General terms and conditions

CLL Terms and Conditions

1. Association Information

CLL, a non-profit organization – Language Centers – Voie Cardijn 8 – B-1348 – Louvain-La-Neuve – B.C.E.: 0431.176.282 – Tel.: +32 (0) 10 47 06 06 – commu@cll.be – www.cll.be

Online contact form: https://www.cll.be/fr/contact

Live Chat: You can receive a transcript of your chat conversations with the CLL, provided that you enter your email address at the beginning of the conversation.

2. General Information and Definitions

1. These General Terms and Conditions of Sale govern all relationships between ASBL CLL – Centres de Langues (hereinafter “the CLL” or “CLL”) and its customers, unless otherwise expressly agreed in writing by the CLL. By placing an order, the customer agrees to these General Terms and Conditions of Sale, waiving any general or specific terms and conditions mentioned in the customer’s own purchase orders, letters, or commercial documents, even if such documents were handwritten prior to or after the preparation of our documents.

2° The word “course” used in these conditions represents a unit of training on a given date for a given number of hours (e.g., a 2-hour class held on February 28 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. ).

– The term “session” as used in these terms and conditions refers to a complete course program (e.g., a 30-hour course in English at the A2 level, beginning on January 22 and ending on April 12 ).

3. Pursuant to Article 5.226 of the Civil Code, “force majeure” exists when one of the parties is unable, through no fault of its own (no fault can be attributed to it within the meaning of Article 5.225 of the Civil Code), to perform its obligations under the contract. In this regard, consideration is given to the unforeseeable and unavoidable nature (the consequences could not have been avoided despite all due diligence) of the obstacle to performance. Examples include, but are not limited to, strikes, teacher illnesses, weather events, health crises, wars, etc.

4. The CLL’s brochures and online offers were prepared in good faith based on the information available at the time of their preparation. Any errors or changes will be communicated to the customer in the form oferrata or change notices.

Under certain circumstances (including the occurrence of a force majeure event as defined in Article 3), the CLL may be forced to temporarily or permanently discontinue a particular course option, while of course remaining available to offer the client an alternative.

5. The client must provide the CLL with all relevant information that is expressly requested or that could reasonably affect the smooth conduct of the training. If the client provides incorrect information that results in additional costs for the CLL, those costs will be billed to the client.

6. The CLL may charge the customer for any fees resulting from changes the customer makes to the original reservation.

3. Registration

7. Upon registration, the customer is definitively and irrevocably bound to the CLL, regardless of whether a deposit has been paid and subject to Articles 10 and 11 below.

8. Registration for a course can be done by phone, email, or at one of the CLL centers. Upon receipt of the registration, the client will immediately receive confirmation of registration via a document delivered in person, by mail, or by email. The registration as set forth in this confirmation obligates the client to attend the course during the period and at the times specified in this document.

9. The customer may also register online via the CLL website (www.cll.be) or one of its affiliated sites. In this case, by confirming their reservation, the customer irrevocably commits to attending the selected training session. Upon validation of their registration, the customer will immediately receive a confirmation of registration via email. The registration details included in this confirmation email obligate the customer to attend the training during the period and at the times specified in this document.

4. Cancellation and Right of Withdrawal

10°a. Unilateral Termination by the Customer

Any unilateral cancellation of a course registration must be communicated to the CLL either by certified mail, by email to contact@cll.be, or in person by the customer at the reception desk of the Center where the course was to be taken, upon signing a cancellation form.

Except in cases of force majeure as defined in Section 3 of these General Terms and Conditions, the compensation due in the event of unilateral termination is set as follows:

Cancellation more than 31 days before the start of the training: 8% of the training fee;
Cancellation between 31 and 22 days before the start of the training: 15% of the training fee;
Cancellation between 21 and 15 days before the start of the training: 30% of the training fee;
Cancellation between 14 and 8 days before the start of the training: 50% of the training fee;
Cancellation between 7 days and 1 day before the start of the training: 75% of the training fee;
Cancellation on the day the training begins or failure to attend the training (“no-show”): 100% of the training fee.

These terms and conditions apply without prejudice to the right of withdrawal to which a consumer who has entered into a distance contract is entitled in the cases provided for by law.

10(b). Right of withdrawal in the case of a distance contract

When the purchase of the training course was made remotely within the meaning of Article I.8, 15° of the Economic Law Code, the consumer-customer, as defined in Article I.1, 2° of the Economic Law Code, is entitled—subject to the exceptions provided by law and, in particular, Article VI.53 of the Economic Law Code— a period of 14 calendar days from the date the contract was concluded to notify the CLL of their decision to withdraw, without having to provide a reason for their decision.

Before this period expires, the consumer must notify us of their decision to withdraw by email at contact@cll.be.

To this end, the customer may:

or use the cancellation form included in Appendix 1 of these Terms and Conditions;
or submit to the CLL any other unambiguous statement setting forth their decision to withdraw.

The burden of proof concerning the exercise of the right of withdrawal lies with the customer-consumer in accordance with article VI.49, § 4 of the Code of Economic Law.

When the right of withdrawal applies and is validly exercised, the CLL will refund the relevant payments in accordance with applicable legal provisions.

Conducting a training session during the withdrawal period

When the right of withdrawal applies and the consumer-customer wishes for the training to begin before the withdrawal period expires, the legal provisions regarding the commencement and performance of the service during that period apply.

If the service has been fully performed before the expiration of the withdrawal period, the consumer loses the right of withdrawal provided that the performance began with the consumer’s prior express consent and the consumer acknowledged that he or she would lose the right of withdrawal once the contract was fully performed.

10°C. Customized packages and private lessons with flexible scheduling

With regard to à la carte packages and individual lessons with flexible scheduling, any lesson that is not rescheduled at least one business day before the scheduled appointment is considered to have been taught and will be billed.

To be valid, a rescheduling request must be submitted in writing at least 24 hours before the start of the class to contact@cll.be.

This option to reschedule at no charge is limited to four reschedules per course session ordered. If you reschedule more than four times, you will be charged for any additional reschedules.

Class hours, credits, or sessions purchased as part of à la carte packages and flexible-schedule private lessons must be used within 365 calendar days from the start date of the package agreed upon with the client or, in the absence of such a date, from the date of purchase. Upon expiration of this period, any unused hours, credits, or sessions expire and can no longer be used, refunded, or converted.

It is the customer’s responsibility to ensure that any hours, credits, or sessions purchased are used within their validity period.

10°d. Official examinations

With regard to official exams administered by the CLL (Test d’Évaluation du Français – TEF, Certificaat Nederlands als Vreemde Taal – CNaVT, TOEIC, TOEFL), the penalty for unilateral cancellation of exam registration is set as follows, except in cases of force majeure as defined in Article 3°:

Cancellation more than 20 business days before the scheduled exam date: 5% of the exam fee;
Cancellation less than 20 business days before the scheduled exam date: 100% of the exam fee.

5. Adjustment of Training Conditions

11. In the event that the number of registrants for a training course is less than the minimum number required to offer the course, or in the event of a significant change in the dates or the number of hours scheduled for a training course, the CLL reserves the right, unless otherwise agreed by the parties, to cancel the session and refund the full amount paid by the client for that session.

6. Registration Fee

12. The prices listed in the CLL’s programs include all taxes. They include a registration fee of 25 EUR. These administrative fees remain due in the event of termination or cancellation attributable to the customer, unless their refund is required by a mandatory legal provision, particularly in the event of the valid exercise of a legal right of withdrawal.

13. The registration fee is due no later than the last business day preceding the first day of the session. The CLL reserves the right to deny access to the course to any person who has not paid the balance of their registration fee, without prejudice to the CLL’s right to demand full payment of the registration fee in accordance with Article 10(a) (no-show).

14°a Unless otherwise requested, CLL invoices are sent by email to the address of the participant or the individual or entity funding the training. They are payable in full upon receipt.

14(b) When the customer is a consumer as defined in Article I.1, (2) of the Economic Law Code, any delay in payment (i.e., any failure to meet contractual or statutory payment deadlines) on the part of the customer to the CLL is governed by Book XIX of the Economic Law Code.

If the customer has not paid their debt by the due date, the CLL will send them (by mail or email) a formal notice of default in the form of an initial payment reminder.

The customer-consumer will then have fourteen (14) calendar days to pay his debt.

This period of fourteen (14) calendar days will begin on the third working day following that on which the reminder is sent to the customer-consumer. When the reminder is sent electronically, this fourteen (14) calendar-day period will begin on the calendar day following the day on which the reminder is sent to the customer-consumer.

In the event of non-payment on expiry of the fourteen (14) calendar day period (referred to above), the customer-consumer’s debt will be increased:

Late-payment interest, which shall be calculated at the key interest rate plus eight percentage points, as provided for in Article 5, paragraph 2, of the Act of August 2, 2002, on combating late payment;

AND

A lump-sum payment, the amount of which may not exceed:
20 euros if the remaining balance is 150 euros or less;
30 euros plus 10% of the amount due on the portion between 150.01 and 500 euros, if the remaining balance is between 150.01 and 500 euros;
65 euros plus 5% of the amount due on the portion exceeding 500 euros, up to a maximum of 2,000 euros, if the remaining balance is greater than 500 euros.

15° Except in duly justified cases of force majeure as defined in article 3°, anyone withdrawing from a session is liable for the full registration fee for that session.

16. Any financial assistance from public authorities toward the payment of the registration fee—including, in particular, through training voucher programs, language vouchers, and the SME portfolio (KMO portfolio in the Flemish Region), must be specified at the time of registration and must be processed in accordance with applicable regulations. The client must provide proof of such assistance before the start of the training and remains solely liable for the full registration fee in the event that such assistance is not granted. This assistance does not apply to courses that are part of a promotional offer or subject to a price reduction.

7. Installment Payments

17. The CLL offers the option to pay for certain course sessions in installments according to a pre-established payment schedule. This option is available at no additional cost and only for payments made by credit card. Customers who choose this option agree to honor their installment payment commitment. In the event of a breach of this commitment, or if the credit card is blocked for any reason, the CLL will charge an additional 80 EUR for administrative fees, without prejudice to its right to demand full payment of any amounts still owed.

8. Class Participation

18° The premises and equipment made available to participants as part of their courses must be used reasonably and diligently. Any damage will be charged to the negligent person.

19. The CLL reserves the right to deny access to a class to any participant whose behavior prevents other members of their group, or other CLL clients, from attending their class as usual. Any exclusion for disciplinary reasons will be without refund or compensation.

9. Booking Accommodations

20° Reservations for accommodation will only be confirmed upon payment of the full rental amount. In the event of cancellation before the start of the rental period, 50% of the total rental price is payable. If cancellation occurs after the start of the rental period, the full amount remains due.

10. Customer Liability

21. The client is liable for any damage caused to the CLL, its agents, and/or its representatives due to the client’s fault or as a result of the client’s failure to fulfill its contractual obligations. Fault is determined by reference to the conduct of a prudent and reasonable person in the same circumstances.

11. Complaint Procedure

22°a. Before the start of training :

If the client has a complaint before the training begins, he or she must submit it as soon as possible by certified mail or with a return receipt to the CLL at the address listed in section d of this article.

22°b. During training :

Complaints that arise during the term of the contract must be filed as soon as possible so that a solution can be sought. To this end, the client should contact the Director of the CLL Center where they are taking their course (center-based courses), a representative of CLL Business, or a representative of the company or institution organizing the training (in-company courses), or contact the CLL Quality Manager directly. The complaint must be submitted in writing and include, at a minimum, the specific details supporting it.

22°c. After the course :

Complaints that cannot be filed during the training session, or that were not satisfactorily resolved during the training session, must be filed with the CLL no later than one week after the end of the training session, either by certified mail or in writing with a return receipt requested. Any complaint submitted after this deadline will be deemed inadmissible.

22°d. Contact information for the CLL Quality Manager: CLL Language Centers – Quality Manager – 8 Voie Cardijn – B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve – quality@cll.be.

12. Special Terms and Conditions: Businesses and Institutions

23. Training orders are placed via email. Upon receipt of the order, the customer will receive an order confirmation via email. Upon receipt of this confirmation, the customer has 48 business hours to make changes to their initial order. After this period, the order is considered final, and the customer is bound by their commitment to the CLL.

24° In the absence of a specific customer procedure, specified in a call for tenders or on the order form, all course orders will be invoiced for the full amount of the order as a deposit.

25. CLL invoices are payable in full upon receipt. Any amount remaining unpaid by its due date shall, automatically and without prior notice, be subject to late payment interest at a rate of 1% per month, as well as a flat-rate penalty of 10%, with a minimum of 40 EUR.

26° Unilateral cancellations of ordered course sessions must always be made by registered mail or e-mail to cancel@cll.be.

The compensation for unilateral termination is set as follows:

Cancellation between 31 and 22 days before the scheduled training session: 15% of the training fee;
Cancellation between 21 and 15 days before the scheduled training session: 30% of the training fee;
Cancellation between 14 and 8 days before the scheduled training session: 50% of the training fee;
Cancellation between 7 days and 1 day before the scheduled training session: 75% of the training fee;
Cancellation on or before the first day of the training course: 100% of the training fee.

27° Any lesson not rescheduled at least one working day before the scheduled time will be considered as given and therefore billed. To be valid, course postponements must be made in writing at least 24 hours before the start of the course, using the e-mail address cancel@cll.be. This no-cost deferral option is valid for a maximum of four times per course session ordered. After four postponements, all postponed lessons will be billed.

28. The reporting procedures for the training must be provided to the CLL at the time of order. Otherwise, the CLL’s standard procedure will apply.

13. Special Conditions: Use of the Walloon Region’s Training Vouchers

29° Eligibility Requirements

Training Vouchers from the Walloon Region are accepted as partial payment for certain training courses offered by the CLL. The beneficiary must meet the conditions set by the regional program, namely: be a private-sector employee or a self-employed individual whose main source of income is self-employment; carry out their work in Wallonia (excluding the German-speaking region); have a valid ONSS number or business registration number; have obtained prior approval from the Walloon Region; and be in possession of the Training Vouchers before the start of the training course. A list of ineligible occupations has been drawn up by the Walloon Region and will be provided to the client for information purposes when they apply for training.

30° Directions for Use

The client agrees to provide the CLL with the Training Checks no later than the first day of the training.
Otherwise, the full cost of the training will be billed to the client at the current rate, without taking the checks into account.
The number of vouchers that can be used is limited to the number of training hours actually completed, within the limits set by the Walloon Region.

31° Cancellation or Absence

In the event of cancellation or absence from a class, Training Vouchers cannot be used, and the hours not attended will be billed in full to the client (based on the following calculation: hourly rate = total cost of the training divided by the number of hours, rounded up to the next whole hour).
It is the customer’s responsibility to verify whether they are still responsible for the costs in this case, in accordance with the Walloon Region’s terms and conditions.

32° Non-transferability

Training Vouchers are personal and non-transferable. They may only be used by the person named on the identification document associated with the voucher.

33° Check and Validation

If the Walloon Region refuses to approve or reimburse the checks (e.g., failure to meet the conditions, lack of supporting documentation, quota exceeded, etc.), the customer will be liable for the total amount corresponding to the training hours in question.

14. Special Conditions: Online Courses and Tests

34. Definition: The CLL may offer online language courses and tests through its platforms CLL Visio, Language Campus (L-Campus), Language Examination Center, and Language Testing (L-Testing).

35. Equipment: In order to take full advantage of the CLL’s online courses and tests, users must have the necessary equipment (computer, tablet, or smartphone) and a subscription with an Internet service provider. The CLL cannot be held responsible for difficulties accessing the site due to Internet disruptions or access restrictions imposed by the customer’s internal network.

36. Absence: If the user fails to show up (no-show) for a service, the service will take place without the user. It will not be rescheduled and will not be refunded.

37. Rescheduling: Any class that is not rescheduled at least one business day before the scheduled time will be considered to have taken place and will therefore be billed. To be valid, the class must be rescheduled directly by the user on the relevant platform.

38. User Rights: The CLL’s online course and test platforms grant the customer a non-transferable, non-exclusive, and limited right to access, use, and view the platforms’ content, provided that the user complies with these terms and conditions. The materials on the platforms are provided to the user solely for personal, non-commercial use. Certain services on these platforms are available only to registered users of the CLL or of each of these platforms.

By choosing to purchase a subscription or sign up for a trial on a CLL platform, the user agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions set forth in these Terms and Conditions.

39. Use of Platforms: The right to access and use the CLL’s platforms is personal to the user and may not be transferred by the user to any other person or entity. The user may access and use these platforms only for lawful purposes.

Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their personal accounts on these platforms, as well as their usernames and passwords.

The user agrees to notify the CLL of any unauthorized use of their account on a CLL platform. To ensure the Service functions effectively, the user must also keep their registration information up to date and accurate. If the user fails to do so, the accuracy and effectiveness of the Service will be affected.

At the CLL’s sole discretion, the CLL may terminate a user account, or modify, reclaim, or delete any username associated with that account, for any reason whatsoever (including reasons related to illegal or unauthorized use). The CLL is under no obligation to retain any record of users’ accounts or any data or information that the user may have stored through the account and/or the Services.

Access to and use of the CLL’s online course and test platforms may be interrupted from time to time for various reasons, including, but not limited to, equipment malfunctions, periodic updates, maintenance, or repairs to these platforms, or other actions that the CLL, at its sole discretion, may choose to take.

40. Intellectual Property: All materials on the CLL platforms, including content, text, images, software, audio and video files, documentation, email, and the website, remain at all times the exclusive property of the CLL or its suppliers. These materials are protected by international copyright laws, trademark laws, and other intellectual property laws. The user may not display, distribute, sublicense, translate, or reproduce in any way materials protected by copyright, trademarks, or other proprietary information without the prior written consent of the CLL.

41°. Access and Interference: The user hereby declares:

that it will not use any robot, spider, scraper, deep link, or other tool, program, algorithm, or similar methodology for the automatic collection or extraction of data to access, acquire, copy, or monitor a CLL distance learning platform or any part of such a platform without the express written consent of the CLL, which may be withheld at the sole discretion of the CLL;
that he will not use or attempt to use any engine, software, tool, agent, or other device or mechanism (including, without limitation, browsers, spiders, robots, avatars, or intelligent agents) to browse or search a CLL platform, other than the search engines and search agents available through the Service and other than generally available third-party web browsers (such as Microsoft Explorer);
that he or she will not post or transmit any file that contains viruses, worms, Trojan horses, or any other contaminating or destructive features, or that otherwise interferes with the proper functioning of the CLL’s distance learning platforms;
that he will not attempt to decipher, decompile, disassemble, or reverse-engineer any software that is a component of or in any way forms part of the CLL’s distance learning platforms.

The user’s carrier’s standard rates and charges, such as text messaging fees, will apply when the user accesses a CLL distance learning platform using their mobile devices.

15. Occurrence of a Force Majeure Event or a Change in Circumstances

42(a) When a force majeure event as defined in Article 3 occurs, the contract entered into with the CLL may be subject to the following outcomes in accordance with Articles 5.100 through 5.102 of the Civil Code:

be suspended whenever a force majeure event results in a temporary inability to perform the contract, and provided that resuming performance of the contract will still be beneficial to the parties once the force majeure event has ended. This solution shall be preferred and considered before any other.
be terminated if the force majeure event permanently prevents the performance of the contract. In such cases, the customer will be reimbursed for the portion of the contract that has not been performed—that is, the classes not attended—as of the time the force majeure event occurs. This amount will be calculated proportionally based on the total price agreed upon in the contract, excluding a non-refundable fee of 25 EUR (see 12°).

42(b) In the event of a change in circumstances, the parties agree to comply with the provisions of Article 5.74 of the Civil Code, which states that:

“Each party must perform its obligations even if performance has become more burdensome, whether because the cost of performance has increased or because the value of the consideration has decreased.”

However, the debtor may ask the creditor to renegotiate the contract in order to modify it or terminate it when the following conditions are met:

a change in circumstances makes performance of the contract excessively burdensome, such that it cannot reasonably be required;
this change was unforeseeable at the time the contract was entered into;
This change is not attributable to the debtor within the meaning of Article 5.225;
the debtor did not assume that risk; and
The law or the contract does not preclude this possibility.

The parties continue to perform their obligations for the duration of the renegotiations.

If renegotiations are refused or fail within a reasonable period of time, the judge may, at the request of either party, modify the contract to bring it into conformity with what the parties would reasonably have agreed upon at the time the contract was entered into had they taken the change in circumstances into account, or terminate the contract in whole or in part as of a date that may not be prior to the change in circumstances and on terms set by the judge. The action shall be filed and heard in accordance with the procedures for summary proceedings.”

16. Refund

43(a) When the CLL is required to issue a refund to the customer, such refund shall be made in accordance with these General Terms and Conditions and the applicable mandatory legal provisions.

If the refund is due to the CLL canceling the training course, the CLL will refund the full amount paid for that course.

When a refund results from a termination or cancellation attributable to the customer and a refund is due in accordance with these Terms and Conditions, the registration administration fee of 25 EUR remains due, subject to applicable mandatory legal provisions.

43(b) When a refund is required pursuant to the valid exercise of a statutory right of withdrawal, it shall be made in accordance with the provisions of the Economic Law Code applicable to distance contracts.

43°c Where permitted by law, any bank fees charged directly by a financial institution for processing a refund to a foreign account may be charged to the customer, provided the customer has been informed of this in advance.

17. Data Protection Policy

44. In connection with the processing of personal data it receives from its customers, the CLL complies with the provisions of the GDPR (EU) 2016/679 of April 27, 2016, on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data. The privacy policy regarding this data is available on our website (https://www.cll.be/fr/confidentialite). The Customer acknowledges having read this policy and agrees to its terms.

18. Miscellaneous

45. Unless otherwise specified in writing to the CLL by the client prior to the start of the training, testimonials, videos, recordings, or photos that relate to the client, mention the client, or depict the client in the context of the training may be used for promotional purposes, regardless of the form or medium of such activities.

19. Dispute

46. Contracts entered into with CLL pursuant to these general terms and conditions of sale are governed by Belgian law.

47. In the event of a dispute, jurisdiction shall lie solely with the justice of the peace of the 2nd canton of Wavre and the courts of the judicial district of Walloon Brabant.