Terms & Privacy

§1 Services & Scope

BRT Inc. (operated by Charles Bartaria, "we", "us") provides freelance software engineering services including web application development, security auditing, data science, AI/ML modelling, DevOps infrastructure, and maintenance retainers.

1.1 Proposals

All fixed-scope work begins with a written proposal specifying deliverables, price (in ZAR), and timeline. The proposal is valid for 14 days from issue date. Payment of a deposit constitutes acceptance of the proposal and these Terms.

1.2 Scope changes

Any change to agreed deliverables requires a written amendment. Work outside the original scope is quoted separately and requires additional deposit before commencement.

1.3 Client obligations

The Client must provide timely access to systems, credentials, and feedback required to complete the work. Delays caused by late Client responses may extend the agreed timeline proportionally at no additional charge.

§2 Payment Terms (ZAR)

All prices are quoted and invoiced in South African Rand (ZAR) unless otherwise agreed. USD or other currencies may be accepted at the exchange rate on the invoice date.

2.1 Deposit

Fixed-scope projects require a deposit (typically 50%) before work begins. Hourly engagements are invoiced weekly with payment due within 7 days of invoice.

2.2 Final payment

The balance is due on delivery of the agreed deliverables. Final code and documentation are released upon receipt of full payment.

2.3 Late payment

Invoices unpaid after 7 days accrue interest at 2% per month. BRT Inc. reserves the right to suspend work on active retainers if invoices remain unpaid after 14 days.

2.4 Payment methods

Accepted: Wise (USD/ZAR), PayPal, South African EFT, or bank transfer. Payment details are provided on the invoice.

2.5 Refunds

Deposits are non-refundable once work has commenced. If work has not commenced within 14 days of deposit payment and the Client requests cancellation, the deposit is refunded in full.

§3 Intellectual Property

3.1 Transfer on full payment

Upon receipt of full payment for a fixed-scope project, all intellectual property in the custom code written for the Client transfers exclusively to the Client. This includes source code, configuration files, scripts, and documentation.

3.2 Pre-existing tools and libraries

Open-source libraries, frameworks, and tools incorporated into the project remain subject to their respective licences (MIT, Apache 2.0, etc.). BRT Inc. will notify the Client of any non-permissive licence dependencies before use.

3.3 Portfolio rights

BRT Inc. retains the right to reference the project type and metrics (e.g., "Built a booking system for a Manzini barbershop") in portfolio materials, unless the Client requests confidentiality in writing.

3.4 Third-party images

Photographs used in BRT Inc.'s own marketing materials (this website) are sourced from Unsplash under their free commercial licence. BRT Inc. does not claim ownership of those photographs.

§4 Warranty

4.1 30-day bug-fix warranty

BRT Inc. warrants all fixed-scope deliverables against defects for 30 days from delivery date. A "defect" means any condition where the software fails to perform a function specified in the agreed proposal.

4.2 Exclusions

The warranty does not cover:

• Issues caused by Client modifications to the delivered code
• Failures due to third-party API or service changes outside BRT Inc.'s control
• Feature requests or scope additions requested after delivery
• Issues arising from the Client's infrastructure, hosting, or environment

4.3 Warranty claims

To make a warranty claim, email charleskris9@gmail.com with a description of the defect and steps to reproduce it. BRT Inc. will acknowledge within 24 hours and resolve within 5 business days.

§5 Limitation of Liability

BRT Inc.'s total liability to the Client for any claim arising from a project shall not exceed the total amount paid by the Client for that project.

BRT Inc. is not liable for:

• Loss of revenue, data, or business opportunity
• Consequential or indirect damages of any kind
• Damages arising from Client misuse of delivered software
• Security incidents resulting from the Client's failure to follow delivered security recommendations

§6 Confidentiality

BRT Inc. treats all Client code, data, credentials, and business information as strictly confidential. We do not share, sell, or disclose Client information to third parties except where required by law.

The Client agrees not to disclose BRT Inc.'s proprietary methodologies, tooling, or unreleased work without written consent.

Confidentiality obligations survive termination of the engagement for 3 years.

§7 Privacy Policy

7.1 Data we collect

This website (brtinc.dev) collects:

• Analytics: Page views and referrer data via Vercel Analytics — anonymised, no personal identifiers, no cross-site tracking, cookie-free.
• Email enquiries: When you email us, we store your name and email address to respond to your enquiry.
• Internal tools (auth-gated): CRM data (client names, emails, project notes) is stored exclusively in your browser's localStorage — it never leaves your device or reaches any server.

7.2 Cookies

This website does not set any cookies. Vercel Analytics operates without cookies. The internal tools auth gate uses sessionStorage (cleared when you close the tab) — not cookies.

7.3 POPIA compliance (SADC)

BRT Inc. complies with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA, South Africa) and equivalent data protection frameworks across the SADC region. You have the right to access, correct, or request deletion of any personal data we hold. Email charleskris9@gmail.com to exercise these rights.

7.4 Third-party services

This website loads fonts from Google Fonts (fonts.googleapis.com, fonts.gstatic.com) and analytics from Vercel (va.vercel-scripts.com). These third parties have their own privacy policies. BRT Inc. does not pass personal data to these services.

7.5 Data retention

Email correspondence is retained for up to 3 years for business record purposes. Analytics data is aggregated and anonymised — individual page views are not stored beyond 90 days.

§8 Governing Law & Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Kingdom of Eswatini. Disputes shall first be addressed through good-faith negotiation. If unresolved within 30 days, disputes may be referred to mediation before litigation.

Nothing in these Terms limits a party's right to seek urgent injunctive relief from a court of competent jurisdiction.

§9 Changes to Terms

BRT Inc. may update these Terms from time to time. The effective date above will be updated. Continued engagement after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. For active projects, the Terms in force at the time of the proposal govern that engagement.