Terms of Service

1. Introduction

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your use of the website at www.lmwebstudios.co.za and the services provided by LM Studios, a web design and development agency based in Midrand, Gauteng, South Africa.

By engaging our services or using our website, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use our services or website.

2. Services

LM Studios provides:

• Web Design & Development — custom website design, development, and deployment.
• App Development — custom web and mobile application development.
• SEO Services — search engine optimisation strategy and implementation.
• Photography — product, event, and brand photography services.
• Ongoing Support & Maintenance — post-launch website updates and technical support.

Specific deliverables, timelines, and pricing are agreed upon in a written project proposal or invoice prior to commencement of work. These Terms apply to all such engagements.

3. Payment Terms

• A 50% non-refundable deposit is required before any project work commences.
• The remaining balance is due upon project completion and before the final website is transferred to your hosting or made live.
• Post-warranty support requests are invoiced within 7 days of delivery.
• All prices are quoted in South African Rand (ZAR) and include VAT where applicable.
• Overdue invoices (past 14 days) may attract a late payment fee of 5% per month on the outstanding amount.

4. Project Process & Client Responsibilities

To ensure smooth delivery, clients agree to:

• Provide all required content (text, images, branding assets) by the agreed deadline. Delays in content delivery may extend project timelines.
• Provide timely feedback at each project milestone (typically within 3 business days). Silence for more than 7 business days may be treated as approval to proceed.
• Ensure all content and materials provided to LM Studios are owned by the client or properly licensed. The client bears sole responsibility for copyright compliance of submitted assets.
• Designate a single point of contact to avoid conflicting instructions.

LM Studios reserves the right to pause a project if payment milestones or content deadlines are not met.

5. Revisions & Change Requests

Each package includes a reasonable number of revision rounds as agreed in the project proposal. A revision is defined as minor adjustments to existing design or content within the original agreed scope.

• Changes that materially alter the original scope (new pages, features, or complete redesigns) will be quoted as separate work.
• Post-launch change requests are billed at the applicable support tier rates listed on our website.

6. Warranty & Post-Launch Support

All website builds include a 6-month post-launch warranty covering:

• Code bug fixes and broken link repairs.
• Browser compatibility patches (Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox).
• Minor text and image swaps within existing sections.

The warranty does not cover issues arising from client-made modifications, third-party plugin conflicts introduced after launch, or hosting provider outages beyond our control.

After the warranty period, support is available at published rates.

7. Hosting & Domain

• First-year hosting is included with applicable packages at no additional charge.
• From year two onwards, hosting and domain renewals are charged at the rates published on our website (currently R400/year for .com and R150/year for .co.za domains).
• Clients are responsible for renewing domains not managed by LM Studios. Expiry of a domain is not LM Studios' liability.
• LM Studios may transfer website files to the client's preferred hosting upon request, subject to full payment of all outstanding invoices.

8. Intellectual Property

• Upon receipt of full payment, the client receives ownership of the final deliverables (design files and compiled website code) for the specific project.
• LM Studios retains ownership of any proprietary frameworks, libraries, or reusable components used to build the project.
• LM Studios reserves the right to display completed work in its portfolio and marketing materials unless the client explicitly requests confidentiality in writing.
• The client warrants that all content, images, and materials supplied do not infringe third-party intellectual property rights.

9. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by South African law, LM Studios' total liability to you for any claim arising out of or related to these Terms or our services shall not exceed the total fees paid by you for the specific project giving rise to the claim.

LM Studios is not liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages including loss of revenue, loss of data, or loss of business opportunity, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

We are not responsible for third-party services (hosting providers, payment gateways, social media platforms) that may affect your website's performance or availability.

10. Termination

• Either party may terminate a project engagement with written notice.
• In the event of client-initiated termination, the deposit is non-refundable and any work completed up to termination will be invoiced at a prorated rate based on hours worked.
• In the event of LM Studios-initiated termination (e.g., due to non-payment or abusive conduct), all outstanding fees become immediately payable.

11. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Any disputes arising from these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the South African courts, with venue in Gauteng.

12. Website Use

You agree not to use the LM Studios website to:

• Violate any applicable law or regulation.
• Transmit any harmful, offensive, or unlawful content or material.
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any system or network.
• Scrape or harvest data without prior written consent.

13. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The date at the top of this page reflects the latest revision. For ongoing projects, the Terms in effect at the time of project commencement apply unless both parties agree in writing to updated Terms.

14. Contact

For any questions about these Terms, please contact us: