Conditions

1. Enrolment & confirmation

By enrolling you accept the general conditions in the ESL Language Studies Abroad contract. Enrolment can be made by letter or fax (enrolment form), by telephone, or via our Internet site. We will confirm your booking within seven days of receipt of the enrolment form if enroling from within Switzerland, or ten days for other countries. You will be promptly informed if one of the courses you have selected is full and an alternative will be proposed. In the case of a last-minute enrolment (within 2 weeks of departure) a CHF 50/€30 fee for express postage will be charged (USA: CHF 100/€70) The cost of your course will be converted to Swiss francs/Euros on the day your invoice is sent (about 5 weeks before your departure).

2. Liability

ESL Language Studies Abroad cannot be held liable in the event that any service contracted to be supplied becomes impossible to provide due to: non-provision from the supplier of the service, war, conflicts, or any other event beyond our control. ESL cannot be held responsible for losses or damage caused to persons or entities under any circumstances. ESL is responsible, as a language course agent, for the authenticity of the information on this website, the accuracy of its content, the conscientious choice of our partners and for the transmission of travel documents. ESL will not be liable for accidents which occur during the courses or during travel. Liability is therefore assumed by the service contractor (school, airline, etc.). ESL reserves the right to modify the content of its catalogue, as well as its chosen providers, without notice.

3. Changes to enrolments

Before departure
For each change to enrolment made before your departure, we charge a minimum fee of CHF 50/ €30, up to a maximum fee of CHF 150/€ 100. A change of school is considered as a cancellation under the conditions specified in point 4.

After departure
After your departure, not all changes will involve reopening your file. Please speak directly to our partner school if you want to make changes to your departure date, or your accommodation or any other such changes. If the change is related to a complaint, please see point 11.

Flights
In the case of a change in reservation after confirmation of the ticket, the flight-operator’s cancellation fees will be included in the bill.

4.Cancellation

Regarding language courses
a) In the event of a cancellation, a certified letter must be sent to us. If cancellation occurs more than 30 days before your departure, a CHF 400/ € 260 fee will be charged.
b) If cancellation is made less than 30 days before your departure, the following cancellation fees will be charged:
from 29 to 15 days before departure 20 % of total bill
from 14 to 08 days before departure 40 % of total bill
from 07 to 01 days before departure 80 % of total bill
From the first day of your stay, or in the case of early return, no refund is made.
Flights
In case of flight cancellation, the flight-operator’s cancellation fees will apply.

5.Insurance

Cancellation insurance
An optional ESL cancellation fee insurance product can be purchased for all of our courses (CHF 99/€ 75). In case of sickness or accident before your departure (medical certificate required), this insurance will provide personal cover against cancellation fees (4b). Please note that this cancellation fee insurance will not cover you for the fees mentioned in 3 and 4a, nor for flight ticket costs. With your enrolment confirmation, you will also receive information about European Flight Insurance. Please return the subscription form to us if you wish to purchase this insurance.
Examination cancellation insurance
If you are to sit for an exam, a negative outcome for which would influence your departure, it is possible for you to subscribe to our examination cancellation insurance free of charge. If the need arises, we will ask you to produce an official document as proof that you did not pass the exam. Language course charges will be completely refunded. Please note that the plane ticket is separate and is not included in this cancellation insurance. This insurance is valid up until 10 days before departure.
Accident and medical insurance
It is your obligation to be covered against the risk of sickness and accident while overseas. You can either inform your health insurance provider of your departure overseas, or apply for such insurance through our organisation.

6. Conditions for admission into country of destination

All admission requirements (visa, valid insurance, customs formalities, etc.) are your responsibility. We will provide you with the information given by the embassies and help you through the steps for obtaining a visa. Conditions often vary between Swiss citizens, French citizens and other nationalities. If authorisation for entry into a country is refused for reasons independent of the volition of ESL Language Studies Abroad, your course will be cancelled according to the conditions outlined in point 4.

7. Misconduct

ESL Language Studies Abroad and our partner schools reserve the right to refuse enrolment or to send away a participant if, according to our opinion, his/her behaviour interferes with the proper functioning of the school. All the related charges – including the return trip – are the responsibility of the participant or his/her parents. Participants, or their legal guardians, are responsible for all damage and losses caused during their stay. 

8. Payment

A deposit of 15% of the total fees (to a maximum of CHF 500/€ 300) is payable from receipt of the confirmation of enrolment. The balance, including our bank transfer fee of CHF 15 (amount converted into EUR the day of issue of the confirmation/bill), is due no later than 4 weeks before the start of the course. If enrolment is made less than 4 weeks before the start of the course, the total balance is payable upon receipt of the bill. Payment must reach us in full before your departure. In case of failure to pay your deposit or the balance of your account, your reservation may be cancelled by ESL Language Studies Abroad (according to the cancellation conditions mentioned in point 4). Your file will be sent to you on receipt of full payment.

10. Cancellation of a program

The organiser may cancel a course due to a major incident, under order from authorities, due to strikes, unrest or other restrictive circumstances. Tuition costs will be refunded; however, services already provided will be charged for.

9. Price changes

ESL Language Studies Abroad reserves the right to alter prices in the case of unforeseeable changes such as currency fluctuations, increases in transport costs, introduction of or increases in state taxes such as airport tax or sales tax. If the increase exceeds 10 % of the total advised by ESL Language Studies Abroad, you have the right to terminate your contract without charges, by registered mail and within 10 days of receipt of our confirmation.

11. Dispute resolution

All complaints must be addressed directly to the school during your stay. If approaching the school fails to resolve the problem, contact ESL Language Studies Abroad. If the matter cannot be resolved directly, you can demand a written report from the school and contact us with your complaint, no later than 30 days after your return. Complaints are inadmissible after this period.

12. Lowest price guarantee

If, within 30 days of payment, you find a language course in Switzerland/France that offers in their official brochure the exact same program, with the same services (identical accommodation and school) and for the same dates, with a lower price (in the currency of the destination country) than the one you have contracted with ESL Language Studies Abroad, we guarantee to reimburse you the difference. This guarantee excludes all promotional offers or personalised budgets offered by other language studies organisations, as well as other services: plane tickets, insurance, hotels, etc.

13. Organisation liability

Contact our partner schools’ liability departments.

14. Legal matters

Only Swiss law is applicable in your legal relations with ESL Language Studies  Abroad. Montreux is our legal base.