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General terms and conditions of Ace! Management Partners, hereinafter to
be referred to as: user
Article 1 Definitions
1. In the present general terms and conditions, the following terms are
used in the sense given below, unless explicitly indicated otherwise.
- User: the user of the general terms and conditions.
- Client: user's opposite party.
- Agreement: the agreement concerning the provision of services.
Article 2 General
1. The present terms and conditions shall apply to each and every offer,
tender and agreement between user and a client, to which user has declared
the present terms and conditions applicable, insofar as parties have not
explicitly deviated from the present terms and conditions in writing.
2. The present terms and conditions shall also apply to all agreements
with user, the execution of which calls for the services of third parties.
3. Possible deviations from the present general terms and conditions
shall only be valid provided they have been explicitly agreed upon in writing.
4. The applicability of client's possible purchase or other conditions
is explicitly rejected.
5. If one or more stipulations in the present general terms and conditions
should be null and void or declared null and void, then the other stipulations
of the present general terms and conditions shall remain fully applicable.
The case ensuing, user and client shall enter into negotiations to agree
upon new stipulations replacing the null and void conditions, or, as the
case may be, the conditions declared null and void, whereby the purpose
and the meaning of the original conditions shall be heeded as far as possible.
Article 3 Offers and Tenders
1. All offers shall be free of obligation unless the offer contains an
acceptance term.
2. The offers made by user shall be free of obligation; they shall be
valid for a period of 30 days, unless indicated otherwise. User shall only
be bound by the offers if the acceptance thereof is confirmed in writing
by the opposite party within 30 days, unless indicated otherwise.
3. The prices given in above-mentioned offers and tenders shall be exclusive
of VAT and other government levies, as well as of the other expenses to
be possibly made within the scope of the agreement, including shipment and
administration costs, unless user indicates otherwise.
4. If the acceptance deviates (on secondary items) from the offer given,
user shall not be bound by it. The agreement shall in such event not be
concluded in accordance with said deviating acceptance, unless user indicates
otherwise.
5. A compound quotation shall not oblige user to execute part of the
assignment against a corresponding part of the given quotation.
6. Offers and tenders shall not apply automatically to future assignments.
Article 4 Execution of the Agreement
1. User shall execute the agreement to the best of his knowledge and
ability and in compliance with the demands of proper craftsmanship, all
this on the basis of the state of science as known then.
2. If and in so far required for the proper execution of the agreement,
user shall have the right to have certain work done by third parties.
3. The client shall see to it that user shall be provided in due time
with all data which user has said to be necessary or which the client must
in all reasonableness understand to be necessary to the execution of the
agreement. If user has not been provided in due time with the data necessary
to the execution of the agreement, user shall have the right to suspend
the execution of the agreement and / or to charge the client for the additional
costs resulting from the delay at the generally accepted rates.
4. User shall not be liable for damage of whatever nature caused by the
fact that user worked on the basis of incorrect and / or incomplete data
provided by the client, unless user should have been aware of said incorrectness
or incompleteness.
5. If parties have agreed that the agreement will be executed in stages,
user can suspend the execution of the parts belonging to a following stage
until the client has approved in writing the results of the stage prior
to it.
6. If user or third parties engaged by user within the scope of the assignment
do work at client's site or at a site designated by client, client shall
provide the employees having to work there free of charge with all facilities
desired in all reasonableness by said employees.
7. Client shall safeguard user against possible claims filed by third
parties who may sustain damage attributable to client in connection with
the execution of the agreement.
Article 5 Changes to the agreement
1. If it is shown during the execution of the agreement that the work
to be done needs to be changed and supplemented in order to ensure its proper
execution, parties shall adapt the agreement accordingly in due time and
in mutual consultations.
2. If parties agree that the agreement needs to be changed or supplemented,
this decision may influence the time of completion of the execution. User
shall inform the client thereof as soon as possible.
3. Should the change or supplement to the agreement have any financial
and / or qualitative consequences, user shall inform client thereof in advance.
4. If a fixed fee has been agreed upon then user shall indicate the degree
to which the change or supplement to the agreement will result in an increase
of said fee.
5. Contrary to the conditions of paragraph 3, user shall not be able
to charge additional costs if the change or supplement is the result of
circumstances attributable to user.
Article 6 Duration of the Contract; Term of Execution
1. The agreement between user and a client shall be entered into for
an indefinite period of time, unless the nature of the agreement dictates
otherwise or if parties have explicitly agreed otherwise in writing.
2. If a term has been agreed to complete certain work within the term
of the agreement, then this term shall never be a term to be observed on
penalty of forfeiture of rights. If the term of execution is exceeded, the
client must consequently declare user in default in writing.
Article 7 Fee
1. The paragraphs 2., 5. and 6. through 11. shall apply to those offers
and agreements in which a fixed fee is offered or agreed upon. If no fixed
fee has been agreed upon, the paragraphs 3. through 11. of the present article
shall apply.
2. Parties can agree upon a fixed fee the moment the agreement is concluded.
3. If no fixed fee has been agreed upon, the fee shall be determined
on the basis of the number of hours actually spent on the work. The fee
shall be calculated in accordance with user's usual hourly rates, valid
for the period in which the work is being done, unless a deviating hourly
rate has been agreed upon.
4. The fee and a possible cost estimate shall be exclusive of VAT.
5. With respect to assignments with a duration of more than 1 months,
the costs owed shall be charged periodically.
6. If user and the client agree upon a fixed fee or an hourly rate, user
shall nevertheless be entitled to increase this fee or rate.
7. User shall be allowed to charge on price increases, if user can demonstrate
that significant changes in price have occurred between the time of offer
and the time of delivery with respect to, e.g., salaries and wages.
8. User shall furthermore be able to increase the fee when it is shown
during the execution of the work that the volume of work initially agreed
upon or expected when the contract was concluded, was underestimated to
such a degree, and this through no fault of the user, that user cannot be
expected in reasonableness to do the work agreed upon for the fee initially
agreed upon.
9. Client will be authorised to annul the agreement, if the fee or tariff
is increased within three months after entering the agreement. After expiration
of said period, the principal will be authorised to annul the agreement,
if the increase exceeds 10%. Client will not be entitled to annulment if
the increase of the fee or rate results from a competence by virtue of the
law.
10. User shall notify the client in writing of his intention to increase
the fee or the hourly rate, whereby user shall communicate the volume of
said increase and the date on which it shall take effect.
11. If client does not wish to accept the increase in fee or hourly rate
communicated by user, client shall be entitled to terminate the agreement
in writing within seven working days following the above-mentioned notification,
or to cancel the assignment by the date given in user's notification on
which the change in fee or hourly rate would take effect.
Article 8 Payment
1. Payment must be made within 7 days from the date of invoice, in a
way to be indicated by user and in the currency in which the statement of
expenses was drawn up. Contestation of the amount of the statements of expenses
shall not suspend the fulfilment of the payment obligation
2. If client fails to fulfil his payment obligation within the term of
7 days, then client shall be in default by operation of law. In that event,
client shall owe an interest of 1% per month, unless the statutory interest
rate is higher, in which case the statutory interest rate shall apply. The
interest on the amount due and payable shall be calculated as from the day
the client is in default until the moment he has paid the amount in full.
3. User's claims against client shall become due on demand in the event
that client's company is wound up, attached, declared bankrupt, or if a
suspension of payment is granted.
4. User shall be entitled to have the payments made by the client go
first of all to reduce the costs, subsequently to reduce the interest still
due and finally to reduce the principal sum and the current interest. User
shall have the right, without this leading user to be in default, to refuse
an offer for payment, if the client designates a different sequence of attribution.
User shall be entitled to refuse full payment of the principal sum, if said
payment does not include the interest still due, the current interest and
the costs.
5. If payment is made within 7 days from the date of invoice, user shall
not add a surcharge.
6. If payment is made after more than 7 days, client shall owe user a
surcharge of 2%, unless parties agree otherwise in writing.
Article 9 Retention of Title
1. All goods delivered by user, possibly also including designs, sketches,
drawings, films, software, (electronic) files, etc., shall remain user's
property until client has fulfilled all of his obligations under all agreements
concluded with user.
2. Client shall not be authorised to pledge or encumber in any way the
goods falling under the retention of title.
3. If third parties seize goods delivered subject to retention of title
or wish to establish or assert a right to them, client shall be held to
inform user thereof as soon as can reasonably expected.
4. The client shall undertake to insure the goods delivered subject to
retention of title and to keep them insured against damage caused by fire,
explosion and water as well as against theft and make this insurance policy
available for inspection on first demand.
5. Goods delivered by user falling under the retention of title by virtue
of the stipulations under 1. of the present article, may only be sold on
within the framework of normal business activities and must never be used
as instrument of payment.
6. In the event that user wishes to exercise his ownership rights mentioned
in the present article, client shall give user or third parties to be appointed
by user, now for then, unconditional and irrevocable permission to access
all sites and locations where user's property might be found and to take
these goods back.
Article 10 Collection Charges
1. If the client fails to fulfil his obligations (in due time) or defaults
on them, then all reasonable costs incurred to have all extrajudicial costs
and debts paid shall be borne by the client. The client shall in any case
owe the collection charges in the event of a monetary claim. The collection
charges shall be calculated in accordance with the collection rates advised
by the Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten (Netherlands Bar) for collection procedures.
2. If user demonstrates that he has incurred higher expenses, which were
necessary in reason, said expenses shall also qualify for reimbursement.
3. The reasonable judicial and execution costs possibly incurred shall
equally be borne by client.
Article 11 Inspection & Complaints
1. The client must notify user in writing of complaints about the work
done within 8 days following their detection, but no later than within 14
days following completion of the work concerned. The notice of default must
give as detailed a description as possible of the shortcoming, so that user
is in a position to respond adequately.
2. If a complaint proves to be well-founded, user shall yet do the work
as agreed upon, unless such has become demonstrably useless in the meantime
to the client. The client must notify user in writing if the latter is the
case.
3. If it is no longer possible or useful to still do the work with respect
to the provision of services agreed upon, user shall only be liable within
the limits of article 15.
Article 12 Cancellation
1. Both parties shall be entitled to cancel the agreement at all times.
2. If the agreement is terminated prematurely by client, user shall be
entitled to compensation of the loss of capacity utilisation to be demonstrated
caused by said premature termination, unless the termination is based on
facts and circumstances which can be attributed to user. Client shall furthermore
be held in that event to pay the statement of expenses for the work done
up till that moment. The preliminary results of the work done up till that
moment shall therefore be put at client's disposal subject to approval.
3. If the agreement is terminated prematurely by user, user shall see
to it in conjunction with client that the work still to be done be transferred
to third parties, unless the termination is based on facts and circumstances
which can be attributed to client.
4. If the transfer of the work still to be done entails extra costs for
user, said costs shall be charged to client.
Article 13 Suspension and Dissolution
1. User shall be authorised to suspend the fulfilment of the obligations
under the agreement, in the event that:
- client does not fulfil or does not fully fulfil his obligations resulting
from the agreement
- after the agreement has been concluded, user learns of circumstances
giving good ground to fear that the client will not fulfil his obligations.
If good ground exists to fear that the client will only partially or improperly
fulfil his obligations, suspension shall only be allowed in so far the shortcoming
justifies such action.
- client was asked to furnish security to guarantee the fulfilment of
his obligations resulting from the agreement when the contract was concluded
and that this security is not provided or insufficient.
2. User shall furthermore be authorised to dissolve the agreement (have
the agreement dissolved) if circumstances arise of such a nature that fulfilment
of the obligations becomes impossible or can no longer be demanded in accordance
with the requirements of reasonableness and fairness, or if other circumstances
arise of such a nature that the unaltered maintenance of the agreement can
no longer be demanded in all reasonableness.
3. If the agreement is dissolved, the user's claims against the client
shall be forthwith due and payable. If user suspends fulfilment of his obligations,
he shall retain his rights under the law and the agreement.
4. User shall always retain the right to claim damages.
Article 14 Return of Goods Put at Client's Disposal
1. If user has put goods at client's disposal during and in connection
with the execution of the agreement, client shall be held to return the
delivered goods within 14 days in their original state, free of defects
and in their entirety. If client fails to fulfil this obligation, all resulting
costs shall be at client 's expense.
2. If, for any reason whatsoever, client still remains in default to
fulfil the obligation mentioned under 1. after being warned to do so, user
shall be entitled to recover the resulting damage and costs, including replacement
costs, from client.
Article 15 Liability
1. Should user be liable, then said liability shall be limited to the
stipulations of the present condition.
2. If user is liable for direct damage, then said liability shall be
limited to a maximum equalling the amount of the payment to be made by user's
insurer, at any rate up to a maximum of twice the amount of the statement
of expenses, at any rate that part of the assignment to which the liability
relates.
3. In the event of an assignment with a duration of more than 6 months,
the liability shall, contrary to the stipulations under 2. of the present
article, furthermore be limited to the part of the fee still due for the
last six months.
4. Direct damage shall be understood to be exclusively:
- the reasonable costs incurred to establish the cause and the volume
of the damage, in so far said establishment relates to damage in the sense
of the present terms and conditions
- the reasonable costs possibly incurred to have user's faulty performance
meet the conditions of the agreement, unless such faulty performance cannot
be attributed to user;
- the reasonable costs incurred to prevent or limit the damage, in so
far client demonstrates that said costs have led to the limitation of direct
damage as meant in the present general terms and conditions.
5. User shall never be liable for indirect damage, including consequential
damage, loss of profit, lost savings and damage due to business stagnation.
6. The limitations of liability for direct damage contained in the present
terms and conditions shall not apply if the damage is due to intentional
act or omission or gross negligence on the part of user or his subordinates
Article 16 Safeguarding
1. The client shall safeguard user against claims filed by third parties
concerning intellectual property rights on material or data provided by
the client, which shall be used for and during the execution of the agreement.
2. If the client provides user with information carriers, electronic
files or software etc., the former shall guarantee that said information
carriers, electronic files or software are free of viruses and defects.
Article 17 Transfer of Risk
1. The risk of loss of, or damage to the goods being the subject of the
agreement, shall be transferred to client the moment said goods are judicially
and/or actually delivered to client and therefore fall into the power of
client or of third parties to be appointed by client
Article 18 Force Majeure
1. Parties shall not be held to fulfil any of their obligations if they
are hindered to do so due to a circumstance through no fault of their own
and which cannot be attributed to them by virtue of law, a legal action
or generally accepted practice.
2. In addition to the provisions of the law and the judge-made law in
this respect, force majeure shall in the present general terms and conditions
furthermore be understood to be any external circumstance, be it envisaged
or not, on which user cannot have any influence but which prevents user
from fulfilling his obligations. Industrial action at user's company shall
also be understood to be a circumstance of force majeure.
3. User shall also be entitled to invoke force majeure if the circumstance
rendering (further) fulfilment of the obligation(s) impossible, commences
after the point in time on which user should have fulfilled his obligation.
4. Throughout the duration of the circumstances of force majeure, parties
shall be entitled to suspend the fulfilment of their obligations. If this
period lasts for more than two months, either of the parties shall be entitled
to dissolve the agreement without any obligation to pay the opposite party
damages.
5. Insofar user has already partially fulfilled his obligations resulting
from the agreement at the moment the circumstance of force majeure commenced
or shall be able to fulfil them and insofar separate value can be attributed
to the part already fulfilled or still to be fulfilled respectively, user
shall be entitled to submit a separate statement of expenses of the part
already fulfilled or still to be fulfilled respectively. The client shall
be held to pay this statement of expenses as if it were a separate agreement.
Article 19 Secrecy
1. Both parties shall be bound to secrecy of all confidential information
they have received within the scope of their agreement from each other or
from another source. Information shall be considered to be confidential
if the other party has indicated so or if the confidential character results
from the nature of the information.
2. If a statutory provision or a judicial decision compels user to convey
confidential information to third parties designated by law or by the court
and user cannot for that purpose invoke a legal right to refuse to give
evidence or such a right acknowledged or allowed by the competent court,
user shall not be held to pay damages or compensation and the opposite party
shall not be entitled to demand the dissolution of the agreement on the
ground of any damage resulting from said circumstance.
Article 20 Intellectual Property and Copyrights
1. Without prejudice to the other stipulations of the present general
terms and conditions, user shall reserve the rights and authorities to which
user is entitled under the Copyright Act.
2. All documents, such as reports, advice, agreements, designs, sketches,
drawings, software, etc., provided by user, shall be destined to be used
by client exclusively and must not be reproduced, made public or brought
to the notice of third parties by client without prior consent from user,
unless the nature of the documents provided dictates otherwise.
3. User shall reserve the right to use the knowledge gained due to the
execution of the work for other purposes, in so far no confidential information
shall be brought to the notice of third parties when doing so.
Article 21 Samples and Models
1. If a sample or model has been given to client, then the assumption
is that such has been given by way of indication only, unless parties agree
explicitly that the product to be delivered shall correspond with it.
2. In the event of an assignment concerning immovable property, the surface
area or other measurements and indications given shall also be assumed to
be merely indicative without any obligation to have the product to be delivered
correspond with it.
Article 22 Non-employment of the opposite party's personnel
1. Throughout the duration of the agreement and for one year following
termination thereof, client shall not in any way, hire or employ in any
other way, be it directly or indirectly, staff of user or of enterprises
whom user has engaged to execute the present agreement and who are (were)
involved in the execution of the agreement, without prior proper businesslike
consultation on this matter, all this in accordance with the requirements
of reasonableness and fairness.
Article 23 Disputes
1. The Court in user's place of business shall have exclusive jurisdiction
to hear actions, unless the District Court is the competent Court. User
shall nevertheless be entitled to submit the dispute to the Court deemed
competent by the law.
2. Parties shall only refer the matter to the court if they have done
their utmost to solve the dispute in mutual consultations.
Article 24 Applicable Law
1. Dutch law shall apply to each and every agreement between user and
the client.
Article 25 Changes to the Terms and Conditions and their Location
1. The present terms and conditions have been filed at the office of
the Chamber of Commerce in Breda.
The most recently filed version shall always apply, or, as the case may
be, the version valid at the time the agreement was concluded.
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