General Conditions of Use

These Terms of Use (hereinafter the "Terms") govern the conditions, rights and limits of use of the website www.vatel-brussels.be.

1 – Presentation of the Website and the services provided

This website (hereinafter the "Website") is a free website presenting Vatel Brussels :

It is operated by HCI CONSULT (hereinafter "VATEL")
Private limited company (SRL)
Company / VAT number: BE 0817.939.830 (RPM Brussels)
Avenue de la Toison d'Or 80, 1060 Saint-Gilles – Belgium
Telephone: +32 2 538 00 89
E-mail : info@vatel-brussels.be

 

2 – Definitions

"User": any internet user who accesses and uses the Website.

"Services": the service presenting the Vatel Brussels school and the Vatel schools worldwide, offered to Users through the Website.

"Website": the website referred to herein, accessible at www.vatel-brussels.be, through which Users access the Services defined herein.

 

3 – Acceptance of the Terms

These Terms are accepted by any User by the mere fact of accessing and using the Website.

The User confirms that they have the legal capacity, within the meaning of the Belgian Civil Code, required to access the Website and use its Services.

 

4 – Access to and availability of the Website

HCI Consult endeavours, as far as possible, to ensure that the Website and the Services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Access to the Website (or the Services) may, however, be interrupted for maintenance, hardware or software upgrades, emergency repairs to the Website, or as a result of circumstances beyond HCI Consult's control (for example, failure of telecommunications links or equipment).

HCI Consult undertakes to take all reasonable measures to limit such disruptions, insofar as they are attributable to it, without this constituting an obligation of result. To the extent permitted by law, HCI Consult accepts no liability for any unavailability, suspension or interruption of the Website and/or the Services.

HCI Consult reminds Users that the internet, through which it gives Users access to the Website and the Services, is an open and informal network formed by the international interconnection of computer networks using the TCP/IP standard. The internet is not managed by any central entity; each portion of the network belongs to an independent public or private organisation. Its operation relies on cooperation between network operators, without any obligation of supply or quality of supply between them. Networks may have unequal transmission capacities and their own usage policies.

HCI Consult does not guarantee the continuity, quality or absolute security of access to the Website.

 

5 – Intellectual property

The content of the Website (texts, design, structure, images, videos, downloadable material, etc.) is the property of HCI Consult or of its partners and licensors. It is protected by Belgian and international intellectual property law, in particular Book XI of the Code of Economic Law (CEL) and the Benelux Convention on Intellectual Property.

Any reproduction of this content, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. It may constitute an infringement subject to civil and criminal penalties under the Code of Economic Law (in particular Articles XI.334 and XV.104).

HCI Consult grants only a right to view its content, for personal and private purposes and provided the User is the legitimate end user of the Website, to the exclusion of any public viewing or distribution. Reproduction is authorised only in digital form on the User's computer for the purpose of viewing the pages consulted with their browser. Printing on paper is authorised for private copying, within the limits of the exceptions set out in Article XI.190 of the Code of Economic Law.

HCI Consult authorises only strictly personal use of the data, information or content accessed by the User, limited to temporary storage on their computer for display on a single screen and to reproduction in a single copy for backup or printing on paper.

Any other use not expressly permitted herein is prohibited.

 

6 – Hyperlinks

HCI Consult cannot be held liable for Users' access to the content of resources consulted through hyperlinks on the Website that are not hosted under the domain name www.vatel-brussels.be.

The presence of such links on the Website does not in any way constitute an endorsement of those websites or their content; they are provided for information purposes only. HCI Consult accepts no liability for any information, opinions, reviews or other content accessible on those websites. Users are responsible for using such information with discernment, caution and critical judgement.

 

7 – Personal data

In accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 (GDPR) and the Belgian Act of 30 July 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data, HCI Consult informs Users that personal data may be collected when they use the Website.

HCI Consult undertakes to respect Users' privacy and the confidentiality of their personal data when they browse the Website, as described in its [Privacy Policy].

Users have the right to lodge a complaint with the Belgian Data Protection Authority (DPA), Rue de la Presse 35, 1000 Brussels – www.dataprotectionauthority.be.

 

8 – Social networks

Users may subscribe to the Website's social network pages. By joining these pages, the User undertakes to comply with all the terms of use of the social network concerned.

 

9 – Force majeure

Force majeure means any event beyond the control of and/or independent of the will of HCI Consult, such as, without limitation: natural disasters, frost, fire, storm, flood, epidemic, supply difficulties, strikes or other labour disputes, malfunction or interruption of means of communication or of national or international postal services, interruption of electricity supply, or interruption of electronic and/or communication network lines, affecting its services by reason of their unforeseeable and irresistible nature. In all cases of force majeure, and to the extent permitted by law, HCI Consult is released from all liability, whether contractual or non-contractual, under any warranty or on any other basis, for any damage caused directly or indirectly by the force majeure event. Consequently, it owes no damages or compensation for the total or partial non-performance of its obligations.

 

10 – Changes to the Website

HCI Consult reserves the right to modify and/or develop the Website at any time. Any interruption resulting from such changes shall not entitle the User to compensation for any direct or indirect damage arising therefrom.

HCI Consult reserves the right to amend these Terms at any time. Any new Terms will be brought to the User's attention by publication online and shall apply as soon as they are published. The Terms in force are available at all times on the Website.

 

11 – Cookies

Cookies are mainly used to provide the User with a convenience function that saves time. The Website uses cookies that are strictly necessary for its operation and, where applicable, cookies subject to the User's consent, in accordance with the GDPR and Article 10/2 of the aforementioned Act of 30 July 2018.

On the first visit, an information banner allows the User to:

• accept cookies,
• refuse cookies,
• or customise their cookie settings.

No cookies other than strictly necessary ones are placed without the User's prior consent.

The User may change their preferences at any time via their browser settings or the cookie management tool. To the extent permitted by law, HCI Consult declines all liability for any impaired functioning of the Website and of any services offered on www.vatel-brussels.be resulting from (i) the User's refusal of cookies or (ii) the impossibility for the Website to store or read the cookies necessary for its operation as a result of the User's choice. Cookie settings differ from browser to browser and are described in each browser's help menu, which explains how the User can change their cookie preferences.

If the User refuses cookies, they may not be able to use all the services offered on the Website properly.

 

12 – Miscellaneous

12.1 Severability

Should any provision of these Terms be held null, void or unenforceable by a final court decision (res judicata), the remaining provisions shall remain in force. The provision concerned shall be replaced by a valid provision that comes as close as possible to its original purpose, so as to preserve, as far as possible, the economic balance of these Terms.

12.2 No waiver

Any failure or delay by HCI Consult in exercising a right or prerogative shall not be deemed a waiver of that right or prerogative. Likewise, the single or partial exercise of a right or prerogative by HCI Consult shall not preclude the exercise of any other right or prerogative under these Terms.

12.3 Limitation of liability

The limitations and exclusions of liability set out in these Terms apply only to the extent permitted by law, in particular Article 5.89 of the Belgian Civil Code and Article VI.83 of the Code of Economic Law. They shall in no event exclude HCI Consult's liability for fraud (dol) or gross negligence (faute lourde).

 

13 – Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by Belgian law.

In the event of a dispute concerning their interpretation or performance, and failing an amicable settlement, the courts of the judicial district of Brussels shall have exclusive jurisdiction, subject to the mandatory legal provisions applicable to consumers.

Consumer Users may also contact the Consumer Mediation Service free of charge (www.consumentenombudsdienst.be / www.mediationconsommateur.be) or consult the list of out-of-court consumer dispute resolution bodies: https://consumer-redress.ec.europa.eu/index_en