General Terms and Conditions of Sprachschule Aktiv München
Please note: this English page is a machine-assisted translation provided for convenience and is not a certified legal translation. The German version of these Terms and Conditions is the legally binding version. In the event of any discrepancy between this translation and the German original, the German version shall prevail.
The contracting party is Sprachschule Aktiv München GbR, owners: Iryna Basarab & Dina Kaminidi, Heßstraße 90, 80797 Munich (hereinafter referred to as “Sprachschule Aktiv München”).
Table of Contents
- General Provisions
- Cancellation and Refund of Course Fees
- Special Provisions for Private, Couples’, and Corporate Courses
- Special Provisions for Evening, Super-Intensive, and Semi-Intensive German Courses
- Special Provisions for German Courses
- Provisions for Visa-Related German Courses
- Special Provisions on the Issuance of Certificates
- Special Provisions for Evening and Intensive Courses in All Languages (Except German)
- Trial Lessons and Public Holidays
- Placement and Course Assignment
- Telc Exam – Registration and Cancellation
- Language Travel
- Arranging Accommodation
- Final Provisions
1. General Provisions
(1) A contract between the customer and Sprachschule Aktiv München is formed upon registration for a course and subsequent confirmation by Sprachschule Aktiv München. Registration can be made via the online forms or via the written registration form of Sprachschule Aktiv München.
(2) By registering, the customer agrees to pay the course fees in full before the course begins. In the case of instalment payment, the first instalment must be paid before the course begins. Payment can be made by bank transfer, PayPal, cash, or debit/credit card at our office at Heßstraße 90, 80797 Munich.
(3) Booking any course requires a binding registration. Participation in a course is only possible once the course fee has been received by Sprachschule Aktiv.
(4) Registrations, cancellations, and other requests must be made in writing. Verbal or telephone agreements are not valid. Our teachers are not authorised to accept registrations, cancellations, or requests.
(5) Sprachschule Aktiv München reserves the right to book premises for courses depending on availability.
(6) Course participants have no entitlement to courses with a specific teacher.
(7) Sprachschule Aktiv München endeavours to design the course material so that all participants can reach their intended language goal. However, Sprachschule Aktiv München assumes no responsibility for failure to reach a particular language level or failure to pass exams. Full completion of the textbook during the course cannot be guaranteed, as individual participants’ progress is taken into account and the pace is adapted accordingly. In this case, there is no entitlement to a refund of the course fee.
(8) Unless an explicit deviation has been agreed, one lesson is 45 minutes long.
2. Cancellation and Refund of Course Fees
(1) For language courses booked online, the participant has the right to withdraw from the contract within 14 days of conclusion of the contract, without giving reasons. The right of withdrawal expires early if the service has been fully performed, or if performance began with the participant’s prior express consent and acknowledgement that the right of withdrawal expires upon full performance of the contract by the language school. In the case of Sprachschule Aktiv München, performance is expressly deemed to have begun as soon as the participant: actively takes part in the first scheduled lesson (in person or online), or logs into the provided online course area or learning platform for the first time, or requests and receives official confirmations for visa procedures (e.g. enrolment certificates for the immigration authority).
(2) Notwithstanding the statutory right of withdrawal for online bookings, the following cancellation conditions apply to all courses: booked language courses can be cancelled free of charge up to five (5) business days before the course start at the latest. If no proper written cancellation is received within this period, the full course fee is due. This rule applies regardless of the registration date.
(3) Any cancellation must be made in writing (by email or letter) to Sprachschule Aktiv München. For courses booked on-site, the 14-day statutory right of withdrawal does not apply; in these cases, only the 5-day cancellation period applies (see paragraph 2).
(4) Booking a course establishes a specific duration and/or a fixed number of lesson units. This applies to all course types, including private lessons and corporate training. If a participant fails to attend a scheduled lesson or discontinues the course early, there is no entitlement to a refund, credit, or make-up lessons.
(5) The participant is entitled to cancel a booked course if the first lesson does not meet their expectations (a “satisfaction guarantee”). The cancellation must be made in writing (by email or letter) no later than 24 hours after the end of the first lesson. In this case, only the first attended lesson will be charged. If a free trial lesson was arranged, no fee applies.
(6) Sprachschule Aktiv München reserves the right to replace the assigned teacher for objective reasons (e.g. illness, personal emergency, or internal restructuring) with another, equally qualified teacher. Such a change of teacher does not entitle the participant to cancel the contract or claim a refund.
(7) Mere absence from a course does not constitute a valid cancellation. The participant’s obligation to pay the full course fee remains unaffected by non-attendance or partial attendance.
(8) Courses booked for visa purposes cannot be partially cancelled or refunded. The booking is binding for the entire duration of the visa procedure.
3. Special Provisions for Private, Couples’, and Corporate Courses
(1) For private, couples’, and corporate courses, participants may arrange appointment times as desired with Sprachschule Aktiv München or directly with the booked teacher. Couples’ courses include 24 lesson hours.
(2) For private and corporate courses, the participant may determine the number of lesson hours booked. Booking a specific number of hours is binding. The participant is not entitled to a partial refund if they do not use the full number of hours booked in advance.
(3) For private, couples’, and corporate courses, participants may freely choose the course location. For courses organised outside our schools, no travel costs generally apply for teachers. However, if the course location is outside the city centre (as defined by public transport), the participant bears the teacher’s travel costs. These are calculated based on the most cost-effective public transport option.
(4) If a previously agreed appointment cannot be kept, it must be cancelled by 6:00 p.m. on the day before the scheduled lesson at the latest (on Sundays and public holidays, by the last business day before the agreed appointment). In this case, the appointment will be rescheduled, and the lesson hours postponed accordingly. If the appointment is cancelled too late or not at all, there is no entitlement to make up the missed lesson.
(5) Lesson units booked as part of private tuition must be used within 12 months of the date of registration (conclusion of contract). After this one-year period has elapsed, unused lesson units expire without replacement. There is no entitlement to a refund, the granting of make-up appointments, or the transfer of units to third parties after this period has expired.
4. Special Provisions for Evening, Super-Intensive, and Semi-Intensive German Courses
(1) Evening courses include 24 lesson hours, taught regularly on 12 pre-scheduled dates.
(2) Semi-intensive courses include 40 lesson hours of 45 minutes each, over a duration of 4 weeks. Lessons take place Monday to Friday. With 4 participants, the course takes place Monday to Thursday. This applies only to semi-intensive German courses; all other semi-intensive courses are excluded from this rule.
(3) Super-intensive courses include 20 lesson hours per week, with 4 lesson hours of 45 minutes each, daily.
(4) The start dates of all courses are fixed. In exceptional cases, Sprachschule Aktiv München reserves the right to postpone or change course dates. In such cases, participants will be informed of any change in good time.
(5) If the minimum number of participants for a language course is not reached, Sprachschule Aktiv München reserves the right to cancel or postpone the course. In the event of cancellation, the participant’s paid course fee will be refunded if they do not agree to a postponement of the course.
(6) Rebooking or a change of course is permitted in exceptional cases and takes place in consultation with Sprachschule Aktiv München. The rebooking request must be submitted in writing at least 5 business days before the course start. If no written request is submitted, or if it is submitted too late, Sprachschule Aktiv München reserves the right to reject it.
(7) After completing a course, the participant has the option of attending a follow-up course. Each follow-up course requires a new registration. Without a valid registration, the participant has no entitlement to a reserved course place.
5. Special Provisions for German Courses
(1) For private, couples’, and corporate courses, the provisions of §3 apply. If the minimum number of participants is not reached for intensive, semi-intensive, and group courses, the affected course will be held with shortened hours under unchanged payment conditions.
(2) For intensive courses, from 5 participants onwards, 4 lesson hours of 45 minutes are taught per day; with 4 participants, 2 hours of 60 minutes are taught per day.
(3) Semi-intensive courses are offered from a minimum of 4 participants.
(4) For evening courses, from 4 participants onwards, a total of 24 lesson hours of 45 minutes (6 weeks) is taught; with 3 participants, a total of 20 lesson hours of 45 minutes (5 weeks); with 2 participants, a total of 16 lesson hours of 45 minutes (4 weeks).
6. Provisions for Visa-Related German Courses
(1) The super-intensive German courses offered by Sprachschule Aktiv München meet the requirements for applying for a language visa. For bookings of courses lasting up to 3 months, the full course fee must be paid in advance. For course bookings lasting longer than 3 months, the customer is required to pay half of the course fee as an advance deposit; the remaining half is due at the start of the course. A registration fee of €15.00 applies for registration for a visa course.
(2) Should the application for a language visa to attend our course offering be rejected, the customer will receive a full refund of the course fee already paid upon presentation of a rejection notice. Only a processing fee of €250.00 will be withheld. In this case, the consulate’s rejection notice and the visa issuance certificate must be sent to Sprachschule Aktiv München promptly, but no later than 5 business days before the course start.
(3) Binding nature of the booking upon issuance of a visa certificate: If a language course applicant receives a visa certificate from Sprachschule Aktiv München for submission to a visa office or consulate for the purpose of applying for a language visa, the booking is deemed binding. Withdrawal from the bindingly booked service is excluded. Cancellation of a bindingly booked visa course is only possible upon presentation of an official rejection notice. Sprachschule Aktiv München reserves the right to retain the course fees at its own discretion, as these are non-refundable.
(4) Suspension of §2(2) of the General Terms and Conditions: for visa-related German language courses, §2(2) of the General Terms and Conditions of Sprachschule Aktiv München is suspended.
(5) If no response from the embassy has been received one week before the course start at the latest, the registration can be postponed once, free of charge, by four, eight, or twelve weeks to the following start date. In this case, Sprachschule Aktiv München must be informed in writing (by email). If no explicit written rebooking request is received by the deadline, the group place is deemed reserved and cannot be given to other interested parties. In the event of non-attendance, course fees already paid for that language level are forfeited. A rebooking or rescheduling can only be made once free of charge; a flat fee of €80.00 applies for each further rebooking.
(6) Once a visa certificate has been issued by Sprachschule Aktiv München for the purpose of applying for a language visa, a transfer to another branch of the Sprachschule Aktiv Group is excluded.
(7) The applicant undertakes to inform themselves in good time and independently about the complete visa procedure, including all required documents, from the responsible consulate. Sprachschule Aktiv München assumes no responsibility for consulate-specific requirements and issues only the standardised registration certificate (visa certificate). No further advice on the visa process is provided. The decision on whether to grant a language visa lies solely with the responsible authority.
7. Special Provisions on the Issuance of Certificates
(1) Sprachschule Aktiv München is authorised to issue, upon request, a document (certificate) to the participant or a third party acting on their behalf, which provides legally binding proof of a completed registration, participation, or payment for a booked service. Certificates are issued only after the booked service has been paid for in full. If the requested certificate is needed for submission to an authority, the authority’s address and the responsible department are required.
(2) If withdrawal from a bindingly booked language course occurs shortly after issuance of the requested certificate, an administrative fee of €35.00 will be withheld from the refund of the amount already paid.
8. Special Provisions for Evening and Intensive Courses in All Languages (Except German)
Evening Courses
(1) The minimum number of participants required for an evening course to take place is two.
(2) The regular course duration depends on the number of participants: 4 or more participants – 24 lesson units; 3 participants – 20 lesson units; 2 participants – 16 lesson units.
(3) No price reduction applies due to the reduced number of lesson hours.
(4) If the minimum number of participants is not reached, or falls below the minimum during the course, the course may be stopped or cancelled.
Intensive Courses
(1) A regular intensive course comprises 4 lesson hours per day, equivalent to 20 lesson units per week.
(2) The minimum number of participants required for an intensive course to take place is two.
(3) From 3 participants: regular course with 4 lesson hours per day; with only 2 participants: shortened course duration of 60 minutes per day, with no price reduction.
(4) If the minimum number of participants is not reached, or falls below the minimum during the course, the course may be stopped or cancelled.
9. Trial Lessons and Public Holidays
(1) Sprachschule Aktiv München offers prospective participants who are unsure of their language level or the appropriate course format the option of a non-binding trial lesson in the desired language course. Registration for the trial lesson takes place via our website or via an on-site registration form. There is initially no charge for the trial lesson. If a binding course booking follows, the trial lesson will be credited towards the booked hours. If no course booking follows, the trial lesson remains free of charge.
(2) For group, intensive, and semi-intensive courses, the trial lesson lasts the duration of one course session. The trial lesson for private, group, or corporate courses lasts 45 minutes (one lesson).
(3) Special provisions for booking a trial lesson in private tuition: registration takes place via the website or an on-site registration form. Cancellation of an arranged trial lesson must be made in writing at least 24 hours before the agreed appointment. If cancellation is not made in time, the participant will be charged a flat fee of €42.00.
(4) No lessons take place at Sprachschule Aktiv on statutory public holidays in Germany. Lesson hours will not be made up.
10. Placement and Course Assignment
(1) Sprachschule Aktiv München reserves the right to require participants to take a placement test if it is determined that their actual language level does not correspond to the course level selected at registration. If the placement test shows that the participant’s self-assessed language level was too high, Sprachschule Aktiv München is entitled — subject to availability of corresponding course places — to assign the participant to a lower course level.
11. Telc Exam – Registration and Cancellation
(1) Registration for the exam is binding and subject to a fee. Cancellation must be made in writing no later than 8 days before the exam; the exact cancellation date will be communicated by email. Non-attendance at the exam and non-payment of the invoice do not constitute a cancellation. If no timely written cancellation is made and the participant does not attend the exam, the invoice is due. A registration fee of €15 is charged in addition to the exam fee. In the event of illness on the day of the exam, a medical certificate must be submitted; in this case, a cancellation fee of €80.00 applies.
12. Language Travel
(1) Sprachschule Aktiv München assumes no responsibility for the language travel it arranges. The activity of Sprachschule Aktiv München is limited to arranging the language travel.
13. Arranging Accommodation
(1) Sprachschule Aktiv München does not offer its own accommodation and assumes no obligation to provide housing.
(2) The organisation and provision of suitable accommodation is the sole responsibility of the language course participant or applicant.
(3) In individual cases, Sprachschule Aktiv München may provide non-binding assistance in the search for accommodation, in particular by forwarding contacts to host families or external providers, subject to available capacity.
(4) In this context, Sprachschule Aktiv München acts solely as an intermediary. There is no legal claim to the arrangement or provision of accommodation. No guarantee is given for the conclusion of a rental or accommodation agreement.
(5) Any contractual relationships regarding accommodation are formed exclusively between the course participant and the respective landlord. Sprachschule Aktiv München assumes no liability in this regard.
(6) We assume no liability for accidents, theft, or other damage to property or persons in connection with the arranged accommodation. Sprachschule Aktiv acts only as an intermediary and is not liable for the arranged accommodation. Information about the accommodation is obtained from the respective providers; therefore, Sprachschule Aktiv assumes no liability for the accuracy or completeness of the information provided.
(7) We are not liable for the condition of the arranged accommodation, for disputes with the respective landlord, or if the accommodation is not to the participant’s liking. Contracts for the respective accommodation are concluded directly between the course participants and the landlords; therefore, Sprachschule Aktiv is not liable for any resulting complications. Sprachschule Aktiv is not obliged to arrange alternative accommodation at the participant’s request.
14. Final Provisions
(1) Information on the processing of your personal data can be found in our Privacy Policy.
(2) The detailed withdrawal instructions and a model withdrawal form can be found here: Right of Withdrawal.
(3) The law of the Federal Republic of Germany applies.
(4) The German version of these Terms and Conditions is authoritative. In the event of any discrepancy between the German version and any other language version, the German version shall prevail.
Sprachschule Aktiv München · Heßstraße 90 · 80797 Munich