Here is the translation of the document "Conditions générales de vente de la Cité du Chocolat Valrhona" into English:
General Terms and Conditions of Sale of the Cité du Chocolat Valrhona
Article 1 - Application and Enforceability of the General Terms and Conditions of Sale
Valrhona, a simplified joint-stock company with a capital of 1,539,990 euros, headquartered at 14-18 avenue du Président Roosevelt, 26600 TAIN L’HERMITAGE, registered in the Trade and Companies Register under number 435 480 520 RCS ROMANS, hereinafter referred to as "Cité du Chocolat Valrhona" or "Valrhona" or "Cité du Chocolat", offers services within its Cité du Chocolat (Ticketing, pastry courses, Discovery Workshops...) for individuals, with various options presented on its website at citeduchocolat.com.
The content of the services, training locations, dates and times, as well as prices, are presented on the website. Placing an order verbally, in writing, by fax, email, or Electronic Data Exchange implies full and unconditional acceptance by the Client of these General Terms and Conditions of Sale, regardless of the Client's nationality. They prevail over any other document such as brochures, catalogs, etc., issued by Valrhona, which are only indicative. No special condition can, unless previously accepted in writing by Valrhona, prevail over these General Terms and Conditions of Sale.
For any order via the Internet, the Client's acceptance is materialized by their electronic signature, concretized by the "validation click". This electronic signature is equivalent to a handwritten signature between the parties. This double step is equivalent for the Client to acknowledging that they have fully read and approve all the conditions indicated below.
Any contrary condition set by the Client will, unless expressly and in writing accepted by us, be unenforceable against Valrhona, regardless of when it may have been brought to its attention. The fact that Valrhona does not invoke at a given time any of these General Terms and Conditions of Sale cannot be interpreted as a waiver to invoke later this condition or any other of said conditions.
Article 2 - Sale of Services Cité du Chocolat Valrhona
Ticketing for the Visit Tour
The purchase of entrance tickets to the Cité du Chocolat Valrhona can be done in two ways: at the Ticketing of the Cité du Chocolat, 12 avenue du Président Roosevelt 26600 Tain l’Hermitage or on the Cité du Chocolat website www.citeduchocolat.com. Purchasing through the "physical" ticketing of the Cité du Chocolat allows benefiting from a "normal" price for a purchase after 12 PM or a "morning discount" rate for a purchase before 12 PM. Purchasing through the website allows benefiting from a unique "Web" rate. All rates are indicated on the website citeduchocolat.com.
Workshops and Pastry Courses of the Gourmet School of the Cité du Chocolat Valrhona
Registration for workshops or pastry courses is done via the Valrhona website (www.citeduchocolat.com) or by phone (04 75 09 27 27), subject to availability and opening days of the Cité du Chocolat. Registration can be made as long as the course is open for booking on the Cité du Chocolat website. Registration becomes final, subject to receipt of payment for the service (by Credit Card, or submission of the original Gift Voucher), on the date of sending a confirmation email from the Cité du Chocolat. The Cité du Chocolat reserves the right to cancel the reservation at any time if the Client's contact details are inaccurate.
If one or more services become unavailable after the order, the Cité du Chocolat will inform the Client as soon as possible by a phone call that may be followed by an email or confirmation letter. The Cité du Chocolat will offer a new date to replace the canceled service as far as its availability allows, and the client may either cancel their order and be refunded the payment they may have made for this purpose, or accept the new date offered.
Gift Vouchers
The Cité du Chocolat also offers Gift Vouchers for sale. The Gift Voucher is a payment method that its beneficiary can use to purchase one or more courses offered for sale by the Gourmet School of the Cité du Chocolat, according to the conditions set out below. The Gift Voucher is issued by the Cité du Chocolat in Tain l’Hermitage and is usable exclusively at the Cité du Chocolat located in Tain L’Hermitage. Its validity period is one year from its date of issue without possibility of extension or exchange for any merchandise (chocolate, books, etc.). The Gift Voucher is usable for the service for which it was issued. The Gift Voucher is not nominative. It can be purchased by a person "the buyer" and used by a third party "the beneficiary".
The Gift Voucher is usable throughout its validity period. Beneficiaries must use their gift voucher number(s) when purchasing a service, either online (see paragraph 1) or at the reception ticketing of the Cité. The use of Gift Vouchers outside the validity period cannot be considered as a payment method for the chosen service; the order for this service will then be subject to billing.
Purchases of Gift Vouchers are made either on-site at the Cité du Chocolat, 12 Avenue du Président Roosevelt – 26600 Tain l’Hermitage – France, or on the website www.citeduchocolat.com, or by mail to the address mentioned above, indicating the name of the buyer and the name of the beneficiary of the voucher, as well as the delivery address of the voucher. For orders made by mail, you must necessarily attach your payment which will be the amount of the gift voucher as indicated on our website or on our presentation brochure.
Gift Vouchers will only be issued after the total amount of the order has been cashed. Gift Vouchers are sent to the delivery address indicated at the time of order. It is advisable to indicate a complete address to which the document can be delivered. The delivery times indicated at the time of order are average times, given as an indication and may vary depending on the destination. In case of delay in delivery of the Gift Voucher due to postal services, the responsibility of the Cité du Chocolat Valrhona cannot be engaged. Gift voucher numbers will be used as discount voucher numbers on the online sales site www.citeduchocolat.com.
Article 3 - Prices and Payment Terms
The current price of each service or ticket is the one listed on the day of reservation on the website www.citeduchocolat.com. Prices are expressed in euros including VAT. Payment for the service or ticket on our website is due upon validation of the order, under the following conditions: Any registration that is not paid within this period, either by payment or by mentioning a Gift Voucher, will be canceled. Payment can be made by credit card, by check payable to Valrhona, or in cash at the Cité du Chocolat located 12 avenue du Président Roosevelt – 26600 Tain l’Hermitage – France. Payment can also be made by a valid Cité du Chocolat Gift Voucher: in this specific case, the buyer or beneficiary agrees to send us the Gift Voucher number as payment. Credit cards issued by banks domiciled outside France must necessarily be international credit cards. Checks must be made out in euros and drawn on a bank domiciled in France or Monaco and made payable to the Cité du Chocolat Valrhona. Payments by check will be cashed 6 calendar days before the date of the course.
Article 4 - Cancellation Conditions
Right of Withdrawal
In accordance with the provisions of Article L 221-18 of the Consumer Code, the Client has a legal period of 14 days from the date of the confirmation email from the Cité du Chocolat to exercise their right of withdrawal without having to justify reasons or pay penalties, except for the return costs of the Gift Voucher.
Cancellation of Cité du Chocolat Services
The Cité du Chocolat reserves the right to cancel a service when the minimum number of participants is not reached, up to 7 calendar days before the date of the service. In this case, the Cité du Chocolat will offer a new date to replace the canceled service as far as its availability allows. In case of cancellation by the Client more than 6 calendar days before the date of the course, the Cité du Chocolat will refund the payment or the prepayment made online. In case of cancellation by the Client 6 calendar days or less before the date of the service or NO SHOW, the payment for the course will not be refunded. Except for exercising the right of withdrawal referred to in paragraph 1 above, any service not consumed by the Client does not give rise to any refund, except in cases of force majeure, which must be proven to the Cité du Chocolat (medical certificate, etc.). Force majeure is considered any external element that cannot be anticipated and controlled by the Client (weather event preventing any travel, Client's illness, death of a close relative, etc.).
Cancellation of Gift Vouchers
Except for exercising the right of withdrawal referred to in paragraph 1 above, any Gift Voucher not used during its one-year validity period cannot give rise to any refund or equivalent compensation. The one-year period mentioned above runs from the date of registration of the Gift Voucher order (i.e., its date of issue) by the buyer or beneficiary. In case of cancellation by the Client benefiting from a Gift Voucher not resulting from a case of force majeure, 6 calendar days or less before the date of the service or NO SHOW, the Gift Voucher will be considered used and can no longer be presented for a subsequent service. The Gift Voucher cannot be resold.
Article 5 – Personalized/Group Service
Any registration for a personalized group service must be the subject of a specific reservation request with the Cité du Chocolat Valrhona. The Cité du Chocolat reserves the right to refuse this request if the dates requested by the participants are not compatible with the general schedule of activities of the Cité du Chocolat. In this case, the Cité will do its best to propose another date for this service. Specific general terms and conditions of sale for personalized/group services can be requested from the Group service of the Cité du Chocolat cite@valrhona.fr or at 04 75 09 27 27.
Article 6 - Liability
The Cité du Chocolat reserves the right to cancel a service in case of force majeure, and such cancellation cannot engage its liability. The Client acknowledges and accepts that the supply of products intended for the course is subject to market fluctuations, particularly for certain seasonal or exceptional products. The Client therefore accepts that the Cité du Chocolat makes some adjustments to a recipe initially proposed for a given course depending on the availability of products. When such adjustments do not fundamentally alter the recipe or its spirit, the course is maintained, and these adjustments do not give rise to a refund of the price, total or partial. When market fluctuations force the Cité du Chocolat to fundamentally modify the proposed recipe, the Cité du Chocolat reserves the right to cancel the reserved course and reschedule it for a later date. The Cité du Chocolat will inform the Client as soon as possible, reschedule the course for a later date, and reserve a place for the Client if they wish: consequently, the client may either cancel their order and be refunded the payment they may have made for this purpose, or accept the new date thus proposed.
The services of the Cité du Chocolat (Courses, Workshops...) sometimes involve the active participation of the Client. The latter agrees to be vigilant and to comply with the hygiene and safety instructions given by the Cité du Chocolat for the proper conduct of the course. The Cité du Chocolat cannot be held responsible for any damage or loss of objects and personal effects brought by the Client. At the end of the course, the Client who wishes to reproduce a recipe proposed by the Cité du Chocolat does so under their responsibility and subject to compliance with the intellectual property rights belonging to Valrhona and the provisions of Article 8 below. It is up to them to ensure that no risk results from the preparation of the recipe or the consumption of products they have acquired themselves. The Cité du Chocolat cannot be held responsible for the result of a recipe made by the Client, under their responsibility, on the grounds that it was previously proposed during a course.
The Cité du Chocolat ensures that its documents or files reproduce the main information that allows the Client, in combination with the teachings received by the Gourmet School of the Cité du Chocolat during the course, to make the recipe proposed during the course. The Client has the possibility to take away the cakes, pastries, and chocolates prepared during the course or workshop to consume them outside the Gourmet School of the Cité du Chocolat, under their responsibility. Cakes, pastries, and chocolates must be kept cool and consumed quickly. The Cité du Chocolat cannot be held responsible for damages resulting from the consumption of cakes, pastries, and chocolate prepared in one of its laboratories and consumed outside of it. The Client is required to inform the members of the Cité du Chocolat of any potential allergies concerning them. In case of non-mention of said problem, the Cité du Chocolat declines any responsibility in case of allergic reaction to one of the products or ingredients used.
Article 7 – Intellectual Property
Documents published by our services are intended for individual use and cannot be reproduced or distributed. The Client agrees not to produce copies or distribute, whether in paper or electronic format, without the written approval of the Cité du Chocolat, the content of the recipes or booklets provided as part of the service. In the absence of prior authorization communicated in writing by the holder of the protected right, any other use constitutes counterfeiting and is sanctioned by the intellectual property code.
All content available on the website www.citeduchocolat.com (including texts, images, videos, photos, sounds, music, software, recipes, and more generally any type of data) is protected by the Intellectual Property Code. Valrhona holds the copyright on these elements. Valrhona is also the holder of the rights recognized by the Intellectual Property Code to the database producer, in accordance with articles L 341-1 and following of the Intellectual Property Code.
Prohibited, without prior written agreement from Valrhona, are any reproduction, representation, adaptation, translation, distribution, dissemination, or transfer to another site of these elements, in whole or in part.
By exception to the rule set out above, the following are authorized:
Reproduction, representation, and publication of elements from the website www.valrhona.com for the purpose of illustrating a press article, after written agreement from the communication or marketing department of the Cité du Chocolat or Valrhona.
Reproduction, representation, and publication of recipes proposed by the Gourmet School of the Cité du Chocolat for exclusively private or non-commercial use, subject to respecting the authorship of the recipe by indicating, on the medium of dissemination or presentation of the recipe and at the bottom of it, in a visible and legible manner, the mention "recipe proposed by the Gourmet School of the Cité du Chocolat".
The names Cité du Chocolat, Gourmet School of the Cité du Chocolat, Comptoir Porcelana, and the logos of these entities and the products and services offered are registered and deposited trademarks by Valrhona. Their use requires prior written agreement from the Cité du Chocolat Valrhona or Valrhona. Establishing a hyperlink to a page of the website www.citeduchocolat.com is subject to prior written authorization from the Valrhona communication department. In any case, establishing such a hyperlink must be sufficiently clear and preceded by the name "Cité du Chocolat Valrhona" and the website address www.citeduchocolat.com. Valrhona reserves the right to have the link removed if the originating site is contrary to the editorial line of the website www.citeduchocolat.com.
Article 8 - Confidentiality and Personal Data
The information collected during the reservation of a service or ticket is subject to computer processing intended to ensure better follow-up of the reservation. The Cité du Chocolat ensures that these data are kept confidential. They are not communicated to potential commercial partners or third parties, except with the express and prior authorization of the Client.
The information that the internet user communicates when using the website www.citeduchocolat.com is subject to computer processing intended to ensure better follow-up of the Client relationship. The Cité du Chocolat ensures that these data are kept confidential. They are not communicated to potential commercial partners or third parties, except with the express and prior authorization of the internet user.
The information collected may be used by the Cité du Chocolat to subsequently offer the internet user commercial offers and keep them informed of the products, services, and events offered by the Cité du Chocolat or Valrhona. The website www.citeduchocolat.com and the data file collected from it are registered with the National Commission for Information Technology and Liberties (CNIL) under number 752139.
In accordance with the "Information Technology and Liberties" law of January 6, 1978, amended in 2004, the internet user has the right to access and rectify information concerning them, which they can exercise by writing to LA CITE DU CHOCOLAT VALRHONA 26600 TAIN L’HERMITAGE France.
Article 9 - Legal Notices
Access to the website www.citeduchocolat.com as well as the use of its content are subject to the conditions below. Accessing the site and browsing the site constitutes acceptance without reservation of said conditions. These terms of use may be modified at any time. Once they are posted online, these modifications are deemed to be accepted by the internet user, site user, as soon as they have placed an order after this posting.
Article 10 - Site Content
The Cité du Chocolat makes every effort to offer site users quality information, accessible under optimal technical conditions. However, it is recalled that the information and recipes are given for indicative and informative purposes. The result of a recipe largely depends on the skill of the person who makes it. The realization of a recipe proposed by the Gourmet School of the Cité du Chocolat on its website is the responsibility of the user or third party who makes it. It is up to them to ensure that no risk results from the preparation of the recipe or the consumption of products they have acquired themselves. The Cité du Chocolat cannot be held responsible for the result of a recipe made by the user under their responsibility on the grounds that it was proposed on the website www.citeduchocolat.com.
Despite all the care taken in the content of the site, the Cité du Chocolat cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information disseminated on the site, nor the conformity of said information with the use the internet user wishes to make of it. Consequently, the latter acknowledges using this information under their exclusive responsibility.
Article 11 - Technical Operation of the Site
The Cité du Chocolat website is accessible 24/7. Access to all or part of the site may be suspended or removed in case of force majeure, computer difficulties, difficulties related to the structure of telecommunications networks or technical difficulties, or for maintenance reasons, without the responsibility of the Cité du Chocolat being engaged.
Article 12 – Applicable Law – Dispute – Jurisdiction
These General Terms and Conditions of Sale are subject to French
