GENERAL TERMS AND
CONDITIONS FOR
THE PROVISION OF
SERVICES
OF:
CUSTOMS SOLUTIONS
Willem Beukelszstraat 18A
3027 CL ROTTERDAM
THE NETHERLANDS
hereinafter to be
referred to as: user
Article 1 Definitions
1. In the present general terms and conditions,
the following terms are used in the sense given below, unless explicitly
indicated otherwise.
User: the user of
the general terms and conditions.
Client: user's
opposite party.
Agreement: the
agreement concerning the provision of services.
Article 2 General
1. The present terms and conditions shall apply
to each and every offer, tender and agreement between user and a client, to
which user has declared the present terms and conditions applicable, insofar as
parties have not explicitly deviated from the present terms and conditions in
writing.
2. The present terms and conditions shall also
apply to all agreements with user, the execution of which calls for the
services of third parties.
3. Possible deviations from the present general
terms and conditions shall only be valid provided they have been explicitly
agreed upon in writing.
4. The applicability of client's possible
purchase or other conditions is explicitly rejected.
5. If one or more stipulations in the present
general terms and conditions should be null and void or declared null and void,
then the other stipulations of the present general terms and conditions shall
remain fully applicable. The case ensuing, user and client shall enter into
negotiations to agree upon new stipulations replacing the null and void
conditions, or, as the case may be, the conditions declared null and void,
whereby the purpose and the meaning of the original conditions shall be heeded
as far as possible (Note:By clause explanation under 1).
Article 3 Offers and
Tenders
1. All offers shall be free of obligation unless
the offer contains an acceptance term.
2. The offers made by user shall be free of
obligation; they shall be valid for a period of 30 days, unless indicated
otherwise. User shall only be bound by the offers if the acceptance thereof is
confirmed in writing by the opposite party within 30 days, unless indicated
otherwise.
3. The prices given in above-mentioned offers
and tenders shall be exclusive of VAT and other government levies, as well as
of the other expenses to be possibly made within the scope of the agreement,
including shipment and administration costs, unless user indicates otherwise.
4. If the acceptance deviates (on secondary
items) from the offer given, user shall not be bound by it. The agreement shall
in such event not be concluded in accordance with said deviating acceptance,
unless user indicates otherwise.
5. A compound quotation shall not oblige user to
execute part of the assignment against a corresponding part of the given
quotation.
6. Offers and tenders shall not apply
automatically to future assignments. (Note:By clause explanation under 2).
Article 4 Execution
of the Agreement
1. User shall execute the agreement to the best
of his knowledge and ability.
2. If and in so far required for the proper
execution of the agreement, user shall have the right to have certain work done
by third parties.
3. The client shall see to it that user shall be
provided in due time with all data which user has said to be necessary or which
the client must in all reasonableness understand to be necessary to the
execution of the agreement. If user has not been provided in due time with the
data necessary to the execution of the agreement, user shall have the right to
suspend the execution of the agreement and / or to charge the client for the
additional costs resulting from the delay at the generally accepted rates.
4. User shall not be liable for damage of
whatever nature caused by the fact that user worked on the basis of incorrect
and / or incomplete data provided by the client, unless user should have been
aware of said incorrectness or incompleteness.
5. If parties have agreed that the agreement
will be executed in stages, user can suspend the execution of the parts
belonging to a following stage until the client has approved in writing the
results of the stage prior to it.
6. If user or third parties engaged by user within the scope of the assignment do work at client's site
or at a site designated by client, client shall provide the employees having to
work there free of charge with all facilities desired in all reasonableness by
said employees.
7. Client shall safeguard user against possible
claims filed by third parties who may sustain damage attributable to client in
connection with the execution of the agreement.
(Note:By clause
explanation under 3).
Article 5 Changes to
the agreement
1. If it is shown during the execution of the
agreement that the work to be done needs to be changed and supplemented in
order to ensure its proper execution, parties shall adapt the agreement
accordingly in due time and in mutual consultations.
2. If parties agree that the agreement needs to
be changed or supplemented, this decision may influence the time of completion
of the execution. User shall inform the client thereof as soon as possible.
3. Should the change or supplement to the
agreement have any financial and / or qualitative consequences, user shall
inform client thereof in advance.
4. If a fixed fee has been agreed upon then user
shall indicate the degree to which the change or supplement to the agreement
will result in an increase of said fee.
5. Contrary to the conditions of paragraph 3,
user shall not be able to charge additional costs if the change or supplement
is the result of circumstances attributable to user. (Note:By clause
explanation under 3).
Article 6 Duration
of the Contract; Term of Execution
1. The agreement between user and a client shall
be entered into for an indefinite period of time, unless the nature of the
agreement dictates otherwise or if parties have explicitly agreed otherwise in
writing.
2. If a term has been agreed to complete certain
work within the term of the agreement, then this term shall never be a term to
be observed on penalty of forfeiture of rights. If the term of execution is
exceeded, the client must consequently declare user in default in writing. (Note:By
clause explanation under 3).
Article 7 Fee
1. The paragraphs 2., 5. and 6. through 11. shall
apply to those offers and agreements in which a fixed fee is offered or agreed
upon. If no fixed fee has been agreed upon, the paragraphs 3. through 11. of the
present article shall apply.
2. Parties can agree upon a fixed fee the moment
the agreement is concluded.
3. If no fixed fee has been agreed upon, the fee
shall be determined on the basis of the number of hours actually spent on the
work. The fee shall be calculated in accordance with user's usual hourly rates,
valid for the period in which the work is being done, unless a deviating hourly
rate has been agreed upon.
4. The fee and a possible cost estimate shall be
exclusive of VAT.
5. With respect to assignments with a duration
of more than 3 months, the costs owed shall be charged periodically, unless
explicitly indicated otherwise.
6. If user and the
client agree upon a fixed fee or an hourly rate, user shall nevertheless be
entitled to increase this fee or rate.
7. User shall be
allowed to charge on price increases, if user can demonstrate that significant
changes in price have occurred between the time of offer and the time of
delivery with respect to, e.g., salaries and wages.
8. User shall
furthermore be able to increase the fee when it is shown during the execution
of the work that the volume of work initially agreed upon or expected when the
contract was concluded, was underestimated to such a degree, and this through
no fault of the user, that user cannot be expected in reasonableness to do the
work agreed upon for the fee initially agreed upon.
9. In the event of an increase in prices the client
has the right to dissolve the agreement if the fee or rate is increased within
three months after the agreement has been concluded. After the expiration of
this period the client has the right to dissolve the agreement if the increase
amounts to over 10 %. The client does not have the right to dissolve the
agreement if the right to increase the fee or rate ensues from a right pursuant
to the law.
10. User shall
notify the client in writing of his intention to increase the fee or the hourly
rate, whereby user shall communicate the volume of said increase and the date
on which it shall take effect.
11. If client does
not wish to accept the increase in fee or hourly rate communicated by user,
client shall be entitled to terminate the agreement in writing within seven
working days following the above-mentioned notification, or to cancel the
assignment by the date given in user's notification on which the change in fee
or hourly rate would take effect. (Note:By clause explanation under 3).
Article 8 Payment
1. Payment must be made within 14 days from the
date of invoice, in a way to be indicated by user and in the currency in which
the the statement of expenses was drawn up, unless explicitly indicated
otherwise. Contestation of the amount
of the statements of expenses shall not suspend the fulfilment of the payment
obligation
2. If client fails to fulfil his payment
obligation within the term of 14 days, then client shall be in default by
operation of law. In that event, client shall owe an interest of 1% per month,
unless the statutory interest rate is higher, in which case the statutory interest
rate shall apply. The interest on the amount due and payable shall be
calculated as from the day the client is in default until the moment he has
paid the amount in full.
3. User's claims against client shall become due
on demand in the event that client's company is wound up, attached, declared
bankrupt, or if a suspension of payment is granted.
4. User shall be entitled to have the payments
made by the client go first of all to reduce the costs, subsequently to reduce
the interest still due and finally to reduce the principal sum and the current
interest. User shall have the right, without this leading user to be in
default, to refuse an offer for payment, if the client designates a different
sequence of attribution. User shall be entitled to refuse full payment of the
principal sum, if said payment does not include the interest still due, the
current interest and the costs.
5. User has the possibility to charge a credit
limitation surcharge of 2%. This surcharge will not be charged if payment is
made within 7 days from the date of invoice. (Note:By clause explanation
under 5).
Article 9 Retention
of Title
1. All goods delivered by user, possibly also
including designs, sketches, drawings, films, software, (electronic) files,
etc., shall remain user's property until client has fulfilled all of his
obligations under all agreements concluded with user.
2. Client shall not be authorised to pledge or
encumber in any way the goods falling under the retention of title.
3. If third parties seize goods delivered
subject to retention of title or wish to establish or assert a right to them,
client shall be held to inform user thereof as soon as can reasonably expected.
4. The client shall undertake to insure the
goods delivered subject to retention of title and to keep them insured against
damage caused by fire, explosion and water as well as against theft and make
this insurance policy available for inspection on first demand.
5. Goods delivered by user falling under the
retention of title by virtue of the stipulations under 1. of the present
article, may only be sold on within the framework of normal business activities
and must never be used as instrument of payment.
6. In the event that user wishes to exercise his
ownership rights mentioned in the present article, client shall give user or
third parties to be appointed by user, now for then, unconditional and
irrevocable permission to access all sites and locations where user's property
might be found and to take these goods back.
Article 10 Collection Charges
1. If the client fails to fulfil his obligations
(in due time) or defaults on them, then all reasonable costs incurred to have
all extrajudicial costs and debts paid shall be borne by the client. The client
shall in any case owe the collection charges in the event of a monetary claim.
The collection charges shall be calculated in accordance with the collection
rates advised by the Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten (Netherlands Bar) for collection
procedures.
2. If user demonstrates that he has incurred
higher expenses, which were necessary in reason, said expenses shall also
qualify for reimbursement.
3. The reasonable judicial and execution costs
possibly incurred shall equally be borne by client
(Note:By clause
explanation under 6).
Article 11 Inspection & Complaints
1. The client must notify user in writing of
complaints about the work done within 8 days following their detection, but no
later than within 14 days following completion of the work concerned. The
notice of default must give as detailed a description as possible of the
shortcoming, so that user is in a position to respond adequately.
2. If a complaint proves to be well-founded,
user shall yet do the work as agreed upon, unless such has become demonstrably
useless in the meantime to the client. The client must notify user in writing
if the latter is the case.
3. If it is no longer possible or useful to
still do the work with respect to the provision of services agreed upon, user
shall only be liable within the limits of article 15. (Note:By clause
explanation under7).
Article 12
Cancellation
1. Both parties shall be entitled to cancel the
agreement at all times.
2. If the agreement is terminated prematurely by
client, user shall be entitled to compensation of the loss of capacity
utilisation to be demonstrated caused by said premature termination, unless the
termination is based on facts and circumstances which can be attributed to
user. Client shall furthermore be held in that event to pay the statement of
expenses for the work done up till that moment. The preliminary results of the
work done up till that moment shall therefore be put at client's disposal
subject to approval.
3. If the agreement is terminated prematurely by
user, user shall see to it in conjunction with client that the work still to be
done be transferred to third parties, unless the termination is based on facts
and circumstances which can be attributed to client.
4. If the transfer of the work still to be done
entails extra costs for user, said costs shall be charged to client. (Note:By
clause explanation under 8).
Article 13
Suspension and Dissolution
1. User shall be authorised to suspend the fulfilment
of the obligations under the agreement or to dissolve the agreement, in the
event that:
- client does not fulfil or does not fully
fulfil his obligations resulting from the agreement
- after the agreement has been concluded, user
learns of circumstances giving good ground to fear that the client will not
fulfil his obligations. If good ground exists to fear that the client will only
partially or improperly fulfil his obligations, suspension shall only be
allowed in so far the shortcoming justifies such action.
- client was asked to furnish security to
guarantee the fulfilment of his obligations resulting from the agreement when
the contract was concluded and that this security is not provided or
insufficient.
2. User shall furthermore be authorised to
dissolve the agreement (have the agreement dissolved) if circumstances arise of
such a nature that fulfilment of the obligations becomes impossible or can no
longer be demanded in accordance with the requirements of reasonableness and
fairness, or if other circumstances arise of such a nature that the unaltered
maintenance of the agreement can no longer be demanded in all reasonableness.
3. If the agreement is dissolved, the user's
claims against the client shall be forthwith due and payable. If user suspends
fulfilment of his obligations, he shall retain his rights under the law and the
agreement.
4. User shall always retain the right to claim
damages.
(Note:By clause
explanation under 9).
Article 14 Return of
Goods Put at Client's Disposal
1. If user has put goods at client's disposal
during and in connection with the execution of the agreement, client shall be
held to return the delivered goods within 14 days in their original state, free
of defects and in their entirety. If client fails to fulfil this obligation,
all resulting costs shall be at client 's expense.
2. If, for any reason whatsoever, client still
remains in default to fulfil the obligation mentioned under 1. after being
warned to do so, user shall be entitled to recover the resulting damage and
costs, including replacement costs, from client.
Article 15 Liability
1. Should user be liable, then said liability
shall be limited to the stipulations of the present condition.
2. If user is liable for direct damage, then
said liability shall be limited to a maximum of twice the amount of the
statement of expenses, at any rate that part of the assignment to which the
liability relates, at any rate to a maximum of
€ 450 (In words: four
hundred and fifty Euro). User's liability shall at all times be limited
to a maximum equalling the amount of the payment to be made by user's insurer in the
occurring event.
3. In the event of an assignment with a duration
of more than 6 months, the liability shall, contrary to the stipulations under
2. of the present article, furthermore be limited to the part of the fee still
due for the last six months.
4. Direct damage shall be understood to be
exclusively:
- the reasonable costs incurred to establish
the cause and the volume of the damage, in so far said establishment relates to
damage in the sense of the present terms and conditions
- the reasonable costs possibly incurred to
have user's faulty performance meet the conditions of the agreement, unless such
faulty performance cannot be attributed to user;
- the reasonable costs incurred to prevent or
limit the damage, in so far client demonstrates that said costs have led to the
limitation of direct damage as meant in the present general terms and conditions.
5. User shall never be liable for indirect
damage, including consequential damage, loss of profit, lost savings and damage
due to business stagnation.
6. The limitations of liability for direct
damage contained in the present terms and conditions shall not apply if the
damage is due to intentional act or omission or gross negligence on the part of
user or his subordinates (Note:By clause explanation under 10).
Article 16
Safeguarding
1. The client shall safeguard user against
claims filed by third parties concerning intellectual property rights on
material or data provided by the client, which shall be used for and during the
execution of the agreement.
2. If the client provides user with information
carriers, electronic files or software etc., the
former shall guarantee that said information carriers, electronic files or
software are free of viruses and defects.
Article 17 Transfer
of Risk
1. The risk of loss of, or damage to the goods
being the subject of the agreement, shall be transferred to client the moment
said goods are judicially and/or actually delivered to client and therefore
fall into the power of client or of third parties to be appointed by client (Note:By
clause explanation under 11).
Article 18 Force Majeure
1. Parties shall not be held to fulfil any of
their obligations if they are hindered to do so due to a circumstance through
no fault of their own and which cannot be attributed to them by virtue of law,
a legal action or generally accepted practice.
2. In addition to the provisions of the law and
the judge-made law in this respect, force majeure shall in the present general
terms and conditions furthermore be understood to be any external circumstance,
be it envisaged or not, on which user cannot have any influence but which
prevents user from fulfilling his obligations. Industrial action at user's
company shall also be understood to be a circumstance of force majeure.
3. User shall also be entitled to invoke force
majeure if the circumstance rendering (further) fulfilment of the obligation(s)
impossible, commences after the point in time on which user should have
fulfilled his obligation.
4. Throughout the duration of the circumstances
of force majeure, parties shall be entitled to suspend the fulfilment of their
obligations. If this period lasts for more than two months, either of the
parties shall be entitled to dissolve the agreement without any obligation to
pay the opposite party damages.
5. Insofar user has already partially fulfilled
his obligations resulting from the agreement at the moment the circumstance of
force majeure commenced or shall be able to fulfil them and insofar separate
value can be attributed to the part already fulfilled or still to be fulfilled
respectively, user shall be entitled to submit a separate statement of expenses
of the part already fulfilled or still to be fulfilled respectively. The client
shall be held to pay this statement of expenses as if it were a separate
agreement. (Note:By clause explanation under 12).
Article 19 Secrecy
1. Both parties shall be bound to secrecy of all
confidential information they have received within the scope of their agreement
from each other or from another source. Information shall be considered to be
confidential if the other party has indicated so or if the confidential
character results from the nature of the information.
2. If a statutory provision or a judicial
decision compels user to convey confidential information to third parties
designated by law or by the court and user cannot for that purpose invoke a
legal right to refuse to give evidence or such a right acknowledged or allowed
by the competent court, user shall not be held to pay damages or compensation
and the opposite party shall not be entitled to demand the dissolution of the
agreement on the ground of any damage resulting from said circumstance.
Article 20 Intellectual
Property and Copyrights
1. Without prejudice to the other stipulations
of the present general terms and conditions, user shall reserve the rights and
authorities to which user is entitled under the Copyright Act.
2. All documents, such as reports, advice,
agreements, designs, sketches, drawings, software, etc., provided by user,
shall be destined to be used by client exclusively and must not be reproduced,
made public or brought to the notice of
third parties by client without prior consent from user, unless the nature of
the documents provided dictates otherwise.
3. User shall reserve the right to use the
knowledge gained due to the execution of the work for other purposes, in so far
no confidential information shall be brought to the notice of third parties
when doing so.
Article 21 Samples
and Models
1. If a sample or model has been given to
client, then the assumption is that such has been given by way of indication
only, unless parties agree explicitly that the product to be delivered shall
correspond with it.
2. In the event of an assignment concerning
immovable property, the surface area or other measurements and indications
given shall also be assumed to be merely indicative without any obligation to
have the product to be delivered correspond with it.
Article 22
Non-employment of the opposite party's personnel
1. Throughout the duration of the agreement and
for one year following termination thereof, client shall not in any way, hire
or employ in any other way, be it directly or indirectly, staff of user or of
enterprises whom user has engaged to execute the present agreement and who are
(were) involved in the execution of the agreement, without prior proper
businesslike consultation on this matter, all this in accordance with the
requirements of reasonableness and fairness.
Article 23 Disputes
1. The Court in user's place of business shall
have exclusive jurisdiction to hear actions, unless the District Court is the
competent Court. User shall nevertheless be entitled to submit the dispute to
the Court deemed competent by the law.
2. Parties shall only refer the matter to the
court if they have done their utmost to solve the dispute in mutual
consultations. (Note:By clause explanation under 13).
Article 24 Applicable Law
1. Dutch law shall apply to each and every
agreement between user and the client.
Article 25 Changes to the Terms and Conditions and
their Location
1. The present terms and conditions have been
filed at the office of the Chamber of Commerce in Utrecht under number
30174825, date 03 january 2002, a copy can be sent to you (free) if you apply
for.
The most recently
filed version shall always apply, or, as the case may be, the version valid at
the time the agreement was concluded.