Terms & Conditions

Last updated: [PLACEHOLDER: date of approval]

1. Who we are

ALMA is a personal assistant and lifestyle management service provided by Raquel Correia Pereira, an independent professional (trabalhadora independente) registered with the Portuguese Tax Authority, NIF 268990751, with professional address at Praceta Irene Lisboa, 1, 2855-397 Corroios, Portugal. ALMA is her commercial name, not a company or a separate legal entity ("ALMA", "we", "us").

Contact: info@almapersonal.com · WhatsApp +351 910 390 709.

These Terms apply to every service ALMA provides to you ("you", "the client"). Monthly packages are also governed by a written Service Agreement, which prevails if the two differ. By requesting a one-off service or subscribing to a package, you accept these Terms.

We work with individuals and with businesses. Where these Terms say "consumers only", the rule applies only to individuals using our services for purposes outside their trade, business or profession.

2. What ALMA does

ALMA helps organise, research, book, plan and coordinate personal, lifestyle, project, home-related and administrative tasks. Examples are described on our website.

We are an assistance and coordination service: we organise and coordinate, we do not provide the specialist services we coordinate, and we are not a provider of regulated professional services.

3. What ALMA does not do

We do not provide:

• legal advice or legal representation, or the completion of legal documents on your behalf;
• medical diagnosis, treatment or care;
• financial, tax or investment advice, or any other regulated financial service;
• immigration processes;
• professional passenger transport;
• specialised childcare or veterinary care;
• domestic cleaning, or repairs or maintenance carried out by us;
• services requiring a specific professional licence or qualification we do not hold, or professional property management;
• any illegal activity.

Where useful, and with your authorisation, we can research, recommend and coordinate qualified professionals, and communicate with them on your behalf. Any contract with those professionals is between you and them.

4. Who you work with

Raquel Correia Pereira is your main point of contact. Ivo Alexandre Silva Lopes supports ALMA and may handle your requests when Raquel is unavailable. You will always know who you are speaking to. Both are bound by the confidentiality obligations in section 14.

5. Acting on your behalf, keys and access

• We never take on a financial commitment, make a purchase or payment, sign or cancel a contract or booking, or make a decision in your name without your prior, specific and written authorisation (WhatsApp or email is enough). Each authorisation covers only the act described in it.
• We never use your bank cards, online banking, payment apps or payment credentials, and never ask for them.
• We do not manage your passwords. If a task needs a code or account access, you give only what that task needs; we use it only for that task and do not store it afterwards.
• Keys. As a rule, you arrange access for each visit (for example, a key safe, a concierge or a neighbour). We hold keys only when we both sign a Key Receipt. We then keep them secure and unlabelled, use them only for authorised visits, never copy them, return them within 2 working days when asked or when the service ends, and tell you immediately if one is lost. If a key is lost through our fault, we pay the reasonable cost of replacing the keys and, if needed, the lock.

6. One-off requests

• A one-off request is a single task or project with no ongoing commitment.
• We send you a written quote before starting: the service, the price or how it is calculated, the estimated time, any travel and expected third-party costs, and the payment terms. Work begins once you approve the quote and pay in advance.
• Any travel needed is included in the quote.
• If the scope changes after approval, we will tell you and agree a revised quote before continuing.
• Consumers only: the right of withdrawal (section 13) also applies to one-off requests.

7. Monthly packages

• Every package includes the same services; the only difference is the number of hours, which can be used for any type of task.
• Packages are monthly subscriptions, paid in advance, and renew automatically each calendar month until cancelled.
• We send the payment request from the 25th of the previous month, and payment is due by the 1st of the month.
• Payment by bank transfer or MB WAY. Payments are confirmed manually.
• Invoice-receipts (faturas-recibo) are issued through the Portuguese Tax Authority portal after payment.

Your first month. If you join after the month has started, your first month is adjusted to the week you join. Price and hours are both reduced:

If you join from day 8 onwards, you pay the adjusted first month and the following full month together when you join. After that, each month is paid by the 1st.

• Hours are available only within the month they are paid for and expire at the end of it. Unused hours do not roll over, except hours you could not use because we were unavailable: those carry over to the next month or are refunded, as you prefer.
• Extra hours within a package cost €45 per hour, counted as in section 8, and only with your prior approval. We will tell you before you go over your hours.
• You may move to a different package from the next month by telling us at least 15 days before it begins.

8. How time is counted

• Time is counted in 10-minute blocks, with a minimum of 10 minutes per request. The time spent on each request on a given day is rounded up to the next 10-minute block.
• Time counted includes all work on your requests, remote or in person: research, bookings, emails and messages, calls, coordination with third parties, time on site, waiting time on site or on hold, and travel time (section 10).
• Short follow-up messages about a request already in progress (confirmations, clarifications) are not counted. Time spent correcting our own mistakes is not counted.
• We send you a monthly summary of the hours used and of any extras. You may question any entry within 30 days.

9. Availability and response times

• Our normal working hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00–17:00, excluding Portuguese public holidays.
• We aim to reply within the same working day. A reply means an acknowledgement or answer, not that the request is complete.
• Requests are scheduled according to our availability; a package does not guarantee that every request is handled immediately. Standard requests are usually completed within 1–3 business days, depending on their complexity and on third parties. This is an estimate, not a guarantee.
• When Raquel is away (for example, on holiday), you will be told in advance who to contact.
• Short-notice requests (less than 24 hours' notice) are accepted when possible, with a 35% surcharge on the time counted.
• Evenings, weekends and public holidays are available only by prior agreement, with a 50% surcharge on the time counted.
• ALMA does not provide emergency services. In an emergency, contact 112 or the relevant service.

10. Travel

• Travel time (to and from the location) and time on site are counted from your hours, as in section 8.
• Travel is also charged at €0.40 per km for the whole trip from and to ALMA's base in Charneca da Caparica (Almada).
• Tolls and parking are charged separately, at actual cost, with proof.
• Trips beyond the Lisbon Metropolitan Area are agreed in advance.
• Kilometres, tolls, parking and any extra hours are itemised in your monthly summary and paid together with the following month's payment. Expense advances (section 11) are reimbursed separately, within 48 hours.

11. Purchases, third-party costs and suppliers

• Package and one-off prices do not include third-party costs: tickets, deliveries, restaurant deposits, purchases, suppliers and other external expenses.
• As a rule, you pay third parties directly.
• When that isn't possible, we may pay an expense on your behalf up to €100 per expense, only with your prior written approval of the item and the maximum amount. We send you the receipt, and you reimburse us within 48 hours.
• Expenses above €100 are always paid by you directly. You remain responsible for approving every purchase and expense.
• We never commit you to a cost without your prior approval. Any expense we incur without it is ours to bear.
• When we book or coordinate a supplier, we coordinate the service; we do not provide it. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the contract is directly between you and the supplier, on its terms. We tell you the supplier's main conditions we know of before you approve, and help you if the supplier fails. We remain responsible for our own part (section 16).

12. Prices, VAT and payment

• All prices shown are final. ALMA is exempt from VAT under article 53 of the Portuguese VAT Code (CIVA), and invoices state that exemption.
• Late payment. If a payment is late, we send you a written reminder. If it is still outstanding 8 days later, we may pause work on new requests until it is received, telling you in writing. [PLACEHOLDER: to be confirmed by the lawyer]
• Refunds, when due, are made within 14 days by the same payment method.
• We may change prices with at least 30 days' notice. If you don't accept the change, you may cancel before it takes effect, with no penalty.

13. Cancellation, termination and right of withdrawal

Cancelling a package. You may cancel your package at any time, by email or WhatsApp, with no penalty. It ends at the end of the current month if you tell us at least 15 days before the next month begins. Otherwise it ends at the end of the following month. We confirm the end date in writing. Months already paid are not refunded, except as set out in these Terms.

Right of withdrawal (consumers only). If you contracted at a distance (online, by email or WhatsApp) or outside our business premises, you may withdraw without giving a reason, under Decree-Law no. 24/2014:

• within 14 days of the conclusion of the contract; or
• within 30 days, if the contract was concluded at your home.

During that period, the right of withdrawal prevails over the 15-day cancellation notice.

• To withdraw, send us a clear statement by email or WhatsApp. You may use the model form in the Annex.
• We only start within the withdrawal period if you expressly ask us to, in writing. If you then withdraw, you pay for the service provided up to that moment, in proportion to the whole (for a package: hours used × package price ÷ package hours, plus approved extras and expenses), and we refund the rest within 14 days.
• The right of withdrawal ends early only if the service has been fully provided after you expressly asked us to start and acknowledged that you would then lose it — for example, a one-off request completed within the period. A monthly package is not fully provided before the month ends.
• Businesses have no statutory right of withdrawal.

Cancelling a one-off request.

• Before work starts: full refund.
• After work starts: the time already spent is charged at the one-off rate (€60 for the first hour, €50 per hour after that, in 10-minute blocks), and the rest is refunded. We keep a record of the time spent.
• Non-refundable third-party commitments already made with your approval (for example, deposits, tickets or orders) are always borne by you.

Termination for breach. Either of us may end the service immediately in case of serious breach — for example, a serious breach of confidentiality or misuse of keys by us, or non-payment for more than 30 days after a reminder, abusive behaviour or a request to do something illegal by the client. If you end it because of our breach, paid hours not used are refunded.

Cancellation by ALMA. We may end the service with 15 days' notice. Paid hours not used because of our cancellation are refunded. When the service ends, we return any keys and documents.

14. Confidentiality

Confidentiality is an essential part of our service, not an option. We treat as confidential all information about you, your family, home, finances, health, correspondence, business, access details, keys, codes and passwords, and about the people around you. We use it only to provide the services you ask for, share it with third parties only as strictly needed for a request you approved or where required by law, keep it secure, keep no unnecessary copies, and return or securely delete your documents when the service ends. This obligation continues after the service ends. On request, we also sign a separate Confidentiality Undertaking. Personal data is processed as described in our Privacy Policy.

15. Responsibilities

Ours: carry out the agreed services with reasonable care and diligence; follow your authorised instructions and stay within the agreed scope; protect your information, documents, keys and property in our care; tell you promptly about problems or delays; get your approval before any expense or commitment; keep accurate records.

Yours:

• Give us accurate and complete information, clear instructions and timely approvals, and tell us about relevant changes.
• Arrange access where a visit requires it, and make sure the place is safe to visit.
• Pay third parties directly unless otherwise agreed, reimburse advances and pay our invoices on time.
• Do not ask us to do anything illegal or outside section 3.

16. Liability

• We are liable under the general law for damage caused by our failure to act with due care, including damage to your property during the service, loss of keys in our custody, our own errors in bookings, purchases or administrative tasks (which we correct at no charge for our time, bearing the extra costs), and any expense we incur without your authorisation.
• We are not responsible for the performance, quality, availability or prices of third parties we research or coordinate, except where we were negligent in researching, instructing or coordinating them.
• We are not responsible for damage caused by incomplete or inaccurate information or late approvals, or for delays caused by events beyond our reasonable control. We tell you promptly and help find an alternative.
• Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for intent or gross negligence, for death or personal injury, or any mandatory consumer right. [PLACEHOLDER: liability wording to be confirmed by the lawyer (Decree-Law no. 446/85)]

17. Complaints and dispute resolution

• Contact us first at info@almapersonal.com. We reply within 15 working days and will try to resolve any issue quickly.
• Alternative dispute resolution: in a consumer dispute, you may turn to the CNIACC — Centro Nacional de Informação e Arbitragem de Conflitos de Consumo (www.cniacc.pt). [PLACEHOLDER: ADR entity to be confirmed by the lawyer] More information on the Consumer Portal: www.consumidor.gov.pt.

18. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms. Changes that affect active packages are notified at least 30 days in advance, and you may cancel before they apply.

19. Law and jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by Portuguese law. Disputes with consumers are resolved by the courts that are competent under the law, without prejudice to mandatory consumer protection rules. Disputes with businesses are resolved by the courts of the area of ALMA's professional address.

Annex — Model withdrawal form

(Consumers only. Complete and return this form only if you wish to withdraw from the contract.)

To: Raquel Correia Pereira (ALMA), Praceta Irene Lisboa, 1, 2855-397 Corroios, info@almapersonal.com

I/We hereby give notice that I/We withdraw from my/our contract for the provision of the following service: ____________
Ordered on: ____________
Name of consumer(s): ____________
Address of consumer(s): ____________
Signature (only if this form is sent on paper): ____________
Date: ____________