Service Level Agreement
Introduction
Commitment to Excellence
We are committed to delivering superior service to our Customers. Through this Service Level Agreement ("SLA"), we pledge a 99.9% uptime availability for our Shared Hosted Services each month, ensuring adherence to the outlined terms.
1. Scope of Covered Services
1.1 Exclusions from the SLA
This SLA does not apply to certain services including Hippo Pro Email, VPS Services, Backup Services for example.
1.2 Uptime Guarantee Eligibility
•The Uptime Guarantee covers our shared web hosting services only.
•Be in good standing with us, without payment delinquencies or other contractual breaches.
•Submit a written request for Hosted Service Credit to Us within 30 days following a month where the Uptime Guarantee was not met.
This SLA reflects Our dedication to maintaining high service availability and outlines the conditions under which Customers can claim service credits, reinforcing our commitment to reliable hosting solutions.
2. Exclusions to the Uptime Guarantee
2.1 Customer-Related Issues
Downtime resulting from the customer's environment that affects connectivity or interferes with the Hosted Services is excluded. This includes issues related to the customer's internet connection (e.g., ISP problems, modem, cable, xDSL, dial-up), customer's hardware or software, firewall settings, anti-virus, anti-spyware, malware software configurations, or customer's operator errors.
2.2 Third-Party Attacks
Any downtime caused by third-party attacks, such as hacking attempts, intrusions, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, or any actions intended to disrupt the Hosted Services, the Our Websites, or its servers, is not covered.
2.3 Software Bugs
Downtime due to verified bugs in third-party software used alongside the Hosted Services, including Microsoft software, is excluded from the uptime calculations.
2.4 Force Majeure Events
Any downtime resulting from uncontrollable external events, including natural disasters (fire, flood, earthquake), acts of war, terrorism, public disturbances, labour disruptions, governmental actions, pandemic, or any other cause beyond Our reasonable control, is excluded.
2.5 DNS Issues
Issues related to errors or failures in the third-party domain name system (DNS) are not included in the uptime guarantee.
2.6 Scheduled Maintenance
Downtime due to scheduled maintenance, for which We provides at least 24 hours' advance notice via email or notifications at
https://status.hipposerve.net , is excluded.
2.7 Emergency Maintenance
Downtime arising from emergency maintenance, not exceeding 4 hours in any calendar month, and for which customers may not receive advance notice, is also excluded from the uptime calculations.
3. Remedies for Non-Compliance
3.1 Service Outage Credit Entitlement
If We fail to achieve the Uptime Guarantee for its Hosted Services, as confirmed through its monitoring, affected Customers are entitled to receive credits applicable to future Hosted Services identical to those impacted ("Hosted Service Credits").
4. Calculating Hosted Service Credits
4.1 Credit Calculation Method
Customers will receive a Hosted Service Credit worth 5% of the monthly fees paid for each complete 1% of downtime experienced in any calendar month, beyond any downtime attributable to Scheduled Outages. This calculation is based on a standard 30-day month.
4.2 Monthly Credit Reset
In cases where a Service Outage extends across multiple months, the calculation for Hosted Service Credits will reset at the start of each new month.
5. Issuance of Hosted Service Credits
5.1 Credit Application
Hosted Service Credits will be applied as a deduction from the Customer's next invoice. If the service outage occurs during the Customer's final month of subscription to the Affected Services, We will issue the credit's value directly to the Customer within 60 calendar days following the subscription's conclusion.
6. Limitations on Credit Allocation
6.1 Direct Impact Requirement
Hosted Service Credits are awarded solely to users directly impacted by a Service Outage.
6.2 Maximum Credit Cap
The total Hosted Service Credits issued cannot surpass 100% of the subscription fees (excluding taxes) for the Affected Services during the outage period. Credits are not granted for partial outages and do not accumulate or roll over from one month to the next.
6.3 Exclusive Remedy
Regardless of any other provisions in this SLA, Hosted Service Credits represent the Customer's sole and exclusive recourse for any service interruptions, unavailability, or SLA breaches by Us
7. Support Service Framework
7.1 Support Objective
Our customer support aims to provide comprehensive assistance to our customers, ensuring effective use of purchased products and hosting services. This includes guidance, troubleshooting, and remedial support for product failures.
7.2 Availability of Support
Regular Hours: Available from 08:30 to 17:30 for telephone or web chat support, subject to availability.
Around the Clock: Support is accessible 24/7 through our support portal at
https://help.hipposerve.co.uk and via email at
support@hipposerve.co.uk.
7.3 Response Commitment
We strive to respond to initial support inquiries within 2 working days. It’s important to utilize the designated channels for support to ensure timely assistance.
7.4 Emergency Support
In cases deemed as emergencies, where products are non-functional, unresponsive, or otherwise unusable, We commit to initiating an investigation promptly to address and resolve the issue efficiently.
7.5 Client Responsibility
Should the issue be traced back to client actions or inactions, We maintain the right to levy charges for corrective measures undertaken to resolve the problem.
