Terms and Conditions of the Leipzig Adult Education Centre (Volkshochschule Leipzig) as amended on 1 July 2025

1. General

(1) These Terms and Conditions apply to all courses and events (events) offered by the Leipzig Adult Education Centre (Volkshochschule Leipzig, vhs), including those conducted by means of electronic data transmission.
(2) Study trips, excursions and other events organised by a third party are not events of the vhs. In this respect, the vhs acts solely as an intermediary.
(2) Study trips and excursions as well as other events that identify a third party as the organiser are not events of the vhs. In this respect,
the vhs acts only as an intermediary.
(3) Legal declarations, e.g. registrations and cancellations, must be made in writing or in a form of communication that is equivalent to writing (fax, email,
vhs login homepage), unless otherwise specified in these General Terms and Conditions or in the consumer's
right of withdrawal for distance selling transactions. Declarations by the vhs are deemed to be in writing if an unsigned form confirmation (especially in email correspondence)
is used. The written form requirement does not apply to personal and telephone registrations.

2. Conclusion of contract and information about the contract

(1) The announcement of events is non-binding.
(2) The vhs reserves the right to set a maximum number of participants for events in the interests of learning success.
(3) Participation in events may be made dependent on certain prior knowledge or requirements.
(4) Registration is required for all events before the first event date.
(5) The registrant (contractual partner) is bound to their registration for two weeks (contract offer). Subject to
the provisions of paragraph (3), the event contract is concluded either by a declaration of acceptance by the vhs or by the expiry of the two-week period without the vhs
contract offer.
(6) If a registration deadline is specified in the event announcement, any registration received by the vhs after the registration deadline requires,
 contrary to paragraph (5), an express declaration of acceptance. If this does not occur within two weeks, the registration is deemed to have been rejected.
(7) The contract language is German.
(8) The vhs stores the contract text in the form of a registration confirmation, which the contractual partner can request separately by email. The contractual partner
also has the option of printing out the contract text using the print function of his/her browser.

3. Contractual partner, registered third parties and cost coverage

(1) Upon conclusion of the event contract, contractual rights and obligations are established only between the vhs as the organiser and the contractual partner.
The contractual partner may also establish the right to participate for a third party (registered third party). The name and
registered address of this third party must be provided to the vhs. Any change in the person of the registered third party requires the consent of the vhs. The vhs may not refuse consent without
objective reason.
(2) The vhs may make participation in events dependent on personal and/or factual requirements.

4. Participation fees

(1) Fees for participation in vhs events are charged in accordance with the "Private Law Fee Regulations for Participation Fees at the Volkshochschule
Leipzig‘, in the currently valid version. The ’Private Law Fee Regulations for Participation Fees at the Volkshochschule Leipzig" in the currently
valid version can be viewed on the website of the City of Leipzig (www.leipzig.de) in the ‘Statutes’ section.
(2) Any material costs incurred and other fee components will be charged separately.
(3) Exemptions from the obligation to pay fees and reductions are only possible on the basis of the "Private Law Fee Regulations for Participation Fees at the Leipzig Adult Education Centre in their currently valid version. The ’Private Law Fee Regulations for Participation Fees at the Leipzig Adult Education Centre" in their currently valid
version can be viewed on the website of the City of Leipzig (www.leipzig.de) in the ‘Statutes’ section.
(4) The participation fee is due at the start of the event. The following payment methods are accepted:
- For in-person registration: direct debit, cash, credit card, and Girocard at the ticket machine.
- For telephone registration: direct debit, if a direct debit mandate is already in place.
- For registration via the website: direct debit, credit card.
(5) Direct debit payments will be debited after the start of the event. For direct debit payments, a written mandate must be issued to the vhs no later than
the start of the event.
(6) If refunds are required for credit card payments, these will be made by bank transfer.
(7) Reductions on the basic fee are granted in accordance with the currently valid "Private Law Fee Regulations for Participation Fees at the Volkshochschule
Leipzig" if the basic fee per event is at least 15 euros and the reason for the reduction exists at the time the event begins
and has been proven. The discount must be claimed at the time of registration, at the latest by the start of the event, with proof of
eligibility being provided to the vhs. The "Private Law Fee Regulations for Participation Fees at the Leipzig Adult Education Centre
Leipzig‘ in its currently valid version can be viewed on the website of the City of Leipzig (www.leipzig.de) in the ’Statutes" section.
(8) Holders of the Leipzig Pass, children, school pupils, trainees, direct students, Au
Pairs, participants in a voluntary social, ecological or European year, and severely disabled persons with a degree of disability of 50% or more. Only
one type of discount may be applied.
(9) No discount is granted for events in which the vhs acts as an intermediary (section 1, paragraph 2), in particular for study trips, excursions,
exams and events with cooperation partners, as well as for additional costs such as teaching materials, material costs, food
and other items not included in the basic fee.
(10) Discounts can only be granted to natural persons. If the contractual partner is a legal entity, the participation fee is not
eligible for a discount.

5. Organisational changes, course instructors, dates

(1) There is no entitlement to have a course taught by a specific course instructor. This also applies
if the course was advertised with the name of a specific course instructor.
(2) The vhs may change the location and time of the course for objective reasons and to a reasonable extent.
(3) If a course unit has to be cancelled for reasons beyond the control of the vhs, for example due to illness of a course instructor,
it may be rescheduled. However, there is no entitlement to this. If the course is not rescheduled, point 6, paragraph 2, sentence 2 and paragraph 3 shall apply
mutatis mutandis.
(4) The format of events offered in person, online or in a combined (hybrid) form may be changed during the course of the event
if continuation would otherwise be impossible or difficult.

6. Withdrawal and termination by the vhs

(1) A minimum number of participants specified by the vhs is required for an event to take place. If the specified
minimum number of participants is not reached, the vhs is entitled to withdraw from the contract.
(2) The vhs may also withdraw from or terminate the contract if an event cannot take place in whole or in part for reasons for which the vhs is not responsible (e.g. cancellation by a
course instructor). In this case, the fee shall be owed in proportion to the partial units that took place in relation to the
total scope of the event.
(3) The vhs shall inform the contractual partner of the circumstances that entitle it to withdraw from the contract in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2 above.
(4) The vhs may terminate the contract under the conditions set out in § 314 BGB (German Civil Code). Good cause shall be deemed to exist in the following cases in particular:
a) Anti-social behaviour at events, in particular disruption of the information or event operation through noise and disturbance
or through quarrelsome behaviour,
b) Defamation of any kind towards third parties or employees and relatives of the vhs.
c) Discrimination against persons on the basis of personal characteristics (age, gender, skin colour, ethnicity or religion, etc.),
d) Misuse of events for party political or ideological purposes or for agitation of any kind,
e) Significant violations of the house rules in their currently valid version. The house rules in their currently valid version are available for inspection in the buildings used by the vhs.
(5) Instead of termination, the vhs may also exclude the contractual partner from an event unit. The vhs's claim to remuneration shall not be affected by
(5) Instead of termination, the vhs may also exclude the contractual partner from an event unit. The vhs's claim to remuneration shall not be affected by
such termination or exclusion.
(6) Costs already incurred by the vhs, such as for teaching materials, food, beverages, meals, tickets, material costs, etc., shall not be reimbursed.

7. Withdrawal, termination and revocation by the contracting party

(1) In the event of withdrawal up to 14 days before the start of the event, 10% of the basic fee shall be payable as cancellation costs. In the event of withdrawal between 13 and 1 day before the start of the event, 50% of the basic fee shall be payable as cancellation costs. In the event of withdrawal after the start of the event, the full basic fee shall be payable as a lump sum.
(2) The participant shall be entitled to prove that we have incurred no damage or significantly less damage than the lump sum. In the event of
the nomination of a suitable replacement participant, the cancellation fee shall not apply. Any statutory right of withdrawal (e.g. for distance selling) remains unaffected.
(3) Costs already incurred by vhs, such as for teaching materials, food, drinks, meals, tickets, material costs, etc., will not be reimbursed.
(4) Cancellations in accordance with the above conditions can be declared to the vhs in the same way as registrations. Failure to attend the
event does not constitute cancellation. The date of receipt of the cancellation notice by the vhs is decisive for the calculation of the deadlines.
(5) For events for which the vhs acts as an agent (Section 1, Paragraph 2), the terms and conditions of the respective provider shall apply. The deadlines and
cancellation fees may differ from those in these terms and conditions. This will be stated separately in the event information text.
(6) For events with a specified registration deadline, withdrawal is only possible until the registration deadline. After the registration deadline, the full fee is payable even in the event of withdrawal.

8. Claims for damages

(1) Claims for damages by the contracting party against vhs are excluded, except in cases of intent and gross negligence.
(2) Furthermore, the exclusion pursuant to paragraph 1 shall not apply if the vhs culpably violates rights of the contractual partner which, according to the content
and purpose of the contract, are to be granted or whose fulfilment is essential for the proper execution of the contract and on
whose compliance the contractual partner regularly relies (cardinal obligations), nor in the event of a culpable injury to life, limb or health.

9. Final provisions

(1) Claims against the vhs are not transferable.
(2) Information on age and gender is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The vhs is permitted to collect, store and process personal data for the purposes of contract implementation.
The contractual partner may object to this at any time.

10. Dispute resolution (Art. 14 (1) ODR Regulation and § 36 VSBG)

(1) The European Commission provides a platform for online dispute resolution (ODR), which can be found at ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/.

(2) Otherwise, vhs is neither willing nor obliged to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board.