Terms & Conditions

1. Definitions

The following definitions apply to these Terms and Conditions governing this contract of carriage between you and White Atlas Couriers:

• “We,” “us,” “our”: Refers to White Atlas Couriers, including our employees, agents, and subcontractors.
• “You,” “your”: Refers to the sender, holder of the consignment note, receiver, owner of the contents of the delivery, or any other party with a legal interest in the goods.
• “Carriage”: Includes all operations and services undertaken by us in connection with the transportation and delivery of goods.
• “Goods”: Refers to any envelope, document, package, parcel, or freight item provided to us for carriage.

2. Contracting Party

Your contract is with White Atlas Couriers or any of our subcontractors who accept the goods. We reserve the right to subcontract all or part of the carriage under terms and conditions we determine.

3. Not a Common Carrier

White Atlas Couriers is not a common carrier and reserves the right to:

• Refuse carriage of any item at our discretion.
• Refuse service before or after accepting goods.
• Inspect the contents of any package to verify the nature or condition of the goods, particularly if identifying documents or markings are missing, damaged, or unclear.

4. Acceptance of Terms

By providing goods to White Atlas Couriers, you accept these Terms and Conditions on behalf of yourself or anyone else with an interest in the goods. Our terms cover anyone involved in the collection, transportation, or delivery of your goods. Oral or written instructions that conflict with these Terms and Conditions will not be binding.

5. Delivery Services

5.1 Restricted and Dangerous Goods

We accept certain restricted and dangerous goods only when disclosed by the sender before booking, so we can allocate the appropriate regulated driver and vehicle.

• All dangerous goods, as defined by ADR (road transport) and IATA (air transport), must be disclosed in advance. Unless otherwise agreed, White Atlas Couriers will not accept or carry dangerous goods.
• Where we accept dangerous goods for carriage, they must be classified, packaged, and labelled in accordance with applicable statutory regulations, including ADR and IATA transport laws.
• The sender must provide a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) and any specific handling instructions in writing.
• Only dangerous goods that fall within the small & excepted loads regulations will be accepted.

5.2 Delivery and Collection Times

The time specified for the collection and delivery of the consignment is an estimate and not guaranteed. While White Atlas Couriers will make every reasonable effort to meet the estimated times, we shall not be liable for any delays, nor will any delay constitute a breach of contract, regardless of the cause.

5.3 Loading and Unloading Equipment

The Customer is responsible for providing or arranging any special equipment required for loading or unloading the consignment if it is not carried by the courier’s vehicle. White Atlas Couriers shall not be liable for any delays or additional costs arising from the lack of such equipment at the collection or delivery point.

6. Circumstances Beyond Our Control

We shall not be liable for loss, damage, or delay caused by circumstances beyond our control, including but not limited to:

• Acts of God: Earthquakes, cyclones, storms, flooding, fire, disease, fog, snow, frost.
• Force Majeure Events: War, accidents, acts of public enemies, strikes, embargoes, local disputes, civil commotion.
• Transport Network Disruptions: National or local disruptions in air or ground transportation, mechanical problems, or failures of transport or machinery.
• Latent Defects: Inherent defects or weaknesses in the contents of the goods.
• Acts or Omissions of Third Parties: Including the sender breaching obligations or the carriage of prohibited items accepted by mistake.

7. Liability

Our liability is limited as follows:

• Up to £100 for goods in transit unless additional coverage has been arranged.
• No liability for prohibited or restricted items outlined in Section 9.

8. Exclusions

8.1 Consequential Losses

We shall not be liable for any consequential or special damages or losses (including loss of income, profits, markets, use of contents, or loss of an opportunity) or any other indirect loss arising from the loss, damage, delay, mis-delivery, or non-delivery of your goods, even if we had knowledge that such damages or losses might arise.

8.2 Fragile and Restricted Items

We shall not be liable for damage to glass, fragile items, liquids, foods, or secondhand goods, including but not limited to:

• Car parts
• Ceramics, china, porcelain
• Computer monitors, fossils
• Furniture (including flatpack), glassware
• Lighting, marble, stone
• Musical instruments, plaster, resin
• Televisions (including CRT, LED, LCD, and plasma)
• Perishable items, plants, seeds
• Money, negotiable documents, stamps, tickets, valuables, antiques, precious metals, and gems
• Artwork, film, or any items that by their nature are susceptible to damage or have a market value that is difficult to assess.

Note: These items will only be accepted for carriage at the sender’s risk.

9. Charges

All quoted prices are inclusive of VAT. Charges must be paid in advance unless otherwise agreed.

10. Additional Coverage

If the value of your goods exceeds our liability limits, you may:

• Arrange your own insurance.
• Request a quote for increased liability coverage.

11. Rates and Payment

You agree to pay all charges for carriage between the specified locations, along with any applicable taxes.

12. Claims Procedure

For loss or damage claims:

• Notify White Atlas Couriers within seven working days from the date of carriage.
• Claims received after this period will not be considered.

13. Law and Jurisdiction

This contract of carriage is governed by the laws of England and Wales, and any disputes will be resolved in the courts of England and Wales.

14. Ownership and Authority

The Customer warrants that they are either the owner of the goods in any consignment or have been authorised by the owner to accept these Terms and Conditions on the owner’s behalf.

15. Fraud

White Atlas Couriers shall not, under any circumstances, be liable in respect of a consignment where there has been fraud on the part of the Customer, the owner of the consignment, or any of their agents or representatives.

16. Waiting Time and Cancellation Charges

16.1 Waiting Time Charges

The first 20 minutes of loading or unloading are free. After this period, the following waiting time charges will apply:

• £25.00 + VAT per hour for a small van.
• £30.00 + VAT per hour for larger vans, including LWB transit vans up to XLWB (up to 4.2m).

Waiting time charges for heavy goods vehicles will be decided on a case-by-case basis by White Atlas Couriers.

16.2 Cancellation Charges

• A minimum cancellation charge of £25.00 applies if the booking is cancelled after confirmation.
• If the cancellation occurs after the driver has arrived at the collection point, the charge will be 75% of the invoice total.

17. Undelivered or Unclaimed Goods

17.1 Responsibility for Undelivered Goods

If a delivery cannot be completed due to the recipient being unavailable, incorrect address details, or refusal to accept the goods, White Atlas Couriers will attempt to contact the sender for further instructions. If no instructions are provided within 48 hours:

• The goods may be returned to the sender at their expense, subject to additional transport charges.
• If the sender cannot be contacted, White Atlas Couriers reserves the right to take appropriate action, including disposal or sale of the goods to recover costs.

17.2 Disposal or Sale of Unclaimed Goods

If goods remain undelivered and unclaimed after 48 hours:

• White Atlas Couriers may sell or dispose of the goods to recover any costs associated with transportation, handling, or attempted delivery.
• Any proceeds from the sale, after deducting these costs, will be refunded to the sender (if contactable).

17.3 Disclaimer of Responsibility

White Atlas Couriers does not provide storage or safekeeping for undelivered goods. As part of our operations, we may use subcontracted drivers who are not obligated to store goods beyond the attempted delivery. Goods remain the sender’s responsibility beyond the initial delivery attempt.

18. Data Protection & Confidentiality

• White Atlas Couriers complies with applicable data protection laws, including the UK GDPR.
• We collect and store customer details only for the purpose of fulfilling deliveries and do not share or sell customer information to third parties.
• All data is handled securely, and customers have the right to request data deletion or access to their stored information.

19. Customer Responsibilities

• The sender is responsible for providing accurate delivery details (including full address and contact information).
• White Atlas Couriers is not liable for failed deliveries due to incorrect or incomplete information provided by the sender.
• The sender must ensure that parcels are properly packaged and labelled before collection.

20. Delayed or Missed Collections

While White Atlas Couriers strives to meet all collection times, delays may occur due to traffic conditions, weather, vehicle breakdowns, or other unforeseen events. In such cases:

• We will notify the customer and make reasonable efforts to reschedule the collection at the earliest possible time.
• White Atlas Couriers is not liable for any consequential losses due to a delayed collection.

21. Website Use and Liability

21.1 Information and Suitability

The information provided on the White Atlas Couriers website has not been written to meet specific customer requirements. It is the sole responsibility of the customer to ensure that any booking made online is suitable for their specific requirements. All express or implied warranties in relation to the website are excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.

White Atlas Couriers is not liable for any errors or omissions in the website content, and customers should contact us directly for clarification or further details on services before making a booking.

21.2 Viruses and Security

While White Atlas Couriers makes all reasonable attempts to exclude viruses from the website, we cannot guarantee that the website will be virus-free. The customer acknowledges and agrees that any use of the website shall be at their own risk. We recommend customers use appropriate security measures, such as antivirus software, when accessing the website.

21.3 Ownership and Intellectual Property

Customers have no rights in or to the website. All rights in and to the website, including underlying software, computer codes, and content, are exclusively owned by White Atlas Couriers or licensed to White Atlas Couriers by third-party suppliers.

22. Third Parties, Supervision, Solicitation, and Confidentiality

22.1 Rights of Third Parties

A person who is not a party to this contract has no right under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any term of these conditions, except for those parties to whom White Atlas Couriers has subcontracted its obligations. Subcontractors engaged by White Atlas Couriers are granted the right to exercise and enforce all rights outlined in these conditions.

22.2 Supervision and Control

At no time during the period that White Atlas Couriers is undertaking a booking for the customer is the customer permitted to supervise, direct, or control the manner in which any of White Atlas Couriers’ employees or subcontractors perform the service.

22.3 Solicitation of Employees and Subcontractors

During the continuance of the business relationship with White Atlas Couriers, and for a period of 6 months immediately following the last booking placed by the customer, the customer shall not, directly or indirectly:

• Solicit or offer employment to any of White Atlas Couriers’ employees; or
• Solicit or offer any form of contract for services to any of White Atlas Couriers’ subcontractors who were directly involved in the performance of a contract of carriage during the 6 months immediately preceding the last booking placed by the customer.

22.4 Confidentiality

The payment terms and charges paid to White Atlas Couriers are confidential. The customer shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that such terms remain confidential. The customer may not disclose these terms or make any public announcement regarding the business relationship without prior written agreement from White Atlas Couriers, except where disclosure is required by law or a statutory or regulatory body.

23. Company Name and Trading Name

The registered company name is White Atlas Logistics, and all references to White Atlas Couriers within this document refer to the same entity. White Atlas Couriers is the trading name under which White Atlas Logistics operates its delivery services. For clarity, both names are used interchangeably, and all rights, obligations, and responsibilities outlined in this document apply to the registered entity, White Atlas Logistics.