General Terms and Conditions

CONDITIONS

General Terms and Conditions: French Classes

The act of registering at Etoile for language classes and/or any other services implies the student’s full and complete acceptance of the following terms and conditions.

Registration

To register, fill out the registration form on our website or send it to us by email, mail or fax and make the required payment:

• 100% of the total price for 1-4 week stays
• If the stay is for more than 4 weeks, 50% or 100% of the total price

Once your registration form and payment have been received, Etoile will send you registration confirmation (by email, mail or fax) including:

• information about your stay: classes, housing, airport transfers etc.
• the amount already paid and the remaining balance to pay
• a registration certificate for students requiring a visa

No reservation can be guaranteed by the institute without receiving the registration form and payment for the first portion or total due. Class times are determined according to the student’s level and the available places in classes and can be changed by Etoile at any time.

Payment Methods (in euros only)

Payment methods are as follows:

Bank transfer to Etoile’s account
Etoile – Paris Language and Solutions
Bank: Crédit du Nord – Paris Raspail
Address: 28, bd Raspail – 75007 Paris
Account number: 30076 / 02061 / 20961900200-03
IBAN code: FR76 3007 6020 6120 9619 0020 003
SWIFT code: NORDFRPP
Please remember to put your name and dates of study in the transfer notes.

PayPal
Etoile’s PayPal account is: contact@ecole-letoile.com
Add 4% to cover PayPal’s fees.

Bank Check or Traveler’s Check in Euros (valid in France)
Foreign checks or checks made out in a currency other than euros are not accepted.

Bank Card or Cash
You can pay directly by card when registering online or at the institute by card (Visa, MasterCard) or in cash (euros).

In any case, bank fees, exchange fees and any other banking fees are the student’s to pay and will be charged back to the student if necessary. The balance to pay for classes, housing and/or other services (transportation to/from airport, express mail services, etc.) is due in its entirety before the start of classes, to be paid at the very latest the first day of classes.

Cancellation

Any stay that has begun is due in its entirety and cannot be reimbursed. Similarly, any extension that has been paid cannot be reimbursed.

Any cancellation requested before arrival at the institute must be sent to Etoile by certified letter with proof of delivery along with the original registration certificate provided by the institute. The cancellation is effective upon reception of the letter.

Cancellation fees are as follows:

• 30% of the total amount due for any cancellation made more than 30 days before the start of the stay
• 50% of the total amount due for any cancellation made 8 to 30 days before the start of the stay
• 75% of the total amount due for any cancellation made 4 to 7 days before the start of the stay
• 100% of the total amount due for any cancellation made fewer than 4 days before the start of the stay and in the case of a no-show the first day of the stay

Registration fees, housing fees and bank fees will be deducted from the amount to be refunded. In any case, refunds will only be done by bank transfer.

If a student’s application for a visa has been refused, and after providing the original refusal letter from the French Embassy as well as the original registration certificate given by Etoile, the institute will reimburse the total sum paid minus 150€ for administrative fees.
In case of early departure, no reimbursement will be given. Nevertheless, remaining classes may be held for a period of up to 12 months in case of force majeure (sickness, death in the family, accident resulting in injury) upon presenting supporting documents.

Classes cannot in any case be transferred to another student.

Classes
Classes are intended to be followed in the classroom. In case of an occasional absence, the student can receive a copy of the classes that he/she has missed. In the case of a prolonged absence, the student may need to be placed in a different class upon his/her return. The estimated 5 hours of homework per week for intensive classes (and 4 hours per week for au-pair classes) includes time spent studying and memorizing the day’s classwork and time spent on the homework assignment given by the professor. This time is essential to the student’s progress and is an integral part of the learning process. The student’s education is therefore 25 hours per week for intensive classes, 20 hours per week for semi-intensive classes and 10 hours per week for au-pair classes.

Etoile reserves the right to modify class times and days in order to provide a better quality of teaching, at any point and without warning. If the institute must cancel a class (for example if there are not enough people registered), it will offer where possible an equivalent class to the student.

In the case where a class has 3 or 4 participants, 50% of the number of reserved hours will be given.

In the case where a class only has one or two participants, the class will be transformed into a private class (the number of hours will be calculated based on the budget of group classes taken by the student).

If necessary, the institute may occasionally be required to accept up to 2 additional students in classes, beyond the stated class sizes.

Private classes: any student that cancels or postpones a class must do so by 12:00 noon the day before the class, otherwise it will be counted. If the class is scheduled for a Monday, the student must notify the institute by 12:00 noon of the preceding Friday. The student must notify the institute of cancellation or postponement by email. For pedagogical reasons, private classes are a minimum of 1.5 hours per class.

Location

Classes, tests and services proposed by Etoile can take place at our historic site, 38 boulevard Raspail (Paris 7e), in classrooms on neighboring streets, or in our space at the FIAP Jean Monnet (Foyer International d’Accueil de Paris) at 30, rue Cabanis (Paris 14e).

Etoile retains the right to change the location of classes, tests or services at any time, or to offer distance learning in the event of exceptional circumstances preventing access to classrooms

Changes to classes or housing during your stay

A group class cannot be changed into a private class at the student’s request.

Students enrolled in long-term standard or intensive classes may take vacations under the following conditions: 1 week of vacation (taken as a complete Monday-Friday week) is allowed per continuous 12-week enrollment period. The student is free to choose the vacation week but must inform administrative staff in advance by email. The student’s enrollment will then be extended accordingly.

Housing in a host family is definitive. Any request to change the housing option after the housing has been confirmed will be subject to administrative fees. Requested changes cannot be guaranteed.

In the case of discord between the student and the host family, Etoile will intervene as mediator to resolve the situation. In the case that a resolution is impossible, Etoile will find another family as quickly as possible. Only one housing change may be made during a stay.

Etoile may, for organizational reasons or force majeure, need to offer the student a different housing placement from the one originally offered.

Internal Rules

By registering, the student commits to follow classes regularly and to follow the institute’s rules and regulations (posted on the bulletin board). So as to not disturb the class, students arriving more than 15 minutes late must wait until the break to enter the class.

If the student is placed in housing through Etoile, s/he commits to respecting the Quality Charter if in a host family (provided before arrival) or the rules and regulations belonging to the residency in which s/he has been placed.

Etoile reserves the right to dismiss the student and/or end the student’s housing (and without refund) if:
the student’s behavior goes against the principles put forth in the Quality Charter, for those placed in host families
the student does not respect the rules and regulations of housing (like a residence) reserved through the institute
and particularly in case of: theft, abuse to property, abuse to persons, abuse of alcohol and particularly attending classes while inebriated, possessing or using drugs, refusal to follow local rules (at the institute or in housing reserved through Etoile), regulations and laws in effect in France

Insurance and Liability

The institute and housing providers cannot be held responsible for damages caused or suffered by the student and/or his/her personal belongings. As such, the institute recommends that students register for complete “responsabilité civile” insurance covering accidents, sickness, theft, etc.

If housed in a host family or in certain other types of housing, a multi-risk housing insurance is required.

The institute acts as intermediary between the student and his/her trip organizer and between the student and the host family/housing.

Minors

Minors are accepted in the institute insofar as they are autonomous. There is no supervision or monitoring done by the institute vis-à-vis minor students. An authorization form must be filled out and signed by a parent or legal guardian of the minor before the start of the stay.

Vacations and holidays

During holidays, classes do not take place and are not made-up or refunded. The institute is closed for certain vacation weeks during the academic year, depending on the type of class.

Image Use

Etoile may take photos or videos of students in order to illustrate promotional materials (brochures, websites, etc.). The acceptance of these conditions counts as the student’s express consent that these images may be used. The student can refuse this use by informing the institute in writing at the time of registration.

Complaints

In the case of a complaint, the student must follow the procedure indicated by Etoile in such a way that the institute has the opportunity to give an adequate response to the complaint.

Right of Access for Digital Files

Information requested from the student during registration are only given to natural or legal persons who are expressly authorized access.

Any student can request his or her information and rectify it if necessary, in accordance with law N° 78-17 du 6 janvier 1978 on technology, files and liberty.

Privacy Notice – RGPD

Etoile processes personal data in order to ensure, among other things, the services for which the student has registered.

Personal data is kept by Etoile for the duration of the contractual relationship, then archived according to our legal requirements before final deletion.

Etoile processes personal data as provided by the student or authorized third parties (such as an agency) at the time of registration and during the student’s stay.

The student has the right to access, rectify, delete, oppose or limit the processing of his/her personal data. S/he may exercise his/her rights by written and signed request addressed to Etoile. A reply will be sent within one month of receipt of the request, which may be extended if necessary.

Litigation

In case of litigation, only the Tribunal de Commerce de Paris will be competent.

Legal Information

This site is published by the company Paris Language and Solutions SARL, a company of 7,500.00 euros capital, matriculated in the Paris, France, register of commercial companies (RCS) under the number 497 738 963, and the headquarters of which is 33, rue des Tournelles 75003 Paris, France. The publisher can be reached by phone at +33 1 45 48 00 05 or by email at contact@ecole-letoile.com. The publication director of this site is M. Joël NANGIS; the site is hosted by SAS OVH which is headquartered at 2, rue Kellermann – BP 80157 – 59100 Roubaix.

All rights reserved – Reproduction is forbidden

General Conditions: Certifications

Terms and Conditions

The fact of enrolling at Etoile for a certification implies the candidate’s full and unreserved adherence to the present provisions as well as to the conditions relating to each certification in particular (these conditions are available only in French, as provided by the certification creators).

 

Candidates certify on their honor the accuracy of the information provided at the time of registration and when certificates are awarded.

 

In the event of a technical incident on the day of the test, the center reserves the right to postpone registrations to another session.

 

Registration fees

Registration fees are decided by the center and are non-refundable. In case of force majeure and upon acceptance of the request for reimbursement by the certification creator), the cancellation fee is as follows: 25% of the registration fee paid by the candidate for the session. In the event that the candidate has paid for a certification session without having met the waiting period between two enrollments (30 days for TCF, 60 days for TEF/DFP), Etoile will propose postponing the date of the test to another session. In case the candidate wishes to be reimbursed, a 10€ fee will apply.

 

Absences, delays

The dates and times of the sessions are indicated by Etoile the invitation and cannot be modified by the candidate.  The timetable must be respected under risk of invalidation of the test. If the candidate has not received his/her invitation 3 working days before the date of the session, it is his/her responsibility to contact the center; the center will then provide the necessary information. No latecomers will be accepted in the examination rooms and no refunds will be given.

 

If the candidate is ill or unable to work, the candidate will be asked to provide a medical certificate or a certificate from the employer which may allow him/her to defer registration to a subsequent session, depending on available places, upon receipt of a favorable opinion from the test creator.

 

Behavior

Etoile reserves the right to dismiss the candidate or cancel his/her participation in a session, without refund, in case of fraud, theft, abuse of property, abuse of persons, abuse of alcohol and in particular intoxication, possession or consumption of drugs, disruption of a session, or unwillingness to adhere to local rules (including the internal regulations of the premises in which the test takes place), regulations and laws in force in France.

 

Complaints

In the event of a complaint, the candidate must follow the procedure indicated by the center so as to give the latter the possibility of responding to the complaint.

 

Rates

Rates are subject to change at any time. For sessions that are not dematerialized, the cost of sending the certificate in Metropolitan France by certified letter are included in the rates. Please contact the center for rates for sending the certificate abroad.

General Conditions: Accommodation for Individuals

Rules: Payment of the invoice in euros (depending on the payment plan, if applicable) is due no later than the date indicated on your invoice. Accommodation cannot be guaranteed after this date. As soon as payment has been made by bank transfer, please send a scan of the transfer order by email to contact@ecole-letoile.com. Please include the student’s full name and invoice number in all correspondence.

Bank charges: Whatever the method of payment, bank charges of any kind are at the student’s expense and will be re-invoiced or deducted from the security deposit if necessary.

Late payment: In case of late payment, a fee of 150€ will be deducted from the deposit or re-invoiced.

Dates of stay: Accommodation is confirmed for the dates indicated in the confirmation letter. The student is responsible for finding and paying for his/her own accommodation for any dates outside the dates of stay indicated in the confirmation.

 

Extension of stay: For any extension of stay, a written request must be made to Etoile. Please note that in case of extension, placement in the original accommodation or with the same host is not guaranteed.

Requests to change accommodation or date of stay: A fee of 75€ will be charged for any change of accommodation request accepted by Etoile. Different rates may apply depending on the length of stay and the type of accommodation and may be adjusted if the length of stay is changed.

Cancellation conditions: In case of cancellation or early departure, a fee equivalent to 2 weeks’ rent will be retained.

Quality Charter: Payment of the invoice confirms that the student has read and will respect the general sales conditions as well as the Quality Charter in case of accommodation with a host family or the internal regulations of the residence.