General Terms and Conditions of Registration and Sale

Article 1 – Purpose

These General Terms and Conditions of Registration and Sale (GTCRS) set out the rights and obligations of students and of Institut Fonelia with regard to the French courses, exams and services offered by the Institute.

Any registration implies unreserved acceptance of these terms and conditions.

In the event of a dispute, the courts of Nantes shall have jurisdiction.

Article 2 – Admission requirements

• Group classes are open to students aged 16 and over.
• Minors wishing to take private classes or a language stay must provide written parental consent.
• Any student who is not a beginner must take a placement test before starting the course.

Article 3 – Registration and pre-registration

Registration can be completed online or directly at the Institute.

Registration becomes final upon:

• receipt of the complete application;
• payment of the registration fee;
• payment for the course, unless other terms have been agreed.

Registration is strictly personal and cannot be transferred to a third party.

On request, a certificate of registration may be issued for a visa application.

Registration fee

The registration fee is €65.

It includes:

• the placement test;
• the coursebook;
• the welcome bag;
• one month of access to our self-study platform.

This fee is valid for one year from the date of the first class.

Course periods consist of consecutive weeks. In the event of a prolonged interruption, two separate registrations will be required.

Individual group class hours outside a package are charged at €14 per hour.

Visa application

For a student visa application, a deposit of €175 is required at pre-registration.

This deposit is retained by Institut Fonelia if the visa is refused and is non-refundable.

However, it remains usable for one year from the date of the certificate of registration issued by the Institute, for a new visa application.

Article 4 – Payment

Payments are accepted:

• by secure online payment;
• by bank transfer.

Cheque payments are no longer accepted.

Transfers must be made in euros to the bank account shown on the invoice or quote.

Bank account : Francophonie
IBAN : FR76 1027 8361 8300 0119 3370 180

All bank charges are borne by the participant.

Any invoice not paid by its due date may give rise to the fixed recovery fee provided for in article L441-10 of the French Commercial Code, i.e. €40, without prejudice to any other remedies provided by law.

Article 5 – Changes, postponement and cancellation of courses

Any request for a change, postponement or cancellation must be sent in writing to Institut Fonelia before the scheduled start date of the course.

The following conditions apply:

In the event of early departure, whether voluntary or not, no refund can be granted.

Article 6 – Cancellation by the Institute

Institut Fonelia reserves the right:

• to change the timetable;
• to postpone a session;
• to close a group when the minimum number of students is not reached.

In this case, all sums paid will be refunded in full.

Article 7 – Specific conditions for TCF exams

Cancellation

Postponement

• Postponing a registration is exceptional.
• It is limited to one time only.
• Any further postponement request will require a new paid registration.

Absence

Any absence results in the loss of the registration fee.

No refund or postponement can be granted, except in duly justified cases of force majeure.

The candidate must:

• inform Fonelia at least 24 hours before the exam by phone or email;
• send supporting documents within five working days.

Without acceptable supporting documents, the full registration fee remains due.

Article 8 – Specific conditions for the civic exam

The cancellation conditions are as follows:

In duly justified cases of force majeure, a full refund may be granted.

Article 9 – Force majeure

The following may in particular be considered cases of force majeure:

• serious illness or accident;
• hospitalisation;
• death of a spouse, parent, child, brother or sister;
• mandatory administrative or court summons;
• natural disaster;
• major strike or unforeseeable transport disruption;
• duly recorded accident while travelling.

Each situation must be supported by an official document.

Institut Fonelia reserves the right to assess the admissibility of the documents provided.

Article 10 – Class organisation

• Attendance is mandatory.
• A certificate of attendance or level may be issued at the student's request, provided their absence rate does not exceed 10%.
• Any absence must be reported before the class starts.
• Private classes cancelled less than 24 working hours before they start remain payable in full.
• Any student arriving more than 15 minutes late may be refused entry to the class and will be marked absent.

Article 11 – Missed classes

Missed classes are not refunded.

They may exceptionally be made up only in the following situations:

• illness (with a medical certificate);
• illness of a child (with medical proof);
• mandatory administrative appointment (with proof).

Make-up arrangements will be set by the Institute depending on availability.

Article 12 – Group sizes

Groups open subject to a minimum of six participants.

Below this number, the Institute may adjust the number of hours.

8h45, 15-hour and 20-hour formats

4-hour format

Article 13 – Course calendar

No classes are held on French public holidays.

These sessions are not made up.

In May, public holidays are neither held nor charged for weekly, monthly and quarterly packages.

School holidays

4-hour format:

Classes are suspended during all school holidays of zone B (Nantes).

8h45, 15-hour and 20-hour formats:

Classes are suspended only during the first week of school holidays.

Article 14 – Insurance and liability

Institut Fonelia cannot be held liable for any loss, theft, deterioration or damage suffered by students while on its premises or during organised activities.

Each student is encouraged to take out insurance covering in particular:

• medical expenses;
• civil liability;
• theft or loss of personal belongings;
• interruption of studies.

Article 15 – Complaints

Any complaint must be sent in writing to:

contact@fonelia.fr

The Institute aims to reply within an indicative period of 48 working hours.

Article 16 – Exclusion

In the event of failure to comply with the internal rules, inappropriate behaviour, fraud or breach of these terms and conditions, Institut Fonelia may permanently exclude a student without refunding any sums paid.