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I. Generalities
The following conditions apply to all business transactions - also
those in the future - with the customer. Our sales and shipping
conditions apply exclusively; we do not recognize contrary or otherwise
differing conditions on the part of the customer, unless we explicitly
approve of the validity of those conditions. Our sales and shipping
conditions also apply in the event that we acknowledge contrary
or differing conditions on the side of the customer and unreservedly
fulfil the order. All agreements reached between ourselves and the
customer must be in written form in order to be valid. Our sales
and shipping conditions apply exclusively towards registered businessmen/businesswomen
if the contract is integrated in operating their business and towards
legal entities under public law and separate estates or assets under
public law.
II. Prices/Price changes, shipping
1. Our prices offered are Euro prices, and do not include value-added
tax. Therefore, value-added tax must be added to the prices at the
rate determined by the law applicable at the time. If not agreed
specifically otherwise, our prices are ex works, excluding costs
for packaging, postage, and shipping. All offered prices are subject
to change.
2. Our prices offered are applicable only for the dates of order
upon which the offers are based. Subsequent changes or additions
upon request or at the instigation of the customer, including additional
costs incurred by the above, shall be charged additionally. The
same applies for additional costs which might arise as the result
of the above from machine down-time. In the event of changes in
wages or material costs which arise either between making the offer
and the placing of the order, or at any time exceeding four months
following completion of contract, we reserve the right to adjust
the price accordingly.
3. Shipping of goods occurs at expense and risk of the customer.
Inasmuch as goods are shipped at cost and risk of the customer at
the customer's request, our liability, as far as is legally permissible,
is limited to damage caused intentionally or by gross negligence.
At the customer's written request, and at his own expense, goods
may be shipped insured by ourselves against theft, breakage, damage
to or loss of goods in transit, fire and water damage, or against
such other risks as may be expressed explicitly by the customer
insofar as such are insurable.
4. As far as can be reasonably expected on the part of the customer,
partial shipments are permissible.
III. Payment
1. The goods are to be paid in full, no deductions, within 30 calendar
days of date of invoice.
2. Bills of exchange are only accepted upon special agreement and
on account of performance without allowance for discount. Discounting
and bill charges shall be borne by the customer and become due for
payment immediately. We are not liable for the timely presentation
of a bill of exchange, its due protest, due notice, or the return
of an unpaid bill, unless we or our vicarious agents are guilty
of damage by intention or gross negligence.
3. The customer is only entitled to set-off claims if his counterclaims
have become res judicata, are uncontested or recognized by ourselves.
In the event of contested counterclaims, the customer has no right
of retention.
4. In the case of uncontested counterclaims, the customer can only
claim a right of retention regarding asserted claims which are based
upon the same contractual relationship.
IV. Delay in Payment
1. In the event of delay in payment, we are entitled to charge the
legal rate of interest on overdue payments, i.e. the rate of 8%
plus the basic annual interest rate current at the time in question;
this notwithstanding, we explicitly reserve the right to assert
claims regarding additional damages.
2. Should we become aware of circumstances which call into question
the customer's creditworthiness and therefore deem our claim for
payment to be at risk, particularly if the initiation of insolvency
proceedings are filed for - or if insolvency proceedings are opened
against the customer's property, or if a cheque is not honoured,
or the customer stops payments, then we are entitled to declare
the residual debt due immediately and to demand immediate payment.
Further, we are entitled to demand advance payment or provisions
of security, and to retain the goods until payment, advance payment,
or provisions of security are made, and to discontinue processing
running orders until the same.
V. Reservation of title
1. Until all claims arising from the business relationship with
the customer are fulfilled, the customer is required to grant the
following securities, which we will release at the customer's request
and at our own free will if the securities' value consistently exceeds
that of the claims by more than 10%.
2. All goods delivered to the customer remain our property until
all claims arising from the business relationship with the customer
are paid in full.
3. The object delivered may be neither pledged nor transferred for
security to a third party before it is paid in full. In the event
of attachment by a third party to the object of delivery, particularly
as a pledge, the customer shall refer to our ownership and inform
us in writing immediately, so that we can enforce our rights of
ownership. The customer is liable for costs which arise judicially
or extra-judicially should the third party not be in a position
to repay us such costs as arise in relation to the abovementioned.
4. The customer is permitted to sell and process the goods within
the context of proper business transactions, as long as he is not
in arrears with fulfilling the claims which he owes. We can revoke
this permission if the customer is overdue in payments or comes
into a state of forfeiture of assets, particularly if insolvency
proceedings are opened against his property.
5. The processing or transforming of the goods by the customer shall
always be done for us. In the event that the goods are joined, mixed,
or blended with other items, we acquire co-ownership in proportion
with the value of the goods (sum total of invoice including legal
value-added tax) to the remaining items which were joined, mixed,
or blended together at the time when they were joined, mixed, or
blended together.
For the event that ownership of the goods be lost inasmuch as the
goods become an integral or necessary part of another item, the
customer hereby concedes to us now, in advance, co-ownership of
the main item equal to the share which corresponds with the proportion
of the value of the goods delivered (sum total of invoice including
legal value-added tax) to the value of the main item at the time
of said joining, mixing, or blending.
6. In the event that the goods are sold, the customer now and hereby,
for the security of our claims arising from the whole of the business
relationship, assigns all claims which arise for the customer from
resale or from other legal grounds (insurance, tortius act, or the
like) against the buyer or third parties, independently of whether
the goods, of which we have (partial) ownership, are resold with
or without processing. Upon our request, which may be made at any
time, the customer must inform us regarding the state of the claim,
and allow us or anyone authorized by us to inspect those business
records relevant to the above. We grant the customer permission,
subject to revocation, to collect the sums due for the claims we
assigned, to his own account and in his own name. This direct debit
authorization can only be revoked if the customer does not meet
his financial obligations in a proper manner. Our authority to collect
ourselves the sums due remains unaffected by the above. However,
we bind ourselves not to collect the sums due as long as the customer
meets his financial obligations with the collected sales revenue,
is not overdue for payments, and especially if no initiation for
insolvency proceedings has been filed or cessation of payments has
been noted. If this is the case, however, we can require that the
customer makes known to us immediately the claims assigned and their
debtors, including all information required for collection purposes,
providing us with all records necessary therefore, and informing
the debtors (third parties) of the assignment of claims. We as well
have the right of disclosure of assignments against debtors. The
customer, however, is not entitled to assign this claim to third
parties.
7. Contrary to position 3, the customer is not entitled to sell
the goods, even within the context of proper, standard business
transactions, if the customer excludes assigning claims based on
the sale of the goods to us.
8. In the event of actions contrary to the terms of contract, particularly
in the case of delay of payment, we are entitled to rescission of
the contract. Following rescission, we can demand return of the
goods from the customer.
VI. Delivery time
1. Delivery dates and delivery periods are only binding if they
are confirmed by us explicitly in writing.
2. The confirmed delivery dates and delivery periods start when
the following cumulative conditions are met: the clarification of
all technical questions; the fulfilment of the customer's contractual
obligations, particularly that of furnishing records, authorizations,
and release statements. When alterations ordered by the customer
have an influence upon the duration of production time, we are entitled
to insist upon agreeing to a new delivery time which is adjusted
to the changed circumstances. We are not liable for delays in delivery
and performance, even if binding dates and times have been agreed
upon, in case of acts of God, in case of circumstances which we
are not responsible for, and in the event of incidents which not
only temporarily substantially impede delivery or make it impossible
- this includes in particular strike, lock-out, sovereign intervention,
acts of war, riots, electrical shortage, destruction or damage to
our production or works fixtures for which we are not liable, as
well as transportation failure, work limitations etc., also when
the above affect our suppliers or their sub-suppliers. Such circumstances
entitle us to postpone delivery or performance for the duration
of the impediment plus a reasonable starting-up time. Furthermore,
such a case entitles us, for our part, to adjust the price accordingly.
We are also not liable for the circumstances mentioned if they arise
during an already existing delay. In important cases, we will inform
the customer as soon as possible regarding the beginning and end
of such hindrances. The delivery deadline is met if by date of its
expiry the goods have left the works or the customer has received
notice of readiness of dispatch.
VII. Samples
Samples of all kinds, whether designs, models, etc., are prepared
especially for the customer according to his instructions and only
by prior written commission for the same. In every case, these samples
will be billed separately to the customer.
VIII. Storage of documents
and items for further use
The storage of the customer's papers and other objects such as may
serve some future purpose is undertaken only upon prior written
agreement and in exchange for special compensation beyond the date
of delivery of the goods ordered. The abovementioned goods a/o objects,
if they are placed at our disposal by the customer, shall be handled
with care up to the delivery date. In this case as well, storage
beyond the delivery date is only granted upon prior written agreement
and in return for special compensation. Should the abovementioned
documents a/o objects be insured against water, fire, theft, or
other dangers, the customer must provide the necessary insurance
himself. Further, within legally permissible limits, we are exempt
from liability for the loss of, damage to, or destruction of these
documents a/o objects.
IX. Company print
On objects of our manufacture, we can, with the customer's permission,
make reference to our company in an appropriate manner. The customer
can only withhold his permission in the event that he has a justifiable
interest in so doing.
X. Time limit for making a
claim
Upon delivery, the customer must inspect the goods without delay,
and in the event that the goods have obvious defects, these must
be reported to us within a period of two weeks following receipt
of the goods, in the case of shipping from the point of taking delivery
from the shipper or carrier; otherwise, the customer's claims regarding
defects are excluded. Claims for non-obvious defects can only be
asserted within a period of one year upon receipt of the goods,
in the case of shipping upon taking delivery from the shipper or
carrier.
XI. Warranty
In the event of defects, we are entitled to choose between rectifying the defects or delivering a substitute, up to the amount of the contractual value, unless we or our vicarious agents are guilty of damage by intent or gross
negligence, or if we have given a guarantee for the condition of the goods. If two attempts at rectifying the defects or at delivering a substitute fail, or if rectification or substitution is not possible, not to be reasonably
expected for the customer, or finally refused by ourselves, then the customer can demand a reasonable reduction in price or withdraw from the contract. For substantial third-party products, our liability is limited
initially to the assignment of liability claims to which we are entitled against the supplier of the third-party products. Any liability ensuing on our part in this instance can only be secondary and requires prior recourse to the
courts for the supplier of the third-party product. We will reimburse such costs as may arise if they cannot be collected from the supplier and if they were necessary for prosecution. Guarantee and damage claims which
exceed the above are excluded, so far as is permissible by law.
XII. Compensation for Damages
The following liability limits apply for damage claims, within the
parameters of the law:
For all damages arising from culpable breach of contract, we are
liable if we ourselves or our vicarious agents are at fault, but
only in case of damage by intention or gross negligence. Within
the limits of the law, this also applies in cases of default or
when performance becomes impossible. Insofar as we are considered
liable for damages due to breach of contract which results from
a slight degree of negligence on our part or on the part of our
vicarious agents, liability for indirect damages is excluded. When
delay damages arise due to delay in our performance, we are only
liable to the extent of contractual value (our own work excluding
advance performance and material) if we or our vicarious agents
are only at fault for slight negligence.
XIII. Taking Delivery; Passing
of Risk
The customer must take delivery of the goods at the completion time
agreed upon if the goods are ready for acceptance. If the customer
is in default of acceptance, regardless of article III.1 the price
agreed upon is due immediately. If the customer does not meet this
obligation, we are entitled to withdraw from the contract and to
make other use of the goods, whereby the sales revenues gained in
this case are credited to the price agreed upon. We must be compensated
for profit lost. If the seller is in default of acceptance or fails
to perform other participation duties, then we are entitled to demand
compensation for damages thus caused, including any additional expenditures
which may arise. We reserve the right to further claims on our behalf.
In case of default or delay in acceptance by the buyer, or other
failure to perform participation duties on the part of the buyer,
then the risk of accidental loss of the goods or of accidental worsening
of the state of the goods passes over to the buyer from the point
in which he entered into the state of default in acceptance or debtor's
delay.
XIV. Ownership, Copyright,
Duty of Secrecy
Those articles of the trade which we use to manufacture the product
of the contract, in particular special means of operation (tools,
devices) remain our property and shall not be delivered. We reserve
for ourselves the ownership and copyrights of estimates of cost,
drawings, and other documents. They may only then be made available
to unauthorized third parties if we give our prior explicit written
permission. The customer is solely liable if, in the process of
executing orders, any rights, particularly copyrights, trademarks,
or patents of third parties are infringed upon. The customer indemnifies
us against claims of third parties in the event of such violations
of rights. All ideas and documents drawn up by ourselves, in particular
samples, sketches, designs, technical information, models, etc.
are under the protection of our intellectual property, and may not
be used or applied in any manner without our prior written consent.
XV. Applicability of German
Law
The law of the Federal Republic of Germany is exclusively applicable.
Application of the UN Convention on Contracts for the International
Sale of Goods, dated January 1, 1991, is precluded.
XVI. Place of Performance,
Place of Jurisdiction, and Validity
The place of performance for all claims arising from this contractual
relationship is Igenhausen. Augsburg is the place of jurisdiction
for all legal disputes arising from this business connection. We
are, however, entitled to bring grievances before the legal place
of jurisdiction as well. The partial or complete invalidity of any
provision in these terms of sales and delivery, or of any provision
within the context of other agreements, whether now or in the future,
shall not affect the validity of any part of the remaining provisions
or agreements. The invalid provision is then replaced by that lawfully
permissible provision which is closest to the meaning of the invalid
provision.
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