General Terms and Conditions

General terms and conditions of use of the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) for events and goods

1. Scope

These general terms and conditions of use for taking part in events and ordering goods govern the legal relationship between the customer and the organiser/vendor (Eawag), and form a constituent part of Eawag’s confirmation of booking. These general terms and conditions apply to every contract concluded for events, ordering goods and at the on-line shop. At the Eawag on-line shop the customer declares his agreement to the general terms and conditions by checking the box marked “I have read and accepted the general terms and conditions”.

I. Events

I. 1. Conclusion of the contract, additional participants and payment

I. 1.1. Registration by telephone, in writing (also on line) or in person is binding upon the customer. The contract between the customer and the organiser is concluded when registration is accepted unconditionally. If the customer makes a reservation for additional participants, he assumes both his own and their contractual obligations (particularly in respect of payment of the purchase price).

I. 1.2. The services are defined in the specification in the leaflet or on the website. Special requests will only constitute part of the contract if they are confirmed unconditionally in writing by the booking agency.

I. 1.3. In the on-line-shop the total is payable by credit card on booking, for all other booking forms 30 days after receiving the invoice.

I. 2. Cancellation of bookings for events

The following refunds will be made on cancellation of attendance:

• 4 - 7 days before the event: 100% of the price paid less CHF 20.00 handling fee per booking
  
• Up to 3 days before the event: 50% of the price paid less CHF 20.00 handling fee per booking
  
• Less than 3 days before the event: No refund
• No show: No refund
• Accident/illness: The full price paid will be refunded on production of a medical certificate, less CHF 20.00 handling fee.
  

The receipt of written notification by the organiser/vendor is crucial to calculation of the deadlines, counting from the next working day if notification is received at a weekend or on a public holiday.

I. 3. Prices

All prices include VAT at the statutory rate. The right to revise the quoted prices is reserved. The price in each individual case is binding.

I. 4. Changes to programmes and prices

I. 4.1 The organiser expressly reserves the right to revise details in leaflets, specifications and published prices before an event. Should this be the case, the customer will be informed of the changes before the contract is concluded.

I. 4.2 Programme changes after booking but prior to commencement of the event:

The organiser reserves the right to change the programme of the event or individual agreed services, also in the interests of the customer, if force majeure or an occurrence which could not be foreseen or avoided despite due care make this necessary. The organiser will endeavour to provide equivalent services. The customer will be informed of such changes as quickly as possible.

I. 4.3 Rights of the customer in the case of changes to the programme after conclusion of the contract:

If the amendment to the programme or individually-agreed services entails a major change, the customer will have the following rights: a) Acceptance of the change to the contract b) The customer may cancel the contract in writing within five days of receipt of notification and will receive an immediate refund of the price already paid.

I. 5. Cancellation of the event

I. 5.1 Number of participants:

A minimum number of participants is required for an event. The organiser reserves the right to cancel the event no later than three days in advance if the minimum number of participants is not reached.

I. 5.2 Compelling reasons:

If compelling reasons, such as force majeure, natural disasters, civil commotion, strikes, governmental measures, epidemics, etc. make the safe conduct of the event difficult or impossible, the organiser will inform the customer of its cancellation as quickly as possible.

I. 5.3 Alternative event

In both cases, the organiser will endeavour to offer the customer an equivalent alternative event. Should the customer not attend it, amounts already paid will be refunded immediately. Further claims are precluded.

I. 6. Liability and insurance

Eawag will not assume any liability for any material damage or bodily harm whatsoever, during or after the event. The customer bears personal responsibility for concluding sufficient property, health and accident insurance.

I. 7. Complaints

I. 7.1 Should the event not correspond to the contractual agreement or should the customer incur a loss, the latter will be obliged to notify the booking agency of such a shortcoming or loss in writing.

I. 7.2: Should the customer wish to assert claims against the organiser for shortcomings, refunds or compensation, he must do so in writing within thirty days of the actual end of the event. Any evidence must be enclosed with the complaint. Any claim will be time-barred once 30 days have elapsed since the actual end of the event.

I. 8. Data protection

Data disclosed by the customer will only be processed in connection with the conclusion and implementation of the contract. Data may be disclosed to service providers insofar as this may be necessary for the fulfilment of the contract. By registering for an event, the customer is declaring its consent to being informed about the organiser’s future events, until consent is withdrawn in writing.

II. Goods (books)

II. 1. Conclusion of the contract, payment

II. 1.1. A telephone, written (including on-line) or personal order is binding upon the customer.

II. 1.2. The entire amount is payable by credit card on purchase.

II. 2. Reservation of title/guarantee

The vendor retains title to the goods until full payment has been made.

II. 3. Exchange/guarantee

Exchange is generally only possible in the case of wrong deliveries or production errors. A copy of the consignment note or invoice must be enclosed with the delivery, otherwise handling will not be possible. Liability is restricted to replacement delivery.

II. 4. Refusal of acceptance

In a case of refusal of acceptance of the goods supplied by the vendor, the latter will be entitled to invoice the costs incurred. The right to fulfilment of the purchase agreement remains unaffected.

II. 5. Data protection

The vendor will only process data acquired from the customer in connection with the conclusion and implementation of the contract. The vendor may use this data for its own advertising and marketing purposes until consent is withdrawn in writing by the customer.

When an order is received, data, e.g. order or customer numbers, will be transferred to the vendor’s server. To prevent disclosure of the data to unauthorized parties, the vendor will encrypt it using the SSL (secure socket layers) security system. All conventional browsers support SSL.

III. 1. Applicable law and court of jurisdiction

Swiss law will apply exclusively to the legal relationships. The court of jurisdiction is Zürich. The organiser is entitled to instigate proceedings against the customer at the court with jurisdiction at the latter’s domicile.

III. 2. Impressum

The supplier of and contracting party for the goods and services offered on these web pages is:

Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag)

Überlandstrasse 133 / Postfach 611
CH-8600 Dübendorf / Switzerland
Tel +41 (0)58 765 55 11
Fax +41 (0)58 765 50 28
E-mail info@eawag.ch