Terms of service

General Terms and Conditions (GTC) of aboutcontent GmbH for Training Services

Version: 30 March 2026

§ 1 Scope of Application and Entrepreneur Status

(1) These General Terms and Conditions (hereinafter "GTC") of aboutcontent GmbH, Europaplatz 2, 44269 Dortmund, Germany, registered in the commercial register of the Dortmund Local Court (Amtsgericht), HRB 30575 (hereinafter "Provider"), apply to all contracts for the performance of training services in the field of Google Cloud concluded via the Provider's online shop.

(2) The Provider's offering is directed exclusively at entrepreneurs within the meaning of Section 14 of the German Civil Code (BGB). An entrepreneur is a natural or legal person or a partnership with legal capacity that, when concluding a legal transaction, is acting in the exercise of its commercial or independent professional activity. By placing an order, the Customer confirms that it is acting as an entrepreneur and is acquiring the training places for business purposes.

(3) Consumers within the meaning of Section 13 BGB are excluded from using the online shop and from ordering training services. The Provider reserves the right to reject orders placed by consumers.

(4) The inclusion of any deviating, conflicting or supplementary general terms and conditions of the Customer is hereby objected to, unless the Provider expressly agrees to their application in text form.

(5) These GTC shall also apply to all future business relationships between the Provider and the Customer, insofar as they concern legal transactions of a related nature.

§ 2 Subject Matter of the Contract

(1) The subject matter of the contract is the performance of training services in the field of Google Cloud (hereinafter "Training" or "Courses"). The Trainings are delivered as virtual, instructor-led live sessions via Google Meet.

(2) The specific scope of services, the course content, the training period and the number of participants result from the respective service description in the Provider's online shop. The Customer acquires one or more participant places for a specific training event.

(3) Insofar as the respective course provides for this, participants additionally receive an invitation to practical exercises in the Google Cloud Skills Boost portal (hereinafter "Hands-on Labs"), which are worked on together with the trainer during the Training. Access to the Hands-on Labs exists exclusively for the duration of the respective training event, unless the service description provides otherwise.

(4) The Provider owes the proper performance of the Training by qualified trainers as well as the professional delivery of the course content agreed in the service description. A specific learning outcome or the passing of a certification examination is not owed.

(5) The Trainings constitute services within the meaning of Sections 611 et seq. BGB. They do not constitute the supply of goods or digital products.

§ 3 Conclusion of Contract

(1) The presentation of the Trainings in the Provider's online shop does not constitute a binding offer, but rather an invitation to the Customer to submit an offer (invitatio ad offerendum).

(2) By completing the order process in the online shop and clicking the button that finalises the order process, the Customer submits a binding contractual offer. Before submitting the order, the Customer has the opportunity to check and correct the information provided.

(3) The Provider will confirm receipt of the order without undue delay by means of an automated email (acknowledgement of receipt). This acknowledgement of receipt does not yet constitute acceptance of the contractual offer.

(4) The contract is concluded only upon the Provider's order confirmation in text form (e.g. email). The Provider will accept or reject the Customer's offer within five (5) business days of receipt.

(5) The contract text will be stored by the Provider following conclusion of the contract and transmitted to the Customer in text form together with the order confirmation.

(6) The language of the contract is German. Order processing and communication take place via email.

§ 4 Customer's Obligations and Cooperation

(1) The Customer is obliged to notify the Provider in text form of the full names and email addresses of all participants no later than five (5) business days before the start of the course, so that the Provider can send the calendar invitations and, where applicable, the access credentials for the Hands-on Labs in due time.

(2) The Customer ensures that the participants nominated by it have the technical equipment required to participate in the Training. This includes in particular:

  • an internet-enabled computer with an up-to-date web browser (Google Chrome recommended),
  • a stable internet connection with a download bandwidth of at least 10 Mbit/s,
  • a functioning microphone and camera,
  • a Google account for access to Google Meet and, where applicable, the Google Cloud Skills Boost portal.

(3) Disruptions attributable to inadequate technical equipment or internet connectivity on the part of the Customer or its participants shall not be to the detriment of the Provider and shall not give rise to any claims by the Customer.

(4) The Customer shall ensure that the email address provided at the time of ordering is correct and that emails sent by the Provider can be received. In particular, the Customer shall ensure that emails from the Provider are not blocked by spam filters.

§ 5 Performance of the Training

(1) The Trainings are held on the dates specified in the online shop as virtual live events via Google Meet. Participants will receive a calendar invitation with the access link by email in good time before the start of the course.

(2) The Provider reserves the right to replace the announced trainer with another trainer of equivalent qualification, provided that this is reasonable for the Customer and the quality of the Training is not impaired.

(3) The Provider is entitled to cancel a Training if the minimum number of participants is not reached or if good cause exists (e.g. illness of the trainer, technical disruptions of the training platform that are beyond the Provider's control). In this case, the Customer will be informed without undue delay and any fees already paid will be refunded in full. Any further claims by the Customer shall not arise in this case, unless the Provider is responsible for the cancellation through intent or gross negligence.

(4) The Provider is entitled to reschedule the training date for good cause. In this case, the Customer will be offered an alternative date. If the Customer is unable to attend the alternative date, it shall have the right to withdraw from the contract and to demand a full refund of the fees paid.

(5) The Provider shall endeavour to remedy disruptions to the technical infrastructure (Google Meet, Google Cloud Skills Boost portal) without undue delay. The Provider is not liable for the availability and functionality of the platforms operated by Google, as these are beyond the Provider's control.

§ 6 Prices and Payment Terms

(1) All prices stated in the online shop are net prices in euros and are exclusive of any applicable statutory value added tax (VAT), to the extent such tax is incurred.

(2) For Customers established in Germany, statutory VAT at the applicable rate will be shown on the invoice and added to the net price.

(3) For Customers established in another EU member state who hold a valid VAT identification number (VAT ID), the service is provided under the reverse charge procedure pursuant to Section 13b of the German VAT Act (UStG). The invoice will be issued without VAT and will contain a reference to the transfer of the tax liability to the recipient of the service. This is conditional upon the Customer providing a valid VAT ID when placing the order. The Provider is entitled to verify the VAT ID via the confirmation procedure of the German Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) or the European Commission's VIES system.

(4) Payment of the fee is generally to be made in advance by credit card or bank transfer. Payment is due upon receipt of the order confirmation and issuance of the invoice.

(5) Payment by invoice with a payment deadline is only possible following prior individual agreement in text form.

(6) The Customer is only entitled to set-off if its counterclaims have been legally established or are undisputed. The Customer is only entitled to exercise a right of retention to the extent that its counterclaim is based on the same contractual relationship.

(7) Payment processing via the payment service provider Stripe Payments Europe Ltd., 1 Grand Canal Street Lower, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin, Ireland (hereinafter "Stripe"), is carried out via "Shopify Payments". The available payment methods are displayed to the Customer during the order process. Further information is available at https://www.shopify.com/legal/terms-payments-de.

§ 7 Cancellation, Rebooking and Replacement Participants

(1) The Customer may cancel a booked Training by declaration in text form (email is sufficient) to the Provider. Receipt of the cancellation declaration by the Provider shall be decisive for the calculation of the cancellation deadline. The following cancellation fees apply:

  • Cancellation up to and including 14 calendar days before the course start: free of charge.
  • Cancellation 13 to 7 calendar days before the course start: 50% of the agreed net fee.
  • Cancellation less than 7 calendar days before the course start, or no-show: 90% of the agreed net fee.

(2) The Customer reserves the right to demonstrate that no damage or substantially less damage has been incurred by the Provider as a result of the cancellation than the lump sum stated above.

(3) Instead of cancelling, the Customer may at any time and free of charge nominate a replacement participant, provided that it notifies the Provider in text form at least two (2) business days before the start of the course and that the replacement participant meets the technical requirements set out in § 4 (2), where applicable.

(4) Rebooking to another training date is possible subject to availability. Rebooking is free of charge up to and including 14 calendar days before the original course start. Thereafter, the rebooking will be treated as a cancellation in accordance with paragraph (1), and the new date must be booked and paid for separately.

(5) The right of both contracting parties to extraordinary termination for good cause remains unaffected.

§ 8 Copyright and Rights of Use

(1) The materials, presentations, exercises and other documents used in the Trainings (hereinafter "Training Materials") are protected by copyright. The rights to the Training Materials belong to the Provider, to Google LLC or Google Ireland Limited, or to third-party licensors.

(2) The Customer and its participants do not acquire any ownership rights or any rights of use to the Training Materials going beyond participation in the Training. In particular, it is prohibited to:

  • reproduce, distribute or make publicly available the Training Materials in whole or in part,
  • edit, modify or otherwise reshape the Training Materials,
  • make audio or video recordings of the Training or parts thereof (recording prohibition),
  • take screenshots of the Training Materials or the training content and pass them on to third parties.

(3) Access to Hands-on Labs in the Google Cloud Skills Boost portal is subject to the respective terms of use of Google. The Provider does not assume any warranty for the availability or functionality of the platform provided by Google.

(4) Trademarks and logos of Google, Google Cloud and other companies mentioned in the Training Materials are the property of the respective rights holders and may not be used by the Customer without the separate consent of the respective rights holder.

§ 9 Liability

(1) The Provider shall be liable without limitation:

  • in cases of intent or gross negligence,
  • for damages arising from injury to life, body or health,
  • pursuant to the provisions of mandatory statutory liability.

(2) In the event of slightly negligent breach of duties whose fulfilment is essential for the proper performance of the contract and on whose compliance the Customer may regularly rely (material contractual duties), the Provider's liability is limited to foreseeable damage typical for the contract. Material contractual duties within the meaning of these GTC are in particular the obligation to perform the booked Training on the agreed date, the obligation to provide a qualified trainer, and the obligation to deliver the course content agreed in the service description.

(3) In all other respects, the Provider's liability for damage caused by slight negligence is excluded.

(4) The foregoing limitations of liability also apply for the benefit of the Provider's legal representatives, vicarious agents and employees.

(5) Insofar as the Provider's liability is excluded or limited in accordance with the foregoing paragraphs, this shall also apply to the personal liability of the Provider's corporate bodies, representatives, employees and other vicarious agents.

§ 10 Force Majeure

(1) Neither party shall be liable for non-performance or delayed performance of its contractual obligations insofar as the non-performance or delay is due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control (force majeure). This includes, in particular, natural disasters, pandemics, official orders, strikes, civil unrest, large-scale failures of the telecommunications infrastructure or of platforms operated by third parties (e.g. Google Meet, Google Cloud), and cyberattacks.

(2) The affected party shall inform the other party without undue delay of the occurrence and the expected duration of the impediment and shall use its best efforts to minimise the impact.

(3) If a case of force majeure lasts for more than thirty (30) calendar days, either party shall be entitled to terminate the affected contract by declaration in text form. Payments already made for Trainings not rendered will be refunded in full in such case.

§ 11 Confidentiality and Data Protection

(1) Both parties undertake to treat as confidential all confidential information of the other party obtained in connection with the initiation and performance of the contract, and to use such information only for the purposes of performing the contract.

(2) The processing of personal data of the Customer and its participants by the Provider is carried out in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG). Details of the data processing are set out in the Provider's privacy policy, available at https://about.training/policies/privacy-policy.

(3) The Customer acknowledges that, in connection with the performance of the Training, personal data of the participants (in particular name and email address) will be transmitted to Google Ireland Limited for the provision of the Google Meet and, where applicable, Google Cloud Skills Boost services. The legal basis for this is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (performance of a contract). The Customer ensures that it has an appropriate legal basis for the transfer of the personal data of its employees or participants to the Provider.

§ 12 Google Cloud – Specific Notices

(1) The Provider is an authorised training partner under the Google Cloud Partner Advantage Program. The Provider acts in its own name and for its own account. The Provider is not an agent, representative or vicarious agent of Google. Declarations made by the Provider are not made on behalf of, or in the name of, Google.

(2) The use of the Google Cloud Platform as well as of the Google Cloud Skills Boost exercises is subject to the respective applicable terms of use of Google (Google Cloud Terms of Service, available at https://cloud.google.com/terms). The Provider does not assume any liability for the availability, functionality or changes of the services and platforms operated by Google.

(3) Google, Google Cloud and associated logos are registered trademarks of Google LLC. All intellectual property rights in Google trademarks, products and materials remain with Google.

§ 13 Applicable Law and Place of Jurisdiction

(1) All legal relationships between the Provider and the Customer are governed by the law of the Federal Republic of Germany, excluding the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG).

(2) The exclusive place of jurisdiction for all disputes arising out of or in connection with the contractual relationship shall be the registered office of the Provider, provided that the Customer is a merchant within the meaning of the German Commercial Code, a legal entity under public law, or a special fund under public law. The Provider is additionally entitled to bring an action against the Customer at the Customer's general place of jurisdiction.

(3) For Customers established outside the Federal Republic of Germany, the jurisdiction agreement set out in paragraph (2) shall apply accordingly, provided that the contract is attributable to the commercial or independent professional activity of the Customer.

§ 14 Text Form and Communication

(1) Legally relevant declarations and notifications by the Customer in connection with the contract (e.g. cancellations, setting of deadlines, notices of defects) must be made in text form (Section 126b BGB). Email satisfies the text form requirement.

(2) Contract-relevant notifications from the Provider will be sent to the email address provided by the Customer at the time of ordering. The Customer is obliged to notify the Provider without undue delay of any changes to its contact details.

§ 15 Final Provisions

(1) Should individual provisions of these GTC be or become wholly or partly invalid or unenforceable, the validity of the remaining provisions shall not be affected thereby. The invalid or unenforceable provision shall be replaced by a valid and enforceable provision whose economic purpose corresponds as closely as possible to that of the invalid or unenforceable provision. The same applies to any gaps in these GTC.

(2) Amendments and supplements to these GTC must be made in text form. This also applies to the waiver of this text form requirement.

(3) The version of the GTC valid at the time of the order shall apply.

Note: This is an English translation of the German General Terms and Conditions, provided for information purposes only. In the event of any discrepancy between the German original and this English translation, the German version shall prevail. This GTC template has been drafted with due care on the basis of the current legal situation, but does not replace individual legal advice. It is recommended that the draft be reviewed by a lawyer specialising in e-commerce and IT law before use.