SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE
The Special Terms and Conditions of Sale set out below apply to any order for one or more services sold by the Tourist Office. Acceptance by the Client of any sales contract implies full and unconditional acceptance of these Special Terms and Conditions of Sale, which may be viewed and consulted either as an annex to the contract, at the counter of the Tourist Office, or on the pages of the website www.versailles-tourisme.com.
Article 1 – General Provisions
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These Special Terms and Conditions of Sale are governed by the French Law on the development and modernisation of tourism services of 22 July 2009, as amended by the latest implementing decree No. 2017-1871 of 20 December 2017.
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The fact that the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc does not invoke, at a given moment, any of the provisions of these Special Terms and Conditions of Sale may not be interpreted as a waiver of its right to invoke such provision at a later date.
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Should any provision of these Special Terms and Conditions of Sale be declared null and void or unenforceable, such provision shall be deemed unwritten, without affecting the validity of the remaining provisions, unless the provision declared null and void or unenforceable is essential and determinant.
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The specific terms and conditions of Partners indicated in the service description and booking confirmation shall also apply to the offer and provision of services, under the same conditions as these general terms and conditions. Purchase and/or booking implies full acceptance of the Partners’ specific terms and conditions.
Article 2 – Reservation
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Any reservation implies acceptance of these Special Terms and Conditions of Sale and becomes effective upon receipt of the reservation contract signed by the Client, accompanied by a 50% deposit of the total amount of the services including taxes. If entrance fees to the Château de Versailles are included, the full amount shall be payable at the time of booking.
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Any reservation is firm and final as from its confirmation. The Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc undertakes to confirm to the Client, by email or failing that by letter, no later than before the start of the services ordered, the details of the services ordered as well as the Special Terms and Conditions of Sale, terms of modification and cancellation, the address to which claims may be made, and the conditions relating to commercial guarantees to which the Client is entitled.
Article 3 – Prices
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Prices are indicated in euros, VAT included. They are net of commission. Additional local taxes payable on site may be imposed by local authorities (tourist tax, etc.) and are payable by the Client.
Prices have been determined based on economic conditions in force at the time of issuing the quotation. Any change in these conditions (exchange rate fluctuations, VAT rate, fuel prices, etc.) may result in a price change, of which the Client will be informed immediately in accordance with legal regulations. The Client will be informed no later than 30 days before the start of the service, and the increase may not exceed 8% of the total cost. Above 8%, the Client may cancel.
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Any services not mentioned on the order form must be paid directly by the Client to the relevant service provider before the start of the service.
Article 4 – Performance of Services
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The duration of each service is as stipulated in the reservation contract. Under no circumstances shall the Client claim any right to remain on the premises beyond the service period. For the proper execution of certain services, the Client must arrive on the specified day and at the specified time or contact the service provider directly.
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Scheduled times must be respected to ensure the proper performance of the service.
In the event of delay, without any notification from the Client regarding arrival time, the reservation is guaranteed at the discretion of the service provider and subject to guide availability. In such cases, visits may be shortened or extended. A shortened visit shall not give rise to any refund to the Client. An extended visit shall be invoiced to the Client. In all cases, the guide shall not be required to wait for the group more than 30 minutes from the initially scheduled meeting time.
If the service provider cannot wait for late Clients, a penalty of 100% of the cost of the service shall be invoiced.
Certain activities offered by service providers may be cancelled, particularly for weather-related reasons or in the event of force majeure. Cancellation of any activity due to a force majeure event or due to third-party conduct shall not give rise to any compensation for the Client by the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc.
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The end times of services indicated on programmes are based on normal traffic conditions. The Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc accepts no liability for delay.
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The Client must inform the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc of the exact and final number of participants 30 days before the group’s arrival. After this deadline, the Office will not take account of any cancellations and will not be liable for any refund of overpayment.
For “Le Parcours du Roi”, “Les Sérénades” and performances in the Domaine National de Versailles, the number of participants must be provided when signing the contract and may not be modified. This number will be used for invoicing.
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The Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc recommends that each participant keep watch over personal belongings at all times and not forget anything in transport vehicles. In no event shall the Office be held liable for loss or theft of Clients’ belongings.
Article 5 – Absence of Right of Withdrawal
The legal provisions governing distance selling set out in the French Consumer Code provide that the right of withdrawal does not apply to tourism services (Article L121-20-4 of the French Consumer Code). Therefore, for any order of services made with the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc, no right of withdrawal shall be granted.
Article 6 – Payment of Services
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The Client undertakes to pay the full amount of the services ordered 30 days before the start of said services. The Client shall be deemed to have cancelled the reservation if full payment is not received 30 days before the start of said services, and the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc shall be deemed released from all commitments towards the Client or any third party.
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For any reservation made less than 30 days before the start of the service, full payment will be required at the time of booking.
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Payment may be made in cash, by cheque payable to the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc, by bank transfer or by credit card (American Express not accepted).
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The Client undertakes to pay on site, or upon receipt of invoice in the event of special agreement with the Office, any additional costs not initially provided.
Article 7 – Modifications of Services
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Any modification request by the Client must be notified in writing prior to the date of the service. The Office will then send a new contract to the Client.
On the day of the service, no modification (extension of visit duration, change of language, accompaniment to another location, etc.) will be taken into account without the consent of the Group Services and Guided Tours Department of the Office and payment of the costs incurred, prior to the start of the visit.
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If, less than 30 days before the start of the service, the Office is required to modify one or more elements of the contract, the Client may:
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Terminate the contract: The Office will refund immediately all sums paid, except entrance tickets to the Château de Versailles, accommodation, and tickets for shows in the Domaine National de Versailles including “Sérénades Royales” and “Parcours du Roi”, which are neither exchangeable, refundable nor modifiable.
Accept the modification: An addendum describing the modification(s) will be signed by the Client. If payment already made by the Client exceeds the price of the modified service, any overpayment will be refunded without penalty.
Article 8 – Cancellation of Services
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Any cancellation, total or partial, must be notified in writing (post or email) to the Group Services and Guided Tours Department of the Office. In the event of partial cancellation, the price may be adjusted upwards or downwards depending on the services affected.
In the event of total cancellation, the Office will automatically apply penalties as follows:
More than 60 days before the date of the service: refund of the deposit, except entrance fees to the Château de Versailles and tickets for shows in the Domaine National de Versailles (“Sérénades” and “Parcours du Roi”), which are non-refundable, non-cancellable, and non-modifiable.
Between 60 and 30 days before the date of the service: refund of 50% of the deposit paid, except entrance fees to the Château de Versailles and tickets for shows in the Domaine National de Versailles (“Sérénades” and “Parcours du Roi”), which are non-refundable, non-cancellable, and non-modifiable.
Less than 30 days before the service date: the full amount remains payable to the Office.
In the event of strike notice leading to closure of a site announced prior to the visit date, the Office undertakes to propose an alternative to the Client, who remains free to accept or refuse. The Office shall bear any additional costs, or refund the price difference to the Client. If the strike notice concerns the Château de Versailles, the Office cannot refund entrance fees, as they are non-refundable, non-cancellable and non-modifiable.
In the event of strike, weather conditions or force majeure known on the day of the visit leading to closure of the planned site, the Office undertakes to propose an alternative visit to the Client, who remains free to accept or refuse. The Office shall bear any additional costs, or refund the price difference. If the cancelled visit concerns the Château de Versailles, the Office cannot refund entrance fees, as they are non-refundable, non-cancellable and non-modifiable.
Penalties retained will be transferred to the respective service providers. In all cases, the Office shall retain its remuneration. Activities relating to the organisation and sale of travel or stays on a specific date or period are not subject to the 7-day withdrawal period applicable to distance selling.
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If the Office cancels the service, it must inform the Client by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt. The Client, without prejudice to any compensation claims for damages suffered, will be refunded immediately and without penalty the sums paid, plus an indemnity equal to the penalty that the Client would have incurred had cancellation occurred on his/her initiative at that date as defined in Article 7-1 of these Terms and Conditions. These provisions do not apply when an amicable agreement is reached involving acceptance by the Client of a substitute service proposed by the Office.
Article 9 – Liability
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The Office offering services to a Client is the Client’s sole contact and is responsible to the Client for executing the services ordered and obligations arising from these Terms and Conditions.
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The programmes of the Office depend on opening days and times of monuments, museums and establishments. In the event of unforeseen closure, the Office shall not be held liable for non-performance of a programme not attributable to its own actions.
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The Office cannot be held liable for total or partial non-performance of services ordered or total or partial breach of the obligations stipulated in these Terms and Conditions in the event of accident, force majeure, poor performance or faults committed by the Client, or unforeseeable, unavoidable acts of a third party unrelated to the provision of services.
Article 10 – Force Majeure
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Force majeure shall mean any event external to the parties that is both unforeseeable and irresistible, preventing the Client, travellers, the agency or service providers involved in carrying out the trip, from performing any or all obligations set out in the contract. This includes weather conditions (storms, bad weather), hydrological conditions (floods, rising water), closure of establishments.
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The occurrence of a force majeure event suspends the obligations affected and releases the party who should have performed the affected obligation from all liability. The service provider reserves the right to cancel any reservation in the event of force majeure and modify the date. If the service provider is required to cancel the service before the Client has begun the activity, a rescheduling will be offered.
Article 11 – Photographs
Descriptions and photographs of services listed by the Office, appearing on the website and our information materials, are provided for information only and are the responsibility of the service provider. Photographs displayed on the website and on our information materials are not contractual. Although every effort is made to ensure that photographs, graphic representations and texts reproduced to illustrate the services provide an accurate depiction of the services offered, variations may occur. The Client shall not be entitled to make any claim in this respect.
Article 12 – Personal Data
The Client has the right to access, modify, rectify and delete personal data concerning him/her. To exercise this right, a written request should be sent to:
Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc
1 place Maréchal Lyautey – 78000 Versailles
Email: groupes@ot-versailles.fr
Article 13 – Insurance – Guarantees
The Office has taken out:
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a civil liability insurance contract for travel organiser No. 151.418.164 with GAN, represented by the Versailles Centre Agency – 10 rue André Chénier – 78000 Versailles, established in accordance with Articles L.211-18, R.211-35 to R.211-40 of the French Tourism Code, as amended by Decree No. 2015-1111 of 2 September 2015.
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a financial guarantee with GROUPAMA ASSURANCE-CREDIT & CAUTION, 3 Place Marcel Paul – 92000 Nanterre, established in accordance with Article R.211-26 and following of the French Tourism Code, as amended by Decree No. 2015-1111 of 2 September 2015.
The Client is responsible for all damages occurring as a result of his/her actions. The Client is encouraged to take out a civil liability insurance policy for all participants receiving the service.
Article 14 – Disputes
Any claim relating to a service must be submitted to the Office within 8 days following the date of the service, by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt to:
Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc
1 place Maréchal Lyautey – 78000 Versailles
Failing this, no claim shall be accepted by the Office. In the event of a claim, the Office undertakes to use all reasonable efforts to reach an amicable settlement of the dispute.
After contacting the Office and in the absence of a satisfactory response, the Client may refer the matter to the Tourism and Travel Ombudsman (MTV Médiation Tourisme Voyage – BP 80303 – 75823 Paris cedex 17) once all internal remedies have been exhausted. Procedures and practical information on referral to the Tourism and Travel Ombudsman are available on www.mtv.travel.
In the event of disputes, these terms and conditions of sale are subject to French law. Any dispute shall fall under the jurisdiction of the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Versailles.