Terms of service.

1. Parties and engagement

1.1 "Provider" means Alexandra Claire Pineda, doing business as HIREWORKMATE Business Support Services, a DTI-registered and BIR-registered business in the Philippines. "Client" means the person or entity engaging the Provider.

1.2 Every engagement is governed by a signed service agreement, a mutual non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and these terms. Where they conflict, the signed agreement prevails.

1.3 The Provider acts as an independent contractor. Nothing in any engagement creates an employment, partnership or agency relationship. The Provider controls the methods, tools and schedule used to deliver the agreed results.

1.4 Every virtual assistant, specialist or team member placed, matched or supplied through HIREWORKMATE is an independent contractor. They are not employees of HIREWORKMATE or of the Provider, and no employment, joint-employer, partnership or agency relationship exists between them and HIREWORKMATE, or between them and the Client. Contractors set their own methods and tools, are responsible for their own taxes and statutory contributions, and are engaged under the agreed service contract.

2. Scope of services

2.1 Services are limited to the scope, deliverables and hours written in the agreement or approved proposal.

2.2 Requests outside the agreed scope may be quoted as a change order or respectfully declined. The Provider is not obliged to perform out-of-scope work, even if similar to agreed tasks.

2.3 The Provider may decline any request that is unlawful, unethical, unsafe or in breach of a third-party platform’s rules.

3. Fees, invoices and payment

3.1 Payment details are provided on each invoice. Accepted methods include US bank transfer (ACH or wire), Wise, PayPal, Remitly and direct bank transfer. Transfer, conversion and platform fees are paid by the Client.

3.2 Virtual assistant services require a security deposit or one month’s fees in advance before work begins, followed by invoices on the agreed billing cycle.

3.3 Website, CRM, automation and mobile app projects are billed 50% before work begins and 50% on completion, before final launch or handover. The initial 50% is non-refundable once work has started.

3.4 Invoices are due on the date stated on the invoice, or within seven (7) days of issue if no date is stated.

3.5 Late payment: If any amount remains unpaid after its due date, the Client is considered delinquent and agrees to pay a late fee of three percent (3%) of the overdue amount for each calendar day it remains unpaid, in addition to the unpaid balance. The Client agrees this fee is a reasonable, pre-agreed charge for the administrative cost, reserved capacity and lost opportunity caused by late payment.

3.6 The Provider may pause or suspend all work, access and deliverables while any invoice is overdue. Deadlines are extended by the length of any suspension.

3.7 The ₱500 booking discount offered with a discovery call is applied once, as a stated line in the contract price of the first engagement. It is not shown on invoices unless it appears in the signed contract, has no cash value and cannot be combined with other offers.

3.8 Prices quoted in foreign currencies are estimates based on mid-market rates. The amount on the invoice is final.

3.9 Initiating a chargeback or payment dispute without first raising the issue in writing with the Provider is a breach of these terms. Any resulting fees and losses are charged to the Client.

3.10 Renewals: Website packages include domain, hosting and technical support for the term stated in the proposal (one year, or two years where a promotion applies). After that term, domain, hosting and technical support renew annually at the Provider’s published renewal rate for the package: ₱9,000 per year for Launch, ₱12,000 per year for Scale and ₱18,000 per year for Dominate. Renewal invoices are issued about thirty (30) days before the term ends and are due before it expires. If renewal is not paid, the Provider may suspend the website, email and technical support, and is not responsible for loss of the domain or content after expiry. Renewal rates may change with sixty (60) days’ written notice, and third-party domain, hosting and platform price changes may be passed through.

4. 14-day free replacement guarantee (VA services only)

4.1 The guarantee applies only to virtual assistant services. It does not apply to websites, CRM, automation, mobile apps, consultancy, discovery work, professional email setup, managed teams or any project-based service.

4.2 If the virtual assistant selected for the Client is not the right fit during the first fourteen (14) calendar days from the VA service start date, HIREWORKMATE will provide a replacement at no additional replacement fee.

4.3 To use the guarantee, the Client must request a replacement in writing to support@hireworkmate.com within the fourteen (14) days, stating what was not the right fit so the right match can be found.

4.4 The Provider will source and present replacement candidates as soon as reasonably possible, typically within the standard sourcing window of seven (7) to fourteen (14) business days. The replacement continues the engagement on the same agreed terms.

4.5 Fees for the days worked by the original virtual assistant remain payable. The guarantee provides a replacement, not a refund, and the original deposit or advance payment is carried over to the replacement engagement.

4.6 The guarantee may be used once per engagement. It does not apply if the Client has breached these terms, failed to provide access, instructions or timely feedback, been unresponsive, requested work outside the agreed scope, treated the virtual assistant disrespectfully, or has an overdue invoice.

4.7 Terms and conditions apply. Where the guarantee conflicts with the signed service agreement, the signed agreement prevails.

5. Client responsibilities

5.1 The Client provides timely access, accurate information, content and approvals. Delays caused by the Client extend timelines and do not reduce fees.

5.2 The Client confirms it has the rights to all materials, data and accounts it provides, and is responsible for its own legal, tax and regulatory compliance and for the licenses of third-party tools it uses.

5.3 The Client will communicate respectfully and professionally with the Provider and the Provider’s contractors.

5.4 Required materials: The Client must provide all assets, content and access needed for the work (for example logos, brand guidelines, photos, copy, product or service details, logins, domain and hosting access, and third-party account access) within the time stated in the agreement, or within five (5) business days of the Provider’s request if no time is stated.

5.5 Feedback and approvals: The Client must give feedback or approval within three (3) business days of each delivery or review request. If no response is received within five (5) business days, the delivery is treated as approved.

5.6 Client delays: Every day of delay by the Client in providing materials, access, feedback or approvals extends the delivery timeline by the same number of days. The Provider’s production slot may be reassigned during a delay. If the project is delayed by the Client for more than ten (10) business days, it is placed on hold and resumes at the Provider’s next available slot. A reasonable restart fee may apply.

5.7 Final payment is not delayed by Client delay: Final payment is due on completion of the work that can be completed with the materials and access provided. If the Provider has completed that work and the project is waiting on the Client for more than fourteen (14) days, the Provider may invoice the final payment, which is due within seven (7) days of the invoice. The project is then treated as complete for payment purposes, and any remaining work is delivered after payment on a rescheduled basis. The Client may not withhold or postpone final payment because of delays the Client caused.

5.8 Placeholder content and changes: Where materials are missing, the Provider may use placeholder content so work can continue. Revisions caused by late, incomplete or changed materials, or by a change of direction after approval, are quoted as a change order.

5.9 Third parties: The Provider is not responsible for delays caused by third parties, including domain registrars, hosting and DNS providers, payment gateways, app store reviews, platform approvals and the Client’s own vendors or team members.

5.10 Extended hold: If a project remains on hold for more than thirty (30) days because of the Client, the Provider may close it. All fees for work performed become due, any deposit or advance payment is non-refundable, and the Provider is not obliged to keep project files beyond sixty (60) days after closure.

6. Provider’s right to decline, suspend or terminate

6.1 The Provider may decline, suspend or terminate services immediately by written notice if the Client:

1. is disrespectful, abusive, harassing or discriminatory toward the Provider or its contractors;
2. fails to coordinate, respond or provide what is needed for five (5) consecutive business days;
3. fails to pay any invoice, including the final payment, on time;
4. requests work outside the agreed scope and refuses a change order; or
5. requests anything unlawful, unethical or in breach of platform rules.

6.2 On termination under 6.1, all fees for work performed and time reserved to date become immediately due, and any security deposit or advance payment is forfeited to the Provider to cover committed time and costs.

6.3 Either party may end an ongoing VA engagement for convenience with fourteen (14) days’ written notice. Without notice, the security deposit is forfeited.

7. Ownership and portfolio use

7.1 Ownership of final deliverables passes to the Client only after full payment, including any final payment invoiced under clause 5.7. Until then, the Provider retains all rights, and may withhold source files, logins and transfers.

7.2 The Provider keeps ownership of its pre-existing tools, templates, code snippets, prompts and know-how, and grants the Client a license to use them within the delivered work.

7.3 Unless the NDA prohibits it, the Provider may list the Client’s name and show non-confidential work in its portfolio.

8. Confidentiality and data

8.1 Both parties keep each other’s confidential information private during and after the engagement, as set out in the NDA.

8.2 The Provider handles personal data in line with the Philippine Data Privacy Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10173). The Client is responsible for having a lawful basis to share any personal data with the Provider.

9. Non-solicitation

9.1 During the engagement and for twelve (12) months after, the Client will not directly hire or engage any contractor introduced by the Provider without the Provider’s written consent. If it does, the Client agrees to pay a placement fee equal to three (3) months of that contractor’s fees.

10. Limitation of liability

10.1 The Provider’s total liability for any claim is limited to the fees paid by the Client in the thirty (30) days before the claim for VA services, or the fees paid for the specific project for project work.

10.2 The Provider is not liable for indirect or consequential losses, lost profits or data, or for outages, policy changes, bans or errors of third-party platforms, hosting providers, AI tools or software.

10.3 AI-assisted output is reviewed before delivery, but the Client is responsible for final approval of content published or sent in its name.

11. Force majeure

11.1 Neither party is liable for delays caused by events beyond reasonable control, including natural disasters, power or internet outages, illness or government action. Timelines are extended accordingly.

12. General

12.1 These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of the Philippines. Disputes are first addressed in good-faith discussion, then before the proper courts of the Philippines.

12.2 The Provider may update these terms. The version in force when an agreement is signed applies to that agreement.

12.3 Questions about these terms can be sent to support@hireworkmate.com.