General terms and conditions

1. General clause

The translator's general terms and conditions take precedence over those of the client and, unless expressly agreed otherwise, the client waives his or her own conditions.

2. Completion time

The completion time agreed in writing with the client shall commence when the original text and the definitive order for the translation are received, including payment if an advance payment is specified in the special conditions agreed on.

3. Liability

a. Translator’s liability

The translator is not liable if a delay in performing the work is due to illness, accident, temporary inability to work or general force majeure. The translator must, however, notify the client of this within a reasonable period.

Further, the translator is not liable if the delay is the result of tardy delivery by third parties (courier services, post, etc.) or if the source text and/or the translation is damaged during shipment.

Nor shall the translator be responsible for the loss by third parties (post, courier services) of the source text or the translation.

The translator can accept no responsibility for defects in the text supplied by the client.

The translator accepts liability for the quality of the translation made insofar as it is used in its entirety and unchanged.

b. Client’s liability

Prior or during the execution of the agreement, the client shall provide the translator with all the information necessary for the proper performance of the requested services.

4. Complaints

On pain of invalidity, notification of any complaint must be sent by registered letter within eight (8) days of the day on which the translation is delivered.

Any invoice or fee note to which no objection has been made within eight (8) days shall be deemed to have been accepted. A complaint does not suspend the term of payment.

Complaints or disputes relating to alleged shortcomings in the translation, formulated within the period stipulated in this article, must be substantiated in detail using dictionaries, glossaries and similar textual material written by authoritative native speakers.

Groundless rejection of a translation does not constitute a reason for failure to pay the invoice or fee note.

If, after the translator has examined the complaint, a dispute regarding the quality of the translation cannot be resolved, the translator or the client may submit the dispute to the Arbitration Board of the Belgian Chamber of Translators and Interpreters (CBTI-BKVT). One of the two parties must be a member of the CBTI-BKVT. The Arbitration Board restricts its pronouncement to the conformity of the translation to the source text.

5. Order cancellation

In the event of a unilateral cancellation of the translation order by the client, compensation shall be payable by the client in proportion to the work already carried out, including prior terminological research. In addition, the translator is entitled to claim compensation for breach of contract equal to 20% of the amount agreed at the time of order (according to the quote, invoice or fee note).

6. Client’s capacity

The client is considered to act in the capacity of the author of the text to be translated and expressly authorises its translation in compliance with Article 12 of the Belgian law of 22 March 1986 on copyright.

7. Translation and copyright

The translator holds the copyright to the translated text. The text may not be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, or in any manner, even electronically, without the express prior written consent of the translator.

8. Order acceptance and confirmation

The client will enable the translator to assess the level of difficulty of the text to be translated.

Any telephone order accepted by the translator shall be immediately confirmed in writing by the translator. The written confirmation shall state the agreed price and delivery conditions.

A copy of the translator’s general terms and conditions will be sent with the written confirmation. The client shall indicate his acceptance of these terms and conditions by returning the signed order confirmation to the translator within 24 hours.

9. Payment

The translator's invoices or fee notes are payable immediately or on the due date indicated thereon, net and without a discount.

In the event of the client’s failure to pay all or part of the amount owed by the due date, the invoice shall be automatically subject, without notice, to interest at the reference rate plus 8 percentage points, rounded up to the next half-point, in addition to a flat-rate penalty of 15% of the balance due with a minimum of €65 or, for private clients, in accordance with the law of 23 May 2023 (€20 for amounts < €150, at least €30 for amounts between €150 and €500 and at least €65 for amounts > €500, in accordance with the legal provisions relating to the calculation of the maximum penalty clause). In any event, the interest payable may never be less than that provided for by the law on late payment in commercial transactions.

The place of payment is the translator's domicile (for sole trader businesses) or the registered office (for companies).

10. Competent court

In the event of non-payment of the translator's invoice or fee note, the court having jurisdiction is that of the translator's domicile (for sole trader businesses) or the registered office (for companies).

These general terms and conditions are governed by Belgian law to the exclusion of any other.

11. Mediation

If no amicable agreement can be reached between the translator and the client, either or both parties may lodge a complaint with the Arbitration Board of the Belgian Chamber of Translators and Interpreters. However, at least one of the parties must be a member of the association.

12. Professional confidentiality and code of conduct

The translator is bound by a secrecy obligation. This involves not disclosing the identity of the client, the content of the source text or the translation itself.

As a member of the CBTI-BKVT, the translator undertakes always to deliver quality work.

13. Fee structure

Translators and interpreters are free to set their own fees. The Belgian Chamber of Translators and Interpreters offers its members an example of how prices can be calculated to enable them to reach a certain level of income.

It should be noted, however, that the minimum rate may be increased in the case of urgent work, evening work, weekend or night work, or when the task requires the translator to perform substantial terminology research. In such cases, the translator shall explicitly mention the extra charge in the order confirmation sent to the client.