Terms and Conditions

General Terms and Conditions for the Provision of Language Instruction to Private and Corporate Clients:

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1. Scope

The following General Terms and Conditions apply to all contracts for the provision of individual, duo, or group language instruction as well as intensive day courses for clients. They also apply to future orders. The lessons serve professional development and/or are conducted at the request of the employer.

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2. Formation of the Teaching Contract

Course bookings may be made in writing, orally, by telephone, by post, or by e-mail.

Corporate clients: The contract is concluded between the company and Sprachwerk. No direct contractual relationship exists with the individual participant unless the client and participant are the same person.

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3. Provision of Instruction

Lessons are conducted according to Sprachwerk’s method. Each lesson lasts 45 minutes. Teaching materials from telc are generally used. Lessons take place at the agreed times. Rescheduling is possible under the conditions set out in Section 5. Classes are held throughout the year, including during public school holidays.

If the client cannot attend a lesson, there is no entitlement to a replacement session. If a client is unable to attend for an extended period, they may consider nominating another person to take their place (see Section 6).

A pedagogical advisor may attend lessons but will not intervene. Instruction by a specific teacher is not guaranteed. The mention of a teacher, e.g., in programs or agreements, is therefore non-binding. We reserve the right to replace teachers.

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4. Obligations of the Client

The registration fee, course fee, and cost of learning materials must be paid at the contractually agreed time. Unless otherwise agreed, the registration fee and the cost of materials are due immediately. Course fees are payable in full upon invoicing. No discounts are granted.

In the event of late payment, default interest will be charged according to applicable legal provisions. Offsetting with counterclaims is only permitted if such claims are undisputed, legally established, or acknowledged by us. The right of retention is excluded unless the claim is based on the same contractual relationship.

Any change in personal data, especially address and contact details, must be communicated immediately. The client agrees that their data may be stored electronically for exclusive use by Sprachwerk in compliance with data protection laws.

Punctual attendance, home study, and regular active participation are essential for effective learning.

The client undertakes not to employ any of our trainers directly, bypassing Sprachwerk. This obligation remains in effect for one year after completion of the last training session. A violation will result in a contractual penalty of €1,000. Both parties may provide proof that actual damages were higher or lower; the proven amount will replace the lump sum.

Corporate clients: The registration fee, learning materials, and course fees are payable in advance for 4 weeks. Direct employment of a trainer incurs a contractual penalty of €5,000.

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5. Scheduling, Rescheduling, and Non-Attendance

We reserve the right to change the start and end dates or lesson times when necessary. For individual or group instruction, we will coordinate such changes with the client.

If rescheduled times for group courses cause difficulties for the client, this must be communicated promptly so adjustments can be made. If uncoordinated changes prevent the client from attending lessons or the entire course, the client may choose between replacement lessons (for group courses only if available), extraordinary termination, or partial refund of course fees. In cases lacking justification, an administrative fee of €200 may be charged.

These rights lapse if the client consents to the changes or fails to notify us within one week of receiving notice of schedule changes.

For individual or duo lessons, the client may cancel a scheduled session up to 2:00 p.m. on the previous working day in exceptional, justified cases.

For courses with 20 or more lessons per week, cancellations must be made at least 5 working days in advance. If cancelled on time, a replacement date will be arranged. Cancellations made later or lessons not attended without notice will be charged in full.

All scheduling, rescheduling, or cancellation agreements must be made with Sprachwerk administration or customer service. Direct arrangements with teachers are not permitted and are invalid.

 

For day classes (intensive courses):

- With 4 or fewer participants, lessons may be reduced to 2 sessions per day.

- With 5–7 participants, lessons may be reduced to 3 sessions per day.

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For evening classes (evening courses):

- With 4 or fewer participants, lessons may be reduced to 2 sessions per day.

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6. Replacement Participant

If the client can no longer attend, they may nominate a replacement participant to take over the contract. We may reject the replacement for justified reasons (e.g., doubtful creditworthiness or insufficient language level in group courses). If additional learning materials are required, they must be paid for separately. A registration fee applies for the replacement participant.

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7. Visa Courses

If you require a visa, we will issue an invitation letter for the embassy after full payment of course fees. If the visa is denied, a refund of the course fees will be granted upon submission of the rejection letter, minus a processing fee of €150.

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8. Kündigung

All contracts (except for general group courses) are concluded for a fixed term and cannot be terminated ordinarily. Termination under § 627 BGB (special personal trust) is excluded. The right to extraordinary termination for other valid reasons remains unaffected.

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For general group courses, the client registers for a fixed duration. Participants booking multi-month courses receive discounted rates due to the long-term commitment. In the event of early termination, Sprachwerk reserves the right to charge for the services already received at the regular monthly rate (without long-term discount). In unjustified cases, an administrative fee of €200 may be applied.

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9. Copyright and Usage Rights

All teaching materials are the intellectual property of Sprachwerk or their creator. Learning materials or any part thereof may not be translated, reproduced, or used for purposes other than instruction without written permission.

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10. Liability for Damages

Claims for damages of any kind against us, our legal representatives, or vicarious agents are excluded unless caused by intent, gross negligence, or breach of a material contractual obligation. Material contractual obligations are those whose fulfillment enables proper performance of the contract and on which the client may regularly rely.

In such cases, our liability is limited to the coverage amount of our professional indemnity insurance (€1,000,000). These limitations do not apply to liability under the Product Liability Act or in cases of injury to life, body, or health.

 

11. Place of Performance and Jurisdiction

The place of performance and jurisdiction, where the client is a merchant, is the registered office of Sprachwerk.​​​