These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of oscabe.com ("the Platform") operated by OSCABE LTD (Company No. 15913493) of Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. By creating an account, signing a contract on the Platform, or otherwise using our services you agree to be bound by these Terms.
In short: OSCABE is a managed service, not a freelance marketplace. You cannot book a professional directly from the directory, even where a profile shows as available. Profiles are representative, a proportion are illustrative examples, and availability is indicative. After your enquiry we confirm the specific professional and, if they are not available, we source and vet a comparable profile for you. This is explained in full in clause 3A below.
1. Definitions
- "Client" - a business or individual that engages an Engineer through the Platform.
- "Engineer" - an independent contractor accepted onto the Platform after CE verification.
- "Engagement" - a defined period of work between a Client and an Engineer arranged through OSCABE.
- "Placement" - the contractual record of an Engagement created on the Platform.
- "Platform Fee" - OSCABE's commission, currently 25% of the Client invoice, retained from each Engagement.
2. Acceptance and account
You must be at least 18 years old and legally able to enter into binding contracts. Accounts are individual; sharing credentials or impersonating another person is prohibited. You are responsible for the activity that takes place under your account.
We verify every Client and every Engineer manually. Access to the Client Portal, the Engineer Portal and Engagement workflows is granted only after verification by OSCABE staff.
3. The OSCABE model
OSCABE is a specialist managed remote-talent service focused on engineering, automation, AI, data and technology professionals based primarily in India and the Middle East. We:
- Verify each Engineer using platform-specific lab tests and Chartered Engineer review.
- Match Engineers to Client briefs using our AI engineering advisor and human review.
- Issue Client invoices and route the Engineer's share to them.
- Hold the Engagement contract and provide tooling for timesheets, ratings and dispute resolution.
OSCABE is not the employer of any Engineer and not the customer of any Client's services. Engineers act as independent contractors of the Client for the duration of the Engagement.
3A. Directory, professional profiles and availability
OSCABE is a managed talent and staffing service, not a freelance marketplace or job board. When you engage talent through OSCABE you contract with OSCABE LTD under a single written services agreement and you pay OSCABE directly. You cannot book, hire, instruct or pay any individual professional directly through the Platform, and the Platform provides no facility to do so. OSCABE sources, vets, contracts, manages and arranges payment for the professionals it supplies, and operates in a manner consistent with the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003.
Profiles are representative and illustrative. The profiles, names, photographs, avatars, skills, ratings, indicative rates and locations shown in our public directory are published to illustrate the typical skills, seniority, calibre and pricing of the professionals we place. A proportion of the profiles are illustrative examples, included to demonstrate the breadth and standard of our talent pool, and do not depict a specific individual who is currently engaged by, or immediately available through, OSCABE. Avatars are computer-generated and are not photographs of the individual concerned.
Availability is indicative, not a guarantee. Labels such as "Available now", "Check availability" and "Not available" indicate the typical availability of that type of professional at the time of publication. They are not an offer, and not a guarantee that any specific named individual is available to you at any particular time.
The directory is an invitation to enquire, not an offer. Browsing a profile, using the AI advisor or submitting an enquiry creates no contract, reservation or booking, and does not oblige OSCABE to supply any specific individual. A binding engagement arises only once OSCABE has accepted your requirement in writing and a services agreement has been signed.
What happens after your enquiry. When you make an enquiry we will (a) confirm your requirements, (b) check the current availability and suitability of the specific professional or profile you are interested in, and (c) where that individual is unavailable, unsuitable, or not the best fit for your requirement, source, vet and provide a comparable professional of equivalent skills and seniority. The professional ultimately assigned may therefore differ from any profile shown, and may be recruited specifically for your engagement, including locally to your market where that better meets your needs. We confirm the assigned professional, their CV and the final rate to you in writing before any engagement begins.
This clause is provided so that the information on the Platform is clear and not misleading, consistent with the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (which replaced the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008) and the Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008.
4. Pricing and Platform Fee
The Platform Fee is twenty-five per cent (25%) of the Client invoice and is shown on every quote, every invoice and inside the AI chat. The Engineer receives the remaining seventy-five per cent (75%). There are no other mark-ups, finder's fees or undisclosed charges.
The Client pays the entire invoice to OSCABE. OSCABE retains the Platform Fee and remits the Engineer's share within five (5) business days of cleared funds.
5. Engagement minimum and notice
The minimum Engagement term is three (3) months from the placement start date. After the minimum term, either party may end the Engagement on thirty (30) days' written notice. If a Client wishes to off-board earlier, the remaining minimum-term invoices fall due immediately.
6. Quality, replacement and disputes
If an Engineer is materially unsuitable within the first fourteen (14) days of the Engagement, OSCABE will, at the Client's request, source a replacement at no additional fee. Beyond fourteen days, OSCABE will use commercial reasonable efforts to source a replacement and the original Engineer's pro-rated invoice remains payable.
Disputes about timesheets, deliverables or quality should first be raised in-platform using the "Query" tool on the relevant timesheet or Engagement. If unresolved within ten (10) business days, OSCABE will mediate. Final disputes are subject to clause 16.
7. Acceptable use
You agree not to:
- Use the Platform to source candidates for any unlawful activity, weapons systems, surveillance against civilians, or any use prohibited by UK / EU export controls.
- Bypass the Platform Fee by paying an Engineer (or accepting payment from a Client) directly during, or within twelve (12) months after, an Engagement introduced through OSCABE.
- Scrape, copy or republish Engineer profiles, ratings or AI matching outputs.
- Submit false work records, fraudulent invoices or impersonate other users.
- Upload malicious code, attempt unauthorised access, or interfere with Platform availability.
Breach of this clause may result in immediate suspension and recovery of the Platform Fee that would have been payable. See the full Acceptable Use Policy.
8. Intellectual property
Each Engagement is between the Client and the Engineer; the Client owns all deliverables produced by the Engineer for that Engagement on the basis the Client pays the relevant invoice in full. OSCABE retains all rights in the Platform itself, including the AI matching engine, the lab-test materials and the brand.
Engineers grant OSCABE a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to display their CE-verified profile, anonymised work records and platform-test scores on the Platform for the purpose of matching.
9. Payment terms
Client invoices are payable within fourteen (14) days of the invoice date in GBP (or EUR for EEA-billed Clients). Stripe processes card payments; bank transfer is supported on request. Late payment incurs interest at the higher of 4% per annum or the Bank of England base rate plus 4%, charged daily, in line with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.
VAT is added where applicable. For EU Clients we may apply the reverse charge mechanism subject to a valid VAT number.
10. Data protection
We process personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy, our Data Processing Agreement and our GDPR Statement. The Client and OSCABE accept the DPA as a binding addendum to these Terms whenever OSCABE acts as processor.
11. Confidentiality
Each party agrees to keep confidential all information shared during the Engagement that a reasonable person would treat as confidential. This obligation survives termination of these Terms for five (5) years.
12. Warranties
OSCABE warrants that it will perform its Platform services with the reasonable skill and care of a competent UK-registered marketplace operator. Engineers warrant that they hold the qualifications and platform proficiencies claimed on their profile.
The Platform is provided "as is" to the extent permitted by law; OSCABE does not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted or error-free. We do not warrant the outcome of any Engagement, which depends on the work of the Client and the Engineer.
13. Limitation of liability
Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits either party's liability for:
- Death or personal injury caused by negligence,
- Fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or
- Any other liability that cannot be excluded by English law.
Subject to the above, OSCABE's aggregate liability under these Terms in any twelve-month period is limited to the total Platform Fees paid by the affected Client to OSCABE in that period. Neither party is liable for any indirect, special or consequential loss, loss of profit, loss of business or loss of goodwill.
14. Suspension and termination
We may suspend or terminate your account immediately if you materially breach these Terms, if you become insolvent, if continuing the relationship would put OSCABE in breach of law, or if a regulator requires it. We will provide written notice with reasons unless restricted from doing so by law.
You may close your account at any time by emailing info@oscabe.com provided you have settled all outstanding obligations.
15. Changes to these Terms
We may amend these Terms by giving you at least thirty (30) days' written notice. If you do not accept the change, you may close your account before the effective date and existing Engagements continue on the prior Terms until they end.
16. Governing law and jurisdiction
These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising from or related to these Terms, except that we may seek injunctive relief in any competent jurisdiction.
EU consumers retain the protection of mandatory rules of consumer law in their country of residence.
17. Contact
OSCABE LTD, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom Company No. 15913493 info@oscabe.com