General Terms and Conditions of SLA-Basel (valid from 1 October 2019)
By registering, you accept and agree to the following general terms and conditions of Swiss Language Academy.
1. General
Each lesson lasts 45 minutes. For didactic reasons, a Minimum of two lessons per appointment. The cost of teaching materials is not included in the course fee. These will be listed separately on the invoice.
You are not entitled to a specific type of lesson, but you are welcome to make suggestions for improvement.
2. Registration and payment terms
After you have registered for a course, you will receive a confirmation of registration from us. Registration for a private course is valid for 12 months, i.e. one year, from the date of registration. This also corresponds to the contract period. As soon as the desired language course has been organised, you will receive the course schedule and the invoice, separately, by email. The payment date stated on the invoice is binding. If you wish, you can pay the course fee in instalments. If you choose to pay in instalments, the first instalment is due at the start of the course. The remaining instalments are payable monthly in accordance with the payment date. Registration and the course schedule sent separately by email oblige you to pay the course fee. Failure to pay the course fee does not constitute cancellation. In the event of late payment, we reserve the right to charge CHF 20 for the second and third payment reminders. Registrations with the Caritas KulturLegi can only be accepted for group lessons with three or more course participants. By registering, you confirm that you have read and agree to these general terms and conditions. In all other respects, the provisions of Swiss contract law apply.
3. Materials owned by Swiss Language Academy
If Swiss Language Academy provides materials on a rental or loan basis, these remain the property of Swiss Language Academy for the entire duration of the rental period. The establishment of liens and retention rights in favour of third parties on this material is expressly prohibited. In the event of seizure, retention or attachment, you are obliged to inform Swiss Language Academy immediately and to notify the relevant debt enforcement or bankruptcy office of Swiss Language Academy's ownership. Upon termination of the service, you are obliged to return the material undamaged and within the period set by Swiss Language Academy to Swiss Language Academy. If you fail to comply with this obligation, Swiss Language Academy reserves the right to charge you for the material that has not been returned.
4. Placement test and consultation
If you have previous knowledge, please visit our front office for a placement test and a subsequent consultation. The test and consultation are free of charge and non-binding. The final course allocation will be made by our course advisors after the consultation.
5. Admission after the course has started
If there are places available, you can join a course that has already started at any time in consultation with the authorised persons. In this case, all obligations relate to the remaining duration of the course as specified in the course programme. The course price will be reduced and calculated from the date of entry.
6. Continuation of the course
Before the end of the course, you can obtain a course continuation form for the next level. Where possible, courses will continue at the same time.
7. Shorter participation period
A shorter period of participation is possible if there are free places on the course, provided that the earlier departure has already been noted in writing on the registration form when registering for this course period.
8. Cancellation or postponement of a language course before the course begins
For cancellations received by us more than 14 days before the start of the course, a processing fee of CHF 200 will be charged. Cancellations must be made in writing, either by email or letter. The date of receipt of the notification by Swiss Language Academy shall be deemed the effective date. Cancellations received less than 14 days before the start of the course are considered late and cannot be accepted. You will be required to pay the full course fee, as the course, premises and teachers have already been organised. In this regard, Swiss Language Academy expressly reserves the right to claim damages (the lost course fees) in accordance with Art. 404 para. 2 of the Swiss Code of Obligations for cancellations received less than 14 days before the start of the course.
9. Cancellation of a group course after the course has started
Group courses have a fixed duration and cannot be cancelled after the course has started. Course fees must be paid on time and there are no refunds for course fees that have already been paid. In the event of serious illness, a credit note for a later course may be issued upon presentation of a medical certificate. The credit note cannot be paid out. It is valid for one year from the date of issue. This credit note can be used to attend an identical language course at SLA Basel.
10. Interruption or termination of individual lessons after the start of the course
If a course is interrupted during individual lessons, the lessons remain valid until the end of the contract (contract length 12 months from the start of the course). During this time, the course can be continued at any time until the end of the contract. In the event of cancellation, you are obliged to pay the full course price, as our teachers are committed to providing the courses and Swiss Language Academy would otherwise suffer considerable damage.
11. Postponement of appointments and absences from private lessons
The agreed lesson times are binding. If the course participant is unable to attend the lesson as agreed, the secretariat must be notified of the cancellation by 4 p.m. the day before so that a new appointment can be arranged. The secretariat can be reached on 061 554 47 21 or at info@sla-basel.ch If absences are not reported or are reported later than 4 p.m. on the previous day, the corresponding appointment will be charged and will not be rescheduled, as the teacher has been called in and the room has been reserved. For appointments on Monday, the latest time for cancellation is therefore 4 p.m. on the previous Friday. Cancellations received after 4 p.m. in this case are considered too late.
In the event of a teacher's absence, the school management can arrange for a substitute. If this is not possible for organisational reasons, the lesson will be rescheduled. If this is also not possible, the costs for the cancelled lesson will not be charged.
12. Absences from group lessons: holidays, illness and other absences
If you are unable to attend a group lesson, you must notify the office as soon as possible by telephone or email. Missed lessons cannot be made up or refunded. This also applies in the event of illness or other reasons for absence that are beyond the school's control. The course participant will be charged the normal fee, as the teacher has been called in and the room reserved.
13. Course organisation and implementation
Group courses have a minimum and maximum number of participants. If there are insufficient participants, the course will be postponed. For organisational reasons, Swiss Language Academy may postpone or combine existing and planned courses. If the group teacher is unable to attend, the school management may change the teacher. If you overestimate your language level and register for a course, but the group teacher determines that your language level is too low or too high, Swiss Language Academy has the right to change your course in consultation with you or to exclude you from the course. If such a course change is due to careless registration on your part, you are only obliged to pay for the course you registered for.
14. Reservations
The school management reserves the right to dispose of course places that have not been paid for by the start of the course. For organisational reasons, Swiss Language Academy reserves the right to reschedule, reassign and combine classes.
15. Course confirmation / course certificate
After attending at least 80% of the lessons, we will be happy to issue you with a course certificate upon request.
16. Data protection
Swiss Language Academy takes the protection of your personal data seriously and complies with the provisions of the Data Protection Act. Your personal data will be used exclusively for internal purposes such as correspondence and information about new offers. Under no circumstances will your personal data be sold or passed on to third parties.
17. Insurance and liability
Swiss Language Academy is liable for damage caused by gross negligence or intent, fraudulently concealed defects, physical injury, and unforeseeable defects that significantly impair the economic purpose of the legal transaction in connection with courses and events organised by it. For all other damage, in particular consequential damage, any liability is hereby excluded to the extent permitted by law. Customers are therefore responsible for ensuring that they have adequate insurance cover. Any liability for theft and loss of items is hereby excluded.
18. Place of jurisdiction
Unless otherwise required by mandatory legal provisions, the exclusive place of jurisdiction shall be Basel-Stadt.
