Payment Obligations, Renewals, and Cancellations
1. Website Development Payment Obligations:

A down payment is required to begin development of the client’s website. This is usually 50% of the upfront fee, unless an alternative contract or proposal specifies a different amount. The outstanding balance on the website is due after the design, navigation and pages have been approved and built. Final payment is due regardless of whether all content for the pages has been sent by the client. This provision is in place to encourage the client to submit content promptly so that the site can go live. It also ensures that A + L Development, LLC. is compensated for performing their duty under the proposal, despite tardy content from the client. After payment, A + L Development, LLC. will still post outstanding content AT NO CHARGE for three (3) months. 

After the three months have expired, content posted to the client’s site will be billable at A+L Development’s current regular hourly rate. 

If design and navigation changes are requested by the client after they have been specifically approved by the client, these changes will be billable at A+L Development’s current regular hourly rate.

2. Website Development Cancellation:

If site design and development work has already begun (such as creating a design concept), then the down payment is non-refundable. A + L Development, LLC. may elect at its sole discretion to offer a partial refund depending upon the circumstances.

3. Plugins, Software and Stock Photography Payment Obligations:

Stock photography includes most photos and/or images not provided by the client. 

WordPress plugins are pieces of software that contain functions or services that are added to a website. Common examples of this include e-commerce plugins to allow for processing monetary transactions.   

Plugins, additional software and stock photography purchased on behalf of clients for use in website development are billable. This amount is separate from the amount quoted for website design and development. Some pictures and software are more expensive than others, in which case we will solicit client approval and communicate the cost before purchasing.

 
4. Description of Ongoing Costs:

A+L Development, LLC. offers two main ongoing services for clients: web hosting and maintenance.

  • Hosting: This cost recurs annually. Hosting places the website on a server connected to the web, which allows the client to post a website for viewing through a browser. While clients are NOT required to host through A+L Development, LLC., hosting through A+L is strongly encouraged to ensure proper security, maintenance and functionality of the client’s site. Hosting comes with five (5) GB bandwidth per month, storage space, database, security tools and other features to be stipulated in the scope of work. Projects that involve custom programming may need to be hosted with A + L Development, LLC. or another custom server such as Amazon AWS or Azure to ensure the programs that A+L writes will work. Should the client wish to host their site on another server, the client MUST disclose this information before A+L Development, LLC. begins programming to ensure proper functionality of the site.
  • Hosting Renewal Payment Obligations: Client’s hosting account will be automatically renewed unless written notice is submitted to A + L Development, LLC. fifteen (15) days before the renewal date.
  • Hosting Cancellation Payment Obligations: Client may cancel at any time. Should cancellation occur before the first thirty (30) days from the opening of the account, please refer to the details under “Limited 30-day Money Back Guarantee.” If cancellation occurs after the first thirty (30) days, client will be obligated to pay all fees and charges accrued prior to the effective date of the cancellation. A + L Development, LLC. will refund the prepaid fees for basic hosting for the full months remaining after the effective date of the cancellation, less any prior fees and charges, and an early cancellation fee of $25. Accounts that are terminated by A + L Development, LLC. for abuse or violations of internet standards or these terms and conditions will not receive any refund. All cancellations must be received in writing according to the deadlines indicated; regular mail and e-mail are acceptable. Phone requests will not constitute acceptance of any cancellation. Refunds will be issued within ten (10) business days from cancellation date.
  • Hosting Transfer Payment Obligations: If client wishes to transfer hosting to or from another provider, A + L Development, LLC. can assist with this upon request. There may be charges related to any transfer that cannot be easily facilitated by providing cpanel access and/or ftp access.
  • Limited 30-day Money Back Guarantee on Hosting: If the client is not completely satisfied with A+L Development, LLC.’s services within the first 30 days from the opening of the account, a refund will be issued for your hosting fee, excluding setup fees and time accrued from setup date. If client’s account has been cancelled by A+L Development, LLC. due to a breach of the terms and conditions on your part, you will not be eligible for a refund.
  • Sites NOT Hosted by A + L: Should client decide to host their site on another server, A + L Development, LLC. cannot guarantee that all elements of the site will work. A + L Development, LLC. will make a reasonable effort to research the problem on the foreign platform to let the client know what we think the problem is. However, we cannot take responsibility for problems caused by or on another hosting server, including but not limited to email, FTP, SSL, database, server software, and site security issues. If A + L Development, LLC. believes it will take a significant amount of time to fix the problem, we will advise the client before proceeding. In most cases, fixing problems on a foreign hosting server is a billable service.
  • Maintenance: A+L Development, LLC. strongly recommends a maintenance plan to keep the website up to date with the latest plugins and security patches. WordPress websites should be updated every one (1) to four (4) months. If the website is on a custom web server such as Amazon AWS or Azure, then A+L Development, LLC. recommends monthly maintenance to keep the operating system up to date with latest software upgrades. Maintenance can also include minor updates to the website as needed.
  • Maintenance Plan Options: Maintenance plans are prepaid at the start of each maintenance period. The total number of hours for each plan shall be agreed between the client and A+L Development, LLC. In the event that the required maintenance exceeds the contracted amount agreed upon by the client and A+L Development, LLC., the client shall be billed at the standard hourly rate for any and all additional services.
    • Monthly: Monthly maintenance plan payments are due on the first of each month for work to be completed during that month.
    • Quarterly: Quarterly maintenance plan payments are due on the first of each quarter for work to be completed during that quarter.
    • Annual: Annual maintenance plan payments are due at the beginning of each annual payment cycle (date to be agreed upon by the client and A+L Development, LLC.) for work to be completed that year.
  • Domain name registration/renewal: This cost recurs annually. Domain name registration gives the client exclusive rights to a certain name, such as www.my-business.com, for web-based purposes. A+L Development, LLC. can assist with registering a domain name if needed.
Training and Tutorials

Our projects include a one-time complimentary training session in order for our clients to better make use of their new web technology. Additional training hours can be purchased at our standard hourly rate or applied against your existing maintenance contract.

DNS Management

DNS management and troubleshooting tasks are billable at our hourly rate.