Terms of Service

Last updated: 9 September 2026

These terms cover your use of Early Signal Research. By generating a study plan or placing an order, you agree to them. Please read them alongside our Privacy Policy.

1. Who we are

Early Signal Research (“we”, “us”, “our”) is a consumer-research service operated by a sole trader based in the United Kingdom. You can contact us at info@earlysignalresearch.com. “You” means the person or business using the service.

2. What we do

We test creative work (ads, packaging, or concepts) with real UK consumers and give you a readout on what performs best and why. In a typical study you upload up to four creatives; we show each to a sample of real UK consumers recruited through Prolific (around 50 people per creative), ask a consistent set of questions, and deliver a written readout after you approve the study. We currently field with UK consumers only.

The service is actively evolving. Some steps may be carried out manually as we grow, and we may improve or change how the service works over time.

3. The nature of the results

Our readouts are directional research based on a sample of real people’s opinions at a point in time. They are intended to help you make better-informed decisions — they are not a guarantee of sales, performance, or any particular business outcome, and they are not professional, legal, or financial advice. Any decision you make based on a study is your own. You are responsible for how you use the findings.

4. Your creatives and your responsibilities

When you upload creatives and place an order, you confirm that:

• you own the creatives, or have the right to submit them for testing;
• the creatives and any information you provide do not infringe anyone else’s rights, break the law, or contain content that is unlawful, misleading in a way that breaches consumer law, defamatory, or otherwise harmful;
• the information you give us (such as your target audience and email) is accurate.

You are responsible for the content you submit. We may decline or stop a study if we reasonably believe it breaches these terms.

5. Price and payment

The price for each study is quoted in your plan before you pay, and covers up to four creatives, each tested with around 50 UK consumers. Payment is taken upfront, securely through Stripe, before we field your study. Nothing is run and no consumers are recruited until you have approved your plan and paid.

6. Our refund guarantee

We want you to be happy with your readout. If you are not satisfied with it, email us at info@earlysignalresearch.com within 14 days of receiving your readout and we will refund your payment in full. This guarantee is our way of standing behind the work; it does not affect any statutory rights you may have.

7. Intellectual property

You keep all rights in the creatives you upload. Once you have paid, the readout we produce for you is yours to use for your own business purposes, including sharing it internally and with your own advisers or partners.

We keep ownership of our own methods, questionnaires, templates, and software. We may use anonymised and aggregated learnings (that do not identify you or your creatives) to improve the service. We will not publicly name you as a client, or use your creatives or results in our own marketing, without your permission.

8. Confidentiality

We treat the creatives and results of your study as confidential and will not share them with anyone outside the providers needed to run your study (see our Privacy Policy), except where required by law.

9. Availability

We aim to keep the service running smoothly but do not guarantee it will always be available or uninterrupted. We may occasionally need to suspend it for maintenance or reasons beyond our control.

10. Our liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, our total liability to you in connection with a study is limited to the amount you paid us for that study. We are not liable for indirect or consequential losses, loss of profit, or business decisions you make based on a readout. Nothing in these terms limits or excludes any liability that cannot be limited or excluded by law (including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for fraud).

11. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction over any dispute, subject to any mandatory rights you have as a consumer.

12. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. The version in force is the one published here when you place your order, and we will update the “last updated” date above when we make changes.

13. Contact us

Questions about these terms? Email info@earlysignalresearch.com.