General Terms and Conditions (GTC) of Phonem Language School
Owner: Sabrina Alibasic
I. Registration and Payment
1. You may attend a course only if you have registered fully in advance.
2. Registration can be completed in person at the school or online via our website.
3. Trial lessons can be arranged in advance at the office.
4. A trial lesson is free of charge and may be taken only once (45 minutes).
5. Payment is accepted by bank transfer or in cash at the school. Card payments are not possible.
6. The fee for one course level (e.g., A1.1) is €350 and is fixed.
In the final week before a course begins, an additional processing fee of €40 is charged on top of the course price.
7. If a participant misses class (e.g., due to illness, appointments, changing work shifts, etc.), there is no entitlement to a price reduction or refund.
8. Payment by instalments is possible only with prior agreement from school management and written approval. Two instalments are permitted, following an individually agreed plan. Payments made without prior approval will be rejected and refunded immediately.
9. A confirmation of registration will be sent by email after payment has been received.
10. A certificate of attendance can be issued at the end of the course if requested. A minimum attendance of 60 % is required.
11. If your personal details (address, email, phone number, name, etc.) change, please inform Phonem immediately so that invoices, confirmations, and certificates can be issued correctly. If changes are not reported, a €10 processing fee will be charged for re-issuing documents.
12. Courses can only be booked for 4 weeks (morning/afternoon courses) or 6 weeks (evening courses). Weekly bookings are not possible, except when a course is not fully booked; in that case, a minimum booking of 2 weeks is allowed.
13. A course place can be reserved with a €50 deposit only after personal consultation at the office and by signing an agreement. The balance must be paid in full before the course starts. Deposits are non-refundable if you withdraw. Transfers made without written consent will be returned immediately.
14. For online registrations, a course place is held for 3 days . If payment is not received within this period, the registration is automatically deleted. You may register again, subject to availability.
II. Rebooking and Cancellations
1. Rebooking
a) Rebooking to a later date, if requested at least 2 weeks before the course starts, costs €30 . Each additional rebooking costs €50 .
b) Later rebooking (within two weeks of the start date) or on the start date itself is not possible.
c) If a participant received documents for authorities (e.g., residence-permit or visa applications), rebooking or cancellation is only possible upon presentation of the rejection notice (see Section V).
2. Cancellation
a) We retain a processing fee of
* €60 for cancellations more than 30 days before the course starts.
* €100 for cancellations 14–30 days before the course starts.
* No refund for cancellations less than 14 days before the course starts.
Cancellations must be submitted in writing.
b) No cancellation is possible within two weeks of the start date or after the course has begun.
c) If you fail to appear without prior notice, cancellation is not possible.
d) The original confirmation of registration must be returned when cancelling.
III. Course Schedule, Class Times, Public Holidays, and Missed Classes
1. Course times (morning, afternoon, evening) are fixed in advance and cannot be changed.
2. Course books are not included in the fee and must be purchased before the course starts.
3. Morning and Afternoon Courses
a) Held Monday to Friday, 3 hours plus a 15-minute break per day.
b) One lesson unit lasts 45 minutes .
c) Each course day comprises 4 lesson units (4 × 45 min = 3 h), totalling 20 units per week .
d) One course level (e.g., A1.1) lasts 4 weeks , i.e., 80 units in total.
4. Evening Courses
a) Held three times a week on pre-scheduled days.
b) Each day comprises 4 lesson units (3 h), totalling 12 units per week .
c) One level (e.g., B2.1) lasts 6 weeks , i.e., 72 units in total.
5. Conversation Courses
a) Held two or three times a week in the afternoon or evening, depending on the timetable. One session lasts 2 hours plus a 15-minute break if needed.
b) Prerequisite: completed B1/B2 level.
c) The course runs 4 weeks and can be booked monthly.
6. Missed Classes
a) Classes falling on public holidays do not take place. Instead, extra material (worksheets, reading texts, exercises, etc.) will be provided and reviewed on the next working day if needed.
b) If classes are cancelled for reasons attributable to Phonem (e.g., teacher illness), the hours will be made up.
c) If too few participants enrol, Phonem may cancel or postpone the course. In that case, the full fee will be refunded.
d) With fewer than 6 students , lesson length is reduced by 60 minutes, as the course is then considered one-to-one/private tuition.
IV. Exams and Certificates
1. Exams
a) Consist of written and oral parts in accordance with the CEFR.
b) Included in the course fee for Phonem participants and held at the end of the complete level (e.g., after A1.2).
*If you cannot attend the official exam date, you may request an alternative date with school management. Additional dates cost €150 and are scheduled by the school.*
c) Exam days (2 in total) are counted as course hours and are agreed with the teacher at the start of the course.
d) Detailed information on exam procedures is provided at the beginning of the course.
e) External candidates pay €150 ; exams are held on Phonem premises.
f) Exam dates for external candidates are arranged in advance with the office.
g) We do not offer naturalisation tests or DTZ exams (German Test for Immigrants).
2. Certificates
a) Marking and issuance of official certificates take 20–25 working days after the exam.
b) Certificates are included in the course fee.
c) Certificates are internal Phonem language diplomas based on the CEFR.
d) Participants receive a digital PDF certificate with a QR code for secure verification. It is valid for three years and can be stored or printed at any time.
e) Our exams and certificates follow CEFR standards but are not Telc exams. Please ensure that our certificate meets your needs before enrolling and paying. Phonem accepts no responsibility and no costs if the certificate is not accepted for your purposes.
V. Language Visa
1. Before registering, please check visa requirements with the German embassy in your home country.
2. Apply for your visa in good time, allowing for long waiting periods.
3. To receive an invitation letter for a German course, you must book and pay for at least four courses in advance.
4. The invitation letter will be sent by email.
5. Rebooking: If your visa is refused (proof required) or delayed, the booked course can be postponed. The new date depends on the timetable and may be several months later.
a) If you notify us immediately and provide the refusal notice, rebooking is free of charge.
b) If you fail to appear without notice, no refund is possible.
6. Cancellation: Courses booked for visa purposes can be cancelled only with the embassy’s refusal notice.
a) We retain a €100 processing fee.
b) Cancellation must be in writing with proof attached. Only then will Phonem refund the course fee. Phonem does not cover additional costs such as transfer fees, bank charges, or exchange-rate losses.
c) If you fail to appear without notice, no cancellation or refund is possible.
VI. General Provisions
1. Participants are liable for any damage they cause and must provide compensation.
2. Phonem accepts no liability for the loss of personal belongings, valuables, or injuries.
3. Parents/guardians are fully responsible for minors.
4. Your personal data is used solely for course administration and will not be shared.
5. To support participants, we may use email or WhatsApp/Telegram to share course materials, board photos, announcements, etc.
6. Misconduct
Insults, disrespect, classroom disruption, or attacks on teachers or fellow participants—of any kind—lead to immediate expulsion without refund. The school reserves the right to impose a permanent ban.
7. Right of Withdrawal
a) You have the right to withdraw from the contract within 14 days without giving reasons. The period begins on the day you (or a third party you name) first made use of the service.
b) To exercise your right, you must inform us in writing (letter or email).
c) If you withdraw, we will refund all payments received from you within 14 days of receiving your notice.