Terms and conditions of sale

Version 0.2 — effective [Legal docs effective date]

1. Who we are

La Ranche ("we", "us") is a food business registered with [Registering council] Council (food business registration [Food business reg. no.]), operated by [Owner's full legal name], trading from [Business address]. Contact: [email protected]. These terms govern all reservations and purchases made through [Website URL]. They are governed by Scots law, and nothing in them affects your statutory rights as a consumer under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

2. How our drops work

We sell meat in limited batches called "drops". Each drop page states: the boxes available, their target weights and contents, the deposit amount, the minimum number of reservations required for the drop to proceed, the closing date, and the expected delivery window.

3. Reservations and deposits

3.1 Paying a deposit (normally £50) reserves a box in a named drop. A reservation is not yet a purchase of specific goods. 3.2 A drop is "confirmed" when it reaches its stated minimum reservations by the closing date. We will email you when this happens. 3.3 If the minimum is not reached by the closing date, the drop is cancelled and your deposit is refunded in full, automatically, to your original payment method within 14 days.

4. Cancellation and refunds

4.1 Before a drop is confirmed: you may cancel at any time for a full deposit refund, no reason needed. 4.2 After confirmation and before dispatch: you may still cancel. We will refund everything you have paid, less the deposit, which covers our committed costs for your box (our share of the animal, slaughter, and butchery, which we incur once a drop is confirmed). This was agreed by you at checkout. 4.3 Where you have a statutory cooling-off right under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, nothing in these terms reduces it. Cooling-off rights may not apply to perishable goods or goods personalised to your order; where they do apply, they run from delivery, and returned goods must be unused, sealed, and continuously frozen — which for practical purposes we handle under clause 8 (quality issues) instead. 4.4 After dispatch: cancellation is no longer possible, but clause 8 applies to any problems. 4.5 Refunds are made to the original payment method within 14 days of the cancellation or the trigger event.

5. Balance payment

5.1 The balance (box price minus deposit) becomes due when your drop is confirmed, with a due date shown in your account — normally 3 days before dispatch. 5.2 We will remind you by email before and after the due date. 5.3 If the balance remains unpaid 7 days after the scheduled dispatch date despite reminders, we will treat the order as cancelled by you under clause 4.2: the deposit is retained to cover committed costs and the box is released for resale.

6. Contents and weights

6.1 Each box is listed as a cut list. The counted cuts shown (for example "2 ribeye, 1 sirloin roast") are what we promise. Individual cut weights, and the bulk items given as approximate weights (mince, burgers, sausages), vary because each animal is different — the total box weight is a target and may vary by up to ±10%. Your account shows your box's actual packed contents — the real cuts and weights — before dispatch. 6.2 Where a counted cut we listed is unavailable from the animal, we will either substitute a cut of equal or greater value or refund the value of the missing cut, and we will tell you which.

7. Delivery and collection

7.1 Options: insulated frozen courier delivery (charge stated at checkout) or free collection at the stated location and slots. 7.2 You are responsible for providing a correct address and being available (or nominating a safe recipient) during the delivery window we notify. 7.3 Risk in the goods passes to you on delivery or collection. Frozen goods must go into a freezer promptly; we are not responsible for deterioration after successful delivery. 7.4 If a courier delivery fails because the address was incorrect or nobody was available, we will arrange one redelivery; because the goods are perishable, we cannot guarantee their condition after a failed first attempt caused by the above, and any further remedy is at our reasonable discretion. 7.5 If delivery fails due to our or our courier's error, we will replace or refund in full. 7.6 Collection orders not collected within the stated slots and 7 days thereafter, despite reminders, are treated as cancelled by you under clause 4.2.

8. Quality and problems

8.1 Goods must match their description and be of satisfactory quality. If anything is wrong — damaged packaging, thawed contents, missing items, quality concerns — email us within 48 hours of delivery/collection with photos. 8.2 We will offer, at your choice where the law provides it, a replacement, a partial refund, or a full refund. 8.3 Storage after delivery: keep frozen at -18°C or below; once defrosted, use within 24 hours and do not refreeze.

9. Sourcing

While our own herd is established, meat is sourced from established Scottish water buffalo herds and processed by licensed, approved butchers. Batch traceability is maintained for every box. Details of current sourcing partners are published on our website.

10. Changes, events outside our control

10.1 Drop dates may shift for reasons such as abattoir or butchery scheduling. We will notify you promptly; if a shift exceeds 21 days, you may cancel for a full refund including deposit. 10.2 If we must cancel a confirmed drop (e.g. supply failure, disease restrictions), everything you have paid, including the deposit, is refunded in full within 14 days.

11. Liability

Nothing in these terms excludes liability we cannot exclude by law (including for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or under food safety law). Otherwise our liability per order is limited to the amount you paid for that order. We are not liable for losses caused by inaccurate information you provided.

12. General

These terms are version-numbered; the version you agreed to at checkout applies to your order. Disputes: contact us first — we're a small business and we fix things. Otherwise, Scottish courts, Scots law. You may also use the EU/UK ODR or Trading Standards routes available to consumers.