Terms of Use

Selgovae is an independent study-support service for Open University students. It is not part of, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Open University. Nothing in these Terms should be read as suggesting otherwise.

1. Who we are

Selgovae is operated by Hoebridge Stables Cottage Ltd (T/A Selgovae) ("we", "us", "our"), a company registered in Scotland under company number SC604459. Registered office: 3 Montgomerie Terrace, Gattonside, Scotland, TD6 9NT.

Hoebridge Stables Cottage Ltd (T/A Selgovae) is not currently VAT registered; no VAT is added to the prices shown.

Contact: historian@selgovae.com

2. What Selgovae provides

Selgovae offers two kinds of service, described in full at the point of purchase:

2.1 Subscription guidance library

Paid access to a library of study-guidance content — argument skeletons, annotated excerpts, weak-to-strong writing comparisons, historiography and method briefings, and paraphrased marker-feedback patterns — organised by OU module and level. Some introductory content may be available free of charge.

2.2 One-to-one tutoring sessions

Bookable individual sessions with the founder, offered as a scheduled recurring service or as one-off sessions around key assignment deadlines. Session format, length, and cancellation/rescheduling notice are set out at the time of booking.

3. What Selgovae does not provide

Selgovae does not write, complete, or substantially draft assessed work on your behalf. We do not produce complete essays, TMAs, or EMAs for submission, and we will not do so on request, regardless of how the request is phrased. Guidance materials are structural, illustrative, or based on the founder's own already-submitted work (clearly marked as such) — they are not a substitute for your own writing and must not be submitted, in whole or in substantial part, as your own work.

You are responsible for ensuring your own use of any guidance, feedback, or session content complies with the Open University's academic integrity and assessment regulations. If we reasonably believe a request or a pattern of use is intended to produce work for submission rather than to build your own skills, we may decline the request and may suspend or terminate your account under Section 9.

4. Accounts

You must provide accurate information when creating an account and keep your login details confidential. You are responsible for all activity under your account. Accounts are personal to you and may not be shared, transferred, or used to provide access to a third party.

5. Subscriptions, payment, and cancellation

Subscription pricing and billing frequency are shown at the point of purchase and are processed by our payment provider, Stripe. We do not store your full payment card details ourselves.

You may cancel your subscription at any time from your account. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period; we do not provide partial refunds for the unused portion of a period already paid for, except where required by law or set out below.

Your right to cancel (UK Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013)

If you are a consumer, you generally have a 14-day right to cancel a distance contract for a full refund. Because our subscription content is digital content delivered immediately on payment, this right ends as soon as download or access begins, if you have expressly requested immediate access and acknowledged that doing so ends your cancellation right. Booked one-to-one sessions can be cancelled or rescheduled free of charge up to 48 hours before the session start time. Cancellations or reschedule requests made within 48 hours of the session may be chargeable at the full session rate.

6. Intellectual property and permitted use

All guidance content, session materials, and site content are the copyright of Hoebridge Stables Cottage Ltd (T/A Selgovae) unless otherwise stated. Your subscription grants you a personal, non-transferable licence to use the content for your own individual study. You may not copy, redistribute, resell, publish, or share subscription content with anyone who does not hold their own active subscription.

7. No guarantee of results

Selgovae provides study guidance and support, not a guarantee of any particular grade, mark, or outcome on any OU assessment. Academic results depend on many factors outside our control, including your own work and the OU's own marking.

8. Files and session materials

Where session notes or files are shared with you, this happens via a password-protected link (currently provided through Nextcloud, hosted separately from the main site). Keep any share link and password confidential; we are not responsible for access resulting from a link or password you have shared or failed to keep secure.

9. Suspension and termination

We may suspend or terminate your account, with or without notice, if you breach these Terms — including sharing account access, attempting to obtain complete assessed work for submission, or abusive conduct towards the founder. Where reasonably possible we will explain why.

10. Liability

Nothing in these Terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for fraud. Subject to that, our total liability to you for any claim arising from these Terms or the Services is limited to the amount you have paid us in the 12 months before the claim arose. We are not liable for indirect or consequential losses, including lost marks, lost course progression, or lost opportunity.

11. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If a change is material, we will make reasonable efforts to notify active subscribers (for example by email) before it takes effect. Continued use of the Services after a change takes effect means you accept the updated Terms.

12. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the law of Scotland. Any dispute will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Scottish courts.

13. Contact

Questions about these Terms: historian@selgovae.com. See also our Privacy Policy.