OUR TERMS & CONDITIONS

1) Identification of parties

The present Terms & Conditions of the offered services of the URL-website www.quality-courses.com have been accepted:

On the one hand by the party of Quality Choice Worldwide S.L. (hereinafter referred to as `the Company´) with CIF B-64386378 and based in C/Girona 38, 08010 Barcelona (Spain), phone number: 0034-93.301.1599 and fax number: 0034-93.317.1254 and inscribed to the commercial register of Barcelona, volume 39123, page 0185, general section, sheet B-338803, inscription 1ª.

And on the other hand by the party “Client” or the person in whose name the reservation was made.

2) Definitions and interpretations of these conditions

The following General Terms & Conditions are based on the Spanish legislation, in concrete on the law about the rearrangement of general terms & conditions 7/1998 of April 13th, 1998 and the law 16/1984 of July 19th, 1984. Besides other legislations, these laws contain further information about the protection of consumers and users and obligate both parties to accept these legitimate regulations and to fulfill the contractual conditions.

The General Terms & Conditions can be saved and printed by our clients – which we strongly recommend. The Company also recommends all customers to store a copy of the inscription form, which they have sent to the Company in order to make a reservation for a language course, since this data is not accessible to the client at a later point of time.

Any corrections and changes of data of the customer need to be sent immediately to the following E-Mail address of the Company: rc@quality-courses.com.

3) Courses and offered service

The Company offers a range of different language courses. The language level options are divided into various language levels. The different language levels of the courses vary depending on the state of knowledge of the student - from beginner to advanced are all levels available. Upon arrival, all students (except absolute beginners) will take a written or oral test to determine at what level they should begin their studies.

The number of course lessons corresponds to the particular school's practice and one lesson may last from 40-60 minutes - the number of minutes per lesson is usually shown in our page of prices, in the section called “courses”. The exact number of hours shown in our website may be somewhat reduced due to

- The initial level test which usually takes place on the first Monday of the course (sometimes no classes are missed, often the first 2 lessons are missed, and occasionally the whole of the first Monday is missed).
- The evaluation testing during the course (often on Fridays every 2 or 4 weeks). These evaluations do not take place in every school and the time taken by the evaluations is to be time that is not dedicated to classes.

The Company does not accept any liability for lessons missed due to these reasons and no refunds will be given where lessons are missed due to testing.

The Company will not refund any monies to a client who applies for a course requiring a specific level and is then found to be unable to join the course after the initial level test. In this case, the client will be offered a suitable alternative by the school and any difference in price (if the alternative course is less expensive) will be refunded by the Company.

In the rare event that the Client is the only student of a level, and he is enrolled on a group course, the school may offer him individual tuition up to the value he has paid for group classes, rather than put him in a class at the wrong level.

In cases where there are insufficient numbers to run a group class, a reduced number of individual classes may be offered or the course may be offered at another school of similar standard.

The client must inform the school staff immediately of any situation affecting the quality of his program (including but not limited to course or accommodation). The Company reserves the right to refuse a refund if the client has declined to accept reasonable solutions offered by the school staff or the Company. Matters outside of the control of the school or the Company shall not be considered for refunds.

4) School Rules and Regulations

The Company cannot be held responsible for providing supervision of any kind either through the schools, through the host families or through any of the accommodation. Participants are expected to be courteous and respectful guests. Illegal drug use or abusive behavior at any age or alcoholic consumption by minors will not be tolerated. The Company reserves the right to refuse to serve, to cancel and/or terminate the participation for any person who fails to comply with the policies of the program provider (e.g. the school, program organizer), or for any other reason deemed necessary, in the sole discretion of the Company.

5) Under 18

Neither the Company nor the school and nor the host family will provide any kind of supervision for anyone under 18 attending an adult program. All students under the age of 18 must include a completed waiver, signed by both themselves and their parents, with their enrolment. No enrolment will be considered without a signed waiver.

6) Materials and Transfers

Course materials, examination fees, airport transfers, and the cost of activities and excursions are not included except where specifically stated.

7) Arrival and departure day

If the Client has booked an airport pick-up or if one is included in the program of his choice, the Company must receive the arrival information of the Client at least 2 weeks prior to the starting date. The Airport pick-up is only available in the airport specified by the Company in the accommodation program. Airport pick-ups will only transfer the Client from the designated airport by the school to his program accommodation. If there is no airport pick-up booked or included and if the arrival’s information are not sent, the Company cannot guarantee that the host family/landlord will be available to greet the Client upon arrival. Any additional costs (hotel, taxis, etc) incurred due to the failure of the Client to provide the Company with his arrival information at least 2 weeks in advance, are responsibility of the Client.

Where accommodation is shown for one week, this means 6 nights from Sunday to Saturday, unless otherwise indicated. However, if you spend less than 6 nights in your accommodation in any particular week, you will not receive any discount. Extra night(s) accommodation can be booked at the time of enrolment for an additional cost (subject to availability).

8) Activities and Excursions

Descriptions of activities and excursions which accompany the language courses are for guidance only, unless specifically noted in the confirmation invoice. Some activities may not run at all or may be substituted by other activities. In low season, there may be no activities organized at all. All of these data depend on the school.

9) Public Holidays

Where a course takes place during a public holiday, no lessons will take place on that day and no reduction in price will be given except where specifically stated. Individual classes are usually rescheduled (but not always) but group classes are usually forfeited. The Company recommends to consult a list of public holidays (because it is of the client's responsibility to check these since they are often subject to change).

10) Booking and Payment

Once the Client has solicited the booking of a course, the Company will send him a written confirmation of the reception of the solicitation of the aforementioned booking and make a commitment to the Client. The company promises to take steps to check the availability of the services required by the client. below.

Once the availability has been checked, the Company will address to the Client a confirmation and a solicitation for the first payment (that can comprise a partial or a full payment, depending on the case.)

No contract is made between the Company and the client and no booking is valid until the Company has issued a confirmation invoice by post, fax or e-mail. (An e-mail acknowledging receipt of an order does not constitute a confirmation invoice.) The Company will issue this confirmation invoice after it has received a completed booking form and the first payment. If the full balance of the holiday price is not paid by the due date shown on the initial confirmation, the Company reserves the right to cancel the client's booking and to impose the cancellation charges, stated below.

11) Prices and Surcharges

The charges which make up the total holiday price plus any applicable supplements and surcharges will be as stated on our website (prices in any printed brochure supplements, advertisements or other materials are for indication only). The prices are valid for holidays until further notice but are subject to change at any time (prices for an online order may also be subject to change if they are not accompanied by full payment or a deposit - once a deposit or full payment is made, the prices will not change, even if they are changed on the website). If the company of the Client requires a VAT invoice, this should be indicated at the time of booking. For guidance, the holiday price may also increase because of surcharges on the following items: governmental action and adverse currency fluctuations. Should there be a favorable currency fluctuation, the Company reserves the right to leave prices unaltered. The prices shown on our website were calculated at January 2011 on the basis of then known costs and the exchange rates at that time. So, any currency rate is a guideline only, and the amount the Client is charged can depend on the exact exchange rate at the time of payment.

12) Changes by the Company

The Company will do its utmost to provide the arrangements that have been confirmed, but reserves itself the right to modify or cancel any program if unforeseen circumstances arise (as the provider of the course, the accommodation and any other service is external).

If the Company cancels or significantly alters an essential element of the client's booking for Major Force reasons, before the given date to realize the payment, the Company shall inform the Client as soon as possible and always offer him an alternative program of similar standard as soon as it is available.

Major Force reasons imply any unexpected and violent event, unrelated to the will and control of the company, which in that case cannot foresee or avoid its consequences. This includes, for example, wars, civil conflicts, etc. If the Company is unable to offer an alternative of similar price, it will offer the nearest available alternative and will refund the difference paid by the Client.
If the Major Force reasons arise during the time of the program, the Company will try to conduct reasonable alternative plans.

13) Liability of the Company

While participating in the program the Client may be exposed to certain risks like accidents, sickness without any medical help available, forces of nature, war acts, etc. By making a contract with the Company, the Client acknowledges and assumes these risks. The client of any program of the Company refuses to make the Company or any of its employees responsible for any injury, loss, damage, accident, expense or delay caused by or related to the contracted services (means of transportation or lodging, (including host families).

The Client understands that he/she is travelling under his/her own responsibility (if the Client is underage, the parents or guardian assume this responsibility) and release the Company and its employees from any liability related to health and safety.

14) Changes by the Client

If the Client wishes to change its booking in any way after the first payment has been done, they must inform the Company immediately, in writing form, and the Company will charge 65 Euros per person for Administrative costs due to the modification, plus any additional charges imposed by schools or other suppliers.

Changes can only be performed, if notified to the Company eight (8) weeks before the course starts. In the case of a change of the course date, the new starting and ending date must be before December 31st of the same year. The change of date depends on the availability and conditions of the schools or others suppliers. Only one change is allowed.

15) Cancelation by the Client, Visa Problems and Refunds

If the Client wishes to cancel its booking, he must do it in writing form, through a signed statement and send it to the following Fax number: +34 93 317.12.54. The date the Company receives the signed statement by fax is considered as the cancellation date. In case of a cancelation on the side of the Client (regardless of the reasons), the deposit done (first or total payment) is non-refundable. In addition, the client is always held accountable and must pay one of the following cancelation fees (plus any penalty given by the school, regarding the course, accommodation, for a change of date or a cancelation) even if only the first payment has been done

• 47 days or more before the starting date = 20% of the total amount.
• between 33-46 days before the starting date = 40% of the total amount.
• between 12-32 days before the starting date = 60% of the total amount.
• between 1-11 days before the starting date = 100% of the total amount.

When a course has already started there is no refund possible for any course, accommodation or other service booked.

It is the Client’s own responsibility to have a valid passport and all the visas required to enter the country where the course will he held. It is the Client’s own responsibility to take enough time in advance to complete all the visas requirements according to the origin and destination. Only the consulate or embassy of the country being visited can advise on the requirements needed for a visa and the time frame needed to apply for it.

Please note that there may be a fee involved should the Client require an invitation letter from the school in order to apply for a visa to participate in a program of the Company. Fees vary depending on the school and the Company will notify the Client should he have to pay an additional tax requested by the school. When an invitation letter is needed, the Client should know that a minimum of four (4) weeks may pass before the reception by post of said letter. Any additional costs related to the sending of an invitation letter will be charged to the Client. The invitation letter will only be send to the Client once the Company as received the full payment of the program booked.

In the case that the Client has made a reasonable attempt to obtain a visa for the country of the program within a reasonable timescale but was unable to obtain it, the Company will return the total of the money paid for the program minus 100 Euros (per destination) as an administration fee, on getting a written confirmation from the relevant consulate detailing the visa’s rejection (only original documents will be accepted by the Company). The notification of the denied visa must be addressed to the Company in written form and sent to the following fax number: +34 933.171.254 at least six (6) weeks before the starting date of the program booked. The date of the notification will be the one when the Company receives the letter by fax. If the Company receives the notification of cancelation less than six (6) weeks before the course starts, the Client will have to pay the cancelation’s fees according to the second and third paragraph of this same 15th point of the General Terms & Conditions.

16) Early Returns

No refund will be given for course’s interruption or early returns. However, if the Client must cancel his program due to a personal emergency or other unforeseeable causes, it is asked to the Client to notify the Company in writing as soon as possible prior to his departure from the program.

17) Descriptions

The Company honestly believes that all statements made in its brochure or website are correct. It has made every effort to describe as adequately as possible the schools and environment and provide the described services. The Company cannot therefore be held responsible for any change made after the information was published in its webpage, nor can the Company be held responsible for happenings beyond its control. The Company agrees to notify the Client of any change known prior to the Client's departure.

18) Special Requirements

Any special request must be notified by the Client, to the Company in writing in the inscription form. Might that not be the case, the Company reserves itself the right to cancel the booking anytime, should the school or other supplier be incapable of offering the services needed. Furthermore, the cancellation’s fee detailed in section 15 of these General Conditions will be at the charge of the Client.

19) Insurance

Clients are not covered against accidents, illness, loss of personal belongings or any other occasional risk. It is strongly recommended to have an insurance that covers all those risks during the time of the program – this insurance can be contracted individually by the Client or through the one provided by the Company.

20) Handling of personal data

Relating to the law 15/1999 of December 13th, 1999 (Protection of Personal Data) the Company informs the Client that his personal data is to the customer database of Quality Choice Worldwide S.L. in order to process and deliver the requested and booked services, saying so, this data can be forwarded to credit institutions which cooperate with the Company to fulfill the requested services, complying with the purposes directly related to their legitimate functions and those of the transferee. Furthermore, the Company informs the Client that with the aim of giving a complete satisfaction the services he contracted (to attend a language course abroad, offers of accommodations in residences, apartments, host families, etc.), the Company will forward this data to the organizations and schools, with which it has a signed contract, based in the destination countries requested by the Client to do his language course.

Moreover, the Company informs the Client that his partners in the distinctive destination are committed to adopt the same security means concerning the treatment of personal data as Quality Choice Worldwide S.L. in Spain.

Furthermore, the Company informs the Client that the data is used for its business relations and, if he would like to, the sending of commercial mail (including electronic mail) related to services offered by the Company such as offers and promotions, if the Client agrees to this in his inscription form.

Regardless of the previously mentioned, Quality Choice Worldwide S.L. guarantees the holder of the data the exercise of rights of access, amendment, cancelation and opposition of its own data through a send written notice to the following address: C/ Girona 38, 08010 Barcelona, Spain.

In any case, the holder of the data is informed and agrees aware of the international data transfer to implement the requested and booked services, them being under the security and professional secret conditions, for the time the date are collected, processed and transferred.

21) Language of the present General Terms & Conditions

The present General Terms & Conditions are originally written in Spanish. Despite this fact, the General Terms & Conditions have been translated into the following languages: English, French, Italian and German. If there are any differences between the original version of this General Terms & Conditions and the translation, the original version, hence the Spanish, will be the only one valid.

22) Applied legislation and legal rights

In the case of disagreements about the contract, both parties will abandon their own jurisdiction be subjected to the decision of the institution TAB (“Tribunal de Arbitraje de Barcelona”), the arbitration court of Barcelona, which will be responsible for the conciliation of the dispute. The administration of the TAB will take action and will subsequently appoint an arbitrator. The arbitration procedure will be implemented in accordance with the procedures of the arbitration act 60/2003 of December 23rd, 2003.

The arbitration decision will be announced within 90 days after the appointed arbitrators take office, making mandatory for both parties to accept and abide by the decision taken. In the event the conciliation cannot be implemented by mutual agreement or is declared invalid, both parties can submit themselves, if otherwise not possible, to the Juries and Tribunals of the City of Barcelona by abandoning the valid legal rights of their home country.