The following Special Terms and Conditions of Sale

apply to any order for one or more services sold by the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc as from 26/03/2020. 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 Versailles 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 dated 22 July 2009.

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The fact that the Versailles Tourist Office 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 on the description of the service and on the booking confirmation shall also apply to the offer and provision of services, under the same conditions as these terms and conditions. The act of purchase and/or reservation implies acceptance of the Partners’ specific terms and conditions.

Article 2 – Formation of the Contract

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Any reservation of one or more services offered by the Versailles Tourist Office implies full and unconditional acceptance by the Client of these Special Terms and Conditions of Sale, which may be viewed on the order form and on the pages of the website www.versailles-tourisme.com

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The Versailles Tourist Office sells, via its website, by telephone or at the counter, various services for private individuals, which shall be governed by these terms of sale. The order of services is reserved exclusively for users who have previously read and accepted the terms of sale in full. Without this acceptance, continuation of the order process is technically impossible.

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The user must be at least 18 years old, be legally capable of contracting, and use this site in accordance with the general and special conditions. Unless in cases of fraud, for which proof must be provided by the user, the Client is financially liable for his or her actions on the website, including use made of his or her username and password. The Client also guarantees the truthfulness and accuracy of the information concerning him or her provided on the website. Any fraudulent use of the website, or any use considered fraudulent, which breaches these terms of sale, may justify refusal of access at any time to the services offered by Partners or other functionalities of the website.

Article 3 – Liability

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The Versailles Tourist Office, which offers a Client services, is liable by operation of law. It is the Client’s sole point of contact and is responsible to the Client for the performance of the obligations arising from these Special Terms and Conditions of Sale. The Versailles Tourist Office shall not be held liable for total or partial non-performance of the services ordered or total or partial non-compliance with the obligations stipulated in these Special Terms and Conditions of Sale in the event of accident, force majeure, poor performance or faults committed by the Client or by any third party to the organisation and performance of the service.

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The programmes of the Versailles Tourist Office depend on the opening days and times of the various service providers. In the event of unforeseen closure, the Versailles Tourist Office shall in no way be held responsible for failure to complete a programme where the cause is not attributable to its own actions.

Article 4 – Reservation

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These Special Terms and Conditions of Sale apply to all bookings made through the reservation centre of the Versailles Tourist Office:

via the website www.versailles-tourisme.com by telephone at +33 (0)1 39 24 88 88
at the counter with travel advisors at 1 place du Maréchal Lyautey, 78000 Versailles.

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The reservation is considered firm and final upon confirmation by sending a booking number by electronic mail, or failing that, by written letter no later than before the start of the services ordered. If the Client considers that he or she does not have sufficient information about the characteristics of the services to be ordered, he or she may request additional information prior to placing any order. By placing an order, the Client implicitly acknowledges having obtained all necessary information regarding the nature and characteristics of the services ordered.

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The Versailles Tourist Office reserves the right to refuse a reservation in cases where payment methods are not validated by officially accredited bodies.

Article 5 – Absence of Right of Withdrawal

The legal provisions governing distance selling as 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 service made with the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc, no right of withdrawal shall be granted.

Article 6 – Pricing

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Unless otherwise stated, prices are expressed in euros, including VAT. Additional local taxes payable on site may be charged by local authorities (tourist tax, etc.) and remain payable by the Client.

Prices have been established based on the economic conditions prevailing at the time of issuing the contract. Any modification of these conditions (exchange rate fluctuations, VAT rate, tourist tax, etc.) may lead to a price adjustment, upwards or downwards, of which the Client shall be informed no later than 20 days before the start of the service, in accordance with legal regulations. If the price increase exceeds 8% of the total contract price, the Client shall be offered the choice between accepting the modification of the price or terminating the contract free of charge.

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Any services not listed on the order form must be paid for directly to the relevant service provider by the Client before the start of the service.

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The Client may not modify the course of his or her stay without prior agreement from the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc. Any modification fees not accepted remain entirely at the Client’s expense.

Article 7 – Performance of the Service

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For any service, a confirmation email including a voucher will automatically be sent to the Client. This voucher must be presented upon arrival at the place of stay or service delivery. Following payment, the Client will receive by email an invoice for the purchased service(s).

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For any service purchased through the Office de Tourisme de Versailles, the main characteristics of the travel service(s) are indicated on the voucher as well as in Annex 1 (destination, location, main characteristics, accessibility for persons with disabilities, approximate size if the service takes place in a group, number of nights for accommodation, meals included, organizer’s contact details).

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The duration of each service is as stated on the Versailles Grand Parc Reservation Centre website. Given its fixed nature, it cannot under any circumstances be extended beyond the date of expiry of the service. For the proper performance of certain services, the Client must arrive on the date and at the time indicated, or contact the service provider directly.

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Unless otherwise stated on the voucher, the Client must appear at the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc so that travel advisors can deliver the service.

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Services purchased through the Versailles Reservation Centre do not constitute skip-the-line access unless expressly stated.

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All reservations are firm and final (cancellation only possible in certain cases, see conditions below).

7-7 – For accommodation services
After booking, the Client is strongly advised to inform the accommodation provider of the estimated arrival time. Furthermore, some accommodation providers do not provide night reception services. It is therefore the Client’s responsibility to make arrangements accordingly.

7-8 – For tourist activities and packages
Scheduled times must be respected to ensure the proper performance of the service. In case of delay or late arrival at the meeting point, no refund will be issued. Certain activities offered by service providers and listed in the description provided on the website of the Versailles Reservation Centre may be cancelled, especially in the case of off-season stays, when the minimum number of participants required for the activity is not reached, or in cases of force majeure (see complete list of force majeure events, Article 20-1). Cancellation of an activity due to force majeure or due to the conduct of a third party shall not give rise to any compensation by the Versailles Tourist Office.

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Tourism services are provided in French unless otherwise indicated at the time of booking and on the voucher.

Article 8 – Payment

For activity bookings
Payment must be made at the time of reservation:

In cash: only at the reception points of the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc;
By cheque: at the reception points of the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc (an ID will be required) or by post specifying name, address, telephone number, and visit dates;
By credit card: at the reception points of the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc or via our online booking system www.versailles-tourisme.com.

Article 9 – Unavailability

9-1 – Accommodation provider
If, exceptionally, the reserved accommodation is no longer available, the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc undertakes, at no additional cost to the Client, to provide one or more rooms for one night, equal in number to the original reservation, in another establishment of the same or higher category, at a price equal to or higher than the price of the reserved accommodation, or to refund the Client under the refund conditions set out in these Special Terms and Conditions of Sale.

9-2 – Service provider (other than accommodation) or the Office de Tourisme
If, exceptionally, the reserved activity is no longer available, the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc undertakes to offer a rescheduling of the activity or guarantee a refund of the amounts paid without penalty. In the event of force majeure, any activity may be cancelled by the Office de Tourisme, which shall inform the Client and offer a rescheduling or refund (see complete list of force majeure events, Article 20-1).

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Offers proposed by the reservation centre of the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc are valid subject to availability of service providers and accommodation. Unavailability of a service shall not give rise to any right to compensation or reparation from the Office de Tourisme.

Article 10 – Modification of Reservation

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To be taken into account, any modification by the Client of a reservation made with the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc must be communicated no later than 7 calendar days prior to the date of the service, by one of the following methods:

Telephone: +33 (0)1 39 24 88 88, followed by written confirmation
Email: tourisme@ot-versailles.fr Post: Office de Tourisme – 1 place du Maréchal Lyautey – 78000 VERSAILLES

Modification of a reservation may in no case contravene or circumvent the cancellation terms provided in Article 11.

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The Client may transfer his or her service to another person up to 7 days before the start date, at the actual cost incurred by the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc for the transfer. Within the same timeframe, the Client must communicate the contact details of the substitute person to the Office.

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If necessary, the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc reserves the right to unilaterally modify an element of the contract if the modification is minor. The Client will be informed within 20 days prior to the start of the service and will have the choice between cancelling the contract and accepting the modification.

Article 11 – Cancellation

11-1 – Tourism activity bookings
Any cancellation or modification request made by the Client shall give rise to the following penalties:

Cancellation up to 7 calendar days before the date of the service: full refund of the amounts paid
Cancellation less than 7 calendar days before the date of the service: no refund

In the event of no-show on the part of the Client on the date and at the time of the service, no refund shall be granted.

11-2 – Accommodation bookings
Any cancellation or modification request made by the Client shall give rise to the following penalties:

Cancellation up to 30 calendar days before the date of the service: full refund
Cancellation between 29 and 15 calendar days before the date of the service: refund of 50%
Cancellation less than 15 calendar days before the date of the service: no refund

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In the event of termination of the contract, all payments made by the Client shall be refunded, after deduction of appropriate termination fees, within a maximum period of 14 days after the date of termination of the contract.

Article 12 – Cancellation by the Office de Tourisme

If, before the start of the service, the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc cancels the service, it must inform the Client in writing. The Client, without prejudice to any claims for compensation for damages suffered, will be refunded immediately and without penalty of all amounts paid.

Article 13 – Interruption of the Service

In the event that the service is interrupted by the Client, no refund shall be issued.

Article 14 – Special Provisions Regarding Certain Types of Services Requiring a Minimum Number of Participants

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Insufficient number of participants may constitute valid grounds for cancellation for certain types of services. In this case, the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc shall refund all amounts paid. This possibility shall not occur:

less than 7 days before the start of the service if the duration of the stay is between 2 and 6 days
less than 48 hours before the start of the service if the duration of the stay is less than 2 days

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This contract is established for a precise number of persons. If the number of persons exceeds the capacity provided for the service, the service provider may refuse additional Clients, terminate the service contract, or request additional payment.

Article 15 – Non-Conformity During the Stay

Once at the destination, in the event of non-conformity of a service, requests or complaints, the Client must inform the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc as soon as possible. The Office undertakes to respond to the Client’s requests and to remedy any non-conformity without additional cost, unless this generates disproportionate costs. If the substitute service offered is of lower quality, an appropriate reduction in price will be proposed. The amount will be in line with the price of the unrealised service. The Client is entitled to refuse the substitute service only if it is not comparable to that provided for in the contract, or if the reduction offered is not appropriate.

Article 16 – Photographs

The descriptions and photographs of services referenced by the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc, appearing on the website and on our information materials, are for information purposes only and under the responsibility of the service provider. The photographs displayed on the website and information materials are not contractual. Although every effort is made to ensure that the photographs, graphic representations and texts reproduced to illustrate the services presented 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 17 – Intellectual Property

The Client acknowledges that the content of this website and all elements of any nature that compose it are the property of the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc and are protected by French laws and regulations relating to intellectual property rights, as well as international conventions. Any copy, reproduction, distribution, sale or exploitation, regardless of the method and for whatever purpose, is strictly prohibited. Any person breaching this prohibition shall incur civil and criminal liability and may be prosecuted on the grounds of counterfeiting.

Use for strictly private and non-commercial purposes is permitted.

Article 18 – Protection of Personal Data (GDPR)

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In accordance with French Law No. 78-17 of 6 January 1978 relating to data processing, files and freedoms, the website www.versailles-tourisme.com has been registered with the CNIL under number 1991543 v 0.

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The personal information provided by the Client — including the number, name and address associated with the credit card — on the website enables processing and execution of orders and is encrypted in order to prevent it being read during transmission over the Internet, by means of the “Paybox” encryption software. Security is guaranteed by PCI-DSS certification of the “Paybox” payment platform, which complies with professional security standards laid down by organisations such as GIE Cartes Bancaires, Visa and Mastercard.

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Information essential for processing and executing orders is marked with an asterisk on the website pages. Other requests for optional information, or information relating to the user’s interest in offers that may be sent to him or her, are intended to provide a better understanding of the user and improve the services offered. Information provided by the Client at the time of booking will not be transmitted to any third party other than the provider of the booked services. This information will be treated as confidential. It will be used solely by the internal departments of the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc and by service providers for processing the booking and to reinforce and personalise communications and the service offering for Clients.

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In accordance with the French Data Processing and Freedoms Law, the Client has the right to access, modify, rectify and delete personal data concerning him or her. This right may be exercised by contacting: Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc.

18-5 – Cookie Policy
In order to continuously improve our online communication media and provide better user experience, we measure certain key indicators such as the number of visits, pages viewed and user activity on the website. We collect this information using Google Analytics technology. This technology operates using cookies.

Cookies are small data files that allow us to compare new visitors with returning visitors, understand how users navigate our website, obtain data to improve browsing experience in the future, manage your shopping basket, and collect browsing information for statistical purposes.

Cookies do not retain personal data on a user and identifiable data will never be stored. If you do not wish to use cookies, you should configure your computer settings to delete all cookies from websites and/or receive notification when cookies are stored.

If you do not wish to modify your cookie settings, simply continue browsing the website. By using our website, you consent to receive these types of cookies on your device.

Cookie configuration rules vary depending on the browser. To understand how they work and to customise them, consult the help menu of your browser.

Please note: any configuration of your web browser regarding acceptance or refusal of cookies may modify your browsing on the Internet and on our website, as well as your access conditions to certain services requiring the use of cookies.

Article 19 – Insurance – Guarantees

The Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc has taken out:

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 the provisions of 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.

a financial guarantee with GROUPAMA Assurance-crédit & Caution – 3 Place Marcel Paul – 92000 Nanterre, established in accordance with the provisions of Article R.211-26 et seq. of the French Tourism Code, as amended by Decree No. 2015-1111 of 2 September 2015.

Article 20 – Force Majeure

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Force majeure shall mean any event external to the parties that is both unforeseeable and irresistible, preventing either 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. Events considered force majeure include: earthquake, fire, flooding, natural disaster, terrorist acts, war, civil unrest, riots or any other reason beyond reasonable control. Weather conditions and strikes shall not constitute force majeure and shall therefore not give rise to any refund or rescheduling.

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The occurrence of a force majeure event suspends the obligations affected and releases the party that 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 to modify the date. If the provider must cancel the service before the Client has begun the activity, a rescheduling or a refund shall be offered.

Article 21 – Disputes / Claims

Any claim relating to a service must be submitted to the Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc within 7 days following the service date, by email at tourisme@ot-versailles.fr or by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt to:

Office de Tourisme et des Congrès de Versailles Grand Parc – 1 place du 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 endeavours to reach an amicable settlement of the dispute.

After contacting the Office and in the absence of a satisfactory response within 60 days, or if the response received is not satisfactory, the Client may refer the matter to the Tourism and Travel Ombudsman (MTV Médiation Tourisme Voyage – BP 80303 – 75823 Paris cedex 17). Procedures and practical information on referral to the Tourism and Travel Ombudsman are available on the website www.mtv.travel.

Where the sale is made online, the Client may use the platform available at https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/odr to resolve the dispute.

In the event of a dispute, the terms and conditions of sale are subject to French law. Any dispute that cannot be resolved amicably shall fall exclusively under the jurisdiction of the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Versailles for legal entities, and, in the case of natural persons, jurisdiction shall be determined in accordance with Article L.141-5 of the French Consumer Code.