Legal

1. Purpose

This policy sets out the minimum standard for email addresses used by any freelancer, contractor, subcontractor, agency, or supplier (“Contractor”) who wishes to be considered for, or engaged in, work with QED Web Design (“the Company”). It exists to ensure we deal only with established, professional, and verifiable operators.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all inbound approaches, applications, pitches, quotations, and ongoing correspondence relating to paid or unpaid work, collaboration, or supply of services. It applies from the point of first contact and throughout any engagement.

3. The Requirement

The Company will only accept business correspondence from an email address hosted on a domain owned or controlled by the Contractor or their registered business.

By “own domain” we mean an address in the form name@yourbusiness.co.uk, where the domain is registered to, and under the control of, the Contractor or their trading entity.

4. What Is Not Acceptable

The Company will not accept, review, or respond to approaches sent from any of the following, whether free, shared, or temporary:

• Free consumer webmail providers, including but not limited to Gmail, Hotmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo, iCloud, AOL, GMX, Proton (free tier), Zoho (free tier), Yandex, and Mail.com.
• Internet service provider (ISP) addresses, such as those ending in btinternet.com, sky.com, virginmedia.com, talktalk.net, and similar.
• Disposable, temporary, or throwaway email services, including but not limited to Mailinator, Guerrilla Mail, 10 Minute Mail, Temp-Mail, YOPmail, Trashmail, Maildrop, and any comparable service designed to provide short-lived or anonymous addresses.
• Address aliasing or forwarding services used to mask the sender’s true domain or identity.
• Marketplace, platform, or third-party proxy addresses that do not resolve to a domain the Contractor controls.

This list is illustrative, not exhaustive. The Company reserves the right to treat any address that is not demonstrably hosted on the Contractor’s own controlled domain as falling outside this policy.

5. Verification

The Company may, at its sole discretion, verify that a domain is genuinely owned and controlled by the Contractor. This may include checking public registration records, confirming that the domain hosts a live and relevant website, or requesting evidence of control. The Company is under no obligation to explain or justify a decision to decline correspondence under this policy.

6. Consequence of Non-Compliance

Approaches that do not meet this standard will not be considered and may be filtered, blocked, or deleted without reply. Non-compliance during an active engagement may, at the Company’s discretion, be treated as grounds to pause or terminate that engagement.

7. Exceptions

Any exception must be agreed in writing and in advance by the Company’s owner. No exception is implied by the Company having previously responded to, or engaged with, a non-compliant address.

8. Rationale

A professional operator running a genuine business will hold their own domain. It is inexpensive, straightforward to set up, and a basic marker of legitimacy, permanence, and accountability. Requiring it protects the Company from time-wasters, fraudulent approaches, and parties who cannot be reliably traced or held to account.

9. Review

This policy is reviewed periodically and may be updated at any time without notice.

Effective date: 19th August 2026

Privacy policy

This privacy policy sets out how QED web design & its owners use and protect any information that you give the site’s owners when you use this website. QED web design & its owners are committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement. QED web design may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from 1st November 2021. What we may collect the following information:

• Name
• Job title & employment history
• Social media profiles
• Contact information including email address
• Demographic information such as postcode
• Preferences and interests other information relevant to customer surveys and/or offers

What we do with the information we gather. We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons:

• Internal record keeping. We may use the information to improve our products and services. We may periodically send promotional emails about new products, special offers or other information which we think you may find interesting using the email address which you have provided.
• From time to time, we may also use your information to contact you for market research purposes. We may contact you by email, phone, fax or mail.
• We may use the information to customise the website according to your interests.

Security: We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

How we use cookies:

A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about web page traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system.

Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us. You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.

Terms of service policy

Welcome to our website. If you continue to browse and use this website, you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following terms and conditions of use, which together with our privacy policy govern QED web design & its owner’s relationship with you in relation to this website. If you disagree with any part of these terms and conditions, please do not use our website.

The term ‘QED web design’ or ‘We are QED’ or ‘us’ or ‘we’ refers to the owner of the website. The term ‘you’ refers to the user or viewer of our website.

The use of this website is subject to the following terms of use:

• The content of the pages of this website is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice.
• This website uses cookies to monitor browsing preferences. If you do allow cookies to be used, the following personal information may be stored by us for use by third parties: browsing & website interaction.
• Neither we nor any third parties provide any warranty or guarantee as to the accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness or suitability of the information and materials found or offered on this website for any particular purpose. You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and we expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law.
• Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.
• This website contains material which is owned by or licensed to us. This material includes, but is not limited to, the design, layout, look, appearance and graphics. Reproduction is prohibited other than in accordance with the copyright notice, which forms part of these terms and conditions.
• All trademarks reproduced in this website, which are not the property of, or licensed to the operator, are acknowledged on the website.
• Unauthorised use of this website may give rise to a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offence.
• From time to time, this website may also include links to other websites. These links are provided for your convenience to provide further information. They do not signify that we endorse the website(s). We have no responsibility for the content of the linked website(s).
• Your use of this website and any dispute arising out of such use of the website is subject to the laws of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Site Map

Last updated: February  26th, 2024

The QED web design site site map can be found here:

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