Terms and Conditions 2017

Who we are.

We are Atlas, a trading name of Atlas Health Europe Limited, a company registered in England and Wales. Our company registration number is 10500868 and our registered office is at Tower Bridge House, St Katharine’s Way, London E1W 1DD.

How to contact us.

You can contact us by email at [email protected], telephoning our customer service team at +44 (0)20 3890 7800 or by writing to us at 92 Albert Embankment, Lambeth, London, SE1 7TY. Please note that any interaction between us via social media will not be recorded as part of our quality systems and that any questions or complaints about these terms or the services should be submitted to us by telephone, email or post.

How we may contact you.

If we have to contact you we will do so by email at the email address you provided to us in your order.

‘Writing’ includes emails.

When we use the words ‘writing’ or ‘written’ in these terms, this includes emails. Email is the preferred method of communication between you and Atlas Biomed

How to purchase services.

To purchase services you will need to:

• register for an account with us:
• fill in and submit the online order

Registering for an account.

To register for an account with us, you must:

• be over 18 years of age; and
• complete a registration form for an account on our website which includes setting your username and password

We will confirm that your registration for an account has been accepted by us by e-mail.

Keeping your account details secure.

You are responsible for ensuring that the information you provide to us is correct and for ensuring that your password and account details remain confidential to you. We will not be responsible for any loss or damage which arises to you or to any other person as a result of your failure to keep your password and account details secure. Please contact us if you become aware of or suspect any unauthorised use of your account or password.

How we will accept your order.

Our acceptance of your order will take place when we email you to accept it, at which point a contract will come into existence between you and us.

If we cannot accept your order.

If we are unable to accept your order, we will inform you of this in writing and will not charge you for the services.

Your order number.

We will assign an order number to your order and tell you what it is when we accept your order. It will help us if you can tell us the order number whenever you contact us about your order.

Minor changes to the services.

We may change the services:

• to reflect changes in relevant laws and regulatory requirements and
• to implement minor technical adjustments and improvements, which will not affect your use of the services.

More significant changes to the services and changes to these terms.

If we make more significant changes to the services or changes to these terms, we will notify you and you may then contact us to end the contract before the changes take effect and receive a refund for any services paid for but not received:

Delivery costs.

The costs of delivery of the testing kit to you and of your returning your samples to us are included in the price of the services and will be as displayed to you on our website.

When we will provide the services.

During the order process we will let you know when we will provide the services to you.

We are not responsible for delays outside our control.

If our supply of the services is delayed by an event outside our control then we will contact you as soon as possible to let you know and we will take steps to minimise the effect of the delay. Provided we do this we will not be liable for delays caused by the event, but if there is a risk of substantial delay you may contact us to end the contract and receive a refund for any services you have paid for but not received.

If you are not at home when the testing kit is delivered.

If no one is available at your address to take delivery and the testing kit cannot be posted through your letterbox, we will leave you a note informing you of how to rearrange delivery or collect the testing kit from a local depot.

If you do not re-arrange delivery.

If, after a failed delivery to you, you do not re-arrange delivery or collect them from a delivery depot we will contact you for further instructions and may charge you for any further delivery costs. If, despite our reasonable efforts, we are unable to contact you or re-arrange delivery or collection we may end the contract (see clause 11.2).

When you become responsible for the testing kit.

The testing kit will be your responsibility from the time we deliver it to the address you gave us until we receive it back from you.

Reasons we may suspend the supply of the services to you.

We may have to suspend the supply of the services to:

• deal with technical problems or make minor technical changes to the kit services;
• update the services to reflect changes in relevant laws and regulatory requirements;
• make changes to the testing services as notified by us to you (see clause 4).

Your rights if we suspend the supply of the services.

We will contact you in advance to tell you we will be suspending supply of the services, unless the problem is urgent or an emergency. You may contact us to end the contract if we suspend, or tell you we are going to suspend, the supply of the services, for a period of more than 6 (six) weeks and we will refund any sums you have paid in advance for the services.

We may also suspend supply of the services if you do not pay.

If you do not pay us for the services when you are supposed to (see clause 13.4) and you still do not make payment within 14 (fourteen) days of us reminding you that payment is due, we may suspend supply of the services until you have paid us the outstanding amounts. We will contact you to tell you we are suspending supply of the services.

• When you order a testing kit we indicate to you that by ordering the testing kit you are giving us consent to perform the test for you.
• By giving us consent to perform the test, you are indicating that you understand the following:
  • the main characteristics of the tests;

    The test requires a sample of your saliva or stool, which is put into the sample collection kit, which includes a liquid stabiliser and Instructions for Use. The sample is sent to us for analysis, and we return a report to you that contains information including disease risks, carrier status for inherited conditions, nutrition and sports traits, ancestry information microbiome diversity, raw genetic and microbiome data and lifestyle recommendations (which should only be followed after consultation with your GP or other healthcare professional).

  • the scope, accuracy and limitations of the tests;

    For the list of conditions and traits tested refer to https://atlasbiomed.com.

  • how your results will be presented;

    Your results will be presented in a report that will be available via your on-line personal account, which only you can access using your User Id and password.

  • that the results of the test should not be used to replace or supersede any information or interaction that you have with your GP or other healthcare practitioner;
  • that you should not make any lifestyle changes or changes to your regular medication on the basis of your results without first consulting your GP or other healthcare practitioner;
  • the implications of your results for you and (if applicable) your genetic relatives;

    Your test will reveal genetic information that may also have implications for your relatives. These people may or may not want to have this knowledge, and you having this knowledge may affect the relationships that you have with them. Genetic information can also reveal that someone you thought you were related to is NOT your biological relative. We suggest that you consult with a genetic counsellor or your GP or other healthcare practitioner for guidance on whether you should/should not share this information.

  • the implications of your results for you and (if applicable) your genetic relatives’ purchase of health, life and travel insurance policies;

    You should be cautious about sharing your genetic information with third parties such as businesses and insurance companies. You may want to consult with a legal adviser about the implications of sharing your genetic information and the entitlement of third parties to ask for that information.

  • further investigations which you or (if applicable) your genetic relatives may wish to pursue, and the ‘nature versus nurture’ aspects of genetic profiling;

    Genetic and microbiome profiling is an evolving science, your profile may change as the science evolves, future research may show that previous research in inaccurate and this may change the interpretation of your DNA or microbiome test. There may be as yet undiscovered genes and microbes, environmental factors and your own lifestyle choices that can impact on disease risk. That your profiling indicates that you have a risk of contracting the disease is not an indicator that you will contract the disease, conversely, if your profiling indicates that you are at low risk, you may still contract the disease. Your lifestyle can have a impact on your disease risk. You should not make any lifestyle changes without first consulting with your GP or other healthcare practitioner.

  • how to withdraw your consent (see clauses 9 and 10);
  • what will happen to your personal information and samples if the ownership of our company or our business is transferred to a third party;

    If ownership of our business is transferred to a third party, your personal information and samples are likely to be among the assets transferred to that third party. If ownership of our company is transferred to a third party, the new owner may require such personal information and samples to be moved to a different location. We will notify you in advance of any intended change of ownership and you will have the right to withdraw your consent to the transfer and/or continued storage of your information and samples.

  • that you will be asked for your further consent to use your anonymised results/data in further research activities after we have presented your results to you.
• By giving us consent to perform the test, you will be confirming that:
  • you are 18 or older;
  • the samples you are providing are your own and have not been obtained from any other person whether surreptitiously (in other words, without that person’s knowledge) or with that person’s knowledge or mixed with any other sample, substances or materials;
  • you consent to your personal information and samples being collected, stored and processed to enable us to provide you with the services;
  • if samples are damaged or compromised during storage, you consent to our reanalysing them; and
  • you have read and understood the information contained in these terms and conditions and our privacy policy https://atlasbiomed.com/uk/privacy (see also clause 8).
• By giving us your consent to perform the test, you will not be giving us your consent to use your personal information and samples for other purposes, such as research, or to disclose or transfer your personal information and samples to third parties unless we are required to do so by law. You will need to complete a separate specific form of consent to indicate your consent to further use or processing of your personal information and samples.
• If there is anything you do not understand, you should not tick the box to indicate that you are giving us your consent and you should contact us for clarification.
• If you decide that you do not wish to proceed with the testing you may end the contract (please see clause 8 for more details on how to end the contract and your entitlement to a refund).

• Both the testing kit and the software used to test the samples are marked with a CE Mark. A CE mark is a logo that is placed on a medical device to show that the device is fit for its stated intended purpose and complies with legislation relating to safety. The device is registered as a Medical Device with the Medical and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
• Your sample will be tested within test laboratories that are accredited to International Standards (ISO15189) by a Notified Body. A Notified Body is a body appointed by a national or international government or other authority to assess conformity with regulatory or other standards.

We will use the personal information you provide to us only in accordance with our privacy statement, which can be read here https://atlasbiomed.com/uk/privacy. The privacy statement forms part of these terms and it is important that you read and understand it. If you have any questions about the privacy statement or there is anything that you do not understand, please contact us at [email protected] with the word ‘Privacy’ in the e-mail title

• Our privacy statement sets out:
  • the types of personal information and samples we collect from you;
  • what we do with your personal information and samples (consumer confidentiality);
  • where we store your personal information and samples (tissue sample location) and for how long (duration of storage); we will store your samples for one-year, we may extend this period if appropriate. You have the right at any time to withdraw your samples (see clauses 9 and 10)
  • the measures we take to protect the security and confidentiality of your personal information, our policy on data protection, security, access, location and samples;
  • how you may access the data we hold about you and the samples store (access by law) and
  • how to notify us if you no longer want us to store your personal information and samples.

You can always end your contract with us.

• Your rights when you end the contract will depend on whether there is anything wrong with the services, how we are performing and when you decide to end the contract:
  • If what you have bought is faulty or misdescribed you may have a legal right to end the contract (or to get the testing kit replaced and/or the testing services re-performed or to get some or all of your money back), see clause 12;
  • If you want to end the contract because of something we have done or have told you we are going to do, see clause 9.2;
  • In all other cases (if we are not at fault and there is no right to change your mind), see clause 9.6

Ending the contract because of something we have done or are going to do.

• If you are ending a contract for a reason set out at (a) to (e) below the contract will end immediately and we will refund you in full for any services which have not been provided and you may also be entitled to compensation. The reasons are:
  • we have told you about an upcoming change to the services or these terms which you do not agree to (see clause 4.2);
  • we have told you about an error in the price or description of the services you have ordered and you do not wish to proceed;
  • there is a risk that supply of the services may be significantly delayed because of events outside our control;
  • we have suspended supply of the services for technical reasons, or notify you we are going to suspend them for technical reasons, in each case for a period of more than 6 (six) weeks; or
  • you have a legal right to end the contract because of something we have done wrong.

Exercising your right to change your mind (Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013).

For most products bought online you have a legal right to change your mind within 14 (fourteen) days and receive a refund. These rights, under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, are explained in more detail in these terms.

When you don’t have the right to change your mind.

• You do not have a right to change your mind in respect of:
  • services, once these have been completed, even if the cancellation period is still running; and
  • products sealed for health protection or hygiene purposes, once these have been unsealed after you receive them;

How long do I have to change my mind?

• You have 14 (fourteen) days after the day we email you to confirm we accept your order or, if longer 14 (fourteen) days after the day on which you receive your testing kit.
• However, once we have completed the services and notified you that your test results are available, you cannot change your mind, even if the period is still running. If you cancel after we have started the services, you must pay us for the services provided up until the time you tell us that you have changed your mind.

Ending the contract where we are not at fault and there is no right to change your mind.

Even if we are not at fault and you do not have a right to change your mind (see clause 9.1), you can still end the contract before it is completed, but you may have to pay us compensation. If you want to end a contract before it is completed where we are not at fault and you have not changed your mind, just contact us to let us know. The contract will end immediately and we will refund any sums paid by you for services not provided but we may deduct from that refund reasonable compensation for the net costs we will incur as a result of your ending the contract.

Tell us you want to end the contract.

• To end the contract with us, please let us know by doing one of the following:
  • Email us at [email protected], including the word ‘Cancellation’ in the e-mail title. Please provide your name, home address, details of the order and, where available, your phone number and email address. Alternatively, print off and complete the cancellation form and scan it and email it to [email protected], including the word ‘Cancellation’ in the e-mail title;
  • Call customer services on +44 020 3890 7800
  • Print off the form and post it to us at the address on the form. Or simply write to us at that address, including details of what you bought, when you ordered or received it and your name and address.

Returning products after ending the contract.

If you end the contract for any reason after the testing kit has been dispatched to you or you have received it, you must return it to us, even if it has been unsealed. You must post the testing kit back to us at TRANSWORLD, Unit A2, Parkway Trading Estate Cranford Lane, Hounslow Middlesex TW5 9QA, United Kingdom. Please email us at [email protected], include the word ‘Return’ in the e-mail title for a return label. If you are exercising your right to change your mind you must send off the testing kit within 14 (fourteen) days of telling us you wish to end the contract.

When we will pay the costs of return.

• We will pay the costs of return:
  • if the testing kit is faulty or misdescribed;
  • if you are ending the contract because we have told you of an upcoming change to the services or these terms, an error in pricing or description, a delay in delivery due to events outside our control or because you have a legal right to do so as a result of something we have done wrong.
    In all other circumstances (including where you are exercising your right to change your mind) you must pay the costs of return.

How we will refund you.

We will refund you the price you paid for the services including delivery costs, by the method you used for payment. However, we may make deductions from the price, as described below.

Deductions from refunds if you are exercising your right to change your mind.

If you are exercising your right to change your mind, we may deduct from any refund an amount for the supply of the services for the period for which they were supplied, ending with the time when you told us you had changed your mind. The amount will be in proportion to what has been supplied, in comparison with the full coverage of the contract.

When your refund will be made.

We will make any refunds due to you as soon as possible. If you are exercising your right to change your mind then:

• If the testing kit has been dispatched or received by you, the refund will be made within 14 (fourteen) days from the day on which we receive the testing kit back from you or, if earlier, the day on which you provide us with evidence that you have sent the testing kit back to us. For information about how to return the testing kit to us, see clause 10.2.
• In all other cases, your refund will be made within 14 (fourteen) days of your telling us you have changed your mind.

Right to be forgotten.

If you want to have your samples and data removed from our records you must contact us by e-mail at [email protected], include the words ‘Forget me’ in the e-mail title. We will then invoke the processes in that will result in removing your samples and data from our records. You will be informed by e-mail that this process has been undertaken on your behalf.

We may end the contract if you break it.

We may end the contract at any time by writing to you if:

• you do not make any payment to us when it is due and you still do not make payment within 14 (fourteen) days of us reminding you that payment is due;
• you do not, within a reasonable time, allow us to deliver the testing kit to you; or
• you do not return your samples to us within the time limit stated in the instructions supplied with the testing kit).

How to tell us about problems.

We take complaints very seriously and have a comprehensive complaints policy, which you can read here. If you have any questions or complaints about the services, please contact us. You can telephone our customer service team at +44 020 3890 7800 or write to us or contact us by e-mail at [email protected], including the word ‘Complaint’ in the e-mail title.

Summary of your legal rights.

We are under a legal duty to supply services that are in conformity with this contract. See the box below for a summary of your key legal rights in relation to the services. Nothing in these terms will affect your legal rights.

Summary of your key legal rights

This is a summary of your key legal rights. These are subject to certain exceptions. For detailed information please visit the Citizens Advice website www.adviceguide.org.uk or call 03454 04 05 06.

If your product is services, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 says:

• you can ask us to repeat or fix a service if it’s not carried out with reasonable care and skill, or get some money back if we can’t fix it.
• if you haven’t agreed a price beforehand, what you’re asked to pay must be reasonable.
• if you haven’t agreed a time beforehand, it must be carried out within a reasonable time.

Your obligation to return rejected products.

If you wish to exercise your legal rights to reject the testing kit you must post it back to us. We will pay the costs of postage. Please email us at [email protected] with the word ‘Return’ in the email title, and post the reject the testing kit to TRANSWORLD, Unit A2, Parkway Trading Estate Cranford Lane, Hounslow Middlesex TW5 9QA, United Kingdom

Where to find the price for the services.

The price of the services (which includes VAT) will be the price indicated on the order pages when you placed your order. We take all reasonable care to ensure that the price of the services advised to you is correct. However please see clause 13.3 for what happens if we discover an error in the price of the services you order.

We will pass on changes in the rate of VAT.

If the rate of VAT changes between your order date and the date we supply the services, we will adjust the rate of VAT that you pay, unless you have already paid for the services in full before the change in the rate of VAT takes effect.

What happens if we got the price wrong.

It is always possible that, despite our best efforts, some of the services we sell may be incorrectly priced. We will normally check prices before accepting your order so that, where the services’ correct price at your order date is less than our stated price at your order date, we will charge the lower amount. If the services’ correct price at your order date is higher than the price stated to you, we will contact you for your instructions before we accept your order. If we accept and process your order where a pricing error is obvious and unmistakeable and could reasonably have been recognised by you as a mispricing, we may end the contract, refund you any sums you have paid and require the return of any services provided to you.

When you must pay and how you must pay.

We accept payment with Visa, MasterCard and American Express. You must pay for the services before we dispatch the testing kit.

We are responsible to you for foreseeable loss and damage caused by us.

If we fail to comply with these terms, we are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breaking this contract or our failing to use reasonable care and skill, but we are not responsible for any loss or damage that is not foreseeable. Loss or damage is foreseeable if either it is obvious that it will happen or if, at the time the contract was made, both we and you knew it might happen, for example, if you discussed it with us during the sales process.

We are not responsible to you for loss and damage caused by your breaking this contract.

We are not responsible for loss and damage caused by:

• your failure to keep your password or account details secure;
• your failure to follow the instructions supplied with the testing kit; or
• your making any lifestyle changes, changing your regular medication or taking any other action in reliance on your results without first consulting your GP or other healthcare practitioner.

We do not exclude or limit in any way our liability to you where it would be unlawful to do so.

This includes liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or the negligence of our employees, agents or subcontractors; for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; for breach of your legal rights in relation to the services as summarised at clause 12.2; and for defective products under the Consumer Protection Act 1987.

We are not liable for business losses.

We only supply the services for domestic and private use. If you use the services for any commercial, business or re-sale purpose we will have no liability to you for any loss of profit, loss of business, business interruption, or loss of business opportunity.

We may transfer this agreement to someone else.

We may transfer our rights and obligations under these terms to another organisation. We will contact you to let you know if we plan to do this and to confirm what will happen to any of your personal information or samples in storage at the time of the transfer. If you are unhappy with the transfer you may contact us to end the contract within (14 (fourteen) days of us telling you about it and we will refund you any payments you have made in advance for services not provided.

You need our consent to transfer your rights to someone else.

You may only transfer your rights or your obligations under these terms to another person if we agree to this in writing.

Nobody else has any rights under this contract (except someone you pass your guarantee on to).

This contract is between you and us. No other person shall have any rights to enforce any of its terms.

If a court finds part of this contract illegal, the rest will continue in force.

Each of the paragraphs of these terms operates separately. If any court or relevant authority decides that any of them are unlawful, the remaining paragraphs will remain in full force and effect.

Even if we delay in enforcing this contract, we can still enforce it later.

If we do not insist immediately that you do anything you are required to do under these terms, or if we delay in taking steps against you in respect of your breaking this contract, that will not mean that you do not have to do those things and it will not prevent us taking steps against you at a later date. For example, if you miss a payment and we do not chase you but we continue to provide the services, we can still require you to make the payment at a later date.

Which laws apply to this contract and where you may bring legal proceedings.

These terms are governed by English law and you can bring legal proceedings in respect of the services in the English courts. If you live in Scotland you can bring legal proceedings in respect of the services in either the Scottish or the English courts. If you live in Northern Ireland you can bring legal proceedings in respect of the services in either the Northern Irish or the English courts.