Terms and conditions.

SERVICES OFFERED

Three standard formats.

The Firm offers three published service formats. Any engagement outside this scope is subject to a specific quote.

All fees are expressed in euros, exclusive of tax, and exclusive of travel and accommodation expenses. French VAT at the applicable rate is charged in addition for clients established in France. For taxable intra-community clients, invoicing is carried out exclusive of tax (Article 196 of VAT Directive 2006/112/EC).

ORDER AND CONTRACT FORMATION

All orders follow the process set out below:

1. 1.

   The Client submits a scoping request via the contact form or by direct exchange.

2. 2.

   The Firm sends a detailed commercial proposal specifying the scope, schedule, deliverables, terms of engagement, and fee.

3. 3.

   The contract is formed upon the Firm's receipt of the commercial proposal signed by the Client (by electronic or handwritten signature) together with the purchase order or deposit.

4. 4.

   Any subsequent modification to the scope shall be the subject of an amendment signed by both parties.

PAYMENT TERMS

30% deposit, balance at 30 days.

Unless otherwise stipulated in the commercial proposal, the following payment terms apply: Deposit: 30% of the total fee (excl. VAT) upon signature of the commercial proposal, which conditions the commencement of the engagement. Balance: 70% invoiced upon delivery of the final deliverable (Flash Audit, Full Audit) or in accordance with the monthly schedule defined in the proposal (Programme). Payment period: 30 days net from the date of invoice. Accepted payment methods: SEPA bank transfer only. Bank details are provided on each invoice. Late payment penalties: pursuant to Article L441-10 of the French Commercial Code, any late payment shall give rise to late payment penalties at the interest rate of the European Central Bank increased by 10 percentage points, as well as a fixed recovery fee of €40 (Article D441-5 of the French Commercial Code).

TRAVEL EXPENSES

Travel, accommodation, and subsistence expenses required for the engagement are charged to the Client in addition to the service fee, as follows: Île-de-France: no charge; expenses included in the day rate. Metropolitan France (outside Île-de-France): flat daily rate of €250 excl. VAT covering transport, accommodation, and subsistence. Actual costs reimbursed against receipts for engagements exceeding 5 consecutive days on site. International and French overseas territories: actual costs reimbursed against receipts (transport, accommodation, subsistence), subject to the Client's prior written approval of the estimated budget.

PERFORMANCE OF SERVICES

Best-efforts obligation, not outcome-based.

The Firm undertakes to perform its services in accordance with best professional practice and the standards of the information systems consulting profession. Given the nature of consulting services and the inherent uncertainty of any transformation project, the Firm is bound by a best-efforts obligation and not an obligation to achieve a specific outcome. The Client acknowledges that operational results (reduction in AHT, increase in NPS, ROI, etc.) depend on a multitude of factors, some of which lie outside the Firm's control (Client team engagement, quality of existing data, competitive environment, Client strategic decisions). The Client in turn undertakes to provide the Firm with all the information and resources necessary for the proper performance of the engagement, within the agreed timescales, and to designate an identified decision-making sponsor.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Deliverables vs. methodologies.

Upon full payment of all sums due, the Client becomes the owner of the deliverables produced specifically for it in the context of the engagement (reports, architecture diagrams, migration plans, dashboards). The Client may use, reproduce, modify, and distribute these freely within its organisation. The Firm, however, retains full intellectual property rights over its methodologies, frameworks, templates, internal tools, and know-how, whether pre-existing or developed in the course of the engagement. The Firm is in particular entitled to reuse these elements in other engagements, subject to strict compliance with the confidentiality obligation owed to the Client. Trade marks, logos, and visual identifiers belong to their respective owners and are not transferred under any circumstances.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Each party undertakes to keep strictly confidential all commercial, technical, financial, or strategic information communicated by the other party in the course of the engagement, and to use it solely for the purposes of performing the contract. This confidentiality obligation applies for the duration of the engagement and continues for five (5) years after its conclusion. For sensitive engagements, a specific non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be signed in addition, at the request of either party.

COMMERCIAL REFERENCES

Unless the Client expressly objects in writing, the Firm reserves the right to mention the Client's name and logo as a commercial reference (on its website, in its commercial proposals, and on LinkedIn). Any such mention remains factual and respectful of the context of the engagement. No confidential details are disclosed. The Client may at any time request the removal of its reference by sending a simple e-mail to contact@expertiax.com.

TERMINATION

Either party may terminate the contract early in the event of a serious and persistent breach by the other party of its contractual obligations, following a formal notice that has remained without effect for fifteen (15) days. In the event of termination at the Client's initiative without any breach by the Firm, the services already performed as well as those irrevocably committed (booked travel, blocked days) shall remain due and payable. In the event of termination at the Firm's initiative without any breach by the Client, any sums paid in excess of the services actually performed shall be refunded to the Client within thirty (30) days.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

The Firm's liability to the Client, for all types of loss combined, is limited to the total amount (excl. VAT) actually paid by the Client in respect of the engagement concerned. The Firm shall not under any circumstances be liable for indirect losses suffered by the Client (loss of revenue, loss of clients, reputational damage, loss of profit, etc.). This limitation does not apply in cases of gross negligence, wilful misconduct, or breach of an essential obligation of the contract.

FORCE MAJEURE

Neither party shall be held liable for the non-performance or delayed performance of its obligations in the event of force majeure within the meaning of Article 1218 of the French Civil Code. The affected party shall inform the other as soon as possible, and the parties shall confer in order to adapt the performance of the contract or, failing agreement, to terminate it without compensation.

APPLICABLE LAW AND DISPUTES

These T&Cs are governed by French law. In the event of a dispute relating to the formation, interpretation, or performance of the contract, the parties undertake to seek an amicable resolution before initiating any legal proceedings. If no amicable resolution is reached within sixty (60) days from the first written claim, the courts of Paris shall have sole jurisdiction, notwithstanding multiple defendants or warranty claims.

CONTACT

For any enquiries regarding these terms and conditions, or to submit a scoping request: