The plain-English version.

By creating a HoundCheck account or using it on behalf of a salon, you're agreeing to these terms. HoundCheck is operated by John Batey, trading as HoundCheck.

What HoundCheck is

HoundCheck is booking, client-record, reminder and reporting software for dog grooming businesses. Each salon's account and data are kept separate from every other salon's.

The free trial

New accounts get a 14-day trial with full access and no card required. When the trial ends, you can pick a paid plan to keep using HoundCheck; if you don't, your account moves to read-only access so you can still see your data, but can't create or edit records until you subscribe.

Business accounts and security

HoundCheck is for grooming businesses, not personal household use. You must be authorised to agree to these terms for the business, provide accurate account information, protect login details and promptly remove access for staff who leave. Tell us straight away if you believe an account has been accessed without permission.

Plans, billing and cancelling

Plan features, allowances and current prices are shown on our pricing page. Online payment for paid subscriptions is not yet enabled. When paid subscriptions launch, the price, billing period and payment terms shown at checkout will apply. We will not take payment or start an automatically renewing subscription without showing you those terms first. Unless checkout says otherwise, monthly plans will continue until cancelled, with access continuing to the end of the paid period. Refunds for part-used periods will only be given where required by law or expressly agreed.

SMS is billed as part of your plan's monthly allowance. Sending beyond that allowance isn't currently possible; if that changes, we'll say so clearly before you'd be charged anything extra.

Your salon's data

As between you and HoundCheck, your salon keeps ownership of the records and content it enters. You give us permission to host, back up, transmit and otherwise process that content only as needed to provide, secure and support HoundCheck. You're responsible for its accuracy and for having a lawful basis to hold and message your clients' data. See our Privacy policy and Data Processing Agreement for how we handle it on our side.

Email, SMS and plan limits

You must only contact people where you have the permissions or other lawful basis required by data-protection and electronic marketing law. SMS allowances are measured in message segments, so long messages or some special characters may use more than one segment. Delivery depends on external networks and providers and cannot be guaranteed. Other plan limits, including client and team allowances, are shown on the pricing page.

HoundCheck software and feedback

HoundCheck's software, design, branding and documentation remain ours or our licensors'. Your subscription gives your business a limited, non-transferable right to use the service while your account is active. If you send ideas or feedback, you allow us to use them to improve HoundCheck without owing payment or ownership.

Acceptable use

Use HoundCheck for running a legitimate grooming business. Don't try to access another salon's account or data, send messages your clients haven't agreed to receive, attempt to disrupt or overload the service, or use it for anything unlawful. We can suspend or close accounts that break these rules.

Availability and changes

We aim to keep HoundCheck available and reliable, and publish live status at status.houndcheck.com, but we can't guarantee it will never go down, and we may occasionally need to pause the service for maintenance. We may also add, change or remove features over time as HoundCheck improves.

HoundCheck uses monitoring and backups, but no online system is risk-free. Keep your own reasonable business-continuity plans and export important records periodically. We are not responsible for failures caused by internet, mobile, email, payment or other third-party services outside our reasonable control.

Liability

HoundCheck is provided as-is. To the extent permitted by law, we aren't liable for indirect or consequential losses (like lost profits or bookings) arising from your use of the service. This doesn't affect any liability that can't be limited or excluded under UK law, such as for death, personal injury caused by negligence, or fraud.

Ending your account

You can close your account at any time from settings, or by emailing us. We may suspend or close an account for breach of these terms, non-payment, or misuse, and will give notice where reasonably possible before doing so.

Before closing an account, export any records you need to retain. After closure, we may keep data for a short recovery period and in protected backups before deletion, or longer where the law requires it. Details are in the Privacy policy and DPA.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms as HoundCheck changes. If a change is significant, we'll let you know by email before it takes effect. Continuing to use HoundCheck after a change means you accept the updated terms.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and any disputes will be handled by the courts of England and Wales.

Get in touch

Questions about these terms? Email us and we'll get back to you.

Email us about these terms

Last reviewed: 9 August 2026. These terms are updated as HoundCheck changes.