Guarantee/Warranty Period

[Wanderer]

Hey, what are people's opinions here on length of warranty period, after contract end date? The agency has put a 6 month period, but that sounds OTT.

This is a contract to work on existing code as a developer.

some random thoughts:

Providing a warranty is going to be good for your IR35 status but you want to be sure that the wording is such that you don't get ordered to fix all manner of defects in the future.

Software developers generally don't give a warranty on software, they provide a support contract. You could offer the agency a support contract if they wish.

If the software passes the client's tests then there is no need for a warranty. Giving one would leave you wide open to them abusing it to obtain free consultancy.

Any warranty you did give would have to be pretty tightly worded.

[BlasterBates]

Guarantee doesn't make sense when you work on a consultancy basis.

Guarantee is basically for fixed price projects or a well defined deliverable with an acceptance test specification. In that case 6 months would be fine, I remember this from sometime ago. Thereafter should go into a service agreement. For example if there is a complaint and you can show it's part of the acceptance test you can then charge for an enhancement.

I would be very wary about signing a guarantee for a "bum on a seat" contract. It would be too ill defined and you don't have enough control about what everyone else is doing and how it's specified. A lot of problems are caused by misunderstandings.

However this would be a big plus point for being outside IR35. From that point of view, has it's attractions.

[borderreiver]

You have to be able to investigate whether any reported defect was present in your code at the time you handed it over to the client.

If you can show that the defect, real or not, was not present at that time, it's not your problem and you should expect to be able to bill them for the time you spent analyzing the non-defect (depending on your relationship with the client: I would not bill for an analysis that only lasted an hour or two, for example). I would make sure a clause like this is in the contract before agreeing to any warranty period.

[Boo]

Hey, what are people's opinions here on length of warranty period, after contract end date? The agency has put a 6 month period, but that sounds OTT.

This is a contract to work on existing code as a developer.

I give 1 months warranty but I in no way apply that to other people's code. Tbh, if they've got other people working on the code then it really lets you off the hook IMO, in legal terms ayway. But there are the IR35 considerations to think of and also customer relations. To me that would count for more than the exact contract term though it would be business like to try to reduce the term as far as possible during the negotiations.

Boo2

[kingcook]

How bad is your work that you don't think it will hold up for 6 months?

My concernis that i'll be maintaining/bug fixing code that has been worked on by other people, an would no doubt get worked on by others after my contract ends.

For them to come back to me 5.5 months later saying X or Y doesn't work could be a can of worms considering the above.

[eek]

Guarantee/Warranty Period

On code that's not 100% your own? I'd be very careful there unless its paid for time and materials.

[kingcook]

Surely the devil is in the details here. Gaurantee against what?

Guarantee aganst any defects.

[JamJarST]

Hey, what are people's opinions here on length of warranty period, after contract end date? The agency has put a 6 month period, but that sounds OTT.

This is a contract to work on existing code as a developer.

How bad is your work that you don't think it will hold up for 6 months?

[northernladuk]

Surely the devil is in the details here. Gaurantee against what?

[kingcook]

Hey, what are people's opinions here on length of warranty period, after contract end date? The agency has put a 6 month period, but that sounds OTT.

This is a contract to work on existing code as a developer.