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General terms and conditions of sale

This text is a translation of the original French version. Only the most recent French version of the general terms and conditions is legally binding.

When you accept these terms and conditions online, their text is attached to the signed document you receive by e-mail.

Accept these terms and conditions online

Version 5.0 of 6/10/2026

Article 1 – Purpose

These general terms and conditions of sale (GTC) apply to all services provided by the Provider as identified in the general terms of use (“Identity of the providers and allocation of services”).

The Provider concerned is the one stated on the invoice, the quotation, the admission form or any equivalent document, and is the client's contracting party for the service concerned.

These GTC are binding on any client requesting a service, including care, hospitalisation, advice, reproduction procedures, boarding of animals, and the storage and/or handling of biological, medical or other material, depending on the service.

Service-specific terms. The terms specific to certain services (embryo transfer, OPU-ICSI, stallion services, semen storage and shipping) are set out in Article 7.

Article 2 – Acceptance and updating of the general terms and conditions

2.1 Acceptance of the general terms and conditions

Any request for care, consultation, surgery, hospitalisation or handling of material implies unreserved acceptance of these GTC.

The client acknowledges having read them before any procedure, by one of the following means:

  • Display on the premises.
  • Consultation on the website.
  • Delivery with a quotation, an invoice or any admission document.
  • On simple request to the Provider concerned or its staff.

Any objection to the GTC must be made in writing before the service. Failing this, they are deemed accepted in full.

Online acceptance. The client may accept these terms and conditions on the giguellerie.be website by ticking the box provided and signing electronically. The acceptance is recorded in a time-stamped log, and the accepted text is attached to the signed document sent to the client. It applies to all later services until a new version is published; the client is then asked to accept the new version with their next request.

2.2 Updating of the GTC

Each Provider reserves the right to amend these GTC at any time, in particular in the event of legal, regulatory or professional developments.

The applicable version of the GTC is the one in force on the day the appointment is made or the service is provided.

New GTC will be displayed on the premises and published on the website, and will be deemed accepted for any service provided after they are published or displayed.

Article 3 – Informed consent

3.1 Information of the client

The client acknowledges having received all the necessary information on the proposed care, the risks, the alternatives and the associated costs. The client may ask any further question before the procedure and, in case of doubt, may postpone it. Entrusting the animal or accepting the procedure constitutes acceptance of the risks and acknowledgement of sufficient information.

3.2 Exclusion from the food chain

Where a necessary treatment requires it, the client accepts that the equine be permanently excluded from the food chain and undertakes to sign the corresponding statement in its identification document. Otherwise, the Provider may refuse or postpone this treatment without incurring any liability.

Article 4 – Services, fees, quotations and cancellation

4.1 Fees and invoicing

Fees are set according to the nature of the procedures carried out, the time spent, the equipment used and the regulations in force. A cost estimate can be provided on request.

In an emergency or unforeseen situation requiring immediate care, the procedures the Provider considers essential may be carried out without a prior quotation and will be invoiced accordingly.

4.2 Quotations and validity

Quotations issued by the Provider or its practice are valid for 4 weeks, unless otherwise stated in the quotation. This period may be shortened if the animal's condition changes or if the cost of the products and services required for the care varies.

4.3 Cancellation of appointments

Any cancellation of a scheduled appointment must be notified at least 24 hours in advance. After this deadline, the Provider reserves the right to charge a cancellation fee equal to the price of the planned consultation, except in a duly justified case of force majeure.

For emergency consultations and visits (at the practice or on site), any cancellation must be notified immediately to avoid an unnecessary journey or preparation. If the cancellation comes too late, charges for the waiting time or the journey made may be invoiced.

If, during a home visit, the Provider finds that the client is absent or that the animal is not available, the travel and consultation charges are due in full.

Article 5 – Best-efforts obligation and limitation of liability

5.1 Best-efforts obligation and no guarantee of result

The Provider undertakes to perform its services with care, diligence and in accordance with good professional practice, applying the available scientific knowledge and appropriate techniques. It is bound by an obligation of means (best efforts), not by an obligation of result. Consequently:

  • The Provider acts as a prudent, diligent and well-informed professional, like a competent practitioner placed in the same circumstances, and cannot be held liable for a result that is not guaranteed.
  • No guarantee can be given as to the recovery of an animal, the absolute effectiveness of a treatment or the success of a surgical, medical or reproductive procedure.
  • An unfavourable outcome, complication, relapse or death can only engage the Provider's liability if a proven fault, consisting of a manifest breach of professional standards, is demonstrated.
5.2 Limitation of liability for unforeseeable events

The Provider cannot be held liable for:

  • Unforeseeable consequences or biological reactions specific to the animal, due to its individual constitution.
  • The inherent limits of veterinary science, including therapeutic failures, post-operative complications or unanticipated side effects.
  • The initial condition of the animal, its individual response to care, and the uncertainties inherent in veterinary medicine, which can in no case be attributed to the Provider.
  • The risks of contagion linked to the housing and grouping of animals, see Article 7.1.2.
5.3 Definition of a claim event

A claim event is defined as:

“All damage attributable to the same event or to a series of events arising from the same cause, regardless of the number of animals, goods or owners affected”.

5.4 Compensation ceiling and value of the animal
5.4.1 Limitation of compensation

The compensation due to the client in the event of a proven fault is limited, per claim event, to the maximum amount actually covered by the civil liability insurance policy of the Provider concerned, as taken out for the service in question (veterinary procedure or non-medical service), regardless of the number of animals concerned.

  • For veterinary procedures, compensation is limited to the ceiling of the professional liability insurance policy covering the procedure concerned, taken out by the Veterinarian and/or the Provider concerned for veterinary procedures.
  • For non-medical services (boarding, stallion and semen services, logistics, storage of biological material, etc.) provided and invoiced by Linalux Equins SCRL, compensation is limited to the ceiling of the civil liability insurance policy taken out by Linalux Equins SCRL for these services.

In the event of a collective claim event, the total compensation may not exceed the ceiling applicable to the Provider concerned for that claim event, and is divided in proportion to the estimated value of the damage concerned.

Before entrusting the animal or material, the keeper may ask for the maximum cover applicable to the Provider concerned for the intended service. If this amount is considered insufficient, it is up to the keeper, in particular, to:

  • Take out individual insurance covering the full value of the animal or material;
  • Choose another Provider.

Without individual insurance taken out by the keeper, compensation remains limited to the maximum cover of the Provider concerned, even if this amount is lower than the real value of the animal or goods entrusted.

5.4.2 Tacit waiver and implied acceptance

By requesting the Provider's services, the keeper expressly and tacitly accepts that compensation in the event of a claim is limited to the amount covered by the Provider's professional liability insurance.

By entrusting the animal to the Provider, the keeper tacitly waives any claim against the Provider for the amount exceeding the per-claim ceiling covered by the Provider's insurance.

Under no circumstances may the keeper's individual insurer bring a claim against the Provider for the amount exceeding the per-claim ceiling covered by the Provider's professional liability insurance.

5.4.3 Liability of the keeper in the event of a claim

The Provider is not liable for financial losses resulting from a claim event because:

  • The keeper did not ask for the maximum amount covered by the Provider's professional liability insurance before entrusting the animal or material.
  • The keeper failed to take out individual insurance although they considered the value of the animal to be higher than the ceiling covered by the Provider's insurance.
  • The keeper underestimated the value of the animal through negligence or carelessness.
  • The keeper refused to take out individual insurance despite an estimated value above the ceiling.

The keeper is solely responsible for assessing the value of their animal and for taking out individual insurance accordingly.

5.5 Exclusions of liability

The Provider's liability is excluded in the following cases:

  • No proven fault.
  • Fortuitous event or force majeure (e.g. fire caused by lightning, theft, natural disaster).
  • Intervention of an unauthorised third party.
  • Refusal or delay by the client in carrying out the prescribed care.
  • Indirect damage (loss of competition winnings, non-material damage, loss of breeding income, etc.).
5.6 Respective liability of the entities

Each Provider is liable, within the limits of the law and of these GTC, only for the services it provides and invoices.

  • Veterinary procedures fall under the professional liability of the Veterinarian who performs the procedure.
  • Boarding services, stallion and semen services, and the management, logistics and storage of biological material fall under the liability of Linalux Equins SCRL when provided and invoiced by it.

Where the same situation involves several services (e.g. veterinary procedure + boarding), each Provider is liable for its own part.

5.7 Services provided by third parties

The Provider may call on specialised external providers (e.g. surgeons, analytical laboratories, medical imaging specialists) for certain services.

The Provider's liability is limited to the procedures carried out within its own practice. Services performed by external third parties are covered by the own liability of those external providers.

The Provider cannot be held liable for delays, complications or errors resulting from these external services, although it takes care to work with qualified and reputable partners.

5.8 Liability for restraint
5.8.1 General principle

The owner or keeper of the animal is responsible for restraining it, as they know its behaviour and reactions better.

This responsibility applies before and after the veterinary procedure or any procedure involving the handling of the animal (e.g. in the waiting room, around the premises, during transport, movement, loading or unloading, etc.), and during the procedure, unless the Provider imposes specific restraint measures.

5.8.2 Restraint measures imposed by the Provider

If the Provider imposes restraint measures (e.g. muzzle, sedation, specific headcollar), it assumes responsibility for them, provided the keeper follows the instructions.

These measures are taken solely to ensure the safety of the animal, the Provider and any third parties present.

The keeper therefore remains responsible if:

  • They refuse to apply the instructions given by the Provider.
  • They use unsuitable equipment when the Provider recommended specific equipment.
  • They do not apply the instructions correctly (e.g. holding a dog by the collar when a muzzle was advised).
5.8.3 Procedures required by law

For veterinary procedures required by law (e.g. prophylaxis, rabies vaccination), the owner or keeper is responsible for restraint, unless the veterinarian imposes specific measures.

5.8.4 Care in the owner's absence

If care is given in the absence of the owner or keeper of the animal (e.g. hospitalisation, post-operative care, prolonged treatment), the Provider assumes full responsibility for restraining and handling the animal throughout the care, within the limits of its best-efforts obligation.

  • The Provider uses its own restraint equipment or, where applicable, the equipment left by the owner.
  • If the equipment is supplied by the Provider, it is responsible for its quality and suitability for the animal.
  • If the equipment is supplied by the owner, the Provider checks its condition and suitability before use, but responsibility for wear or defects remains with the owner.
  • In an unforeseen or emergency situation, the Provider takes the measures it considers necessary to ensure the animal's welfare, even in the owner's absence.
  • The Provider is not liable for accidents or injuries caused by the animal to itself, other animals, the care staff or third parties if they result from unpredictable behaviour of the animal or an exceptional reaction to a treatment (e.g. allergic reaction, sudden panic).
  • The owner remains responsible if the animal presents a particular risk that was not reported (e.g. extreme aggressiveness, tendency to escape), unless the Provider was informed of these specific behaviours in writing.

Article 6 – Liability of the person requesting the care

The client undertakes to provide complete and accurate information on the animal's state of health and medical history. The Provider reserves the right to refuse to take on a case if the conditions of safety and welfare of the animal are not met or if the client's behaviour (aggressiveness, disrespect, threats) jeopardises the proper course of the care.

6.1 Authority

Anyone who requests a service or signs a document for an animal, material or biological material declares that they are its owner or act with the owner's consent. They guarantee their authority; the Provider does not have to check it but may ask for proof.

6.2 Guarantee for others

If they are not the sole owner, they guarantee the consent of every other owner, co-owner or partner (porte-fort). If one of them objects, they are personally liable to the Provider for the consequences.

6.3 Costs and third-party claims

They are personally liable for payment of the services requested, jointly and severally with the owner and, where applicable, with the company to which the invoice is addressed at their request. They indemnify the Provider against any claim by the owner or a third party.

Article 7 – Specific terms of the services

7.1 Boarding of animals and items entrusted
7.1.1 General boarding conditions

The Provider may board an animal in facilities suitable for care. The Provider's liability is limited to damage attributable to its proven fault and capped at the insured amounts.

The boarding conditions and hygiene measures applied vary according to the type of boarding and follow the usual practices of the sector (in particular as regards the frequency of cleaning and disinfection of the facilities, the supervision and care provided, and the comfort and equipment of the boxes or cages).

The client acknowledges and accepts that the measures applied comply with the usual standards of the sector, adapted to the type of boarding and the daily rate charged.

7.1.2 Risks linked to grouping animals and to contagion

Grouping animals entails an increased risk of transmission of infectious diseases, even when the health protocols in force are followed. The Provider applies all hygiene and prevention measures in line with professional standards and the type of boarding to limit the risks of contagion.

However, the Provider cannot be held liable for contagious diseases contracted by an animal during its stay, unless a proven fault consisting of a manifest breach of hygiene rules is demonstrated.

The client undertakes to inform the Provider of any relevant medical history (e.g. vaccination status, previous illnesses) that may affect the risk of contagion.

The Provider reserves the right to refuse hospitalisation or to isolate an animal showing contagious symptoms, in order to protect the other animals present.

7.1.3 Items entrusted (material, equipment, biological products and various accessories)

When an item is entrusted to the Provider as part of the care or of an ancillary service, whether medical, breeding, transport, feeding or restraint equipment, accessories specific to the animal, biological samples (semen, embryos, oocytes, blood, tissue, etc.) or any other movable property, the following rules apply:

  • A written declaration of value must be made when the item is deposited.
  • Without a precise inventory and declaration of value, the item is deemed to have no value.
  • In the event of damage or loss, the Provider's liability is limited to the declared value and applies only in the event of proven fault.
  • For material or biological samples produced by the Provider (frozen semen, embryos, oocytes, blood samples, etc.), any compensation is limited to the production cost, excluding any speculative market value or loss of opportunity.
  • No compensation is granted for the indirect consequences of the loss or damage of the item, in particular financial losses linked to future use (breeding, competition, resale, etc.).
7.2 Embryo transfer and recipient mares
7.2.1 Choice of recipient mare

The embryo is transferred into a recipient mare belonging to the Provider or to a partner centre; in the latter case, the recipient mare is subject to the partner centre's own terms, which are given to the client before the transfer. The client may also ask for the embryo to be transferred into their own mare. If that mare is not synchronised with the donor, the client chooses between transferring into their mare anyway, accepting a higher risk of failure, giving up the flush, or transferring into a recipient mare of the Provider or of a partner centre. An embryo that the veterinarian considers unfit for transfer is not transferred.

7.2.2 Ownership and custody

Articles 7.2.2 to 7.2.6 concern the Provider's recipient mares. The recipient mare remains the property of the Provider in all circumstances. She is entrusted to the client from the forty-fifth day of pregnancy and, as soon as she leaves the centre, the client is responsible for her custody, keep, care and veterinary costs.

7.2.3 Use

Without the Provider's written consent, the client may not sell or transfer the recipient mare, have her covered or inseminated, or take her outside Belgium. If she is covered or inseminated despite this prohibition, the resulting costs and the Provider's loss of earnings are borne by the client.

7.2.4 Return

The client informs the Provider of the foal's date of birth. As weaning takes place at around six months of age, the recipient mare is returned to the centre no later than six months and two weeks after that date, unless a later return has been agreed in writing. After this deadline, she is deemed to have been acquired by the client, who owes the flat price of €4,000 excluding VAT.

7.2.5 Death, injury, abortion

If the recipient mare dies while entrusted to the client, the client pays the Provider a flat compensation of €1,500 excluding VAT, on presentation of a veterinary certificate. If she is injured, the client has her treated at their own expense; if she cannot be returned in good health, she is invoiced to the client at the price set in Article 7.2.4. In the event of abortion, the client informs the Provider without delay and has the foetus and its membranes examined; the recipient mare is returned no earlier than twenty-eight days after the abortion, a period that the centre's veterinarian may shorten when an infectious cause has been ruled out. The rental is not refunded in that case. The client may insure the recipient mare; if they do not, they bear these risks alone.

7.2.6 Foal

The foal becomes the property of the client once the client has paid all sums owed to the Provider, in particular for the transfer, the rental of the recipient mare and the boarding. Until then, the Provider may demand that the foal be handed over and may exercise the rights set out in Articles 8.4 and 8.5 in respect of it.

7.3 OPU-ICSI
7.3.1 Procedure

The puncture takes place at La Giguellerie, under sedation, after a clinical examination of the mare by the centre's veterinarian. The oocytes are searched for on site within the hour, then taken the same day to a partner laboratory in the European Union, which carries out maturation, ICSI and culture. Embryos that reach the blastocyst stage are frozen and then brought back to La Giguellerie. A new puncture is possible every three to four weeks. A session may be postponed or suspended if the mare's interest requires it.

7.3.2 Semen

One session uses the semen of a single stallion for all the oocytes. Two or three stallions are possible only if the number of oocytes allows it, at an extra charge. The unused part of a straw remains the property of its holder. The transport of semen brought by the client is at the client's expense and risk. The documents required by the studbook for the registration of the offspring are the client's sole responsibility.

7.3.3 Risks and consent

Oocyte puncture is generally well tolerated but carries specific risks: haemorrhage, ovarian abscess, infection of the genital tract or peritonitis; rectal injury or tear; colic; reaction to sedatives or medicines, ataxia that may lead to a fall; fever and discomfort in the following days, then requiring treatment; exceptionally, lasting impairment of sporting or breeding ability, or even death of the mare. The number of oocytes and embryos varies greatly from one mare and one session to another; a session may produce no embryo, and a frozen embryo does not guarantee a pregnancy. By accepting these terms, the client consents to these risks for each session requested. If the mare is insured, the client informs the insurer: some policies exclude assisted reproduction procedures.

7.3.4 Ownership, storage and release of embryos

The embryos belong to the owner of the mare on the day of the puncture; the sale of the mare does not include the embryos. They are stored in liquid nitrogen at La Giguellerie, at the storage rate in force from the first month, and are released after payment in full. Their transport from the centre is at the client's risk. If storage fees remain unpaid for twelve months, a formal notice is sent to the client; without payment or collection within sixty days, the embryos are deemed abandoned.

7.3.5 Prices

The OPU-ICSI package includes the puncture, the search for oocytes, their transport, maturation, ICSI and culture. Medicines, analyses and certificates, the freezing of each embryo, the semen, boarding and storage are added. The package pays for the procedure, not its result: it is due even if no embryo is obtained.

7.3.6 Liability

The centre is bound by a best-efforts obligation. In the event of loss of oocytes or embryos through its fault, at whatever stage, compensation is limited to their production cost; indirect damage (loss of opportunity, loss of earnings, breeding losses) is excluded, within the mandatory limits of the law.

7.4 Stallion services
7.4.1 Use in Belgium

The stallion is tested for contagious equine metritis (CEM) and equine infectious anaemia (EIA). These tests are valid only if he has not covered by natural service during the thirty days before the samples are taken. He may go home between collections, provided he does not cover by natural service during the whole collection period.

7.4.2 Use in another country of the European Union

For fresh or chilled semen (programmes A and B), the stallion stays at the centre for at least thirty days before the first collection, then throughout the collection period, kept apart from equines of lower health status. He is also tested for equine viral arteritis (EVA), and metritis is tested for twice, at least seven days apart. If he must leave the centre during the season, for less than fourteen days and under the responsibility of the centre's veterinarian, the tests are repeated throughout the collection period. For frozen semen, programme C requires no stay at the centre: the stallion is tested before the first collection, then again on samples taken between 14 and 90 days after the collection; each batch remains at the centre until these results are known. A collection intended for the European Union must therefore be planned several weeks in advance.

7.4.3 Third countries

The requirements depend on the country of destination; they are defined with the centre before the first collection, case by case.

7.4.4 Tests and shipping

The tests are paid for by the stallion's owner. Tests carried out by the attending veterinarian are under the full responsibility of the applicant: the centre cannot be held liable for an omission or an incident linked to the planning or validity of tests carried out outside its premises. Tests carried out at the centre lengthen the stallion's stay. If the stallion leaves the centre before the exit tests or before their results, it is up to the owner to have them carried out on time. No semen is shipped before the results are known.

7.4.5 Declarations

An inaccurate declaration is not limited to the downgrading or destruction of the semen. It may lead to the recall of doses already delivered, the tracing of the inseminated mares, the blocking of the whole centre and measures by the FASFC (Belgian food safety agency). The consequences and costs are borne by the signatory.

7.4.6 Freezing: straws and doses

The 0.5 mL straw is the packaging unit; a dose corresponds to the number of straws planned for one insemination. The number of straws per dose is set by the centre's veterinarian based on the post-thaw check (progressive motility, concentration, overall quality). If quality is lower, it may be necessary to increase the number of straws per dose, and therefore to reassess the number of ejaculates required to reach the requested target.

7.4.7 Risks and consent

Collection, analysis, packaging, freezing, storage and release of semen involve biological, technical, health and regulatory uncertainties: variation in quality between samples and between stallions, failed collection, contamination, insufficient post-thaw survival, deterioration during transport, possible absence of pregnancy. Handling, care, examinations and boarding also expose the stallion to physical risks (stress, injuries, reactions, restraint incidents) that may lead to serious complications, even death, or to a loss of value. Services may be delayed, limited or made impossible by the stallion's behaviour or state of health, by administrative or regulatory constraints, or by force majeure. By accepting these terms, the client consents to these risks for each request they sign.

7.4.8 Liability

The centre is bound by an obligation of means, not of result. Its liability can only be engaged in the event of proven fault, within the limits and ceilings set out in these general terms; indirect damage (loss of opportunity, loss of earnings, breeding or trading losses) is excluded and, for semen, any compensation is limited to its production cost.

7.4.9 Epididymal semen

After castration or death, the semen is extracted from the epididymides. The result depends on the time and temperature of the transport of the testicles, which the client organises according to the instructions published on the website; the centre guarantees neither a number of straws nor a quality. The possible health status depends on the tests that can be carried out on the stallion: use in another country of the European Union is only possible after castration; the centre confirms this case by case. Whatever the use, including in Belgium, the veterinarian who removes the testicles takes, at the latest at that time, a blood sample (equine infectious anaemia) and three swabs for contagious equine metritis (sheath, urethra, fossa glandis), sent with the testicles. For another country of the European Union, testing for equine viral arteritis is added and, before any release, a new series of tests on samples taken between 14 and 90 days after the removal of the testicles (Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/686, Annex II, Part 4, Chapter I). Outside the Union, the requirements of the country of destination are agreed with the centre before the removal. Without these analyses, the semen cannot be released for the intended use.

7.5 Semen storage and shipping
7.5.1 Storage

Frozen semen is stored in liquid nitrogen according to the centre's procedures; its quality, and where applicable its status, depend on the cold chain being maintained without interruption. Storage is free during the year of production; afterwards, unless otherwise agreed, the client joins the standard storage contract, whose terms and prices are published on the website. The Provider stores free of charge, for a short period, the semen that a client brings for the insemination of their mare.

7.5.2 Shipping request

Straws leave the centre only on a shipping request signed by their owner, for each shipment. If the recipient has not accepted these terms, the owner requesting the shipment is answerable for the recipient to the Provider and guarantees that the recipient will comply with them.

7.5.3 Payment

Shipping costs (transport, container, certificates) are paid in advance by the recipient. The owner of the straws who requests the shipment is jointly and severally liable for them: if the recipient does not pay, the owner pays, whether the semen has already left or the shipment has been cancelled. The fact that the Provider shipped the semen before payment does not release the owner from this obligation. The owner may also pay these costs directly, in particular for an urgent shipment.

7.5.4 Lead times and certificates

A shipment is prepared several days in advance. The container must be cooled with liquid nitrogen before departure, and carriers hardly handle shipments abroad at weekends and on public holidays. Any shipment to another Member State of the European Union is accompanied by an intra-Community health certificate, and any shipment outside the Union by an export certificate. These certificates are drawn up by the centre's veterinarian and then validated by the FASFC, which adds to the lead time. Their cost is part of the shipping costs referred to in Article 7.5.3, including when the shipment is cancelled after they have been issued.

7.5.5 Collection and transport

The semen is handed over at the centre, by appointment, to the recipient, the owner, their representative or a carrier. The centre may organise the transport and provide a container. Transport is at the risk of the recipient and, failing that, of the owner, even when it is organised by the centre or entrusted to a carrier it recommends; the Provider is not liable for delivery incidents. Semen that leaves the regulated channel loses its health status, and the Provider declines all liability for it once it has left its premises.

7.5.6 Container

The recipient returns the container without delay and in good condition. If it is not returned or is damaged, the carrier is liable; failing that, the recipient; as a last resort, the owner of the straws.

7.5.7 Straws released to a breeder

Straws released to a breeder leave the commercial channel for good: they can no longer be resold, transferred or returned to a collection or storage centre.

Article 8 – Payments and guarantees

8.1 Payment terms

Services must be paid in cash, unless otherwise agreed. Deferred payment may be granted to professional clients under contract, subject to express acceptance.

Accepted means of payment are:

  • Cash
  • Bank card
  • Bank transfer

Payments by cheque are not accepted.

8.2 Late-payment charges and disputes over invoices

All invoices are payable on their due date. In the event of non-payment, a first free reminder is sent, in accordance with Belgian law.

From the date of this first reminder, the client has 14 calendar days to pay the sums due without additional costs or late-payment interest. If payment is not made within this period, the unpaid amounts are increased by:

  • Annual interest of 12%, running from the day after the date of the first reminder.
  • A flat-rate indemnity, calculated as follows:
    • Amount ≤ €150.00: €20.00
    • Amount between €150.01 and €500.00: €30.00 + 10% of the amount due on the portion above €150.00
    • Amount > €500.00: €65.00 + 5% of the amount due on the portion above €500.00, up to a maximum of €2,000.00

For reminders sent by registered letter, postage costs are added, calculated on the basis of the rates in force on the date of sending.

If recovery requires several reminders or the intervention of a third party (collection agency or bailiff), additional administrative costs may be charged, covering the actual recovery costs incurred.

For professionals, specific late-payment charges may apply, in accordance with the Belgian Act of 2 August 2002 on combating late payment in commercial transactions, which allows a higher rate than the statutory rate for consumers.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, statutory penalties apply automatically and without prior formal notice.

Any invoice not disputed by registered letter within 8 days is deemed accepted without reservation.

8.3 Payment in instalments – terms and conditions

The Provider may, exceptionally and at its sole discretion, grant the client payment in instalments, subject to a prior written agreement setting out the payment terms.

A payment schedule is then drawn up, and the client must provide proof of a standing order or automatic payment covering the amounts due.

Administrative fees may be added for managing the instalment payment; their amount is specified in the written agreement.

Any failure to pay an agreed instalment makes the entire remaining balance immediately due, together with the late-payment charges set out in Article 8.2.

This payment facility is a privilege granted by the Provider, not a right of the client. The Provider reserves the right to refuse or attach conditions to payment in instalments, in particular in the event of previous non-payment or financial risk.

8.4 Right of retention and related costs

In the event of non-payment after an unsuccessful formal notice, the Provider may retain the animal, the material or any other property of the client until full payment of the sums due.

All retention costs, including the keep of the animal, the storage of the material and the necessary care, remain payable by the client.

If the client wishes to recover a retained item, they must pay all sums due as well as the costs incurred.

8.5 Sale of retained goods in the event of non-payment

If the debt remains unpaid after a final notice sent by registered letter, the Provider is authorised to sell the retained goods to cover the sums due. In the case of the sale of an animal, the client is given an additional period of 30 days after notification to settle the matter before any sale.

The proceeds of the sale are applied to the payment of the sums due and of any keep, maintenance, procedure and sale costs.

The client waives any dispute over the sale price. The sale is made at market price or according to the constraints of resale, without any possibility of appeal.

8.6 Destruction of material in the event of non-payment

If the storage of an item entrusted generates costs disproportionate to its resale value or to the client's debt, the Provider may destroy it after an unsuccessful formal notice.

This destruction does not release the client from the obligation to pay, and the client remains liable for the sums due.

A final notice is sent by registered letter, allowing 15 days after the formal notice for items requiring specific storage (e.g. storage in liquid nitrogen) and 30 days for other items, so that the client can settle the matter or collect the item at their own expense. Storage costs incurred up to the date of destruction remain payable by the client.

8.7 Client's responsibility regarding ownership of items entrusted

The client certifies that they own the animals or material entrusted to the Provider, or hold an exclusive right of use allowing them to authorise the care and any decision regarding these items.

In the event of co-ownership, lease, pledge or any other restriction on the full enjoyment of the item entrusted, the client undertakes to inform the Provider immediately, when the animal or material is deposited, and in writing.

The absence of written information from the client constitutes acknowledgement that the item is free of any encumbrance and may be retained, sold or destroyed in the event of non-payment.

The Provider cannot be held liable in the event of a dispute over ownership by a third party.

If a third party claims ownership of an item put up for sale or destroyed for non-payment, the client alone remains responsible for all legal and financial consequences.

8.8 Retention of title and transfer of risk

All products supplied (medicines, specific feed, equipment, medical devices, etc.) remain the property of the Provider until full payment of the sums due, except products subject to health regulations or strict traceability.

For medicines, vaccines and other animal health products, the sale is final on delivery, and these products cannot be taken back, exchanged or recovered in the event of non-payment. The client remains liable for full payment, even if they are not used.

For products not subject to these restrictions (medical material, breeding accessories, miscellaneous equipment), the Provider may exercise a right of retention until full payment of the sums due.

The risk passes to the client upon handover of the products or material, whether handed over in person, by delivery or by any other means.

8.9 Suspension of services in the event of non-payment

In the event of late payment or non-payment of an invoice that has fallen due, the Provider reserves the right to suspend any new service or supply, whether linked to the current contract or to previous or future contracts.

This suspension takes effect without notice and without the client being able to claim any compensation, until the sums due have been settled in full.

The Provider also reserves the right to require advance payment or additional guarantees before resuming services.

Article 9 – Data archiving and protection of information

Client data and contracts are archived securely, in accordance with the data protection regulations in force (GDPR).

The client may request access to their data by simple written request.

9.1 Data retention period

Personal data are kept for 10 years after the last service, unless a legal obligation requires longer retention (for example, veterinary medical records).

9.2 Rights of the client

The client has the following rights regarding their personal data:

  • Right of access: the client may request a copy of the data concerning them.
  • Right to rectification: in case of error, the client may ask for their data to be corrected.
  • Right to erasure (right to be forgotten): the client may ask for their data to be deleted, unless retention is required by law.
  • Right to data portability: the client may ask for their data to be transferred to another provider.
9.3 Right to lodge a complaint

In the event of a dispute or question about the processing of their data, the client may contact the Provider at its contact address.

The client also has the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Authority (DPA) in Belgium.

9.4 Archiving of electronic communications

Exchanges with the client, including e-mails, text messages and instant messages, may be archived for the follow-up of services and as contractual evidence.

These communications may be used as evidence in the event of a dispute.

By requesting the Provider's services, the client accepts that these exchanges may be kept in accordance with the rules of confidentiality and data protection.

Article 10 – Severability

If any provision of these GTC is held to be void or unenforceable, this will not affect the validity of the other provisions, which will remain in full force.

Article 11 – Applicable law and jurisdiction

In the event of a dispute, the parties undertake to seek an amicable solution before any legal action. Failing agreement within 30 days of written notification of the dispute, the dispute will be brought before the competent courts of the Provider's registered office.

These GTC are governed by Belgian law. Any dispute relating to their application or interpretation will be brought before the courts of the district of the Provider's registered office.