Warranty Conditions

These conditions explain voluntary warranties and promotional promises offered by Apex Rodent Removal (“Apex”, “we”, “us” or “our”). A warranty applies only where it is expressly included in your written quote, invoice, work order or completion report. Job-specific written conditions prevail to the extent of any inconsistency.

1. Voluntary warranties are additional rights

These warranties are voluntary promises from Apex. They do not replace or limit any consumer guarantee, remedy or other right that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law.

2. Eligibility

To receive a voluntary warranty benefit:

• the warranty must be stated in your written service documents;
• all undisputed amounts for the warranted work must be paid when due;
• you must provide safe and reasonable access for assessment and remedial work;
• you must follow material preparation, safety, monitoring, sanitation, maintenance and proofing instructions relevant to the claim;
• the treated or proofed area must not have been altered, damaged or interfered with by you or another person before Apex can inspect it; and
• the claim must concern the pest, location and work covered by the written scope.

Failure to meet a condition affects the voluntary warranty only to the extent that the failure caused or contributed to the claimed problem. Statutory rights remain unaffected.

3. Twelve-month written proofing warranty

Where “12-month proofing warranty” is included in the written scope, the warranty runs for 12 months from completion of the specified proofing work. It applies only to entry points that Apex physically sealed and identified in the written scope or service record.

If rodents re-enter through the same opening because Apex’s proofing workmanship at that opening has failed during the warranty period, Apex will, after inspection and verification, carry out reasonable remedial proofing to that covered opening at no labour charge. Replacement materials are included only where your written warranty states this or where required by law.

The proofing warranty does not cover:

• an opening that was not included in the written scope, including concealed, inaccessible or unidentified entry points;
• a new opening, gnawing damage or access route created after completion;
• building movement, settlement, rot, corrosion, storm or water damage, fire, impact, vibration, vegetation, excavation, renovation or deterioration of the surrounding structure;
• damage, removal or alteration by an owner, tenant, animal, tradesperson or other third party;
• roofing, plumbing, drainage, electrical, structural or building defects outside the proofing work;
• shared, adjoining, strata, sewer, drainage or neighbouring-property access beyond Apex’s control;
• areas Apex could not safely or lawfully access;
• work the customer declined or removed from the recommended proofing scope; or
• rodent activity that does not result from re-entry through a covered sealed opening.

4. Treatment warranties and free-service periods

A treatment warranty or free-service period applies only if a period and covered pest are stated in writing. If covered rodent activity continues or recurs during that period, the ordinary remedy is a reasonable inspection and, where warranted, a follow-up treatment of the covered area. It is not an automatic refund and does not promise that rodents can never enter the property again.

Treatment effectiveness can be affected by food and water availability, sanitation, harbourage, neighbouring activity, drains, sewers, weather, building condition, customer or third-party actions, refusal of recommended proofing, and new entry points. Apex may require these contributing conditions to be reasonably addressed before further voluntary warranty work is provided.

5. General warranty exclusions

Unless the written warranty expressly states otherwise, voluntary warranty coverage excludes:

• a different pest species or a different property or treatment area;
• carcass location or odour where the carcass is inaccessible without destructive or separately quoted work;
• damage to food, wiring, insulation, structures, stock or possessions caused by rodents;
• commercial losses, tenant relocation, accommodation or third-party contractor costs;
• conditions existing before Apex’s work that were concealed or not reasonably discoverable;
• failure to provide reasonable follow-up access;
• misuse, interference or non-compliance that caused or materially contributed to the problem; and
• events outside Apex’s reasonable control.

These exclusions do not apply to the extent they would exclude a non-excludable statutory right or a failure by Apex to exercise due care and skill.

6. How to make a claim

1. Contact Apex promptly after noticing the issue, preferably within 7 days, at info@apexrodentsremoval.com.au or 0435 073 966.
2. Provide the customer name, service address, service date, invoice or quote number and a description of the activity.
3. If reasonably available, provide photographs, video, timing and location details. Do not place yourself at risk to obtain evidence.
4. Do not remove, alter or engage another provider to change the claimed proofing or treatment area before Apex has a reasonable opportunity to inspect, unless urgent action is necessary for safety or to prevent further loss.
5. Provide reasonable appointment access. Apex will assess whether the issue falls within the written warranty and explain the proposed response.

Notification outside 7 days does not automatically remove warranty rights, but delay may affect our ability to verify the cause. Warranty visits do not restart or extend the original period unless Apex agrees in writing.

7. Transfer and property changes

Voluntary warranties are provided to the customer named on the service documents and are not transferable to another person or property without Apex’s written agreement. A sale, tenancy change, renovation or material change to the property may require reassessment. This clause does not limit rights that run with goods or services under applicable law.

8. Five per cent price-beat promise

Where advertised, Apex will beat a qualifying written competitor quote by 5%, subject to all of the following:

• the quote is provided before Apex’s work begins and is current, genuine and issued within the previous 14 days;
• the competitor is an appropriately licensed and insured pest-control provider servicing the same Melbourne property;
• the quotes are genuinely like-for-like, including pest, inspection, treatment method, property areas, number of visits, proofing, materials, access, safety requirements, warranty, GST and all mandatory fees;
• the competitor quote is available for verification and is not a typographical error, employee or related-party quote, insurance arrangement, government subsidy, group-buy, bundled promotion, expired offer, tender, subscription or loss-leading offer;
• Apex is able and willing to supply the same scope safely and lawfully; and
• the offer is applied once to the comparable service price, has no cash value and cannot be combined with another discount unless Apex agrees in writing.

If the scope is not equivalent, Apex may prepare a revised comparison or decline the promotional price beat while still offering its normal written quote. This promotional promise does not require Apex to match work that it considers unsafe, unlawful, unsuitable or professionally inadequate.

9. Australian Consumer Law

10. Assessment and changes

Apex will assess claims reasonably and in good faith using the written scope, service records, site conditions and available evidence. We may update these conditions prospectively. The version applicable to your voluntary warranty is the version provided or published when the warranted work was accepted, unless a change is required by law or agreed in writing.