TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Our Customer Promise

Elite Service

We endeavour to provide top quality customer service at all times. We pride ourselves on our professionalism, speed and ability to adapt to changing customer needs.

If it is possible for us to help you, we will make every effort to meet your requirements.

For our Magic Circle members, we are delighted to offer 24/7 support by email and Whatsapp to support you anytime, anyplace, in any situation.

Terms and Conditions

Schengen Office (London) Ltd t/a Elite Service Group

Registered in England and Wales under number 06802527

VAT registered number 2948058441

Registered Office Address: 12 Mayfair Gardens, Woodford Green, Essex, IG8 9AB

We provide document legalisation and apostille services, acting as an intermediary between our customers and relevant government bodies (such as the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office – FCDO) and foreign embassies and consulates based in London.

By using our services, you agree to be bound by these terms:

1.1. These Terms and Conditions constitute the agreement (“Agreement”) between Schengen Office (London) Ltd, t/a Elite Service Group (“the Company”) and you (“the Customer”) for all services provided by the Company.

1.2. The Customer includes any individual, company, legal firm, agencies or organisation entering into an agreement with the Company.

1.3. The Company assists individuals, businesses and notaries with Apostille legalisation by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), embassy legalisation and consular services, visa procurement services, courier services, and co-ordination of certification of documents though our network of notaries, (collectively, “Services”).

1.4. This Agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

1.5 The Company does not provide legal advice or verify the contents or authenticity of the documents submitted. Our role is administrative and facilitative.

2. Customer Responsibilities

2.1 By agreeing to these terms and conditions, the Customer agrees to:

2.1.1 Provide accurate, complete, and lawful documents.

2.1.2 Ensure that documents requiring notarisation are notarised before submission, unless agreed otherwise.

2.1.3 Pay all applicable fees on time, unless a different arrangement has been confirmed in writing.

2.1.4 Ensure documents booked are ready for courier collection by the agreed time for the Company to meet FCDO submission deadlines.

2.1.5 Respond promptly to any communication from us regarding your documents or service.

2.1.6 The Company accepts no liability for delays caused by, but not limited to, incomplete documents, incorrect documents, missing documents or delayed arrival of documents at the Customer’s specified collection address. It is the Customer’s responsibility to ensure that the relevant documents for each booking are readily available at the agreed upon date and time for courier collection.

2.1.7 The Customer acknowledges that delays caused by failure to respond, provide necessary information, or submit required documentation are solely the Customer’s responsibility.

3. Document Submission, Handling, And Return

You may be required to send us original documents. While we take reasonable care in handling all materials:

3.1 The Company cannot be held liable for documents lost or damaged in transit to or from our offices. It is the Customer’s responsibility to ensure documents sent to our PO Box address are sent solely by Royal Mail Special Delivery service, and to retain the full proof of postage, including tracking number.

3.2 Documents, if posted in, must arrive at either our registered office address or our PO Box by 10.15am for next day service. For Customers who choose courier collection from their offices, documents must be ready for collection each day by 10am.

3.3 All return deliveries are made using reputable national and international courier services, but the Company cannot accept liability for courier delays or loss once documents leave our premises.

3.4 The Company recommend you keep copies of all documents sent to us.

3.5 The Company will return legalised documents to the address provided on booking once payment is confirmed, unless otherwise agreed.

4. Fees, Payments and Late Payments

4.1. Quotations provided by email are exclusive of VAT, as indicated during Customer Booking. The Company will provide a breakdown of VAT payable on quotations, sales orders and invoices, for the Customer’s convenience.

4.2 All consular and embassy fees may be subject to alteration if consular/embassy fees change prior to document submission. Changes will be communicated to the Customer as soon as the Company is informed of said changes.

4.3 The Company reserves the right to alter quotations and details of Customer bookings, should a booking contain incorrect, incomplete or missing information, where necessary to provide the Services the Customer specifies they require.

4.4 Acceptance of pricing is confirmed by completing the Company’s online booking process, or upon the arrival/collection of documents to/by us.

4.5 Payments are accepted via bank transfer only.

4.6 International bank transfers must cover all associated fees to ensure the total invoice amount clears into the Company’s account.

4.7 Statutory interest applies to overdue invoices exceeding 30 days, subject to written notice.

4.8 The Company reserves the right to suspend or cease services if payments fail, without prejudice to further rights.

4.9 Interest and Compensation on Late Payments: In the event of non-payment or late payment, we reserve the right to charge:

4.9.1 Statutory interest at the rate of 5% per annum above the Bank of England base rate, accruing daily from the due date until the date of actual payment in full, whether before or after judgment, in accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts; and fixed compensation for recovery costs as prescribed under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Regulations. Please note these terms are at the discretion of the Company.

4.9.2 Additional Recovery Costs: Where the costs incurred in recovering a debt exceed the fixed compensation amount, we reserve the right to claim our reasonable additional costs, including but not limited to legal fees, court fees, and the fees of third-party debt recovery agencies.

5. Cancellations

5.1 Written notice is required to cancel, via email only at processing@eliteconsular.co.uk. You may write to us via email to let us know you wish to cancel a booking at any point, however:

5.2 If you cancel before we submit documents to a third party, we reserve the right to charge for administrative costs incurred in the initial consultation and processing.

5.3 Once we have submitted your documents to a third party (e.g. FCDO or an embassy), cancellation is not possible and no refunds can be given. The Customer remains liable for all incurred costs and fees from third parties as well as the Company’s fees.

5.4 The Company is not responsible for refunding any third-party fees or costs.

6. Processing Times and Delays

We aim to process your documents as promptly as possible. However, turnaround times are subject to many factors, including but not limited to:

The processing times of the FCDO, embassies, or other third parties
Public holidays, embassy closures, and other external factors

6.1 The Company will always strive to meet quoted processing times but cannot guarantee completion dates dependent on third party action, and accept no liability for losses resulting from delays due to external factors outside of our control or force majeure.

6.2. Specific deadlines must be communicated clearly in writing by the Customer for the Company to make reasonable efforts toward compliance. For the avoidance of doubt, written communication includes only: email, Whatsapp messaging, and messaging on our customer portal platform via Odoo.

6.3. The Company accepts no liability for unforeseen delays by the FCDO (signature queries or rejection), consulates, or third party supplies, including but not limited to transport delays due to signalling failure, protest, strike, road traffic or accident.

6.4 Processing times exclude third-party courier or postal transit durations. The Company is not liable for third-party delays or losses.

7. Refunds and Document Presentation to the FCDO

7.1. Effective from 1 April 2025, the FCDO will no longer issue Apostille fee refunds for documents rejected due to incorrect presentation, including but not limited to containing photocopies of GRO certificates (birth, marriage, death), Criminal Records Certificates (ACRO, DBS, etc), FCDO Apostilles, unsigned UK passport copies, or improperly notarised documents lacking appropriate notarial embossed seal, date, or signature.

7.2. Refunds of Apostille fee will only be granted by the FCDO for rejections occurring due to no fault of the Customer, such as signature verification issues.

7.3. The Company shall not refund fees if the FCDO rejects documents due to incorrect presentation as detailed above. While the Company endeavours to review and flag potential issues, final compliance remains the sole responsibility of the Customer.

7.4 The Company reserves the right to charge the Customer additional fees for re-submission of rejected documents, in addition to the FCDO fee due on resubmission.

8. Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

8.1 The Company’s liability is limited to the service fees paid by the Customer, excluding disbursements.

8.2 No liability is accepted for indirect or consequential losses, including but not limited to: missed deadlines, contract losses, or travel disruptions.

8.3 The Company excludes implied terms under the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 to the fullest extent permitted.

8.4 The Responsibility for verifying requirements for processing the documents rests with the Customer. The Company is not liable for inaccuracies provided by third parties.

8.5 The Company is not responsible for documents rejected by the FCDO or foreign embassies/consulates and reserves the right to charge additional fees for resubmissions.

9. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

10. Amendments

We may update these Terms of Service from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website. Continued use of our services after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.

11. General Terms

11.1. Services provided reflect information and instructions accurately received from the Customer. The Company offers impartial information without liability.

11.2. Third-party rights are excluded unless explicitly provided by UK law.

11.3. The Company accepts no liability for service disruptions due to circumstances beyond reasonable control.

11.4. Complaints should be addressed in writing to the Managing Director via email at edward@eliteservicegroup.co.uk at the first opportunity, to ensure the Company can swiftly work to resolve your complaint.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us using the details on our website.

Data Policy

1. Introduction

Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group needs to collect and use certain types of information about individuals who come into contact and use Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group, in order to carry on our work. This personal information must be collected and dealt with appropriately whether it is collected on paper or by electronic means, and is stored in a secure cloud based computer database, or recorded on other material and there are safeguards to ensure this under the Data Protection Act 1998.

2. Data Controller

Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group is the Data Controller under the Act, which means that it determines what purposes personal information held will be used for. It is also responsible for notifying the Information Commissioner of the data it holds or is likely to hold, and the general purposes that this data will be used for.

3. Disclosure

Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group uses 123FormBuilder and Odoo Ecommerce solutions to supply a transit conduit for movement of data within its solutions, with reference to legalisation of documents and visa application processes. Schengen Office (London) Ltd, Odoo and 123FormBuilder are compliant to the eight principles that guide the Data Protection Act of 1998, amended in 2003 and part of the Directive 95/46/EC.

The 8 Principles are as follows:

First principle:

Personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully and, in particular, shall not be processed unless at least one of the conditions in Schedule 2 is met and in the case of sensitive personal data, at least one of the conditions set out in Schedule 3 or either of the two Statutory Instruments is met.

Personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully.

As the ‘data processor’ Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group ensures that its Data storage and transmission provider, 123FormBuilder & Odoo, uses a secured 256-bit SSL connection while you are using 123FormBuilder & Odoo applications on our platform.

Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group has ensured that customers / users are able to transmit personal data to Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group securely and safely using 123FormBuilder & Odoo. Access to all user / customer and personal data held on the 123FormBuilder & Odoo database is immediately accessible. Schengen Office (London) Ltd can retrieve or remove specific data upon request.

Second principle:

Personal data shall be obtained only for one or more specified and lawful purposes, and shall not be further processed in any manner incompatible with that purpose or those purposes.

Data is obtained only for one or more specified and lawful purposes.

Our main services are to legalise customer’s essential documentation, or to apply for a passport or international travel visa. Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group will only request data and information that is required to provide the services requested by the Customer. 123FormBuilder & Odoo allow us to receive and confirm and store this essential information securely in a cloud services provider, such as Amazon Web Services. This data includes, but is not limited to, your email address, address, name and phone number. For certain applications we may require the following sensitive data, as requested by third parties including but not limited to, foreign embassies and consulates;

Racial or ethnic origin
Political affiliations
Religion or similar beliefs
Trade union membership
Physical or mental health
Sex
Criminal record or proceedings

Third principle:

Personal data shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose or purposes for which they are processed.

Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group will never ask or request for data or information which is not associated or applicable to the user’s visa application or to our ability for us to process the application.

Fourth principle:

Personal data shall be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date.

Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group users have the right and ability to call Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group in order to update / remove their information. Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group will also put a member of the team in contact with the user so that at any time both during and after the application process, data can be altered, updated or deleted.

Fifth principle:

Personal data processed for any purpose or purposes shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes.

We scan legalised documents for our clients to ensure they are correct and we have delivered the services requested. We store these scans on our cloud based customer portal indefinitely as a convenience for our customers. However, customers may request deletion and permanent removal of their scanned documents at any time.

As subject of the Data Protection Act 1998 and other international regulations, we keep data no longer than necessary. Data may be held by Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group for up to the date of the expiry of the customer’s passport to allow for reporting of visa activity within the passport.

However, should you wish for Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group to remove your information, you can do so at any time after the visa application process has finished. Once deleted by Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group, data will be cached on our server for 30 days, to allow for the retrieval of accidentally deleted data.

Sixth principle

Personal data shall be processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects under this Act.

All customers / users of Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group can request at any time, all data pertaining to them, held on record by Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group.

Seventh principle:

Appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.

Where appropriate Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group will take appropriate technical and organisational measures against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data.

Odoo Enterprise, our software provider, hosts all data on its own cloud based solution. 123FormsBuilder hosts all data on Amazon Web Services. Both Odoo and 123FormBuilder are highly protected against any threats that could endanger customers (Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group) or their users. The security platform is carefully monitored on a 24/7 basis and benefits from all the latest security updates available.

The site and systems are protected by, 256-bit SSL connection; Schengen Office (London) Ltd is further protected from spam, viruses and malware threats by McAfee Secure.

Eighth principle:

Personal data shall not be transferred to a country or territory outside the European Economic Area, unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level of protection for the rights and freedoms of data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data.

All our data is kept and encrypted within the in secured data centres at Amazon Web Services, spread across the United States. Even though there isn’t an equivalent in the US for the Data Protection Act 1998 of the UK and the EU’s directive, there is a bilateral agreement between the parts that permits the transfer and keeping the data safe.

Odoo’s hosting is based in the EEA.

The data provided will, under no circumstances, be given to any third party outside Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group apart from 123FormBuilder or Odoo. The terms of service between Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group and 123FormBuilder, and Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group and Odoo, state that any data collected by Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group through 123FormBuilder is owned by Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group. Any data stored or collected in Odoo is also owned solely by Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group.

123FormBuilder & Odoo state that under no circumstances will they read or use any data collected by Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group. This also covers all data that might be collected that is deemed irrelevant or not important, and refers to all data that may be subject to privacy laws. Collecting data in an act of phishing is forbidden and Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group, Odoo and 123Formbuilder are under regular review to ensure the 8 principles above are upheld.

General:

Both Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group, Odoo and 123FormBuilder do not use any kind of private data in ways that violate the Data Protection Act. Instead, it is the policy of both companies, to work and strengthen the privacy and safety of the customers / users and their data.

All end user personal data is only accessible through a 2-step verification login, as well as Account user (Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group) protection form; tailored to protect from external threats (such as spam, viruses, malware).

The Individual/Service User will be made aware in most circumstances how and with whom their information will be shared. It is assumed that disclosure of personal data is required to achieve the customer requirements and perform the service which the customer has engaged Schengen Office (London) Ltd t/a Elite Service Group to do.

There are circumstances where the law allows Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group to disclose data to foreign embassies and governments (including sensitive data) without the data subject’s consent.

These are:

Carrying out a legal duty or as authorised by the Secretary of State
Protecting vital interests of a Individual/Service User or other person
The Individual/Service User has already made the information public
Conducting any legal proceedings, obtaining legal advice or defending any legal rights
Monitoring for equal opportunities purposes – i.e. race, disability or religion
Providing a confidential service where the Individual/Service User’s consent cannot be obtained or where it is reasonable to proceed without consent: e.g. where we would wish to avoid forcing stressed or ill Individuals/Service Users to provide consent signatures.

Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group regards the lawful and correct treatment of personal information as very important to successful working, and to maintaining the confidence of those with whom we deal.

Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group intends to ensure that personal information is treated lawfully and correctly.

To this end, Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group will adhere to the Principles of Data Protection, as detailed in the Data Protection Act 1998.

Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group

Observes fully, conditions regarding the fair collection and use of information
Meets its legal obligations to specify the purposes for which information is used
Collects and processes appropriate information, and only to the extent that it is needed to fulfil its operational needs or to comply with any legal requirements
Ensures the quality of information used
Ensures that the rights of people about whom information is held, can be fully exercised under the Act. These include:
The right to be informed that processing is being undertaken,
The right of access to one’s personal information
The right to prevent processing in certain circumstances and
The right to correct, rectify, block or erase information which is regarded as wrong information
Takes appropriate technical and organisational security measures to safeguard personal information
Ensures that personal information is not transferred abroad without suitable safeguards
Treats people justly and fairly whatever their age, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation or ethnicity when dealing with requests for information
Sets out clear procedures for responding to requests for information

4. Data collection

Informed consent is when

An Individual/Service User clearly understands why their information is needed, who it will be shared with, the possible consequences of them agreeing or refusing the proposed use of the data
And then gives their consent.

Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group will ensure that data is collected within the boundaries defined in this policy. This applies to data that is collected in person, or by completing a form.

When collecting data, Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group will ensure that the Individual/Service User:

Clearly understands why the information is needed
Understands what it will be used for and what the consequences are should the Individual/Service User decide not to give consent to processing
As far as reasonably possible, grants explicit consent, either written or verbal for data to be processed
Is, as far as reasonably practicable, competent enough to give consent and has given so freely without any duress
Has received sufficient information on why their data is needed and how it will be used

5. Data Storage

Information and records relating to service users will be stored securely and will only be accessible to authorised staff.

Information will be stored for only as long as it is needed or required by statute and will be disposed of appropriately.

It is Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group’s responsibility to ensure all personal and company data is non-recoverable from any computer system previously used within the organisation, which has been passed on/sold to a third party.

6. Data access and accuracy

All Individuals/Service Users have the right to access the information Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group holds about them. Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group will also take reasonable steps ensure that this information is kept up to date by asking data subjects whether there have been any changes.

In addition, Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group will ensure that:

It has a Data Protection Officer with specific responsibility for ensuring compliance with Data Protection
Everyone processing personal information understands that they are contractually responsible for following good data protection practice
Everyone processing personal information is appropriately trained to do so
Everyone processing personal information is appropriately supervised
Anybody wanting to make enquiries about handling personal information knows what to do
It deals promptly and courteously with any enquiries about handling personal information
It describes clearly how it handles personal information
It will regularly review and audit the ways it holds, manages and uses personal information
It regularly assesses and evaluates its methods and performance in relation to handling personal information
All staff are aware that a breach of the rules and procedures identified in this policy may lead to disciplinary action being taken against them

This policy will be updated as necessary to reflect best practice in data management, security and control and to ensure compliance with any changes or amendments made to the Data Protection Act 1998.

In case of any queries or questions in relation to this policy please ask for the Data Protection Officer, Edward Carnell.

Glossary of Terms

Data Controller – The person who (either alone or with others) decides what personal information Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group will hold and how it will be held or used.

Data Protection Act 1998 – The UK legislation that provides a framework for responsible behaviour by those using personal information.

Data Protection Officer – The person(s) responsible for ensuring that Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group follows its data protection policy and complies with the Data Protection Act 1998.

Individual/Service User – The person whose personal information is being held or processed by Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group for example: a client, an employee, or supporter.

Explicit consent – is a freely given, specific and informed agreement by an Individual/Service User in the processing of personal information about her/him. Explicit consent is needed for processing sensitive data.

Notification – Notifying the Information Commissioner about the data processing activities of Schengen Office (London) Ltd T/A Elite Service Group as certain activities may be exempt from notification.

The link below will take to the ICO website where a self assessment guide will help you to decide if you are exempt from notification: http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/data_protection/the_guide/exemptions.aspx

Information Commissioner – The UK Information Commissioner responsible for implementing and overseeing the Data Protection Act 1998.

Processing – means collecting, amending, handling, storing or disclosing personal information.

Personal Information – Information about living individuals that enables them to be identified – e.g. name and address. It does not apply to information about organisations, companies and agencies but applies to named persons, such as individual volunteers or employees within (GROUP).

Sensitive data – refers to data about:

Racial or ethnic origin
Political affiliations
Religion or similar beliefs
Trade union membership
Physical or mental health
Sexuality
Criminal record or proceedings