General terms and conditions

Registered terms and conditions
These Terms and Conditions have been registered at the Chamber of Commerce under number 27159598.

General
The following Terms & Conditions apply to all activities for participants, held by ‘Wijnstudio’.

Definition
The term ‘participant’ means a participant in a course. In these terms and conditions, a participant is also referred to as ‘you’.
‘Course’ means any activity of Wijnstudio in the broadest sense, including Introduction course, WSET courses Level 2 and Level 3, Wine & food pairing course, masterclass, wine-study tour, wine courses abroad, wine tasting, event, online course.

Components of the Terms and Conditions
The Terms and Conditions consist of the following components:

  • General Terms and Conditions
  • Examination Regulations
  • Terms and Conditions for a wine tour or wine course abroad
  • Complaints procedure

Article 1: Acceptance of Terms
These Terms and Conditions are permanently available on the Wijnstudio website: www.wijnstudio.nl. They are also attached to the registration form on our website. A reference to the terms and conditions is on the invoice of the course, which is automatically sent to the participant after registering. By registering on the course, the participant indicates he or she knows and accept the Terms and Conditions, including the regulations for an exam and a wine course and wine tour abroad, if applicable.

Article 2: Registration and payment
Enrollment in a course shall be effected by means of a registration form on the internet. Herewith you (the participant) have taken the obligation of full payment of the course, including the exam, if applicable. When you fail to fulfil your payment, we will hand over your invoice to a debt collection agency. All costs are at your expense, in accordance with the sliding scale for extrajudicial costs: in amounts up to Euro 2500, these costs will be 15% of the principal price with a minimum of 40 euros.

Article 3: Deposit
By means of a down payment you have been reserving a place in a course, you are therefore obliged to pay the entire course. Wijnstudio has the right to reject your place in a course if not the entire course fee has been paid in advance.

Article 4: Third-party registration
A wine course that is enrolled to you by a third party is subject to our Terms and Conditions. The person who books is required to notify any participant who has been registered by him or her of these Terms and Conditions. They can be found at: https://wijnstudio.nl/general-terms-and-conditions

Article 5: Billing: exempt from VAT
An invoice will be sent automatically when you register with the registration form. Wijnstudio is recognized by the CRKBO as an educational institute for short vocational and therefore exempt from VAT. An exception is the introduction course and wine tasting with a recreational character. VAT for these courses is included in the price.

Article 6: Right of withdrawal
The registration for a course can be cancelled within 14 days, till one day prior to a course.
A participant may propose a replacement to the Wijnstudio, up to 2 days before the start of a course and on travel up to 7 days before the trip. This must be reported by mail. During the course, a student cannot be replaced by someone else.

Article 7: Failure to attend a course by illness or force majeure
There will be no refund of payment or down payment if the participant is unable to attend (a part of) the course, or an exam. There is no right to substitute course days.

Article 8: Administration costs
If Wijnstudio makes changes to the registration at the request of a student, an administration fee of € 20,- will be charged.

Article 9: Gift voucher
When purchasing a gift voucher there is a cooling-off period of 14 days. Within this period, you can return the gift voucher to us and you will be refunded the purchase unless the voucher has already been used for a course, or a reservation has been made.

Article 10: Admission Policy
The Wijnstudio has the right to refuse a participant prior to or during the period of a course if in the opinion of the Wijnstudio this participation could lead to a conflict. The student will be refunded a payment or deposit, with a deduction of any materials received and lessons taken.

Article 11: Amendments to the course date, location or instructor
The Wijnstudio reserves the right, in case of unforeseen circumstances, such as the illness of a teacher or the unavailability of the meeting room, to change the course data and/or the course location before or during the course. The participant will be clearly informed about the new location. If a teacher is replaced no notification will be sent to the participant, every teacher meets the standards of the Wijnstudio and/or WSET.
The Wijnstudio reserves the right, in case of unforeseen circumstances such as during a pandemic, in which a course cannot be given in class, to deliver a part of the course, up to 50%, as a distance learning training. This involves active live contact with a teacher.

Article 12: Abort of a course due to force majeure
If due to force majeure, the course must be aborted by the Wijnstudio, the paid course fee for the remaining course sessions will be refunded, minus the value of the received study pack.

The value of the Wijnstudio Basic Wine Course level 1 book is € 35.-
The value of the Wijnstudio Wine and Food Pairing Coursebook is € 35.-
The value of the WSET Level 2 study pack is set at € 90.-
The value of the WSET Level 3 study pack is set at € 130.-
The value of the box containing 3 tasting glasses is € 20.-
The value of the colour cart/aroma circle© is set at € 5.-

The value of the remaining course sessions shall be determined based on the course fee at that time. Other costs of participants such as reserved days off or other intangible losses are not compensated.

Article 13: Cancellation of the course by the Wijnstudio
If the minimum number of 6 participants for a course is not obtained, Wijnstudio can decide to cancel the course. The participants shall be informed at least 2 days before the start of the course. The paid amount for this course will be returned within 7 days.

Article 14: return payments
If due to circumstances as stated in these General Terms and Conditions the Wijnstudio proceeds to refund a (partial) course fee, the deposited will only be transferred to the bank account number from which the payment was done.

Article 15: No liability through loss or damage
The Wijnstudio accepts no liability for damage or loss of clothing or property caused by others during the course.

Article 16: Use of alcohol and responsibility
The teacher will never encourage immoderate alcohol consumption by participants. The wines that are being served are meant for wine tasting only. The Wijnstudio is not liable for the consequences of the use of alcohol before, during and after the course. The participant himself is responsible for sensible alcohol consumption, especially where it concerns traffic safety and the use of medication.

Article 17: Copyright on course materials
Copyright of the WSET study pack rests with WSET in London. These materials are intended solely for the participant who has paid for them at the Wijnstudio. It is not permitted to reproduce any material from a WSET course or distribute it without written permission from WSET or the autor. The ‘Systematic Approach to tasting’ is free to use and distribute, as long as WSET is referred to as the owner of this method.

The copyright of the handouts, visual and other course material rests with the Wijnstudio. The copyright of the books ‘Wine Basics’ and ‘Wine and Food’ rest with the author. These materials are intended solely for the participant who has paid for them at the Wijnstudio. It is not permitted to reproduce and distribute course materials without the written permission of the Wijnstudio. The various forms of the ‘Aroma circle’ are free to use, provided you always refer to the Wijnstudio as the owner of this method.

Whenever you would like to use a presentation (pdf, PowerPoint or otherwise) for business or private purposes, you may ask Wijnstudio for a license. After approval of Wijnstudio, the minimum price for a license to use a presentation (one lesson or session) is set at € 500.- for a period of 3 months.

Article 18: Answers to questions
The Wijnstudio is obliged to answer all questions related to teaching or administrative nature as soon as possible, within 14 days. If more time is needed to respond (because we need information from third parties) we will inform and come back to you with a new term.

Article 19: Privacy Statement
The privacy statement of the Wijnstudio is visible to everyone on the website: www.wijnstudio.nl/privacyverklaring
This statement specifies what information we collect and with whom this information is shared. Personal data from students is never sold to third parties. At your request, we will remove your personal data.

EXAMINATION REGULATIONS

Article 20: Examination regulations
These rules are established to ensure peace and concentration and an equal opportunity for every exam candidate and to prevent fraud.
“Examiner” means the examiner or invigilator.
The examination rules start to apply when you enter the examination room. All instructions of the examiner must be immediately followed by the candidate. The candidate who is not obeying these instructions is disqualified, and his/her exam will be declared invalid.
An examiner has the right to remove any exam candidate that fails to comply with the examination regulations or, to the judgment of the examiner, misbehave.
Without proper identification, you cannot sit the exam.

If you are violating one of the following rules your exam will be declared invalid:
It is prohibited to take pictures in the exam room.
Mobile phones and other equipment must be turned off and put away.
On your table, only materials are permitted that have been distributed by the examiner.
You are allowed to bring water to your table.
Bags, coats, books, etc. are stored in a place designated by the examiner.
Exams may be opened only after the examiner has given permission.
It is not allowed to copy (parts of) an exam, or to take it with you. Only examination papers are allowed on your table.
If you leave the examination room during the exam you cannot come back, unless you are under the supervision of an invigilator.
During the exam you will respect silence, you may not communicate in any way with other candidates, including when leaving the room.
When the examiner indicates that the exam is over you will immediately hand over the exam to the examiner.

Article 21: Change of exam date or a new exam date
The exam date for a course is set at the start of the course and is always listed on the website. The participant can apply only once for a change of the exam date if desired. The cost of changing an examination date is € 35.-
This request should be in the possession of Wijnstudio no later than four weeks before the exam. After this period, or when the candidate does not appear on the exam for whatever reason, a new exam can be requested. This includes a new full exam fee.

The examination fee for WSET Award in Wine and Spirits Level 2 is € 140.-
The examination fee for WSET Wine and Spirits Award level 3 is € 240.-
The examination fee for WSET Award in Wine and Spirits Level 3 – only theory is € 145.- 
The examination fee for WSET Award in Wine and Spirits Level 3 – only tasting is € 160.-

Every other exam organized by Wijnstudio can be redone once, provided a new exam fee is
paid. The date is set in accordance with Wijnstudio. Usually, the exam date will be the next time that the examination is conducted. The examination fee for ‘Basic Wine Course’ and ‘Basic Gastronomy’ is € 40.-

Article 22: Exam results
The Wijnstudio is offering limited feedback without costs for a candidate that did not pass any Wijnstudio exam. WSET is offering limited feedback on a paid basis for a candidate that did not pass any WSET exam. WSET feedback forms can be obtained from the Wijnstudio. WSET- and Wijnstudio exams questions and answers are not made public.

Article 23: Cancellation of examination by force majeure
If due to force majeure, Wijnstudio has to cancel an examination date, the student will be invited to attend the exam at a later date. The student has the right to choose between at least two dates. The right to an exam expires after two years. No examination fee will be refunded.
Costs of days off or other immaterial damages are not reimbursed. The Wijnstudio will strive to the utmost to avoid the cancellation of an exam.

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS ON A WINE TOUR OR WINE COURSE ABROAD

All articles from the General Terms and Conditions apply on a wine tour or wine course abroad. In addition to this, the following articles shall apply. 

Article 24: Travel Insurance
Anyone who participates in a wine tour or wine course abroad is obliged to purchase travel- and cancellation insurance. The Wijnstudio does not take insurance for any participant.

Article 25: Modifications in the wine tour program
The description of a wine tour on the website is an indication of a planned trip. In case of unforeseen circumstances, Wijnstudio reserves the right to modify the program, before or during this trip. Wijnstudio will endeavour to deliver the complete program as offered on the website or come up with the best possible alternative.

Article 26: Cancellation due to a lack of participants
The minimum number of paying participants for a wine tour is 6 persons. If the wine tour has to be cancelled due to a lack of participants, the participants will be notified no later than six weeks before the start of the wine tour. Full refunds of the course fee will be made within 7 days.

Article 27: Termination of the wine tour by force majeure
If due to force majeure the Wijnstudio has to terminate the wine tour the paid fee for the remaining days will be refunded. The death of a participant or trainer will always lead to the termination of the wine tour. The value of the already enjoyed course time is determined based on the course fee at that time. Other costs of students such as holidays, travel expenses, repatriation expenses, travel time or other immaterial damages are not reimbursed.

Article 28: Guarantee
If the Wijnstudio gets into financial insolvency your wine journey is guaranteed by a third party, who shall continue the journey or make a refund.

This third party is ‘Mario Tertschnig.wine’
Clara Feystraat 19
6267 EZ Cadier en Keer
mail: info@mario.wine
Website: www.mario.wine

Article 29: Admission Policy
Participants in a wine tour are at least 18 years old and have completed a wine training. Wijnstudio determines whether this training has a sufficient level for the trip in question. Pets cannot be brought. During the wine tour, travel, visits to winemakers, restaurants, hotels, and other events are reserved for the student who has registered with the Wijnstudio for this trip, has paid the registration fee in full, and has been accepted as a participant by the Wijnstudio. A reason for refusal may be that the maximum number of participants has been reached. De Wijnstudio does not offer separate parts of the wine tour. Due to agreements made, and for and privacy reasons, no temporary guests are allowed on the trip.

Article 30: Disclaimer travelling.
Wijnstudio cannot be held accountable for any damage caused by her actions, except for intent, deliberate recklessness or damage caused by death or injury.

Article 31: Disclaimer outsider services
If the Wijnstudio can be held accountable for damage caused by partners, the liability is restricted to a maximum of three times the paid course fee, unless the damage is caused by death or injury.

Article 32: Treaty law exclusion
Whenever the Wijnstudio can be held liable for any damage, including damage caused by death or injury, this liability shall, in any case, be limited or excluded in accordance with the international conventions and/or EU regulations currently in force.

Article 33: Limitation
A claim of a participant for compensation for any type of damage will expire one year after the damaging event occurred unless the participant could not or should not be aware of the damage.

Article 34: Written cancellation and cancellation costs
Cancellation of the travel contract by the participant must be sent in writing to the Wijnstudio. The date of receiving the written cancellation notice is decisive. If a contract is cancelled, the Wijnstudio will charge the following:
– Cancellation till the 28th calendar day before departure: € 400, –
– Cancellation from the 28th calendar day until the 14th day before the departure: 50% of the fare;
– Cancellation from the 14th calendar day of the departure till departure day: 80% of the fare; 
– Cancellation on the day of departure or later: the full amount.

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

This complaints procedure is available 24 hours a day on our website: www.wijnstudio.nl under ‘Terms and Conditions’. You will find the terms and conditions on the registration form page.

We do our utmost to offer you a qualitative and inspiring course, event, wine tour, wine and food course, masterclass, introduction course, wine course abroad or other events.
If you have a question or complaint, we would like to hear it from you directly, so that we can find a satisfactory solution. Our Terms and Conditions are leading in our answer to a complaint.

However, if you feel that your complaint is misheard you can address your complaint by e-mail to us. You will receive our answer by e-mail.
Your complaint should be directed to the Wijnstudio, inattention to Miranda Tertschnig: info@wijnstudio.nl

Description of the complaint
We would like to hear from you what your complaint is and how you would like to see the complaint resolved.

Acknowledgement
You will receive an acknowledgement by e-mail as soon as possible, within 7 days.

Handling of the complaint
All complaints are handled by the Wijnstudio.

Exceptions are:
– WSET textbooks
– The WSET exam material
– The waiting time on the outcome of the WSET exam 
– The examination result of a WSET exam
– The waiting time on the exam result or the certificate

These are matters on which the Wijnstudio has no influence. Complaints about these subjects will be redirected to WSET in London. 

We will continuously ensure that your complaint is carefully handled and answered within a reasonable time. All relevant information to your complaint that we receive will be communicated with you within 2 days. We will keep you informed about the expected duration of answering to your complaint.

Answering your complaint
We strive to answer every complaint in the shortest possible term, within 4 weeks.
If more time is needed to deal with a complaint, we will inform you of the motivation and the time expected. All relevant information we receive concerning your complaint will be shared with you within 7 days.

Confidentiality
Your complaint will be treated confidentially and will not be shared with third parties.

Registration
Any complaint will be kept in a record that is retained for one year.
This registration is to ensure our recognition as an educational institution.

Appeal against an answer to your complaint by an independent third party
We commit ourselves to answer your complaint in a reasonable way and in a short term. However, there may be situations where we are not able to solve the whole complaint.
If you feel that your complaint has not been dealt fairly with, you can file an objection. We will submit your objection to a third party and send you a copy. The third party is:

Sjaak van de Graaf
Neerlands Wijnhuis
Edisonweg 3
2964LK Groot-Ammers
mail: gm@neerlandswijnhuis.nl website: www.neerlandswijnhuis.nl

The verdict of this party is binding for the Wijnstudio.