Terms and conditions for translation services

1. The office and scope of these terms

The service provider is Vadym Rekel, trading as VADYM REKEL, tax identification number (NIP) 6793053128, business register number (REGON) 121398530. Office and correspondence address: ul. Kielecka 2/53, 31-526 Kraków, Poland. Contact: Show email address; telephone +48 883 040 483 and +48 735 753 383. Visits by appointment.

Vadym Rekel is a sworn translator of Ukrainian, registration number TP/27/17. These terms apply to individually agreed written translations, certifications and interpreting between Polish and Ukrainian. The scope of each service is defined in the accepted commission.

These terms do not govern work performed at the request of a court, prosecutor, the Police or a public administration authority under Article 15 of the Act on the Profession of Sworn Translator. For private commissions, remuneration is agreed by contract in accordance with Article 16(1) of that Act. A client's intention to submit a translation to a court or public authority does not, by itself, turn a private commission into work requested by an authority.

A consumer is a natural person entering into a transaction that is not directly related to their business or professional activity. A sole trader benefits from protection in the circumstances and to the extent provided by law, in particular where the contract is not of a professional nature for that person.

2. Enquiries, quotations and contract formation

The website form only prepares a draft message in your browser. Clicking ‘Prepare message’, using the calculator or simply sending a document does not place a paid order, form a contract or confirm a deadline.

After reviewing the material, the office sets out the scope, language direction and form of the translation, the total price inclusive of tax or the method for calculating it, any delivery costs and other agreed charges, the deadline, the delivery or collection arrangements and the payment terms. If the final volume cannot be determined in advance, the quotation explains how the charge will be calculated. Additional work requires agreement.

A contract is formed when the client expressly accepts the office's quotation setting out these terms. The office then confirms the agreed arrangements. If the client's reply changes the terms of the quotation, those changes must be agreed again. Silence does not constitute the client's consent.

Before the client is bound by a distance contract, the office provides the required information, these terms, the withdrawal instructions and the model withdrawal form. Confirmation of the contract is provided on a durable medium, for example in the body of an email or as an attachment, no later than before performance of the service begins. A link to a webpage that can be changed does not replace this confirmation. Where a contract is proposed by telephone, the legally required confirmation on a durable medium and the client's subsequent declaration are used.

The version of these terms provided before the contract is formed applies to that commission. Later changes to the website do not amend an existing contract. Individually agreed terms cannot restrict the client's rights under mandatory law.

3. Materials, certification and confidentiality

The client specifies the purpose and intended recipient of the translation, provides complete, legible material, including reverse sides, attachments, stamps and annotations, and informs the office of any institutional requirements known to them. Before sending case files or particularly sensitive data, the client should agree a secure transfer channel with the office.

The translator states whether the translation was prepared from an original, a copy or another form of the document presented, in accordance with the applicable rules. Translating a scan does not turn it into an original. How an original is to be presented, and whether certification is to be provided on paper or electronically, are agreed for the particular commission.

When rendering first names and surnames from languages that do not use the Latin alphabet or use a different writing system, the translator takes account of the travel document or a copy of it. If neither is available, the translator applies the spelling rules of the country in which the translated document was drawn up, in accordance with Article 14(2) of the Act on the Profession of Sworn Translator. Correcting an error made by the office does not constitute a new paid commission.

A translation reproduces the content of the material provided. It does not authenticate the document or constitute legal advice. The recipient's requirements concerning an apostille, legalisation, an original or a particular form of certification must be established separately. This does not exclude the office's liability for proper performance of the agreed service.

The translator exercises special care, acts impartially and observes professional secrecy. The data protection notice explains how personal data is processed, including data concerning people named in documents.

4. Price, payment and deadlines

Prices for private clients are agreed by contract. Rates for work requested by public authorities do not automatically apply to private commissions. The calculator only produces a result based on the assumptions selected; it is not a binding quotation.

If the parties agree to charge by billing pages, the quotation specifies the unit and the rules for counting and rounding. Where the unit is 1,125 characters including spaces, the basis is the length of the completed translation, including any required descriptions. A physical page of the original does not necessarily correspond to one billing page.

The payment method and due date, any advance payment, the number of copies, delivery arrangements and agreed interpreting expenses are specified before the quotation is accepted. No additional payments apply without express agreement. An advance payment is not automatically non-refundable and is not an earnest-money deposit (zadatek).

The completion deadline is agreed after the scope and legibility of the material have been assessed. The office promptly informs the client of missing information or other obstacles and explains their effect on the work. Changes to the scope, price or deadline require agreement and do not deprive the client of statutory rights in the event of delay or non-performance.

5. Delivery, changes and cancellation

The commission specifies the collection arrangements, delivery address or electronic delivery channel. The client may report errors, missing attachments or other concerns. Failure to comment within a short period, or accepting delivery of a document, does not amount to a waiver of rights.

Additional material or a new version of a document provided after acceptance of the quotation may require a separate quotation, which the office agrees with the client before carrying out the additional work. Correcting an error for which the office is responsible is not an additional paid service.

Please notify the office of cancellation as soon as possible. There is no automatic penalty or forfeiture of the entire payment. The amount payable depends on the work completed, the individual arrangements and the law applicable to the contract. The consumer's statutory right of withdrawal is explained in the next section.

6. Withdrawal from a distance or off-premises contract

As a rule, a consumer may withdraw from a service contract concluded at a distance or off premises within 14 days of its conclusion, without giving a reason. The period is 30 days if the contract was concluded during an unsolicited visit by a trader to the consumer's home or usual place of residence, or during an excursion. A contract concluded at the office does not, in itself, give rise to a general right to withdraw without giving a reason. However, the actual circumstances in which it was concluded must be assessed, including the statutory definition of an off-premises contract.

It is sufficient to send an unequivocal statement before the deadline, for example to Show email address or by post to the office address. You may use the model form below, but this is not compulsory. The absence of a repertory number, a form or an electronic signature does not invalidate a statement that identifies the contract and makes the client's intention clear.

The office refunds the payments due without undue delay and no later than 14 days after receiving the withdrawal statement, using the same payment method unless the client expressly agrees to a different method that incurs no charges. If the service began following a valid express request from the client, a proportionate payment may be due as explained below.

Failure to provide the required information about withdrawal extends the withdrawal period in accordance with Article 29 of the Consumer Rights Act. The office does not exclude withdrawal merely because the translation concerns an individual document or will be delivered as a file.

The statutory withdrawal rules described in sections 6 and 7 also apply to a natural person entering into a contract directly related to their business activity where the contract is not of a professional nature for that person within the meaning of Article 7aa of the Consumer Rights Act.

7. Starting work before the withdrawal period expires

To begin the service before the withdrawal period expires, the office obtains the consumer's express request and prior consent, recorded in correspondence or on another durable medium. These do not follow automatically from acceptance of these terms, an urgent deadline stated in an enquiry or a pre-ticked box.

If the consumer subsequently withdraws before the service has been fully performed, they pay for the part actually performed up to the time of withdrawal, in proportion to the agreed price or, if that price is excessive, according to the market value. The absence of the required request or information prevents charges in the circumstances specified in Article 36 of the Consumer Rights Act.

The right to withdraw after a paid service has been fully performed is lost only where the statutory conditions have been met: express prior consent, information provided before the service starts that the right will be lost upon full performance, and the consumer's acknowledgement of that information. Merely starting work does not remove the right to withdraw. Under Article 38(2), the exception for a fully performed service does not apply to contracts concluded during an unsolicited visit by a trader to the consumer's home or usual place of residence, or during an excursion.

Optional declaration relating to a specific accepted quotation: ‘I expressly request that performance of the service begin before the contract withdrawal period expires, and I consent to this. I acknowledge that, if I withdraw, I must make a proportionate payment for the service provided up to the time of withdrawal, in accordance with the law.’

Separate consent and acknowledgement: ‘I give my prior consent to full performance of the paid service before the withdrawal period expires. I understand and acknowledge that, once the service has been fully performed, I will lose my right to withdraw in accordance with Article 38(1)(1) of the Consumer Rights Act. This exception does not apply in the circumstances specified in Article 38(2).’ Not making these declarations does not prevent you from submitting an enquiry; the start date must then be agreed accordingly.

In the circumstances specified in Article 17a of the Consumer Rights Act, including a contract concluded during an unsolicited visit to the consumer's home or usual place of residence, or during an excursion, the office does not accept payment before the statutory withdrawal period expires.

8. Complaints and liability

Complaints may be submitted by email, by post or at the office. It is helpful to identify the commission, describe the problem, state the remedy sought and provide contact details for a reply. No particular form is required. The office may request information necessary to establish the nature of the problem.

The office responds to a consumer's complaint on paper or another durable medium within 14 days of receipt, unless a separate legal provision specifies otherwise. Failure to respond within that period means the complaint is deemed accepted in accordance with Article 7a of the Consumer Rights Act. Providing additional information does not automatically extend the statutory deadline.

Liability for non-performance or improper performance, and the remedies available to the client, are governed by the applicable provisions of the Civil Code and consumer law. These terms do not limit liability to the price of the service, exclude liability for intentional conduct or shorten the time limits for bringing claims.

9. Out-of-court dispute resolution and applicable law

Consumers may contact their municipal or district consumer ombudsman and consult the information about out-of-court procedures at polubowne.uokik.gov.pl. If the dispute is not resolved through the complaint process, the office provides a statement on paper or another durable medium declaring its intention to initiate an out-of-court procedure, agreeing to participate in one, or refusing to participate. If it agrees, it identifies the competent authorised body. Failure to provide a statement constitutes agreement to participate under Article 32 of the Act on Out-of-Court Resolution of Consumer Disputes. This does not restrict the right to bring court proceedings.

Polish law applies to the contract, without depriving a consumer of the protection afforded by mandatory provisions of the law of the country of their habitual residence. Jurisdiction is determined by law; these terms do not require a consumer to bring proceedings exclusively before a court in Kraków. The Ukrainian, English and Russian versions help explain the terms and do not restrict the client's rights.

10. Using the website and model withdrawal form

The website content, calculator and enquiry draft tool are free to use. They do not require an account or subscription. A browser and internet connection are needed, and JavaScript is required for interactive features. You use your own email application to send a draft. You may stop using these features at any time. You must not submit unlawful content or interfere with the website's operation. Technical problems can be reported using the office's contact details.

Model withdrawal form — complete this only if you wish to withdraw: To: Vadym Rekel, ul. Kielecka 2/53, 31-526 Kraków; Show email address. I hereby give notice that I withdraw from my contract for the provision of the following service: [description]. Date of contract: [date]. Consumer's name: [details]. Consumer's address: [address]. Date: [date]. Signature: [only for a paper form].