General Terms and Conditions

§ 1 Scope and Definitions

1.1 These General Terms and Conditions (GTC) apply to all contracts between Andreas Ried GmbH, Heckenweg 4, 83714 Miesbach (hereinafter "ARG"), and its clients for services in the fields of coaching, consulting (business consulting) and training, including services provided online.

1.2 The client may be a consumer or an entrepreneur. A consumer is any natural person who concludes a contract for purposes that are predominantly outside their trade, business or profession (§ 13 BGB—German Civil Code). An entrepreneur is any natural or legal person or partnership with legal capacity that acts in the exercise of its trade, business or profession when concluding the contract (§ 14 BGB).

1.3 Where a company engages ARG to provide services for another person, such as coaching for an executive or training for employees, that company is the client. The person receiving the service is hereinafter referred to as the "participant" or "coachee". The client shall ensure that participants are aware of the provisions of these GTC that apply to them.

1.4 Any deviating, conflicting or supplementary terms and conditions of the client shall only become part of the contract if ARG expressly agrees to their application in text form. This also applies where ARG provides services without reservation knowing of such terms.

1.5 Individual agreements made in individual cases, in particular in the offer or the order confirmation, take precedence over these GTC.

§ 2 Conclusion of Contract

2.1 Presentations of services on the website, in brochures or in presentations are non-binding and do not constitute an offer within the meaning of the law.

2.2 The client may request or commission services verbally, in text form (e.g. by email) or via the booking function of the website. The contract is only concluded when ARG confirms the commission in text form (order confirmation) or when the client accepts an offer submitted by ARG in text form.

2.3 For bookings made via the website, the client submits a binding offer by clicking the "book, subject to payment" button. ARG confirms receipt without delay by email; this confirmation of receipt is not yet an acceptance. The contract is concluded with the order confirmation. Before submitting the booking, the client can review and correct their entries.

2.4 The language of the contract is German. ARG stores the contract text and transmits it to the client together with these GTC in text form.

§ 3 General Principles of Service Delivery

3.1 The type and scope of the services result from the offer and the order confirmation. ARG provides its services as a service contract within the meaning of §§ 611 ff. BGB. What is owed is the professionally correct execution in accordance with the recognized state of coaching, consulting and training, not any particular economic, personal or professional success. A contract for work is only concluded if this is expressly agreed.

3.2 ARG provides the services at its own professional discretion and free of instructions. ARG may engage qualified partners, in particular certified DiscoverYourOwn (DYO) practitioners, as vicarious agents. A claim to services being provided by a specific person exists only if this is expressly agreed.

3.3 Depending on the agreement, services are provided at ARG’s premises, at the client’s premises, at a third location or online by video conference. For online services, the client is responsible for functioning technical equipment and internet connection on their side.

3.4 Binding appointments are agreed in text form.

3.5 The client supports ARG in providing the services. In particular, they shall provide all necessary information and documents in good time, name contact persons and enable access to persons, rooms and data where necessary for the assignment. ARG’s service obligations presuppose the timely and complete fulfilment of these cooperation obligations. Delays and additional expense caused by missing cooperation are not borne by ARG.

§ 4 Special Provisions for Coaching

4.1 Coaching is a goal-oriented, solution-oriented advisory process for psychologically healthy persons. It supports the coachee in developing and implementing their own solutions. The coachee remains solely responsible for their decisions, actions and their consequences.

4.2 Coaching is not psychotherapy, medical treatment or training and does not replace medical, psychotherapeutic or legal advice. If the coachee is under medical or psychotherapeutic treatment or if signs of a situation requiring treatment emerge during the coaching, they inform ARG, or ARG recommends seeking professional help. ARG may suspend or end the coaching in this case.

4.3 AI-assisted Clearing reflection involves systemic questions, not a constellation. Systemic structural constellations are optional and carried out only with the coachee’s express consent and by certified people. AI never leads a constellation.

4.4 Where coaching is commissioned by a company for an employee (triangle contract), the content of the coaching conversations is confidential towards the client. ARG informs the client only about the points agreed jointly at the outset, such as the number and dates of the sessions and general goals, and about further content only with the coachee’s consent.

4.5 Audio or video recordings of coaching sessions are permitted only with the prior consent of all participants.

§ 5 Special Provisions for Consulting

5.1 The subject matter, scope, methods and result documents of the consulting are described in the offer. Changes or extensions to the scope of services are agreed in text form and remunerated on an expense basis unless otherwise agreed.

5.2 ARG prepares analyses, recommendations and decision bases. The decision on their implementation and responsibility for implementation lie with the client.

5.3 ARG may assume the correctness and completeness of the information provided by the client. ARG owes an examination of correctness only if this is expressly agreed.

5.4 ARG does not provide legal, tax or auditing advice. Where such matters are touched upon, ARG recommends involving the relevant professionals.

5.5 Where ongoing support is agreed, in particular a Rhythm-of-the-Business partnership (ROB partnership) with regular quarterly reviews, check-ins and access to online materials, the provisions on term in § 10 apply additionally.

§ 6 Special Provisions for Training

6.1 Trainings are offered as open trainings (participation by individuals) or as in-house trainings for a client, in person or online.

6.2 Registrations for open trainings are considered in the order in which they are received. If a training is fully booked, ARG informs promptly.

6.3 ARG is entitled to cancel or postpone a training for good cause, in particular if the stated minimum number of participants is not reached or the trainer falls ill at short notice and no equivalent replacement is available. In the event of cancellation due to the minimum number of participants not being reached, ARG informs at least 14 days before the start. Amounts already paid are refunded in full or, at the client’s request, credited towards an alternative date. Further claims, such as reimbursement of travel or hotel costs, exist only in accordance with § 16.

6.4 ARG may replace trainers with equally qualified persons and adjust the schedule, provided the content and objective of the training are preserved.

6.5 Upon full participation, participants receive a certificate of attendance on request. Certification as a DYO practitioner is subject to separate conditions.

§ 7 Cancellation of Appointments and Bookings

7.1 The client may cancel or postpone coaching sessions free of charge up to 48 hours before the agreed appointment. For later cancellations or non-attendance, the session is charged in full.

7.2 Open trainings may be cancelled by the client in text form. The following cancellation fees apply, each based on the participation fee:

7.3 For in-house trainings, workshops and consulting appointments, the scale in 7.2 applies accordingly, based on the agreed remuneration for the affected appointment. Expenses already incurred, such as non-refundable travel or room costs, are borne by the client in addition.

7.4 The client may name a substitute participant who meets the participation requirements at any time at no additional cost.

7.5 The client remains entitled to prove that ARG incurred no or substantially less damage or expense. ARG must credit saved expenses and other income.

7.6 Consumers' statutory right of withdrawal (§ 19) remains unaffected by these provisions.

§ 8 Remuneration, Prices and Expenses

8.1 The prices agreed in the offer or order confirmation are decisive. Prices for consumers are final prices including statutory VAT. Prices for entrepreneurs are exclusive of statutory VAT.

8.2 Unless otherwise agreed, travel, accommodation and subsistence costs for services outside Munich and Upper Bavaria are charged separately according to actual expense: rail travel second class, flights within Europe in economy class, car journeys at 0.50 EUR per kilometre.

8.3 Costs for seminar rooms, catering, licences for diagnostic instruments or materials are borne by the client where this is shown in the offer.

8.4 Additional services provided at the client’s request beyond the agreed scope are remunerated at the agreed rates or, absent an agreement, at ARG’s currently applicable hourly or daily rates.

8.5 Applies only to entrepreneurs: for contracts with a term of more than twelve months, ARG may adjust the remuneration with three months' notice to the beginning of a new contract year in text form, to the extent that the costs relevant to the service, in particular personnel, partner and licence costs, have demonstrably increased. The increase must not exceed the cost increase. If it exceeds 5 % per year, the client may terminate the contract with effect at the time the increase takes effect. Cost reductions are passed on by ARG in the same way.

§ 9 Payment Terms

9.1 Invoices are due for payment within 14 days of receipt without deduction.

9.2 Participation fees for open trainings are payable before the start of the training. Coaching packages may be invoiced in full or in half in advance where provided for in the offer. The remuneration for an ROB partnership is invoiced monthly in advance. Other services may be invoiced by ARG monthly on an expense basis.

9.3 If the client falls into payment arrears, they owe default interest at the statutory rate. This is 5 percentage points for consumers and 9 percentage points for entrepreneurs above the respective base interest rate under § 247 BGB. Towards entrepreneurs, ARG is additionally entitled to the default lump sum of EUR 40 under § 288 (5) BGB. The assertion of further default damage remains reserved; the client remains entitled to prove lesser damage.

9.4 In the event of payment arrears of more than 30 days, ARG may, after prior announcement in text form, withhold further services until the open amounts are settled.

§ 10 Term and Termination

10.1 Individual assignments, such as a coaching session, a training or a consulting project with a defined scope, end with the complete provision of the agreed services.

10.2 A full-scope ROB partnership under the DYO Method is concluded for a fixed term of six or twelve months. Shorter Coaching or Training programs may be agreed separately for three or six months; they are not full-scope ROB partnerships. Each engagement ends on expiry of the agreed term unless the parties agree an extension in text form.

10.3 Applies only to entrepreneurs: during the fixed agreed term of an ROB partnership, ordinary termination, including termination under § 627 BGB, is excluded. The minimum term is the basis of ARG’s planning, capacity commitment and pricing.

10.4 Consumers may terminate contracts for coaching and comparable services of a higher kind at any time in accordance with § 627 BGB. In this case, the consumer owes remuneration for the services provided up to termination (§ 628 BGB). Amounts paid in advance for services not provided are refunded.

10.5 The right of both parties to terminate for good cause remains unaffected. Good cause exists for ARG in particular if the client is in arrears with more than two monthly remunerations or repeatedly fails to fulfil their cooperation obligations despite a reminder.

10.6 Terminations require text form.

§ 11 Set-off and Right of Retention

11.1 The client may only set off claims that are undisputed, established by final judgment or recognized by ARG. This does not apply to counterclaims of consumers arising from the same contractual relationship.

11.2 Applies only to entrepreneurs: the client may only exercise a right of retention on the basis of claims from the same contractual relationship.

§ 12 Copyright and Rights of Use

12.1 The DiscoverYourOwn (DYO) method, the DYO tools, workbooks, templates, presentations, training materials, videos and other materials of ARG are protected by copyright. All rights therein remain with ARG or the respective rights holders. The names "DiscoverYourOwn" and "DYO" are marks of ARG.

12.2 The client and participants receive a simple, non-transferable and unlimited right to use the materials provided to them for their own purposes, in the case of entrepreneurs for internal company purposes. In particular, passing them on to third parties, publication, editing for the purpose of passing them on, and using the method or materials for one’s own coaching, consulting or training offerings without certification or a written licence from ARG is not permitted.

12.3 Work results that ARG creates individually for the client, such as strategy papers, analyses or reports, may be used and edited by the client internally without time or content restrictions after full payment. Publication naming ARG requires ARG’s consent.

12.4 ARG remains entitled to continue using general knowledge, methods and experience gained during the performance of the assignment, subject to confidentiality (§ 13).

12.5 Audio and video recordings of trainings, workshops and online sessions are not permitted without the prior consent of ARG and all participants.

12.6 Access data for online materials and the DYO platform are personal and must not be passed on.

§ 13 Confidentiality

13.1 ARG undertakes to treat confidentially all information about the client, the participants and their personal and business circumstances that becomes known to it in the course of the assignment. This applies in particular to all content from coaching conversations. ARG obliges its employees and partners in the same way.

13.2 The client undertakes to treat non-public information about ARG, in particular offers, prices, methods and unpublished materials, confidentially.

13.3 The confidentiality obligation does not apply to information that is publicly known or becomes known without breach of this obligation, and to the extent that a statutory obligation or an official or court order requires disclosure. It also does not apply to the extent that disclosure is necessary to avert a serious danger to life or limb.

13.4 The confidentiality obligation continues beyond the end of the contract; for coaching content, for an unlimited period.

13.5 ARG may name the client as a reference only with their prior consent. Coachees are never named as references without their express consent.

§ 14 Data Protection

14.1 ARG processes personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the German Federal Data Protection Act. Processing of the data required for contract performance is based on Art. 6 (1)(b) GDPR. Details are contained in the privacy policy at [andreasried.com/datenschutz].

14.2 Where a coachee shares special categories of personal data in coaching, in particular health data, ARG processes these only on the basis of the coachee’s express consent (Art. 9 (2)(a) GDPR). Consent is obtained separately before the start of the coaching and may be withdrawn at any time with effect for the future.

14.3 Where ARG processes personal data on behalf of the client in the course of consulting, such as employee data for analyses, the parties conclude a data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR in advance.

14.4 Both parties protect the exchanged data by appropriate technical and organizational measures and pass it on only where this is necessary for contract performance, permitted by law or done with the consent of the data subject.

§ 15 Digital Tools and Artificial Intelligence

15.1 ARG uses commercial software solutions that meet data protection requirements for online sessions, appointment scheduling and the provision of materials.

15.2 ARG may use AI-supported tools to prepare, structure and document services. Confidential content from coaching conversations and personal data are entered into AI tools only with the consent of the person concerned and only in AI tools approved under ARG’s data protection standard that do not use the entered data to train their own models. Conversations, assessments and recommendations are always the responsibility of humans.

§ 16 Liability

16.1 ARG is liable without limitation for intent and gross negligence, for damage arising from injury to life, body or health, within the scope of a guarantee assumed and under mandatory statutory provisions.

16.2 In the case of slight negligence, ARG is liable only for breach of a material contractual obligation. A material obligation is one whose fulfilment is essential for the proper performance of the contract and on whose compliance the client may regularly rely (cardinal obligation). In this case, liability is limited to the damage typical for the contract and foreseeable at the time of conclusion.

16.3 Applies only to entrepreneurs: in the cases of 16.2, liability is additionally limited to EUR 100,000.00 per damage event. This amount corresponds to the coverage sum of ARG’s professional liability insurance for financial losses.

16.4 ARG is not liable for the occurrence of a particular success and not for decisions that the client or participant makes on their own responsibility on the basis of ARG’s services, provided ARG has fulfilled its obligations under § 3.1.

16.5 For loss of data, ARG is liable only up to the expense that would have been necessary for restoration had the client carried out proper and regular data backups. 16.1 remains unaffected.

16.6 The above liability rules also apply in favor of ARG’s legal representatives, employees, partners and other vicarious agents.

16.7 Applies only to entrepreneurs: claims for damages against ARG become time-barred one year after the statutory limitation period begins. This does not apply to claims under 16.1.

§ 17 Force Majeure and Incapacity

17.1 If ARG cannot provide a service due to force majeure or other unforeseeable events not attributable to ARG, such as illness of the coach or trainer, severe weather, strike or official measures, the service obligations are postponed for the duration of the incapacity. ARG informs the client promptly and offers an alternative appointment or an equivalent online delivery.

17.2 If an alternative appointment is not reasonable for the client, they may withdraw from the contract for the affected service. Amounts already paid for services not provided are refunded.

§ 18 Non-Solicitation

Applies only to entrepreneurs: the client undertakes not to commission or employ, directly or indirectly, for comparable services, any coaches, trainers, consultants or partners that ARG has engaged to fulfil the assignment, during the contract term and for twelve months after its end, without ARG’s consent.

§ 19 Right of Withdrawal for Consumers

19.1 Consumers have a statutory right of withdrawal for contracts concluded exclusively by means of distance communication (e.g. website, email, telephone) or outside ARG’s business premises. Details are set out in the withdrawal instructions in the annex to these GTC.

19.2 ARG begins providing the service before expiry of the withdrawal period only if the consumer expressly requests this. If the consumer withdraws from the contract in this case, they owe compensation for the services provided up to withdrawal (§ 357a (2) BGB).

19.3 The right of withdrawal expires if ARG has completely provided the service and has only begun performance after the consumer gave their express consent and confirmed that they are aware that their right of withdrawal expires upon complete performance of the contract (§ 356 (4) BGB).

§ 20 Consumer Dispute Resolution

ARG is not willing and not obliged to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board.

§ 21 Final Provisions

21.1 The law of the Federal Republic of Germany applies, excluding the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG). Towards consumers, this choice of law applies only insofar as it does not deprive them of the protection granted by mandatory provisions of the law of the state in which they have their habitual residence.

21.2 If the client is a merchant, a legal person under public law or a special fund under public law, or has no general place of jurisdiction in Germany, the exclusive place of jurisdiction for all disputes arising from or in connection with the contract is [ARG’s registered office / Munich]. ARG is also entitled to sue at the client’s general place of jurisdiction.

21.3 Towards entrepreneurs, the place of performance for the client’s payment obligation is ARG’s registered office.

21.4 Amendments and supplements to the contract should be made in text form. Individual agreements always take precedence (§ 305b BGB).

21.5 Should a provision of these GTC be or become invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions remains unaffected. The statutory provision takes the place of the invalid provision.

21.6 These GTC can also be provided in English. In the event of deviations, the German version prevails.

Andreas Ried GmbH

Heckenweg 4, 83714 Miesbach · Phone: +49 151 283 77777 · Email: hello@AndreasRied.com

Managing Director: Andreas Ried · Commercial register: District Court of Munich, HRB 216001 · VAT ID: DE 297 990 552

Right of withdrawal

You have the right to withdraw from this contract within fourteen days without giving reasons.

The withdrawal period is fourteen days from the day the contract was concluded.

To exercise your right of withdrawal, you must inform us (Andreas Ried GmbH, Heckenweg 4, 83714 Miesbach, phone: +49 151 283 77777, email: hello@AndreasRied.com) 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 can use the enclosed model withdrawal form, but you don’t have to. You can also exercise your right of withdrawal online at https://andreasried.com/widerruf.

To meet the withdrawal deadline, you only need to send your withdrawal notice before the withdrawal period ends.

Consequences of withdrawal

If you withdraw from this contract, we will reimburse all payments we have received from you promptly and at the latest within fourteen days of the day on which we received the notification of your withdrawal from this contract. For this reimbursement we use the same means of payment that you used for the original transaction unless expressly agreed otherwise; in no event will you be charged any fees for this reimbursement.

If you requested that the services 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 you notify us of exercising the right of withdrawal compared with the total scope of the services provided for in the contract.

Model withdrawal form

(If you want to withdraw from the contract, fill in this form and send it back.)

• To Andreas Ried GmbH, Heckenweg 4, 83714 Miesbach, email: hello@AndreasRied.com:
• I/we (*) hereby withdraw from the contract concluded by me/us (*) for the provision of the following service (*)
• Ordered on (*)
• Name of the consumer(s)
• Address of the consumer(s)
• Signature of the consumer(s) (only if notified on paper)
• Date
• (*) Delete as appropriate