Terms of Service
The deal between you and us: what you can expect from Pimpernel, what we expect back, and how our paid services work. Written in plain English, because terms you can't understand aren't really terms at all.
Heads up — this is a draft
These terms aren't live yet
This is a working draft, prepared ahead of Pimpernel's paid services going live. It is not yet in force and doesn't bind anyone today. Before we take a single payment, this document must be reviewed by a qualified lawyer — ideally one who knows both UK and French law — and dated as active. Until then, treat it as scaffolding, not a contract.
- Free stuff stays free. The guides, tools, and newsletter don't require an account or payment.
- Paid stuff has rules. Membership and done-for-you services are governed by these terms and paid via a secure third party.
- We prepare, you check and submit. For paperwork services, the final responsibility for what's submitted rests with you.
- Founding pricing is a promise we keep. If you joined as a founding member, we honour it.
- We're not lawyers or advisers. Pimpernel is practical help, not regulated legal, immigration, tax, or financial advice.
These terms cover your use of Pimpernel — the website, the free tools and guides, the newsletter, and (once live) the paid membership and done-for-you services. By using the paid services you'll be agreeing to them. We've kept them readable on purpose; if anything's unclear, email hello@pimpernel.fr and we'll explain it in plainer terms still.
Who we are
Pimpernel is a small team providing practical information and services for British people living in or moving to France. When we say "we", "us", or "Pimpernel" we mean the Pimpernel team; "you" means anyone using the site or our services.
The free services
The library guides, the wizards and tools, and the newsletter are free to use. You don't need an account, and we don't charge for them. We may change, add to, or retire free features over time — they're a gift, not a guarantee. Where a tool helps you prepare a document, the output is a starting point for you to check, not a finished legal filing.
Paid membership
Membership is an ongoing, recurring subscription that unlocks the members-only features (the calendar, the expert circle, and so on) as they launch. When you subscribe you'll be told the price, the billing cycle, and what's included before you pay. You can cancel at any time; cancellation stops future billing and you keep access until the end of the period you've paid for. We don't do sneaky auto-renewals without telling you.
Founding pricing
If you signed up early as a founding member, the founding-pricing promise we made you is a real commitment, not marketing fluff: a discount on your first year's membership and money off your first big done-for-you job, locked in for being early. We'll honour it on the terms it was offered.
Done-for-you services
These are the higher-value, per-job services where we prepare French paperwork (such as CERFA forms) on your behalf. The important bit, stated plainly:
- We prepare; you check and submit. We complete the paperwork based on the information you give us. You review it, confirm it's correct, and submit it. The final responsibility for what goes to the French authorities is yours.
- We rely on your information. We can only work from what you tell us. If the details you provide are wrong or incomplete, we can't be responsible for the outcome.
- We're not your legal or immigration representative. Preparing a form is not the same as representing you or advising you on your legal position. For that, you need a qualified professional.
- Pricing and refunds for each service will be set out before you buy. Because these are prepared to order, refund rights on work already done may be limited — this will be spelled out at the point of purchase.
Payments
Paid services are handled through a secure third-party payment provider. We never see or store your card details — they go straight to the payment provider on their own secure systems. We keep records of transactions where the law requires us to (for tax and accounting), which is why some financial data is retained even after you leave; our privacy notice explains this.
What we ask of you
Use Pimpernel honestly and lawfully. Don't misuse the site, don't try to break it, and don't use our services to do anything illegal. Give us accurate information when you ask us to act on it. Simple stuff, really.
What we can't promise
We work hard to be accurate and current, but rules in France change constantly and vary locally. Our information and tools are provided in good faith but without guarantee, and they are not a substitute for professional legal, immigration, tax, or financial advice. To the extent the law allows, we're not liable for losses arising from relying on the free content, though nothing here limits our responsibilities to you as a paying customer under consumer law.
Changes to these terms
We may update these terms as Pimpernel grows. For anything significant — especially changes affecting paying members — we'll tell you directly rather than quietly editing this page. The date at the top shows when they last changed.
This is a plain-English draft prepared ahead of launch and is not yet legally in force. It is not itself legal advice. Pimpernel provides practical help, not regulated legal, immigration, tax, or financial advice. Before these terms take effect they must be reviewed by a qualified lawyer familiar with UK and French law, and by a professional where consumer-rights, distance-selling, and refund obligations apply. Your statutory rights as a consumer are not affected by anything written here. Questions: hello@pimpernel.fr.