Terms and conditions of sale and delivery of Automated Precision Europe GmbH

Valid from 1 January 2018

Section 1: Scope

Terms and conditions of sale and delivery (hereinafter referred to as GTCs) of Automated Precision Europe GmbH (hereinafter referred to as “APE”), based at Im Breitspiel 17, 69126 Heidelberg, Germany, shall apply to all offers, sales contracts, orders, and deliveries provided to the ordering party (customer) by APE unless stated otherwise explicitly and in writing. General terms and conditions of the customer that deviate from these GTCs shall not be accepted, even if APE does not explicitly object to them.

Section 2: Conclusion of the agreement

(1) APE’s offers are non-binding unless expressly designated as binding in the text of the offer. The agreement shall be considered concluded when APE confirms the order with the customer by e-mail, by fax, or in writing.

(2) Supplemental agreements and amendments require mutual confirmation either by e-mail, by fax, or in writing.

(3) APE shall only accept obligation to honour a guarantee if the guarantee has been explicitly given in the order confirmation or in advertising statements.

(4) The documents supplied by APE in the context of the initiation of the contract, such as illustrations and drawings, as well as the information provided by APE regarding weight, dimensions, power consumption, and performance shall be considered the authoritative documents in this regard; technical changes, technical improvements, or design changes are permissible if they are reasonable for the customer.

Section 3: Prices and payment terms

(1) Deliveries shall be carried out at the prices stated in the order confirmation. All prices are ex works / from place of dispatch, or in the case of spare parts, ex warehouse. Unless otherwise stated, all prices are in Euros and do not include transport, insurance, installation, or instruction costs, nor do they include the applicable VAT at the relevant rate.

(2) Unless stated otherwise in the order confirmation, the net purchase price (without deductions) is due to be paid immediately upon conclusion of the agreement. The legal regulations regarding the consequences of defaulting on payments shall apply.

(3) The customer only has the right of offset if their counterclaims are legally established, undisputed, or acknowledged by APE. Furthermore, the customer is entitled to exercise right of retention insofar as their counterclaim is based on the same contractual relationship.

(4) In the case of payment by instalments, APE is entitled to declare that the remaining purchase price is due for immediate payment if the customer is in arrears with two or more consecutive instalments, and if the amount of arrears is more than 10% of the purchase price.

Section 4: Delivery deadlines and transfer of risk

(1) Delivery deadlines that are not expressly described as binding shall not be considered binding. Delivery periods only start counting down once all of the documents required for checking the content of the contract have been received at the earliest, if the customer is obliged to provide such documents according to the agreement, and only once payment has been received, if payment has been agreed.

(2) Delivery periods shall be extended in the event of circumstances for which APE is not responsible and which have a significant influence on the delivery of the item, including, in particular, industrial disputes and other circumstances affecting APE or its subcontractors (operational disruptions that are not the fault of APE), and the extension period shall be the same as the duration of the operational disruption. If, despite all reasonable efforts, it is not possible to adjust the agreement to compensate for an operational disruption that is not the fault of APE, APE shall be released from its performance obligation.

(3) APE is entitled to opt for partial deliveries and partial invoices until expiry of the delivery period, to a reasonable extent.

(4) If there is a delay in dispatch or delivery of the delivery item at the request of the customer, or as a result of circumstances that originated in the customer’s area of risk and responsibility, the

customer shall reimburse APE for the costs incurred in connection with the storage of the item and for the interest expenses associated with the capital invested in the delivery item. In the case of storage by APE, the claim shall be at least 0.5% of the outstanding invoice amount for each month still outstanding, starting from one month after notification that the item is ready for dispatch; the purchaser shall retain the right to prove that the amount of damage was lower.

(5) The risk passes to the customer when the delivery item is dispatched from the place of dispatch at the latest. If dispatch is delayed due to the customer’s conduct or due to a circumstance for which APE is not responsible, the risk shall pass to the customer upon notification that the item is ready for dispatch.

(6) If commercial terms are agreed, the latest version of Incoterms shall apply. The scope of delivery shall be specified in the order confirmation.

Section 5: Packaging and disposal

(1) Transport packaging and any other packaging that falls under the German Packaging Ordinance [Verpackungsordnung] shall not be taken back, with the exception of pallets. The customer must dispose of the packaging at their own expense.

(2) The customer shall assume responsibility for properly disposing of the delivered goods after the end of their usage life, and shall do so at their own expense and in accordance with the applicable legal requirements. The customer shall release the supplier from their responsibilities under the German Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act [Elektrogesetz] (manufacturer’s responsibility to take back goods for disposal), and therefore also releases any third party that may be involved from these responsibilities.

(3) The customer shall ensure that any commercial third parties to whom they pass on the delivered goods are contractually obliged to properly dispose of these goods after the end of their usage life at their own expense and in accordance with legal requirements, and the customer shall ensure that a corresponding further obligation on the third party is in place in the event that the goods are passed on again. If the customer fails to ensure that third parties are contractually obliged in this way, they themselves shall have an obligation towards APE to take back the goods and to dispose of them at their own expense in accordance with legal requirements.

Section 6: Delivery of software

(1) If the delivery item is sold together with an electronic device, APE grants the customer fundamentally non-transferable and non-exclusive usage rights for the accompanying software. This only entitles the customer to use the software within the electronic device of the delivery item, and solely for its intended purpose. In particular, the customer does not have the right to distribute, reproduce or edit the software.

(2) The transfer of usage rights is permissible in exceptional cases where the customer provides evidence of a justified interest in the transfer of such rights to a third party by giving up their own usage – for instance in the case of resale of the delivery item.

In such cases, the customer must ensure that the purchaser is contractually obliged to recognise the rights to which APE is entitled.

Section 7: Retention of title

(1) APE shall retain title to the delivery item until it has been paid for in full. Furthermore, the retention of title shall remain in place until all claims arising from the business relationship with the customer have been settled and all bills have been honoured. APE shall, at the customer’s request, release the delivery item to the extent to which the security interest of APE ceases to apply.

Security interest shall be dispensed with if the achievable value of the delivery item exceeds the cover limit of 110% of the secured receivables more than just temporarily.

(2) The processing or restructuring of the delivery item by the customer shall be carried out for APE in all cases. If the delivery item is processed together with other items that do not belong to APE, APE acquires co-ownership of the new article of property

formed by such processing in line with the proportional value of the delivery item (final invoice amount, including VAT) compared to the other items processed at the time of processing. In all other respects, the same provisions shall apply to the article formed by the processing as apply to the delivery item delivered under retention of title.

(3) The following shall apply for the duration of the retention of title:

a) The customer has the right to use the delivery item, but has no right to transfer it to third parties, and no right of divestment or encumbrance with regard to the delivery item.
b) The customer must, at their own expense, ensure that no third parties can gain access to the delivery item and must inform APE immediately in writing of any risk of unauthorised access, including any such risks affecting the customer’s business premises.
c) Any change of the location of the delivery item requires the prior written consent of APE and may only be carried out by employees of APE or by APE representatives.
d) The customer shall receive the delivery item in perfect condition. The customer must also insure the delivery item at their own expense in favour of APE against any damages in connection with transport, assembly, machine breakage, fire, burglary, and escape of water, and must provide proof of insurance and payment of premiums to APE upon request.
e) The customer shall authorise APE or APE representatives to inspect the delivery item and shall allow them access to the rooms where the delivery item is located for this same purpose, and shall provide assistance with this where necessary, without claiming remuneration for such assistance.

(4) Where the purchase price is financed by third parties (particularly in the case of a hire purchase agreement), the retention of title shall remain in place and APE’s rights allocated by the agreement until payment of the receivables shall remain in place until the third party is also fully satisfied by the customer in accordance with the provisions of the hire purchase agreement.

Section 8: Claims for defects

(1) If a delivery item is defective, the customer shall have the following rights:

a) APE is obliged to remedy the defect and shall, at their own discretion, either remove the defect through repairs, or deliver a defect-free item.
b) The period of limitation for claims for defects is two years after delivery. The customer must inform APE of any defects in the delivery immediately. Replaced parts shall become the property of APE.
c) If attempts to repair fail, the customer is entitled to withdraw from the agreement or reduce the purchase price. Withdrawal from the agreement is excluded if APE’s breach of contract is only negligible.
d) The customer shall allow APE the required time and opportunity to carry out all reworks and replacement deliveries that APE deems necessary. Otherwise, APE shall be released from its liability for any consequences arising from this.

(2) The customer remains solely responsible for any damages due to natural wear and tear, incorrect or negligent handling, placing excessive demands on equipment, use of unsuitable equipment, installation in an unsuitable place, unstable installation, insufficient fuse protection, or weather and other natural influences. Wear parts (such as reflectors, measuring probes, Ethernet cables, antennas, batteries, chargers, power cables, and power adapters) are not covered by the warranty.

(3) In the case of repair of defects, APE shall be obliged to bear all necessary expenses for the repair, in particular transport, travel, labour and material costs, insofar as these are not increased by the delivery item having been brought to a location other than the place of performance.

Section 9: Liability

(1) In the event of injury to life, body or health as a result of a negligent breach of duty by APE, or as a result of an intentional or negligent breach of duty by one of APE’s legal representatives or vicarious agents, APE shall be liable in accordance with legal provisions.

(2) For other damages, the following applies:

a) APE shall be liable under legal provisions for any damages that are the result of grossly negligent breach of duty by APE or the result of intentional or grossly negligent breach of duty by one of APE’s legal representatives or vicarious agents.

respect des dispositions légales, APE est responsable, conformément aux dispositions légales.

(2) Les principes suivants prévalent pour les autres dommages :

a) Pour les dommages qui reposent sur une violation par négligence grossière d’une obligation de la part de APE ou sur une violation intentionnelle ou par négligence grossière de l’un de ses représentants légaux ou auxiliaires d’exécution, APE est tenu responsable conformément aux dispositions légales.
b) Pour les dommages qui reposent sur une violation des obligations contractuelles essentielles suite à une négligence simple de la part de APE ou des représentants légaux ou auxiliaires d’exécution de APE, la responsabilité de APE est limitée aux dommages prévisibles typiques pour le contrat jusqu’à la valeur maximale de la marchandise livrée.
c) Les demandes de dommages et intérêts pour d’autres dommages dans le cas de violation d’obligations annexes en cas de négligence simple sont exclues.
d) Les demandes de dommages et intérêts pour retard, qui reposent sur une négligence simple, sont exclues ; il n’est pas dérogé aux droits légaux du client après expiration de délais supplémentaires raisonnables.

(3) Les cas d’exclusion de responsabilité ou restrictions ne s’appliquent pas, si APE a caché un vice de manière frauduleuse ou s’est chargé d’une garantie de la qualité de la chose.

(4) APE n’est pas responsable de préjudices directs suite à une livraison défectueuse tels que perte de production, manque à gagner et consommation supplémentaire de matériaux, sauf dans les cas d’intention ou de négligence grossière.

Article 10 Cession

La cession des droits et/ou le transfert des obligations du client découlant du contrat ne sont pas admissibles sans l’accord préalable écrit de APE.

Article 11 Contrôle des exportations

Les marchandises livrées ainsi que les logiciels peuvent être soumises à des dispositions de contrôle de l’exportation de la République fédérale d’Allemagne, de l’Union européenne, des États-Unis d’Amérique ou d’autres États. En cas d’exportation ultérieure de la marchandise livrée à l’étranger, le client est responsable du respect des dispositions légales.

Article 12 Lieu d’exécution, tribunal compétent et législation applicable

(1) Le lieu auquel la livraison a lieu ou auquel la prestation doit être fournie est le lieu d’exécution pour les livraisons et prestations. Pour toutes les autres obligations qui résultent du contrat, le lieu d’exécution est le lieu d’expédition.

(2) Dans le cas de contrats conclus avec des commerçants, ainsi qu’avec des personnes morales de droit public et de patrimoine de droit public, il est convenu que le tribunal de Heidelberg est le seul et unique compétent.

(3) Si les dispositions mentionnées ci-dessus ne contiennent pas de réglementation concluante, le droit allemand s’applique à l’exclusion de la Convention des Nations-Unies sur les contrats de vente internationale de marchandises.

Article 13 Accords annexes, caducité de certaines dispositions

(1) Tous les accords qui ont été conclus entre APE et le client sont inscrits dans la confirmation de commande et dans les présentes conditions générales de vente. Les accords oraux n’ont aucune validité. Toute modification ou tout accord divergent requièrent la forme écrite.

(2) Si l’une des dispositions du présent contrat ou des présentes Conditions générales de vente devaient être entièrement ou partiellement caduques, le contrat ou les présentes Conditions générales de vente restent valables.