1. Scope
The following terms and conditions shall be the basis of the contracts signed for all courses offered by LanguageMasters GmbH on the website www.languagemasters.ch. Valid from 23 May 2017.
2. Course registration / Contract conclusion
The course registration in each case is in writing. Confirmation by email or by phone is considered legally valid. The course fee is payable before the beginning of the course or in agreed monthly instalments. The payment method is determined by the customer upon receipt of the invoice: online transfer or payment by credit card (with additional fee). In the event of non-attendance or discontinuation with the course, no refund will be given.
2.1 Terms of payment – Payment by instalments
LanguageMasters GmbH offers an instalment plan. In the case of agreed instalment payments, the first instalment is due 10 days before the start of the course. The remaining instalments are to be paid according to the instalment plan, as a rule the additional instalments are every 30 days. The non-payment of the course fee shall not be deemed a cancellation of the contract. A surcharge of CHF 20 is applied per instalment.
2.2 Terms of payment – Default / Overdue fees
In principle, payment is due within 10 days of the date of the invoice. If no payment is made by the due date, you will receive a free payment reminder. If the customer fails to comply with this payment reminder, LanguageMasters GmbH reserves the right to levy reminder fees of CHF 20 for each of the first and second reminders.
If payment is still not made, steps will be taken to initiate debt collection proceedings.
3. Course organisation and implementation
Group courses take place at our premises unless otherwise agreed. In order to conduct courses under optimal conditions, the minimum number of participants is set to three and a maximum of six participants per course are allowed. In the case of special workshops, the number of participants can vary. If the minimum number of participants is not achieved, the course will be cancelled. A continuation with the next level is only possible with the consent of the course participants with an increase in the course fee or adjustment / reduction of the number of lessons. We reserve the right to make changes to the course or to supply a substitute teacher, to postpone, to combine or divide classes. Courses from pre-booking budgets need to be organised within 3 months after the booking. Organisation of a group course takes between 3-6 weeks, for a private class between 1-2 weeks.
3.1 Lesson duration
One LanguageMasters lesson lasts 60 minutes.
3.2 Commencing after the start of a course
Admission to our courses is possible at any time by agreement when there are free places and appropriate prior knowledge. The course price will be charged from the date of entry.
3.3 Course cancellation
Cancellations up to 2 weeks before the start of the course are free of charge but must be in writing. Cancellations up to 1 week before the start of the course will be charged 50% of the course fee and for less than 1 week, 70% of the course fee plus CHF 100 admin fee. After the start of a course, a refund of the course fee will not be provided. Any pre-booking budgets will not be refunded and need to be used according to the separate pre-booking T&Cs (sent with the initial contract & invoice).
In justified exceptional cases (such as a serious illness), a credit may be given at the discretion of the school management. This credit is valid for four months, after which it will expire. This also applies to group lessons with childcare. Other fees: VISA registration, cancellation, processing fee is CHF 100.
3.4 Cancellation / Postponement
Group courses:
Group courses cannot be rescheduled. If a lesson does not take place during the holidays marked out by LanguageMasters, the lesson is cancelled and the duration of the course is extended. Missed lessons due to illness or holidays cannot be retaken and there is no entitlement to a reimbursement of the course fees.
Private lessons:
Booked private lessons are to be cancelled 12hrs in advance (but before 19:00 the night before) in writing and postponed to a future date. Cancellations made after 12 hours are charged in full. In the event of illness of the teacher, the course may be cancelled and held at a later date or a substitute may be organised. Paid but unused lessons will not be refunded or compensated.
3.5 LanguageMasters right to cancel
LanguageMasters reserves the right, in the interest of the well-being of the company and its existing clientele, to terminate the contract with the customer in the event of a violation of LanguageMasters values (e.g., any kind of discrimination, racism, aggressive behaviour, etc.) or to find a satisfactory solution.
4. Course confirmation / Certificate
After attending at least 80% of the course, we will gladly provide you with a course confirmation. At your request, you can take an internal exam according to the Gemeinsamen Europäischen Referenzrahmen (GER) at LanguageMasters and obtain a certificate. The internal examination fee is CHF 100. You also have the opportunity to complete the internationally recognised telc exams (German A1-C2) at LanguageMasters.
5. Administration fees
Any changes in the contract or invoice after accepting the offer & booking docs, any extra confirmations for payments or tax, will be charged separately according to the settled fees (please ask the admin staff for more details).
6. Copyright
The course materials (copies, books, handouts) provided to the course participants by LanguageMasters are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced or distributed. Violations of copyright can be prosecuted.
7. Changes
We reserve the right to change our prices, course offers (services), and T&Cs at any time.
8. Data Protection
The protection of your personal data and your privacy is very important to us. For this reason, we will strictly adhere to the legal requirements and data protection laws.
9. Limitation of liability
LanguageMasters GmbH does not accept responsibility for any loss, theft or damage to personal property. Customers are advised to take out the appropriate insurance as required.
10. Jurisdiction and applicable law
These terms and conditions are governed by Swiss law and shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Swiss courts. Place of jurisdiction is Zurich, Switzerland.
June 2023