Terms & Conditions

Last updated: March 31, 2024

1. General

 1.1. Scope, Contracting Parties and Language

These General Terms and Conditions (hereinafter referred to as “T&Cs”) apply to the use of the online study platforms:

www.hermetik-akademie.com,
mitglied.hermetik-akademie.com,
www.hermetik-akademie.org
www.hermetic-academy.com
member.hermetic-academy.com
www.academia-hermetica.es
afiliado.academia-hermetica.es
www.elias-rubenstein.de
www.elias-rubenstein.com
www.hermetik-international.com
www.hermetics.net

and for all contracts entered into through these websites and through other forms of electronic communication between Hermetic World LTD, Limnaria 1 Westpark Village Shop 20, 8042 Paphos, Cyprus (hereinafter individually or collectively referred to as “we”, “us”, “academy”, “academy” or “Hermetic World”) and you as our user (hereinafter referred to as the “User”).

Of course, where we use the masculine form for legibility, the feminine expression is also included.

The use of our paid services is only open to natural persons who have reached the age of majority (18+) according to the legal provisions of their country of residence.

The publicly accessible offer on our websites, social media profiles, messenger services and other information and communication channels, including our free newsletters, and chat-bots, etc is aimed exclusively at persons who have reached the age of 13 (USA – Kids Online Safety Act) or 16 years of age (EU). The use of our websites requires full consent to the acceptance of cookies, etc. Our offer and advertising measures are therefore expressly not aimed at children.

Our General Terms and Conditions, as amended from time to time, apply to all business relationships between us and the user. In the event that Users wish to use conflicting terms and conditions or amendments, they are hereby expressly objected to. Another integral part of the contract is our privacy policy available on our websites, which the user must agree to before purchasing or using the services.

Our General Terms and Conditions and our Privacy Policy must be continuously adapted to legal or operational changes. The use of our websites always requires the final consent of the user to these contractual components in their current version.

The contract language is German or English.

2. Conclusion of Contract / Execution of Contract / Term

2.1. Conclusion of contract

Ordering subscriptions or products through our online study platforms or other products or services constitutes a contract of sale. If the user places an order (offer) via our online platform and we wish to accept the conclusion of the contract, the user will receive an e-mail (acceptance) confirming receipt of the order by us. The contract is only concluded with our order confirmation.

We reserve the right to cancel orders, in particular for the following reasons:

• Unavailability of goods
• Pricing or description errors
• Error in your order
• Suspicion of fraud or illegal transactions
• Suspicion of use by minors or unauthorized persons
• No reasons given

2.2. Contract Execution

After full payment without bank charges, the user will receive an email confirming the payment. The electronic activation of the online study platform will follow, but may take a few days. An overview of all payments made by users is available electronically in the online members’ area. An invoice can also be created on request. See also point 6 of these General Terms and Conditions.

2.3. Subscription: Contract Term and Auto-Renewal

If the user does not cancel their monthly subscription before the end of the trial period (whether free or paid), we will charge the full amount for the subscription after the trial period. If a monthly subscription is purchased for instance with a 14-day trial period, full payment is automatically triggered on the 15th day after the start date of the trial. Subsequent payments for the subscription will then be collected on a monthly basis.

We may also offer new customers a discounted annual payment option compared to the monthly payment method. By choosing this discount – if offered – , the user commits immediately after the free trial period for one year. This agreement cannot be terminated by the user within the current year. There is no entitlement to a refund in the event of early termination of the contract, for whatever reason. At the end of the first year of the contract, the contract ends automatically. The user can then opt for a subscription, which can be cancelled monthly at the current monthly price. The discounted payment option for new customers will no longer be available.

3. Specification / Revocation / Blocking / Termination Options

3.1. General

We support the philosophical and spiritual development of enterprising, mentally healthy and adult users through various websites or communication channels. This support is facilitated by self-study and individual practice.

We primarily provide an online learning platform for adult, healthy and healthy users to support their philosophical and spiritual development through self-study and personal practice through various websites and certain free services (such as posts and newsletters). The online learning platform includes educational content such as texts, videos, audios, and instructions for mental and meditative exercises. The content will be made available to users one after the other according to their academic progress and will be made available via subscriptions. The basic prerequisite for the activation of the content or the sequential activation of content is an active and paid basic subscription of a user and a measurable progress in the development of the user.

The prerequisite for participation in certain courses or subscriptions is the existence of any defined qualifications, previous achievements, minimum duration of study and corresponding study progress. The assessment of these requirements is entirely at our discretion.

3.2. Provision of services

We are entitled to have the contract or parts of it executed by third parties. We are only obliged to provide and make available carefully selected and prepared teaching content on philosophical, ideological, religious and spiritual topics, but do not guarantee concrete success.

3.3. Failure to perform

We are not responsible for disruptions or delays in performance due to force majeure and due to extraordinary and unforeseeable events that cannot be prevented even if we exercise due care. The user authorizes us to postpone the service for the duration of the blocking event. Technical issues beyond our control, such as an internet or telecommunications outage or slowdown and its consequences, release us from our contractual obligations for the duration of these events.

3.4. Right of revocation

In the event of prolonged unavailability of the online study platforms, websites or communication channels (in the event of a complete failure for more than 14 consecutive days), both the user and we can withdraw from the contract. We undertake to inform the user of the unavailability and to refund any services already provided. Within 14 days of activating access to the online study platform, the user may revoke the distance contract without giving reasons by means of an informal declaration that must be received. We are committed to the satisfaction of our users with our products and services. If the user is not completely satisfied, we offer a refund within 14 days of purchase. Refunds will be processed via the original payment method used at the time of purchase.

3.5. Benefit Plan, Suspension and Extraordinary Termination

Unless expressly agreed otherwise, we will commence the provision of services after the conclusion of the contract, usually within a few days after confirmed receipt of payment. We will maintain our services until the user or we cancel the subscription or in the event of non-payment. In the event of non-payment, we are initially entitled to temporarily block access until payment has been received. In the event of a qualified default in payment despite a reminder and the setting of a grace period, we may unilaterally terminate the contract with immediate effect. We are also entitled to block access in the event of misuse or suspicion of misuse, in particular in the case of false or incorrect user data (fake accounts, etc.), and to unilaterally terminate the contract with immediate effect if it was lawfully concluded in such cases.

3.6. Right of retention

The user may only assert a right of retention on the basis of due counterclaims resulting from the same legal relationship as the user’s obligation.

3.7. Termination

The contract can be terminated by the user or by us at any time with immediate effect. Termination will be effective at the end of the current billing cycle in the month following termination for monthly payment and for annual payment at the end of the 12-month period from the date of purchase.

After termination of the contract, access will be permanently blocked by us. During a suspension, the content, including content that has already been consumed and paid for, will no longer be available.

3.8. Free services and newsletters

Free and publicly accessible services may be used and terminated by users at any time in accordance with these Terms and Conditions (Section 1.1). In particular, the user can revoke his consent to receive newsletters and information subscriptions (e.g. on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram or messenger services such as Telegram, etc.) at any time by unsubscribing from newsletters, social media blogs or leaving messenger service groups.

Subscribers to the newsletter can unsubscribe at any time using the link in the newsletter or by sending a unilateral declaration to newsletter.support(at)hermetik-akademie.org.

4. Obligations of the User

4.1. Essential requirements for users and subscribers

Self-study on our online learning platforms requires that the user is of legal age and has full legal capacity, is mentally healthy and assumes personal responsibility. Due to the lack of direct personal knowledge of the user, we are not able to verify certain factors that are crucial for the safe use of our teaching content, but we strongly advise against consuming our teaching content under the influence of alcohol, drugs, psychotropic drugs, mental illness or mental instability. If we become aware of these or similar circumstances, we are entitled to block the user and/or withdraw from the contract. Users who have doubts about their suitability to study through our platforms are advised to seek professional advice in advance (e.g. doctor, psychologist).

4.2. General responsibility for data

The user is solely responsible for the content and accuracy of the data and information transmitted to us. These must not violate any applicable law or these Terms and Conditions. In addition, the user undertakes not to transmit any data whose content infringes the rights of third parties (e.g. personal rights, name rights, trademark rights, copyrights, etc.). In particular, contributions with criminal or immoral content may not be published or untrue facts may be asserted.

In particular, the user is responsible for ensuring that all content posted, sent, transmitted or transmitted on our websites complies with the following standards. In particular, no content may be published that:

• infringe the rights of third parties
• promote illegal activities, violence, or illicit intent
• is vulgar, obscene, pornographic, or offensive
• irrelevant to the specific website
• threatening, abusing, defaming, invading or stalking others
• is racist, abusive, harassing, threatening or abusive
• exploit or harm children in any way
• infringes intellectual property or other rights
• violate or be deemed to violate any law
• false information about identity or affiliation
• contains unauthorized advertising or commercial activity
• solicitation of funds, advertisers or sponsors
• Contains harmful computer programs (viruses, worms, etc.)
• disrupts the flow of communication or normal interactions on the website
• includes MP3 files
• represents a Ponzi scheme
• violates website policies or regulations
• contains links to websites with similar unauthorized content

This list of prohibited content is exemplary and not exhaustive and is subject to update without notice. It is the user’s responsibility to be aware of and apply these guidelines before posting any content. We have the right to review content for compliance and reserve the right to remove or reject unauthorized content. Our obligation or right to act does not relieve the user of their primary responsibility. We and third-party content providers shall not be liable for any acts or omissions related to any User Submissions.

4.3. Indemnification

The user indemnifies us against all claims asserted against us by third parties due to breaches of duty by the user. The User also indemnifies us against all expenses and costs, including costs for external consultants such as lawyers, incurred as a result of breaches of the User’s obligations. This includes unauthorized use of the Websites or Services under the User’s username and password, if the User is responsible for doing so.

4.4. Obligations to cooperate

The user is obliged to provide the necessary cooperation so that we can provide the service subject to the contract.

4.5. Profile Data and Obligation to Update / Correspondence

In particular, the user is obliged to keep the content and profile information provided by him up-to-date and to inform us immediately of any misuse of his profile. All correspondence from us to the user will be sent to the current email address in the user’s profile. The User is obliged to choose a lawful, non-offensive username that does not infringe the rights of others. When creating their account, the User must ensure that all information provided is accurate and up-to-date. Providing false information may result in account termination. The user is obliged to keep his password secret and to inform us immediately of any unauthorized use. We reserve the right to monitor passwords and request changes for security reasons. The user is not entitled to use security-threatening tools on our websites. In the event of a security breach, details may be shared with the relevant authorities. We reserve the right to investigate suspected violations of these T&Cs or legal requirements internally and/or to cooperate with law enforcement authorities. The user also has a duty to cooperate in internal investigations. By agreeing to these Terms and Conditions, you indemnify us and our employees against claims in connection with investigative measures.

4.6. Special note on personal responsibility

Any successes resulting from the fulfilment of the contract, such as an actual improvement in the quality of life, economic or other success, spiritual enlightenment, etc., are not owed by us. We are also not liable for the improper application and/or implementation of the recommendations contained in our services or content provided. The lawful and mentally healthy user must inform himself in advance whether and to what extent our suggestions are suitable for him or whether they carry further risks. We make our content and products available only to users. The correct understanding, handling and individual implementation are the sole responsibility of the user.

4.7. Special note on personal responsibility for medical treatments

The information provided by us, particularly with regard to questions of nutrition, physical, mental or spiritual health, is intended to provide general background-knowledge and educational material on certain topics.

We do not constitute recommendations or advertise for specific diagnostic methods, therapies, nutritional supplements, or medical products. Our information is not intended to be all-encompassing or up-to-date. It is not intended to replace a medical treatment or consultation with a medical professional and should not be used as the basis for self-diagnosis or self-treatment of diseases, or for modifying or terminating a medical treatment.

If users have health concerns or questions, they should consult a medical professional or, for psychological or psychiatric matters, a suitably trained physician or therapist.

5. Products

The products offered for sale, use or subscription on our websites and communication channels are digital. These digital products may not be reproduced, modified, distributed, disassembled, decompiled, adapted, translated, made available to third parties in any way, or combined with other digital products without our express written consent. The user is liable for misuse and indemnifies us against all claims that third parties assert against us due to the breach of their obligations.

6. Prices

Our prices for our paid services are retail prices for our users, who can only be natural persons (B2C). The current prices apply at the time of ordering. All prices are quoted in EUR or USD, depending on the region, and include Value Added Tax (VAT). We do not issue invoices to companies and do not participate in the reverse charge process. We reserve the right to change and/or adjust prices depending on the user’s place of residence. Any price increase constitutes a termination of the change on our part, which entitles the respective user to extraordinary termination. The total fee to be paid by the user is due for payment prior to the provision of our service.

7. Terms of payment

The following payment options are available to the user:

• Payment via PayPal
• Payment via Stripe (direct debit or credit card)

We reserve the right to exclude or change certain payment methods depending on the user’s place of residence. Payments are not processed by us, but by third-party service providers commissioned by us. Therefore, the respective privacy policies of the payment provider also apply. If the user purchases a study or orders a subscription via one of our order forms, he or she also gives us or the payment provider a direct debit authorization. In this case, this direct debit authorization applies to the payment method used. In the event of withdrawal of the contract declaration by a consumer or in the event of withdrawal from the contract for other reasons, we will refund the purchase price already paid. For this repayment, we will use the same means of payment that was used for the original transaction.

8. Copyright and rights of use

8.1. Copyrights

All content, in particular the design, graphics and texts on our websites and other services, are protected by copyright. This can be expressed through the following announcement: © 2023 Hermetic World LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The content and structure of the products and services we offer, including text, video, audio, files and authorized copies, are our intellectual property or we are entitled to use them. Any use that goes beyond purely online studies requires the express written consent of the rights holder or licensee. Texts, videos, audios and files may not be passed on to third parties, copied, transformed, made publicly available, reproduced or stored on data carriers or other media without such consent. The user has a special duty of care to protect his login data (e-mail address/password) according to the state of the art and not to pass them on to third parties.

9. Ease of Use of the Service

We ensure that our services are adapted to the current state of the art and therefore reserve the right to make changes to the agreed services, provided that these changes do not impair the core services and are reasonable for the user, taking into account his interests. We are also entitled to interrupt the operation of the Website, in whole or in part, for updating and maintenance purposes to the extent reasonably practicable. In addition, we do not guarantee the constant availability of the services offered and do not guarantee that the services offered or parts thereof can be made available and used from any location. Compatible devices are required to use the Sites or our Services. It is your responsibility to ensure or maintain the condition of your device that allows you to use our Services.

10. Liability and Warranty

10.1. Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability

 Insofar as there are no mandatory statutory provisions to the contrary and with the exception of bodily injury or personal injury, our liability is generally limited to intentional or grossly negligent acts or omissions. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept any liability for third-party websites to which reference is made by links.

The responsibility for data and content stored, published, used or transmitted by the user using our services lies solely with the user.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we will not be liable for any damage or viruses that affect a user’s computer, technical infrastructure or other property as a result of the use of our websites. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we, including our shareholders, employees and partners, will not be liable for any indirect or consequential damages arising out of the use of the Websites or their contents. This includes damages resulting from loss of profits, loss of data, or business interruption. To the fullest extent permitted by law, our aggregate liability for all claims is limited to the value of purchases made by the user on our websites.

10.2. Warranty / Improper Use and Implementation

The use of our websites is at your own risk and responsibility. We are not liable for the improper application and/or implementation of recommendations contained in our services or in any courses or online studies. It is in the nature of things that we are not liable for any particular suitability or purpose, nor for any particular success. Users must inform themselves in advance in an appropriate manner (e.g. consultation with a doctor for relevant indications) in order to determine whether our information, materials and recommendations are suitable for them. The remaining liability clauses remain unaffected by this provision.

We ensure that the information on our websites is complete, accurate and up-to-date. However, the information may be incomplete, inaccurate or outdated. We do not assume any liability for the completeness, correctness and timeliness of the information on our websites. When using our websites, users may encounter content that is potentially offensive, offensive, or misleading. We cannot rule this out, especially in the case of content from other users or third parties, and we do not assume any responsibility for this.

If problems arise with our websites or services, the user may cancel their subscription or submit a refund request in accordance with our refund policy at any time.

10.3. External links

Our websites, newsletters, posts or other news may contain links to external websites that are not operated by us. These links are provided for convenience and do not imply that we endorse their content. In particular, we assume no responsibility for the content or reliability of external sites. The use of these links is at the user’s own risk. Users are advised to exercise caution and read the privacy statements of all external websites before providing any personal information. We are not responsible for any loss or damage resulting from users’ interaction with third party websites.

10.4. AI Bot Disclaimer

Purpose and Scope: The AI Bot is designed to assist users in navigating our websites, providing information about courses and general guidance on spiritual and esoteric topics. It is not a substitute for professional spiritual, psychological, or educational advice.

Accuracy and Limitations: While efforts are made to ensure the AI Bot’s responses are accurate and relevant, we cannot guarantee the completeness or applicability of the information provided. The AI Bot operates within the limitations of its programming and may not fully comprehend or address the depth of esoteric teachings.

No Liability: We are not responsible for any interpretations, actions, or decisions made based on the AI Bot’s guidance. Users should exercise judgment and discretion when considering the AI Bot’s responses, especially in personal or spiritual matters.

User Responsibility: Users are encouraged to seek direct guidance from qualified professionals for complex spiritual, psychological, or educational queries. The AI Bot is a supplementary tool and should not be the sole basis for any significant decision-making.

Privacy and Data Use: Interactions with the AI Bot are subject to our Privacy Policy. Personal, sensitive, or confidential information should not be shared with the AI Bot. We respect user privacy and ensure data security in accordance with legal standards.

Changes and Availability: We reserve the right to modify or discontinue the AI Bot service without notice. The functionality and availability of the AI Bot may vary, and updates to this disclaimer may occur as the service evolves.

Non-Endorsement: The AI Bot may reference external content or materials. Such references do not imply endorsement of those external resources by us.

By using the AI Bot, users acknowledge and agree to these terms.

11. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

Users from the EU area have the possibility to submit complaints to the EU’s online dispute resolution platform: https://ec.europa.eu/odr. We are under no obligation to participate in any such process. Complaints of any kind can also be addressed directly to us at the following e-mail address: office12(at)hermetik-akademie.org

12. Final Provisions

12.1. Jurisdiction

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the exclusive venue for any dispute arising out of this Agreement, shall be the competent court at our registered office in 8042 Paphos, Cyprus.

If the user asserts claims related to their contract that arise from consumer protection regulations of an EU member state in which they reside, they have the option to bring legal action either in the courts of their state of residence or in Cyprus.

12.2. Choice of applicable law

12.3. Prohibition of Assignment and Right of Assignment

The user is not entitled to assign claims arising from the contractual relationship to third parties without our consent. We may assign all or part of our rights and obligations arising from the contractual relationship (by e-mail) to the user by unilateral declaration.

12.4. Severability

The ineffectiveness, ineffectiveness or unenforceability of individual provisions of these General Terms and Conditions shall not affect the existence and validity, effectiveness and enforceability of the remaining General Terms and Conditions. In this case, the invalid, ineffective or unenforceable provision in each case must be reinterpreted into a valid, effective and enforceable provision in accordance with the nature and purpose of the contract.