General terms and conditions of booking and sale
General terms and conditions of booking and sale
These terms and conditions of booking and sale govern the relationship between Ciarus and its customers. Ciarus is a non-profit association having its registered office at 7 Rue Finkmatt, Strasbourg, France. Furthermore, any person wishing to book a stay, room, meal or other service must agree to be bound by these general terms and conditions. The Customer shall be deemed to have accepted these general terms and conditions upon payment of the first deposit.
Article 1 : Scope
A copy of these general terms and conditions of booking and sale (the “T&Cs”) shall be sent to the Customer along with the contract, such that the Customer is able to place his/her booking. Upon placement of a booking, the Customer shall be deemed to have accepted these T&Cs in their entirety, without reservation, and to the exclusion of any other document, prospectus, advert, etc. All prices and rates are quoted in euros, including all taxes. The rates shall apply to all members of the group, including guides. In the event of a discrepancy between the provisions of the quote signed by the Customer and the provisions of these T&Cs, the provisions of these T&Cs shall prevail.
Article 2 : Price guarantee
The rates for all services available at Ciarus shall be submitted to the Customer along with the contract at the very latest. The rates confirmed in the contract shall apply throughout the current period, up to and including the option date set out in the contract. Beyond this date, the rates may be amended. The applicable rates shall be those in force on the date on which the new booking option is taken.
Article 3 : Booking terms and conditions
All booking requests must be confirmed in writing. A booking file shall be established and a contract produced upon receipt of such confirmation, along with a request for deposit equal to 50% of the total estimated amount and a deadline for payment of such deposit. The Customer shall confirm its booking prior to the option date and return a signed, dated and completed copy of the contract to Ciarus, featuring the Customer’s stamp preceded by the word “Approved”, along with a signed copy of the T&Cs with its initials on each page.
Article 4 : Deposit
A deposit of 50% of the total cost of all services booked shall be required, except where stated otherwise in the contract. Failure to pay this deposit by the option date indicated in the contract shall result in cancellation of the booking.
Article 5 : Confirmed booking
A booking shall only be considered confirmed upon receipt of the signed, dated and completed contract, featuring the word “Approved”, along with the requested deposit.
Article 6 : Service amendment
Where the Customer wishes to amend the services booked, he/she must submit a written authorisation request to such effect, to Ciarus.
Article 7 : Partial cancellation
Where the Customer cancels one or more of the services selected at the point of booking, such action shall be considered partial cancellation of the booking; the provisions of article 9 of these T&Cs shall apply in such an event.
Article 8 : Change of group size
Stays: if the Customer wishes to amend the size of the group, it shall confirm such change in writing, to Ciarus, no later than 30 calendar days prior to the scheduled service date. The confirmed group size shall be used for billing purposes in relation to all booked services. A charge based on the applicable rates shall apply per person and per day in accordance with the provisions of article 9 of these T&Cs. Where notice is given less than 10 calendar days prior to the scheduled date, the entire service shall be billable on the basis of the confirmed group size. Room bookings & seminar services: the Customer shall notify Ciarus in writing of the exact number of event participants no later than 10 calendar days prior to the start date. The confirmed group size shall be used for billing purposes in relation to the booked services. In any event, where the number of participants is less than the number stated in the contract, the Customer may be allocated an alternative space for internal management purposes. Where the number of participants exceeds the number stated in the contract, provision of the necessary space shall only be confirmed upon receipt of an additional deposit to account for the increased price in relation to the initial booking, subject to availability. Meals: The Customer shall notify Ciarus in writing of the exact number of event participants no later than 10 calendar days prior to the start date. All services ordered for the first day of the event shall be billed in full, in accordance with the booking. For the following days, a charge based on the applicable rates shall apply per person and per meal ordered in accordance with the provisions of article 9 of these T&Cs. The Customer shall confirm the chosen package (menu, buffet, drinks reception) no later than 15 calendar days prior to arrival. Beyond this deadline, Ciarus reserves the right to apply its own choice, subject to the category selected by the Customer. A discount may be applied in the event that the number of diners is less than initially confirmed. Where the number of participants exceeds the number stated in the contract, provision of the necessary meals shall only be confirmed upon receipt of an additional deposit to account for the increased price in relation to the initial booking. Tourist services: where the Customer wishes to amend the size of the group, it shall confirm such change in writing to Ciarus, no later than 10 calendar days prior to the scheduled service date. Beyond this date, the entire service shall be billable on the basis of the confirmed group size.
Article 9 : Cancellation of the services by the Buyer
The following percentages shall be retained by Ciarus and charged to the deposit paid if services are cancelled more than 90 calendar days before the scheduled date of the service, 20% of the booked services shall be billed.. - Where the cancellation occurs between 89 days and 30 calendar days prior to the scheduled service date, Ciarus shall charge 70% of the total cost of the services booked. - Where the cancellation occurs between 29 days and 10 calendar days prior to the scheduled service date, Ciarus shall charge 95% of the total cost of the services booked.. - Where the cancellation occurs less than 10 calendar days prior to the scheduled service date, Ciarus shall charge 100% of the total cost of the services booked.
Article 10 : Accommodation – room allocation
Accommodation shall be allocated, wherever possible, at Ciarus, 7 Rue Finkmatt, Strasbourg, France (except where stated otherwise in special terms and conditions, as set out in article 13). Each room shall contain 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 beds. The rooms shall feature the following facilities: bedding and towels provided, beds made on arrival, room cleaned daily, washbasin, shower and toilet in each room. The room allocation list shall be sent to the Customer the day prior to arrival. Ciarus cannot guarantee that all members of a group will be allocated rooms on the same floor. The Customer shall provide a list with the names of participants at the time of the payment in full of the service, that is 10 calendar days before arrival.
Article 11 : Keys and damage
Guests shall be charged for any lost keys or damage occurring during their stay.
Article 12 : French Data Protection Act
Pursuant to French Act no. 78-17 (the “Data Protection Act”), customers are hereby duly notified that their personal data shall be processed in connection with an order. In accordance with the law, customers have the right to access and amend their personal data. In order to exercise this right, they should contact Ciarus, 7 rue Finkmatt, 67000, Strasbourg, France.
Article 13 : Forced relocation
In the event of a case of force majeure or other exceptional circumstances, Ciarus reserves the right to arrange for a group, or certain members of a group, to be accommodated in another establishment offering at least the same services, and without any amendment to the rate charged.
Article 14 : Food and drink
Drinks and food may not be brought into Ciarus; the consumption of alcohol is governed by the laws of France.
Article 15 : Late arrival
In the event of late arrival, the Customer shall be required to pay for all services booked but not used as a result of such delay. Personnel costs shall be charged per additional hour, and per member of staff on duty, at the applicable rates; the Customer duly acknowledges having received information concerning such rates.
Article 16 : Room hire
Rooms may be booked for private meetings only. Public meetings arranged via public advertising (posters or press) are strictly prohibited, except with the prior, written consent of Ciarus or subject to a partnership agreement. Ciarus reserves the right to modify a room booking by providing an equivalent room or cancel a booking if the event is liable to be harmful to the safety of property and people; the Customer shall not be entitled to compensation in such a circumstance. The Customer shall refrain from inviting any person to a meeting whose behaviour may bring Ciarus into disrepute; Ciarus reserves the right to intervene in such cases where necessary. Under no circumstances may the Customer bring his/her own food or drinks into the meeting room. The Customer shall ensure that the participants comply with all instructions and rules issued by Ciarus.
The Customer shall ensure that the participants do not act in a manner that disrupts the operations of Ciarus or threatens the safety of Ciarus or any other person located on the premises. For paid-entry events, the Customer shall formally absolve Ciarus of any liability in connection therewith; such declaration shall be submitted in writing, to Ciarus, along with the approved contract and deposit. In such an event, the entry fees shall be collected from the participants within the hired premises. Under no circumstances shall Ciarus’ personnel be involved in the collection of such fees.
The Customer shall notify Ciarus in advance if a photographer will be present at the event; the Customer shall be personally responsible for securing the necessary authorisations in connection therewith. The Customer shall also be responsible for submitting all relevant declarations and paying all applicable royalties, in particular to SACEM, in connection with the performance of musical works, and more generally with any entertainment provided within the premises (live performances, recorded performances, etc.). The Customer shall provide Ciarus with evidence that it has submitted the necessary declaration to SACEM prior to the event. Where the premises will be used to sell or take orders for goods, following prior advertising, the Customer undertakes to provide Ciarus with a written copy of the statutory local authority authorisation at least two weeks prior to the event. Where the Customer fails to secure the necessary written authorisation, the cancellation terms and conditions set out in article 9 shall apply. Except in the event of burglary, Ciarus may not be held liable for the theft of, or damage to equipment placed in the rented room by the organiser.
Article 17 : Billing and payment
Payment deadline: The initial deposit shall be deducted from the final invoice (balance), subject to the application of any cancellation penalties. Unless otherwise provided in the agreement, invoices for the balance shall be payable no later than 10 calendar days before the start of the service. Ciarus shall not pay any currency conversion or transfer charges. In the event of a dispute concerning any part of the invoice, the Customer shall pay the non-contested parts without delay and shall notify Ciarus of the reason for such dispute in writing. No interest shall be payable on any amount paid in advance, and no discount shall be offered for early settlement. Individual payments: Any extras (telephone use, photocopies, etc.) and other services consumed on an individual basis by the participants shall be paid for directly, by the participants concerned, at the Ciarus reception prior to departure. Where one or more participant(s) fail(s) to pay for any additional services consumed outside the scope of contract, the invoice shall be sent to the Customer, and shall be payable no later than two weeks from the invoice date. Non-payment: Any failure to comply with the terms of payment shall entail the cancellation of the agreement by the Customer and the application of the provisions of article 9 of the T&Cs; the Customer may not claim any compensation as a result. Any failure to make a payment within the agreed time shall result in the application of penalty for late payment equivalent to 1.5 times the statutory interest rate per month’s delay.
Article 18 : Force majeure
In the event of a case of force majeure (fire, water damage), Ciarus shall inform the Customer, by registered post, that the stay has been cancelled and shall refund the initial deposit.
Article 19 : Assignment
The Customer may assign the contract to any assignee that meets the same conditions as the Customer; the Customer shall notify Ciarus thereof by recorded delivery no later than 10 calendar days prior to the start of the stay.
Article 20 : Complaints – disputes
Ciarus shall only accept complaints notified to Ciarus in writing, no later than 8 calendar days following the end of the event; such complaints shall be submitted by recorded delivery with acknowledgement of receipt. The agreement shall be governed by the laws of France.
Article 21 : Insurance
Ciarus is covered by a comprehensive insurance policy (AGF Allianz, ref. 36626819) and a civil liability policy AGF Allianz, ref. 44056416). Under no circumstances may Ciarus be held liable for the theft of, or damage to residents’ luggage and equipment, or for damage caused by customers. Members may take out additional insurance at their own cost to cover specific risks, particularly that of cancellation.
Article 22 : Court of competent jurisdiction
All disputes arising in connection with the performance of this contract shall fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Strasbourg.
T&Cs-11-2015
Monday to Sunday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
7 rue Finkmatt, 67000 Strasbourg, France
