Terms of Service

Our standard consulting rate is NZD $350 + GST per hour. We charge an additional 10% recovery fee on any recovered wallet amounts. The recovery fee is calculated in New Zealand Dollars based on the market value of the recovered assets at the time of recovery.

We charge a minimum of 30 minutes at the standard rate for every session. Sessions longer than 30 minutes are billed for their actual duration.

Invoices are due within 7 days of issue. The client must not deduct, withhold, or set off any amount owing. A dispute about part of an invoice does not suspend the obligation to pay the balance. Overdue amounts may attract interest, and we may suspend or terminate any ongoing engagement and withhold deliverables until payment is received in full.

The client is liable for all reasonable costs we incur in recovering an overdue amount, and any interest on it. Those costs are payable by the client in addition to the amount owing, and include:

• debt collection agency fees and commission, which may be charged as a percentage of the amount recovered, commonly up to 25 per cent;
• mercantile agent fees;
• court and tribunal filing fees; and
• legal costs on a solicitor and own client basis.

Accounts outstanding beyond 30 days may be referred to a debt collection agency or to our solicitors without further notice. Where a matter is referred, the agency’s or solicitor’s fees and commission form part of the debt the client is required to pay, and any payment the client makes is applied first to those recovery costs and then to the original invoice. Where a deposit has been paid, we may terminate the engagement, retain the deposit in respect of work already performed, and withhold any deliverable permanently. Termination does not affect our right to recover the balance as a debt due and payable.

Sessions are billed for their full duration at the standard rate. Consultants remain courteous, professional, and focused on resolving the client’s technical matter; where a client engages in discussion outside that scope, the time remains billable.

Fees are payable for the consultant’s time and expertise engaged during a session. Payment is not contingent on the issue being resolved or the outcome the client was hoping for.

Estimates given verbally or informally before a session are indicative only. The fee payable is based on actual time billed under clause 5.1.

A $100 + GST no-show fee applies if a client fails to attend a scheduled appointment without at least 24 hours’ notice or arrives more than 15 minutes late.

Subject to clause 7.3, all payments made to Crypto Consulting NZ are non-refundable.

This section applies to engagements involving a defined deliverable — including expert witness reports, source-of-funds reports, tracing and investigation reports, forensic analysis for relationship property matters, estate recovery involving a written report, and advisory or AML/CFT review engagements. Where this section conflicts with Section 05 (Payment Terms), this section applies for the scoped engagement in question. Clause 5.4 (Recovery Costs and Debt Collection) applies to every scoped engagement.

The specific deliverables, fees, and timeframe for a scoped engagement are set out in a separate written quote, proposal, or Letter of Engagement provided to the client before work begins. Only the deliverables listed in that document form part of the engagement. Any work outside that scope will be quoted separately and requires the client’s written approval before it begins.

A deposit of 50% of the total quoted fee, including GST, is payable before work commences. Work begins on receipt of cleared funds. The balance is invoiced on completion and is payable within 7 days of the invoice date, prior to release of final deliverables. If the balance remains unpaid 30 days after the invoice date, clause 5.4 applies.

Where an engagement involves preparing a report or opinion for a court, tribunal, or regulator, Crypto Consulting NZ acts as an independent expert. Our overriding duty in that capacity is to the court or tribunal, not to the instructing party. The same methodology is applied consistently regardless of which party instructs the engagement.

The client must provide all information, documents, and identifiers relevant to the engagement, and must confirm that the information provided is true, complete, and not misleading. We are not responsible for conclusions affected by information withheld or inaccurately supplied. Clients must provide government-issued photo identification prior to commencement, in accordance with our obligations under the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009.

The client must review each deliverable promptly on release. Any alleged error or non-conformance with the agreed scope must be notified to us in writing within 14 days, identifying the specific issue and its basis. A general statement of dissatisfaction without this detail is not a valid notice. Where a valid notice is given, we may investigate and, where an error is established, correct and re-issue the deliverable at no further charge. Correction and re-issue is the client’s sole remedy under this clause, subject to clause 7.3. If no valid notice is given within 14 days, the deliverable is deemed accepted. A notice under this clause does not suspend or reduce the client’s obligation to pay any amount already due.

Our services are investigative, analytical, and advisory. We do not guarantee the recovery of funds, a particular finding, or a particular outcome in any proceeding.

Subject to clause 7.3, our total liability arising from a scoped engagement is limited to the fees paid for that engagement. We are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, including the funds originally lost, or for any decision made by the client, a tax agent, a bank, an exchange, an insurer, or an agency in reliance on a deliverable.

Deliverables are prepared solely for the client and for the purposes set out in the written scope. Copyright and all intellectual property in the deliverables and in our methodology remain with Crypto Consulting NZ. On payment in full, the client receives a non-exclusive licence to use the deliverables for those purposes, including provision to a tax agent, bank, exchange, insurer, legal representative, or law enforcement. We accept no responsibility to any third party who relies on them.

By engaging our services, you agree to release Crypto Consulting NZ, its employees, contractors, and agents from all claims, liabilities, damages, or costs arising out of or related to your use of our services.

We are not responsible for content provided or created by clients during a consulting session or scoped engagement. Clients are solely responsible for their own materials and actions.

Nothing in these Terms excludes, restricts, or modifies any guarantee, right, or remedy that cannot lawfully be excluded under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 or the Fair Trading Act 1986. Where the client acquires our services for the purposes of a business, the parties agree that the Consumer Guarantees Act and sections 9, 12A, and 13 of the Fair Trading Act do not apply, and that it is fair and reasonable to be bound by this agreement. Where our liability may lawfully be limited, it is limited, at our option, to resupplying the services or paying the cost of having them resupplied.

We collect only the information necessary to deliver our services. No client information is shared, sold, or used beyond the scope of the engagement.

Client information is securely stored and may be deleted upon request once an engagement concludes.

We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for any unauthorised disclosure of client data. For full details, see our Privacy Policy.

Assisting a client to locate or utilise credentials to regain wallet access.

Resolving technical or software issues that prevent access to wallets.

Tracing or identifying missing cryptocurrency, tokens, or NFTs.

Coordinating access to shared or multi-sign wallets.

Proof of Authority: Clients must provide documentation (e.g., Grant of Probate, Letters of Administration, court order) proving authority to act for the estate.

Verification: We reserve the right to request additional verification or to decline an engagement if we are not satisfied with the legitimacy of the request.

Recovery Fee: The standard 10% recovery fee applies on all recovered estate assets.

Payment Responsibility: The estate, through its executor or administrator, is responsible for all invoices and fees under standard payment terms, including the recovery costs in clause 5.4 if an account is referred for collection.

Crypto Consulting NZ provides technical and educational assistance only. We do not offer legal, tax, or inheritance advice. Executors are encouraged to obtain independent professional advice.

Our responsibility ends once access to digital assets is restored. We do not participate in the division or transfer of those assets and accept no liability for disputes among beneficiaries.

All information provided in relation to estate recovery, such as seed phrases, private keys, and wallet data, is treated as strictly confidential.

By engaging our services, the estate releases Crypto Consulting NZ, its employees, and agents from any claims, losses, or disputes arising from the engagement, including internal beneficiary disagreements or administrative errors.

The 10% recovery fee and standard payment terms in this section apply to restoring access to estate digital assets. Where the engagement also includes a written report (for example, for a court, tribunal, or beneficiary dispute), that report is a scoped engagement under Section 06, and Section 06’s deposit, defect notice, and liability terms apply to that deliverable.