Dry Cleaners Norwich | Smart Image Dry Cleaning Specialist

Dry cleaning, laundry, collection and delivery services

Smart Image Norwich Limited, trading as Smart Image Dry Cleaners and Laundry Specialists 69 Grove Road, Norwich, NR1 3RL | 01603 766692 | www.smartimage-drycleaners.co.uk Registered in England and Wales, Company No. 11528529
Version 1.0 | Last updated: Friday, 11th September 2026

Please read these terms carefully. They set out the basis on which we accept, clean, process, store, collect and deliver your items, and they include sections that limit our liability to you. By leaving items with us, with one of our drivers, or with an authorised receiving agent, you accept these terms.

Contents

• 1. Definitions
• 2. About these terms
• 3. Our service standard
• 4. Acceptance of items and formation of contract
• 5. Collection and delivery
• 6. Unattended collection and delivery
• 7. Inspection, condition records and photography
• 8. Cleaning method, care labels and stain removal
• 9. Pre-existing and latent defects
• 10. Attachments, trims and embellishments
• 11. Personal belongings left in items
• 12. Value of items and the declared value limit
• 13. Reporting a problem
• 14. Loss or damage and how compensation is assessed
• 15. Uncollected items, storage and disposal
• 16. Prices and payment
• 17. Cancellation rights for consumers
• 18. Our liability
• 19. Your information
• 20. Complaints and disputes
• 21. General

1. DEFINITIONS

“We”, “us”, “our” means Smart Image Norwich Limited.

“You”, “your”, “the customer” means the person or business who leaves items with us, or on whose behalf items are left.

“Item” means any garment, textile, curtain, duvet, household linen, wedding dress, leather or suede article, or other article accepted by us for cleaning, laundering, pressing, repair, alteration, storage or any other service.

“Consumer” means an individual acting wholly or mainly outside their trade, business, craft or profession.

“Business customer” means any customer who is not a consumer.

“Receiving agent” means a driver, retailer, hotel, concierge, reception, third party outlet or any other party who receives items on our behalf.

“Terms” means these terms and conditions.

2. ABOUT THESE TERMS

• These terms apply to every order, whether placed in store, by telephone, by email, through our website, through a receiving agent, or through our collection and delivery service.
• These terms are published at www.smartimage-drycleaners.co.uk and a copy is available in store on request. A copy will be provided to you on request at no charge.
• Where you have signed a Customer Account Application Form, a Customer Awareness, Acceptance and Authorisation Form, or a Collection and Delivery Docket, those documents form part of your contract with us and are to be read together with these terms. If there is a conflict, the signed document prevails for the specific item or arrangement it covers.
• We are not the manufacturer or designer of any item. We make no representation or warranty about the construction, durability, prior condition, fitness or suitability for processing of any item submitted to us.
• We may change these terms from time to time. The version published on our website at the time you place an order is the version that applies to that order.

3. OUR SERVICE STANDARD

• We provide cleaning, laundering, pressing, repair and related textile services using reasonable care and skill, in accordance with recognised industry standards.
• Nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights. In particular, nothing in these terms excludes or restricts our duty under section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 to perform our services with reasonable care and skill.

4. ACCEPTANCE OF ITEMS AND FORMATION OF CONTRACT

• A contract is formed when we accept your items for processing, whether at our premises, through a receiving agent, or through our collection service.
• We may refuse to accept, or may return unprocessed, any item which in our reasonable opinion is unsuitable for processing, unsafe to handle, heavily soiled or contaminated with bodily fluids or other biological matter, infested, or which we consider likely to be damaged by any available cleaning process.
• You confirm that you are the owner of the items, or that you are authorised by the owner to submit them to us and to accept these terms on the owner’s behalf.
• For certain specialist services, including wedding dress cleaning and boxing, we may require proof of identity and address before we will process the item. Acceptable proof is a driving licence, utility bill or council tax bill dated no more than three months before the date of submission. We may decline to process an item where satisfactory proof is not provided.
• Unless you tell us otherwise before we begin processing an item, leaving it with us, or arranging for our driver to collect it, is your instruction to us to clean or launder it in accordance with your order and these terms. If you wish to cancel or change that instruction, you must contact us before processing begins; see clause 16.8 for what happens if you do so after the item has already been collected.

5. COLLECTION AND DELIVERY

Collection

• Where items are collected by our driver, the driver acts as a receiving agent for transport only. Items are not opened, counted, checked, examined or assessed at the point of collection. Our driver is neither qualified nor authorised to carry out a condition assessment.
• Any comment made by a driver or other receiving agent at the point of collection is preliminary and is made for identification purposes only. The absence of any note about stains, damage, wear, alteration, missing components or other defects does not confirm that none existed.
• Every item is counted, identified and its condition recorded by a trained technician at our premises at 69 Grove Road. That record is the agreed record of what we received and of the condition of the items on receipt, unless clear evidence demonstrates otherwise.
• Any number of bags, bundles or items written on a collection docket is a guide supplied by you and is subject to the count carried out at our premises. Where the two differ, we will notify you promptly and our count applies.

Delivery

• On delivery you should check the items you receive. Where you or a person at your address receives the items in person, signature confirms that the items have been received, that there has been an opportunity to check them, and that they appear to be complete and in acceptable condition.
• We may deliver to any person present at the delivery address who appears authorised to receive the items. We are not responsible for items passed on, mislaid or damaged by any such person after delivery.
• Delivery days are fixed by the round serving your area. We will tell you your collection and delivery days when your account is set up. We will use reasonable efforts to collect and deliver on the days agreed, but days and times are estimates and are not guaranteed.
• If nobody is available at a scheduled collection or delivery and no unattended arrangement is in place under clause 6, we may re-attempt on the next scheduled round day and may charge a reasonable additional call charge, which we will tell you about in advance.

6. UNATTENDED COLLECTION AND DELIVERY

• We will only collect from, or deliver to, an unattended place where you have asked us to do so, either in your Customer Account Application Form or by written instruction.
• Where you ask us to collect from or deliver to an unattended place, you acknowledge and accept that:
• nobody is able to check, count or examine items at an unattended place, and our driver’s written record of what was collected or left is the record that applies;
• items left out for collection remain at your risk until they are received into our premises at 69 Grove Road and booked in by a member of our staff;
• delivery is complete when the items are left at the place you have specified, and from that point the items are at your risk, including any loss, theft, interference
• any shortage or concern must still be reported to us within the period set out in clause 13, running from the recorded time of delivery.
• We may decline to leave items at an unattended place where the driver reasonably considers the location unsuitable or insecure. In that case we will attempt delivery on the next scheduled round day.

7. INSPECTION, CONDITION RECORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY

• You expressly authorise us to carry out a full inspection of each item on receipt at our premises, and at any stage of handling, cleaning, finishing, pressing, packaging and quality control.
• We may amend, supplement or update a condition record at any time before collection or delivery if further observations arise. Later observations form part of the item’s condition record and do not, of themselves, indicate that the condition arose while the item was in our possession.
• Items are accepted following a visual inspection only. A detailed examination of every component of every item is not practicable and will not identify every defect. The absence of a note at intake is not confirmation that a condition did not exist.
• You authorise us to photograph any item at any stage of receipt, inspection, processing, cleaning, finishing, storage, collection or delivery, in order to record its condition, identify pre-existing defects and help resolve any dispute. Our written records, inspection notes and photographs constitute the official condition record of the item.

8. CLEANING METHOD, CARE LABELS AND STAIN REMOVAL

• Where a legible care label is present, we will clean the item in accordance with the manufacturer’s care label. Compliance with the label does not guarantee a satisfactory result and does not prevent damage arising from the item’s inherent condition, age, construction or prior treatment.
• Where damage occurs purely as a result of our following the manufacturer’s care instructions in good faith and with reasonable care and skill, and no risk of damage could reasonably have been identified beforehand, we are not responsible for that damage. In those circumstances any complaint should be raised with the retailer or manufacturer, and we will provide a letter confirming the process we carried out if you reasonably request one.
• Where an item has no care label, an illegible label, or a label we reasonably believe to be inaccurate or unsuitable, and you nevertheless ask us to proceed, you authorise us to determine and apply the cleaning method we reasonably consider most appropriate. You acknowledge that in these circumstances there is an increased risk of shrinkage, stretching, distortion, colour loss or bleeding, texture change, melting, delamination, adhesive failure or other deterioration, and you accept that risk by instructing us to proceed. These items are accepted at owner’s risk.
• We do not guarantee the complete removal of stains, marks, odours or discolouration. Success depends on the nature and age of the stain, previous attempts at treatment, fabric condition, dye stability and the recommended cleaning method.
• We may use specialist third party contractors for certain work, including leather, suede, skins, rugs and some specialist repairs. Where an item is passed to a specialist contractor we will tell you, and the contractor’s own terms will apply to that work.

9. PRE-EXISTING AND LATENT DEFECTS

• Certain defects cannot reasonably be identified during a visual inspection and may only become apparent during handling, processing or cleaning. These include, without limitation: weakened or fatigued fibres, worn areas, small or concealed holes and tears, deteriorated linings, loose stitching, damaged seams, previous repairs or alterations, manufacturing defects, adhesive failure, hidden objects, loose or weakened trims, sequins, beads, buttons, zips and interfacing, dye deterioration, and objects that have passed through holes into linings or concealed sections.
• The cleaning process may reveal or worsen such conditions, resulting in enlarged holes, fraying, seam separation, snagging, distortion, detachment of trims or embellishments, or fabric failure. These outcomes are an inherent risk of cleaning previously worn or aged items and do not, of themselves, indicate negligence or improper cleaning by us.
• We are not liable for damage resulting from a pre-existing condition or the inherent state of an item, provided we have exercised reasonable care and skill.
• Cleaning and finishing involve mechanical action, heat, moisture, solvents, specialist chemicals and pressing. While reasonable care is always exercised, no guarantee is given as to colour fastness, shrinkage, distortion, fabric stability, seam integrity or the survival of trims and components.
• You are responsible for telling us, before processing, about any known defect, sensitivity, prior damage or special care requirement. Failure to do so may affect the outcome of the service and may limit our ability to assess responsibility afterwards.

10. ATTACHMENTS, TRIMS AND EMBELLISHMENTS

• Unless expressly agreed in writing, we do not remove or reattach buttons, buckles, belts, bows, shoulder pads, trims, embellishments, badges or other attached components before cleaning. You accept the risk of alteration, movement, distortion, damage or loss to such components arising from the cleaning process, where we have exercised reasonable care and skill.
• Where, at your specific request, we agree to remove or reattach any such component, you acknowledge that this may result in damage to the component, the item, or both, including fabric distortion, marking, tearing, fraying, stitch damage, adhesive failure or breakage, because of the age, condition, construction or method of attachment. You expressly authorise that work and accept the associated risks, provided we have exercised reasonable care and skill.

11. PERSONAL BELONGINGS LEFT IN ITEMS

• You confirm that all pockets, compartments and concealed areas have been checked and emptied before an item is handed over to us or left out for collection.
• We accept no responsibility for the loss of, or damage to, money, jewellery, documents, keys, cards, electronic devices or any other article left within an item, whether in pockets, linings, hems or elsewhere, and we accept no responsibility for damage caused to an item by any such article during processing.
• Any article found and retained by us will be held for a reasonable period and may be disposed of in accordance with clause 15 if not claimed.

This clause limits the amount we will pay if an item is lost or damaged. Please read it carefully.

12. VALUE OF ITEMS AND THE DECLARED VALUE LIMIT

• You must tell us, before or at the time an item is handed over to us or left out for collection, if the item has a value of more than £50. A declaration must be made in writing on the docket, the authorisation form or by email, and must be acknowledged by us.
• This allows us to decide whether to accept the item, to apply special handling, to arrange appropriate cover, and to price the work accordingly. Where you declare a value above £50 we will either agree to accept the item on terms we tell you about at the time, which may include an additional charge, or decline to accept it. You will always be told before we proceed.
• If you do not declare a value above £50, we will assess any claim for that item on the basis that its value did not exceed £50, and our liability for that item will not exceed £50.
• This limit applies to each item individually and not to an order as a whole.
• The limit in clause 12.3 does not apply where the loss or damage was caused by our fraud or deliberate act, and does not apply to any liability which cannot lawfully be limited.
• If you are a consumer, nothing in this clause limits our liab
• If you are a consumer, nothing in this clause limits our liability for our failure to perform the services with reasonable care and skill.

13. REPORTING A PROBLEM

• Items must be checked at the point of collection from our premises or at the point of delivery.
• Any shortage, or any concern about cleaning, finishing or condition, must be reported to us within 24 hours of collection or delivery, by telephone on 01603 766692 or by email.
• To allow us to assess a concern, the item must be returned to us unworn, unused, unwashed and in the same state in which it was delivered, in its original packaging where practicable. An item that has been worn, used, washed, treated or altered after delivery is accepted as having been delivered in satisfactory condition and cannot be the subject of a claim, because the cause of any condition can no longer be established.
• No claim for refund, compensation, replacement, repair or reprocessing will be considered unless the item is made available to us for inspection.
• If you are a consumer, clause 13.2 does not affect your legal rights in respect of a defect which could not reasonably have been discovered within that period.
• If we are at fault, we will reprocess the item free of charge in the first instance, or, where that is not appropriate, deal with the matter under clause 14.

14. LOSS OR DAMAGE AND HOW COMPENSATION IS ASSESSED

• In the unlikely event that an item is lost or damaged and we are responsible, we will pay fair compensation.
• We assess compensation using the Fair Compensation Guidelines published by the Textile Services Association. Those guidelines assess the value of an item at the time of loss or damage, taking into account its age, condition, expected useful life and wear. We do not replace old items with new.
• We may reasonably ask you for evidence of the original purchase price, the date of purchase and the age of the item, such as a receipt, bank statement or card statement, before agreeing compensation.
• Subject to clause 12, our total liability for any one item is limited to the lower of:
  • ten times the cleaning charge for that item; or
  • the depreciated value of the item assessed under clause 14.2.
• Where compensation is paid, the item becomes our property and will not be returned. Items settled in this way may be donated to charity.
• Any settlement is offered and accepted in full and final settlement of the claim.
• Sentimental value is not a basis for compensation.
• Establishing what happened: Our technician’s condition record made under clause 5 and clause 7, together with any photographs, is our primary record of the condition of an item on receipt and through processing. Where you make a claim, you will need to show that the loss or damage is more likely than not to have occurred while the item was in our care and that it was not caused by a pre-existing or inherent condition of the kind described in clause 9, or by anything else we are not responsible for under these terms. We will consider any evidence you provide, including your own description of the item’s condition before it was left with us.
• Disputed claims: If, after our own investigation, we do not accept responsibility and you disagree, either of us may refer the item for independent assessment by the Textile Services Association’s testing service or another mutually agreed accredited textile testing body. The party whose position is not upheld by that assessment will bear the reasonable cost of the test, unless we agree otherwise in writing. This does not affect your right to pursue the matter through Citizens Advice, alternative dispute resolution, or the courts at any time.

14.8 We are not liable for:

• damage that is not related to or caused by the cleaning process;
• damage arising from a pre-existing or inherent condition, as described in clause 9;
• items accepted at owner’s risk under clause 8.3;
• colour loss, shrinkage or fabric failure in items that are aged, worn or of inherently unstable construction;
• the loss of, or damage caused by, articles left in pockets;
• any claim excluded by clause 13.

This clause explains what happens if items are not collected. Please read it carefully.

15. UNCOLLECTED ITEMS, STORAGE AND DISPOSAL

• Items must be collected, or accepted on delivery, within three months of the date we notify you that they are ready. That notification may be given in person, by telephone, by text message or by email, using the contact details you have given us.
• After three months we may charge a reasonable storage charge, which we will tell you about before it starts to accrue.
• If items remain uncollected after three months, we will write to you at the last address you gave us, giving notice that the items are ready for collection, stating what is owed, and stating the date on or after which we intend to sell or otherwise dispose of them. That date will be at least three months after the date of the notice where any sum is owed to us, and will otherwise give you a reasonable opportunity to collect. This notice is given under section 12 and Schedule 1 of the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977.
• If we cannot trace or communicate with you after taking reasonable steps to do so, we may proceed to sell or dispose of the items without notice, as permitted by section 12(3)(b) of that Act.
• After the notice period has expired we may sell the items, donate them to charity, or otherwise dispose of them. We will deduct from any proceeds of sale all sums owed to us in respect of the items, including cleaning charges, storage charges and the costs of sale. Any balance remaining will be held for you and paid to you on request.
• Items which in our reasonable opinion have no realisable resale value may be donated to a charity or disposed of, and no payment will be due to you in respect of them.
• We will not sell items under this clause while we are aware of a genuine dispute about what is owed.
• We are not liable for any item left uncollected beyond the period in clause 15.1, or for any deterioration of an item during a period of storage caused by your failure to collect it.

16. PRICES AND PAYMENT

• Prices are those in force at the time the work is carried out and are available in store and on request. Where an item requires additional work, we will tell you and agree the price before proceeding.
• Any price given before inspection is an estimate only. A firm price can only be given once the item has been assessed at our premises.
• Payment is due on collection or delivery unless you hold an approved credit account with us.
• For specialist services, including wedding dress cleaning and boxing, we require a deposit of at least 50 per cent of the agreed price before work begins. Deposits are non-refundable once work has started, except where we are at fault or where you exercise a cancellation right under clause 17.
• Where you hold a credit account, invoices are payable in full within the payment terms agreed with you and recorded on your Customer Account Application Form. We may suspend service or withdraw credit facilities where an account is overdue.
• We have a lien over all items in our possession belonging to you until all sums due to us have been paid in full.
• If you are a business customer and you pay late, we may charge interest and compensation under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, and may recover our reasonable costs of recovering the debt.
• Cancelling before cleaning has begun: If, after we have collected or received an item, you cancel your order or withdraw your instruction to clean it before we have begun cleaning, and you ask us to return the item to you without cleaning it, we may charge you our reasonable direct cost of returning it, which we will tell you before we arrange the return. This charge reflects the cost of the return journey itself and is separate from, and in addition to, any charge under clause 17.4 for cleaning or other work already carried out.

17. CANCELLATION RIGHTS FOR CONSUMERS

• Where you are a consumer and you place an order at a distance, for example by telephone, email or through our website, or away from our business premises, for example at your door when our driver calls, you have the right to cancel within 14 days without giving a reason.
• The cancellation period ends 14 days after the day the contract is entered into.
• To cancel, tell us clearly before the period ends, by telephone on 01603 766692, by email, or in writing to 69 Grove Road, Norwich, NR1 3RL.
• If you ask us to begin the service during the cancellation period, and we do so, you must pay for the service we have provided up to the point of cancellation, in proportion to the full price.
• If the service has been fully performed during the cancellation period at your express request, and you acknowledged that you would lose the right to cancel once it was complete, you will no longer have the right to cancel.
• This clause does not apply to items brought into our premises in person, which are on-premises contracts and do not carry a statutory right to cancel.
• Where you cancel under this clause after an item has been collected but before cleaning has begun, clause 16.8 sets out the charge that applies if you ask us to return the item without cleaning it. Exercising your right to cancel does not affect that charge.

18. OUR LIABILITY

• Nothing in these terms excludes or restricts our liability for:
  • death or personal injury caused by our negligence;
  • fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
  • any breach of the terms implied by sections 49 to 52 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 in a contract with a consumer; or
  • any other liability which cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.
• Subject to clause 18.1, our liability is limited as set out in clauses 12 and 14.
• If you are a business customer, we are not liable for loss of profit, loss of business, business interruption, loss of contracts or any indirect or consequential loss, and our total liability in connection with any order is limited to the amount set out in clause 14.4.
• We are not liable for any failure or delay caused by an event beyond our reasonable control, including severe weather, flood, fire, breakdown of plant or vehicles, interruption of utilities, industrial action, civil emergency or the act or omission of a third party. Where such an event occurs, we will contact you and agree a revised timescale.
• Business customers (evidence of cause): Where we have exercised reasonable care and skill and applied a cleaning method appropriate to the item, a business customer’s claim for loss or damage must be supported by evidence establishing, on the balance of probabilities, that the loss or damage was caused by our act or omission rather than by a pre-existing or inherent condition of the item, misuse, wear, or any other cause outside our control. Where the cause is genuinely disputed, either party may refer the item to the Textile Services Association’s testing service, or another mutually agreed accredited textile testing body, for assessment, with the reasonable cost of that assessment borne by the party whose position is not upheld.

19. YOUR INFORMATION

• We collect and hold your name, contact details, address, order history and, where relevant, photographs of your items. We use this information to provide the service, to manage your account, to assess and resolve claims, and to meet our legal obligations.
• We hold and process personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. We do not sell your data. Full details are set out in our privacy notice, available on request.
• Photographs and condition records may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary to deal with any claim or dispute.
• Our premises and vehicles may be fitted with CCTV for the security of staff, customers and property.

20. COMPLAINTS AND DISPUTES

• If you are unhappy with any part of our service, please contact us in the first instance on 01603 766692 or in writing to 69 Grove Road, Norwich, NR1 3RL. We will investigate promptly and respond.
• If we cannot resolve a complaint between us, you may wish to seek advice from Citizens Advice, or to pursue the matter through alternative dispute resolution or the courts.
• Nothing in this clause affects your right to bring a claim in court.

21. GENERAL

• If any provision of these terms is found to be unfair, unlawful or unenforceable, that provision will be severed and the remaining provisions will continue in full force.
• A failure or delay by us in enforcing any provision of these terms is not a waiver of our rights.
• These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction over any dispute. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may bring proceedings in your local courts.
• A person who is not a party to the contract has no right to enforce any of these terms under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

Smart Image Norwich Limited 69 Grove Road, Norwich, NR1 3RL 01603 766692
www.smartimage-drycleaners.co.uk
Registered in England and Wales, company number 11528529