General Terms & Conditions

This English version is provided for convenience. The contractual relationship is governed by German law; statutory references are to the German Civil Code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch, BGB). In the event of any discrepancy, the German-language terms prevail.

§ 1 Scope and contracting parties

(1) These General Terms and Conditions (“GTC”) apply to all contracts for the services proofreading/copy-editing/specialist editing, translation, student mentoring and tutoring (the “Services”) between

alpha academica AI*
Marco Bernal y Paños, M. Sc.
Hubertusstr. 23
52477 Alsdorf, Germany
Email: info@ai-academica.com · Phone: +49 241 47589989
(“we” or the “Provider”)

and the respective client (the “Customer”).

(2) A consumer within the meaning of these GTC is any natural person who enters into the legal transaction for purposes that are predominantly outside their trade, business or profession (§ 13 BGB). An entrepreneur is a natural or legal person acting in the exercise of their trade, business or profession when concluding the contract (§ 14 BGB).

(3) These GTC apply exclusively. Conflicting or deviating terms of the Customer do not become part of the contract unless we expressly agree to their validity in writing.

§ 2 Conclusion of contract

(1) The presentation of the Services on our website does not constitute a binding offer but an invitation to submit an enquiry.

(2) The Customer submits the documents to be processed or their enquiry via the enquiry form, by email or by another means of communication. On this basis we prepare an individual offer specifying the scope of services, the price and the expected processing time.

(3) The contract is concluded when the Customer expressly accepts our offer (e.g. by email or by confirmation in the form). For subscription services (mentoring), the contract is concluded upon completion of the order process.

(4) We store the contract text; the Customer receives the contract data and these GTC in text form.

§ 3 Description of services and types of service

(1) Proofreading, copy-editing and specialist editing comprise the linguistic and – depending on the level chosen – stylistic and subject-specific revision of a text supplied by the Customer. These Services are contracts for work within the meaning of §§ 631 et seq. BGB; what is owed is the revised text as a work.

(2) Translation comprises the written transfer of a text into another language and is likewise a contract for work.

(3) Student mentoring and tutoring are service contracts within the meaning of §§ 611 et seq. BGB. What is owed is the academic guidance or instruction, not a particular outcome. In particular, no specific grade, no passing of an examination and no acceptance of a piece of work is warranted.

(4) The specific scope of services follows from the individual offer or the service level chosen.

§ 4 Use of AI-supported systems

(1) We use an AI-supported system (alpha academica AI^*) as a tool to provide our Services. It always operates under human professional supervision and final review; processing is never carried out on a purely automated basis without human checking.

(2) The Customer is advised that content submitted for processing is transmitted to a processor (the provider of the AI system). Details of the data processing, the data-processing agreement and the standard contractual clauses (SCC) for third-country transfers are set out in our Privacy Policy.

(3) The Customer warrants that they are entitled to transmit the content they supply and that no third-party rights conflict with this.

§ 5 Customer’s duty to cooperate

(1) The Customer provides the documents to be processed in an editable format (preferably .docx) together with all information required for processing (e.g. specialist terminology, citation style, university requirements) in good time.

(2) If cooperation is not provided, or is provided late or incompletely, agreed deadlines are extended accordingly. Additional work arising as a result may be charged separately.

§ 6 Academic integrity

§ 7 Prices and payment terms

(1) The prices stated in the individual offer or, at the time of ordering, on the website apply. Unless otherwise agreed, the basis of calculation for proofreading and translation is the standard page (Normseite; 1,500 characters including spaces).

(2) As a small business within the meaning of § 19 of the German VAT Act (UStG), we do not show value added tax; the prices stated are final prices. For tutoring services, the VAT exemption under § 4 No. 21 UStG may additionally apply.

(3) For express processing (delivery in under 48 hours) a surcharge of 30–50% may apply; this is shown separately in the offer.

(4) Unless otherwise agreed, remuneration is due, for contracts for work, upon acceptance and, for continuing services, in accordance with the agreed billing period (monthly or per semester). For subscriptions, payment is made in advance for the relevant period.

§ 8 Delivery and deadlines

(1) Processing deadlines are binding only if they have been expressly agreed as binding. Otherwise they are expected dates.

(2) Unless otherwise agreed, delivery is made in electronic form (e.g. as a Word document with tracked changes and comments) by email.

§ 9 Contracts for work: acceptance, rights in respect of defects

(1) This provision applies to contracts for work (proofreading, copy-editing, specialist editing, translation).

(2) The Customer is obliged to inspect and accept the work after delivery, provided it is substantially in accordance with the contract. Acceptance is deemed to have taken place if the Customer does not give notice of specific defects in text form within 14 days of delivery.

(3) In the case of a validly notified defect, the Customer is first entitled to subsequent performance. If this fails, the Customer may, in accordance with the statutory provisions, reduce the remuneration or withdraw from the contract.

(4) Differing stylistic views, subsequent change requests going beyond the commissioned scope of services, and substantive errors already present in the Customer’s supplied source text that are not the subject of the chosen service level do not constitute defects.

§ 10 Continuing services: term and termination

(1) This provision applies to student mentoring (subscription) and corresponding ongoing services.

(2) Depending on the model chosen, the mentoring contract is concluded with a monthly term or with a term of one semester. A monthly subscription is automatically extended by one further month unless it is terminated with a notice period of one day to the end of the relevant billing month (§ 309 No. 9 BGB).

(3) Termination may be given in text form (e.g. by email). The right to extraordinary termination for good cause remains unaffected for both parties.

(4) Agreed individual appointments (e.g. tutoring or mentoring sessions) are binding. An appointment may be cancelled or rescheduled free of charge up to 48 hours before the agreed time. In the case of later cancellation or non-attendance, the agreed remuneration may be charged. In the event of illness, cancellation free of charge is also possible within this period upon presentation of a medical certificate, provided we are informed in advance.

(5) Substantive assistance provided via messenger services (e.g. WhatsApp), email or social networks that goes beyond brief organisational coordination (such as working on exercises or producing subject-specific material) is deemed to be a separately chargeable advisory service, provided this has been agreed beforehand.

§ 11 Right of withdrawal for consumers

(1) Consumers have a statutory right of withdrawal in respect of distance contracts in accordance with the withdrawal instructions set out below.

§ 12 Liability

(1) We are liable without limitation for damage arising from injury to life, body or health and for damage based on an intentional or grossly negligent breach of duty.

(2) In the case of slight negligence, we are liable only for breach of a material contractual obligation (cardinal obligation), the fulfilment of which is essential to the proper performance of the contract and on whose observance the Customer may regularly rely. In such cases, liability is limited to the foreseeable damage typical of the contract.

(3) Liability is otherwise excluded. Liability under the German Product Liability Act remains unaffected.

(4) Where our liability is excluded or limited, this also applies to the personal liability of our employees, representatives and vicarious agents.

§ 13 Rights of use and confidentiality

(1) Upon full payment, the Customer receives the unrestricted right to use the work result we have delivered (e.g. revised text, translation).

(2) We treat all documents and information provided to us in strict confidence and do not pass them on to unauthorised third parties. Disclosure to processors in the course of providing the Services (see § 4) remains unaffected.

§ 14 Data protection

The processing of personal data is carried out in accordance with the principles of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Details – in particular regarding processing on our behalf and third-country transfers on the basis of standard contractual clauses – are set out in our Privacy Policy.

§ 15 Final provisions

(1) The law of the Federal Republic of Germany applies, to the exclusion of the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. In the case of consumers, this choice of law applies only to the extent that it does not deprive the consumer of the protection afforded by mandatory provisions of the law of the state of their habitual residence.

(2) The European Commission provides a platform for online dispute resolution (ODR): https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/. We are neither willing nor obliged to take part in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board.

(3) Should any provision of these GTC be or become invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions remains unaffected.

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Withdrawal instructions

Right of withdrawal

You have the right to withdraw from this contract within fourteen days without giving any reason. The withdrawal period is fourteen days from the day on which the contract is concluded.

To exercise your right of withdrawal, you must inform us

alpha academica AI*
Marco Bernal y Paños, M. Sc.
Hubertusstr. 23
52477 Alsdorf, Germany
Email: info@ai-academica.com · Phone: +49 241 47589989

of your decision to withdraw from this contract by means of a clear statement (e.g. a letter sent by post or an email). You may use the attached model withdrawal form for this purpose, although it is not mandatory.

To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning the exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired.

Consequences of withdrawal

If you withdraw from this contract, we shall reimburse you all payments received from you without undue delay and no later than fourteen days from the day on which we receive notification of your withdrawal from this contract. For this repayment, we use the same means of payment that you used for the original transaction, unless expressly agreed otherwise with you; in no case will you be charged any fees for this repayment.

If you have requested that the service should begin during the withdrawal period, you must pay us a reasonable amount corresponding to the proportion of the services already provided up to the time at which you notify us of the exercise of the right of withdrawal in respect of this contract, compared with the total scope of the services provided for in the contract.

Expiry of the right of withdrawal

In the case of a contract for the provision of services, the right of withdrawal expires if we have fully performed the service and only began performance after you had given your express consent and at the same time confirmed your awareness that you would lose your right of withdrawal upon our complete performance of the contract.

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Model withdrawal form

(If you wish to withdraw from the contract, please complete this form and return it.)

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Last updated: 09 June 2026 · The GTC valid at the time of ordering shall apply.