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GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE
We look forward to welcoming you soon. The entire ESI La Toussuire team extends its warm sporting greetings.
These General Terms and Conditions of Sale (hereinafter referred to as the "Terms and Conditions" or "T&Cs") are intended to inform customers of their rights and obligations arising from the conclusion of a contract with ESI La Toussuire Ski School concerning the organisation and sale of private or group ski lessons.
They are provided to customers in accordance with Article 96 of French Decree No. 94-490 of 15 June 1994.
Last updated: 25 June 2026
These Terms and Conditions define the legal framework governing the relationship between ESI La Toussuire Ski School (hereinafter referred to as "ESI") and its customers (hereinafter referred to individually or collectively as the "Customer(s)").
ESI and the Customer may hereinafter be referred to collectively as the "Parties" and individually as a "Party".
These Terms and Conditions set out the conditions under which ESI markets and provides its services (hereinafter referred to as the "Services"), which are available exclusively upon prior booking.
They apply to all sales of Services carried out by ESI.
Accordingly, placing an order constitutes full and unconditional acceptance of these Terms and Conditions by the Customer.
The Customer acknowledges having read these Terms and Conditions prior to booking and purchasing any Services and accepts them without restriction or reservation.
Any terms and conditions proposed by the Customer that conflict with these Terms and Conditions shall not be binding upon ESI unless expressly accepted in writing, regardless of when such terms may have been communicated.
These Terms and Conditions may be updated from time to time. However, the version applicable shall always be the one in force on the date the Services are purchased.
The current version of these Terms and Conditions is available at all times on the ESI website and at the ESI office.
1. Opening Dates
ESI operates in accordance with the official opening and closing dates of the ski resort.
2. Services
The Services offered are those presented on the ESI website and at the ESI office.
They include:
- Ski instruction services, including private and group lessons in skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and other snow sports;
- Where applicable, additional services such as lift passes, insurance, meals and other optional extras.
3. Participation
Participation in instructional Services requires:
- Good physical health (for special circumstances, please contact ESI);
- Suitable equipment appropriate for winter sports;
- Compliance with all instructions given by the instructor.
The Customer acknowledges full awareness of these participation requirements.
The Customer releases ESI, its directors, employees and instructors from any claim or legal action arising from injuries or damage suffered by the Customer and/or caused to third parties, however occurring, in connection with participation in the booked Services.
4. Supervision
All ESI instructors are qualified professionals holding the appropriate French State diploma in their respective disciplines, or are currently undertaking the required State qualification.
Participation in instructional Services remains subject to the instructor's assessment of each participant's physical and behavioural ability.
5. Safety
The delivery of any instructional Service is subject to the instructor's assessment of weather conditions, snow conditions and the participants' abilities.
All instructors maintain radio or telephone communication with both the resort's ski patrol service and the ESI central office to ensure participant safety.
6. Weather Conditions
Weather conditions shall under no circumstances constitute valid grounds for the Customer to cancel or postpone the booked Services, provided that the Services continue to be delivered by ESI.
Accordingly, the Customer shall not be entitled to any refund or postponement of the Services on the grounds of adverse weather conditions.
7. Insurance
Instructional Services do not include insurance cover.
Customers are therefore advised that it is their sole responsibility to take out adequate personal insurance covering, as a minimum, bodily injury arising from participation in sporting activities, in accordance with Article L.321-4 of the French Sports Code.
Customers are also strongly encouraged to obtain insurance covering lesson cancellation, mountain rescue, medical expenses and repatriation costs.
8. Booking Procedure
8.1 Booking
Services may only be purchased by prior booking:
- directly at the ESI office;
- via the ESI online booking website;
- via the central ESI booking platform.
Bookings are subject to availability and become effective only after confirmation by ESI.
Customers are therefore strongly advised to book well in advance during school holiday periods.
Customers may book Services either for themselves or on behalf of one or more third parties. In the latter case, the Customer confirms that they have obtained the necessary authorisation from the person(s) concerned to use their personal data and make bookings on their behalf.
The Customer is solely responsible for the accuracy and truthfulness of all information provided when making bookings for themselves and/or third parties.
Registration for any instructional Service is personal, nominative and non-transferable. Booked Services may not be assigned, transferred, resold or otherwise made available to any third party, whether free of charge or for payment.
ESI reserves the right to cancel a lesson if the minimum number of participants required has not been reached (generally three or four participants depending on the type of lesson).
The Customer is responsible for declaring the participant's skiing or snow sports ability. However, the instructor reserves the right to transfer a participant to another group if the declared level proves inaccurate and does not correspond to the level of the other participants.
8.2 Payment
All Services must be paid in full at the time of booking.
For bookings made remotely (via the ESI website or the central ESI booking platform), payment may only be made by credit or debit card.
For bookings made directly at the ESI office, the following methods of payment are accepted:
- Credit or debit card;
- Cash;
- French bank cheque;
- ANCV Holiday Vouchers (Chèques-Vacances);
- Sports Coupons (Coupons Sport).
8.3 Booking Confirmation
A booking shall only become final once full payment has been received and confirmed by ESI.
Upon confirmation, the Customer will receive a lesson card either electronically or in person, depending on the booking method used.
Confirmation of the booking constitutes the Customer's irrevocable acceptance of the prices, descriptions of the Services and these Terms and Conditions.
8.4 Online Bookings
With regard to access to its online booking website or the central ESI booking platform and the entire booking process, ESI is bound only by an obligation to use reasonable endeavours.
Accordingly, ESI shall not be liable for any inconvenience or damage arising from the use of the Internet, including but not limited to:
- interruption of service;
- failure of the online booking system;
- internet connection failures;
- external intrusion;
- computer viruses;
- or any event constituting force majeure under applicable French law and case law.
9. Right of Withdrawal for Online Bookings
The statutory right of withdrawal provided under Article L.221-18 of the French Consumer Code does not apply to the Services offered by ESI.
Pursuant to Article L.221-28 (12) of the French Consumer Code, these Services constitute leisure activities to be supplied on a specific date or within a specified period and are therefore exempt from the statutory withdrawal period.
10. Modification and Cancellation of Services
Cancellation by the Customer
Any cancellation made less than twenty (20) days before the scheduled Service shall not entitle the Customer to any refund or postponement, except in cases of force majeure as defined in Article 17, provided that supporting evidence is submitted within forty-eight (48) hours.
The following cancellation charges shall apply:
- More than thirty (30) days before the Service: a fixed administration fee of €10 will be deducted before any refund is issued.
- Between thirty (30) and twenty (20) days before the Service: 15% of the total amount paid will be retained before the balance is refunded.
No Refund or Postponement
No refund or postponement shall be granted in the following circumstances:
- interruption or non-completion of a lesson due to the participant's insufficient physical fitness or technical ability;
- interruption of Services resulting from circumstances beyond ESI's control, including but not limited to lift closures, adverse weather conditions or safety measures;
- modification or cancellation of Services by instructors, with or without prior notice, for safety or weather-related reasons.
Timetable Changes
Lesson schedules may be modified to reflect changes in the operating hours of the ski lifts.
Such adjustments shall not entitle participants to any compensation or refund.
Cancellation by ESI
ESI reserves the right to cancel booked instructional Services where:
- there are insufficient participants to operate a group lesson; or
- an instructor becomes unexpectedly unavailable and no suitable replacement can be arranged.
In such cases, the Customer shall receive a full refund of all sums paid in respect of the cancelled Service.
11. Special Provisions Relating to COVID-19 or Similar Health Situations
The COVID-19 pandemic or any similar public health situation may result in:
- national travel restrictions in France or in the Customer's country of residence;
- local, regional or departmental travel restrictions affecting the ski resort where ESI operates;
- local, regional or departmental travel restrictions affecting the Customer's place of residence (upon presentation of official supporting documentation);
- mandatory quarantine measures between the Customer's country of residence and France (upon presentation of official supporting documentation);
- administrative closure of ski lifts and/or public facilities within the resort where ESI operates.
In any of the above circumstances, ESI will endeavour, where reasonably possible, to reschedule the booked Services.
Where rescheduling is not possible, the Customer shall receive either:
- a full refund;
- a pro rata refund for Services only partially provided;
less a fixed administration fee of €10.
Alternatively, ESI may issue a credit voucher valid for eighteen (18) months.
Except for the situations described above, any Customer choosing not to travel or to interrupt the booked Services due to COVID-19 or a similar health situation shall not be entitled to any refund, modification or postponement of the Services.
12. Prices
All prices displayed on the ESI website and at the ESI office are expressed in euros (€) and include all applicable taxes (VAT) at the rate in force on the date of booking and payment.
Any change in the applicable VAT rate may be reflected in the prices charged.
The prices applicable are those in force at the time the Customer's booking is registered.
ESI reserves the right to amend its prices at any time. Any revised prices shall apply from the date they are published.
In the event of an obvious pricing error (including a price manifestly lower than the actual value of the Service), ESI reserves the right to cancel the booking and, where payment has already been made, to refund the Customer as soon as reasonably practicable.
In such circumstances, ESI shall not be liable for any compensation.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, instructional Services do not include:
- insurance;
- ski or snowboard equipment;
- ski lift passes.
Where available, these additional services are charged separately in accordance with the prices displayed on the ESI website and at the ESI office.
13. Performance of the Services
To ensure the proper delivery of the booked Services, the Customer undertakes to provide complete, accurate and truthful information during the booking process.
The Customer also agrees to comply with all instructions contained in the booking confirmation email, particularly regarding the meeting point, date and time of the lesson.
Customers arriving late at the designated meeting point shall not be entitled to any refund, whether full or partial, or to any compensation.
Likewise, for group lessons, if the instructor determines that the participant's actual ability differs from the level declared during booking, the instructor may transfer the participant to another group, subject to availability.
The Customer acknowledges that maintaining groups of similar ability is essential to the quality, safety and effective delivery of instruction.
14. Photographs and Videos
During the provision of its Services, ESI may take photographs and videos for publication on its social media platforms and for promotional or marketing purposes.
Participation in the Services constitutes the participant's consent to the use of their image for these purposes.
However, the Customer may withdraw this consent at any time by notifying ESI in writing.
Where such withdrawal occurs after promotional material has already been produced or published, the Customer acknowledges that ESI shall be allowed a reasonable period of time to replace or remove the relevant material.
15. Liability
15.1 General Principle
ESI shall not be held liable for any damage resulting from inaccurate, incomplete or misleading information or documents supplied by the Customer.
Except in cases of gross negligence or wilful misconduct, ESI's total liability to the Customer, regardless of the legal basis of the claim or the nature of the damage suffered, shall not exceed the total amount paid by the Customer for the relevant Services.
ESI shall not be liable where the failure to perform, or defective performance of, its obligations results from:
- force majeure;
- unforeseen events referred to in Article 17;
- or any act or omission attributable to the Customer.
In all circumstances, ESI's liability shall be limited exclusively to direct material loss suffered by the Customer as a result of proven fault attributable to ESI.
15.2 Accidents
Where an accident is caused by a third party, neither the instructor nor ESI is under any obligation to identify that third party or obtain their personal details.
Neither the instructor nor ESI is subject to any obligation to achieve a particular result in this respect.
16. Personal Data Protection
ESI collects personal data relating to the Customer and, where applicable, to persons on whose behalf the Customer makes a booking, solely for the purposes of:
- responding to enquiries and booking requests;
- managing bookings and customer files;
- maintaining accounting records, IT systems and lesson schedules;
- administrative, commercial, accounting and statistical management;
- informing Customers about ESI news, activities and services.
Only the personal data strictly necessary for the proper performance of the Services and compliance with these Terms and Conditions are collected.
All personal data are treated as strictly confidential.
The data are intended for ESI but may also be shared with trusted partners or subcontractors where necessary for the performance of the booked Services or to meet the Customer's legitimate needs.
Such third parties are authorised to process personal data solely on behalf of ESI and only for the purposes for which they have been appointed.
Before transferring any personal data, ESI ensures that such trusted partners comply with:
- the French Data Protection Act (Law No. 78-17 of 6 January 1978, as amended); and
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 (General Data Protection Regulation – GDPR).
In accordance with applicable data protection legislation, data subjects have the following rights:
- the right of access to their personal data;
- the right to obtain information regarding the processing of their personal data;
- the right to rectify inaccurate or incomplete personal data;
- the right to object, on legitimate grounds, to the processing of their personal data, particularly for direct marketing purposes;
- the right to determine what happens to their personal data after their death, where provided for under applicable law.
These rights may be exercised at any time by contacting ESI by post or email.
ESI undertakes to respond to all requests as promptly as possible and in accordance with applicable legislation.
Personal data are retained only for the legally required retention periods.
ESI undertakes to respect the privacy of all Customers and to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure the security and confidentiality of personal data, including preventing unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction, subject to any legal obligations arising under French Law No. 2004-575 of 21 June 2004 on Confidence in the Digital Economy.
17. Force Majeure
Performance by ESI of all or part of its contractual obligations shall be suspended in the event of force majeure or any unforeseen circumstance as defined by Article 1218 of the French Civil Code, where such event prevents or delays performance.
Force majeure includes, without limitation:
- war;
- riots;
- insurrection;
- civil unrest;
- epidemics or pandemics;
- strikes of any nature;
- and any other event beyond ESI's reasonable control.
ESI shall notify the Customer of any event of force majeure within seven (7) days of becoming aware of it.
During the period in which performance is prevented, ESI may suspend the provision of the Services without incurring any liability.
The performance of the Services shall be postponed for a period equivalent to the duration of the event giving rise to the suspension.
18. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution
These Terms and Conditions shall be governed exclusively by French law.
The French version of these Terms and Conditions shall prevail for the purposes of interpretation.
In the event of a dispute, the Customer must first submit a written complaint to the management of ESI by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt.
If no satisfactory response is received, or if no response is provided within sixty (60) days, the Customer may refer the matter, free of charge, to the competent consumer mediation service, whose contact details are available at:
www.mediateur-consommation-smp.fr
19. Severability
Should any provision of these Terms and Conditions be held to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable by a competent court, such provision shall be deemed severable.
The validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall remain unaffected.
20. No Waiver
Any failure by ESI at any time to enforce any provision of these Terms and Conditions, or to require the Customer to perform any obligation, shall not constitute a waiver of ESI's right to enforce that provision or any other provision at a later date.
21. Headings
The headings used in these Terms and Conditions are provided for convenience only.
They shall not affect the interpretation of the provisions to which they relate.