The GW Hatchet and Agency Services Contract Policies

The Publisher

Hatchet Publications, Inc., publisher of The GW Hatchet and all publications included in its agency services (herein referred to as "The Hatchet") reserves the right to refuse any advertising it so chooses.

Proofing Policy—Publisher

The Hatchet does not accept discriminatory advertising, advertising for organizations or individuals who compile, research or compose academic works for sale or barter, nor does The Hatchet accept advertising of an illegal or questionable nature. The Hatchet will proof all ads for content, design and placement considerations, and reserves the right to request changes to the copy, design or art of any ad submitted for publication. The Publisher can refuse any ad for any reason whatsoever, including client's refusal to make requested changes. Any ad refused by the Publisher will incur no penalty or charge to the client, and any deposit will be refunded.

Proofing Policy—Advertising Client

All ads produced by The Hatchet are subject to the advertising client's approval of a final proof, unless waived. Final proofs must be requested in writing, and will be provided by fax upon completion of advertising production. The right to a final proof for approval is waived by the client unless requested in writing by the contract deadline, for the issue.

Deadlines

The deadline for all issues published on a Monday is Thursday at 5 p.m. The deadline for all issues published on a Thursday is Monday at 5 p.m. In the case that a Monday is a federal holiday, the Hatchet will generally publish on Tuesday. The deadline for the Tuesday issue will remain Thursday at 5 p.m. and the deadline for the following issue shall be Tuesday at noon. Contracts and ad materials submitted after deadline may incur additional pentaly charges.

Payment & Credit Policy

  1. Advertisers must prepay by cash, check, money order or credit card unless given credit approval by The Hatchet Advertising Manager. This payment must be made when the advertising contract is written.
  2. Pre-Paid Ads receive a 5% discount off the net contract.
  3. All published rates are net. Advertising agencies may add an additional 15% commission on top of the net rate to produce the gross rate.
  4. Corporate insertion orders and retail contracts will be accepted for billing status at the sole discretion of The Hatchet's Advertising Manager.
  5. To receive credit a business must have been in operation for one year under the same ownership. (Bars, nightclubs and tanning salons will not qualify for a line of credit.), And,
    1. have advertised in the The Hatchet in one of the last 2 years and paid their invoices on time (within 30 days of invoice). Or,
    2. have prepaid the first five insertions and any additional insertions incurred within the first 60 days of their initial contract. Or,
    3. is a national agency or company which submits an authorized insertion order from the corporate headquarters.

Cancellation Policy

All cancellations must be made in writing before the advertising deadline. No refunds will be given on advertisements cancelled after that time. All cancelled advertisements will be subject to production charges incurred prior to cancellation.

Liability

The Hatchet shall not be liable for slight changes or typographical errors in any advertisement which would not, in the opinion of The Hatchet, substantially lessen the value of the ad. In the event that you question such an error, you must notify The Hatchet in writing, within 14 days of the date of publication to determine if any adjustment will be made. The Hatchet assumes no financial responsibility for errors in advertisements beyond the cost of space actually occupied by the advertisement in which the error is made. The liability of The Hatchet failing to publish an advertisement for any reason shall be limited to publishing the ad in a subsequent issue at the regular rate.

The Hatchet in no way assumes liability whatsoever for late or skipped publications due to weather delays or delays caused by the printer.

All advertising material generated by The Hatchet production department remains the exclusive property of The Hatchet and may not be reused in any other publication, nor for flyers, without the express written, prior consent of The Hatchet, and such release may be subject to a release fee.

No specific placement or page can be guaranteed. Requests will be honored when possible.

Rates

The Hatchet reserves the right to change its advertising rates and conditions set forth at any time on 30 days notice. Advertisers and agencies forwarding insertion orders which contain incorrect rates or conditions are hereby advised that the advertising called for will be inserted and charged at rates in accordance with the published rates and regulations stated. Failure to make an order correspond in price or rules will be regarded as a clerical error and advertising will be inserted at the published rate without further notification.

Monthly Billing Policy

Clients who sign long-term contracts and wish to pre-pay their bills monthly may do so under the following policies.

  1. Advertisers must first establish credit under the credit policies out lined above and their terms for pre-paid monthly payment must be approved by the Advertising Manager.
  2. Advertisers with established credit must pre-pay the first month of advertising at the time the contract is signed. The Hatchet will then furnish a statement of monthly amount due payments for the contract term.
  3. The Hatchet will send out a pre-pay invoice once per month as a courtesy to the advertiser. It is ultimately the advertiser's responsibility to make the necessary pre-payments to receive the discount. The monthly amount due must be received by The Hatchet by the first business day of the month. Advertisers will be granted one grace period of 10 business days per fiscal year without forfeiting monthly billing privilege.
  4. Any advertiser who does not meet these terms will forfeit monthly billing and will be required to pay immediately the remaining balance due on the contract in order to maintain the pre-pay discount.

Return Check and Collection Policy

  1. Accounts become past due 30 days from the date of invoice. Overdue accounts may be subject to a service fee of 1.5 percent per month.
  2. A service fee of $35 will be charged for any returned checks. The client will be notified by certified mail that the check has been returned and will have 7 business days to respond. If the client does not make good on the balance due within that period, it will forfeit revolving credit. The client will then be required to pre-pay all subsequent advertising without discount for 90 days, and should no items be returned during that period, will have the right to a revolving credit limit to be set by the Business Manager.
  3. Should the client's balance fall 60 days or more past due, or, should the client not respond to certified mail within 7 business days, the account may be referred to a collection agency. The client is liable for all collection costs and fees including, but not limited to, bank fees, collection agency fees and costs, and legal fees.

Agency Policy

All agencies must notify The Hatchet in writing, on their letterhead, of intention to contract with The Hatchet; in-house agencies are not recognized. The Hatchet only accepts advertising from agencies as the contractual buyers, not solely as agent. All agencies placing ads in The Hatchet are liable for the full cost of the advertising they place, regardless of the client's payment status with the agency.

Contract Regulations

  1. Hatchet Publications, Inc., publisher of The GW Hatchet and advertising agent for The George Washington University, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Federal EIN: 52-1833235.
  2. The Publisher is not bound by any conditions, printed or otherwise, on insertion orders, contracts or copy instructions when such conflicts with policies covered by this agreement.