Terms of service.

Terms of Service

Effective Date: July 16, 2025

Welcome to Sound Transcript (“we,” “us,” or “our”). These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your use of our legal proofreading services and the website located at www.soundtranscript.com (the “Site”).

By using our services, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use our services.

1. Services Provided

Sound Transcript provides legal proofreading services for court reporters and related professionals. We do not offer transcription, editing, summarizing, or other legal support services.

For clarity: We do not alter, revise, or “clean up” spoken-word testimony. Our proofreading services focus exclusively on correcting punctuation, grammar, and formatting based on accepted transcript standards or client instructions.

All services are rendered digitally and may be delivered via email, Google Docs, Dropbox, or other mutually agreed-upon formats.

2. Client Responsibilities

  • You are responsible for ensuring that you have the legal right to transmit any materials you submit for proofreading, including any confidential or third-party content.

  • You must obtain any necessary consents or authorizations before submitting files.

  • You agree not to submit any material that is unlawful, infringing, or otherwise inappropriate.

3. Ordering Process

  • New clients may place orders through our website’s contact/order form.

  • Established clients may submit transcripts via email, PDF, text message, or other digital formats.

  • Turnaround times will be confirmed upon acceptance of the job and are based on the requested service tier (see Section 5).

4. Payment Terms

  • Invoices will be issued upon delivery of completed work.

  • Payment is due within 7 calendar days of the invoice date.

  • Clients who fail to pay within this window may be denied future service and referred to collections.

  • We reserve the right to refuse service to clients with unpaid or overdue balances.

5. Turnaround Times & Rush Orders

We offer the following turnaround tiers:

  1. Rush: 24-hour turnaround (subject to availability and additional rush fee)

  2. Standard: 24–72 hours

  3. Extended: Up to 5 business days

Complex Content Surcharge: Transcripts with complex subject matter — such as medical, technical, or construction-related testimony — may incur a 5–15¢ per page surcharge at our discretion. This ensures sufficient time and attention is given to accuracy and quality.

6. Refunds & Revisions

Our goal is to provide high-quality, detail-oriented service. If you are dissatisfied with the work, please contact us within 3 business days of delivery.
Refunds and revisions are considered on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed.

7. Confidentiality & Data Security

We understand the sensitive nature of legal transcripts and maintain professional confidentiality at all times.

  • We may use secure third-party services such as Dropbox or Google Drive for delivery.

  • We do not subcontract or outsource work to other proofreaders.

  • Files may be deleted after job completion unless otherwise agreed upon.

  • We do not guarantee compliance with data privacy laws such as HIPAA. Clients are encouraged to avoid sending protected or highly sensitive information unless previously arranged.

8. Client Consent Responsibility

If the materials you submit contain personal, confidential, or third-party content, you are solely responsible for ensuring that all required consents have been obtained. We do not assume liability for unauthorized sharing or disclosure of client-submitted materials.

9. Intellectual Property

You retain all rights to the original transcript materials you submit. Upon full payment, you also own the final proofread version. We reserve the right to retain a copy for recordkeeping unless otherwise requested.

10. Disclaimers

  • We do not guarantee perfection and are not liable for any downstream legal or financial consequences resulting from minor typographical errors or omissions.

  • We do not provide legal services or legal advice. Proofreading is limited to grammar, punctuation, and formatting only.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Sound Transcript shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising out of or related to your use of our services or website.

12. Termination of Service

We reserve the right to refuse or terminate services at our discretion, especially in cases of nonpayment, abusive behavior, or violation of these Terms.

13. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Washington. Any legal disputes must be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Seattle, Washington.

14. Contact Information

If you have questions or concerns about these Terms, you may contact us at:
📧 hello@soundtranscript.com
🌐 www.soundtranscript.com