Terms & Conditions

Membership

Terms & Conditions - Your Agreement With Us:

You agree that you have read, understood and will abide by our Terms and Conditions of The Soil Searchers Metal Detecting Community (T.S.S.M.D.C.)

By becoming a member of T.S.S.M.D.C. you agree to fully abide by these Terms and Conditions as laid out below.

If you wish further information regarding our Terms and Conditions then please contact us.

Breaches of Terms and Conditions:

Any member in breach of these terms and conditions may have their membership cancelled without refund of any membership fees and be removed from any of our social media feeds. If you decide to cancel your membership with us you will be removed from our system and there will be no refund of any membership fees paid.

Any member who provides any false information to us in any form will be in breach of these terms and conditions and may have their membership cancelled without refund of any membership fees.

Any person who has been previously banned/removed by us either from the club or our Facebook group/s cannot become members again of the club or Facebook group/s without the express consent of T.S.S.M.D.C. Any person found to have rejoined after being banned/removed will be in breach of these terms and conditions and will have their membership cancelled without refund of any membership fees and subsequently removed.

The Following Acts / Codes:

All members must by aware of and comply with the following Acts and/or Codes listed below;

Code of Practice for Responsible Metal Detecting in England and Wales (2017)
Treasure Act - Summary Definition of Treasure
The Countryside Code

Silver Free Membership:

Free Silver Membership can be withdrawn, suspended or cancelled at any time without prior warning or notice.

Silver Membership currently auto renews yearly for free, subject to the member attending at minimum number of digs/events per year. Otherwise, the account is automatically closed at no cost at all to the member.
You can upgrade your Silver Membership to Gold Membership at any time from your account page on our website. If you upgrade your membership from Silver to Gold, the expiry date for your new Gold Membership will be one year from date of the upgrade. Please note that a membership upgrade to Gold will not apply for any dig that you may have already registered for and which the dig is closed for further registrations/amendments.

Gold Paid Membership:

Gold Members will receive a discount on the standard cost of attending any dig/event compared to Silver Membership. Please Note: Dig fees may vary across different events.

Some digs/events will be exclusively for Gold Members only. Gold Members may also have early registration for specific digs/events from time to time. A Gold Member free dig raffle draw takes place automatically after dig registration closes for specific digs only. The winner of the draw will not have to pay a fee for attending that dig/event. The prize is only valid for that dig and cannot be otherwise transferred to any other person or redeemed in any other way. The winner of the draw will be notified by email, and it will also be indicated on the organisers dig attendance register for that specific dig.

A list of previous raffle draw winners is available to view on our members website portal. Some digs/events will be exclusively for Gold Members only. Gold Members may also have early registration for specific digs/events from time to time. A Gold Member free dig raffle draw takes place automatically after dig registration closes for specific digs only. The winner of the draw will not have to pay a fee for attending that dig/event. The prize is only valid for that dig and cannot be otherwise transferred to any other person or redeemed in any other way. The winner of the draw will be notified by email, and it will also be indicated on the organisers dig attendance register for that specific dig.
A list of previous raffle draw winners is available to view on our members website portal.

Membership Age Restrictions:

Protecting the safety of children when they use the internet or whilst metal detecting is important to us. This site is intended for use only by persons who are at least 18 years of age. By applying for membership you confirm to us that you meet this minimum age requirement.

One child under the age of 16 per valid adult member may attend digs free of charge, however they must remain close to the supervising adult at all times who is responsible for them whilst attending the dig. Those aged 16 or 17 years of age attending with an adult member must pay any applicable dig fees.

Members Guests:

Generally there is no charge for non-detecting guests and family at any of our events. Guests must not detect at any time and must also abide by these terms and conditions where applicable. Member's are responsible for their guests/family at all times.

Insurance:

T.S.S.M.D.C. has its own Public Liability Insurance as a requirement, however all members are required to have a valid membership of at least one of the following bodies, the National Council for Metal Detecting (N.C.M.D.) the Federation of Independent Detectorists (F.I.D.) or the Association for Metal Detecting Sport (A.M.D.S.) which provide public liability insurance cover for their members, details of which (expiry date and their reference number) must be entered into our system either via the joining website page for new members or if a current member via your account page.

We cannot be held responsible for any member that does not have their own insurance, the member will be fully liable for their own insurance and actions. We accept no liability for any activities at events which could result in injury, death, illness or disease, physical or mental damage to any member/member's family or guests, this is the responsibility of the member. It is also the responsibility of the member to keep accurate N.C.M.D. / F.I.D. / A.M.D.S. details of their membership of these bodies updated on our system at all times. No member will be able to apply / register for any of our digs if their membership to any of these bodies has elapsed or will have elapsed before the end of any of our scheduled digs. We may on occasions carry out an audit on the member's membership/insurance details of any of these bodies with the member, failure to provide confirmation of insurance cover as requested by us may ultimately result in the cancellation of membership with us, without any refund of our membership fee. It is the member's responsibility at all times to have an up to date valid membership from one of these bodies, the N.C.M.D. / F.I.D. / A.M.D.S. and to inform us immediately if their membership of any of these bodies is cancelled for whatever reason.We cannot be held responsible for any member who does not have a valid insurance policy.

Health & Safety:

Everyone (including all members) have a responsibility for health and safety and you should report anything that may affect anyones health and safety to the organiser as a matter of urgency. Members whilst on a dig should also ensure that they do not place themselves or anyone else in harm's way and be vigilant at all times, remember you may well be on a working farm. You should report all accidents and incidents promptly. In the event of an emergency situation please call the emergency services on 999 immediately for professional help.

Ammunition and Explosives:

All members should be mindful when detecting that the ground could well conceal live ammunition and/or explosives. Report all live ammunition to the organiser so it can be disposed of in the correct manner in conjunction with the appropriate authorities. Do not touch or remove any item if you are unsure if it is ammunition or explosive related. Contact the dig organiser as a matter of urgency. Remember - It is illegal to possess firearms, including live ammunition unless you hold the appropriate Fire Arms Certificate.

Attending Dig Sites:

Whilst attending any of our events all members must ensure that;

You fully respect the wishes of the landowner and their property.
You follow the instructions given by The Soil Searchers staff members.
You must only detect on land authorised by the landowner and dig organiser, no trespassing on any other land is permitted.
Dig attendees must pay the dig fee to the organiser on arrival at the dig site, unless payment in advance has been made.
Ensure that any holes dug are filled back in correctly.
You remove any metal objects that have been dug up and if too large to carry whilst on the dig are removed and placed in the nearest hedgerow.
You must carry a finds pouch/bag to collect the items that you have retrieved from the ground whilst detecting.
Headphones must be worn at all times whilst detecting unless the user has a recognised hearing impediment.
You close any gates that you may open.
You do not disturb any livestock or wildlife.
You are polite and courteous to the landowner and members of the public that you may meet whilst on a dig, as well as each other.
All personal waste is removed from the dig site and disposed of in a correct manner.

Members at any time, must never detect on Ancient Monuments, Scheduled Monuments and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). Under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 it is a criminal offence. Any member who is reported to be or found to be Night Hawking (in other words metal detecting illegally) at any time will have their membership cancelled and may be liable for prosecution. The Soil Searchers will not tolerate any of these actions by any metal detectorist.

Treasure / Finds:

All significant finds must be shown to the dig organiser or their representative, if you are unsure if your find is significant or not then please ask a staff member.

If you discover a hoard or any human remains, you must contact the dig organiser immediately and not disturb the find site any further. Remember all members must be familiar with and abide by The Treasure Act 1996. The discoverers of a hoard will along with the landowner retain all rights to the hoard firstly in accordance with The Treasure Act 1996 and then any club local agreements.

Should any of your finds be reportable under the Treasure Act 1996, then you must report your finds to the Coroner / Finds Liaison Officer (F.L.O.) within 14 days of the items being identified as such. This is a legal requirement.

We have local agreements in place with landowners that generally finders may retain finds up to a certain value, this value may vary from site to site. Members must agree that we may pass on contact details to the landowner in the event that the landowner requests further information to any item discovered on their land.

Object/s found by members visiting from outside of the United Kingdom that are more than 50 years of age and valued above specified financial thresholds, must be declared to the Portable Antiquities Scheme Finds Liaison Officer (F.L.O.) and the object/s will require an individual licence for export out of the UK whether on a permanent or temporary basis.

T.S.S.M.D.C. will not accept any responsibility for finds which are not properly and legally declared.

Our Events (Day Digs or Period Digs/Rallies):

All members should be aware that dig sites and conditions are subject to change at any time without prior notification to members, however we will make best endeavours to inform members of any changes as soon as we become aware of them.

Members must not disclose any information regarding our dig sites/locations to any person/s without the express permission of T.S.S.M.D.C. unless required to do so by law.

Digger Rating System:

We manage a “Digger Rating” system. This system is designed to ensure that when members state that they will attend a dig that they actually turn up for the dig and not at the expense of another member who was unable to obtain a place on that dig, due to for example a limit on the number of attendees at the dig site.

For example; Every new member has a digger rating of 100 points. Every dig that we scheduled has a minimum digger rating that a member must have to apply/register for a dig. So, if a dig is scheduled and the minimum digger rating is set to 80 points, then any member who has a points rating below this will be unable to apply/register for this dig. If a member who had a confirmed place on a dig fails to attend that dig without good reason, a penalty may be applied to their digger rating. This in turn may affect their chances of booking onto a future dig.

Any member who has a digger rating less than 100 points has their points increased each time a scheduled dig (whether or not that member attends that dig) has finished, at which point their digger rating is automatically increased in line with the current penalty settings.

A digger penalty may also be applied for any breach of our terms and conditions.

The club administrators decision regarding any penalties awarded is final.

Social Media and/or Our Website:

T.S.S.M.D.C. may be present on various social media platforms and of course our website. All members when posting to any of the aforementioned platforms must be respectful. We will not accept any insulting posts, personal attacks or any invective language (including within any part of your club tag name.)

Submission of Content:

We reserve the right to republish any material contributed by our members or former members that we may have on our website or via any of our social media platforms that we may operate. By supplying content by whatever means, you expressly grant the right to us to republish said content or include it as part of our edited compilations or otherwise.

All of the text and graphics on our site is the property of T.S.S.M.D.C. and is protected under copyright law. None of the material may be reproduced without our written permission, with the exception of downloading or printing a single copy for yourself for offline viewing.

Landowners:

We have agreements in place with the landowners of the dig sites and you must not approach or contact any landowner without the permission of T.S.S.M.D.C. You may only detect on our dig sites on scheduled digs only and not at any other time. Landowners may terminate a scheduled dig day at any time during the event and refunds will not be made.

Disclaimer:

We cannot guarantee that members will find any items on any dig, however we do our best in providing a service in attempting to find good sites that may have a long and relevant history for the purposes of metal detecting. We provide a professional event service and if a member who has paid for and received that service demands a refund we will not entertain this claim as in accordance with the accepted practices of all professional events organisations where a service has already been provided. This also includes elements which are out of scope of control. We cannot accept any liability for misinformation provided by any third parties in relation to our digs. We do not accept any liability for any damage caused to personal belongings brought to the dig site by either members or guests.

We have made every reasonable effort to ensure that the content on the website is up to date and accurate. It is provided on the understanding that we shall not be liable under any circumstances for any consequential loss or damages (including without limitation, loss of contract, loss of use, loss of profit or other economic loss and whether caused by the negligence of ourselves, our employees, our agents or otherwise) which arises out of or in connection with the content on the website.

The website may at times include links to third party websites which are controlled and maintained by other organisations or individuals. These links are included solely for your reference and do not constitute any endorsement by us of the websites linked or referred to, nor do we have any control over the content of any such websites.

There is no guarantee that the website, or any third-party websites linked or referred to, will be free from infection by viruses, or anything else that may be deemed harmful or destructive.

We make no guarantees as to the accessibility and availability of the website. Reasons for inaccessibility may include without limitation, acts of God or other force majeure events, technical equipment failure or lack of any applicable information or resources.

These terms and conditions, and any terms and conditions relating to products or services described within the content of the site shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Disputes arising in relation to the same shall, unless otherwise expressly agreed, be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

Changes to our Terms and Conditions:

We reserve the right to modify these terms and conditions at any time without prior notice. It is the members responsibility to ensure that they are fully aware of our current terms and conditions as detailed on this web page. If we make any substantive changes to these terms and conditions, we’ll inform all current members by email.

Updated 30/07/2024