Question Categories

+ Online Resource Centre Questions

+ Ask The Experts Questions

+ Terms and Conditions Questions

+ Payment and Invoicing Questions

Q: Help! I can’t log in to the Online Resource Centre

A: There are a couple of reasons why you may not be able to log in. First, make sure you have registered on the Online Resource Centre. To do so, go through the steps below:

1. You must create an account so you will need your email address and you will be prompted to create a password (which must be at least 4 characters long).

2. Enter the first 8 digits of your unique customer number (without any hyphens). You can get your customer number from the order confirmation email you received when you initially ordered one of our services, or from any subsequent invoice. If you can’t find your customer number, contact us here and our Customer Service team will be happy to assist.

3. Click Register.

If this still doesn’t work, we recommend you change your password. You need to ensure you’re using the latest password registered on the system. If you continue to have problems, then get in touch.

Q: What can I find on the Online Resource Centre?

A: As part of your subscription you have exclusive, unlimited access to the Online Resource Centre. You’ll find:

1. Tools and templates: 100s of policies and procedures, checklists, sample letters, risk assessments and training presentations which you can edit, adapt to your own business needs and use immediately. Each professionally drafted document has been prepared by our team of experts, so you can trust that you’re always acting correctly and are doing all the right things to ensure legal compliance.

2. Personal support: direct access to the Ask the Experts Email Helpdesk. Whatever your question – be it health & safety, HR and employment law, mental health, payroll or adult social care – our team of experts are here to help. Just email your questions to the Ask the Experts Email Helpdesk and you’ll receive a response from the most experienced expert on our panel within 48 hours.

3. Publications archive: each Online Resource Centre provides a wealth of valuable information in our publications archive. You’ll find all the issues, special issues and indexes, in many cases going back to 2016.

Q: How can I speak to an expert editor?

A: You can get 1:1 help and support directly from one of our expert editors through the Ask the Editors Email Helpdesk. Just email your questions and you’ll receive a response from the most experienced expert on our panel within 48 hours. There are two ways to make contact:

1. Email the expert editor directly: you can find the email address for each expert editor in your welcome pack and on the inside front cover of every published issue.

2. Use the Online Resource Centre: every Online Resource Centre has an ‘Ask the Experts’ tab in its left-hand menu. You can find out more about each expert there and submit your question to us via the online form.

Q: Why have I received an invoice?

A: You have received an invoice because you have a chargeable subscription to one of our services. When you placed an order for one of our services, you were informed (by phone or through the terms and conditions stated on an online order form), that after the initial 30-day free trial period had expired, if you have not instructed us to cancel, then the trial would automatically turn into a chargeable subscription. You must have either agreed to these terms on the phone or by ticking a box on an online order form in order to start the trial.

These T&Cs are also in the order confirmation email you received immediately after placing the order, and are in the welcome pack you received by post. We also send out a reminder email to cancel near the end of your trial period.

So if you have received an invoice, this means we assumed that you wanted to continue with the subscription. However, if you forgot to contact us within the 30 days and this was an oversight, then please contact us here and we will be pleased to help.

Q: What are the cancellation terms?

A: If you contact us within your 30-day free trial period, there is absolutely no charge to you if you decide to cancel. After the free trial period has expired, you can still cancel at any time and only pay for what you have received on a pro rata basis. You can find full information on the cancellation process and how to cancel here.

Q: What do I get for my money?

A: Each information service comprises 4 parts:

1. Monthly print or digital publication.

2. Unlimited access to the Online Resource Centre.

3. Unlimited 1:1 support via the Ask the Experts Email Helpdesk.

4. Fortnightly Ask the Experts Update Email.

However, what you really receive is total peace of mind that you’re acting correctly – by following expert advice and having all the right tools to hand to ensure your business is legally compliant.

Our services are created by industry experts: their aim is to bring you the essential information and advice you can trust, to help you navigate more easily through the compliance jungle.

Q: Why do I have to pay if I haven’t used the service?

A: Once your trial period expires and becomes a chargeable subscription, having access to the service, whether you use it or not, comes with a cost. Many customers only use the service occasionally but keep it as an option because it is such a useful resource when needed.

Q: How often will I be invoiced?

A: Most subscriptions are invoiced every quarter, but there are some services that invoice after every fourth publication is despatched. If you have any questions about your invoices, then please contact our Customer Services team here.

Q: Why don’t you take payment details when customers place their initial order?

Our 16 years’ experience has shown us that most businesses require an invoice in order to make payment, so we are aiming to make our customers’ lives easier. Also, as we are offering a 30-day free trial during which customers are free to cancel, under GDPR, we don’t wish to hold any sensitive information unnecessarily.

Our company ethos is also that we want our customers to ‘try before they buy’, giving individuals the opportunity to first check that the service meets their needs, before committing to purchase.

Q: Can I pay annually?

A: Yes, it’s absolutely fine if you want to pay annually. If you want to change the way you pay, then please contact our Customer Service team here and we will be pleased to help.

Q: Why can’t I make a payment over the telephone?

A: This, again, is due to our commitment to keeping our customers’ data safe. If you do contact us by phone, we will send you a secure payment link which is much more secure for you.