stores from which Drivers may download the App; and
c) any other terms, policies and/or changes in Legislation as may be applicable from time to time including those notified to you by us, any government and/or local authority, including but not limited to those with reference to rules concerning COVID-19 / SARS-CoV-2.
1.7. When you first register as an independent contractor with us by completing the relevant onboarding process to reflect this relationship and then downloading, installing and using the App, you are required to acknowledge and accept the terms and conditions as set out in these Terms. In doing so, you agree to adhere to your obligations arising under these Terms whenever accessing the FREENOW Platform and whenever driving Users pursuant to that relationship and to ensure that any Network Drivers on your Account do not cause you to fail to meet such obligations. In accepting these Terms, you agree to enter into a legally binding contract with us with effect from that date. For the avoidance of doubt, we have no contractual relationship with a Network Driver and their sole engagement is by you. These terms take effect on the latter of 6 October 2023 and when confirmed by you as the Account Holder or as otherwise communicated to you.
1.8. A copy of these Terms is located on our website and within the App.
1.9. Should you need to contact us, you may do so by e-mail at ukphv@free-now.com.
1.10. If we have to contact you, we will do so by telephone or in writing, using the details which you provide to us when opening your Account.
1.11. Any reference in these Terms to your “registered vehicle” is to the vehicle(s) Drivers have registered under your Account as the vehicle Drivers will (and are authorised to) Drive.
1.12. When we use the words “writing” or “written” in these terms, this includes emails and communications made through the App.
1.13. Unless the context otherwise requires, words in the singular shall include the plural and vice versa.
2. THE SERVICES
2.1. This clause 2 provides information in relation to the Services that we provide through the FREENOW Platform.
The Booking Services
2.2. Subject to your compliance with these Terms and your successful onboarding, we will grant you access to the Booking Services (accessible via the App).
2.3. Through your use of the Booking Services, you will have the opportunity to sell Ride Services to us in respect of a PHV Journey which we will then resell on to Users.
2.4. The Booking Services (subject to the provisions of these Terms) include the following:
a) subject to qualifying Allocation Criteria (see clause 2.5) and User demand, notifying Drivers of Booking Requests at our sole discretion (and User Journey information related to that Booking Request) (an “Invitation”);
b) providing Drivers with the option of accepting or rejecting an Invitation; and
c) in the event that a Driver accepts the Invitation, allocating you or them as the Driver for the User in respect of the corresponding Booking Request
(“Driver Allocation”).
2.5. In order to receive an Invitation, you should ensure that Drivers have in place / do the following:
a) enable use of location data sent from the device(s) used to access the App, so that we can check whether you and/or they are in the vicinity of the User who has submitted a Booking Request;
b) update your status on the App (to available), so that we can check that you and/or they are in a registered vehicle and available to receive Invitations; and
c) provide such other information that we may request from time to time
(together, the “Allocation Criteria”).
2.6. We are not under any obligation to send any Invitations to any Driver, and you or they are under no obligation to accept any Invitations. Any Invitations that are sent to you are done so at our sole discretion. We do not provide any guarantees as to a minimum number of Invitations that will be sent within any fixed period of time.
2.7. If a Driver wishes to accept an Invitation, this can be indicated within the App. If the Invitation is not accepted within a reasonable period of time after receiving it (approximately 15 seconds or at such other time limit as we may determine in our sole discretion), the Invitation will be deemed to have rejected at which point the Invitation will be offered to another driver.
2.8. At the point that a Driver indicates acceptance of an Invitation on your behalf with the App (Driver Allocation), and unless the Driver notifies us of the decision to subsequently reject the Journey, by completing the Journey you sell Ride Services to us in accordance with that User’s Booking Request.
2.9. Once Driver Allocation has taken place, or a pre-booked Journey activated, the Driver will (via the App) receive key User information including the User’s name, pick-up location and destination for the Journey. The App can be used to call or otherwise communicate with the User for the purpose of providing the Journeys.
2.10. You are not required to provide a minimum or exclusive Services to us. You are not required to provide personal service to us and Network Drivers, authorised by you to provide Journeys on your Account pursuant to these terms, may freely decide when to use the App and/or provide Journeys. We accept that you are free to, without restriction, provide Services (similar, equivalent or otherwise and competing with the Services or otherwise), to any platforms or persons (similar and/or equivalent or otherwise to that of the FREENOW Platform) at all times.
3. YOUR OBLIGATIONS AND RELATED INFORMATION
Driving
3.1. You shall at all times be responsible for ensuring any Driver who is available in the App to receive Invitations on your Account:
a) holds valid proof of identity, including right to work documentation;
b) holds a valid national insurance number;
c) holds a valid UK driving licence with the appropriate level of certification required to Drive the registered vehicle;
d) holds a V5C registration certificate (log book) for the registered vehicle;
e) holds a valid MOT for the registered vehicle;
f) holds a valid and appropriate insurance policy for the registered vehicle;
g) holds any and all other consents, licences, permits, approvals, authorities and insurance documents that we may reasonably require a Driver to hold from time to time; and
h) holds a valid private hire driver’s licence and a valid private hire vehicle licence, as issued by the relevant licensing authority for the registered vehicle, as applicable.
(together, the “Driver Requirements”).
3.2. To ensure compliance with the Driver Requirements, and to allow us to comply with our regulatory requirements, you confirm and agree that you will provide to us when requested, copies of the documents, consents, licences, permits, approvals, authorities and insurance documents referred to in this clause 3, and arrange for any Network Drivers to do the same in order to confirm their suitable qualification to use your Account. You confirm and agree that you will submit to us, or arrange the submission of, copies of all updated or renewed versions of such documents without undue delay as soon as any of those documents are updated or renewed. We shall be entitled on request to review such documents, consents, licences, permits, approvals, authorities and insurance documents from time to time, and your failure to provide or maintain any of these documents shall constitute a material breach of these Terms. You also agree to inform us in writing if you are registered for VAT (and, if applicable, when you deregister) and, if you are VAT registered, to provide us with your VAT registration number.
3.3. You agree that, whenever Driving and/or carrying out any Driving-related activities, any Driver shall:
a) do so with care, skill and diligence in accordance with good industry practice;
b) provide all equipment (including any devices), tools, vehicles and such other items, at your or their own expense, as are required to provide the Ride Services and to you or they shall be responsible for any such expenses required to provide the Ride Services including without limitation vehicle insurance, fuel, MOT and service and repair charges in respect of the registered vehicle;
c) ensure that any registered vehicle is not more than 10 years old;
d) maintain any registered vehicle in a clean and sanitary condition, and in a safe, roadworthy and good operating condition;
e) ensure any registered vehicle complies with all laws, regulations and standards applicable in England and Wales from time to time relating to vehicle emissions (including any obligations as set out in the Legislation);
f) hold and at all times maintain at all relevant times all consents, licences, permits, approvals and authorities which may be required for Driving;
g) otherwise comply with all applicable laws, regulations, governmental and/or regulatory policies, guidelines or industry codes which may apply from time to time to any Driving;
h) observe all health and safety rules and regulations;
i) not do or omit to do anything which may cause us to lose any consent, licence, permit, approval or authority on which we rely for the purposes of conducting our business;
j) pay all taxes and charges due by you or them at the appropriate time; and
k) comply with any additional obligations in relation to the performance of the Ride Services we or TfL set out from time to time.
3.4. You are not permitted to transport or cause the transportation of any illegal or dangerous goods. Whenever Driving, you confirm that Drivers will not cause disturbance, discomfort, inconvenience or material damage, nor participate in any other illegal conduct, either in relation to a User or any third-party, such as trying to defraud them or by using a different vehicle than the ones which are registered. In some circumstances, you or they may be asked to provide evidence of identification. You accept that you may be denied access to or use of the FREENOW Platform and Booking Services if you or they refuse to present such documentation (see clause 5).
3.5. We are required by TfL and it is our obligation as a licence operator to inform you that you shall not and shall be responsible for ensuring that Drivers shall not:
a) use CB apparatus;
b) park, wait, collect or drop off Users at taxi ranks, or drive in bus lanes;
c) drive on red routes without a valid exemption;
d) abuse congestion charge discounts;
e) provide Ride sharing services; or
f) “ply for hire”.
3.6. Furthermore, as a licensed operator we are also required to inform you that:
a) you are required to make proper payment of Ultra Low Emission Zone charges (where applicable) and ensuring any Network Driver complies with any such obligations directly or through you; and
b) it is important that you read and understand the nature and scope of the Equality Act 2010 and what your duties are to comply with them directly and through any Network Drivers and therefore, be in compliance with the law. This includes, but it is not limited to: transporting the User while in a wheelchair and not making any additional charge for doing so; taking such steps as are necessary to ensure that the User is carried in safety and reasonable comfort; and not refusing a passenger because they have an assistance dog.
3.7. You agree that Drivers shall immediately (provided that it is safe to do so) notify us via the driver emergency line, if you or they are involved in an incident or emergency, for example if you suffer a flat tyre, an accident, or a breakdown. Driver Emergency Line 0203 966 2995
3.8. We shall facilitate Driver contact with the User for the purposes of providing the Ride Services anticipated in the Booking. You agree to adhere to, and enforce on Drivers, all data protection laws.
General Use of the FREENOW Platform
3.9. Drivers shall at all relevant times be responsible for their internet or mobile data service in order to access the FREENOW Platform; and for using a portable electronic device with the minimum technical requirements in order to use the App.
3.10. You shall be responsible for ensuring that any Driver does not:
a) use the FREENOW Platform in any unlawful manner, for any unlawful purpose, or in any manner inconsistent with these Terms, or act fraudulently or maliciously, for example, by hacking into or inserting malicious code, such as viruses, or harmful data, into the App or any operating system;
b) infringe our intellectual property rights or those of any third party in relation to your use of the FREENOW Platform;
c) transmit any material that is defamatory, offensive or otherwise objectionable in relation to your use of the FREENOW Platform;
d) use the FREENOW Platform in a way that could damage, disable, overburden, impair or compromise our systems or security or interfere with other users; and
e) collect or harvest any information or data from the FREENOW Platform or any of our systems or attempt to decipher any transmissions to or from the servers running the Booking Services.
3.11. You are responsible for keeping your username and password confidential and secure. Network Drivers authorised by you will be provided with their own credentials to ensure compliance with applicable Legislation. You may not assign or otherwise transfer your Account to any other person or entity and are responsible for ensuring that any Network Driver does the same. You must inform us immediately via the appropriate e-mail address (see clause 1.9) if a third party uses your Account without authorisation. In particular, you are obliged to inform us of any loss, theft or misuse of your password or smartphone or other device on which any Driver uses the App, or any other unauthorised use of your Account, password or other personal identification features. If you know or suspect that any of the above has happened, you must immediately notify us (a “Stop Notice”).
3.12. If you download or stream the App onto any device not owned by you, you must have the owner’s permission to do so. You will be responsible for complying with these Terms, whether or not you own the device.
3.13. You agree that you will not, save as provided for in the Terms, and will not permit Network Drivers to:
a) rent, lease, sub-license, loan, provide, or otherwise make available, the App or the Booking Services to any person;
b) copy the App or the Booking Services, except as part of the normal use of the App or where it is necessary for the purpose of back-up or operational security; and
c) translate, merge, adapt, vary, alter or modify, the whole or any part of the App, or Booking Services nor permit the App or the Booking Services or any part of them to be combined with, or become incorporated in, any other programs, except as necessary for your use of the App and the Booking Services on devices as permitted in these Terms.
3.14. The App may provide access to information and materials created or uploaded by other users of the FREENOW Platform. This information and these materials have not been verified or approved by us. The views expressed by other users through the App do not represent our views or values. If you wish to complain about information and materials uploaded by other users, please contact us at the appropriate e-mail address (see clause 1.9).
3.15. You undertake to notify us promptly, and to provide us with all relevant details, if any third-party asserts any claims against us due to any Driver’s violation of any rights, to the extent that this information is required for any legitimate reason such as verification and/or legal defence purposes.
3.16. Whenever any Driver makes use of a feature that allows you or they to upload content to the App or to make contact with Users, such actions must comply with the content standards set out in clause 3.10. If we suffer loss because of a breach of the rules about content standards, you will reimburse us for that loss whether or not caused by you. Any content uploaded to the App will be considered non-confidential and non-proprietary. We also have the right to disclose any Driver’s identity to any third party who is claiming that any content posted or uploaded by you to the App constitutes a violation of their intellectual property rights, or of their right to privacy. We have the right to remove any posting made on our App.
4. ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE APP
4.1. In order to gain access to any Services, you must first download the App onto a suitable portable electronic device. You can then create your Account within the App and provide relevant personal details for the provision of Ride Services by you under these terms. When doing so, all information that you provide must be true and accurate. You should create a secure password to access your Account.
4.2. We acknowledge your freedom to engage licenced PHV drivers, as Network Drivers, to provide Ride Services on your Account. This may not include any licensed PHV driver who has previously had their account terminated by us for a serious or material breach of contract, or who has engaged in conduct which would have provided grounds for such termination had they been a direct party to the Terms. When authorising Network Drivers to provide Ride Services on your Account, you continue to bear full responsibility for ensuring that your obligations under these Terms are met. All acts and omissions of any Network Drivers will be treated as though those acts and/or omissions were your own. You must ensure that any Network Drivers do not put you in breach of these Terms. You are wholly responsible for the remuneration of any Network Drivers and the invoicing arrangements as set out in these Terms between you and us will continue to apply. For more information on adding Network Drivers to your Account, please see [here].
4.3. You may not create more than one Account. Additional and/or duplicate Accounts per Driver are not permitted. We reserve the right to deactivate any accounts we deem or suspect to be additional or duplicate Accounts.
5. EXCLUSION FROM USE
5.1. We reserve the right to exclude you and any Drivers on your Account from use of the FREENOW Platform, temporarily or permanently, in whole or in part, without cause and in our absolute discretion. We would normally do so in the case of your material breach (i.e. substantial failures or violations) of legal or contractual obligations.
5.2. A material breach includes, but is not limited to the following:
a) significant violations of these Terms and/or such other terms and policies made available by us from time to time; and/or
b) failure to comply with the Fraud Policy (as defined at clause 14.4 below), the Anti-Abusive Behaviours Policy (as defined at clause 14.5 below) and/or engaging in Fraudulent Activities (as defined in the Fraud Policy).
5.3. We shall inform you in writing, together with our reasons, of any measure suspending, restricting and/ or excluding use of any of the FREENOW Platform.
5.4. In accordance with clause 14.4 below, FREENOW reserves the right, following and in compliance with the provisions of the Fraud Policy (as defined at clause 14.4 below) to withhold any payment that may otherwise constitute sums due to a User that is deemed to arise out of, or in connection with, any Fraudulent Activities (as defined in the Fraud Policy).
6. CANCELLATIONS
6.1. Following acceptance of an Invitation, a Driver:
a) may cancel a Booking where you or they have reasonable grounds to do so - for example, an incident or emergency, for example a flat tyre, an accident, or a breakdown, or any event where your or their safety may be at risk for any reason; and
b) agrees to Drive the User, in good faith (which shall mean to prevent where possible, any unnecessary delays in or cancellations of Journeys prior to reaching the User’s destination).
6.2. You acknowledge that a User may cancel a Journey following Driver Allocation. In the event that a User cancels a Booking within 2 minutes of Driver Allocation, you will not be entitled to a Ride Payment in relation to that Booking. Please see here for more information in relation to the wait time limits and when a cancellation compensation may be added to Ride Payments.
7. YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH USERS AND WITH US
7.1. If you are or facilitate the provision of a Driver in respect of a PHV Journey a User makes, we will buy the Ride Service from you, and we will have our own direct contract (as principal) with that User for the resale of the Ride Service to provide the PHV Journey.
7.2. Except as otherwise stated, nothing in these Terms shall render you our employee, worker, agent or partner, and you shall not hold yourself out as such. These Terms relate to the provision of Ride Services and are not an employment contract and do not confer any employment rights on you. You declare that you are self-employed for all purposes, including for income tax and National Insurance purposes, and shall be fully responsible for any income tax, National Insurance and social security contributions and any other liability, deduction, contribution, assessment or claim arising from or made in connection with the performance of the Ride Services.
7.3. Notwithstanding that you are responsible for such liability under clause 7.2, you shall indemnify us for any such sums claimed against us where such recovery is not prohibited by law. You shall further indemnify us against all reasonable costs, expenses and any penalty, fine or interest incurred or payable by us in connection with or in consequence of any such liability, deduction, contribution, assessment or claim.
7.4. You agree and acknowledge that:
a) you take full responsibility to us for the Ride Service for the entirety of the Journey, and for ensuring the User reaches their intended destination;
b) the Driver will determine the most effective, efficient and safe manner in which to drive the User;
8. PRICE AND PAYMENT
8.1. We will buy in the PHV Journey from you for a price (the “Ride Payments”) which will be calculated in accordance with and based on various factors including the following
a) the distance between the pick-up location and the destination;
b) the duration of the PHV Journey;
c) User-demand for PHV Journeys at that time; and
d) any fees payable by the User in return for the provision of the PHV Journey
(the “Ride Payment Components”).
8.2. The value of the Ride Payment for any particular Journey will be communicated to the Driver in the App, when receiving the Invitation.
8.3. The Ride Payment will also include any tips and incentives that we may offer you from time to time. If you are VAT registered, you will issue us with a VAT invoice, but the Ride Payments are inclusive of VAT and we will not be required to pay VAT in addition.
8.4. FREENOW reserves the right to adjust the Ride Payments where the Ride Payment Components change significantly (the “Ride Payments Adjustment”). Please see our help centre page for more detail on how the Ride Payments Adjustment works.
8.5. We reserve the right to change the Ride Payment Components at any time. If we decide to change how we calculate the Ride Payments, we shall notify you via e-mail and/or in-app message. If you continue to use the App and the Booking Services following a change in how we calculate the Ride Payments and/or change the Ride Payment Components, you shall be deemed to have consented to such change.
8.6. If, during the course of any Journeys, a User asks the Driver to change the destination or asks you to change your route in any way, for example, by asking you or them to make an unscheduled stop, pick-up or drop-off, and therefore, the assumptions made in calculating the the Ride Payment Components vary at the start of the Journey change, the original Ride Payments shall no longer be valid and a new Ride Payments will be recalculated according to clause 8.1 above.
8.7. We will provide you with a weekly statement (the “Driver Statement”) by e-mail. The Driver Statement will set out details of the Ride Services you and any Network Drivers have completed during the previous week and the sums we owe you. We will pay these sums (as set out in the Driver Statement) to you by electronic bank transfer within 5 working days of providing you with the Driver Statement.
9. OUR LIABILITY TO YOU, RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMERS
9.1. The FREENOW Platform is provided on an “as is” basis and without any warranty or condition, express, implied or statutory. This means that we do not guarantee it will work. We do not promise any specific results from the use of the FREENOW Platform. We do not promise that the use of the FREENOW Platform will always be secure, available, uninterrupted, or error-free, or that any problems, defects, breaks or network security vulnerabilities in the FREENOW Platform will be corrected. We will not incur any liability if the FREENOW Platform causes an interruption to the Services entirely or partially, temporarily or permanently. We will not be liable for the correctness, accuracy, and completeness of any information provided by you in setting up your Account and/or through any use of the FREE NOW Platform.
9.2. To the extent that we receive any claim from a third party who has suffered loss and/or damage arising from any of your direct or indirect acts and/or omissions, the indemnity at clause 9.9 shall apply.
9.3. When Driving, Drivers are are expected to behave civilly and in accordance with these Terms. Drivers are responsible for any fines, cautions, prosecutions and/or other sanctions imposed on you arising when using the Booking Services and/or when Driving.
9.4. We do not guarantee that any User is who they claim to be. We recommend that due diligence is exercised at all times. For example, it may be prudent to request identification from the User should there be reasonable cause to doubt they are the same individual whose name is provided through the Booking Services / the App.
9.5. We are not responsible for the behaviour, whether online or offline, of any User of the FREENOW Platform, including any Journeys they and/or anyone else should make. You are solely responsible for your own interactions with Users and/or anyone else, and those of Network Drivers. You shall be responsible for the cost of repair for damage to, or necessary cleaning of, a User’s property resulting from your wilful, negligent and/or reckless actions causing damage to and/or the requirement to clean a User’s possessions.
9.6. We do not exclude or limit in any way our liability to you where it would be unlawful to do so. This includes our liability for:
a) death and/or personal injury caused by our negligence or the negligence of our employees, agents or subcontractors; and
b) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
9.7. Subject to clause 9.6, our total liability to you shall be limited to 125% of all sums paid and payable by you to us for the Journeys in relation to which the breach(es) resulting in your claim(s) arise(s).
9.8. Subject to clause 9. and in addition to the limitations of our liability provided elsewhere in these Terms, we shall have no liability to you in any way (under contract, tort, misrepresentation, breach of statutory duty, restitution or otherwise) for any of the following:
a) any loss, damage, costs, expenses or liability suffered by anyone other than you in connection with use of the FREENOW Platform;
b) any losses that could not reasonably be expected to result from our negligence or breach of these Terms;
c) any loss of profit, loss of revenue, loss of business, loss of employment, business interruption, or loss of business opportunity to your business or the business of your employer or any other person (whether or not such loss could be reasonably expected to arise as a result of our negligence or breach of these Terms); or
d) any other loss, damage, costs, expenses or liability that you suffer in connection with the Booking Services
e) loss or damage you suffer that arises out of or in connection with any Driving..
9.9. You shall indemnify us against all liabilities, costs, expenses, damages and losses (including but not limited to any direct, indirect or consequential losses, loss of profit, loss of reputation and all interest, penalties and legal costs (calculated on a full indemnity basis) and all other reasonable professional costs and expenses) suffered or incurred by us arising out of or in connection with:
a) any failure to meet the Driver Requirements, by you or a Network Driver, or to perform the Ride Services in accordance with these Terms;
b) any breach or negligent performance or non-performance of these Terms;
c) the costs of action to enforce these Terms against you; and/or
d) a claim by any third party (including Users, regulators and governmental authorities) directly or indirectly related to your Driving or your use of any aspect of the FREENOW Platform.
e) We may at our option satisfy the indemnities contained in clauses 7.3 and 9.9 (in whole or in part) by way of deduction from any payments due from us to you.
10. IF THERE IS A PROBLEM
10.1. If you have any questions or complaints about the App or the Booking Services, please contact us. You can telephone our operating centre team or e-mail us (see clause 1.9).
10.2. If you think we have calculated your Ride Payments incorrectly, if you notify us by email (see clause 1.9) within 24 hours of our sending the Driver Statement to you, we will investigate the matter further. Our investigation is subject to you providing us with your reasonable assistance and any and all information that we may reasonably request in order that we can investigate the matter. Any decision that we reach in relation to this investigation shall be final. If you fail to notify us within 24 hours of our sending the Driver Statement to you and/or if you fail to respond to or unduly delay in your response to our request for assistance and/or information, you shall be deemed to have accepted the Driver Statement.
11. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
11.1. You are prohibited from copying any element of the FREENOW Platform, be it entirely or partially, and from renting it, leasing it or selling it, or processing it or otherwise modifying it, or from sub-licensing it. You are prohibited from decompiling, disassembling or reverse engineering (“Reverse Engineering”) any element of the FREENOW Platform.
11.2. All intellectual property rights in the FREENOW Platform throughout the world belong to (or are licensed to) us and the rights in the FREENOW Platform are licensed (not sold) to you. You have no intellectual property rights in, or to, the FREENOW Platform other than the right to use the App and the Booking Services in accordance with these Terms.
11.3 You will ensure that any Network Driver does not place you in breach of these intellectual property obligations.
12. CONFIDENTIALITY
12.1. You agree not to use any technical, financial, strategic or other proprietary and confidential information relating to our business and operation including but not limited to the FREENOW Platform, including information protected as business secrets.
12.2. You may not use, store, disclose or permit disclosure of any information about another User or driver made available to you in connection with your use of the FREENOW Platform, including the name, pick-up location, contact information and photos disclosed to you by us, whether for your own use or for any purpose other than as contemplated under these Terms.
12.3 You will ensure that any Network Driver does not place you in breach of these confidentiality obligations.
13. TERM AND TERMINATION
13.1. You may end your licence to use the App and the contract for Booking Services at any time by informing us in writing. No advance notice is required.
13.2. In addition to excluding you from using the FREENOW Platform in accordance with clause 5, we may end or suspend (at our absolute discretion) your licence to use the App and the contract for Booking Services, including in respect of any Drivers on your Account, with immediate effect at any time by writing to you if:
a) you or any Network Driver breach these Terms in a way that we deem material;
b) you or any Network Driver fail to meet or cease to hold any or all of the Driver Requirements;
c) you do not provide us with information that is necessary for us to open your Account or provide the Booking Services.
13.3. Without affecting any other right or remedy available to us, we may terminate our agreement with you and your licence to use the App, including in respect of any [Network Drivers on your Account], for any reason or without cause on giving you not less than 7 days’ notice.
13.4. If we end your licence to use the App and the contract for Booking Services, for any reason (which shall include termination of our contract with you):
a) you must stop all activities authorised by these Terms, including your and any Network Drivers’ use of the App and the Booking Services;
b) you must pay any and all outstanding sums owed to us.
14. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
14.1. We may transfer this agreement to someone else. We may transfer our rights and obligations under these Terms to another organisation. We will always tell you in writing if this happens and we will ensure that the transfer will not affect your rights under your licence to use the App or the contract for Booking Services.
14.2. Changes to these Terms. We may need to change these Terms to reflect changes in law or best practice or to deal with additional features which we introduce. We will aim to give you at least 30 days’ notice of any changes by sending you a message by e-mail or by notifying you of a change when you next start the App. If you do not accept the notified changes certain features may not be available to you such as for example, your ability to accept bookings.
14.3.You undertake to comply at all times with FREENOW’s fraud policy, available here (the “Fraud Policy”). In the event of any breach of the Fraud Policy, FREENOW shall be entitled, in accordance with the terms of the Fraud Policy, to terminate this Agreement immediately and without notice in accordance with clause 13. Where FREENOW has terminated this Agreement in accordance with clause 13, FREENOW reserves the right, in accordance with the procedure set out in the Fraud Policy and at its sole discretion, to withhold any payment to you that is deemed to arise out of, or in connection with, any Fraudulent Activities (as defined in the Fraud Policy).
14.4. You undertake to comply at all times with FREENOW’s drivers anti-abusive behaviours policy, available here (the “Anti-Abusive Behaviours Policy”). In the event of any breach of the Anti-Abusive Behaviours Policy, FREENOW shall be entitled, in accordance with the terms of the Anti-Abusive Behaviours Policy, to, among others, terminate this Agreement immediately and without notice in accordance with clause 13.
14.5. Nobody else has any rights under this contract. The licence for the App and the contract for Booking Services and the Ride Services we buy from you are between you and us. No other person shall have any rights to enforce any of their terms, including any [Network Drivers].
14.6. If a court finds part of this contract illegal, the rest will continue in force. Each of the clauses of these Terms operates separately. If any court or relevant authority decides that any of them are unlawful, the remaining clauses will remain in full force and effect.
14.7. Even if we delay in enforcing this contract, we can still enforce it later. If we do not insist immediately that you do anything you are required to do under these Terms, or if we delay in taking steps against you in respect of your breaking your licence to use the App and the contract for Booking Services, that will not mean that you do not have to do those things and it will not prevent us taking steps against you at a later date.
14.8. Survival of certain terms after this contract has ended. Any provision of these Terms that expressly or by implication is intended to come into or continue in force on or after termination of the licence for the App and/or the contract for Booking Services shall remain in full force and effect.
14.9. Which laws apply to this contract and where you may bring legal proceedings. These Terms are governed by English law and you can bring legal proceedings in respect of the App and the Booking Services in the English courts.
Valid from 6 October 2023