Terms, conditions & privacy

Pet examinations

During the grooming process, great care is taken to ensure the health of your pet. We will examine your pet for lumps, bumps and skin conditions before and during the grooming session.

4 Paws Mobile Spa Ltd is not liable for any pre-existing conditions or problems found during grooming. We will inform you of anything we find and advise you if we think a visit to your vet may be necessary.

If your pet has any medical issues, please let us know so that we can take this into account when they visit the spa.

We are happy to use medicated shampoos or apply any products your vet has prescribed. We are also happy to give tablets or administer medication prescribed by your vet. We don’t express anal glands and would advise a visit to the vets should this be necessary.

We will pluck ears if needed, as long as the ear canal doesn’t look inflamed or infected in which case we would advise a visit to your vet.

Pet Health

If your pet is unwell (e.g. vomiting, diarrhoea, kennel cough) please let us know before we are due to visit you. This is both for their own comfort and the safety of our other canine or feline clients. Please advise our staff of any change to your pet’s health or medical condition upon arrival so that we may update their file.

Our insurance

We have full Public Liability Insurance. Full details are available on request.

De-matting Fur or Hair

We will not brush out matting as it may cause pain to your pet. Matted fur or hair on your dog or cat may result in us having to clip close to the skin. Removing a heavily matted coat increases the risk of nicks, cuts, or abrasions due to warts, moles, or skin folds trapped in the mats. Heavy matting can also trap moisture near the pet’s skin allowing mould, fungus, or bacteria to grow, revealing skin irritations that existed prior to the grooming process.

After effects of matt removal procedures can include itchiness, skin redness, self-inflicted irritations or abrasions. Shaved pets are also prone to sunburn and should have sunscreen applied frequently or should be kept out of the sun until the hair grows sufficiently to protect the skin. It is our policy to clip off a dog's coat only once in order to make the pet comfortable and to start re-building the coat. De-matting can be painful for your pet and unpleasant for both pet and groomer alike. After the clipping process, you should be able to maintain your pet’s coat between grooming appointments. 4 Paws Mobile Spa Ltd reserves the right to refuse grooming if your pet becomes heavily matted again after the initial de-matting.

Pets with heavy matting will have to be shaved. You agree that 4 Paws Mobile Spa will not be held responsible for any side effects this may cause.

You agree to pay all costs for grooming the dog or cat, including the extra cost of de-matting (we charge from £10 extra for matted pets) whether or not we are able to complete the work.

Fleas

Please note that pets with fleas cannot be accepted. If your pet has fleas, please treat them prior to the Mobile Spa visiting you. Should your pet have an infestation which is discovered after the groom has started a flea surcharge of £25 for dogs and cats will apply. (This covers the cost of bathing your dog using an insecticidal shampoo and thorough cleansing and disinfecting of the Mobile Spa).

Cancellations / Missed Appointments / Unable to Park

In the event of missed appointments or no shows a charge of 100% of the grooming fee will be payable. The same charge will apply if we are unable to park outside your house or if there is any reason beyond our control which prevents us from completing the groom.

If you do need to cancel, please notify us during office hours (our office working hours are Monday to Friday 9.00 - 17.00, and please be aware that emails and voice messages are not monitored outside these hours). If notice of cancellation is received less than one full working day before the appointed time, 100% of the grooming fee will be payable and if notice is received between one and two full working days prior to the appointed time, 50% of the grooming fee will be payable. If an appointment is made less than one working day in advance it will not be cancellable without payment of the full grooming fee.

We take a £20 deposit for each pet to secure the appointment. The deposit is non-refundable, this is the case with moving or cancelling the appointment.

If your cat is due to be groomed by us, please keep the cat securely in the house until we arrive. We will charge for a missed appointment if your cat has been let out.

The size of our Mobile Spas can be seen on our website (www.4pawsmobilespa.com then click on ‘About’). The dog spas are 6 metres in length and need to be plugged into a power supply. We use cables 5 – 8 metres long and we cannot plug into your extension leads as they trip our electrics. The Cat Spas are smaller and carry their own power supply.

We will empty the waste water on the ground after the bath, this is a small amount of water (less than washing your car) and with no harmful chemicals.

Please call us if you need to change your booking. We will always try and fit in with you. If the parking outside your address is in a paid parking zone and you are unable to provide us with either a residents parking permit or pre-paid parking card, the cost of any parking will be added to the cost of the groom. We cannot park illegally.

Our staff

Our number one priority is your pet’s welfare. We all love animals and have many years of experience in their care and wellbeing. 4 Paws Mobile Spa Ltd reserves the right to refuse to groom aggressive or difficult pets or those with behaviour problems. You must inform us if your pet is known to be aggressive or has ever bitten anyone. We are able to handle difficult pets, but only if we are aware and prepared. If a dog or cat is very traumatized or stressed during the grooming process, we will stop the service and recommend you speak to your vet about medication to help calm your pet so he or she can be groomed safely. If sedation is needed, we are happy to work alongside your vet. Please let us know ahead of time so we can co-ordinate the process. Your pet’s welfare is always our priority.

Grooming procedures can sometimes be stressful, especially for a senior pet or a pet with health problems. Grooming may expose hidden medical conditions or aggravate existing ones during or after the grooming process. Because stressed pets and pets with health problems have a much greater chance of injury, these pets will be groomed for cleanliness and comfort, in styles that will not add to their stress.

If we need to stop the groom because the pet is too stressed or behaving too aggressively, the full grooming fee will still be payable.

Health & Safety

We are unable to groom extra large dogs, as all our groomers work on their own. We are unable to have clients in the spa vans during the groom as we are not covered by insurance. Our insurance also does not cover us for illegal breeds, or dogs crossed with illegal breeds and Chow Chows or Mastiff.

Aggressive Pets

If your pet bites or injures a member of 4 Paws’ staff before, during or after their grooming appointment, you will be liable for any costs incurred by the company including any staff sick leave resulting from their injuries. Under UK law, the owner of a dog is responsible for their actions. Please let us know at the time of booking if your pet has any behavioural issues.

Helpful hints

Before the Mobile Spa visits you, please allow your dog to go to the toilet. Although we realise accidents do happen, we like the pets to feel relaxed in the Mobile Spa.

Appointments

We plan our day’s appointments very carefully but there are times when we can arrive a little earlier or later than the appointed time. This depends on how straightforward previous grooms have been and how well behaved the dogs or cats prior to your appointment have been. It is also dependent on traffic. Therefore, the times we give are approximate. Please be available for the hand overs at the beginning and end of the groom. Please let the groomer know on arrival how you would like your dog or cat groomed (length, style etc.). At the end of the session the groomer will hand your pet back and ask if you are happy with the groom. If you would like anything changed, please let the groomer know at the time of the groom as we are not able to revisit for alterations.

Safety

Please provide a secure and safe cat carrier for your cat to be transported to and from the Mobile Spa. We are unable to groom any cats who are not presented in a secure carrier. Please make sure your dog’s leads, harnesses and collars are secure and fitted correctly. They need to be secure to walk the dog to and from the Mobile Spa.

Payment

We accept debit cards and all major credit cards. We no longer accept cheques or cash. We take card details over the phone at time of booking with a £20 non-refundable deposit per pet. We will not process the full payment until the groom has been completed. Your card details are stored on file securely by Adyen or Square, our card service providers. We have no access to sensitive financial information.

Data Protection

Client data will be treated in accordance with current GDPR Regulations and will not be shared with third parties.

Privacy Notice

4 Paws Mobile Spa Ltd is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy notice. We may change this policy from time to time and will update clients should it do so. This notice is effective from 1st August 2021.

What We Collect

We may collect and store the following information:

• Name and Address of Customer.
• Contact information (including phone number and email address).
• Address where we need to groom the pet.
• Pet details including name, breed and age.

What we do with the information we gather

We require certain information to be able to provide you with a better service, and to comply with current legislation. We also use your information to send emails to you about new products, special offers or other information which we think you may find interesting as a pet owner, using the email address which you have provided. We will not provide information we hold to any third party for any purpose. By submitting your personal information, you consent to us using it in accordance with this policy. If you wish us to amend information we hold about you, please call us on 0330 100 1033 or email us on info@4pawsmobilespa.com.

What if I don’t want to hear from 4 Paws Mobile Spa Ltd

You can of course request that we stop contacting you at any time, however, this means you would miss out on information and access to news and events. You can also request that we remove any information we hold about you.

How we handle credit and debit card details

We do not hold or store, nor do we have access to, any credit or debit card details. Any such information is held securely by Adyen or Square, our payment processors.