Terms of Service

         The Key Subscription Information available here: http://thecrimedesk.com/

         Clause 3.9 (Auto Renewal); and

         Clause 9 (which explains how we limit our liability to you).

         Slate Group LLC’s (trading as Supporting Cast) terms of use which can be found here: https://slate.com/terms and their privacy policy can be found here: https://slate.com/privacy. These terms govern the use of the Supporting Cast website and apply to subscriptions taken out via that platform. 

1.     Information about us

1.1.   Your Subscription is provided to you by Associated Newspapers Limited, trading as The Crime Desk (“we”, “our”, or “us”). We are registered in England and Wales under company number 84121 and have our registered office at Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT. Our VAT number is GB 243571174.

2.     How to contact us

2.1.   You can contact us by telephoning our team on 07796657512 9am-6pm Monday-Sunday or by using the following email address: info@thecrimedesk.com, or for subscriptions taken out via the Supporting Cast website, you can also contact the Supporting Cast customer service team on help@supportingcast.fm. 

3.     Purchasing a Subscription and creating an account

3.1.   We recommend that you read our “Key Subscription Information” before purchasing a Subscription for more details about our digital Subscription.

3.2.   You may only place an order for a Subscription, if you are a consumer (not a business) and you are 18 years of age or older. 

3.3.   In order to purchase and use a Subscription you will need to register for an account (an “Account”) by providing your email address and other data that may be required for the Subscription of your choosing (“Registration Data”). Once you have registered an Account, you will receive an email from help@supportingcast.fm containing a sign-in link for your Subscription. 

3.4.   You will ensure that your Registration Data, and any other information that you provide to us in relation to your Account, is accurate and kept up to date. We will use your Registration Data and such other information, as set out in our Privacy Policy. 

3.5.   You are also responsible for keeping your Registration Data and Account secure and protecting it against unauthorised use and for ensuring the security of any device from which you sign into your Account. If you believe that someone has accessed your Account using your username and password without your authorisation, it is your responsibility to set up a new password. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorised use of your Account. 

3.6.   By submitting your payment and other Subscription details and clicking “Confirm Purchase”, you are making an offer to us to buy a Subscription. Your offer will only be accepted by us and a contract formed when we have successfully verified your details and sent you a confirmation email, at which point we will provide you with access to your digital Subscription. We reserve the right to reject any offer by you at our discretion.

3.7.   If your Subscription features digital content, we will make the digital content available as soon as we accept your order.

3.8.   We will supply the Subscription to you until you end the Subscription as described in 
Clauses 5.1 - 5.3, or we end the Subscription by written notice to you as described in Clause 5.5.

3.9.   Auto renewal: After any minimum term, free-trial or offer period specified in the Key Subscription Information or order process, your Subscription will automatically renew monthly, quarterly and/or annually (depending on the type of Subscription you have purchased), at the rate notified to you at the time you take out your Subscription. We will take payment using the same card or other payment method that you previously used or supplied to us in the order process.

3.10.    You are responsible for making all arrangements necessary to access your Subscription. In particular, you are responsible for ensuring that your computer and/or portable device is compatible with our Subscription.

4.     Prices and Payment

4.1.   You agree to pay the price at the rate notified to you at the time you take out your Subscription. We may change the price of any Subscription, remove and/or offer certain other Subscription services from time to time. We will always tell you in advance of any increase in the price of your Subscription and will offer you an opportunity to cancel your Subscription before the new price takes effect. 

4.2.   When you place an order for a Subscription, you must provide us with complete and accurate payment information. By submitting payment details you promise that you are entitled to purchase a Subscription using those payment details. If we do not receive payment authorisation from the card issuer or bank or any authorisation is subsequently cancelled, we will not accept your order and we may immediately terminate or suspend your access to your Subscription. It is your responsibility to ensure that your payment details are up-to-date, and funds are available for continuation of the service.  This can be done via the Account section at thecrimedesk.com/account. 

4.3.   In addition to the Subscription payment, you are responsible for paying any internet connection or other telecommunications charges that you may incur by accessing, as may be applicable, or using the services available on it. For example, your mobile network operator may charge you for data or roaming services.

4.4.   It is possible that, despite our best efforts, the Subscription prices listed on our website may be incorrectly priced. If we discover a pricing error, we will inform you of this error and give you the option of continuing to purchase the Subscription at the correct price or cancelling your order. If we are unable to contact you using the contact details you provided, we will treat the order as cancelled and notify you by email. 

4.5.   If the rate of VAT changes between your order date and the date we supply the product, we will adjust the rate of VAT that you pay, unless you have already paid for the product in full before the change in the rate of VAT takes effect.

5.     Your rights to end the Subscription

5.1.   Ending the Subscription because of something we have done or are going to do: if you are ending a Subscription for a reason set out at (a) to (c) below, your Subscription will end immediately and we will refund you in full for any part of the Subscription that has not been provided. You may also be entitled to compensation if you terminate under 5.1(c) below. The reasons are:

a)      we have told you about an upcoming change to the Subscription or these Terms which you do not agree to (Clause 7.3), including a price change (Clause 4.1);

a)         You may cancel the Subscription at any time in the first 14 days from the date of the start of your Subscription provided that you have not accessed any Subscription content during such period. If you have accessed your Subscription and/or Subscription content during that time period, your right to cancel your Subscription under this section 5.2 will no longer be available to you. By purchasing a Subscription, you acknowledge and agree to waive such right in this instance.

b)         The date your Subscription starts will depend on which type of Subscription you have purchased:

       If you have purchased a digital Subscription, the Subscription start date will be the date we confirm that we have accepted your order;

       If you have opted for a free trial Subscription which then automatically rolls onto a paid Subscription, the Subscription start date will be the first day of your paid Subscription if you have purchased a digital Subscription. 

c)         If you are still entitled to cancel under section 5.2 and you cancel within the first 14 days of your Subscription, you will immediately cease receiving the Subscription and will receive a refund for the full amount that you have paid.

5.3.   Ending the Subscription after 14 Days from the start of your Subscription: After any minimum term specified in the order process that applies to your Subscription has expired, you may cancel your Subscription at any time and cancellation will only take effect at the next payment date. Except as set out elsewhere in these Terms, there are no refunds for unused parts of your Subscription if you cancel the Subscription more than 14 days after the start date or as set out under section 5.2. 

5.4.   How to end your Subscription:

a)      If you have taken your Subscription out with us via the Supporting Cast website, you can:

a.       notify your wish to cancel by emailing help@supportingcast.fm.

b.       You can also go to Account Settings on the Supporting Cast website and click ‘disable autorenew’. 

b)      You can also email us at info@thecrimedesk.com. 

5.5.   We may end your Subscription by writing to you if: 

a)         you do not make any payment to us when it is due and you still do not make payment within 14 days of us reminding you that payment is due; 

b)         you do not, within a reasonable time of us asking for it, provide us with information that is necessary for us to provide the Subscription;

c)         there are activities on your account that might cause harm to us or others; and/or

d)         acting at all times reasonably and by our sole discretion, we believe you have been acting fraudulently. 

5.6.   We may terminate, suspend, or restrict your Subscription immediately without notice where the grounds for this are serious, for example, there is a real risk of loss or harm if your Subscription were to continue. Where the grounds are less serious, we will give you reasonable notice before we terminate, suspend, or restrict your Subscription. 

5.7.   Complaints

a)         Our aim is to resolve any complaint efficiently and professionally though our customer services team. You can contact our team on info@thecrimedesk.com or on 07796657512, or for subscriptions taken out via the Supporting Cast website, you can also contact the Supporting Cast customer service team on help@supportingcast.fm. 

b)         We are under a legal duty to supply you with a Subscription that complies with these Terms.  Nothing in these Terms affects your legal rights. For information about your legal rights, please visit the Citizens Advice website at: www.adviceguide.org.uk .

6.     Specifications and Changes to the Subscriptions and these Terms

6.1.   We may change the Subscriptions, Terms to reflect (i) changes in laws or regulatory requirements; and (ii) to implement minor technical adjustments and improvements, for example to address a security threat. These changes will not have any material adverse impact on your Subscription.

6.2.   Sometimes, we may have to make more important changes to the Terms and/or the Subscription we provide you. This might include for example, changing the price as set in Clause 4.1. For the more important changes that may have an adverse impact on you, we will always provide you with notice before we make any such changes and you will have the option to cancel your Subscription before such changes come into force. 

6.3.   You can check when these Terms were last updated by looking at “Last Updated” at the top of this page.

7.     Data Protection and Privacy

8.     Our Liability

8.1.   Nothing in these Terms affects any liability which we may have for death or personal injury arising from our negligence, fraud or any other liability which cannot be excluded or limited by law.

8.2.   We do not voluntarily accept responsibility for any loss or damage that:

a)         was not caused by us breaching these Terms;

b)         was not, at the time you agreed to these Terms, a reasonably foreseeable consequence of us breaching these Terms (loss or damage if foreseeable if either it is obvious that it will happen or if, at the time these Terms were entered into, both we and you knew it might happen); or

c)         was caused by an event outside of our reasonable control.  

8.3.   If defective digital content that we supply damages a device or digital content belonging to you and this is caused by our failure to use reasonable care and skill we will either repair the damage or pay you compensation. However, we will not be liable for damage (i) that you could have avoided by following our advice to apply an update offered to you free of charge or (ii) caused by you failing to correctly follow installation instructions or to have in place any minimum usage requirements advised by us. 

8.4.   We are not liable for business losses. We supply the Subscriptions only for domestic and private use. We will have no liability to you for any loss of profit, loss of business, business interruption, or loss of business opportunity.

8.5.   We reserve the right to vary the content and resources that we make available from time to time.

8.6.   We are not liable or responsible for the third-party content via the Subscription. Third party content includes, for example, comments posted by other users and display advertising. Where the Subscription contains links to other sites and resources that are provided by third parties, these links and resources are provided for your information only and you access them at your own risk. We are not liable or responsible for the content of third-party sites or resources.

9.     Intellectual Property and Permitted Use

9.1.        We are the owner or licensee of all intellectual property rights in the Subscription, our websites and the content and material published on them. Those works are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All such rights are reserved.

9.2.        You may print and download extracts from the Subscription for personal non-commercial use on the following basis:

a)    no documents or related graphics are modified in any way;

b)    no graphics are used separately from accompanying text; and

c)    no copyright and trade mark notices are removed.

9.3.        You agree not to use the Subscription for commercial purposes without obtaining our prior written agreement; and shall not copy, reproduce, distribute, republish, download, display, post or transmit in any form or by any means any content of the Subscription except as permitted above.

10. Applicable Law and Disputes

11. Other important terms

11.1.    Transferring rights: You may not transfer, assign, charge or otherwise dispose of any rights or obligations arising under or in connection with these Terms, without our prior written consent. You agree that we may transfer our rights and obligations under our contract with you to a third party purchaser of our business or to an affiliate, in which case we shall notify you and explain your options. 

11.2.    Third party rights: These Terms are between you and us. Nobody else can enforce them and neither of us will need to ask anybody else to sign-off on ending or changing them.

11.3.    If the Terms are invalidated: If a court or other authority decides that some of these Terms are unlawful, the rest will continue to apply.

11.4.    Delays: We might not immediately chase you for not doing something (like paying) or for doing something you're not allowed to, but that doesn’t mean we can't do it later.