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Dedicated to Professionalism
We are a very dedicated, professional group of experienced teachers. We know that you will be satisfied by our courses. If you are concerned about joining one of our exciting English courses; however, please take a moment to read these Terms of Service, also referred to as “Agreement”.

“EFET.info” and “Experienced Foreign English Teachers” are referred to as “EFET” in this agreement. “Services” include all courses and related service offered on the EFET website and offered orally. Both students and those who have made payment for Services are referred to as “the Student” or “Students”.

Communication
If you need to communicate with your teacher, but need assistance in Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese), please contact service@efet.info first. (More contact methods here) We will help you to explain any unusual or difficult situations to your foreign teacher. We will also mediate conflicts and make a final decision.

Objectives
Every lesson starts with expected learning outcomes and objectives. Your teacher plans every class according to best practices and their own form of teaching methodology. See our examples of teaching methodology here. If you are in doubt of this, please contact EFET’s Director of Studies via email: ben[AT]efet.info. We will help to resolve issues or complaints as swiftly as possible.

Course Specific Terms
English Corner Buffet: Each lesson meeting is called a “session” and lasts for 60 minutes. Students may have a discussion during this time with other students or an EFET teacher. Foreign teachers are volunteers and are not paid for their time. Any payment for this service is ultimately paid to  Buduanwang (不断网) as a donation to their online learning operations. Learn more here.

Team Member courses: All courses, except premium courses, have their own Terms of Service. These terms are determined by the team members themselves and are not necessarily the same as the premium course terms below. Please check with your teacher’s website for specific terms that concern your course.

Premium Courses: Course-specific policies that are listed below only pertain to EFET Premium Courses, which are taught by Ben Piscopo, James Richmond, or Iva Ognjanovic. Team Member courses, listed under our Online Courses tab, might choose to use the same terms but are not required to do so. If there is a dispute about the terms of a team member’s course, please visit their own ToS page. For more information, please contact Director of Studies via email: ben[AT]efet.info to resolve your dispute with a member teacher. (More contact methods here)

—- EFET Premium Course Terms —-

“Your teacher” only refers to courses taught by: Ben Piscopo, James Richmond, or Iva Ognjanovic

Schedules
Students: Private courses are scheduled according to your availability. If you are unable to meet at a pre-arranged time, please contact your teacher immediately to reschedule. You will not be penalized for missing a lesson, unless you are in a group course which students have paid for separately. After a mixed group lesson is finished, there is no make-up lesson.

Non-private courses, which are considered “open courses”, are scheduled according to our teachers’ availability. In this case, students must make arrangements for attending our pre-scheduled class times. If students can not join the lessons at the scheduled time, there is no guarantee that the class can be rescheduled or “made up”. This is based on the agreement with the teacher of the course.

Teachers: At the same time, teachers are required to meet you during the scheduled times. Students must contact their teacher via email or phone call 4 hours before a lesson in order to postpone it; only the Director of Studies can make exceptions with your teacher’s consent. A different teacher may be assigned to teach your class if your current teacher is no longer part of the EFET team. The Director of Studies makes the final decision whether or not to change your teacher.

Duration, Payment, and Refunds
All courses: After tuition is paid, students must begin their class within 30 days or else forfeit the remaining tuition. Also, no entitlement to refund is possible if a student does not actively study with their teacher for 30 days. When a lesson package is completely finished, [8, 12, or 24 lessons] students must make payment for next lesson package before or within the last week of their final lesson.

Group Tuition: In classes of 2 or more students, no reduction in tuition price is allowed when a student leaves the group. Only after the term of payment [8, 12, or 24 lessons] has been completed can a reduction in tuition be made. (For example, a class of 3 students completes 5 out of 8 lessons in a 8-lesson package. Then, 1 student leaves the study group… No reimbursement is possible for that student during the last 3 lessons.)

Early Termination: You may cancel at any time. Refunds are only allowed after attending 2 lessons per lesson package payment. After attending 2 lessons, 80% of the remaining tuition is eligible for refund.
*If applicable, additional cost of bank transfer will be deducted on refunds.

Limitation of Liability
Neither party shall be liable to the other under this Agreement for any loss of business, contracts, profits, use, reputation.You agree not to sue EFET, the organization, nor its staff (the “EFET Team” and representatives) for any reason. EFET shall not be liable to you for any delay in or for failure to perform its obligations under this Agreement if that failure is caused by circumstances beyond EFET’s reasonable control; including, any act of God, failure or shortage of power supplies, flood, drought, lightening or fire, strike, lockout or labor dispute, the act or omission of government, Internet services providers, telecommunication operators, sub-contractors, or other third parties, war or military operations, or compliance with any court order.

This Agreement embodies the entire relationship between you and EFET, and supersedes all other agreements. Updates to this agreement will be made occasionally and an email will be sent to all Students who have made tuition payments and are on EFET’s “Current Students” email list.

LAST UPDATED: April 28, 2011