GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Please read these terms & conditions carefully. Together with our Privacy policy , they guide us how we interact with each other. Please contact us if anything is not clear to you.
1. General Information
1. In respect to business relations of all types between the non-profit organization Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl and its customers, the following General Terms and Conditions hold true in their legally valid versions, respectively. Divergent conditions or general business practices of the customer have no legal validity unless a written agreement has been
negotiated elsewhere.
2. The product display in the online store does not constitute a legally binding offer but is rather a noncommittal online catalogue showing the product line. The actual goods may differ in terms of colour, decoration, measure or technical details. By clicking the ‘Send Order’ button, customers agree to buy the goods in the note list, and this order is legally binding. After the order is transmitted the customer receives an order confirmation and invoice by email.
3. By placing the order on our website, the customer agrees that we store his address and emails securely in our database.
4. Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl reserves the right to deny the promised service subsequent to determining that the goods are no longer available, both 1) after contractual settlement and 2) although a corresponding hedging transaction has been concluded. In such a case, the customer will be notified immediately. All reciprocations and considerations of any kind provided by the customer beforehand will be reimbursed without delay. It is then excluded that further legal claims be raised by the customer against Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl.
5. The contractual language is English.
6. All payments are due in Euros.
2. Delivery
1. If the customer is an entrepreneur, delivery shall generally be at the customer´s risk. This shall also apply for partial deliveries. If the customer is a consumer, the risk of accidental destruction and accidental deterioration of the purchased object shall only pass to the customer at handover of the object even if the object is shipped. The purchaser entering in acceptance default shall be equal to handover. Delivery shall be to the delivery address specified by the customer.
2. All prices are in euro. Customers with a permanent residence within the European Union have to pay the EU prices including value-added tax / sales tax (VAT). Customers with a permanent residence outside the European Union have to pay the non-EU prices without value-added tax / sales tax (VAT), if it is proven that the goods have left the area of the European Union..
3. In case the goods are shipped to a foreign country outside the European Union, the customer also bears the tariffs and fees.
4. The goods should be examined immediately after delivery by the customer or an authorized individual to detect any transportation damages. Detectible transportation damages are to be reported without delay in written form. Packaging damages are to be confirmed in written form by the transportation company upon delivery.
6. In general, any information concerning delivery dates is not legally binding, unless a definite date of delivery has been set in writing.
7. Claims for damages against Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl arising from non-fulfillment of contract or delay are excluded to the extent neither premeditation nor gross negligence can be established.
3. Rights of Refund
1. Statutory Right of Withdrawal
The customer may withdraw from the contract in writing (e.g. letter, email) within 14 days without giving any reason or – if the item has been delivered before expiry of said term – by returning the goods. The term starts with receipt of these instructions in writing, however not before delivery of the goods to the recipient (in case of recurring deliveries of the same type of goods not before receiving the first partial delivery) and not before the information duties have been fulfilled.
The withdrawal deadline is deemed to be met if the notice of withdrawal or the item was sent in a timely fashion. The notice of withdrawal has to be addressed to:
- Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl
- Petite Somme 2, 6940 Septon,
- Belgium
- Email: [email protected]
2. The Consequences of Cancellation
In case of an effective cancellation, both parties shall return the received goods, payments and all other derived benefits (e.g. interest). In case the customer is unable to return any or all of the received goods and benefits or in case he returns them in a diminished state, the customer shall compensate us for the lost value. This shall not apply to objects when the reduction of their value is caused exclusively by testing them – e.g. the way a customer in a retail store may evaluate merchandise. Incidentally, the customer is free to avoid the obligation to compensate the contractual partner for lost value due to using the object as intended by not using the object like his / her property and by refraining from all use that may result in a value loss. To the extent possible, the customer shall return objects by parcel post.
Customers with a residence outside of Belgium shall bear the costs of returning the merchandise. Customers with a residence inside of Belgium shall bear the costs of returning the merchandise provided the goods have been delivered as ordered and the price of the return merchandise does not exceed Euros 40.- or in case of merchandise valued at more than 40 Euros, when at the time of the cancellation the customer has not performed as stipulated or has not made the contractually agreed partial or full payment. In all other cases the customer may return the merchandise free of charge. The obligation to return received payments shall be fulfilled within 30 days. For the customer the grace period starts with the date the cancellation is sent or the object is returned; for the vendor, Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl, the grace period begins with the receipt of the cancellation or the returned goods.
3. Financed Business Transactions
In case the vendor finances the transaction through a loan and the customer cancels the transaction, the customer is no longer legally bound by the terms of the loan agreement, provided the two agreements constitute an economic unit. This is the assumption when we act toward the customer as the vendor and the lender or in case we assist the customer in securing the loan. If at the time of the cancellation or the return of the goods we have already become the beneficiary of a granted loan, then the lender shall step into our rights and obligations toward the customer as far as they are the result of the financed agreement.
4. Distance Selling Regulations void the right of withdrawal for deliveries of tailor made products or products which have been manufactured according to the customer’s specifications. The same applies for products which due to their nature are unsuitable for a return, such as perishable products or products where the expiry date has passed. Furthermore, Distance Selling Regulations void the right of withdrawal for deliveries of audio and video recordings, or software with a broken seal.
4. Warranties and Claims for Damages
1. Defects or other damages owing to faulty or inappropriate handling, unsuitable packaging or shipment, the use of inappropriate accessories or an alteration of the original components by the customer or by a third party not authorized by the firm Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl, are not protected by warranty.
2. Naturally occurring signs of wear are equally excluded from warranty protection.
3. Should the customer accept the goods or commissioned wares despite prior knowledge of deficiencies, warranty rights only exist to the extent described below, if the customer reserves these rights expressly and in written form directly after having received the delivery.
4. Warranty claims arising from transportation damages may only be enforced by the customer if the following formalities are in place:
5. The warranty period for new objects shall be two years. The period shall commence upon transfer of risk. The warranty period for used objects shall be one year deviatingly Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl is not liable without limitation pursuant in particular for violation of life, body and health. If the customer is an entrepreneur, the warranty period for new objects shall be one year, and for used objects six months after passing of the risk.
6. Otherwise, warranty formalities are carried out in congruence with the usual legal regulations.
7. Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl is liable only for damages arising from other causes than the detriment to life, body and health to the extent these have their basis in a premeditated act, gross negligence or the culpable violation of a fundamental contractual obligation on the part of the Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl or its legal proxies (e.g. its delivery service partners). Liability for compensation claims above and beyond this are excluded. The legal stipulations of Belgian product liability laws have no application in such cases. Should a fundamental contractual obligation indeed be violated in a negligent manner, the liability of Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl is limited to foreseeable damages alone.
5. Due Dates and Payment Conditions
1. Invoices sent by Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl – as long as no agreements of a divergent nature have been set in writing – are to be paid in full within 15 days.
2. Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl reserves the right to decline checks and other non-cash means of payment. Payments are always solely accepted on account of performance. Payments in foreign currency are credited according to our bank statement. The customer bears the banking fees.
3. Should the customer be in areas in respect to paying the designated purchase price, interest is to be paid on the sum of the purchase price at a value of five percentage points above the standard Belgian interest rate for the period of delinquency. In the event Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl is in a position to substantiate greater damages caused by delay, the firm reserves the right to raise corresponding legal claims.
6. Reservation of Ownership
1. Until all payment responsibilities have been fulfilled by the customer, including all subsidiary obligations which may have arisen, the delivered goods remain the legal property Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl. In respect to contracts negotiated with consumers Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl reserves its right of property until the full remittance of the purchase price.
2. The customer is not authorized to tender the goods to third parties until the purchase price has been paid in full, or to take any other measures which would endanger the property Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl. Already now, the customer has relinquished his / her future claims in deference to the acquiring party at the amount of the purchase price negotiated between Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl and the customer, including interest and any subsidiary demands to be brought against Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl.
7. Place of Execution and Place of Jurisdiction
1. Legal jurisdiction is exercised by the Kingdom of Belgium exclusively.
2. The place of execution for all services and products negotiated in business transactions with Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl is Brussels, i.e. to the extent the customer is a businessman or businesswoman, dealer, legal person from the public sector or special property of the public sector.
3. If the customer is a businessman, legal entity of public law or public special fund, Brussels shall be the exclusive place of jurisdiction for any disputes arising directly or indirectly from the contractual relationship with the customer or from these general terms and conditions.
8. Final Clause
Should any of these individual contractual conditions – for which reasons whatsoever – not be legally enforceable, this does not mitigate the legal validity of the remaining agreements in any way.
© Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl 2018
ATTACHMENT TO GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Recommendations for the reshipment of goods in case of cancellation, exchange or return.
1. Packaging:
Please take care to properly pack your goods to be reshipped. Particularly for fragile goods, like, e.g. musical instruments, very thorough packaging is urgently advised in order to avoid damage in transit. The packaging should be robust on the outside, absorb knocks and shocks and secure the goods inside its shipping carton. Please pack the goods for reshipping if possible using the same material and in the same way as you received them from us. Reshipment in inappropriate packaging is considered as gross negligence and leads to you being liable for possible damage in transit.
2. Bulky parcels:
Please take our advice when choosing a transport company if the goods to be reshipped exceed the permissible maximum dimensions set for standard parcels (120 x 60 x 60 cm) or the permissible maximum weight of 20 kg. We will be happy to entrust one of our logistics partners with the pick-up of the goods if we have to bear the reshipping . If you should have to bear the reshipping costs yourself, we will be pleased to recommend a logistics company to you which is particularly careful in shipping bulky and fragile goods and / or especially inexpensive.
3. Parcel delivery:
If we have to bear the return costs for the return of standard parcels (max. 120 x 60 x 60 cm, max. 20 kg), please ask us to send you a return label. In this way you help us to save unnecessary costs as compared to parcel rates for private customers or fees due for freight collect reshipments. Please refrain from freight collect reshipments. We will be happy to refund postal fees you advanced for us if we have to bear the reshipment costs (see § 3 General Terms and Conditions).
© Bhaktivedanta Library Services asbl 2018