Introduction
Welcome to the Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd website. Your use of and access to our websites and services constitutes your acceptance of and compliance with these Terms of Use, which applies to your use of our website, digital services and any advice or other services provided on and through it. The objectives of Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd (Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale & Trafford) are to deliver free and confidential advice to all in the area we serve irrespective of their background or situation. Before using or accessing our website or once you have registered at one of our centres, please read these terms carefully. If you do not accept these Terms of Use you must not use our website or services.
Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd
Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd is a registered charity (Reg Charity: 1171817) and a company limited by guarantee (Company No: 8290395). It is an agent of the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 617695). The organization operates in the Greater Manchester area, including Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale, and Trafford, providing free, high-quality, independent advice on various issues such as benefits, housing, employment, legal matters, energy, and cost of living. The aim is to utilize information and advice, leveraging the skills and knowledge of staff and volunteers, as well as the real-life experiences of clients, to empower individuals with confidence and information. Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd is affiliated with Citizens Advice.
Scope of these Terms
These Terms of Use govern all users of the Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd website, i.e. those users accessing our self-help content, using our digital channels (including web chat, WhatsApp, or email), telephone and face to face advice channels, subscribing to newsletters, or engaging with volunteer and referral activity. Before using any part of any of our services, you must agree to these Terms as well as our Privacy Policy and any other policies referred to within the foregoing.
Acceptable Use Terms
You agree not to use our website or digital platforms, or to receive advice from us, for any purpose illegal under applicable law. You agree not to use any of our services in a manner or for a purpose that infringes the rights of others or is damaging or runs a risk of hurting or harming others, including engaging in harassing or distressing behaviour (for example, by defaming someone), sending obscene or offensive content, seeking unauthorised access to our systems, or otherwise taking actions that could put the security or integrity of our website or services at risk. The content and services should not be used by you otherwise than as intended and permitted by us and must not be misused by you in any way, including harvesting data without consent (so-called ‘scraping’), or using these for commercial purposes unless we have given you written authorisation.
Access to our Services
Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd offer the advice and support services free of charge to the public. You can use our services in many ways: face to face, over the phone, through live webchat, WhatsApp and other online sources, available 24/7. Although we aim to provide continuous availability, we may need to temporarily suspend, withdraw or make changes at any time without notice. We do not accept liability if, for any reason, the site or any service is unavailable at any time or for any period.
User Registration and Accounts
Most of the services we offer do not require that you register with us. Certain features (such as subscribing to our newsletter, volunteering, or sending us your referral) may require you to register with us and, if you choose to register with us, you agree to submit accurate, current, and complete information. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any passwords and for all activities that occur under your password. We may suspend or terminate an account where we have found such a violation or where we believe that the person behind the activity is engaged in fraudulent or abusive behavior.
Confidentiality and Data Protection
Your privacy is very important to us. We will process your personal information fairly and lawfully, in accordance with data protection laws and our Privacy Policy. All advice and support contact is confidential, unless legally required or there is risk of harm to you or others. We collect and process your details only on the basis that it is necessary for us to deliver our services, monitor quality and improve our service. Information in relation to how we process information and protect your privacy can be found in our Privacy Policy.
Intellectual Property Rights
All material on this site (including, but not limited to, any text, images, logos, icons, audio clips, downloadable data and software) is the property of Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd or the provider of the material and is protected by copyright and/or other intellectual property laws and treaties. You may only download, print copies or content and/or store the content for your own personal use and non-commercial purposes. Except as expressly set out in these Terms and Conditions you must not reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell or otherwise exploit any material on the website for any commercial purpose without obtaining our express written permission. However, our material can be distributed in educational or charitable contexts with credit and without modification.
Information Accuracy
All information on this website and given via any service offered is for guidance purposes only. The guidance provided on this site is of a general nature and shall not be treated as or relied upon as professional legal, financial or medical advice or recommendations. Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd accepts no liability for any event taking place as a result of reliance upon information or guidance offered via this website or any service, and it is recommended that advice from a competent person be sought in all such cases.
Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd excludes all liability for direct, indirect or consequential loss(es) incurred in connection with your visit to our website, arising from your use of the site(s), content or services, and whether arising in negligence or otherwise. This includes, but is not limited to, any economic damages (such as loss of profits), loss of data or goodwill, and any computer viruses or other corrosive code, security breaches or unauthorised access, unauthorised alteration of your transmissions or data, any failures (whether in respect of delays, interruptions or errors), defects, omission and interruptions. Your statutory rights as a consumer are unaffected by these terms.
Third-party Links and Resources
We may post on our site links to websites or other resources not controlled or owned by Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd. Links are provided only for your convenience and information. We accept no responsibility for the content, terms of use, privacy policies or accuracy of third party sites. You access third party sites at your own risk. We encourage you to review the terms and policies of any third party site.
Availability of Services and Updates
Our goal is to ensure that our website and e-services are accessible at all times. However, we are unable to provide a continuous, uninterrupted or error-free service and we may need to suspend, withdraw or restrict access to some or all of our website or e-services for operational reasons (for example, maintenance, upgrades). We reserve the right to update, amend or remove content at any time without notice. We are not responsible for any losses you suffer or inconvenience you experience as a result of these changes or outages.
Volunteer and Community Engagement
Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd is a community focused organisation that supports volunteering in our areas of service delivery. Volunteers agree to sign up to our Volunteer Agreement, Code of Conduct and any other policies that may be provided during an induction process. Volunteer roles are provided on an unpaid basis to benefit the community and the individual in terms of skill development and personal growth. Where terms of engagement are breached or we believe that a person’s conduct could undermine service delivery, we have the right to terminate a person’s involvement. Volunteering does not result in an employment relationship.
Mailings and Communication
By subscribing to our newsletter or opting into communications, you agree to receive regular updates, news and stories from Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd. You can opt out at any time following the instructions in the emails we send you, or contact: [email protected]. We keep your contact data in accordance with our Privacy Policy. We never sell or pass your details to third parties for their own purposes without asking for your permission first.
Referral Services and Professional Users
Professionals and partner organisations may refer clients to Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd via our referral channels. By making a referral, you are confirming that you have obtained your client’s consent and discussed information with them which is relevant and accurate. We reserve the right to reject referrals which fail to meet our eligibility criteria or where we do not have the capacity available. Professional users must refrain from abusing referral systems or presenting themselves as staff at Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd unless given explicit permission.
Access and Reasonable Adjustments
We aim to make our services as accessible as possible to everyone including disabled people or those who need additional support with communication. We aim to follow best practice accessibility guidelines on our website and specialist support (for example Deaf advice services) is available. Please contact us at [email protected] or 564-875-8083 for any reasonable adjustments that you may need to access our services or resources. We will do all that we can to support your requirements.
Children and Young People
Our services are generally available only for people age 16 or older. We do not knowingly request personal information from children under the age of 16, without parental or guardian consent. If you believe that a child has provided us with personally identifiable information that we do not have permission to collect, please contact us so we can take corrective action.
Security
We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect the Website and your Personal Data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure, or abuse. No Internet-based service is completely secure. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your computer systems and your access credentials and you must notify us without delay of any suspected security breach associated with the provision of our Services.
Feedback, Concerns and Complaints
Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd is committed to high-quality service and to the handling of complaints from our service users. We welcome comments on the service we provide. If you wish to complain or give feedback about any aspect of our service, please email [email protected], call (564) 875-8083, or write to us at 1501 4th Ave Ste 730, Seattle WA 98101. Acknowledgement of your complaint will be made and an effort to resolve your complaint in a timely manner in accordance with our Complaints Policy will be made. Should you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint the escalation process within our complaint handling procedure will apply.
Termination and Suspension of Access
We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to suspend, limit or terminate your use of and access to our website, listings, advertisements, etc., particularly if you violate these Terms of Use, abuse our listings and services, or otherwise act inappropriately or unlawfully.
We also retain the right to remove, edit or modify anything that you upload to our platforms; if we deem them to be violative of or not in accord with these Terms of Use or our community standards.
Changes to these Terms
Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd reserves the right to amend these Terms of Use at any given time. Amendments will be announced on this page, and the continued use of our website and associated services will imply acceptance of those amendments. We recommend that users of the service revisit this page frequently to ensure they are aware of any updates. In certain circumstances, where substantial changes have been made, we will attempt to inform users by posting a notice on this site and/or by email.
Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms of Use and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them are governed by the laws of the United States. By using our website and our services you agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the United States. In the event that any provision within these terms shall be held to be unenforceable, the remainder of these terms shall continue in full force and effect.
Severability
If any provision of these Terms of Use is determined to be invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such provision shall be deemed deleted but the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
Waiver
No waiver by Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd of any breach of these terms shall be considered to be a waiver of any subsequent breach of the same or any other provision. Our failure to require strict performance of any provision of these terms shall not be construed as a waiver of any right or remedy.
Entire Agreement
These Terms of Use and any policies referred to in them (including our Privacy Policy and Complaints Policy) represent the whole agreement between you and us, the Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd about your use of our website and services and replaces all earlier agreements and understandings between you and us.
Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding these Terms of Use, or our services, please contact us at the address below:
- Mailing Address: 1501 4th Ave Ste 730, Seattle WA 98101
- Main advice line: (564) 875-8083
- E-mail: [email protected]
- Website: https://citizensadvicesort.org/
We welcome questions or concerns, and are happy to help connect you with the support or information you need.
Your Responsibilities
By accessing the Site, you represent and warrant that you will comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations in your use of the Service and that all information you submit to us is current, complete and accurate to the best of your knowledge. You will not otherwise impersonate any person or entity, submit or transmit any false or misleading information or conduct any fraudulent activities using the Service. You will further be solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any account numbers, passwords and other dispositions relating to account and for any and all activities that are conducted through your account.
Use of Advice and Self-help Content
Our guides and advice are not substitutes for professional counsel. While we take all reasonable care to ensure that the content is accurate, our information may not reflect current legal, policy or practice developments. Do not rely solely on our guides and advice to make important choices; consult with our advisers or relevant professionals instead. Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd are not responsible for any damage that may result from use or misuse of our guides.
Third-party Software and Other Resources
Some of the features on our site may utilize third-party software, APIs or tools (i.e., web chat, translation). Although we choose our partners and service providers carefully, we cannot verify the accuracy, availability or security of third-party tools, and any such tools are used at your own risk. Please consult any terms and privacy notices provided by a third party.
Donations and Funding Support
Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd welcomes donations to enable us to continue with our charitable work. Donations are voluntary and not mandatory to obtain any of our goods and/or services. If you decide to make a donation, your payment will be securely processed using various payment services and these details will also be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Donations are non-refundable other than in circumstances where we determine, at our sole discretion, that there are exceptional circumstances which warrant the return of a donation. If you have a query in respect of donating or funding, please email us at [email protected].
Research, Campaigns and Advocacy
This is how we work to use anonymised data and case studies to shape policy, conduct research and campaigns. If you use our services, you accept that anonymised information about the issues you experience in your community may be used for research and campaigns activities as set out in our Privacy Policy. We will never publish or share your personal information without your explicit permission.
Accessibility Statement
We’re committed to accessible website and services to the widest possible audience, regardless of technology or ability. We work to always look at the accessibility of our website, and we welcome feedback on how we can approach this issue. If you’ve found a barrier, or would like information in an accessible format, please contact us at [email protected] or (564) 875-8083.
Changes to our Services
Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd may change, suspend or discontinue any aspect of the services at any time, including the services provided by our advice channels, our operating hours and the resources we make available. We do not accept any liability for loss, damage or inconvenience as a result of any general changes to our services. We will endeavour to adequately inform users of significant changes on our website or through newsletters.
Monitoring and Moderation
We may monitor and moderate any user activity taking place on our websites – including web chat and through social media sites – to enforce these Terms of Use, protect users and staff members. Inappropriate, abusive or illegal content may be deleted and further action may be taken up to and including notifying the appropriate authorities.
No Professional Client Relationship
Your use of our website and self-help resources is different from engaging in a professional-client relationship with us. Though advice sessions with our advisers are confidential, no attorney-client, financial advisor-client, doctor-patient, or other relationship is formed between us unless expressly agreed by signed, written agreement.
Our advice cannot replace or serve as a substitute for the services of competent professionals in any field.
Indemnification
You will indemnify and hold harmless Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd, its staff, trustees, volunteers and related organizations from and against all claims, losses, liabilities, expenses, damages, fines, and costs (including reasonable legal costs) suffered as a result of your breach of these Terms of Use, or your misuse of our website or services or the infringement of any intellectual property or other right of any person or company.
These provisions within websites are in every Terms of Use (or “Terms & Conditions”) that companies enlist their consumers or members to agree to. The quoted provision here may be found in virtually every website in the world. These are essentially “gotcha” clauses. They are listed amongst thousands of other terms and conditions in documents (I’ve seen as many as 79 pages with terms and conditions) that are so far beyond the ability of individuals to comprehend, that they hope that the technology company has some shred of responsibility for what it does.
Public Announcement and Media
Only accredited representatives of Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd are allowed to make public statements, speak with the press, or act formally on behalf of the organisation. Users, volunteers and professional partners should not purport to act or to speak on behalf of Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd without prior written consent. For press inquiries please email [email protected].
Acknowledgement
By using our website and engaging with Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd’s services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agree to abide by these Terms of Use, and all policies and notices referred to within them. Thanks for trusting Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd to help you find a way forward, whoever you are and whatever your problem.