General conditions for language courses in Heidelberg

General conditions of contract

1. Jurisdiction
The following general terms of contract apply for course participants of language courses and additional services provided by F+U Rhein-Main-Neckar gGmbH (hereafter “F+U”). Any arrangements differing from these contract terms require written conformation from F+U in order that they become valid. These conditions may be waived only through written notification.

2. Conclusion of contract
The contract is concluded as soon as enrolment in a course is confirmed by F+U. German law applies.

3. Contractual obligations
a) Only the descriptions and pricelists in the German and English lan-guage versions are considered authoritative for the purpose of con-tractual obligations. All other translations serve the purpose of im-proved orientation only.
b) All F+U language courses may also be attended as preparation for a recognised language diploma.
c) Lessons are cancelled on public holidays: To compensate, additional lessons can be taken in another course type (with the exception of individual training). The missed course days can also be added as an extension to the booked course.

4.Terms of payment
a) At the time of registration, only the pricelist in the German and English versions are valid.
b) After receipt of the invoice, fees for the contractually agreed services are payable no later than two weeks prior to the course commence-ment date. All bank charges are payable by the course participant. If registration is less than two weeks before course commencement, fees are payable in full upon receipt of the invoice.
c) For courses of more than three months’ duration, payment in instal-ments can be arranged. All instalments must be paid before course completion or the end of the rental contract respectively.
d) The fees and their payment date are independent from the services of third parties.
e) For delayed payment, an administration fee of 5 € is incurred for each reminder.
f) The invoice value can be paid in cash, by EC-card or bank transfer, or also by credit card (Visa, Mastercard).
Transfers are to be made to the following account (only after invoice has been issued):
F+U Gemeinnützige Bildungseinrichtung gGmbH
Commerzbank AG; Account number: 4 844 166 07; BLZ: 672 800 51
SWIFT-BIC: DRES DE FF 672; IBAN DE17 6728 0051 0484 4166 07

5. Cancellation of contract; notice given by the course participant; cancellation charges
a) Cancellation of contract on the part of the participant is to be made by submitting an appropriate statement to F+U. The date on which the notice is received by F+U will be considered to be the date of cancella-tion. Notice of the cancellation of contract must be given in writing.
b) It is possible for the participant to cancel F+U courses booked and any directly related services without a cancellation charge at least two weeks prior to course commencement, after which the following can-cellation fees are incurred:
a. At least one week before the course start: 20 €.
b. By Friday, 12:00, before the course start: 50 €.
c. After this time but still before the course start: 120 €.
c) For cancellation terms for accommodation rented from or through F+U, please see point 6.
d) Once the course has begun, cancellation of the course and directly related services is possible only in legally designated cases. This does not affect the right of cancellation in extenuating circumstances.
e) If you do not start the course, F+U must nonetheless charge the participant the full fee, even though the course has not been attended. Therefore, it is in your own interest to please pay attention to our conditions of cancellation!
f) For cancellation terms for accommodation rented from or through F+U, please see point 6.
g) The cancellation fee conditions do not influence the possibility of the participant to prove that F+U was either not adversely affected, or only to a considerably lesser degree.
h) For lessons not taken, F+U issues the participant with a credit voucher which entitles the holder to participation in another F+U language course, subject to restrictions. This credit is transferable, however may not be sold to other F+U course participants.

6. Rental conditions and cancellation charges
a) The conditions in point six are supplementary to points one to five.
b) If the accommodation booking forms part of the contractually agreed services, the respective house rules for this accommodation form a component of the contract. In this case, the participant will be pro-vided with the house rules (in the English language if requested) prior to moving into the accommodation. (In the case of host families, the family rules apply; for accommodation providers, that is youth hos-tels, hotels and guest houses, their general terms and conditions ap-ply.)
c) In case of late payment, the participant has no right to a room reser-vation.
d) The participant must compensate for any damage she or he causes. If a participant is responsible for damage which is absorbed by F+U, then F+U has the right to reimbursement.
e) If the participant is unable to adhere to the stated arrival date, he/she is to inform F+U without delay. For arrivals later than 24.00, there is no right to a room for the first night.
f) Cancellation of accommodation is possible until two weeks prior to the moving in date without cancellation charges. Otherwise, the following cancellation charges are incurred (plus cancellation charges for the course):
a. One week before the moving in date: 50 €.
b. By Thursday 18:00 prior to the moving in date: 100 €.
c. Later than this but prior to the moving in date: one week’s rent plus the administration fee.
d. Later than the agreed moving in date: two “full” weeks’ rent plus the administration fee.
g) These rules also apply in case of non-occupation of reserved accom-modation: In your own interest, inform us promptly if you do not re-quire the accommodation.
h) The cancellation fee conditions do not influence the possibility of the participant to prove that F+U was either not adversely affected, or only to a considerably lesser degree.

7. Obligations of the participant, withdrawal from contract and notice on the part of F+U.
a) The participant is obliged to observe the house rules in the school and accommodation respectively. In particular, lessons must not be dis-turbed and equipment in the school and accommodation is to be treated carefully; furthermore, the night-time quiet period between 10pm and 6am is to be observed in the halls of residence.
b) F+U reserves the right to invoke its right to compensation for damages in the case of violation of the obligations stated in 7(a), also when, in the case of accommodation, the value exceeds that of the deposit paid by the participant.
c) In the case of a participant violating the obligations stated in 7(a), whether through intent or gross negligence, F+U reserves the right to exclude the participant from the course or cancel accommodation with-out notice.
d) F+U also reserves the right of unilateral cancellation if the participant does not make punctual payment of course fees or rent, following a reminder notice.
e) In such cases, all invoices are payable immediately. There will be no refund of amounts already paid prior to the notice brought about by the participant.
f) Within the scope of its legal obligations, F+U is not liable for damage to the participant’s person or property, nor for any financial losses. F+U accepts no liability toward the participant for cases of force majeure or the actions of other participants.
g) F+U has concluded an accident policy for accidents which can occur within the school. F+U accepts no liability for the loss or theft of per-sonal property of individual participants; thus, it is strongly recom-mended to take out personal insurance. We also recommend taking out a private health and travel cancellation insurance policy.
h) Liability on the part of F+U is not ruled out in so far as the cause of the damage is due to intention or gross negligence by F+U, its legal repre-sentatives or assistants.

8. Specific points for visa applicants
a) Upon receipt of the application, an invoice is issued for the language course and accommodation rented through F+U. After payment is re-ceived for the course fees as well as rent, a letter of invitation is sent. Postage and bank charges are the responsibility of the applicant. For long-term courses, it is possible to enter into an instalment plan, how-ever advance payment must be made for at least three months’ course fees and one month’s rent. To assist a successful visa applica-tion, we recommend settlement of the entire invoice.
b) The following are required for the letter of invitation: course dates, the applicant’s home address, date of birth and passport number.
c) We recommend applying for a visa only if it is possible to demonstrate German language skills at least of “A1” level.
d) Applicants who, upon completion of the language course, aim to take up a place of study in Germany should apply for a visa for study pur-poses. For all other applicants, we recommend a language course visa.
e) A tourist visa (e.g. Schengen visa, type C) cannot be transferred to a residence permit for a student or language course visa of more than 90s days’ duration in Germany.
f) Short term visas (Schengen visa, type C) are issued for a maximum for three months and thus cannot be extended beyond 90 days.
g) For stays of 90 days, the embassy issues what is known as a national visa, which is a visa for stays of a longer duration (type D). As a rule, this is valid for a maximum of three months and permits entry into Germany. Immediately after entering Germany, the participant must register with the responsible foreign residents’ office in the new place of residence. There, the visa can, following further inspection, be transferred to a residence permit, on the condition that the require-ments are fulfilled.
h) In order to receive a language course or study visa, you must attend an intensive German course of at least 20 hours weekly.
i) English courses can be attended parallel to the German intensive course.
j) In case of a delay in issuing the visa, the applicant does not incur any further charges by F+U (except for DHL costs or similar).
k) In the letter of invitation, it is confirmed that the applicant is able to begin the German course at a later date in case of a delay.
l) Should the visa not be issued, the refund transfer of payment, less costs incurred, such as postage and bank charges, as well as an ad-ministration fee of 75, is guaranteed by F+U. The rejection must be documented in form of an official confirmation and the presentation of the original invitation letter.