Terms of Service

Last Updated: October 2026

Welcome to greatwebsites.com.au (referred to in these Terms as "Our Website"). Our Website and our web design, development, and management services are owned and operated by Great Websites (ABN: 72 369 135 438) ("we", "us", "our").

By accessing or using Our Website, engaging our business, or subscribing to our services, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree with any part of these Terms, you must immediately cease using both Our Website and our services.

For clarity across these Terms:

  • "Client" (also referred to as "you", "your") refers to any individual, business, entity, or authorised representative engaging Great Websites for services or subscribing to any of our website packages or maintenance plans.

  • "Subscription" refers to the recurring billing arrangement (monthly or annual) paid by the Client to Great Websites. This fee encompasses both the initial design and development work (including design fees, layout builds, and setup) as well as continuous hosting, maintenance, security updates, technical support, and the operational licence for the Client Website.

  • "Our Website" refers specifically to greatwebsites.com.au and any associated digital channels owned and operated by Great Websites.

  • "Client Website" refers to any website, design mockup, code, or digital asset that we build, host, design, or manage under a service agreement or subscription for a Client.

1. Scope & Use of Platforms

1.1 Use of Our Website

  • You agree to use Our Website only for lawful purposes and in a manner that does not infringe the rights of, restrict, or inhibit anyone else's use and enjoyment of the platform.

  • You must not attempt to breach Our Website's security, introduce malicious code or viruses, or scrape data from Our Website.

1.2 Use of Client Websites

  • As a Client, you are solely responsible for all content, activities, and compliance with applicable laws on the Client Website managed under the associated account subscription.

  • Client Websites must strictly comply with Section 5 (Acceptable Use & Prohibited Content).

2. Payments, Late Fees, and Refund Policy

  • Change-of-Mind Window: Approval of the design concept applies to the initial homepage mockup, which establishes the core style, typography, and layout direction for the Client Website. Once the homepage mockup has been accepted, you have twenty-four (24) hours from the time of acceptance to request a refund for change of mind. After this 24-hour window expires, all payments are non-refundable for change of mind, client-led project cancellations, or changes in Client business circumstances, as resources and scheduling are allocated immediately.

  • Late Payments and Suspension: If a subscription payment remains unpaid past its due date, we will issue a written notice via email. If payment is not received within five (5) business days from the date of that notice, we reserve the right to suspend services and take the Client Website offline.

  • Data Retention Post-Suspension: We will retain a secure backup of the Client Website files for fourteen (14) days following a suspension. During this time, the subscription may be reactivated by settling all outstanding fees, or a handover package of available files may be requested (subject to the platform limitations outlined in Section 4). Following this 14-day period, stored files may be permanently deleted and the Client Website erased.

  • Third-Party Apps and Payment Processor Fees: Payments made to Great Websites cover our services only and do not include any fees or subscription costs associated with third-party software, integrations, plugins, or platforms (such as HubSpot, Cliniko, Acuity, or similar tools). The Client is solely responsible for setting up, maintaining, and paying for all third-party software subscriptions required for business operations. Additionally, fees charged by third-party payment processors (such as Stripe, Square, or PayPal) or bank charges incurred on transactions made through the Client Website are not included.

  • Australian Consumer Law Guarantees: Nothing in these Terms limits, excludes, or modifies any statutory consumer guarantees or rights a Client holds under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) or any other applicable Australian legislation. If our services fail to meet a consumer guarantee, the Client is entitled to a remedy in accordance with the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).

3. Domain Name Registration

  • If requested during onboarding, Great Websites will register a .com or .com.au domain name on behalf of the Client, up to the value of AUD $30 per year. Domains require annual renewal and the associated fees are included in the Client's Great Websites subscription plan.

  • If a subscription is cancelled, we will initiate the transfer of the domain name to the Client. Following the transfer, the Client will be solely responsible for managing domain registration, configuring DNS settings, and covering all associated renewal costs.

  • Certain domain registrars or top-level domain authorities impose dynamic administrative or registry transfer fees. Any fees associated with transferring, releasing, or migrating the domain name to an external registrar or account must be paid in full by the Client.

4. Subscription Cancellation

A Client may request to cancel a subscription at any time by emailing hello@greatwebsites.com.au. If a cancellation is requested during the first month of service, it will take effect at the end of that initial billing cycle. To prevent unauthorised account changes, cancellation requests must be made from the primary email address associated with the Client account. We will contact the Client within one (1) business day to confirm the request and require the selection of one of two options:

Option A: Transfer Account Ownership (Keep the Site Live)

Choose this option if the Client Website is to be kept live and managed independently.

  • Account Transfer: We will initiate the transfer of the Client Website's administrator login and platform ownership within five (5) business days. This timeframe excludes any processing delays caused by third-party platform providers or domain registrars.

  • As-Is Handover: Once ownership is transferred, Great Websites revokes its access, terminates all technical support, and will not provide platform training or troubleshooting.

Option B: Disconnect the Website Completely (Close the Site)

Choose this option if the Client Website is to be taken permanently offline.

  • File Export: Within five (5) business days of confirmation, we will deliver a downloadable link containing raw content files of the Client Website (including copy, media assets, and platform-supported data exports).

  • Dynamic Disclaimer: Because the Client Website is built on a dynamic third-party Content Management System (such as Squarespace), it is technically impossible to export a fully functioning, editable copy of the visual design, backend styling, or interactive features (such as forms or checkouts). We provide a static content archive only.

General Terms Governing All Cancellations

  • Domain Transfers: Upon cancellation, we will initiate the transfer of the domain name. The Client must accept this transfer within thirty (30) days and cover any associated domain transfer fees charged by third-party registrars. If the Client fails to accept the transfer within thirty (30) days, Great Websites reserves the right to let the domain registration lapse, and we accept no liability for the loss of the domain.

  • Costs & Liability: Following a cancellation request, the Client assumes sole financial and administrative responsibility for all ongoing hosting, domain renewals, and platform subscription fees. Great Websites is not liable for any third-party transfer fees, post-transfer formatting bugs, broken features, or the technical performance of Client Website files on alternative hosting environments.

5. Acceptable Use & Prohibited Content

We reserve the absolute right to refuse service, cancel active projects, or decline business with any individual, group, or entity that we deem, in our sole discretion, to be operating dishonestly, engaging in deceptive marketing practices, misleading consumers, or bringing Great Websites into disrepute.

Furthermore, we strictly prohibit the use of Our Website, our services, or any Client Website hosted, built, or managed by us to contain, promote, or link to:

  • Pornography or sexually explicit, adult-oriented material.

  • Violence, incitement to violence, or the glorification of harm against individuals or animals.

  • Hate speech, discrimination, harassment, defamation, or vilification based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or age.

  • Illegal activities, fraud, scams, pyramid schemes, or any content that violates Australian or international laws.

6. Right to Refuse or Terminate Service

  • We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone for any lawful reason at any time.

  • If we discover a breach of Section 5 (Acceptable Use & Prohibited Content) either during a project build or after a Client Website has launched, we reserve the right to immediately terminate the business relationship, halt all work, and withdraw technical support without prior notice. In these instances, to the extent permitted by law, no refunds will be issued for work in progress or completed.

7. Intellectual Property (IP) Ownership

To ensure complete clarity, IP ownership is strictly divided between Our Website, Client-Provided Materials, and the Client Website Build:

7.1 Intellectual Property of Our Website & Agency Brand

  • All intellectual property rights in Our Website (greatwebsites.com.au), including its text, graphics, logos, branding, original code, design system, and proprietary documentation, belong exclusively to Great Websites. No party may copy, reproduce, or redistribute any part of Our Website without our express written consent.

7.2 Intellectual Property in Client Materials

  • The Client retains full ownership of all text, images, photos, trademarks, logos, brand assets, and proprietary data supplied to us for inclusion on the Client Website ("Client Materials").

  • The Client grants Great Websites a royalty-free, non-exclusive, world-wide licence to use, reproduce, modify, and display the Client Materials solely for the purpose of constructing, operating, maintaining, and marketing Client Websites and our services (e.g., agency portfolio display).

7.3 Intellectual Property in the Client Website Build

  • Exclusive Ownership by Great Websites: Great Websites retains absolute and exclusive ownership of all intellectual property rights, titles, and interests in the Client Website build, including all underlying source code, custom code snippets, design frameworks, reusable template structures, visual layouts, styling architectures, and proprietary tools ("Our IP").

  • Active Subscription Licence: While the Client's subscription is active and fully paid, Great Websites grants the Client a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to view and operate the Client Website as hosted and deployed by us.

  • Post-Cancellation / Handover Rights:

    • If platform ownership is transferred under Section 4 (Option A), the licence to use the deployed visual layout on that specific third-party Content Management System (CMS) remains subject to the underlying platform's terms. The Client acquires no ownership over our underlying code frameworks, proprietary design systems, or template structures.

    • If raw file exports are requested under Section 4 (Option B), rights revert strictly to raw Client Materials and data exports. No rights are acquired by the Client to extract, resell, or duplicate our backend code frameworks, custom components, or visual styling templates on alternative platforms.

8. Third-Party Infrastructure and Services

8.1 Infrastructure for Our Website

Our Website is built and hosted using third-party infrastructure. By using Our Website, you acknowledge that interaction with it is subject to the technical limitations and structural terms imposed by third-party web hosts.

8.2 Infrastructure for Client Websites

Client Websites are constructed and hosted using dynamic third-party Content Management Systems (CMS) and infrastructure (including but not limited to Squarespace). By engaging our services, the Client acknowledges and agrees that:

  • The operation, uptime, and functionality of any Client Website are reliant on third-party service providers.

  • Each Client Website is subject to the terms of service, acceptable use policies, and technical constraints of those third-party providers (e.g., Squarespace Terms of Service).

8.3 Business & Payment Software

  • We utilise payment processing facilities including invoicing and customer communications provided by Stripe. Client interactions with us via these systems are subject to the Stripe Services Agreement.

  • We utilise software and productivity suites provided by Microsoft to manage our business operations and communications. Client interactions with us via these systems are subject to the Microsoft Services Agreement.

  • We may utilise other platforms and software to manage Our Website and communicate with you. By using Our Website or engaging our services, you agree to be bound by the terms and services of any third-party providers utilised by Great Websites.

  • To the maximum extent permitted by law, Great Websites is not liable for any disruptions, technical failures, service outages, or data loss caused by these third-party infrastructure providers on either Our Website or any Client Website.

9. Limitation of Liability

  • "As Is" Basis: Great Websites provides Our Website and all Client Websites on an "as is" and "as available" basis. While we strive for high technical accuracy, security, and uptime, we do not guarantee that Our Website or any Client Website will be entirely error-free, uninterrupted, or free of security vulnerabilities or viruses.

  • Australian Consumer Law Statutory Guarantee Remedies: To the maximum extent permitted by law, and subject to any non-excludable rights under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), our liability for breaching any implied statutory guarantee or condition is limited, at our option, to:

    1. Re-supplying the services; or

    2. Paying the cost of having the services supplied again.

  • Consequential Loss: In no event will Great Websites, its directors, employees, or contractors be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages, including but not limited to loss of revenue, lost profits, business interruption, loss of data, or third-party service downtime, arising out of or in connection with the use of (or inability to use) Our Website, our services, or any Client Website.

10. External Links

Our Website and any Client Website may contain links to third-party websites. These links are provided for convenience only; we do not endorse, control, or assume responsibility for the content, privacy practices, or accuracy of any third-party websites.

11. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Australia. You irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in the ACT.

12. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to amend these Terms at any time. Your continued use of Our Website or our services following any updates signifies binding acceptance of the revised Terms.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us at: