Terms of service

GOLD DOT MEDIA

TERMS OF SERVICE

Effective Date: 13 November 2026

Welcome to Gold Dot Media.

These Terms of Service govern the provision of website design and development services offered by Gold Dot Media. By purchasing a service, accepting a quotation or engaging Gold Dot Media, you agree to the terms outlined below.

Our goal is to make establishing an online presence straightforward, accessible and professional for small businesses.

1. Our Services

Gold Dot Media specialises in Shopify website design and development for small businesses.

Our services may include:

Personalised Shopify store design.
Shopify store setup and configuration.
Product uploads and product organisation.
Payment gateway integration.
Email hosting setup.
Basic website structure and navigation.
Other services specifically agreed upon in a quotation or package description.

The exact services included in each project will be determined by the package purchased or the written quotation accepted by the client.

Any service not specifically included in the agreed package or quotation will be considered additional work and may incur additional charges.

2. Payment Terms

Gold Dot Media operates on a full upfront payment basis.

100% payment is required before any project work commences.
We do not offer deposit arrangements or instalment payment options.
Payment must be successfully received and confirmed before a project is scheduled.
Prices and package inclusions will be communicated before purchase.
Additional services or work outside the agreed scope will be quoted separately.

By making payment, the client confirms acceptance of the agreed package, pricing and project requirements.

3. Project Commencement and Timelines

Projects will be scheduled once full payment has been received and all necessary information and access requirements have been provided.

Estimated project completion timelines will be communicated to the client before or at the commencement of the project.

Timelines may be affected by:

Delays in receiving content or business information.
Delayed client feedback or approvals.
Missing product information or images.
Third-party platform issues or technical interruptions.
Additional requests outside the original project scope.

Gold Dot Media will communicate any significant delays and revised timelines to the client.

4. Client Responsibilities

Clients are responsible for providing accurate and complete information necessary for the successful completion of their website.

This may include:

Business name and contact information.
Company logo and branding materials.
Product names, descriptions and pricing.
Product images.
Website content and business information.
Domain and Shopify account access.
Payment gateway account information.
Any other information reasonably required to complete the project.

Clients must ensure that all content, images, logos and materials supplied to Gold Dot Media are owned by them or that they have the necessary rights and permissions to use them.

Gold Dot Media will not be responsible for delays or errors resulting from inaccurate, incomplete or incorrect information supplied by the client.

5. Project Scope and Additional Requests

Each project is limited to the services and deliverables specified in the purchased package or accepted quotation.

Any requests that extend beyond the original agreed scope may require additional payment.

Examples include:

Additional product uploads beyond the agreed allowance.
Additional website pages.
Custom functionality.
Additional integrations.
Major layout or design changes.
Additional development work.
Further configuration of third-party applications.

Gold Dot Media will communicate any additional costs before proceeding with such work.

No additional work will be undertaken without the client's approval.

6. Design Approval and Revisions

Gold Dot Media aims to deliver websites that reflect each client's brand identity and business requirements.

Clients are expected to review designs, layouts and website content and provide feedback within a reasonable timeframe.

The number of revisions included will be determined by the purchased package or written quotation.

Major changes requested after an approved design direction may be treated as additional work.

Clients are responsible for checking and approving all website content, product information, pricing, images and business details before final handover.

7. Shopify and Third-Party Services

Gold Dot Media uses Shopify and other third-party services to provide website design and development solutions.

These may include:

Shopify subscriptions.
Payment gateways.
Domain providers.
Email hosting providers.
Shopify applications and integrations.
External software and services.

Clients acknowledge that these services are operated by independent third-party providers.

Gold Dot Media is not responsible for:

Third-party service outages or interruptions.
Changes to third-party pricing or subscription plans.
Changes to platform features or functionality.
Payment gateway approval or account verification.
Third-party application compatibility issues outside our control.
Account suspensions or restrictions imposed by external providers.

Clients are responsible for maintaining their own subscriptions and paying any recurring third-party fees.

8. Payment Gateway Configuration

Where payment gateway integration is included in a package, Gold Dot Media will assist with the agreed setup and configuration.

However, approval of payment gateway accounts, merchant verification and ongoing payment processing are controlled by the relevant payment provider.

Clients are responsible for:

Supplying accurate business and banking information.
Completing required verification procedures.
Meeting the payment provider's requirements.
Maintaining their payment gateway accounts.

Gold Dot Media cannot guarantee approval by a payment gateway or resolve account restrictions imposed by the provider.

9. Website Ownership and Intellectual Property

Upon completion of the project, final payment confirmation and handover, the client will own the rights to the custom website design deliverables created specifically for their project, subject to any applicable third-party licences and intellectual property rights.

Gold Dot Media retains ownership of its pre-existing materials, proprietary processes, reusable design resources, tools and development methods.

Third-party themes, applications, images, fonts, software and other licensed materials remain subject to their respective owners' licensing terms.

Clients are responsible for ensuring that all materials supplied to Gold Dot Media do not infringe the intellectual property rights of another person or business.

10. Website Handover and Access

Once the agreed project has been completed, Gold Dot Media will arrange the handover of the website and relevant access details.

The client is responsible for maintaining secure access to their Shopify account, domain accounts, email accounts and other connected services.

Clients should update passwords and review account permissions following handover.

Gold Dot Media will not be responsible for unauthorised access resulting from compromised client credentials, weak passwords or security issues outside our reasonable control.

Any ongoing maintenance, updates, technical support or additional development after handover must be agreed upon separately unless expressly included in the purchased package.

11. Website Content and Legal Compliance

Clients are responsible for ensuring that their website and business operations comply with applicable laws and regulations.

This includes, where applicable:

Privacy policies.
Terms and conditions.
Refund and returns policies.
Consumer protection requirements.
Product descriptions and advertising claims.
Required business disclosures.
Copyright and intellectual property requirements.
Data protection obligations.

Gold Dot Media provides website design and technical configuration services and does not provide legal, tax, accounting or regulatory advice.

Clients are responsible for reviewing and approving their website's policies and business content before making their websites publicly available.

12. Privacy and Confidentiality

Gold Dot Media respects the privacy and confidentiality of its clients.

Information and business materials supplied during a project will be used only for purposes reasonably necessary to provide the agreed services, subject to applicable legal requirements.

Clients must provide only the account access and personal information necessary for the project.

Where Gold Dot Media processes personal information on behalf of a client, the parties must comply with applicable data protection requirements, including the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), and agree on any additional operator terms required by law.

13. Limitation of Responsibility

Gold Dot Media will exercise reasonable care and professional skill when delivering its services.

However, we do not guarantee:

A specific level of website traffic.
Sales, revenue or business growth.
Search engine rankings.
Payment gateway approval.
Continuous availability of Shopify or third-party services.
Specific business results from the website.

Nothing in these terms excludes liability or consumer rights that cannot lawfully be excluded under applicable South African legislation.

14. Project Cancellation and Refunds

All cancellations and refund requests are governed by the Gold Dot Media Refund, Cancellation & Returns Policy.

Clients should refer to that policy for details regarding cancellation requests, refunds, completed projects and applicable consumer rights.

Nothing in these Terms of Service removes any statutory cancellation or refund rights available to consumers.

15. Termination of Services

Gold Dot Media reserves the right to suspend or terminate services where a client:

Provides fraudulent or misleading information.
Requests unlawful or prohibited website content.
Fails to provide essential project information after reasonable requests.
Abuses or threatens Gold Dot Media representatives.
Materially breaches these Terms of Service.

Where appropriate, written notice will be provided and the client will be given a reasonable opportunity to resolve the issue.

Any termination and related financial consequences will be handled in accordance with the applicable agreement and South African law.

16. Changes to These Terms

Gold Dot Media reserves the right to update these Terms of Service when necessary.

Updated terms will be published on the website with a revised effective date.

Changes will not retrospectively alter the terms of an existing project agreement unless legally permitted or agreed upon by the parties.

17. Governing Law

These Terms of Service are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

Any disputes arising from the provision of services will be addressed in accordance with applicable South African legislation.

Nothing in these terms prevents a consumer from exercising any rights available through the appropriate consumer protection or dispute resolution channels.

18. Contact Information

For enquiries regarding these Terms of Service, projects or our services, please contact:

Gold Dot Media

Email: [info@golddotmedia.co.za]

Website: [www.golddotmedia.co.za]