Terms of Service

Service provision – Supply of specified tracing service. All services will be invoiced by Pavilion Digital Marketing Ltd. Please note all services are subject to pre-payment. Find UK People® will supply the service as outlined below.

Governing Law

These Terms of Service shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales under all circumstances. Wherever the term “UK” is used within these Terms of Service or other areas of the website, it shall be understood to refer exclusively to the law of England and Wales.

1. Service Provision & Scope

• Our services are intended for use by both professional clients (e.g. solicitors, landlords, companies) and individual consumers.
• If a client is acting in a personal capacity (as a consumer), statutory rights under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 may apply. However, services that are personalised and delivered immediately upon order are exempt from cancellation under Regulation 28(1)(b).
• We reserve the right to decline or cancel any order without obligation to provide a reason, particularly where legal, ethical, or data protection concerns arise. In such cases, a refund may be issued at our discretion, unless work has already been undertaken excluding our administration and processing fee which is set at £19 plus vat.
• Services are provided by Pavilion Digital Marketing Ltd trading as Find UK People.
• We offer people tracing services exclusively within the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland).
• No international tracing or investigative services are provided outside of the UK.
• Employment tracing is not offered as a standalone service and is only available as part of a financial background report. Employment data is sourced from publicly available open sources (e.g. LinkedIn) and is strictly indicative and unverified.
• All services require prepayment and are governed by English and Welsh law.

2. Governing Law

• These Terms are governed exclusively by the laws of England and Wales and any disputes shall fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

3. Holiday & Business Interruptions

• During bank holidays, Christmas, Easter, or periods of business disruption (including staff sickness), turnaround times may be extended by up to 15 working days. Maximum delivery time is 45 working days in such cases.

4. No Trace, No Fee & Refund Policy

• Standard UK address tracing services operate on a “no trace, no fee” basis, provided no report has been supplied. Excludes compliance declines where an admin fee will be applied of £19 plus VAT.
• If a case is confirmed as offshore (subject no longer resident in the UK or has never been a UK resident), or the subject is confirmed deceased in the UK or abroad, the full fee is retained. This includes confirmation of offshore residency or non-UK presence via verified credit data or OSINT evidence.
• Refunds are processed within 24 hours of a confirmed negative trace result.
• Family, friend, or in-depth tracing services may incur an administrative fee of up to 50% of the paid fee in the event of a negative outcome, reflecting research and operational costs.
• Once a report or compliance decline status is supplied, regardless of findings, no refunds are issued under any circumstances.

• Processing fees incurred from payment providers, such as PayPal or Stripe, are non‑refundable under all circumstances and will be deducted from any refund issued. This fee is between 2% to 5% of the total transaction amount dependant on the processor chosen at the time of payment and covers both the payment provider’s transaction charges.

  Where an administration fee has already been charged – such as the £19 plus vat admin fee, the processor fee will also be charged in addition, where required, to cover all costs incurred. In cases where no administration fee has been charged, the processing fee will still apply to all refunds to cover the costs we incur in handling the original transaction and the refund.

What you’ll be charged

We can’t proceed with your case If your case doesn’t meet the required standard for a lawful basis under GDPR, involves a restricted relationship (such as tracing an ex-partner for any case, tracing an adoptive or birth parent or relatives of a birth parent where no adult contact has been made before or any family member for a debt or legal claim without a solicitor’s instruction), or contains inaccurate information, we’ll charge a £19 + VAT admin fee to cover the compliance check. In more serious cases, including misrepresentation, this fee may rise up to the full amount paid.

We complete your case, full fee with no refund Once a report has been supplied, the full fee paid applies and is non-refundable. This also covers cases where the subject is confirmed deceased or living abroad, or where the case required substantial research (such as an in-depth, family, or financial background trace) or you dispute the validity of the provided address (we will offer a free single retrace for this within 30 days of report provision).

Refunds, Fees, and Final Reports

• Find UK People operates a No Trace, No Fee policy for most standard tracing services. If we are unable to locate the subject and they are verified as a real person with an established UK presence, a full refund will be issued, excluding any applicable admin compliance fee.
• The definition of whether a subject has been “located” is determined solely by Find UK People, based on verified data from reputable third-party data providers and our internal investigative methodology. This determination is final and not subject to client interpretation.

The full service fee will be charged in the following situations:

• A report or result has already been completed and supplied

• The subject is confirmed as deceased

• Reliable indication data confirms the subject has moved offshore (even if a specific address is not found)

• The service is a pre-sue, pre-enforcement, or financial background report

• The service is an in-depth people trace, friend or family tracing, or any case where substantial research has been carried out

• The service is clearly marked as non-refundable at the time of order

• The data supplied by the client is false, misleading, or insufficient (e.g. made-up individuals or untraceable contact details)

• Orders refused for compliance reasons (e.g., lack of GDPR basis or lawful interest, misrepresentation) are subject to a non-refundable administration fee, to cover time, data access, and compliance handling. Where there is a simple and clear GDPR threshold fail, for example, the client’s legitimate basis or declared relationship to the subject is not adequately established, with no evidence of deliberate misrepresentation, the fee will be capped at our standard admin fee of £19 plus VAT. Where misrepresentation or fraudulent intent is identified, the fee will rise up to the total cost paid.
• Misrepresentation will not be tolerated and the total fee paid will be non refundable and no data will be supplied.

Other terms that apply

• In discretionary or goodwill refund cases, a fixed administration and processing fee of £19 + VAT will be retained to cover research time, compliance checks, and merchant handling costs. No further charges will apply.
• All basic-level trace reports are deemed full and final upon delivery. These are single-attempt services and do not include updates, follow-up work, refunds or rechecks unless otherwise agreed in writing.
• All decisions regarding trace outcomes, fees, refunds, or administration charges are made at the sole discretion of Find UK People and are final and non-negotiable.

5. Retrace & Assurance

• Address traces include a 30-day free recheck window.
• Requests made between 30 and 60 days from report date are subject to an admin fee, refundable only if the original data is confirmed incorrect.
• Retrace results are full and final. No further rechecks are provided.
• Only address tracing services carry a recheck policy. All other services are final with no recheck provision.

6. Research & Admin Fees

• Cases involving limited financial data, historical subjects, or non-existent identities or any misrepresentation or non compliant cases are charged an admin fee of £19 + VAT or up to the full paid fee.
• If the subject is confirmed to be offshore, deceased, or fictitious, or no data exists due to inactivity or misidentification, the full fee will be retained to cover research efforts and reporting.
• Any case submitted with incorrect, fabricated, or misleading data, where the subject does not exist or has never resided in the UK, where the request is deemed time-wasting or speculative, where the client has misrepresented their relationship to the subject, their purpose for the request, or their legal basis for processing under GDPR, where the request fails to meet the threshold for a lawful basis or legitimate interest under GDPR, or where the request does not meet our own internal compliance thresholds (which may exceed the minimum requirements of GDPR), will be charged a minimum admin fee of £19 + VAT, or up to the full fee, to cover incurred costs.

7. Refund Conditions Summary

• No refund will be provided in the following cases:
  • A UK address is identified, even if incomplete or lacking flat/unit numbers.
  • The subject is confirmed deceased.
  • Consent is pending or refused.
  • Extensive research has been completed.
  • The subject is confirmed to be outside the UK or never held UK residency.
  • The subject was fabricated or submitted with false or misleading data.
• Refunds will only be issued where no report is generated, minimal research occurred, and the subject was verifiably not traceable.

8. Delivery & Timescales

• Reports are delivered via email only.
• Most services are completed within 7 working days. Complex cases may take up to 30 working days, subject to business interruptions.

9. Pre-Litigation & Financial Background Reports

• These are charged per case and are non-refundable.
• Supplied data is based on UK data sets and open-source intelligence. No accuracy or completeness warranty is given.
• Employment tracing (when included) is based on publicly accessible indicative data and is unverified.
• Up to 3 land registry checks are included for in-depth reports. Property checks are limited to England and Wales.
• No land registry documents are included in the service and these need to be requested at Land Registry, by the client, with the highlighted land registry title numbers, as shown within the report, if applicable.
• All property ownership searches are confined to England and Wales; which exclude Northern Ireland and Scotland.

10. Legal Compliance & GDPR

• Clients must ensure a lawful basis for processing personal data (e.g. contract, legal claim).
• We act as a data processor. Clients remain the data controller – see GDPR page
• Family and friend tracing requires consent from the subject. No address data will be shared with the client unless legally permitted.

11. Liability, Accuracy, Misrepresentation & Law Enforcement Cooperation

• All information is sourced in good faith from reliable UK third-party datasets.
• No guarantees are made regarding accuracy, completeness, or future validity of data.
• Clients must verify all data before acting and seek independent legal advice where appropriate.
• Clients are fully liable for any misrepresentation, misuse, or unlawful contact following use of our services. This includes, but is not limited to, harassment, GDPR violations, and any consequential legal claims. If data is misused or a tracing request is made on a false or misleading basis, the client agrees to indemnify Find UK People and its agents against all resulting claims, liabilities, damages, costs or expenses, including legal fees.
• Clients agree to indemnify and hold harmless Find UK People, its parent company, directors, staff, data suppliers, and approved partners from any and all liability, claims, or losses arising from the use of the information provided, including but not limited to defamation, emotional distress, reputational harm, financial losses, criminal proceedings, or civil litigation. Use of our services is entirely at the client’s risk and responsibility. In the event of suspected or confirmed misrepresentation, fraudulent intent, or any attempt to misuse our services for unlawful or unethical purposes, we reserve the right to retain all fees paid, decline to report or act further, and will cooperate fully with law enforcement or relevant regulatory authorities. All relevant data, including communications and order details, may be shared with such authorities upon request or where legally required. If a request is found to be based on misrepresentation, fraudulent intent, or submitted in breach of applicable UK law or GDPR requirements, we reserve the right to withhold reporting or tracing activity and retain the full fee paid. In such cases, we will cooperate fully with law enforcement, regulatory authorities, or any court proceedings, and clients remain liable for any resulting legal consequences, damages, or reputational impact.

12. Complaints

• Please direct complaints to [email protected] or by post to Find UK People, 303 Goring Road, Worthing, BN12 4NX.
• Complaints will be acknowledged within 5 working days.

13. Batch Tracing

• Requires prepayment.
• Completed within 15 working days (max 30).
• Supplied in good faith based on available UK data.
• No refund is available if a traced subject proves later to be uncontactable or if data is incomplete due to limitations of third-party data.

14. Restrictions & Exclusions

• We do not trace:
  • Persons under 18 years of age.
  • Adoption-related cases.
  • Birth relatives where there has been no previous adult contact
  • Ex-partner, divorce, separation or child-arrangement traces are only accepted via instruction from a regulated solicitor. Direct-to-consumer requests are declined.
  • No legal claim or debt claim tracing matters can be accepted for any friend, relative or family members of the client or any associated third party.

  • For the purposes of these Terms, “relative or family” means any person connected to the client by blood (consanguinity), by marriage or civil partnership (affinity), by adoption or fostering, or by cohabitation as a household or family member. A relationship by affinity is not extinguished by divorce, dissolution, separation or the death of the connecting party. A person who was at any time a step-child, step-parent, step-sibling or in-law of the client remains a relative for the purposes of our screening and legitimate interest assessment, and we will not accept instructions to trace them in connection with a debt, legal claim or enforcement matter. Limited exceptions apply only to bona fide probate matters or where the subject’s informed consent has been obtained.

  • Cases where UK legal restrictions apply (e.g., restraining orders).
  • Subjects with no confirmed UK presence since birth.
  • Cases where prior tracing attempts have failed or been declined for ethical or legal reasons.
• Submitting fictitious or inaccurate data or non compliant cases will result in an admin fee of £19+VAT or full fee retention where appropriate (determined by Find UK People).
• Divorce, Separation, or Ex-Partner Tracing Policy
  To ensure compliance with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, and our safeguarding obligations, Find UK People® will only process tracing requests relating to divorce, separation, or ex-partners where the instruction is submitted directly by the requesting party’s appointed solicitor. This measure ensures that all such cases are legally justified, proportionate, and supported by professional oversight. Requests made directly by individuals in these categories will be declined. Cases related to divorce, separation, adoption, or an ex-partner will only be accepted if instructed by a solicitor. Any misrepresentation will result in liability for the client, and the fee paid will be non-refundable if substantiated.
• Where an instruction is received which falls into a restricted category (such as ex-partner or family law tracing without solicitor instruction), Find UK People® will not proceed with the case. In such instances, an administrative compliance fee of £19 (plus VAT) or up to the full fee paid will be charged to cover processing and compliance review costs.
• However, if the matter is subsequently re-instructed via a solicitor or barrister in compliance with our policies, this £19 fee or the higher fee will be deducted from the cost of the next valid order , only valid within 30 days of original order date.

Adoption & Birth-Relative Tracing
We do not undertake adoption or birth-relative tracing where there has been no prior adult contact. These sensitive matters must be handled through specialist, Ofsted-registered intermediary services in line with UK safeguarding requirements.

For guidance, please see GOV.UK information on Adoption records and intermediary services or contact an Ofsted-registered adoption support agency who can lawfully and safely assist.

15. Data Security & Retention

• All submitted data is encrypted using 256-bit SSL technology.
• Some data may be stored outside the EEA but remains fully GDPR-compliant.
• Personal data submitted by clients is retained for as long as necessary to fulfil the service purpose and comply with legal obligations. In line with the prevention of crime and data verification requirements, we reserve the right to retain all search and trace data indefinitely (normally six years) to provide evidential audit trails and demonstrate the lawful basis of processing.
• All submitted data is encrypted using 256-bit SSL technology.
• Some data may be stored outside the EEA but remains fully GDPR-compliant.

16. Third-Party Data Disclaimer

• We rely on external data providers, including UK credit reference agencies, public registries, and official government databases. While every effort is made to source reliable data, we accept no responsibility for errors, omissions, or service interruptions caused by these third-party sources.

17. General Terms

• Use of our services confirms acceptance of these Terms.
• We reserve the right to update Terms without prior notice.
• Your continued use of our services following updates constitutes agreement to the revised Terms.
• These Terms are binding and subject to UK law and jurisdiction.
• We disclaim all legal responsibility or liability for any indirect, incidental, or consequential harm or loss resulting from the use or misuse of our services or data provided. Clients bear sole legal responsibility for any action taken based on our data.

18. Force Majeure

• We are not liable for any failure or delay in performance due to events beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, war, terrorism, pandemics, technical failures, or third-party data outages.

19. No Legal Advice

• Information supplied by Find UK People is provided as investigative intelligence only and is not legal advice. Clients must seek independent legal counsel before acting on any supplied information.

20. Chargebacks

• Any chargeback or disputed transaction initiated by a client after receiving services from Find UK People will be regarded as a breach of these Terms.
• We reserve the right to pursue recovery of the full outstanding amount through civil legal action, including all costs, legal fees, administrative charges, and third-party collection fees incurred as a result.
• The client accepts full financial liability for any chargeback raised in contradiction to the agreed Terms of Service and acknowledges that all supplied data and trace activity logs may be used as evidence to defend the transaction.

21. Intellectual Property

• All reports, content, and data outputs provided by Find UK People remain the intellectual property of Pavilion Digital Marketing Ltd. Clients may use the information solely for their stated lawful purpose. Copying, redistribution, resale, or unauthorised disclosure is strictly prohibited.

22. Third-Party Instruction

The client warrants that they have disclosed their full relationship, and the relationship of any person or entity on whose behalf, or at whose request, the instruction is being placed, to the subject of the trace. This includes, without limitation, any relationship as a friend, associate, relative, colleague, business contact, or other connection, whether direct or indirect, and whether or not that person or entity is named on the order.

Where an instruction is submitted by, through, or on behalf of a company, partnership, trust, or other entity, the client warrants that no director, officer, controlling shareholder, trustee, employee, or other person with control over or beneficial interest in that entity stands in a relationship to the subject that would itself be restricted under this clause (including but not limited to ex-partner, family member for a debt or legal claim, or birth/adoptive relative without prior adult contact).

Find UK People® reserves the right to request disclosure of the identity and relationship of the ultimate instructing or beneficial party behind any order, whether placed directly, via a corporate entity, or via any other third party, before proceeding. Failure to declare any such relationship, or the use of any individual, employee, agent, friend, associate, or other intermediary with the purpose or effect of concealing a restricted relationship or circumventing these restrictions, will be treated as misrepresentation for the purposes of the fee-retention and admin fee provisions set out above and within these terms, and the full fee paid will be non-refundable.

22. Entire Agreement

• These Terms constitute the entire agreement between the parties and supersede all prior agreements, communications, or understandings. No oral or written information outside these Terms shall be binding unless explicitly agreed in writing by Find UK People.

For full terms, compliance details, or to request further clarification, please contact our compliance team.