Terms and conditions

Please read these terms and conditions carefully before you use the website. If you don’t agree to these terms and conditions, please don’t use the website.

In these terms and conditions the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(a) References to 'Marine Conservation Society’, ‘MCS’, 'our', 'we' or 'us' are references to the Marine Conservation Society described in more detail in Clause 1 below.
(b) References to the ‘privacy policy’ are references to our privacy policy which you can access here.
(c) References to the ‘terms and conditions’ are references to these terms and conditions as updated or amended from time to time.
(d) References to the 'site’ are references to this website: www.mcsuk.org.

1 Information about us

The Marine Conservation Society fights for a cleaner, better-protected, healthier ocean.

www.mcsuk.org is a site operated by the Marine Conservation Society.

We are a registered charity in England and Wales 1004005 and in Scotland SC037480. Registered company limited by guarantee in England and Wales 02550966. Registered office: Overross House, Ross Park, Ross-on-Wye, HR9 7US. VAT number: 321491232.

2 Accessing the site

2.1 If you are under 16 please check with your parent or guardian before using the site.

2.2 Access to the site is permitted on a temporary basis, and we reserve the right to withdraw or amend the service we provide on the Site without notice (see below). We will not be responsible if for any reason the site is unavailable at any time or for any period.

2.3 From time to time, we may restrict access to some parts of the site, or the entire site.

2.4 We do not guarantee that the functions or materials accessible from or contained in the site will be uninterrupted or error free, that defects will be corrected, or that the site or the server that makes it available are free of viruses or faults. You are responsible for ensuring that your computer system meets all technical specifications necessary to use the site and is compatible with the site.

3 Intellectual property rights

3.1 We are the owner or the licensee of all intellectual property rights in the site, and in the material published on it. All such rights are reserved.

3.2 You must not modify the paper or digital copies of any materials you have printed off or downloaded in any way, you must not use any illustrations or audio sequences separately from any accompanying text and you must not use photographs, video or audio sequences without full accreditation (as marked on images) or without prior permission if for public use.

3.3 You must not modify the paper or digital copies of any materials you have printed off or downloaded in any way, you must not use any illustrations or audio sequences without separately from any accompanying text and you must not use photographs, video or audio sequences with full accreditation (as marked on images) or without prior permission if for public use.

3.4 Our status (and that of any identified contributors) as the authors of material on the site must always be acknowledged.

3.5 You must not use any part of the materials on the site for commercial purposes without obtaining written consent from us or our licensors. Please send any written requests to use content from the site using our general enquiry contact form or email info@mcsuk.org

3.6 If you print off, copy or download any part of the site in breach of these terms and conditions, your right to use the site will cease immediately and you must, at our option, return or destroy any copies of the materials you have made.

4 The site changes regularly

We aim to update the site regularly, and may change the content at any time. However, any of the material on the site may be out of date at any given time, and we are under no obligation to update such material.

5 Our liability

5.1 The material displayed on the site is provided without any guarantees, conditions or warranties as to its accuracy. To the extent permitted by law, we, our affiliated organisations and third parties connected to us hereby expressly exclude:

5.1.1 all conditions, warranties and other terms which might otherwise be implied by statute, common law or the law of equity;

5.1.2 any liability for any loss or damage whether direct, indirect or consequential incurred by any user in connection with the site or in connection with the use, inability to use, or results of the use of the site, any websites linked to it and any materials posted on it;

5.1.3 for any other loss or damage of any kind, however arising and whether caused by tort (including negligence), breach of contract or otherwise, even if foreseeable.

5.2 This does not affect our liability for death or personal injury arising from our negligence, nor our liability for fraudulent misrepresentation or misrepresentation as to a fundamental matter, nor any other liability which cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law.

5.3 Notwithstanding clause 5.1, if we are liable to you for any reason, our liability will be limited to £500. This limit does not apply to any liability we may have under Clause 5.2 above.

5.4 You are responsible for implementing sufficient procedures and virus checks to satisfy your requirements.

6 Registration

6.1. If you want to make use of certain facilities available through our website or to carry out certain actions (such as our volunteering resources or our webinars) you must first register with us. During registration, you will be asked to provide your name and email which you will need to use each time you carry out the action which you registered.

6.2 You must ensure that you keep your information confidential and that you do not disclose them to anyone, and that you also restrict access to your computer to prevent unauthorised access to your account. It is your responsibility to immediately notify us of any unauthorised use of your registered account or any other breach of security as soon as you become aware of it.

6.3. By registering, you certify that all information you provide in the registration is accurate. Please ensure that the details you provide us with are correct and complete and inform us immediately of any changes to the information that you provided when registering.

6.4. We may terminate your registration at any time at our complete discretion, but will generally only do so if you are in breach of website rules or other policies. If we terminate or suspend your registration you may not re-register with us without our written consent.

7 Prohibited uses

7.1 You may use the site only for lawful purposes. You may not use the site:

7.1.1 in any way that breaches any applicable local, national or international law or regulation;

7.1.2 in any way that is unlawful or fraudulent, or has any unlawful or fraudulent purpose or effect;

7.1.3 in any way which harms or has significant risk of harming children or vulnerable adults in any way;

7.1.4 to send, receive, upload, download, use or re-use any material which does not comply with our content standards below;

7.1.5 to transmit, or procure the sending of, any unsolicited or unauthorised advertising or promotional material or any other form of similar solicitation (spam); or

7.1.6 to knowingly transmit any data, send or upload any material that contains viruses or any other harmful programmes or computer code designed to adversely affect the operation of any computer software or hardware.

7.2 You also agree:

7.2.1 not to reproduce, duplicate, copy or re-sell any part of the site;

7.2.2 not to access without authority, interfere with, alter, damage or disrupt:
(a) any part of the site;
(b) any equipment (including telecommunications equipment) or network on which the site is stored;
(c) any software used in the provision of the site; or
(d) any equipment or network or software owned or used by any third party.

8 Suspension and termination

8.1 We will determine, in our discretion, whether there has been a breach of these terms and conditions through your use of the site. When a breach of these terms and conditions has occurred, we may take such action as we deem appropriate.

8.2 Failure to comply with these terms and conditions constitutes a material breach of these terms and conditions and may result in our taking all or any of the following actions:

8.2.1 immediate, temporary or permanent withdrawal of your right to use the site;

8.2.2 legal proceedings against you for reimbursement of all costs resulting from the breach;

8.2.3 further legal action against you; or

8.2.4 disclosure of such information to law enforcement authorities as we reasonably feel is necessary.

9 Information about you and your visits to the site

9.1 We process information about you in accordance with our privacy policy. By using the site, you consent to such processing.

9.2 The Marine Conservation Society website provides a facility for donations to be made in pounds sterling. This allows supporters to make donations which are then managed by our team.

10 Linking to the site

10.1 You may link to our web pages, provided you do so in a way that is fair and legal and does not damage our reputation or take advantage of it, but you must not establish a link in such a way as to suggest any form of association, approval or endorsement on our part where none exists.

10.2 The site must not be framed on any other site. We reserve the right to withdraw linking permission without notice. If you wish to make any use of material on the site other than that set out above, please send your request to us by emailing info@mcsuk.org.

11 Links from the site

Where the site contains links to other sites and resources provided by third parties, these links are provided for your information only. We have no control over the contents or availability of those sites or any products or services offered through such sites. We do not endorse and accept no responsibility for them or for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of them. Any concerns regarding an external link should be sent to us by emailing info@mcsuk.org.

12 Jurisdiction and applicable law

12.1 The English courts will have non-exclusive jurisdiction over any claim arising from, or related to, a visit to the site.

12.2 These terms and conditions and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them or their subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

12.3 We have used reasonable endeavours to ensure that the site complies with UK law, but cannot ensure that it is appropriate or available for use in every territory outside the UK. Those who visit the site from other territories are responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. If use of the site and/or viewing of it, or use of any material or content on the site or services, are contrary to or infringe any applicable law in your jurisdiction(s), you are not authorised to view or use the site and you must exit immediately.

13 Variations

We may revise these terms and conditions at any time and without prior notice by amending this page or posting a new set of terms and conditions on the site. You are expected to check this page frequently to take notice of any changes we made. Your continued use of the site after amendments or a new set of terms and conditions are posted constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions as modified. Some of the provisions contained in these terms and conditions may also be superseded by provisions or notices published elsewhere on the site.

14 Refund policy

We are not usually able to give refunds for voluntary donations, however if you have made a donation in error, please contact us as we may be able to refund the donation less any charges we have incurred. We can be contacted on 01989 566017 or by emailing info@mcsuk.org.

All direct debits are covered by the following Direct Debit guarantee:

• This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits
• If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit Marine Conservation Society will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request Marine Conservation Society to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request.
• If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by Marine Conservation Society or your bank or building society you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society.
• If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when Marine Conservation Society asks you to
• You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

15 Specific activities

15.1 The Good Fish Guide ratings reflect the Marine Conservation Society's opinion of the environmental performance of different wild and farmed seafood sources and are produced using our methodologies available here, drawing on publicly available, independent scientific advice and peer-reviewed literature wherever possible, as well as expert advice obtained through public consultations undertaken for all ratings. While every effort is made to ensure ratings are regularly reviewed and are as accurate as possible, we accept no liability ​for any errors that may arise, nor any damages as a result of the use of the ratings.

15.2 These terms and conditions do not apply to any products which you purchase directly from https://mcsshop.org.uk/ which have their own terms of use and terms of sales.

15.3 Any volunteers who register as organisers for our beach cleans and litter surveys must sign our Beachwatch Terms and Conditions [LINK] and health and safety information as outlined on our volunteering pages.

15.4 Occasionally, the Marine Conservation Society will run competitions or prize draws. Please see our Competition Terms and Conditions page for full details.

15.5 Occasionally, the Marine Conservation Society will run free offers on our membership. Please see our Membership Offers Terms and Conditions page for full details.

16 General

16.1 We may transfer or subcontract any or all of our rights and obligations under these terms and conditions at any time.

16.2 If any provision or term of these terms and conditions shall become or be declared illegal, invalid or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever, such term or provision shall be separated from the other terms and conditions and shall be deemed to be deleted from them.

16.3 All notices shall be given to us via email to info@mcsuk.org; or to you at the email address you provide when using the site.

17 Your concerns

If you have any concerns about material that appears on the site, please contact us by emailing info@mcsuk.org.

Thank you for visiting our website.