General Terms and Conditions (GTC)

§ 1 Scope and Provider

(1) These General Terms and Conditions (hereinafter "GTC") apply to all contracts between Vitalink ATLS Education GmbH (hereinafter "Provider") and its customers (hereinafter "Customer" or "Participant") regarding the booking and delivery of medical training courses, in particular ATLS courses (Advanced Trauma Life Support) and related training formats in person, online, and hybrid.

(2) The Provider is Vitalink ATLS Education GmbH, Kipsburg 31, 44263 Dortmund, Germany, registered at the Dortmund District Court.

(3) Deviating, conflicting or supplementary GTC of the Customer shall not become part of the contract unless the Provider expressly agrees to their validity in writing.

(4) A consumer within the meaning of these GTC is any natural person who enters into a legal transaction for purposes that are predominantly outside their commercial or independent professional activity (§ 13 BGB). An entrepreneur is a natural or legal person or partnership with legal capacity who, when concluding the contract, is acting in the exercise of their commercial or independent professional activity (§ 14 BGB).

§ 2 Subject Matter and Course Offering

(1) The Provider offers medical education and training courses aimed at physicians, medical professionals and qualified specialists. The content of each course is set out in the respective course description on the Provider's website.

(2) Courses may take place in Germany, Egypt or at other venues announced by the Provider. Digital learning content is provided via a secure online platform.

(3) The Provider reserves the right to change individual course dates, venues or instructors for organisational reasons, insofar as this is reasonable for the participant.

§ 3 Formation of Contract

(1) The display of courses on the website does not constitute a legally binding offer, but a non-binding invitation to submit an offer (invitatio ad offerendum).

(2) By submitting the online registration form and clicking the "Register with obligation to pay" button, the Customer makes a binding offer to conclude a course contract.

(3) The Provider confirms receipt of the registration immediately by email (confirmation of receipt). This confirmation does not constitute acceptance of the offer. The contract is only concluded upon receipt of the separate booking confirmation (acceptance) from the Provider, or at the latest upon commencement of the course.

(4) The contract text is stored by the Provider. The Customer may access the contract text at any time via their customer account after conclusion of the contract.

§ 4 Prices and Payment Terms

(1) The prices displayed on the website at the time of booking apply. All prices include statutory VAT unless otherwise stated.

(2) The course fee is due for payment upon receipt of the booking confirmation, but no later than 14 days before the course begins, without deduction, unless otherwise agreed.

(3) Payments can be made by SEPA transfer, credit card or via the respective payment service providers offered. For payments abroad (e.g. USA, Egypt), the Customer bears all bank charges.

(4) If the Customer defaults on a payment, the Provider is entitled to charge default interest at the statutory rate as well as reminder fees.

§ 5 Participation Requirements

(1) Participation in specialist courses requires the qualifications specified by the Provider in the respective course description (e.g. completed medical degree, medical license, professional experience). By registering, the participant confirms that they meet the required prerequisites.

(2) The participant is obliged to follow the instructions of the instructors and course staff, particularly with regard to safety and hygiene regulations.

(3) The Provider is entitled to exclude participants for important reasons (e.g. gross disruption, lack of qualification, non-payment). There is no entitlement to a refund of the course fee in such cases.

§ 6 Cancellation and Rebooking by the Participant

(1) Cancellations must be made in writing (email suffices). The date of receipt of the cancellation by the Provider is decisive.

(2) For consumers, the statutory right of withdrawal pursuant to § 8 of these GTC takes priority.

(3) Outside the right of withdrawal, the following cancellation conditions apply:

• Up to 30 days before course start: free cancellation.
• 29 to 15 days before course start: 50% of the course fee as cancellation charge.
• 14 to 8 days before course start: 75% of the course fee.
• 7 days or less before course start and in case of no-show: 100% of the course fee.

(4) The participant may nominate a substitute participant, provided they meet the participation requirements. The nomination requires the Provider's consent, which may only be refused for good cause.

§ 7 Cancellation and Postponement by the Provider

(1) The Provider reserves the right to cancel or postpone courses if the minimum number of participants is not reached, in case of instructor illness, force majeure or other important reasons.

(2) In the event of cancellation, the participant will receive a full refund of the course fee. Further claims, in particular for reimbursement of travel, accommodation or loss of earnings costs, are excluded unless the Provider is guilty of intent or gross negligence.

§ 8 Right of Withdrawal for Consumers

Consumers have a statutory right of withdrawal in accordance with the attached cancellation policy. For digital content and online courses, the right of withdrawal may expire prematurely pursuant to § 356(5) BGB if the consumer has expressly consented.

§ 9 Copyright and Usage Rights

(1) All course materials, scripts, presentations, videos, illustrations and other content are protected by copyright. They may only be used for the personal use of the participant.

(2) Reproduction, distribution, public availability or commercial use is prohibited without prior written consent of the Provider.

(3) Audio and video recordings during courses are not permitted without the express permission of the Provider.

§ 10 Liability

(1) The Provider is liable without limitation for damages resulting from injury to life, body or health as well as for damages based on intent or gross negligence.

(2) For other damages, the Provider is only liable in the event of breach of a material contractual obligation (cardinal obligation), limited to the typically foreseeable damage.

(3) Any further liability is excluded. This applies in particular to damages resulting from improper application of the content taught in the course in the participant's professional practice. The participant remains solely responsible for their own medical activities.

(4) The limitation of liability does not apply to claims under the Product Liability Act or from a guarantee assumed by the Provider.

§ 11 Consent Record-Keeping Obligation

All customer consents (e.g. acceptance of GTC and Privacy Policy) are logged and archived with timestamp, IP address, and the applicable version of the GTC or Privacy Policy. This serves the accountability obligation pursuant to Art. 7(1) GDPR.

§ 12 ACS Trademark and Certificate Notice

(1) ATLS® and Advanced Trauma Life Support® are registered trademarks of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). The Provider is NOT an ACS licensee, but a broker and course coordinator between the participant and an ACS-accredited course site in Egypt (Egyptian Life Support Training Center, ELSTC, Cairo).

(2) The ATLS® Provider certificate is issued exclusively by the ACS or the accredited chapter. It requires passing the pretest, practical and final examinations. There is no claim against the Provider for certificate issuance.

(3) The participant may apply to their competent medical chamber for CME recognition; the Provider does not guarantee any specific number of credits.

§ 13 No Package Travel

(1) The subject of the contract is exclusively the course place at the venue in Cairo. Flights, visa, hotel and transfers are organised and booked by the participant on their own responsibility. The information under "Hotels Cairo" is non-binding.

(2) Therefore this is expressly NOT a package tour within the meaning of §§ 651a et seq. BGB. The provisions of package travel law (in particular insolvency insurance pursuant to § 651r BGB) do not apply.

(3) The participant is responsible for informing themselves of entry requirements, travel and safety advice from the Federal Foreign Office, and necessary insurance (international health, professional liability, trip cancellation).

§ 14 Data Protection

The Provider processes the Customer's personal data exclusively in accordance with applicable data protection regulations. Details: Privacy Policy.

§ 15 Final Provisions

(1) The laws of the Federal Republic of Germany shall apply, excluding the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. For consumers, this choice of law only applies insofar as the consumer is not deprived of the protection granted by mandatory provisions of their habitual residence.

(2) If the Customer is a merchant, legal entity under public law or special fund under public law, the exclusive place of jurisdiction is the registered office of the Provider.

(3) The European Commission provides a platform for online dispute resolution (ODR): https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr. The Provider is neither obliged nor willing to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board.

(4) Should individual provisions of these GTC be or become invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions shall remain unaffected.