Terms & Conditions

This website and our services are provided by Creative Books SA (“Creative Books SA”, “we”, “us”), of 1 Ruby Cl, Fourways, 2191. You can reach us at info@creativebooks.co.za or 010 500 3331.

By using our website, requesting a quote, or placing an order, you agree to these Terms & Conditions and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our services.

• Services: Any services we provide, including self-publishing support, book printing, typesetting, book design, editing and related editorial work.
• Author / you: The person or entity requesting or purchasing our Services.
• Work: The manuscript, text, images, artwork and other content you supply to us.
• Proof: A sample or pre-production version of your book (digital or physical) provided for your review and approval.
• Order: Your accepted request for Services, forming a contract between us.

We offer self-publishing, book printing, typesetting, design and editorial services as described on our website and in the quote provided to you. The exact scope, deliverables and specifications for your project will be those set out in your quote and any related written correspondence.

• Quotes are based on the information and specifications you provide. If the scope changes — for example, a different page count, word count, quantity, trim size or finishing — the price may change accordingly.
• Unless stated otherwise, a quote is valid for 30 days from its date.
• Prices are quoted in South African Rand and, where applicable, indicate whether they include or exclude VAT.
• A quote is an invitation to proceed, not a binding contract, until an Order is accepted in accordance with section 5.

An Order is accepted, and a contract is formed, when you confirm the quote in writing and we receive the required payment or deposit (see section 6), or when we otherwise confirm your Order in writing — whichever happens first. We may decline any Order at our discretion, for example where the requested content is unlawful.

• Fees are as set out in your accepted quote. Unless agreed otherwise, a 50% is payable before work begins, with the balance payable before delivery.
• We invoice through Zoho Books and accept payment by EFT and card.
• Ownership of any printed goods remains with us until payment has been received in full. Risk in the goods passes to you on delivery or collection (see section 12).
• We may suspend work or delivery while any invoice remains overdue, and we reserve our rights in respect of unpaid amounts.

You are responsible for the content of your Work. By submitting Work to us, you warrant and confirm that:

• You own the copyright in the Work, or have all necessary rights, licences and permissions to use it and to have it produced;
• The Work does not infringe the intellectual-property or other rights of any third party;
• The Work is not defamatory, unlawful, obscene or otherwise objectionable, and does not breach any law; and
• Where the Work contains personal information about other people, you are entitled to provide it and have obtained any necessary consent (see our Privacy Policy).

You grant us the licence necessary to reproduce, typeset, print and produce your Work for the purpose of providing the Services. You indemnify us against any claim, loss or damage arising from a breach of these warranties or from the content of your Work.

• You retain ownership of the copyright in your own Work.
• We retain ownership of our own materials, including our website content, templates, systems and any design elements or software we create, except for the specific deliverables licensed or transferred to you under your Order.
• On full payment, the finished book (and, where agreed, a print-ready or ebook file) is provided to you for your own use; Creative Books SA retains its own working files, design assets and templates.

Before final production we will normally provide a proof for your review. It is your responsibility to check the proof carefully — including text, spelling, layout, images and specifications — and to approve it in writing before we proceed.

Changes you request after approval, or after work has begun, may incur additional charges and may affect timelines. We will let you know the cost and impact before carrying out significant changes.

• Any timeframes we give are good-faith estimates, not guarantees. Delays caused by you (for example, late approvals or content) or by third parties (such as couriers) are outside our control.
• Printing and finishing are subject to normal industry tolerances. Minor variations in colour, trim, binding and finish, and small quantity variances of up to 5%, are considered acceptable and are not defects.

We deliver via The Courier Guy or by collection, as agreed. Delivery timeframes are estimates. Risk in any goods passes to you on delivery or collection. Please inspect your order on receipt and report any transit damage promptly (see our Refunds & Returns Policy).

Because our printed books are produced to your specifications and approved proof, they are custom-made goods. Your rights, and the circumstances in which cancellations, returns and refunds apply, are set out in full in our Refunds & Returns Policy, which forms part of these terms.

We treat your Work and project details as confidential and use them only to provide the Services, except where disclosure is required by law or to our operators under appropriate confidentiality obligations. We expect the same confidentiality from you in respect of any non-public information we share with you.

We will provide the Services with reasonable care and skill. To the maximum extent permitted by law, and subject always to your non-excludable rights under the CPA:

• Our total liability arising from or in connection with an Order is limited to the amount you paid for that Order;
• We are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, loss of profit, or loss of anticipated sales or opportunity; and
• We give no guarantee as to the commercial success, sales or reception of any published work.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, including liability under the CPA for goods that are unsafe, defective or of poor quality.

We are not responsible for delays or failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including supplier or courier failures, load-shedding, natural events, or disruptions to third-party services.

Our collection and use of personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these terms.

• Whole agreement. Your accepted quote, these terms and our policies make up the whole agreement between us for your Order.
• Changes. We may update these terms from time to time; the version in force when you place an Order applies to that Order.
• Severability. If any provision is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue to apply.
• Assignment. You may not transfer your rights or obligations without our consent.
• Notices. Notices may be sent to the contact details each party has provided.

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. In the event of a dispute, the parties will first try to resolve it in good faith. Failing that, the dispute will be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of Gauteng, South Africa.