Terms of Use

Whitegoods Help provides general appliance information and guidance. We do not inspect your appliance, installation, property or personal circumstances.

Articles, Forum contributions, historic material and artificial-intelligence output may be incomplete, incorrect or unsuitable for your particular appliance. They must not be treated as a confirmed diagnosis, confirmation that a repair is safe, or a substitute for an appropriately competent person.

Do not attempt work unless you are competent, legally permitted and able to carry it out safely. Follow the appliance manufacturer’s instructions and safety notices. Gas work requiring registration must only be carried out by an appropriately registered Gas Safe engineer.

Stop and obtain professional assistance where electricity, gas, refrigerants, stored energy, fire, smoke, burning, significant water leakage or another serious hazard may be involved.

Businesses found through Find an Engineer operate independently. Any repair contract is made directly between you and the business you choose, not with Whitegoods Help.

These important limitations are explained fully below. They do not exclude any responsibility that Whitegoods Help cannot lawfully exclude.

1. These Terms

1.1 These Terms of Use set out the conditions on which you may access and use Whitegoods Help.

1.2 They apply to:

• whitegoodshelp.co.uk and its pages and subdomains;
• washerhelp.co.uk where it links or redirects to Whitegoods Help;
• forum.whitegoodshelp.co.uk;
• the Whitegoods Help Forum;
• Whitegoods Help – Find an Engineer;
• Fault Finder and other automated or artificial-intelligence features;
• articles, guides, searches, directories, reviews and digital tools; and
• any other Whitegoods Help service that links to these Terms.

Together, these are called the “Services”.

1.3 Where you merely view publicly available material, these Terms operate as conditions of access and as notices concerning the nature and limitations of the Services.

1.4 Where you create an account, submit content, post on the Forum, submit a review or use another interactive feature, these Terms form an agreement between you and Whitegoods Help Ltd. We may require express acceptance, such as selecting a checkbox.

1.5 If you do not accept these Terms, you must not create an account, submit content or use an interactive Service.

1.6 Particular Services may have additional terms or policies, including:

• the Find an Engineer Business Listing Agreement;
• the Find an Engineer Reviews Policy;
• Forum rules or guidance; and
• terms applying to a particular paid or account-based feature.

Additional terms take priority only in relation to the particular matters they address.

1.7 Our Privacy and Cookie Policy explains how we use personal information. It is a privacy notice and does not reduce your legal rights.

2. Who we are

Whitegoods Help is owned and operated by:

Whitegoods Help Ltd
Company number: 14702046
Registered in England and Wales
Registered office: 4 Calder Close, Calder Park, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF4 3BA
Email: help@whitegoodshelp.co.uk

References to “Whitegoods Help”, “we”, “us” and “our” mean Whitegoods Help Ltd.

A repair business, manufacturer, retailer, parts supplier, contributor or other organisation does not become part of Whitegoods Help merely because it is listed, mentioned or linked through a Service.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, Whitegoods Help is not affiliated with, authorised by or endorsed by any appliance manufacturer mentioned through the Services.

3. Eligibility and age

3.1 Public information may be viewed by people of different ages. Young people should use appliance information with the involvement of a responsible adult.

3.2 You must be at least 16 to:

• register for a Forum account;
• post or reply on the Forum;
• submit a review;
• create or control a business listing; or
• use another account-based contribution feature.

3.3 If you are under 16, you must not create an account, post content or submit a review.

3.4 If you are under 18, a responsible adult should make any decision involving the purchase of parts, engagement of an engineer or attempted appliance repair.

3.5 We do not knowingly permit children under 13 to hold accounts or submit personal information through contribution features.

3.6 These age restrictions do not remove the need for appropriate adult supervision wherever appliance safety is involved.

4. General information, not individual professional advice

4.1 Whitegoods Help provides general information and guidance about domestic appliances, including possible faults, maintenance, safety, purchasing, consumer issues and possible next steps.

4.2 Content cannot account for every:

• appliance model or revision;
• installation;
• property;
• electrical, gas, water or ventilation system;
• fault or combination of faults;
• previous repair or modification;
• manufacturer update or recall; or
• personal circumstance.

4.3 Content made available through a Service does not constitute:

• a confirmed diagnosis;
• individually tailored technical, electrical, gas, refrigeration or legal advice;
• confirmation that an appliance or proposed repair is safe;
• confirmation that you are competent or legally permitted to perform work;
• a guarantee that a suggested cause, component or solution is correct;
• a guarantee that a replacement part is required or compatible; or
• a substitute for a physical inspection by an appropriately competent person.

4.4 No engineer-client, professional, advisory or repair contract arises between you and Whitegoods Help merely because you view or interact with content.

4.5 Except for responsibilities that the law imposes and does not permit us to exclude, Whitegoods Help does not assume responsibility for an individual diagnosis, repair decision or safety-critical decision made from general information.

4.6 You should verify important information before acting on it, particularly where it concerns:

• personal safety;
• a product recall or safety notice;
• significant expenditure;
• legal rights or time limits;
• part compatibility; or
• potentially hazardous work.

4.7 Manufacturer instructions, official product-safety notices and applicable law take priority over general information appearing through Whitegoods Help.

5. Appliance and repair safety

5.1 Domestic appliances can involve mains electricity, gas, water, refrigerants, high temperatures, stored electrical energy, pressure, moving parts, sharp components and other hazards.

5.2 You are responsible for deciding whether you have the knowledge, competence, equipment and legal authority required to undertake work safely.

5.3 Do not attempt work where you are uncertain about your competence or about the safety of the appliance or installation.

5.4 Switching an appliance off at its controls may not safely isolate it. Appropriate isolation depends on the appliance and installation. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and obtain competent assistance where necessary.

5.5 Work involving gas that legally requires Gas Safe registration must only be undertaken by a properly registered person acting within the scope of their competence.

5.6 Work involving exposed mains components, fixed wiring, sealed refrigeration systems, microwaves, high-voltage components, safety-critical components or specialist testing should be left to an appropriately competent person.

5.7 Components may remain dangerous after an appliance has been switched off or disconnected.

5.8 Stop and seek qualified assistance if:

• safe isolation cannot be confirmed;
• there are signs of gas, burning, overheating, smoke, arcing or fire;
• there is substantial leakage or water near electrical equipment;
• a component may retain a dangerous electrical charge;
• a refrigerant circuit may be involved;
• a manufacturer instruction requires professional service;
• specialist equipment, competence or legal authorisation is required; or
• you are uncertain whether it is safe to continue.

5.9 Do not use the Services as an emergency service. Where there is an immediate risk to life or property, move to safety and contact the appropriate emergency service or utility emergency service.

5.10 Nothing on Whitegoods Help authorises unsafe or unlawful work.

6. Product information, recalls and spare parts

6.1 Appliance specifications, model information, part numbers, compatibility information, prices and availability may change.

6.2 Similar-looking appliances or components may not be interchangeable. Compatibility should be checked against the appliance’s complete model, serial, production or service information and confirmed with the relevant supplier where necessary.

6.3 Mention of a possible component fault does not establish that the component has failed or that replacing it will correct the problem.

6.4 Before ordering or fitting a part, check:

• the complete appliance identification;
• the supplier’s current compatibility information;
• whether the part is safety-critical;
• whether fitting requires specialist competence; and
• applicable return restrictions.

6.5 Product-safety and recall information should be checked against current information from the manufacturer, the Office for Product Safety and Standards or another appropriate official source.

6.6 Unless Whitegoods Help expressly identifies itself as the seller, a purchase is made from the third-party supplier concerned and is governed by that supplier’s terms.

7. Historic content

7.1 Whitegoods Help contains material created under previous ownership or management, including material dating back many years.

7.2 Historic material may concern:

• discontinued appliances;
• older product versions;
• superseded repair practices;
• outdated manufacturer instructions;
• earlier laws or consumer rights;
• businesses or products that have changed; or
• information that was incomplete or mistaken when published.

7.3 We may review, annotate, correct, update or remove historic material, but we cannot guarantee that every historic item has been reviewed or remains current.

7.4 A publication date, reply date or historic discussion context should be considered before relying on material.

7.5 Historic content must not be relied upon for a current safety-critical, legal or substantial financial decision without appropriate verification.

8. Fault Finder and artificial intelligence

8.1 Whitegoods Help may provide artificial-intelligence-assisted or automated features, including Fault Finder, AI answers, summaries, searches and suggested content.

8.2 AI output is generated automatically. Unless expressly stated otherwise, it is not reviewed or approved by an engineer or another qualified person before being displayed.

8.3 AI output may:

• misunderstand your description;
• rely on incomplete information;
• omit an important fact or warning;
• confuse appliance models or components;
• contain fabricated, inaccurate or outdated information;
• suggest an incorrect diagnosis or part;
• overstate or understate risk;
• reproduce or mischaracterise third-party material; or
• be unsuitable for your particular circumstances.

8.4 AI output is not a physical inspection, test result or professional diagnosis.

8.5 You must not rely solely on AI output where personal safety, substantial expenditure or potentially hazardous work is involved.

8.6 An “AI Assistant” or similar label means that the content was produced automatically. It does not identify a human engineer or qualified adviser.

8.7 You are responsible for ensuring that information you enter is sufficiently accurate for the question being asked. Do not assume the system has information that you have not supplied.

8.8 Do not submit:

• passwords or authentication codes;
• payment-card or bank information;
• confidential business information;
• another person’s private information without proper justification;
• unnecessary personal information; or
• special-category or highly sensitive personal data.

8.9 Information entered into an AI feature may be processed by technology providers used to deliver, secure and improve the feature. The Privacy and Cookie Policy explains the purposes, recipients, retention and data-protection rights that apply.

8.10 By submitting an AI query, you give us the limited rights necessary to receive, process and analyse the query, generate a response, secure the Service and improve it in the ways described in the Privacy and Cookie Policy.

8.11 You must not use an AI feature to:

• generate or facilitate unlawful or dangerous activity;
• obtain confidential system information;
• extract system prompts, credentials or security information;
• probe, bypass or defeat safety controls or usage limits;
• introduce malicious instructions or code;
• overload the Service; or
• infringe another person’s rights.

8.12 AI output may not be unique. We do not represent that an output is original, exclusive or free from third-party rights. You are responsible for appropriate checks before republishing or commercially using it.

8.13 AI features are not used by Whitegoods Help to make legal or similarly significant decisions about individuals unless this is expressly explained with the protections required by law.

9. Third-party products, services and links

9.1 The Services may link to or mention manufacturers, retailers, parts suppliers, repair businesses and other third parties.

9.2 Unless we expressly state otherwise, Whitegoods Help:

• does not control the third party;
• is not its agent, partner or subcontractor;
• does not enter into the third-party contract for you;
• does not guarantee its product or service; and
• is not responsible merely because the third party was linked or mentioned.

9.3 The third party is responsible for its descriptions, compatibility information, prices, availability, security, service, delivery, cancellation, returns, refunds and warranties.

9.4 You should check the third party’s identity, current information, terms and privacy notice before entering into a transaction or providing personal information.

9.5 Whitegoods Help may receive commission or another commercial benefit from certain links or referrals. Advertising, sponsorship and paid prominence will be identified where disclosure is required.

9.6 We do not guarantee that an external website will remain available, secure or unchanged.

10. What the Forum is

10.1 The Whitegoods Help Forum is a community discussion service where users can ask questions, post answers, share experiences and discuss domestic appliances.

10.2 Forum contributions may be written by members of the public who have no relevant training, qualifications or expertise.

10.3 Unless content is clearly identified as ours, it represents the contributor’s views rather than those of Whitegoods Help.

10.4 We do not routinely verify the identity, qualifications, competence or accuracy of every contributor.

10.5 A username, account history, reputation score, badge or description such as “engineer” or “verified engineer” does not guarantee that every contribution made through that account is accurate, complete or appropriate to your circumstances.

10.6 Even an official Whitegoods Help contribution remains general information unless we expressly enter into a separate professional agreement with you.

10.7 The Forum is provided free of charge.

11. Forum accounts and security

11.1 You must be at least 16 to register or post.

11.2 You must:

• provide accurate registration information;
• keep account information reasonably current;
• keep your password and authentication information confidential;
• take reasonable steps to secure your account;
• accept responsibility for activity carried out through your account; and
• notify us promptly if you believe your account has been compromised.

11.3 You must not:

• register in another person’s name;
• impersonate a person or organisation;
• use a misleading, offensive or rights-infringing username;
• sell, transfer or share an account;
• create multiple accounts to mislead users or manipulate activity;
• evade a restriction or suspension; or
• allow a suspended person to use your account.

11.4 We recommend that you do not use your full legal name as a public username or publish personal contact details in a post.

11.5 We may retain an audit record showing the version and date of the Terms accepted through an account.

12. Your responsibility for User Content

12.1 “User Content” means text, questions, answers, reviews, images, files, links and other material that you submit.

12.2 You are responsible for your User Content and the consequences of submitting it.

12.3 By submitting User Content, you confirm that:

• you created it or have all permissions necessary to submit it;
• it does not infringe copyright, trade marks, privacy, confidentiality or other rights;
• statements presented as facts are honestly believed to be accurate;
• opinions are honestly held and based on an adequate factual foundation;
• it is not deliberately false, misleading or manipulated;
• it does not identify or expose another person without proper justification;
• it does not contain confidential information you are not entitled to disclose;
• it does not contain malicious code; and
• it complies with these Terms.

12.4 You must not present yourself as professionally qualified unless that description is truthful and not misleading.

12.5 You must not state or imply that Whitegoods Help has approved, verified or endorsed you or your contribution unless we have expressly done so.

12.6 You remain responsible for User Content produced wholly or partly using an AI tool.

12.7 Do not post confidential information or information you would not wish to remain publicly accessible.

13. Licence for User Content

13.1 You retain ownership of intellectual-property rights you hold in your original User Content.

13.2 By submitting User Content, you grant Whitegoods Help a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, transferable and sub-licensable licence for the duration of the relevant rights to:

• host, store and reproduce it;
• format, moderate, edit and redact it;
• display, communicate, publish and distribute it;
• maintain Forum threads and archives;
• display it elsewhere within Whitegoods Help;
• create indexes, extracts, summaries, articles and knowledge-base material;
• operate and improve search, diagnostic and AI-assisted tools;
• develop and improve Whitegoods Help services and datasets;
• promote Whitegoods Help;
• investigate misuse and preserve evidence; and
• exercise or defend legal rights.

13.3 The licence permits us to use service providers acting on our behalf for those purposes.

13.4 We may identify you by your public username but are not required to provide separate attribution on every reuse.

13.5 You waive moral rights to the extent permitted by law and reasonably necessary for the uses described above.

13.6 The licence continues after account closure where reasonably required to:

• preserve the integrity and meaning of discussions;
• maintain archives, backups and evidence;
• comply with legal obligations;
• retain material already incorporated into an article, summary, dataset or other derived work; or
• exercise or defend legal rights.

13.7 Where User Content contains personal data, our use remains subject to data-protection law. This licence does not remove applicable data-protection rights.

13.8 Closing an account does not automatically require removal of every public contribution. Requests involving personal information will be considered under the Privacy and Cookie Policy and applicable law.

14. Prohibited Forum content and conduct

You must not use the Forum to:

• post or facilitate illegal content or criminal activity;
• support, promote or facilitate terrorism;
• sexually exploit, groom or abuse a child or adult;
• publish or link to child sexual abuse material;
• publish intimate images without consent;
• threaten, stalk, harass, abuse or incite violence;
• encourage or assist suicide or serious self-harm;
• promote hatred or unlawful discrimination;
• commit or facilitate fraud, scams or identity theft;
• advertise or facilitate illegal goods or services;
• defame another person or business;
• blackmail or improperly pressure another person;
• impersonate another person or misrepresent an affiliation;
• publish private or personal information without proper justification;
• infringe intellectual-property or confidentiality rights;
• publish malware, malicious code or dangerous links;
• spam, advertise, recruit customers or solicit business without permission;
• manipulate votes, answers, reviews, ratings or engagement;
• offer or request undisclosed incentives for content;
• use bots or automation to mass-produce or submit content;
• scrape content or user information without permission;
• use Forum material to train or populate a competing service without permission;
• disrupt the security or operation of the Forum;
• make knowingly false or abusive reports;
• evade a moderation decision or suspension;
• encourage a user to work on live electrical equipment;
• encourage unlawful gas work;
• describe hazardous work as safe without an adequate basis; or
• encourage users to disregard manufacturer instructions, safety warnings or legal requirements.

15. Moderation and illegal content

15.1 We use proportionate systems and processes intended to reduce illegal content and misuse. These may include:

• registration and posting controls;
• spam, fraud and abuse detection;
• automated moderation assistance;
• human review;
• reporting and complaints facilities;
• account and content restrictions;
• preservation of evidence; and
• disclosure or reporting where legally required.

15.2 Automated tools may make mistakes and will not identify every problem.

15.3 We may review, label, move, lock, restrict, redact, edit or remove content where we reasonably consider this necessary to:

• enforce these Terms;
• protect users or third parties;
• address unlawful or unsafe content;
• protect legal rights;
• investigate manipulation or fraud;
• comply with law; or
• operate and secure the Forum.

15.4 Editing will normally be limited to formatting, removing prohibited material, redacting personal information, correcting obvious technical presentation issues or making moderation action clear. We will not knowingly edit a contribution to reverse its intended meaning.

15.5 We may warn, restrict, suspend or permanently close an account where we reasonably believe that:

• a material or repeated breach has occurred;
• the account presents a legal, safety, fraud or security risk;
• the account is compromised;
• the user is evading enforcement;
• the user has manipulated Forum or review activity; or
• action is otherwise reasonably necessary to protect the Services or their users.

15.6 We may take urgent action without advance notice where reasonably necessary.

15.7 Where we become aware of content we reasonably consider illegal, we will seek to act without undue delay and take proportionate action required by law.

15.8 We may preserve and report detected child sexual exploitation or abuse content and associated information to the National Crime Agency or another appropriate authority where required by law.

15.9 We will seek to apply our rules consistently. Different outcomes may be appropriate where content, context, evidence, severity, risk or user history differs.

15.10 We cannot guarantee that all prohibited content will be prevented, detected or removed. The presence of content does not mean that we endorse or approve it.

16. Reporting content and complaints

16.1 Content may be reported using an available reporting control or by emailing help@whitegoodshelp.co.uk with the subject “Forum content report”.

16.2 A report should include:

• the URL or location of the content;
• the particular words, image or conduct concerned;
• why it is believed to be illegal or contrary to these Terms;
• the reporter’s name and contact email; and
• relevant supporting information.

16.3 You may complain if you reasonably believe:

• illegal content has not been addressed appropriately;
• your content or account was restricted contrary to these Terms;
• these Terms were not applied consistently;
• a reporting or complaints process did not operate properly; or
• a safety measure described in these Terms was not provided.

16.4 Complaints should be sent to help@whitegoodshelp.co.uk with the subject “Forum complaint” and should identify the relevant decision, content and requested outcome.

16.5 We may:

• request further information;
• restrict content temporarily;
• contact the contributor;
• confirm, change or reverse a decision; or
• take no action where the available information does not establish a breach.

16.6 Where contact details are available and disclosure is lawful, we will provide an appropriate outcome or status update.

16.7 A person directly affected by an account or content decision may request a further review by replying within 30 days. Where reasonably practicable, that review will be handled by someone who was not solely responsible for the original decision.

16.8 Knowingly false, malicious, repetitive or abusive reporting may itself breach these Terms.

16.9 The reporting process is not an emergency service. Contact the police or emergency services if someone faces an immediate risk of harm.

17. Defamation and rights complaints

17.1 If you believe a Forum post, review or other contribution is defamatory or infringes your rights, email help@whitegoodshelp.co.uk.

17.2 Your notice should include:

• your name and contact email;
• the exact URL and location of the material;
• the words, image or other material complained of;
• the meaning you believe it conveys;
• why you say it is false, defamatory or unlawful;
• the factual position you say is correct;
• how you are identified or affected;
• relevant supporting evidence; and
• whether you consent to your name and contact details being provided to the contributor where the applicable legal procedure permits.

17.3 If a notice lacks information required to evaluate or process it, we may request further information.

17.4 We may contact the contributor, restrict material temporarily, remove it, retain it, request evidence or take another proportionate step.

17.5 Our review or action does not constitute an admission that content is unlawful or that Whitegoods Help is liable.

17.6 We may preserve relevant content, account records and correspondence for legal, evidential and compliance purposes.

18. Historic and AI-generated Forum material

18.1 The Forum contains discussions migrated from earlier systems and material created under previous ownership.

18.2 Historic contributions are not guaranteed to be current, complete or technically correct.

18.3 The Forum may display AI-generated answers, summaries, suggested solutions or classifications.

18.4 AI material may misrepresent or omit parts of the underlying discussion. Read the original contributions and obtain professional help where appropriate.

18.5 An accepted answer, solved status, AI summary or positive user response does not guarantee that a proposed solution is correct or safe for another appliance.

19. What Find an Engineer is

19.1 Whitegoods Help – Find an Engineer is an online directory and search service.

19.2 It helps visitors identify independent domestic appliance repair businesses that state they operate in particular areas or provide particular services.

19.3 A listing may include:

• business and trading names;
• contact information;
• services and appliance types;
• service areas;
• prices or charging information;
• qualifications, registrations and checks;
• ratings and reviews; and
• other information relevant to choosing a business.

19.4 Unless we expressly state otherwise, Find an Engineer does not:

• select or allocate an engineer;
• transmit your repair enquiry;
• make an appointment;
• instruct a business to attend;
• diagnose the appliance;
• negotiate the repair;
• supervise the work;
• collect payment; or
• manage the repair contract.

19.5 You choose which business, if any, to contact and contact it directly using the details displayed.

20. Independent repair businesses

20.1 A listed business operates independently from Whitegoods Help unless a listing clearly states otherwise.

20.2 The business determines its own:

• services and service areas;
• availability and appointments;
• personnel and subcontractors;
• diagnosis and repair methods;
• prices and payment terms;
• parts;
• warranties and guarantees; and
• complaints process.

20.3 If you instruct a listed business, the repair contract is between you and that business. Whitegoods Help is not a party to that contract.

20.4 The business is responsible for performing its contract and complying with the legal obligations applying to its services.

20.5 Your consumer rights relating to a repair are against the business supplying it and are not removed by these Terms.

20.6 A commercial or group relationship between a listed business and Whitegoods Help, NAC (Domestic Appliances) Ltd or another organisation does not by itself make Whitegoods Help the repair supplier.

20.7 Where the legal or commercial status of a particular service differs materially from the independent-directory arrangement, we will aim to identify that distinction clearly.

21. Listing information and checks

21.1 Listing information may be:

• supplied by the business;
• obtained from public sources;
• derived from documents or databases;
• supplied through a commercial relationship; or
• produced from other information reasonably available to Whitegoods Help.

21.2 Business information can change without our knowledge.

21.3 Before instructing a business, confirm important matters directly, including:

• its legal and trading identity;
• whether it covers your location;
• whether it repairs the relevant appliance, make and model;
• current availability;
• call-out and diagnostic charges;
• labour, parts, VAT and additional charges;
• cancellation terms;
• payment arrangements;
• insurance;
• qualifications and legal registrations;
• who will attend;
• whether subcontractors are used; and
• repair warranties and guarantees.

21.4 Where we describe a check as completed, this means only that the specific document, database entry, confirmation or other matter described was reviewed at the relevant time.

21.5 A check is not:

• a guarantee that information supplied was genuine in every respect;
• a continuing inspection;
• a guarantee of current status after the check date;
• an assessment of every employee or subcontractor;
• a guarantee of honesty, solvency or conduct;
• a guarantee of workmanship; or
• a guarantee of the outcome of a repair.

21.6 Where a profile does not identify a particular check, do not assume that the check was completed.

21.7 Where a legal registration is required, including Gas Safe registration for relevant gas work, confirm that the individual carrying out the work holds the appropriate current registration.

21.8 Inclusion or position in the directory is not a guarantee or personal recommendation.

22. Prices, payments, warranties and disputes

22.1 Listed businesses set their own prices and contractual terms.

22.2 Prices displayed in a listing may change and may not include additional work, parts, VAT, parking, location supplements or matters discovered during diagnosis.

22.3 Confirm prices and charging arrangements before instructing the business.

22.4 Unless expressly stated otherwise, payment is made directly to the repair business.

22.5 Any repair warranty or guarantee is provided by the repair business, not Whitegoods Help. Obtain the applicable terms and retain invoices, receipts and correspondence.

22.6 Complaints about diagnosis, workmanship, attendance, conduct, charges, payment, property damage, parts, cancellation or guarantees should first be directed to the business.

22.7 You may also report a concern about a listing to help@whitegoodshelp.co.uk. We may consider it when managing the directory.

22.8 By receiving or reviewing a complaint, Whitegoods Help does not:

• become a party to the repair contract;
• accept responsibility for the repair;
• take over the business’s obligations;
• act as an insurer;
• act as a court, adjudicator or alternative dispute-resolution provider; or
• guarantee that the dispute will be resolved.

23. Reviews, ratings and commercial relationships

23.1 Reviews and ratings are governed by the Find an Engineer Reviews Policy.

23.2 Reviews represent the experiences and opinions of individual reviewers. They do not guarantee that another customer will receive the same result.

23.3 A review marked as verified means only that the particular verification step described was completed. It does not establish that every statement in the review is correct.

23.4 Whitegoods Help takes reasonable and proportionate steps intended to prevent and remove:

• fake reviews;
• reviews that conceal an incentive;
• improperly manipulated ratings; and
• consumer-review information presented misleadingly.

23.5 Businesses and reviewers must not:

• submit or commission a fake review;
• review their own business without clear disclosure and permission;
• arrange competitor attacks;
• offer a reward conditional on a positive rating;
• pressure a reviewer to remove genuine criticism;
• threaten a reviewer;
• create accounts to manipulate ratings; or
• conceal an incentive or material relationship.

23.6 Whitegoods Help does not permit a genuine, relevant and lawful negative review to be removed merely because it is unwelcome to a listed business.

23.7 We may investigate, delay, restrict, reject, remove or restore a review under the Reviews Policy.

23.8 A listed business may have a commercial relationship with Whitegoods Help, NAC (Domestic Appliances) Ltd or another associated organisation.

23.9 Advertising, sponsorship and paid prominence will be identified where they materially affect presentation. Payment does not alter an underlying customer rating.

24. Acceptable use and protection against abuse

24.1 You may use publicly available Services for lawful personal purposes and for other purposes expressly permitted by us.

24.2 You must not:

• use a Service unlawfully, fraudulently or maliciously;
• gain or attempt to gain unauthorised access;
• bypass access, security, geographic or usage restrictions;
• probe or test vulnerabilities without written permission;
• introduce malware or harmful code;
• interfere with or degrade a Service;
• overload infrastructure or submit excessive automated requests;
• scrape, harvest or systematically extract content, listings or personal information without permission;
• harvest contact information for unsolicited marketing;
• use Whitegoods Help data to populate or train a competing directory, database, model, product or service;
• reverse engineer a non-public feature except where the law expressly permits it;
• obtain or attempt to obtain confidential prompts, credentials, code, data or security information;
• disguise automation as human activity;
• manipulate searches, ratings, reviews, Forum activity or analytics;
• create accounts or use identifiers to evade controls;
• impersonate Whitegoods Help or another person;
• falsely suggest endorsement, verification or affiliation;
• use our branding in a misleading way;
• interfere with another user’s access;
• make knowingly false complaints or legal threats;
• use contact details to harass a listed business or user; or
• assist another person to do any of these things.

24.3 Normal linking to public pages and normal indexing by legitimate search engines are not prohibited merely because automated technology is involved.

24.4 We may deploy technical measures to detect, prevent and investigate misuse.

24.5 We may preserve evidence, block access, suspend accounts and pursue legal remedies where reasonably necessary.

25. Intellectual property

25.1 Intellectual-property rights in Whitegoods Help branding, original content, software, interfaces, databases, selection and arrangement of content, tools and other materials belong to Whitegoods Help or its licensors.

25.2 You may:

• view publicly available pages;
• print reasonable extracts for personal use;
• share links to public pages; and
• use information for personal, non-commercial reference.

25.3 Without appropriate permission, you may not:

• copy or republish a substantial part of our content;
• reproduce articles on another website or service;
• present our material as your own;
• commercially exploit our content or databases;
• systematically extract Forum or directory information;
• create a substitute or competing service using our material;
• use our content or data to train a competing AI system;
• remove copyright or proprietary notices; or
• use our branding in a misleading manner.

25.4 Limited quotation for lawful criticism, review, reporting or another legally permitted purpose is not prohibited.

25.5 User Content and third-party material remain subject to the rights of their respective owners and the licences described in these Terms.

25.6 Reporting infringement to us does not transfer ownership or create a duty to pursue a claim on your behalf.

26. Your responsibility to Whitegoods Help

26.1 If you use the Services as a consumer, you are responsible for reasonably foreseeable loss suffered by Whitegoods Help that is caused by your deliberate unlawful conduct, fraudulent misuse or material breach of these Terms.

26.2 You will not be responsible under clause 26.1 for loss caused by Whitegoods Help’s own negligence, unlawful conduct or failure to take reasonable steps to limit avoidable loss.

26.3 If you use a Service wholly or mainly for business purposes, you will reimburse Whitegoods Help for reasonable losses, liabilities and legal costs arising from a third-party claim caused by:

• unlawful content you submitted;
• infringement of another person’s rights by your content;
• your misuse of personal information;
• fraudulent or manipulated reviews;
• unauthorised scraping or data extraction;
• your repair or professional services;
• your deliberate misuse of a Service; or
• your material breach of these Terms.

26.4 Clause 26.3 does not apply to the extent that a claim was caused by Whitegoods Help’s negligence, unlawful conduct or material breach.

26.5 A business participating in Find an Engineer is also subject to the responsibility provisions in the Business Listing Agreement.

27. Security, availability and changes to Services

27.1 Websites and online tools may occasionally be unavailable because of maintenance, faults, updates, security incidents or circumstances outside our reasonable control.

27.2 We do not guarantee:

• uninterrupted availability;
• compatibility with every device or browser;
• preservation of every draft or submission;
• that every defect will be corrected immediately;
• that every Service will continue indefinitely; or
• that the Services will be free from all malicious activity.

27.3 You should maintain appropriate security protection and retain copies of important content or correspondence.

27.4 We may update, replace, restrict, suspend or discontinue a Service where reasonably necessary.

27.5 We may act without notice where urgent action is needed for security, safety, law or prevention of abuse.

27.6 Where a change materially affects an account-based or paid contractual commitment, we will provide any notice and remedies required by the applicable agreement and law.

28. Responsibility for information, reliance and loss

28.1 Nothing in these Terms excludes or restricts responsibility that Whitegoods Help cannot lawfully exclude or restrict. This includes responsibility for:

• death or personal injury caused by our negligence;
• fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
• statutory consumer rights that cannot be excluded; and
• another liability that cannot legally be excluded or limited.

28.2 Whitegoods Help supplies substantial amounts of general information without inspecting the appliance, installation, property or personal circumstances concerned.

28.3 Content available through the Website, Forum, Fault Finder, AI Assistant or Find an Engineer must not be treated as:

• a confirmed diagnosis;
• confirmation that work is safe;
• confirmation that a particular part is faulty or compatible;
• an instruction that the user is competent or legally permitted to carry out work;
• a substitute for manufacturer safety information; or
• a substitute for an appropriately competent inspection.

28.4 Subject to clause 28.1, Whitegoods Help is not responsible for injury, loss or damage to the extent that it is caused by a person:

• treating general, historic, user-generated or automated information as an individual professional diagnosis;
• attempting work beyond their knowledge, competence or legal authority;
• working without appropriate isolation or safety precautions;
• ignoring a warning, manufacturer instruction, recall or applicable legal requirement;
• continuing after encountering electricity, gas, refrigerant, stored energy, burning, smoke, fire, significant leakage or another hazard;
• ordering or fitting a part without checking compatibility;
• relying on a Forum user or AI output without appropriate verification;
• providing incomplete or incorrect information to an automated tool;
• following information after becoming aware that it may be inappropriate or outdated; or
• failing to take reasonable steps to limit avoidable loss.

28.5 Clause 28.4 does not exclude responsibility to the extent that the injury, loss or damage was caused by Whitegoods Help’s own negligence or breach of a non-excludable legal duty.

28.6 Although we take reasonable care when creating and maintaining our own current content, we do not promise that every item will always be complete, error-free, current or suitable for every appliance or situation.

28.7 Whitegoods Help is not responsible merely because a repair business, contributor, retailer, manufacturer, product or external website is listed, discussed or linked.

28.8 Subject to clause 28.1, we are not responsible for the independent acts or omissions of:

• Forum users;
• reviewers;
• listed repair businesses;
• manufacturers;
• retailers;
• parts suppliers;
• external websites; or
• other third parties whom we do not control and for whom the law does not make us responsible.

28.9 If Whitegoods Help is legally responsible for loss or damage, responsibility is limited to loss or damage that was caused by our breach or negligence and was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of it.

28.10 Loss is reasonably foreseeable where it was obvious that it might occur or both you and Whitegoods Help knew that it might occur in the relevant circumstances.

28.11 The consumer-facing Services are intended primarily for personal and domestic use. We are not responsible under these Terms for business losses arising from consumer use, including loss of profit, revenue, opportunity, anticipated savings, business data or business interruption.

28.12 If you use a Service wholly or mainly for business purposes, then, subject to clause 28.1 and any specific business agreement:

• all warranties or conditions that may lawfully be excluded are excluded;
• we are not liable for loss of profit, revenue, business, opportunity, anticipated savings, goodwill, reputation or business data;
• we are not liable for indirect or consequential business loss; and
• our total aggregate liability arising from the public Services in any 12-month period is limited to the greater of £100 and the amount you paid Whitegoods Help for the relevant public Service during that period.

28.13 Clause 28.12 does not replace a different liability limit expressly contained in the Find an Engineer Business Listing Agreement or another applicable paid-service agreement.

28.14 Nothing in these Terms makes Whitegoods Help liable for a repair contract to which it is not a party.

29. Privacy and communications

29.1 Our Privacy and Cookie Policy explains:

• the personal information we collect;
• the purposes and lawful bases for processing;
• cookies and analytics;
• Forum accounts and contributions;
• Find an Engineer records;
• reviews and moderation evidence;
• artificial-intelligence providers;
• sharing and international transfers;
• retention and security; and
• your data-protection rights.

29.2 Once you contact an independent business, that business is responsible for explaining how it handles information provided directly to it.

29.3 Service, security, legal and account communications may be sent using contact information associated with your account.

29.4 Marketing communications will be sent only where legally permitted. You may opt out of marketing without losing essential account or legal communications.

30. Suspension, account closure and termination

30.1 We may restrict, suspend or close access where reasonably necessary because:

• these Terms have been materially or repeatedly breached;
• activity creates a legal, safety, fraud, reputational or security risk;
• an account appears compromised;
• a user is evading enforcement;
• another person’s rights require protection;
• a Service is being abused; or
• restriction is required by law.

30.2 Urgent action may be taken without notice.

30.3 In other cases, where appropriate and reasonably practicable, we may provide notice, reasons or an opportunity to remedy the issue.

30.4 You may stop using the Services and may request account closure.

30.5 Account closure does not affect:

• rights or liabilities already accrued;
• lawful evidence and compliance retention;
• the continuing User Content licence in section 13;
• material required to preserve the integrity of discussions; or
• another provision intended to continue after closure.

31. Changes to these Terms

31.1 We may update these Terms where reasonably necessary because:

• a Service changes;
• a new feature is introduced;
• law or regulatory guidance changes;
• risks or misuse change;
• security requirements change; or
• wording requires clarification.

31.2 The current version will state its effective date.

31.3 Changes apply to use from the stated effective date.

31.4 Where a material change affects an ongoing account-based or paid relationship and we hold suitable contact details, we will provide additional notice where reasonably practicable or legally required.

31.5 Changes will not retrospectively remove rights that have already accrued.

31.6 If you do not accept a material change, you should stop using the affected interactive Service and may request account closure.

32. General provisions

32.1 If a court or competent authority decides that part of these Terms is unlawful or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue.

32.2 An unlawful or unenforceable provision will be treated as modified only to the minimum extent necessary to make it lawful and enforceable where the law permits.

32.3 A delay in exercising a right does not necessarily waive it.

32.4 These Terms do not create a partnership, joint venture, employment or agency relationship.

32.5 You may not transfer an account or your contractual rights without our written consent.

32.6 We may transfer the Services and these Terms to a group company or successor operating the relevant business, provided that this does not reduce your statutory rights. We will notify account holders where reasonably practicable.

32.7 Unless expressly stated otherwise, a person who is not a party to these Terms has no right to enforce them.

32.8 If you use a Service wholly or mainly for business purposes, these Terms and any applicable specific business agreement constitute the entire agreement relating to that Service. This does not exclude liability for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

33. Governing law and courts

33.1 These Terms are governed by the law of England and Wales.

33.2 If you are a consumer:

• if you live in England or Wales, you may bring proceedings in the courts of England and Wales;
• if you live in Scotland, you may normally bring proceedings in Scotland or England and Wales;
• if you live in Northern Ireland, you may normally bring proceedings in Northern Ireland or England and Wales; and
• you retain mandatory consumer protections applicable where you live.

33.3 If you use a Service wholly or mainly for business purposes, the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction, subject to any specific business agreement.

34. Contact us

Questions concerning these Terms:

Email: help@whitegoodshelp.co.uk

Post:
Whitegoods Help Ltd
4 Calder Close
Calder Park
Wakefield
West Yorkshire
WF4 3BA

Forum reports and complaints should follow section 16.

Defamation and rights complaints should follow section 17.

Find an Engineer reports should identify the relevant business, listing and issue.