Terms of service

1. Who we are

Trace Bureau is a trading name of Bureau Nine Ltd ("we", "us"), registered in England and Wales. These terms apply to every instruction placed through tracebureau.co.uk, the firm portal and the API.

2. The service

We attempt to establish a current United Kingdom residential address for the person you identify ("the subject") using public and licensed records and open sources. We do not guarantee a result. We rate results as Confirmed, Probable or Possible and explain the basis of each.

3. Your instruction and your responsibilities

You confirm that the information you give is accurate, that you have a lawful reason for the trace as described in the instruction, that you will use the result only for that purpose, and that you will not use it to harass, intimidate or harm anyone. You must verify your identity if we ask.

4. Vetting and refusal

We review every instruction before work starts and may decline any instruction, at our discretion, without giving reasons. A declined instruction is not charged.

5. Payment

Card details are captured at instruction and held by our payment provider. We charge the card only when we deliver a Confirmed or Probable result, and the report is released on successful payment. A Possible result is offered at 50% of the fee, which you may accept or decline; nothing is charged unless you accept. If a saved card cannot be charged, we send a payment link and release the report on payment; the result is held for 30 days. Nothing is charged for a no-find or a declined instruction. Because nothing is charged until a result is delivered, fees once charged are not refundable. Prices are shown on the pricing page and include VAT where applicable.

6. Firm accounts, bulk upload and API

Firm accounts are invoiced monthly for cases delivered in the month, on 14-day terms, with each case shown against the reference supplied. Instructions placed by any person the firm allows to sign in, by bulk upload or through the firm's API key are the firm's instructions, and the confirmations given when the account was opened apply to each of them. The firm is responsible for keeping API keys and sign-in emails secure and for telling us when someone leaves. A Possible result delivered to a firm account is invoiced at 50% of the fee.

7. Timing

Standard and Account traces are delivered within 5 working days of acceptance, Express traces within 48 hours and Priority traces within 24 hours. Delays caused by missing information from you extend these times.

8. Data protection

We process personal data as a data controller under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Our privacy notice explains what we collect and why. We record a lawful basis for every instruction.

9. Liability

Our liability for any instruction is limited to the fee paid for it. We are not liable for how you use a result. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited by law.

10. Complaints and law

Complaints go to hello@tracebureau.co.uk. These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales.