Section 1 General points

1. These Terms and Conditions (referred to in the following as T&Cs) apply to all offers, contracts, deliveries and services made or concluded between His Serene Highness Albert, Prince of Thurn und Taxis, Emmeramsplatz 5, 93047 Regensburg (referred to in the following as Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen) and customers who make purchases in the online shop www.thurnundtaxis.de. Also included are tickets for palace tours. Customers may be traders or consumers. The valid version of these Terms & Conditions at the time of the order shall apply in each case.
2. A consumer as defined in these T&Cs is any natural person who enters into a legal transaction for purposes that predominantly are outside of their trade, business or profession. (Section 13 German Civil Code (BGB)).
3. A trader as defined in these T&Cs is a natural or legal person or a partnership with legal personality who or which, when concluding a legal transaction, acts in exercise of their trade, business or profession (Section 14 BGB).
4. Any deviating T&Cs of customers are hereby rejected. Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen will only recognise deviating T&Cs based on an explicit and written agreement.
5. Contracts are concluded exclusively in the German language.
6. Prior to submitting an order, customers may correct input errors using the technical means provided in the online shop or with the usual functions of their keyboard/mouse. Moreover, customers may cancel the procedure at any time by closing the browser window. Customers place a binding order (offer) by clicking on the “Place binding order now” or “Buy now” button; input errors can no longer be corrected after this point.

Section 2 Order confirmation and conclusion of contract

1. Customers may purchase goods online, in particular souvenirs, books and games (hereinafter referred to as “goods”), on the website www.thurnundtaxis.de. In addition, Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen offers services to customers in the form of palace tours. Customers may acquire the right to participate in these tours by purchasing a ticket that is offered on the website www.thurnundtaxis.de.
2. Depictions of goods and tickets in the online shop do not constitute a legally binding offer on the part of Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen; instead they are part of a non-binding online catalogue and therefore an invitation to the customer to submit a corresponding offer. Customers make a legal offer for the goods and/or tickets contained in the shopping cart by clicking on the “Place binding order now” or “Buy now” button. Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen may then send an automated email to confirm receipt of the order. In these cases, the email merely confirms that Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen has received the order; it does not constitute the conclusion of a contract. The order for the goods or the ticket is confirmed by separate email once Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen has reviewed the order. This email shall then be considered acceptance in a legal sense, and the purchase contract shall be concluded. An effective purchase contract is also concluded if the goods are shipped within five days.
3. All goods, tickets and prices listed on the online shop are offered as set out in the description accompanying the individual offer.
4. Shipping and delivery costs are also as detailed separately on the website and are stated correctly in the order process.

Section 3 Prices, payment and delivery

1. The contract is concluded based on the valid prices at the time of the order as stated on the website at www.thurnundtaxis.de. Prices consist of the purchase or ticket price including all taxes and other components and any shipping and delivery costs (referred to in the following as the “total price”). Prices are inclusive of the applicable statutory value-added tax.
2. The amount of the delivery and shipping costs is calculated on the basis of the volume and weight of the purchased goods or tickets. All shipping and delivery costs stated in the total price apply only to deliveries within Germany. The shipping and delivery costs must be calculated individually for deliveries outside of Germany. Customers will be notified of these costs in good time.
3. The goods will be shipped after the contract has been concluded and the total price is reflected on the designated account of Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen. Shipping may also take place at a specific, later date agreed between the Parties. Customers will be notified in good time of any delays in delivery. Tickets are sent as a PDF attachment to the email address provided by the customer after conclusion of the contract and payment.
4. Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen reserves ownership of the delivered goods or the ticket until full payment has been received.

Section 4 Due date

Payment of the purchase or ticket price in the amount indicated on the invoice is due immediately without deduction. Customers may select between various means of payment, in particular PayPal or credit card payment.

Section 5 Right of withdrawal

Consumers, so natural persons who enter into a legal transaction for purposes that predominantly are outside of their trade, business or profession, have a right to withdraw from distance selling contracts, i.e. contracts that are concluded exclusively by means of distance communication (e.g. email, internet, telephone, fax or letter), without the Contracting Parties being present at the same time.

Withdrawal policy for consumers

Right of withdrawal
You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days and shall not be required to state reasons. The withdrawal period is 14 days from the date on which you or a third party appointed by you, who is not the forwarder, has taken possession of the goods.

In order to exercise your right of withdrawal, you must send a clear declaration (e.g. by letter sent by post, by telefax, telephone or email) to
His Serene Highness Albert, Prince of Thurn und Taxis
Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen
Emmeramsplatz 5
93047 Regensburg
Telephone: +49 (0)941 5048-0
Telefax: +49 (0)941 5048-140
Email: hofbibliothek(at)thurnundtaxis.de

stating your decision to withdraw from this contract. You may use the enclosed withdrawal form template for this purpose, although doing so is not a requirement. Withdrawal may also be declared verbally. To comply with the withdrawal period, it is sufficient that you send notification of your intention to exercise the right of withdrawal prior to the end of the withdrawal period.

Consequences of withdrawal
If you withdraw from this contract, we must refund without delay all payments we have received from you, including delivery costs (with the exception of additional costs resulting from your selection of a delivery method other than the cheapest standard delivery offered by us), and at the latest within 14 days of the date on which we received notification of your withdrawal from this contract. We will refund payments by the same means of payment that you used for the original transaction, unless explicitly agreed otherwise with you; in no case will we charge you fees for this refund. We may refuse repayment until the goods have been received by us or until you have provided evidence that you have returned the goods, whichever is earlier.

You must send back or return the goods without delay to

His Serene Highness Albert, Prince of Thurn und Taxis
Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen
Emmeramsplatz 5
93053 Regensburg
Fax: +49 (0)941 5048-140
Email: hofbibliothek(at)thurnundtaxis.de

and in any event no later than 14 days from the date on which you notify us of your withdrawal from this contract. You will have complied with this period if you send dispatch the goods before the end of the 14 days. You must pay for the direct costs of returning the goods. You will only be required to pay for any deterioration in the value of the goods if this deterioration in value is due to you handling the goods in a manner that is not necessary for testing their quality, characteristics and functions.

Exclusion of the right of withdrawal
The right of withdrawal does not apply to contracts

• for the delivery of goods which are not prefabricated and whose production is based on an individual selection or determination by the consumer or which are evidently tailored to the personal needs of the consumer,
• for the delivery of goods that may spoil quickly or whose expiry date would soon be exceeded,
• for the delivery of sealed goods which are not suitable for return for reasons of health protection or hygiene, if their seal was removed after delivery,
• for the delivery of goods that, by virtue of their nature, are inseparably mixed with other goods after delivery,
• for the delivery of sound or video recordings or computer software in a sealed package, if the seal was removed after delivery,
• for the provision of non-residential accommodation services, the transportation of goods, motor vehicle hire, supply of food and drink and other services relating to leisure activities, if the contract specifies a definite date or period for the provision of these services.

It follows, therefore, that the right of withdrawal will not apply and you will be required to make payment if you have bought a ticket for a guided tour that is scheduled to take place at a certain time. Cancellations may however be permitted under certain conditions; refer to Section 7 of these T&Cs.

Section 6 Cost sharing agreement

Where a customer who is a consumer exercises their right of withdrawal, they shall bear the regular costs of return shipment.

Section 7 Cancellation of tickets

Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen extends to the customer the right to cancel the purchased ticket free of charge – including a refund of the price paid – up to 14 days prior to the booked tour date. Cancellations are permitted up to one week prior to the booked date; 50% of the price paid will be refunded in this case. Cancellations are otherwise not possible. In particular, ticket shall expire without replacement if the customer is late for a guided tour. However, the customer may be permitted to take part in the next guided tour as a gesture of goodwill and only if there sufficient space remains on this tour.

Section 8 Transfer of tickets

Customers may purchase the tickets for personal use only. The transfer of tickets for commercial purposes is prohibited.

Section 9 Photography

1. The production and/or publication of photographs from the interior of the palace buildings, the museums, the treasury or other interior areas is prohibited.
2. Photography is permitted for personal use in the palace courtyard and the areas outside the palace.

Section 10 Defect rights

1. The goods are defective if they exhibit defects. Differences between the visual material on the website and the actual goods that are related to the quality (for example resolution) of the photos on the website shall not constitute a defect.
2. Customers who are traders may only exercise claims for obvious defects in the delivered goods if they notify Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen, Emmeramsplatz 5, 93047 Regensburg, email: hofbibliothek@thurnundtaxis.de, in writing or by e-mail without delay after delivery, giving a precise description. The time of sending the notice of defects shall be authoritative. Claims cannot be exercised at a later date. Sections 377 et seq. German Commercial Code (HGB) shall apply if the contract is concluded exclusively between merchants.
3. Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen is entitled to subsequent performance if there are defects and the claims have been exercised in good time. The statutory provisions shall otherwise govern all matters relating to warranty.
4. Statutory warranty shall apply to contracts with consumers.

Section 11 Liability

1. Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen has unlimited liability in the event of intent and gross negligence.
2. In the event that material contractual obligations are breached, liability for ordinary negligence towards traders shall be limited to the extent of damage that is typical for the contract, was foreseeable at the time the contract was concluded and shall be otherwise excluded. Material contractual obligations are the fundamental, elementary obligations arising from the contractual relationship whose fulfilment enables the proper performance of the contract, whose breach places achievement of the contractual purpose in jeopardy and upon whose observance the customer may ordinarily rely. The above exclusions of liability shall not apply in the event of injury to life, limb or health or with regard to liability under the Product Liability Act (ProdHaftG) and liability due to explicit assurances.
3. Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen shall endeavour to keep the website www.thurnundtaxis.de operational at all times. However, Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen accepts no liability for damage or errors incurred by a customer in the event that the website is temporarily unavailable.

Section 12 Data protection

1. Insofar as it is necessary for the execution and processing of the order and the business relationship, Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen shall be entitled to store and process data about customers which it receives in connection with the business relationship, irrespective of whether this data originates from the customers themselves or from third parties. It shall do so in accordance with the GDPR and German data protection laws.
2. Reference is otherwise made to the Privacy Policy with regard to possible consents of the customer and further information on data collection, processing and use. The Privacy Policy can be accessed at any time in a printable form on the website www.thurnundtaxis.de by clicking on the “Privacy Policy” button in the lower section of the home screen.

Section 13 Complaints procedure / dispute resolution

1. The EU Commission has established a platform for out-of-court dispute resolution. Consumers may access this platform to resolve disputes in connection with their online order without initially taking the matter to court. The dispute resolution platform can be accessed by clicking on the external link https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.
2. As a rule, Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen shall endeavour to reach an amicable settlement with the customer concerning any disagreements arising from the contract. Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen is otherwise not obliged to participate in a dispute resolution procedure and cannot offer its customers participation in any such procedure.

Section 14 Miscellaneous

1. In the event that individual provisions of these Terms & Conditions and/or the contract concluded on their basis are or become invalid, this shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions. Where individual provisions are invalid, the Contracting Parties shall, taking into account the interests of both parties, endeavour to reach a new agreement that most closely resembles the economic purpose of the invalid provision. The same shall apply to any omissions in the contract of which the Parties become aware.
2. The business relationship between Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen and the customers is governed by the law of the Federal Republic of Germany, excluding the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. This choice of law applies to consumers only to the extent that the protection granted to the customer by mandatory provisions of the law of the state of the consumer’s habitual residence are not withdrawn.
3. The competent court at the seat of Fürst Thurn und Taxis Museen shall have exclusive jurisdiction over all disputes arising from a contractual relationship, insofar as the customer is a trader or a legal person under public law or a special fund under public law. This shall also apply to contractual partners without their own place of jurisdiction in the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Withdrawal form template for consumers