You acknowledge and agree that by initiating a support request with us you are granting Bellingham IT, Inc. (“the Company dba Bellingham IT”) full, remote viewing and access on your computer.

In granting consent, you (“the Customer”) agree as follows:

Remote Support Service:

Remote Support is a service delivered by one of our support technicians using our licensed remote support software that enables us to remotely assist you with technical issues you may have. By allowing us to access your computer using our remote support software, you agree you’ve read and accepted these terms.

Customer Responsibilities:

Whilst we embark on taking all due care to protect the integrity of your data and system while troubleshooting issues on your computer, Bellingham IT cannot guarantee this service will resolve the IT problem or that the attempt to resolve technical issues will not cause additional problems requiring an in house support session or restore to backup situation. Bellingham IT is not liable for any consequential damages from providing the support service.

By using this Remote Support Service you understand that:

• You are personally responsible for ensuring a valid backup of any data and applications has been made prior to any support session.

• All remote service and software is provided at the customer’s sole risk.

• A support technician will have control of your keyboard and mouse during the session.

• Bellingham IT is not liable for consequential damages of any kind.

• You should not have privacy, security or password sensitive applications / web pages / email open during remote support activities.

• Bellingham IT will not disclose passwords or IDs to any undisclosed 3rd party.

• Bellingham IT may install or remove software during the support session in order to root out or address an issue.

• Due to nature of certain technical problems, it may not be possible to resolve your particular problem via remote support.

The ability for Bellingham IT to remotely access your computer significantly enhances our ability to resolve your technical problem quickly.  You understand that, by requesting such assistance, you are providing Bellingham IT technical support personnel with access to and control of your computer.

In doing so, you could be providing Bellingham IT technical support personnel with access to files that reside on your computer therefore, you accept responsibility for any changes made to the desktop content or system settings.   Bellingham IT does not assume and is not responsible for any liability for the linking and viewing of any desktop content, the operation of the remote access software or system performance.

Bellingham IT recommends that, for your security and privacy, you exit any open applications that contain personal or confidential information before initiating a remote support session with the Bellingham IT representative.  Bellingham IT further recommends that you remain seated at your desktop throughout the entire remote session, though it is not required.

By accepting these terms and conditions, you acknowledge that remote intervention may in some cases result in data loss and/or software corruption on your computer therefore Bellingham IT explicitly recommends that you back up the data from your computer before accepting remote technical support.  If you do not back up your data, you run the possibility of irretrievable loss of such data and Bellingham IT will not be liable for any data or extra costs incurred from 3rd parties, however caused.

Remote Support Software:

Bellingham IT uses licensed commercially developed remote support software to provide remote assistance and technical support. Features of this software include:

• Ease of use. Our technicians can help you establish the connection on any internet connected device.

• Security. To access your PC, you must work with a technician and input a one time use security code that will allow us to connect to your system. We are unable to access your system without you initiating the connection using said code.

• Once a remote support session is established, there will be a banner at the top of your computer screen that will alert you to the fact that a technician is viewing your screen and will provide the name of your technician. This banner will remain in place for the duration of the support session. When the session is ended, the banner will no longer be present and we will no longer have access to your system.

• Ability to diagnose and resolve problems remotely.

• Allow your support representative to view or control your desktop.

• Transfer files via direct transfer to or from the support representative (if needed).

Payment:

• A minimum 30 minute charge will be billed for service.

• Billing starts at the time of the scheduled appointment.

• If an issue requires more than 30 minutes, additional time will be billed in 15 minute increments.

• At the end of the session an invoice will be sent to your email address.

• Payment of the invoice is due immediately upon receipt and can be done through our secure online payment page.

• Late fees will apply if an invoice is left unpaid longer than 3 days.

Service Time:

The majority of our remote support sessions are addressed in 30 minutes or less. This does not guarantee that your issue will be resolved in that time as there are many factors that can impact how quickly we can address an issue. The following items can drastically extend the time required to fix an issue remotely and sometimes may make an in house support service the better option.

Factors that can impact the time required to complete your service include but are not limited to:

• Internet connection speeds.

• The age of your computer or device.

• Outdated drivers or software.

• The hardware performance of your computer.

• Stuck system processes.

• Operating system update requirements.

Try to eliminate as many of these factors as possible prior to your service call to ensure your ticket is completed in as short a time as possible.

Passwords:

In certain circumstances it may be necessary for you to share system, email or other application passwords with your technician in order to address an issue. In these cases, we will inform you of the need for your password and only record it if it may be needed to complete the ticket. If we do record the password, it is kept in our secure digital vault and deleted 7 days after your ticket has been marked complete.

• If you do need to disclose your password to one of our techs, it is your choice and you assume the risk of doing so. If you wish to change your password when your service is complete, our techs are more than happy to help you with it.

Changes to this policy:

Bellingham IT has the discretion to update this remote support policy at any time. When we do, we will revise the updated date at the bottom of this page. We encourage you to frequently check this page for any changes to stay informed whenever they book a remote support session. You acknowledge and agree that it is your responsibility to review this policy periodically and become aware of modifications.

Your acceptance of these terms:

When booking a remote support session you are required to accept the terms and agreements stated in this policy. Acceptance of our engagement policy that is required by all new customers also acknowledges your acceptance of the terms and agreements stated in this policy.

Contacting us:

If you have any questions about this policy please contact us here.

This document was last updated on June 11, 2020.