Applicable to all articles, guides, blog posts, newsletters, videos and other editorial content published on this website.

This Website Content Disclaimer relates to Firearms Guardian (Pty) Ltd, an authorised financial services provider, FSP Number: FSP47115 (“we”, “our”, or “us”) and our website, https://firearmsguardian.co.za/ (the/this “Website”).

1. WHAT THIS DISCLAIMER COVERS

This disclaimer applies to every article, guide, blog post, newsletter, checklist, video, infographic, calculator commentary and similar item of editorial content (the “Content”) published on the Website.

It applies whether you reach the Content through this Website, through a search engine, through social media, through an artificial intelligence chatbot, through a copy forwarded to you, or received by you in any format, by any means.

By reading or relying on any Content, you accept this disclaimer. If you do not accept it, do not rely on the Content.

2. GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY; NO ADVICE OF ANY KIND

The Content is published for general information and educational purposes only. It is not advice and must not be treated as advice, whether or not it is expressed as a recommendation, a suggestion, a “should”, a “we recommend”, a best-practice statement, a comparison, a rating, a ranking or a worked example.

In particular, the Content does not constitute and must not be relied on as:

• financial advice; no Content on this Website constitutes advice as defined in section 1 of the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act 37 of 2002. No analysis of your financial needs, objectives, risk profile or circumstances is performed before Content is published, no product is recommended to you personally, and no record of advice arises;
• legal advice; including advice on the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000, its regulations, licensing, competency, renewals, appeals, forfeiture, self-defence, the lawful use of a firearm or criminal or civil liability generally; or
• advice on compliance with any obligation owed by you to the South African Police Service, the Central Firearms Register, the NPA or any other authority.

No advisory, professional, fiduciary or client relationship of any kind arises between you and us, or between you and any author, by reason of your reading, downloading, sharing or acting on the Content.

3. RECOMMENDATIONS, OPINIONS AND WORKED EXAMPLES

Where the Content contains a recommendation, opinion, rating, comparison, checklist or worked example:

• it is general in nature and is directed at no particular person. It takes no account of your firearms, your licences, your premises, your storage arrangements, your claims history, your financial position or your legal position;
• it may be wrong for you, even if it is right in general. What is appropriate for one firearm owner is frequently inappropriate for another;
• it reflects the view of the author at the date of publication and does not necessarily reflect the view of Firearms Guardian, of the underwriter (Genric Insurance Company Limited), or of any other person;
• it is not an assurance that any particular outcome will result, that any claim will be paid, that any product is suitable for you, or that any conduct is lawful; and
• you must obtain your own professional advice, appropriate to your own circumstances, before acting on it. We do not assume responsibility for any decision you take on the strength of the Content, and it is not reasonable for you to rely on the Content in place of advice relating to your particular circumstances.

4. CONTENT CONCERNING FIREARM SAFETY, STORAGE AND THE USE OF FIREARMS

Some Content addresses firearm handling, storage, transport, carrying, and circumstances in which a firearm may lawfully be used, including in self-defence. This Content is general commentary and nothing more.

The lawfulness of the possession, transport, discharge or defensive use of a firearm depends entirely on the specific facts, and on the law, as it stands at the time. Getting it wrong can result in criminal prosecution, loss of your licences, serious injury or death.

Do not rely on anything published on this Website in that context. Obtain advice from an attorney and, where relevant, training from an accredited training provider or shooting association.

5. ACCURACY AND CURRENCY

We take reasonable care in preparing the Content. Even so:

• the Content is accurate, to the best of our knowledge, only as at its stated date of publication. Each item of Content is date-stamped. Legislation, regulations, SAPS practice, court decisions, product terms and premiums change, sometimes at short notice and sometimes with retrospective effect;
• we are under no obligation to update, correct or withdraw Content once published, and archived Content may be out of date. The presence of Content on this Website is not a representation that it remains correct;
• we do not warrant that the Content is complete, accurate, current, error-free or fit for any purpose, and it is provided on an “as is” basis;
• summaries of legislation and of policy terms are simplifications. They omit qualifications, exceptions and detail;
• If you believe any Content is inaccurate, please tell us at info@firearmsguardian.co.za and we will consider it.

6. THIRD-PARTY AUTHORS, SOURCES AND COMMENTS

Content contributed by guest authors, external experts, industry bodies or third parties reflects their views and not ours, and we do not endorse, verify or accept responsibility for it. The same applies to material we quote, cite, summarise or link to.

Where readers are able to comment on Content, comments are the views of the persons who post them. We do not monitor comments in advance and accept no responsibility for them, but we may remove any comment at our discretion.

Reference in any Content to a person, product, service, brand, safe, alarm, training provider or association is not an endorsement or recommendation of that person or thing.

7. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CONTENT AND OUR INSURANCE PRODUCTS

Some Content refers to insurance cover generally, or to products underwritten by Genric Insurance Company Ltd, a licensed non-life insurer in terms of the Insurance Act 18 of 2017, for whom we act as binder holder.

Nothing in any Content creates, varies, extends, confirms or interprets cover. The cover available to you is determined exclusively by the policy wording, policy schedule and endorsements issued to you. Where anything in the Content differs from those documents, those documents prevail, and the Content may not be relied on in the interpretation of them.

No statement in any Content constitutes an offer of insurance, a quotation, a binding indication of premium, or confirmation that cover is or will be in force. No cover exists until it has been confirmed to you in writing, following our formal application and underwriting process and the first premium has been received.

Therefore, if you need advice, we recommend that you contact your broker or attorney.

Nothing in this disclaimer limits or excludes any obligation we owe under the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act 37 of 2002 and its General Code of Conduct, the Policyholder Protection Rules (Short-term Insurance) 2017, including the requirement that anything we publish be factually correct, clear, fair and not misleading, the Insurance Act 18 of 2017, or the Financial Sector Regulation Act 9 of 2017. Those duties cannot be excluded by a disclaimer and we do not attempt to exclude them.

8. LINKS TO OTHER WEBSITES

The Content may link to third-party websites, including government portals such as those of the SAPS. Those links are provided for convenience only. We do not control or monitor those sites, do not endorse them, and accept no responsibility for their content, accuracy, availability, security or privacy practices.

9. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

PLEASE READ THIS CLAUSE. IT LIMITS OUR LIABILITY TO YOU.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, neither Firearms Guardian, nor the underwriter (Genric), nor their respective directors, employees, representatives, agents or contributing authors, will be liable to you or to anyone else for any loss, damage, cost, expense, liability, prosecution or claim of any nature whatsoever, whether direct, indirect, incidental, special or consequential, and including loss of profit, loss of income, loss of, or damage to, property, wasted expenditure or the rejection of an insurance claim arising out of or in connection with the Content, your access to or use of the Content, your inability to access it, or any reliance you place on any recommendation, opinion, statement or omission in it.

Where our liability is not excluded, our aggregate liability arising from the Content is limited to R1,000.00.

10. YOUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

By using the Content you acknowledge that this disclaimer, and clause 9 in particular, has been drawn to your attention, in plain language, before you relied on the Content; that you have had an opportunity to read it and to ask us about anything in it; and that you accept the risk described in it.

If any part of this disclaimer is unclear, contact us at info@firearmsguardian.co.za, before relying on any Content and we will explain it at no charge.

11. GENERAL

This disclaimer is governed by the law of the Republic of South Africa. If any provision of it is found to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision is severable and the remainder continues in full force and effect.

We may amend this disclaimer at any time by publishing an updated version; the version applicable to you is the version in force when you relied on the Content, and we retain dated copies of every version.

12. CONTACT AND COMPLAINTS

Questions about the Content: info@firearmsguardian.co.za; 012-665-2500.

If you wish to complain, please send your complaint to info@firearmsguardian.co.za.

If we do not resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you may refer it to the National Financial Ombud Scheme South Africa (Non-Life Insurance Division), https://nfosa.co.za/, or, where it concerns advice or intermediary services, to the FAIS Ombud, https://www.faisombud.co.za/.