Terms of
Service.

1. Acceptance of terms and priority of rights

By accessing the ALA Academy website or enrolling in a programme you agree to these terms, the cancellation and refund policy and the withdrawal information below. The contracting party for educational services sold directly by the Platform is ALA Core UG (haftungsbeschränkt) (see the operator details on the Privacy Policy page and in the footer).

Mandatory consumer and data protection rules apply according to the operator's establishment, the user's place of residence and the nature of the service. Where a commercial guarantee in these terms differs from a statutory minimum, the provision giving the learner greater protection applies. No clause is to be read as a waiver of a right that cannot lawfully be waived. Each programme page sets out the details specific to that programme before payment; a later message must not reduce the rights stated here. The learner receives a saveable copy of the service description, price and terms applicable when the contract is made.

Definitions

• Learner or user: a person who visits the Platform, creates an account or uses an educational service. The purchaser is the person who enters into the purchase contract and may be a parent, guardian or disclosed sponsoring organisation.
• Live course: instruction delivered with an instructor at scheduled times. Related replay recordings remain a supporting part of that course unless a separate recorded product is clearly sold independently.
• Standalone recorded course: digital content sold for self-paced study, if the Platform offers it.
• Combined programme: a pathway containing more than one service, such as study, practical training and assessment. Its components, duration and price are disclosed before purchase.
• Calendar day: every day, including holidays. A business day is Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays at the company's place of business.
• Statutory withdrawal: a right provided by law, subject to its conditions. The commercial satisfaction guarantee is an additional benefit and remains separate from statutory rights.

2. Eligibility, accounts and enrolment

Standard enrolment is available to individuals aged 18 or over who have the legal capacity to enter into a contract. We accept a minor's enrolment only in a programme expressly identified as suitable for their age group, after the involvement of a parent, guardian or legal representative and any necessary consents. This is an operational admission rule and does not mean that 18 is the age of consent to data processing under every applicable law.

Users must provide accurate information to the extent necessary for the service, keep it up to date, protect their login credentials and not lend their accounts to others. A public display name need not match a legal name, although a correct name may be needed for invoices and certificates. Users must notify support if they suspect unauthorised access and are not automatically responsible for the consequences of a breach they did not cause.

Each ALA Academy programme is described on its course page, including its duration and structure. Applying does not guarantee admission.

3. Information you receive before payment

• The subject and level of the programme, the language of instruction, prerequisites and the learning outcomes we undertake to provide.
• The number of actual teaching hours, duration, dates, time zone and schedule, any minimum group size and the date by which a decision will be made on whether the programme will run.
• Whether delivery is live, recorded or both; whether recordings are available; the period of access; and which files may be downloaded.
• The instructor's name where it is an essential part of the offer, how support and assessment are provided, and the attendance, completion and certificate requirements.
• The necessary technical specifications and any software, tools or external examinations that require additional, optional fees.
• The total price, currency, taxes and mandatory charges, the total commitment under an instalment plan, and any continuing subscription, renewal and method of termination.
• What practical training actually includes, who provides it, its duration and selection process.
• The refund policy, statutory right of withdrawal and commercial satisfaction guarantee, and where to find the relevant forms and online functions.

The purchaser reviews the order and corrects errors before confirming it. The checkout button clearly indicates that placing the order creates an obligation to pay. We then send a saveable confirmation containing the service, price, agreed schedule, a copy of the terms, the withdrawal notice and any specific consents. We facilitate the correction of errors after the contract is concluded without reducing statutory time limits or rights.

4. Prices, payments, instalments and invoices

No undisclosed mandatory charges are added after an order is confirmed. The discount accepted at purchase applies, and earlier classes are not repriced at a higher rate because of a later cancellation. We issue an invoice or proof of payment stating the amount, currency and service. If a duplicate charge or financial error occurs, we correct it and refund the excess without charging a fee. The user's bank may apply its own exchange rate or charges; we disclose the collection currency before payment and apply no hidden exchange rate. We never ask for a banking password, verification code or full card number through messages or email.

Paying for a specific course in instalments is not automatic renewal. The number, amount and due date of each instalment and the total price are stated clearly. When the future portion of a programme is cancelled, charges for it cease and services actually delivered are reconciled under the refund policy; cancellation does not make the entire remaining price payable.

We do not convert a one-off purchase into a recurring membership without express acceptance. If a recurring subscription is offered, we explain its billing cycle, price, first charge date, renewal and cancellation, and send a reminder at least seven calendar days before a recurring charge. Price changes for a later period are notified at least 30 days in advance with the freedom to terminate before they take effect; silence is not consent to an increase.

If instalments are arranged through an independent finance provider, we disclose its identity and terms before acceptance and cooperate in adjusting the balance when a refund is made; the same service is never collected twice. If an instalment payable to us is overdue, we send a statement and allow at least seven calendar days before suspending access, unless there is fraud or urgent risk. The purchaser may seek a review of an error or request a payment arrangement.

5. Attendance, scheduling and recordings

Teaching hours exclude breaks and free promotional sessions. We notify the learner of any change to the time or instructor as soon as possible. We do not replace a live service with recorded content alone without the learner's acceptance where doing so would materially change what they purchased. A change of instructor may be material if studying with a particular instructor was clearly a basis of the purchase.

Live sessions may be recorded. Where recordings for replay are promised, we make them available throughout the programme and for at least 90 days after its actual end, unless a longer period is advertised. The programme page states whether downloading is permitted. Lifetime access is not advertised without a specific definition we can fulfil. Learner images and voices are included only with separate consent (see the Privacy Policy). Recordings and course materials may not be redistributed.

Please report access difficulties to support; a right is not lost because the learner cannot produce complex technical evidence, and we also check our own records. A class that ran at the scheduled time and was accessible counts as delivered even if the learner was absent for personal reasons; this does not prevent cancellation of later classes or use of any guarantee still in effect. A learner facing personal circumstances may request a transfer to another group or postponement, without administrative charges where an equivalent alternative exists and both parties agree; otherwise cancellation and refund rights remain.

6. Assessment, certificates, training and career outcomes

Requirements for passing, attendance, projects, assessment and further attempts are presented before enrolment and applied consistently. Performance is evaluated against the published Selection Index. Human review is available for any substantive challenge to a result or a decision to withhold a certificate. No mandatory certificate fee is introduced after purchase if the certificate was included in the offer.

ALA Academy issues a certificate of study completion once the stated programme requirements are met. A certificate for training associated with ALA Core is issued after the actual training and its requirements are completed. Each certificate identifies the issuing organisation and the type of activity completed. A completion certificate is not a university degree, professional licence or guarantee of employment or a visa. Any claim of accreditation, partnership or external recognition must be supported by a valid agreement with a defined scope.

The training offer states whether it involves observation, simulation or actual projects, whether supervision and assessment are provided, and whether there is any pay or other compensation. Any employment or training relationship is subject to a specific agreement and the applicable mandatory rights; describing it as education is not sufficient to exclude them. We do not transfer learner data to a recruiting organisation, require the learner to perform commercial work, or take ownership of their outputs beyond what they have clearly agreed. Introductions to the ALA Core team or partner companies depend on performance and are not a guarantee of employment.

7. Content, intellectual property and conduct

The learner receives a personal right to use the content within the stated access period and by the stated access method. Rights in the materials remain with the Platform or its licensors. Reselling lessons, publishing them in a way that infringes rights, or recording others and publishing their data without a valid basis is prohibited, as is copying, reverse engineering software on the site, removing proprietary notices or mirroring the materials on another server. Uses permitted by law, the rights of persons with disabilities and lawful quotation remain available.

We require respect for instructors and fellow learners, and prohibit harassment, discrimination, threats, cheating and attempted unauthorised access. Assignment rules permit AI tools within the limits disclosed for each task, with the assistance acknowledged and without presenting another person's work as one's own. These terms are not used to prevent honest criticism, negative reviews or the reporting of a problem.

8. Suspension, termination, liability and links

Measures in response to a violation are proportionate. We explain the reason and give an opportunity to respond and remedy the situation where appropriate. A limited immediate suspension may be imposed to protect learners in the event of a security risk or serious misconduct, with prompt human review. Suspension or termination does not automatically forfeit payments for services not delivered. Any claim for proven loss is kept separate from the refund calculation and may be challenged.

We undertake to exercise professional care and deliver the service as described. We do not guarantee academic or employment outcomes that depend on factors for which we have made no commitment. Each party remains liable for its breach in accordance with the law. We do not exclude liability for fraud, gross negligence, bodily injury or any liability that the law does not permit to be excluded, and these terms do not release us from an express commitment made in the programme offer. The website and materials are kept current but may contain errors, and we may update them at any time. ALA Academy has not reviewed every site linked from its website and is not responsible for their content.

9. Cancellation and refund policy

This policy limits amounts due to the Platform to what was agreed and delivered. It applies to educational services sold directly by the Platform and provides additional commercial rights without restricting the statutory right of withdrawal, rights relating to defects or lack of conformity, or rights arising from failure to deliver the service.

Full refund before the service begins

The purchaser may cancel a live course at any time before the first paid teaching session in their enrolment and receive a full refund, even if more than 14 days have passed since purchase. For a standalone recorded course this applies before effective access to the paid content is activated. Opening an account, receiving a welcome message, attending a free session or downloading a programme introduction does not start the paid service.

14-day commercial satisfaction guarantee

The learner may obtain a full refund of the amount paid for the service concerned, without giving a reason, within 14 full calendar days. For a live course the guarantee begins on the date of the first actual session scheduled as part of the enrolment that was available to access; for a standalone recorded course, when effective access is activated. If delivery is delayed for a reason on our side, the period begins when access is actually available. The starting day is not counted. The start date, end date and time zone are stated in the confirmation.

The guarantee is not lost by viewing or attending lessons and includes a short course completed within the period. We apply no hidden viewing threshold and do not treat completion alone as misuse. During the guarantee we waive any claim for the value of the delivered portion, cancel instalments and refund the amount paid. It does not limit a longer statutory withdrawal period or an independent right relating to a defect or failure to perform.

An integrated programme sold as a single service has one guarantee that begins with its first paid educational service; the start of a later stage, such as practical training, does not restart a full-refund guarantee for the entire programme. Independent services itemised at separate prices each have a guarantee beginning when that service starts, and any refund is limited to the amount allocated to it. This does not permit artificial splitting or reduce a statutory right relating to the programme as a whole.

Cancelling a live programme after the guarantee expires

The learner may cancel the remainder of the programme. The value of the service delivered up to receipt of the first clear cancellation request is calculated using the agreed total price after discount and the stated total paid hours. Classes after the request are not charged because support took time to process it. Where sending is legally sufficient to preserve the right, the sending date is used.

Value of service delivered = Total price after discount × Hours actually delivered ÷ Total paid teaching hours. Refund amount = Amount actually paid minus the value of service delivered, with a minimum of zero. If the amount paid is less than the value delivered, only the difference is due, with no charge for future hours or cancellation fees. We provide a detailed calculation before requesting any difference, and errors may be challenged.

A class held at the agreed time with working access counts even if the learner was absent for personal reasons. Cancelled classes, free periods, breaks, and a service we could not provide and did not remedy are not counted. Rewatching a recording does not count as another service. Stopping attendance alone is not a cancellation request, so we provide a clear way to submit one.

Worked example

Illustration only, not an advertised price: a programme costs 12,000 currency units after discount and has 120 paid hours. After the guarantee, 30 hours have been delivered when cancellation is requested, so the value delivered is 3,000.

In every case no payment is due for cancelled future hours. The outcome is more favourable to the learner if a full-refund guarantee or a broader statutory right remains in effect.

Combined programmes, recorded courses and vouchers

If a package combines study and training, or independent services of different values, we disclose the price of each paid component or the basis for allocation before purchase. Components advertised as free remain free in any settlement. If no clear allocation was provided, we do not deduct an estimated amount in our favour that was not agreed, and unclear terms are read in the learner's favour. A service sold as an integrated pathway is not split in a way that deprives the learner of the purpose of the contract.

For a standalone recorded course we do not guarantee a refund for a simple change of mind after the guarantee expires if access and content conform to the offer; this does not restrict a statutory right or a remedy for a defect, misleading description or failure to provide access, and is not applied to supporting replays in a live programme. The refund is the amount actually paid after discounts. A free promotional voucher is not converted into cash; an unused one is restored or replaced where cancellation is attributable to the Platform. The value of a paid voucher or gift is refunded to the payer, and no duplicate refund is made for the same transaction.

Cancellation by the Platform, malfunctions and material changes

If the minimum group size is not reached or we cancel a programme before it begins, we offer a full refund without making an alternative date or account credit a condition. If the programme stops after it begins, or the learner rejects a material change, we refund all amounts for the cancelled service during the guarantee and cancel instalments; after it expires, we refund the undelivered portion while preserving any broader right. If a stoppage or lack of conformity deprives the earlier portion of its contractual value, a claim for a greater refund is reviewed on that basis.

Material changes include a significant reduction in hours, a change in level or language of instruction, or replacement of promised training with materially different content. The learner may accept or reject the change, with termination and refund rights applying. In the event of a significant malfunction we work to repair it, re-provide the affected portion or extend access, and explain the alternative and timeframe; an indefinite wait is not imposed. Force majeure does not automatically entitle us to retain payment for an undelivered service, and we do not require the learner to accept account credit instead of money.

How to submit a request and refund timeframes

• Submit the request by email to [email protected]. A clear statement of intention is sufficient, with information that helps identify the order. No particular form or reason is required where none is legally required.
• Our operational limit for acknowledging receipt is two business days; this does not delay the effect of the request or any time limit.
• We provide the outcome and refund calculation without delay and pay the refund within seven calendar days of receiving a clear request that identifies the transaction, or within a shorter mandatory period. The period does not begin on management approval.
• We request only the minimum information needed to identify the transaction or prevent payment to an unauthorised person, and do not use clarification requests to delay a refund known to be due.
• Refunds use the original payment method wherever possible, or another method expressly agreed at no cost. We do not deduct gateway, processing or enrolment fees from a refund due under this policy.
• We send proof of the refund and its transaction reference, and help trace it with the bank or payment provider.
• If a request is rejected in whole or part, we explain the reason, calculation, provision and route to human review. The learner may complain, dispute a charge with their bank or approach the competent authorities without waiving any right; we cooperate with the payment provider to avoid duplicate payment and do not treat a bank dispute alone as fraud. Access to the cancelled service ends on termination or full refund, while access to invoices, complaints and transaction records remains available.

10. Statutory right of withdrawal

Scope and duration

If you contract as a consumer and the law gives you a right to withdraw from a distance contract, you may exercise it without giving a reason. Under the relevant German rules the standard period is fourteen calendar days from the conclusion of the contract for services or digital content not supplied on a tangible medium, provided you received the correct statutory information. The period is not measured in working days, and we do not make withdrawal conditional on the instructor's approval or a prior complaint (BGB §§355, 356).

If the withdrawal information is incomplete or incorrect, the period may not begin at the usual time and may be extended under the applicable law. This policy does not shorten any longer period granted by law, and your rights concerning failure to provide the service, defects or non-conformity remain available after the withdrawal period or the commercial guarantee has ended.

How to give notice

Send a clear statement of your decision to ALA Core UG (haftungsbeschränkt), Flughafenstraße 62, 22415 Hamburg, Germany, or by email to [email protected]. Sending the notice before the period expires is sufficient. You may use the optional form below or write in your own words; no legal terminology, reason or handwritten signature for an electronic request is required. We send a saveable acknowledgement with the content of your notice and the date and time received (BGB §356a).

What happens after withdrawal

We issue any refund due within seven calendar days of receiving the request, subject to the transaction-identification provisions above, or within a shorter mandatory period. This is a commercial commitment faster than the statutory maximum of fourteen days. We use the original payment method unless you agree to an alternative at no cost, and we do not require platform credit instead of money. Future payment obligations arising from the withdrawn part end in accordance with the law, with any settlement explained clearly. Access to the withdrawn service may end after processing without affecting your other purchases, and we do not ask you to delete payment documents or evidence you need to preserve your rights (BGB §357).

Starting services during the withdrawal period

Attending the first live lesson or starting training does not automatically extinguish the right of withdrawal. If you expressly requested the service to begin during the withdrawal period and then withdraw before it is completed, outside the scope of the more favourable commercial guarantee, we may charge for the part already provided only if the statutory conditions are met, including correct information about the right and a proportionate amount calculated against the agreed price, without a withdrawal penalty or charge for future services (BGB §357a).

For paid services, the right does not expire through early performance until the service is fully performed, and only if before performance you expressly consented to it being provided during the withdrawal period and acknowledged that full performance would end the right. General acceptance of the terms or logging in is not a substitute for this separate choice. This does not affect the commercial refund guarantee.

Recorded content and mixed courses

For paid digital content not on a tangible medium, the right may expire when performance begins only if performance has actually begun, you expressly consented to it starting before the period ended, you acknowledged the right would expire, and we gave the required confirmation; all conditions must be met under BGB §356(5)/(6). If your right remains and you validly exercise it, we do not deduct compensation for digital content you watched or received. For courses combining live lessons and recordings, opening a recording is not an automatic waiver of rights in relation to the entire live course.

Relation to the refund guarantee

The refund policy gives you an additional commercial guarantee for fourteen days from the first session actually held that was scheduled as part of your enrolment and accessible to you, or from activation of actual access to recorded content. During it you receive a full refund even if you used the service or completed the content. The guarantee is independent of the statutory right: the protection more favourable to you applies, and consent to an early start does not cancel it.

11. Complaints, governing law and amendments

Send complaints and support requests to [email protected]. Please describe the problem and attach any available documents. We acknowledge receipt within two working days and aim to give a substantive response within seven calendar days; if a complex complaint needs more time we explain what remains and when we will respond. This does not extend legal deadlines for refunds, withdrawal or data-rights requests. If you disagree, you may request a review by an authorised person who, wherever possible, did not make the decision. We do not require you to exhaust the internal process before going to court or a supervisory authority, and we do not impose arbitration or a waiver of rights.

For data-related complaints you may contact the supervisory authority for your place of residence or work, such as the Hamburg Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (datenschutz-hamburg.de). Where Egyptian jurisdiction applies, you may contact the Personal Data Protection Center (pdpc.gov.eg) or the Consumer Protection Agency (cpa.gov.eg).

The contract is governed by German law, preserving the mandatory consumer protection of the law applicable to the relationship, including that of the consumer's habitual residence under conflict-of-laws rules. We do not claim exclusive jurisdiction for the courts at the operator's location where that would deprive the consumer of protection granted by law. The invalidity of one provision does not affect the rest, and an invalid provision is not replaced by a term more burdensome for the user.

The version number and effective date are displayed with these terms, and a copy of the terms in force at purchase remains available to the learner. Amendments apply to new purchases once announced and do not retrospectively reduce an existing learner's refund entitlement, access period or acquired right. We give at least 30 days' notice of material changes wherever possible; a change needed to comply with law or address urgent risk may take effect sooner, with an explanation. Continued browsing alone is not acceptance of an adverse amendment or consent to a new data purpose. If a translation differs from the English text, the difference is not used to reduce a right clearly communicated to the learner.

12. Your choices at registration and purchase

Choices are presented separately and are not preselected. We do not infer consent from silence or bundle optional consents into acceptance of the terms. You can purchase without agreeing to marketing or publication of your image.

• Acceptance of the contractual terms: I have read the terms, the refund policy and the withdrawal information, and agree to the terms governing my purchases.
• Acknowledgement of the privacy notice: I acknowledge that the privacy notice has been made available for me to read. This is not blanket consent to the processing of personal data.
• Optional marketing: I agree to receive marketing messages through the channels I select, and can withdraw consent at any time without affecting my studies.
• Optional appearance in an educational recording: I agree to my image or voice being included in the recording of the specified lesson and made available to authorised participants for the stated period. I can study without appearing and withdraw consent under the privacy policy.
• Optional use of my image or voice in marketing: I agree to the specific use presented separately, for the stated purposes, channels and duration. Consent to the educational recording does not include this.
• Optional publication of my project or opinion: I permit the specified work or opinion to be displayed with or without my name, within the stated scope and duration, without transferring ownership of my work.
• Early start of the live service, where requested: I expressly request that the service begin before the withdrawal period ends. I understand my statutory right expires once the service is fully performed under the statutory conditions, and that withdrawal before then may result only in a proportionate charge where permitted by law, outside the commercial refund guarantee.
• Early start of digital content, where this choice applies: I expressly consent to the specified digital component starting before the withdrawal period ends and acknowledge my statutory right expires when performance begins, provided the statutory requirements are met and I receive the required confirmation. The commercial refund guarantee remains fully available.

None of these choices waives your mandatory statutory rights or the commercial refund guarantee. Requesting an early start is a separate choice; if you do not select it, we explain before you complete the purchase how you can use the service after the withdrawal period ends or the alternative start date. We do not infer consent to loss of a statutory right from attendance alone. Any consent to a minor appearing in a recording remains subject to the programme arrangements and legally required consents.

Request forms

The following forms are optional aids. You may submit a clear request through any available contact method, and acceptance of your request does not depend on completing fields we do not need. Where necessary we ask for the minimum information needed to identify the account or transaction and protect your data, without requesting your password, verification code or full payment-card details.