Terms and conditions

Prices or quotes

• Our price or quote is valid for seven [7] days. Please be aware that if the quote is not accepted promptly, lawns may have grown since the quote was provided, or the nature of the maintenance or work might change, requiring a new quote or price.

• The flat fee starts at $40 NZD, regardless of the lawn's size. The price also varies depending on the terrain and thickness of the lawn.

• If requested via message, negotiating the price down, haggling, or lowballing will not elicit a response. Phone calls will be terminated if such inquiries are made during the conversation, or we will walk away and conclude the meeting if any discounts are sought or requested in person from any team member providing a price quote.

• Any acts of deceit or misrepresentation in providing lawn descriptions for pricing estimates or quotations will not be tolerated. Requests for quotes will be canceled immediately.

• Please note: Free quotes are provided only when a lawn mowing contractor is available or has the time to visit for a price estimate. If we are available during our operating days and hours, which exclude weekends, we will issue a quote as soon as possible. However, we are not obliged to provide an immediate quote on demand and reserve the right to decline a free quote if we are too busy. We will notify the client if we are unable to deliver a requested quote in a timely manner.

• In situations where access to the lawns on a client's property is restricted—such as in the presence of a dog while the client is away, with locked gates or other circumstances that hinder our ability to assess the lawn—we categorize this as a failure to provide quotes or price estimates. In such instances, we retain the right to cease our efforts to deliver the quote or price estimate. In addition, parking availability upon arrival may affect our capability to provide a quote.

• We reserve the right to correct the quote or price of lawn mowing services if we believe we have underquoted or priced them too low. Out of fairness, we will still complete the lawn mowing service at the initially agreed-upon price, and any price adjustments will take effect for the next service.

• We reserve the right to decline any lawn mowing work that is deemed excessively complex, beyond our capabilities, poses significant risks, or carries a high potential for damage, such as lawns contaminated with stones, properties with numerous huge glass windows that are vulnerable to any unintentional projectile from lawn mowing equipment that we think that it is costly to fix even with insurance cover, or tasks requiring specialised equipment that Mowmars does not have. We are committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in our operations, rather than inflating quotes for undesirable work requests—a tactic often employed by other experienced lawn mowing contractors to avoid jobs.

• We do not provide quotes for lawns with indoor access only. If convenient outdoor lawn access is unavailable, we cannot service townhouses to avoid dirt and access issues. This involves unlocking access and bringing our tools indoors while the client is present.

• The price quotation provided and accepted by the client is not fixed throughout the entirety of the business relationship. Prices are subject to fluctuations that may arise due to increases in operational costs within both local and global markets, such as fuel for small-engine gardening equipment or electricity and lithium ore for battery-operated tools. Revisions to the minimum living wage or annual updates from the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (MBIE) will also influence our pricing. We will provide a minimum of one month's notice regarding any price adjustments, and it will be at the client's discretion to determine whether to continue utilizing our services or to seek more affordable lawn mowing service providers.

Payment

• Payments may be made through internet banking or cash; however, we do not accept EFTPOS, debit cards, credit cards, Afterpay, or any other payment methods. Payment is due upon the completion of the service. Delayed payments may result in the postponement of lawn care maintenance until payment is received. A receipt will be provided for cash payments upon request.

• To prevent any potential confusion, miscommunication, or misunderstandings, it is required that payments be made in full through a single transaction, rather than in portions via multiple bank transfers; this stipulation also applies to cash payments.

• Payments must be settled promptly following the provision of services and should not be allowed to accumulate. For instance, we do not accept requests for invoices or payment settlements subsequent to every two or more lawn maintenance services. Delays in payment will not be tolerated, as the practice of settling the fee for a prior lawn mowing service while leaving the most recent service unpaid is deemed unacceptable. We reserve the right to demand that payments or fees for both the preceding and current lawn mowing services be updated or cleared before proceeding with any further work.

• It is illegal to use counterfeit notes and coins in cash transactions. Any such occurrences will be reported to law enforcement authorities to facilitate the tracing of counterfeit currency's origins.

• If Mowmars resorts to debt collection services, all expenses incurred in recovering outstanding amounts, including debt collection agency fees and interest, will be passed on to you, the late or non-paying client/customer.

• For repeat one-off services, paying in advance or making deposits does not guarantee or obligate us to prioritise the one-off lawn mowing service. The one-off lawn mowing customer must contact us first for a new quote and verify if we can undertake the work before making any payment. Payments made without prior verification may face delays in refunds if we are unable to accept the job.

Personal details

We will collect the most basic details of the client, such as their name, contact information including email address and phone number, and the home address or the location of the lawns that need mowing. We will retain this information while the clients are using our lawn mowing services for operational purposes only, and it will be destroyed or deleted when the client ceases to use our services. This information will not be shared or sold to any marketing research firms or organisations.

We will refuse services to anyone using fake names, aliases, or other individuals' names or contact details.

Cancelations, Changes or Postponement

We respectfully request that you provide at least 24 hours' notice prior to any changes, which may be communicated via email, text, or telephone. Additionally, we are willing to accommodate verbal adjustments to the lawn mowing frequency for the upcoming service. Although our policy does not require clients to enter into contracts, we require advance postponement notice to conserve time and resources, rather than receiving notification regarding frequency adjustments or cancellations on the day of service. Please be advised that failure to provide at least 24 hours' notice for any changes may incur a fee equivalent to 50% of the service price, intended to compensate for the productive time lost and the fuel expended in traveling to your location. This policy is applicable regardless of who initiates the postponement, whether it be the primary client who is in communication with us or a member of the client's household who verbally halts our service upon our arrival.

Use of tools and equipment on the service and how we conduct our services.

• We reserve the right to select the most appropriate or comfortable tools and equipment for our service, as well as determine how our lawn mowing service will utilize these tools and equipment. For instance, using a line trimmer on a steep slope is safer than using a standard lawn mower, as the latter is unsuitable for such areas. Access to lawns is restricted to stairs; therefore, we cannot transport our heavy lawn mowers. We may skip sections of the lawn that contain debris, stones, flower pots, or other materials that shouldn't be present on the lawn. The mower will be adjusted to a high cutting level due to ground conditions such as tree roots, stumps, or uneven surfaces to prevent scalping.

• We prefer utilizing our own tools and equipment rather than those provided by the client. This decision is made to absolve us of any liability should the client's lawn mower or other equipment be damaged, malfunction, or become lost. In instances where a client insists on using their lawn mower or other equipment for services performed on inaccessible lawns, such equipment must be verified as safe, user-friendly, and in proper working condition. We would like to clarify that we will not extend any discounts on our service fees, nor will we assume responsibility for the repair, maintenance, or replacement of the client's equipment, regardless of whether damage occurs intentionally, inadvertently, or for any other reason.

• We should be able to provide our services at any hour of the day without needing the client's presence on-site at the property where the lawns are located. A client should be able to give us a copy of the key for any locked gates, or we will notify a pet owner a day before we come so they can chain their dog if they are unfriendly towards any stranger. Special requests like "Come do the lawns when I'm home" will incur an additional fee for special trips, or we may have to cancel or stop working for the client if we can't manage our schedule with the client's special appointment time requirements and mainly if always we are getting caught by slow traffic in going to the client or getting back after we finish the work.

Trampolines or other garden ornaments

• Trampolines or any other heavy objects - We have no problem moving a trampoline, outdoor bench,chairs or any, but only when it’s convenient. No pegs or tying are needed. If the trampoline has pegs to secure it to the ground, outdoor furniture is too heavy, or is tied to anything, it will consume too much time to move and move back, or there may not be enough space. Therefore, we will not move the trampoline or any item, and we may leave any grass that cannot be reached by the line trimmer.

• For pots and other garden ornaments, we can move a few small to medium flower pots on the lawns, but we won’t move them if there are more than five. This means we may leave or skip the grass underneath those pots since moving them back and forth is time-consuming. Pots or any similar items in multiple amounts obstructing the lawns.

• Regarding small outdoor furniture such as barbeque grills or similar items, we prefer not to touch or move any of the client's possessions unless the items are movable and on the lawns (e.g., chair, bicycle, BBQ grill with wheels), so we can mow all the lawn areas as much as possible. In the unlikely event that damage occurs to items we move, which were left on the lawns, we will not accept any responsibility or liability for repairing or replacing these items damaged while being moved out of the lawns or the area of work (for example, damaging a BBQ grill while moving it). This is different from situations where damage occurs while we are working on the lawns (such as accidentally scratching a car with our lawnmower handles).

Damage

• Please notify us via text or email within 24 hours and provide details of the damage. We are insured and keen to resolve any issues we may have unintentionally caused during our lawn mowing service.

• *We reserve the right to deny responsibility for any damage without proof if we believe that Mowmars and its team members did not cause any damage during the lawn mowing service. This goodwill cannot be exploited as a loophole to hire an insured or uninsured service provider to fix any existing damage at the client's place.

• We will not take responsibility for any repairs or replacements for damage caused by the lawnmower or line trimmer to small items left on lawns that we fail to see. These items, such as small toys, jewelry, or any difficult-to-see objects, should not be on the lawns in the first place, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

• Plants and seedlings on the ground must be marked, fenced, or equipped with brightly coloured indicator sticks or posts so that we can see and avoid cutting any small plants, saplings, or seedlings that may blend in with the lawns.

• We reserve the right to contest, refuse, or accept liability for any damage caused by the client's negligence, such as gravel or items left or scattered on the lawns that may unintentionally become projectiles and potentially damage anything they hit, including windows.

Dog fecal materials

Please tidy up the lawns before every service. We can tolerate a few splashes of dog fecal material when accidentally hit by a line trimmer once in a while but we will end our business relationship with clients who have lawns contaminated with dog feces for health, hygiene, and safety reasons. We do not provide poop pick-up service.

Overgrown lawns

Mowing overgrown lawns is usually messy work. While we do our best, such as double mowing the lawns or mowing them twice, we cannot guarantee client satisfaction or the final result, and this includes thick kukuyu grass lawns. Additionally, we do not collect clippings. Lawns can be brought back under control after several frequent or scheduled mows, ideally two to three times a week (not just when clients call for mowing services after the lawns have become overgrown again). Any client who contacts us and uses our services accepts and agrees to these terms.

Bamboo infested lawns

Our lawn mowers, line trimmers, and any of our tools and equipment cannot be used for cutting down bamboo or bamboo saplings to prevent the spread of bamboo. It is the client's responsibility to engage arborist services to manage the spread of bamboo. This typically occurs on properties next to streams or reserve parks.

Business relationship

We do our best to meet our clients' expectations and provide the best services out of respect for our paying customers, ensuring they receive value for their money. However, we also believe that it's a universal truth that, no matter how good you are, you can't please everyone. A client may perceive our work as subpar, untidy, or simply be unhappy and dissatisfied with our services despite our best efforts, and we respect that. It's perfectly acceptable—and encouraged—to be honest with us, whether that means providing feedback or choosing to end our business relationship to seek out a different lawn mowing contractor who may better suit your needs. As contractors, we also reserve the right to terminate our business relationship with any individual who is passively abusive, overly demanding, hard to please, or any clients we're uncomfortable working with.

It is absolutely not acceptable to be verbally or physically abusive or threatening—such behaviour will be reported to the Police Emergency Service at 111, or via the non-emergency report online at 105.

Delays

We strive to adhere to our schedule when servicing your lawns; however, there may be unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, such as equipment failures, extreme weather conditions like heat waves or heavy rain, or health issues. In such cases, there may be a delay of a few days. Thank you for your understanding.

24 Hour Guarantee

If our lawn mowing service does not meet your expectations, please feel free to reach out to us, and we will be happy to redo the mulch cut mowing. However, this does not apply to recently mowed, overgrown lawns, which can appear untidy as grass grows rapidly and this includes thick kikuyu grass lawns. Please note that we do not remove grass clippings and do not offer cash refunds.

We prefer to be direct and honest than use sugar-coated words or any marketing trickery. Contacting us for a quote/price request estimate and using our services equates to acceptance and agreement to these terms and conditions.