---
title: "Client terms"
language: en
canonical: https://osint.v3rta.com/client-terms/
updated: 2026-10-12
---

# Client terms

- Each matter starts with a written scope, turnaround estimate and fee that you accept.
- We work with skill and care, using our AI-assisted research system under analyst control. Every report states its recommendation and its uncertainties.
- Reports are confidential, for your internal use and the stated purpose only.
- Our liability is capped at the fees paid for the engagement in the preceding 12 months.
- Disputes go to HKIAC arbitration in Hong Kong, in English. The English text prevails over any translation.


## Definitions and scope

1.1 In these client terms ("**Terms**"):

- "**DossierTwist**", "**we**", "**us**" and "**our**" mean the operator of this website together with its affiliated entities, partners, successors and assigns, and in relation to an engagement, the entity named in the engagement letter, which may perform the services itself or through any of the others.
- "**Affiliated entities**" means entities that directly or indirectly control, are controlled by or are under common control with the operator.
- "**Client**" and "**you**" mean the person or organisation that engages us, as named in the engagement letter.
- "**Engagement letter**" means the quote, proposal, statement of work, order or other document, including an email, in which we set out the scope, turnaround estimate and fees for a matter, and which you accept.
- "**Services**" means the due diligence, investigation, screening, monitoring, research and related services described in an engagement letter.
- "**Deliverables**" means the reports, findings, screening results, data, evidence packs and other materials we deliver to you.
- "**Purpose**" means the lawful purpose for which you engage us, as stated in the engagement letter.

1.2 These Terms apply to every engagement, together with the engagement letter. If they conflict, the engagement letter prevails for that engagement. Your own terms of business do not apply, even if referred to in a purchase order, unless we agree in writing that they do.

1.3 A contract is formed when you accept an engagement letter in writing, including by email, or instruct us to start work after receiving it.

## Engagement and scope

2.1 We perform the Services described in the engagement letter. If you ask us to change the scope, or we find that the scope needs to change to answer your question, we will tell you, and we will agree any change, and its effect on fees and turnaround, in writing before we continue.

2.2 We may decline any engagement, and we may decline or stop any part of an engagement that would breach the law or our [acceptable use policy](https://osint.v3rta.com/acceptable-use/), without liability.

2.3 Before we accept an engagement, we may verify your identity and that of your owners, screen you against sanctions lists, check for conflicts of interest, and ask for evidence of the Purpose.

## Your responsibilities

3.1 You warrant that:

- the Purpose is lawful, accurately stated and consistent with our acceptable use policy;
- you have the right to give us the information and materials you provide, and our use of them in accordance with these Terms will not infringe anyone's rights or breach any law or duty of confidence;
- where you give us personal data, you have collected it lawfully and may disclose it to us for the Purpose; and
- you are not a person subject to sanctions that would make it unlawful for us to act for you, and you are not acting on behalf of such a person.

3.2 You will give us accurate information and timely instructions, tell us promptly of anything that may affect the Services, and use the Deliverables in accordance with clause 7 and our acceptable use policy.

## How we perform the Services

4.1 We perform the Services with the reasonable skill and care of a competent provider of similar services, and in accordance with applicable law.

4.2 We use a proprietary AI-assisted research system to retrieve, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information. Analysts direct each stage, check findings against their sources and approve every Deliverable before it is delivered. You agree that we may use such systems, including models provided by third-party providers acting on our behalf under confidentiality and security obligations. We never use your materials or Deliverables to train third-party AI models.

4.3 We rely on public records, published sources, commercial databases and lawful enquiries. We do not obtain information by deception, intrusion or other unlawful means, and we are not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of third-party records or sources, which may contain errors or be out of date.

4.4 We may use our affiliated entities, partners and carefully selected subcontractors, such as local researchers and translators, to perform any part of the Services. We remain responsible for their work as if it were our own and bind them to confidentiality obligations no less protective than ours.

## Turnaround

5.1 Turnaround times in an engagement letter or on our website are good-faith estimates based on the scope and the information available when we give them. Many matters are completed within 24 hours, and most within days, but turnaround depends on the subject, the jurisdictions involved, the availability of records and the timeliness of your instructions.

5.2 We will tell you promptly if we expect a material delay. Unless the engagement letter expressly states that a date is guaranteed, time is not of the essence, and we are not liable for any delay that does not result from our failure to exercise reasonable skill and care.

## Recommendations, uncertainties and reliance

6.1 Each report includes, where the scope provides for it, a recommendation (such as proceed, proceed with conditions, escalate or decline), the key findings with their sources, and a statement of uncertainties: what we could not verify, and our confidence in each finding.

6.2 Our Deliverables describe what the records available to us showed on the date stated. They are not a guarantee that no other information exists, that a subject is or is not engaged in any conduct, or that a transaction or relationship will succeed. Recommendations are written to inform your decision, which remains yours, taking into account the uncertainties we state and your own knowledge, policies and advice.

6.3 Our Deliverables are not legal, financial, investment, tax, accounting, credit or regulatory advice, a credit rating, a valuation, an audit or an opinion on the solvency of any person. Our Deliverables are not consumer reports, and they must not be used as a factor in establishing any individual's eligibility for credit, insurance, employment or housing, or for any other purpose regulated by consumer reporting or credit reference laws.

6.4 You must not use our findings, or any automated output derived from them, as the sole basis for a decision with legal or similarly significant effects on an individual without meaningful human review.

## Use of Deliverables

7.1 Deliverables are provided for your internal use for the Purpose only. You may share them, in confidence, with your officers, employees, professional advisers, auditors, insurers, financiers, regulators and, where the Purpose requires it, co-investors and courts, provided that each is told that the Deliverables are confidential and that we accept no duty or liability to them.

7.2 You must not publish Deliverables, or disclose them to the subject of the research or any other third party, without our prior written consent, unless the law or a court or regulator requires it, in which case you will, where lawful, tell us first.

7.3 We owe duties only to you. No other person may rely on our Deliverables, and we accept no duty of care or liability to anyone else unless we agree otherwise in writing.

## Confidentiality

8.1 Each party will keep confidential all information received from the other in connection with an engagement, including the fact and subject of the engagement and, in your case, the Deliverables, and will use it only for the purposes of the engagement.

8.2 This obligation does not apply to information that is or becomes public other than through a breach of these Terms, that the receiving party already knew or develops independently, or that it receives lawfully from a third party without a duty of confidence. Either party may disclose confidential information where required by law, court order or a regulator, giving the other notice where lawful.

8.3 Client work never appears in our public dossiers. We may sign a separate non-disclosure agreement before you share details of a matter; if we do, it applies together with this clause.

8.4 These obligations continue for five years after the end of the engagement, and indefinitely for personal data and trade secrets.

## Data protection

9.1 Each party will comply with the data protection laws that apply to it, including the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) of Hong Kong. Our [privacy notice](https://osint.v3rta.com/privacy/) explains how we handle personal data.

9.2 For personal data we collect and analyse in performing the Services, we are a data user, and we process it only as needed for the Purpose. When we deliver Deliverables containing personal data, you become a data user of that data and are responsible for your own use of it, which must be limited to the Purpose.

9.3 Where we process personal data that you give us solely on your behalf, we act as your data processor: we will process it only on your documented instructions, keep it secure and confidential, ensure that our personnel and subprocessors are bound by equivalent obligations, tell you without undue delay of any data breach affecting it, assist you reasonably with data subject requests, and delete or return it at the end of the engagement, subject to clause 15.3.

## Fees, expenses and taxes

10.1 Fees are set out in the engagement letter, as a fixed fee, a retainer, a rate per check or per entity, or on another agreed basis. Fixed fees cover the agreed scope; work outside it is charged only if you agree in advance.

10.2 Unless the engagement letter says otherwise, we may invoice fixed-fee matters on acceptance, other matters monthly in arrears, and retainers and subscriptions in advance. Invoices are payable within 14 days of the invoice date, in the currency stated, without set-off or deduction.

10.3 Disbursements approved by you in advance, such as official registry fees, document retrieval charges, translation and travel, are charged at cost in addition to fees.

10.4 Fees exclude any value added tax, goods and services tax, withholding tax, duties and other taxes or levies, which you will pay in addition where they apply. If you are required by law to withhold any amount, you will gross up the payment so that we receive the full amount invoiced.

10.5 If you do not pay an undisputed invoice when due, we may charge interest on the overdue amount at 1% per month, accruing daily, until payment, and suspend the Services on seven days' written notice.

## Intellectual property

11.1 On full payment, you may use the Deliverables, perpetually and royalty-free, for the Purpose and in accordance with clause 7.

11.2 We retain all intellectual property rights in the Deliverables, and in our methods, research system, software, models, prompts, templates, know-how and data compilations, whether developed before or during the engagement. Nothing in these Terms transfers them to you. We may use general knowledge and experience gained during an engagement, provided that we do not disclose your confidential information.

11.3 Third-party records and materials included in the Deliverables remain the property of their owners and are provided as evidence under the applicable terms.

## Liability

12.1 Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law.

12.2 Subject to clause 12.1, we are not liable, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, misrepresentation or otherwise, for any loss of profit, revenue, business, contracts, opportunity, goodwill, data or anticipated savings, or for any indirect, consequential, special or punitive loss, arising out of or in connection with an engagement.

12.3 Subject to clause 12.1, our total aggregate liability arising out of or in connection with an engagement is limited to the fees paid to us for that engagement in the 12 months preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

12.4 We are not liable for any loss arising from inaccurate, incomplete or misleading information provided by you or contained in third-party records or sources, provided that we have exercised reasonable skill and care in using it, or from any use of Deliverables in breach of these Terms.

12.5 Any claim against us must be notified to us in writing, with reasonable details, within 12 months of the date on which you became aware, or ought reasonably to have become aware, of the facts giving rise to it, and in any case within three years of delivery of the Deliverable concerned.

12.6 You agree that you will bring any claim only against the entity named in the engagement letter, and not personally against any of our officers, employees, analysts or subcontractors, who may rely on this clause.

## Indemnities

13.1 You will indemnify us against all claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of: a breach of your warranties in clause 3.1; your use of the Deliverables in breach of clause 7, clause 6.3 or 6.4, or our acceptable use policy; or any claim by a third party to whom you disclosed Deliverables.

13.2 We will indemnify you against third-party claims that the Deliverables, as delivered and used in accordance with these Terms, infringe that third party's intellectual property rights, subject to clause 12.

## Compliance

14.1 Each party will comply with all applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws, including the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (Cap. 201) of Hong Kong, and will not offer, give, request or accept any bribe or improper advantage in connection with an engagement.

14.2 Each party will comply with all sanctions and export-control laws that apply to it. We may suspend or terminate an engagement immediately if continuing would breach any such law or expose us to sanctions.

14.3 Where the law requires us to report a matter to an authority, we may do so without notice to you, and doing so is not a breach of these Terms.

## Term and termination

15.1 Each engagement continues until the Services are completed, unless terminated earlier. Retainers and subscriptions continue for the period stated in the engagement letter and then renew for successive periods of the same length unless either party gives at least 30 days' written notice before the end of the current period.

15.2 Either party may terminate an engagement by written notice with immediate effect if the other commits a material breach that is not remedied within 14 days of notice requiring it, or becomes insolvent or ceases to carry on business. We may terminate immediately if continuing would breach the law, our acceptable use policy or our professional obligations, or if the Purpose was misrepresented. You may terminate any engagement for convenience on written notice.

15.3 On termination, you will pay for Services performed and disbursements incurred up to the date of termination, and for any non-cancellable commitments made on your behalf. We may retain copies of Deliverables and working papers as required by law, regulation or our professional obligations, or to defend legal claims, subject to clause 8.

15.4 Clauses 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15.3, 16 and 18 to 21 survive termination.

## Force majeure

Neither party is liable for any delay or failure to perform caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including natural disasters, epidemics, war, terrorism, civil unrest, government action, sanctions, failures of public utilities or telecommunications networks, cyber-attacks that could not reasonably have been prevented, and the unavailability of official registers or records. The affected party will notify the other promptly and use reasonable efforts to mitigate the effect. If the event continues for more than 30 days, either party may terminate the affected engagement by written notice.

## Publicity

Neither party will use the other's name or logo in publicity, or disclose the existence of an engagement, without the other's prior written consent.

## Notices

Notices under these Terms must be in writing and may be delivered by email to the address given in the engagement letter or, for us, to {{emails.briefs}}. A notice sent by email is received at the time of transmission if within business hours in Hong Kong, and otherwise at the start of the next business day.

## General

19.1 **Entire agreement.** These Terms and the engagement letter, together with any non-disclosure agreement between us, are the entire agreement between the parties about an engagement and supersede all prior discussions, proposals and understandings. Each party acknowledges that it has not relied on any statement not set out in them, without limiting liability for fraud.

19.2 **Variation.** No variation is effective unless agreed in writing by both parties. We may update these Terms for future engagements by publishing a new version on our website; the version in force when an engagement letter is accepted applies to that engagement.

19.3 **Assignment.** You may not assign or transfer your rights or obligations without our prior written consent. We may assign or transfer ours to any affiliated entity or successor, on notice to you.

19.4 **Third parties.** Our affiliated entities and partners, and the persons referred to in clause 12.6, may enforce the provisions of these Terms that benefit them. Otherwise, a person who is not a party has no right under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Ordinance (Cap. 623) to enforce any provision of these Terms. The parties may vary or terminate these Terms without the consent of any third party.

19.5 **Severability and waiver.** If any provision is found invalid or unenforceable, it is to be modified to the minimum extent necessary, and the rest remains in force. A failure or delay in exercising a right is not a waiver of it.

19.6 **Independent contractors.** The parties are independent contractors. Nothing in these Terms creates a partnership, joint venture, agency or employment relationship.

## Language

These Terms are written in English. We may provide translations for convenience. If there is any conflict or inconsistency between the English text and a translation, the English text prevails.

## Governing law and arbitration

21.1 These Terms, each engagement, and any dispute or claim (including any non-contractual dispute or claim) arising out of or in connection with them are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ("**Hong Kong**").

21.2 Any dispute, controversy, difference or claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or any engagement, including the existence, validity, interpretation, performance, breach or termination thereof, or any dispute regarding non-contractual obligations arising out of or relating to them, shall be referred to and finally resolved by arbitration administered by the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre ("**HKIAC**") under the HKIAC Administered Arbitration Rules in force when the Notice of Arbitration is submitted.

21.3 The law of this arbitration clause is Hong Kong law. The seat of arbitration is Hong Kong. The number of arbitrators is one. The arbitration proceedings are conducted in English.

21.4 Before starting arbitration, the parties will try in good faith, for at least 30 days, to settle the dispute through discussions between senior representatives. This does not prevent either party from seeking urgent interim or injunctive relief from the HKIAC emergency arbitrator or any court of competent jurisdiction, or our recovery of unpaid fees in any court of competent jurisdiction.