Terms and Conditions

1. About Us

Atom Bin Cleaning Services LLP, trading as Atom Bin Cleaning, provides professional wheelie bin cleaning services to residential and commercial customers across Reading, Berkshire and surrounding areas.

Registered office:
129 Armour Road
Tilehurst
Reading
Berkshire
RG31 6HD

Company number: OC459963

Contact details:
Email: hello@atombincleaning.com
Website: www.atombincleaning.com

In these Terms, “Atom”, “we”, “us” and “our” mean Atom Bin Cleaning Services LLP. “Customer”, “you” and “your” mean the individual, business or organisation purchasing the service.

2. The Service

2.1 What We Do

Atom provides professional wheelie bin cleaning services for residential and commercial customers.

Our normal cleaning process may include:

• Cleaning appropriate internal and external bin surfaces
• Sanitising and deodorising suitable bins
• Using professional cleaning equipment and appropriate cleaning agents

The precise service provided will depend on the service selected or, for commercial customers, the quotation or booking agreed with us.

2.2 Service Availability

We may decline or discontinue a service where:

• The location is outside our current operating area
• The work is not operationally viable
• The bin is unsuitable for our equipment
• Access is unsafe or impractical
• The bin contains hazardous or unsuitable material
• Carrying out the work would present an unacceptable safety risk

Submitting an enquiry or registration does not guarantee that Atom will be able to provide the service.

3. Residential Services

3.1 Regular Residential Cleaning

Regular residential cleaning is normally scheduled after the relevant local authority bin collection.

Collection frequencies vary between councils, areas and bin types. Your cleaning schedule will therefore be based on the collection arrangements applicable to your property and the Atom route operating in your area.

We may provide cleaning for domestic waste, recycling and garden waste bins where those services are available.

Food caddy cleaning may be included with qualifying plans where stated when your service is confirmed.

3.2 Residential Plans

Our standard residential plans are:

• 3-month plan
• 6-month plan
• 12-month plan

The applicable service frequency and start date will be confirmed when your registration is accepted.

Your plan determines your agreed pricing period. Actual cleaning dates may change where council collections, bank holidays or operational circumstances affect the route.

3.3 Residential Pricing

Our current standard residential prices are:

• 3-month plan: £7.00 per chargeable bin, per clean
• 6-month plan: £6.50 per chargeable bin, per clean
• 12-month plan: £6.00 per chargeable bin, per clean

Each chargeable bin is priced separately. Your applicable price will be confirmed before your first service.

3.4 Residential One-Off Cleans

A residential one-off clean is not a guaranteed standalone service and we do not normally make a separate journey solely to undertake a single residential clean.

Availability depends on factors including:

• Location
• Existing route coverage
• Service date
• Bin type
• Access
• Available route capacity

We will confirm availability and price before accepting a one-off residential booking.

4. Commercial Services

4.1 Commercial Enquiries

Before providing a quotation, we may need information including:

• Business or organisation name
• Site address
• Bin type and size
• Number of bins
• Waste type
• Required cleaning frequency
• Usual waste collection arrangements
• Site access
• Any other information relevant to carrying out the service safely and efficiently

We may request photographs or additional information where reasonably necessary to assess the work.

4.2 Commercial Pricing

Commercial services are quoted individually.

Pricing may take account of:

• Bin size and type
• Number of bins
• Cleaning frequency
• Location
• Access arrangements
• Journey time
• Route availability
• Other operational requirements

A quotation applies only to the service described in it unless otherwise agreed.

4.3 Commercial One-Off Services

A commercial one-off clean may be accepted where:

• It fits an existing route
• It can form part of a commercially viable cluster
• The individual job is sufficiently viable to justify a standalone visit

A location falling within Reading or Berkshire does not automatically guarantee that a standalone commercial booking will be accepted.

4.4 Regular Commercial Services

Commercial cleaning may be arranged:

• Weekly
• Fortnightly
• Every four weeks
• Monthly
• Quarterly
• On another agreed frequency
• On an ad-hoc basis

The agreed quotation or service confirmation will determine the frequency.

Commercial services do not have to follow a local authority waste collection schedule.

4.5 Changes to the Work Quoted

A quotation is based on the information supplied by the customer.

If the number, size, type or condition of the bins, site access or other material circumstances differ from those described when we quoted, we may:

• Revise the price
• Postpone the work
• Clean only the suitable bins
• Decline the service

We will explain any material change before proceeding wherever reasonably possible.

5. Registration and Acceptance

5.1 Residential Registration

To apply for a residential service, you must:

• Complete our registration process
• Provide accurate contact and property details
• Select the bins you would like cleaned
• Choose your residential plan

Submitting the registration form is an application for service and does not guarantee acceptance.

5.2 Residential Acceptance

A residential service is accepted once:

• Atom confirms that the address can be accommodated on a route
• Any required payment arrangement has been established

5.3 Residential One-Off Acceptance

A one-off residential booking is accepted only when Atom confirms that the clean can be accommodated on an existing route.

5.4 Commercial Acceptance

A commercial booking is accepted when:

1. Atom confirms that the work can be undertaken
2. The customer accepts the quotation or agreed price
3. Any required payment arrangements have been completed

For larger or recurring commercial arrangements, additional written terms may be agreed.

5.5 Eligibility and Authority

Residential customers must be at least 18 years old.

By arranging a service, you confirm that you are authorised to arrange cleaning of the relevant bins and to provide any access reasonably required.

A person arranging commercial cleaning on behalf of an organisation confirms that they have authority to do so.

6. Pricing and Payment

6.1 Residential Plans

Residential plan customers normally pay through GoCardless Direct Debit.

Payment is collected for each scheduled clean, rather than in advance for the entire plan.

6.2 Residential One-Off Cleans

Payment for a residential one-off clean may be required before the service is carried out.

6.3 Commercial Payment

Commercial payment arrangements will be confirmed when the quotation is accepted.

Depending on the service, payment may be made by:

• Payment before service
• GoCardless
• Invoice
• Another payment method agreed with Atom

6.4 No Payment, No Clean

6.5 Failed or Overdue Payments

If a payment fails or an invoice becomes overdue, we may contact you to resolve the outstanding amount.

Future services may be suspended while payment remains outstanding.

6.6 Price Changes

We may change our published prices from time to time.

A price change will not retrospectively affect a service already completed.

For residential customers within an agreed 3, 6 or 12-month pricing period, the agreed per-clean price will normally remain unchanged for that period.

We will tell you about any revised price before a new residential plan period begins.

Commercial quotations may state how long the quoted price remains valid.

7. Access and Customer Responsibilities

7.1 Access to Bins

You must ensure that bins are reasonably accessible when the service is due.

Where applicable, this includes:

• Leaving the bin in the agreed or usual collection location
• Ensuring gates or access routes are available
• Removing avoidable obstructions
• Providing any access instructions agreed with us
• Ensuring the bin has been emptied where cleaning requires an empty bin

Commercial customers must tell us about known hazards, access restrictions or operating conditions that could affect the work.

7.2 Bin Suitability

We may decline to clean a bin that we reasonably consider unsafe or unsuitable.

This may include bins that:

• Contain significant remaining waste
• Contain sharp objects
• Contain hazardous chemicals
• Contain flammable material
• Contain hot ashes
• Contain hazardous clinical waste
• Contain material requiring specialist handling or disposal
• Are badly damaged or structurally unsafe
• Cannot safely be moved
• Are unsuitable for our equipment
• Cannot safely be accessed

8. Council Collections and Scheduling

8.1 Residential Collection Schedules

Regular residential cleaning normally relies on the relevant bin first being emptied by the local authority.

Collection dates and frequencies may change. Where we become aware of a permanent change, we will adjust the cleaning schedule where reasonably practicable.

8.2 Delayed or Missed Council Collections

If the council unexpectedly delays or misses a collection, we will try to accommodate the revised collection within our route where reasonably possible.

If this is not operationally possible, the clean may move to the next suitable scheduled collection.

You will not be charged for a clean that Atom does not carry out.

8.3 Bank Holidays

Council collection schedules may change around bank holidays. Where this affects an Atom route, cleaning dates may also move.

We will use revised collection information where reasonably practicable.

9. Missed or Incomplete Services

9.1 When Atom Cannot Complete a Clean

If we cannot perform a scheduled service because of an operational issue on our side, we may:

• Rearrange the clean
• Move it to the next suitable service
• Cancel that individual clean

You will not be charged for a service that Atom does not carry out.

If payment has already been collected for an unperformed service, we will either refund it or apply it to an agreed replacement service.

9.2 When We Attend but Cannot Clean

If we attend but cannot clean a bin because:

• It has not been emptied
• It cannot be accessed
• It is unsafe or unsuitable
• It contains prohibited material
• Another customer-controlled issue prevents the service

We will record the reason.

For residential customers, any charge will be dealt with fairly and in accordance with applicable consumer law.

For commercial customers, an attendance or wasted-visit charge may apply where this was agreed in advance.

10. Our Responsibilities

10.1 Service Standard

We will carry out our service with reasonable care and skill.

If you believe a bin has been missed or a service has not been completed satisfactorily, please contact us as soon as reasonably possible so that we can investigate.

Where appropriate, we may:

• Rectify the clean
• Arrange a replacement service
• Credit the affected clean
• Provide an appropriate refund

Nothing in these Terms limits your statutory consumer rights.

10.2 Existing Damage

We take reasonable care when handling bins, but we are not responsible for damage arising from:

• Pre-existing cracks or defects
• Ordinary wear and tear
• Deterioration of an already weakened bin
• A defect that was not reasonably apparent before handling

If we cause damage through our negligence, we will deal with it appropriately.

10.3 Weather and Operational Disruption

We may postpone or rearrange a service where it would be unsafe or impractical to continue.

This may include:

• Severe weather
• Flooding
• Unsafe road conditions
• Vehicle breakdown
• Equipment failure
• Road closures
• Local authority disruption
• Other circumstances outside our reasonable control

We will try to minimise disruption where reasonably practicable.

11. Residential Cancellation and Renewal

11.1 Statutory Cancellation Period

Where a consumer enters into a residential service contract online, by telephone or otherwise at a distance, they will normally have a statutory right to cancel within 14 days after the contract is entered into.

You may cancel by emailing hello@atombincleaning.com. You do not need to give a reason.

11.2 Starting Within the 14-Day Period

If your first clean is due before the statutory cancellation period has ended and you would like Atom to begin the service, we may ask you to expressly request that the service starts during that period.

If you subsequently cancel after asking us to start early, you may be required to pay a proportionate amount for any service already supplied.

11.3 Ending a Residential Plan

After the statutory cancellation period, the agreed residential plan continues for its applicable plan period, subject to your legal rights.

We will not impose disproportionate cancellation charges.

If you need to end a plan early, please contact us so that the circumstances can be considered fairly.

11.4 Residential Renewal

We will make the terms of any residential renewal clear before a new plan period begins.

Any applicable new price will be communicated before renewal.

We will not place a customer into a new fixed minimum-term plan without clearly explaining the renewal arrangement beforehand.

12. Commercial Cancellation and Rescheduling

Commercial cancellation or rescheduling arrangements may be included in the applicable quotation or service agreement.

Where no specific arrangement has been agreed, customers should give as much notice as reasonably possible.

For recurring commercial services, any agreed notice period will be confirmed when the arrangement is established.

If genuine costs are incurred because of a late commercial cancellation, these may be charged where this was agreed in advance or is otherwise legally recoverable.

13. Our Right to Decline, Suspend or End a Service

We may decline, suspend or end a service where reasonably necessary, including where:

• Payment remains outstanding
• The service cannot safely be performed
• Bins are repeatedly inaccessible
• Bins or premises are unsuitable
• The customer materially changes the service requirements
• The location is no longer operationally viable
• A customer or representative behaves abusively or threateningly
• Circumstances outside our reasonable control make continued service impractical

Where you have paid for a service that Atom does not provide, we will deal fairly with any payment relating to the unperformed service.

14. Moving Address

Residential services are linked to the service address accepted by Atom.

If you move home, please contact us. We will assess whether your service can be transferred to the new address.

Transfer depends on route availability. If the new address is outside our routes, we are not obliged to establish a new route solely to continue the service.

15. Wastewater and Environmental Requirements

Atom operates using equipment and working practices designed to collect and manage cleaning wastewater appropriately.

We will not knowingly discharge wastewater or cleaning products in a manner we consider unsafe or inconsistent with our regulatory obligations.

Customers must not require Atom to adopt an inappropriate method of disposal as a condition of carrying out the service.

16. Liability

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where it would be unlawful to do so.

In particular, nothing excludes or limits liability for:

• Death or personal injury caused by negligence
• Fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation
• Any other liability that cannot legally be excluded

Consumer statutory rights are unaffected.

We are not responsible for losses resulting from circumstances outside our reasonable control where we have taken reasonable steps to minimise their effects.

Separate liability arrangements may be agreed in writing for larger commercial contracts.

17. Data Protection

We collect and process personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

We may use customer information where reasonably necessary to:

• Assess enquiries
• Set up and manage services
• Plan routes
• Communicate service information
• Administer payments
• Maintain business and service records
• Respond to enquiries and complaints
• Meet legal or regulatory obligations

Marketing communications are handled separately in accordance with applicable privacy and electronic marketing requirements.

18. Complaints

If you are unhappy with our service, please contact us at hello@atombincleaning.com.

Please provide enough information for us to identify the relevant service and understand the issue.

We will investigate complaints fairly and respond as promptly as reasonably possible.

Nothing in this section affects your legal rights.

19. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms where reasonably necessary to reflect changes to:

• Our services
• Operating procedures
• Payment arrangements
• Prices
• Legislation
• Regulatory requirements

The current version will be published on our website and the “Last updated” date will be revised.

Changes will not retrospectively alter a completed service or remove statutory rights.

Where a material change affects an existing contractual arrangement, we will communicate it appropriately.

20. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

Consumer customers retain any mandatory legal rights concerning where proceedings may be brought.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, commercial contracts are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

21. General

21.1 Severability

If any part of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue to apply.

21.2 No Waiver

If we delay enforcing a contractual right, this does not necessarily mean that the right has been waived.

21.3 Commercial Assignment

Commercial customers may not transfer an agreed service to another business or premises without our agreement.