Sales Conditions

Preamble
1. Identification of seller
2. Identification of buyer
3. Order
4. Offer and prices
5. Availability
6. Invoicing
7. Payment
8. Delivery
9. VAT
10. Logistical and carriage costs
11. Damage and loss
12. Goods returned and taken back
13. Proof
14. Reservation of ownership
15. Intellectual rights
16. Limitation of liability
17. Disputes 

Preamble

The Publications Service of the World customs organization will be required to execute an order only after it has been registered in its online shop or at the sales counter. Unless otherwise specified, these General Conditions of Sale (GCS), which may be amended at any time and without prior notice, shall govern the relations between the Publications Service of the World customs organization and its Customer, who accepts them without reservation. These GCS shall take precedence over any other condition appearing in any other document, unless an express waiver has been granted in advance. The validation of his order by the Customer shall be equivalent to full and unreserved acceptance of these GCS and legal provisions. The Publications Service of the World customs organization reserves the right to refuse any order from a Customer with whom it may be in dispute. 

1. Identification of seller

Publications Service of the World Customs Organization
GMD Publishing SPRL
Publications@wcoomd.org
Capital 40,800 euros
Avenue du Bourget 40 - 1130 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0)2 209 95 02     Fax: +32 (0)2 209 94 90

2. Identification of buyer

When placing his first order, the visitor will be invited to configure his customer account by completing the form that initializes his user ID (email address) and password.  When he makes other visits and/or places other orders, the visitor will be able to identify himself directly through his user ID and password. The system automatically checks the uniqueness of the user ID.  If he happens to lose his password, the visitor can click on the link “Password lost”. The system will then automatically send a new password to the email address provided by the Customer and recognized as the user ID. When they first connect to the online shop, WCO Member Administrations must enter logins and passwords identical to those used for connecting to the WCO Members site. They will then be invited to complete the configuration of the customer account necessary for the delivery of publications.  From the second connection to the online shop onwards, it will be sufficient for them to enter the login or email address and password. If already connected to the WCO Members site, the Member will be automatically identified at the online shop. 

3. Order

The Publications Service of the World customs organization shall be bound by the order placed by the buyer as from the dispatch of an acknowledgement of receipt confirming that the Publications Service of the World customs organization agrees to process that order. The Publications Service of the World customs organization reserves the right to make the confirmation of the order subject to other conditions, to suspend it or to refuse it in the following exhaustive list of cases: 

- order form incomplete or incorrect;

- communication of clearly erroneous data;

- failure to pay for previous deliveries or refusal of authorization by the buyer’s bank or financial institution;

- orders for an abnormally large number of publications;

- orders for an abnormally large total amount;

- delivery to be made in a geographical area where the risks would be unreasonable, due either to an unreliable transport or distribution system or to circumstances of force majeure (wars, riots, strikes). 

4. Offer and prices

All the articles offered on the site are described in good faith and as accurately as possible. Offers and prices are valid for the day on which the site is consulted; they may be changed without notice. In the case of an order for delivery to a country outside the European Union, the buyer is the importer of the product(s) concerned. For all products shipped outside the European Union, the price shall be calculated exclusive of taxes automatically on the invoice.  Customs duties, other local taxes or state import duties and taxes may be payable. These duties and sums are not the responsibility of the Publications Service of the World customs organization. They are borne by the buyer and are entirely his responsibility in terms of both declarations and payments to his country’s competent authorities and agencies. The Publications Service of the World customs organization recommends the buyer to obtain information on these aspects from his local competent authorities. Subject to the article headed “VAT”, the prices proposed at the end of the ordering process are global prices and include VAT and delivery charges. Images displayed on the site have no contractual value.  Prices are quoted in euros and all orders, whatever their origin, are payable in euros (€). The Administrations of WCO Members are entitled to discounts, provided they identify themselves to the online shop with their login and Member’s password. 

5. Availability

The product offers and prices of the Publications Service of the World customs organization are valid for as long as they can be viewed on the site, subject to availability. If an article is not available, the buyer will be informed as quickly as possible by email or post. If a buyer is informed that a product is not available, he may cancel his order by applying to the customer service.  In any event, the Publications Service of the World customs organization may not be held responsible for any damage resulting from the unavailability of an article. 

6. Invoicing

The purchase invoice is attached to the order confirmation email sent by the Publications Service of the World customs organization after validation of payment (subject to the special conditions applicable to the Administrations of WCO Members). When placing an order, it is possible to specify an address for invoicing different from the address for delivery.  

7. Payment

With the exception of Members’ Administrations, which may pay within 60 days following the date of invoicing, payment in advance is required.  If payment is not made when due, the whole of the balance shall become immediately payable. In this case, the Customer shall become automatically liable to the payment of an indemnity equal to 20% of the unpaid invoices. Any invoice not paid when due shall bear interest, automatically and without prior notice, at an applicable monthly interest rate of 5%. The WCO reserves the right to cancel any outstanding orders. In general, orders placed via the site of the Publications Service of the World customs organization are payable by credit card, via a secure server, or by bank transfer. If a credit card is used, authorization will be requested from your financial institution at the time the order is placed.  In the event of payment by bank transfer, the buyer must specify his order number as the transfer reference to facilitate processing. Bank charges incurred as a result of payments made in any other currency or as a result of the method of payment used are payable by the customer. The bank details to use are as follows:

 All other customers:
Banque                       CBC
N° compte belge         732-0160009-10
IBAN                            BE41 7320 1600 0910
BIC                              CREGBEBB


WCO Member Administrations:

Banque                       CBC
N° compte belge         732-0160008-09
IBAN                            BE52 7320 1600 0809
BIC                              CREGBEBB

8. Delivery

The Publications Service of the World customs organization will ensure that the order is processed as quickly as possible. Publications will be delivered to the delivery address indicated on the order form.  Delivery times are only for guidance and do not entail any commitment on the part of the WCO. Delivery times are about 10 working days for Europe and 15 working days for the rest of the world.  However, the Publications Service of the World customs organization may not be held responsible for any delays in processing or delivering orders. In no circumstances can such delays justify the cancellation of the contract or the withholding of payments due. In the case of articles deliverable on different dates for reasons of availability, the delivery time shall be based on that which is latest. However, the Publications Service of the World customs organization reserves the right to make split deliveries.  

9. VAT

Unless otherwise specified, the prices indicated on the site include Belgian VAT. This is payable by all consumers not liable to tax residing or having their registered offices in one of the countries of the European Union. It is also payable by consumers liable to tax having their registered offices in Belgium. Consumers liable to tax having their registered offices in another country of the Union and wishing to take delivery in that country will be invoiced exclusive of VAT. However, they will have to declare the goods imported so as to comply with the tax regulations of the country in which they are established. In any event, consumers liable to tax are required to declare their VAT number when they set up the customer account. The Publications Service of the World customs organization reserves the right to suspend the order if this information is not provided or if the number transmitted is incomplete or incorrect. Deliveries outside the European Union will be invoiced exclusive of VAT.  

10. Logistical and carriage costs

Any logistical and carriage costs that the buyer may have to bear will be communicated, on-line, at the time of placing the order. In general, they will be calculated on the basis of the total weight of the order, its destination and the mode of shipment.  These costs are payable by the buyer and are added, on the invoice, to the price of the product(s) ordered.  

11. Damage and loss

Under the Belgian Law of 14 July 1991 on commercial practices and consumer protection, the risks of damage or loss are borne by the remote seller. Thus, if the product received does not correspond to the article which the buyer ordered or if it is damaged, the buyer may return it to the Publications Service of the World customs organization, within 7 days of receipt. After that, the delivery is considered to have been irrevocably accepted. The Publications Service of the World customs organization will exchange the product or refund the amount of the order, as well as any carriage costs incurred, within 30 days of receiving the article returned. However, the Publications Service of the World customs organization reserves the right to refuse to give a refund on products returned if they have been damaged by the buyer.  In general, an order will be deemed to have been delivered 5 working days after the articles were handed over to the carrier responsible for their delivery.  However, if one or more products ordered fail to reach the buyer within 30 days following confirmation of the order, at the delivery address provided, it will be the responsibility of the buyer to contact, within a reasonable time, the Publications Service of the World customs organization in order to check the status of his order.  If it turns out that the shipment which should have been made has gone astray during the delivery process, the Publications Service of the World customs organization will make a new shipment or refund the amount of the order, including any carriage costs incurred. 

12. Goods returned and taken back

Under the Belgian Law of 14 July 1991 on commercial practices and consumer protection, the non-commercial buyer has a period of 7 working days following the date of delivery of the order to give notice that he no longer wishes to proceed with the purchase. However, it should be noted that we shall not be in a position to accept the cancellation of orders where downloaded products are concerned.  The intention not to proceed may be notified by email, fax or registered post. The product(s) concerned must be returned by the buyer within 3 working days of the dispatch of the email, fax or registered letter notifying the intention not to proceed. Upon receiving the product(s) returned the Publications Service of the World customs organization will refund the amount of the order concerned, provided that the product(s) concerned is in perfect condition.  The costs incurred in forwarding the product(s) returned will be borne by the buyer, unless the delivery was not made according to contract. 

13. Proof

The data recorded by the Publications Service of the World customs organization constitute proof of all the transactions between the Publications Service of the World customs organization and its customers. The data recorded by the payments system of the Publications Service of the World customs organization constitute proof of the transactions. Notwithstanding any other written evidence or any evidence preserved on another durable medium to which the consumer has access, it is agreed that the computerized records stored in the computerized systems of the Publications Service of the World customs organization or its host shall count as proof of the communications and the content of the orders passing between the parties. 

14. Reservation of ownership

The products will remain the property of the WCO until the price, plus interest and indemnity where appropriate, has been paid in full, but the Customer will assume all the risks from the outset.  

15. Intellectual rights

The contents of the site are protected by copyright. The copying, translation, modification and dissemination of all or part thereof, in whatever form, is prohibited worldwide, except with the prior written consent of the Publications Service of the World customs organization. This applies, in particular, to extracts of works presented on the site, even if offered free of charge. Any infringement of these intellectual rights may give rise to civil and criminal proceedings. Any reproduction, in whole or in part, of the catalogue of the Publications Service of the World customs organization is strictly prohibited. 

16. Limitation of liability

The liability of the Publications Service of the World customs organization shall be strictly limited to the initial value of the order and the Service may not be held liable in cases of force majeure. The Publications Service of the World customs organization may not be held liable for any damage whatsoever arising out of the use of its Internet site, including but not limited to direct and consequential damage. More specifically, the Publications Service of the World customs organization takes no responsibility for the content of those sites with which it provides a hypertext link, in particular with respect to the protection of personal data.  The Publications Service of the World customs organization cannot be held liable for breach of contract if the product is out of stock or unavailable, or in the event of force majeure, a total or partial disruption or strike affecting, in particular, the postal  services or means of transport and/or communication, flood or fire.  The Publications Service of the World customs organization will not incur any liability for consequential damage arising here from, loss of production, loss of profits, loss of opportunity, damages or costs.  

17. Disputes

Any dispute relating to the use of this site shall be governed exclusively by Belgian law. In the event of a dispute the courts and tribunals of Brussels shall have sole jurisdiction.