General Terms and Conditions of Purchase by Polytechnik Luft- und Feuerungstechnik GmbH
Status: June 2024
1. Applicability
Unless otherwise expressly agreed, all orders placed by Polytechnik Luft- und Feuerungstechnik GmbH (referred to as “Client/AG” or “we/us”) shall be subject to the following Terms and Conditions, which were provided to the Contractor no later than the time of order placement. Any deviations from these Terms and Conditions shall only apply if they are accepted by us in writing. Silence as acceptance of documents submitted by the Contractor, such as order confirmation, invoice or other correspondence, which represent a change to these Terms and Conditions of purchase, is expressly excluded. The Contractors fully and unconditionally accept these terms and conditions upon delivery/fulfilment.
2. Scope of Supply and Services
The deliveries and services to be provided by the Contractor shall be complete and performed in a manner that aligns with the current technological state of the art and advancements at the time of the order. These deliveries must be equivalent to new, uphold the quality specified in the order and adhere to all relevant legal and regulatory requirements, including all relevant ordinances, technical standards and professional association regulations applicable within the European Union, Austria and at the location of fulfilment.
The scope of delivery and services includes all customary industry-standard ancillary services and other parts/materials which are necessary to ensure the quality promised, in particularly in ensuring the performance of the ordered item, even if such delivery parts and ancillary services are not expressly specified.
Any deviations from the agreed quantities, whether over or under deliveries, shall only be accepted with our express prior written consent.
3. Pricing
All prices are fixed as all-inclusive prices according to Incoterms 2020, DDP place of fulfilment and include all ancillary services and expenses such as transport, unloading and necessary packaging. The return of packaging material, packaging layers and transport accessories shall be at the expense of the Contractor, whereby the principles of sustainability and economic efficiency must be observed.
4. Delivery
A delivery note must be enclosed with each consignment and a clear reference to the delivery item must be included in the shipping documents to ensure the proper identification of the shipment upon arrival at the destination, in any case always the order number.
Contractors shall be liable for all costs associated with the failure to provide or improper issuance of proof of origin certificates and non-compliance with shipping regulations, including customs duties, demurrage charges, transfer fees, etc.
5. Place of Fulfilment
The delivery or service shall be fulfilled at the destination specified in our order. Per Incoterms 2020, DDP, the Contractor shall bear the risk until the goods are taken over (after unloading, placement on the foundation, completion of assembly, etc.). The address listed in the order is pertinent for documentation and payment purposes.
For final assembly inspection, commissioning and warranty fulfilment, the place where the delivered item was installed, or the service was provided is relevant.
6. Hazardous Goods
The Contractor is responsible for ensuring that all goods delivered under this order comply with the applicable international hazardous goods regulations. By accepting this order, the Contractor assumes liability for adhering to these regulations and bears the legal consequences resulting from non-compliance with these regulations. For any hazardous goods delivered under this order, contractors must provide us with the corresponding company-issued hazardous goods certificate, irrespective of the agreed delivery conditions. This certificate must be provided without request and in a timely manner before dispatch. An authorised duplicate of the certificate must also accompany the shipped goods.
The Contractor guarantees that the deliveries to be made on the basis of the order are compliant with RoHS (Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment) – and thus comply with the limit values existing at the time of delivery in connection with the RoHS Directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (EU Directive in the version valid at the time of conclusion of the contract). Should any deliveries fail to meet RoHS standards, the Contractor shall compensate Polytechnik for all damages resulting from the deliveries, irrespective of any warranty claims.
If the Contractor delivers products containing components on the “List of Declarable Substances” (available at www.bomcheck.net/suppliers/restricted-and-declarable-substances-list) currently valid at the time of the order or which are subject to substance restrictions and/or substance information obligations under laws (e.g.,REACH, RoHS), the Contractor must provide the corresponding information in writing either in the offer or the order confirmation.
In addition, the Contractor may declare these substances in the BOMcheck Internet database no later than at the time of the first product delivery, including the information required there. The above shall only apply regarding laws insofar as these are applicable at the place of business of the Contractor or the Customer or at the destination specified by the Customer.
7. Offers, Order and Order Acceptance
Offers from the Contractor are always provided to us at no charge. We will only consider our own order texts for transactions. Our orders become binding only when issued in writing or via email; verbal or telephone orders require subsequent written confirmation to be legally binding.
The Contractor must acknowledge acceptance of the order within a timeframe suitable to the order’s scale, but not later than 8 days from the date of the order. This is done by signing and returning a copy of our order, regardless of the scope of the order.
If we do not receive an order confirmation or written objection within this period, we shall consider the order fully accepted by the Contractor, with binding effect.
Any deviations from our order are valid only if expressly approved by us in writing.
Deviating terms of delivery of the Contractor shall only be binding on us if they have been acknowledged by us in writing in advance.
The Contractor is obligated to check any drawings, specifications, samples and other documents provided in connection with our order for accuracy and conformity. Should the Contractor fail to fulfil this duty or in the event of a breach of this obligation by the Contractor, the Contractor shall bear their own losses, costs and all expenses incurred as a result.
8. Invoicing and Payment
Invoices for each order must be mailed to our company address, including the order number, upon complete delivery or fulfilment of the services. The agreed term of payment shall commence on the date of receipt of the contractually compliant invoice after complete fulfilment. The Contractors further acknowledge that incorrectly issued and/or incomplete shipping documents and/or certificates and/or documentation will result in a deferment of payment; the Contractors shall bear any associated transfer fees.
If goods are delivered prior to the agreed dates without our written consent, payment terms will commence only from the contractually agreed date.
Payment shall be made after the goods are received in accordance with the Contract and upon receipt of the proper and verifiable invoice. Unless otherwise agreed, payments are due within 30 days with 3% or 60 days with a 2% discount or net 90 days, via bank transfer.
In the event of a defect, we are entitled to defer payment until the defect has been properly remedied.
9. Delivery Date
Unless otherwise expressly agreed, all delivery dates stated in the order are to be understood as set dates, so it is expressly agreed that we reserve the right to withdraw from the Contract without setting a grace period if the Contractor fails to deliver on the agreed date. The Contractor shall be notified of this cancellation within three working days.
If this notification is not made within the above-mentioned period, a reasonable grace period will automatically be established, which shall not exceed 14 days.
If we do not exercise our right of cancellation, this shall in no way absolve the Contractors from their delivery and performance obligations, nor shall it limit or waive our right to claim damages.
In the event that it becomes apparent prior to the agreed delivery date that the Contractor will not be able to properly fulfil the order and/or on time, we shall be entitled to carry out these deliveries/services ourselves or have them carried out by third parties, whereby the additional costs incurred by us shall be borne by the Contractor.
The Contractors shall inform us immediately of all circumstances that jeopardise the timely fulfilment of their contractual delivery or performance obligations (deadline warning), failing which they shall be liable for any resulting damages. In the event of any postponements, the Contractor must store the goods at no cost to us. In the event that obligations arise for us from the order in place, the Contractor shall ensure the fulfilment of this obligation in a verifiable and timely manner. If this is not done, the Contractor may not invoke non-compliance with these obligations in the event of default.
10. Delivery/ Provision of Spare Parts
The Contractor agrees to supply spare parts for the products delivered for at least 10 years after delivery.
Should the Contractor decide to discontinue the production of spare parts within this 10-year period, we must be notified in writing immediately after the decision, with a minimum notice of six months before ceasing production.
11. Penalty
Should the contractor fail to meet agreed delivery dates, we reserve the right to impose a default penalty of 1% of the order value per commenced week of delay, up to a maximum of 10%, directly deductible from the Contractor’s invoice without the need to prove damages.
The deduction of a default penalty does not release the contractors from their obligation to deliver and/or perform, nor does it exclude claims for damages over and above the penalty claim.
12. Acceptance of Goods / Transfer of Risk
Goods acceptance and risk transfer will only occur after the goods are used as intended, but no later than 24 months after delivery. The Contractors waive their right to immediate inspection and cannot claim delayed defect notification as a defence. Our payment shall not imply unconditional acceptance of goods and/or services.
Risk transfer shall only pass to us upon proper acceptance at the specified place of fulfilment.
13. Warranty
The Contractors guarantee and warrant that their products will be usable as intended, of flawless quality and possess the characteristics promised for a period of 24 months from intended use but no longer than 36 months from delivery.
The Contractors are obligated to remedy any defects that occur within this period immediately at their own expense and compensate for any damage associated with the defect, including the costs of assessing the defect or damage.
The place of fulfilment for defect rectification under this warranty will be determined by our requirements. Further statutory provisions shall remain unaffected by this provision. If the Contractor fails to fulfil their warranty obligations immediately upon request, or in cases of minor defects or urgent situations, we are entitled to remedy the defect ourselves or, if this is not possible, have it remedied by a third party at the Contractor’s expense without further request. If this is not possible, we are entitled to procure a replacement elsewhere if necessary.
We reserve the right to assert the statutory right to cancel the contract or to seek a price reduction. The contractor shall compensate us for any damage caused by defective deliveries.
If we face liability as the end-product manufacturer due to defects in the parts or materials supplied by the Contractor, the Contractor must indemnify us from such liability and provide full recourse, regardless of the Contractor’s own liability.
14. Non-Assignment
Rights and obligations arising from the supply contract cannot be transferred to third parties without our explicit written consent. Any unapproved assignment or subcontracting will not be legally recognised and will have no legal effect vis à vis third parties.
15. Confidentiality
All materials such as documents, drawings and calculations provided for the preparation of quotations or fulfilment of orders remain the exclusive property of Polytechnik and cannot be disclosed to third parties without consent. These materials must be kept confidential and used solely for the intended purposes.
All information concerning the order must be treated as confidential and must not be disclosed without authorisation. We reserve the right to take further legal action in the event of non-compliance. The confidentiality obligation shall remain in force without restriction in terms of time and content even after termination of the contract.
16. Reservation of Ownership
Delivered items shall become our property at the latest upon processing or treatment. Extended or expanded reservations of title (ownership-reservations) shall not be recognised.
17. Offsetting Payments
We reserve the right to offset any payments due to the contractors at any time against claims by us or companies affiliated with us (group companies, subsidiaries, parent companies or sister companies) against the contractors, regardless of whether these payments are due or not or from other business relationships. In the event of offsetting against claims that are not yet due, standard bank interim interest shall be taken into account.
18. Product Liability / Quality Assurance
The Contractor and their legal successors are responsible for monitoring the product and informing us immediately if any hazardous properties become apparent after delivery or commissioning.
If a third party (e.g., a customer) brings a claim against us, the Contractor is obliged to indemnify and hold us harmless. The Contractor must ensure adequate coverage for potential liabilities through insurance or other suitable means.
The Contractor shall carry out a quality assurance system appropriate in scope and type and provide proof upon request. If the Contractor lacks a quality assurance system (e.g., ISO 9001), they shall be obliged to inform us prior to the conclusion of a contractual relationship. In this case, we are authorised to specify the minimum requirements for the Contractor’s internal quality assurance system.
19. Retention / Material provided
Under no circumstances shall the Contractors be authorised to delay and/or withhold their services for any reason whatsoever. Likewise, they shall have no right to retain any objects or materials provided by us.
All material we provide shall remain our property and may only be used to fulfil our order. The Contractor shall be liable for any reduction in value or loss regardless of fault.
We shall acquire co-ownership of any items produced using our provided materials in proportion to the material provided.
20. Intellectual Property Rights
The Contractor asserts that the deliveries and services rendered under this order do not violate any third-party industrial property rights.
If claims are made against us for any infringement of such rights related to this order, the Contractor will indemnify and hold us harmless.
21. Compliance, Social Responsibility and Environmental Protection
The Contractor commits to neither offer, request nor accept any undue advantages within the business relationship with us, neither in business dealings nor in dealings with public officials that violate applicable anti-corruption regulations.
The Contractor undertakes not to enter into any agreements or concerted practices with other companies within the business relationship with us that have the purpose or effect of preventing, restricting or distorting competition in accordance with the applicable antitrust regulations.
The Contractor shall, therefore, expressly refrain from participating, either actively or passively, in any form of bribery, violation of the fundamental rights of its employees or child labour.
The Contractor warrants the payment of an appropriate wage and equal remuneration for work of equal value without distinction as well as compliance with the applicable laws governing the general minimum wage and shall oblige the subcontractors commissioned by it to the same extent. Proof of compliance must be provided upon request. In the event of a breach of the above undertaking to comply with the applicable laws governing the general minimum wage, the Contractor shall indemnify us against claims by third parties and shall be obliged to reimburse any fines imposed on us in this connection.
The Contractor shall comply with the applicable statutory regulations and ordinances regarding environmental protection, workplace health and safety, the treatment of employees and the protection of human rights.
They shall ensure the health and safety of their employees in the workplace, observe environmental protection laws and support and demand compliance with these standards among their contractors.
The provisions of the German Supply Chain Act and corresponding provisions under European law must also be complied with and proof of compliance must be provided upon request.
In order to minimise adverse impacts on people and the environment, the Contractor shall, in particular, establish an environmental management system in accordance with ISO 14001 or equivalent.
22. Force Majeure
War, riots, export restrictions or trade restrictions due to a change in political circumstances as well as strikes, lockouts, operational disruptions, operational restrictions and comparable events which make it impossible or unreasonable for the contracting parties to fulfil the Contract shall be deemed force majeure and shall release the contracting parties from their performance obligations.
The contracting parties are obligated to notify each other of such events and to adjust their obligations in good faith to reflect the changed circumstances.
If these events persist for a period of more than one month, we shall be entitled to withdraw from the Contract with immediate effect.
23. Place of Jurisdiction
Polytechnik shall be at liberty to decide on all disputes arising from this this contract or relating to its breach, cancellation or nullity
either to the ordinary court with local and subject-matter jurisdiction at the location of Polytechnik or at the place of fulfilment of the contract, or to have disputes decided in accordance with the Rules of Arbitration and Conciliation of the International Arbitral Centre of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber in Vienna. Proceedings must be conducted in German.
24. Applicable Law
Austrian substantive law shall apply, to the exclusion of the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods.