1. Seller identification
These terms and conditions of sale apply to sales concluded on the website Aerogel-Shop.com between VIRTUAVIA SARL, SARL with a share capital of 50 000 €, 2 rue Marcel Benoit, 38000 Grenoble, France, RCS Grenoble 428 797 450, VAT FR90428797450, phone +33 4 58 00 15 74, e-mail contact@virtuavia.com (the “Seller”) and any person making a purchase (the “Customer”).
2. Scope
These terms apply to consumers as well as to business customers and institutions. Provisions specific to consumers are expressly indicated. Any order implies full acceptance of the terms in force on the day of the order, which the Customer acknowledges having read before confirming the purchase. In the event of translation, only the French version is legally binding.
3. Products
The products offered are pieces of silica aerogel packed in jars. Their essential characteristics (volume, jar dimensions, nature of the material) are presented on each product page. As aerogel is sold as natural fragments, the shape, size and number of pieces vary from one jar to another: the quantity sold corresponds to the jar volume. Photographs are as faithful as possible but are not contractual as to the exact shape of the pieces.
Aerogel is a light and fragile material. The Customer undertakes to follow the handling advice given on the website: handle gently, keep away from water and humidity, gloves recommended, do not swallow, keep out of reach of young children. The products are intended for observation, teaching, experimentation and collecting; they are not toys.
4. Prices
Prices are shown in euros including all taxes (incl. VAT), French VAT at 20% included, excluding shipping costs. Shipping costs, a flat rate per order depending on the delivery country, are shown before payment is confirmed (see shipping and delivery).
- Delivery in France, Monaco and the European Union to a consumer: price including French VAT.
- Delivery to another EU Member State to a business holding a valid EU VAT number: invoiced excluding VAT (reverse charge).
- Delivery outside the European Union: invoiced excluding VAT (export); any customs duties, import taxes and clearance fees are payable by the recipient.
The applicable price is the one displayed when the order is confirmed. The Seller reserves the right to change its prices at any time.
5. Ordering
The Customer adds products to the cart, enters their details and delivery address, checks the summary and confirms the order by paying. The order is final once payment is confirmed; a confirmation e-mail summarising the order is then sent to the Customer. The maximum quantity per product per online order is 30 jars; beyond that, the Customer may request a quote via the contact form.
The Seller reserves the right to refuse or cancel any order in the event of suspected fraud, a previous dispute, an obvious pricing error or product unavailability; the Customer is then refunded in full.
6. Payment
Payment is due at the time of order. It is made online securely via our provider Stripe (credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and other methods offered at payment). Card details are encrypted and never pass through the Seller’s servers. See the secure payment page. For institutions and orders on quote, payment by bank transfer may be accepted.
7. Delivery
Products are shipped within 1 to 2 working days of receipt of payment, by Colissimo (La Poste) or an equivalent carrier, with a tracking number, to the address given by the Customer, who is responsible for its accuracy. The areas served, costs and indicative delivery times are shown on the shipping and delivery page. For consumers, if delivery does not take place within the stated time and after a formal notice that remains without effect, the order may be cancelled in accordance with articles L216-6 et seq. of the French Consumer Code.
For consumers, the risk passes upon physical possession of the products. The Customer is asked to check the condition of the parcel on receipt and to report any damage as soon as possible, with photos, to contact@virtuavia.com.
8. Right of withdrawal (consumers)
In accordance with articles L221-18 et seq. of the French Consumer Code, the consumer Customer has 14 days from receipt of the product to exercise their right of withdrawal, without having to give any reason. They notify their decision by e-mail to contact@virtuavia.com or by post, for example using the form below, then return the product within 14 days of this notification, complete, in its original closed jar and in the condition in which it was received, to the address given by customer service (VIRTUAVIA SARL — Service client, BP 483, 38016 Grenoble Cedex 01, France). The direct cost of returning the product is borne by the Customer.
The Seller refunds all sums paid, including initial delivery costs (based on the standard rate), no later than 14 days after the notification of withdrawal, using the same means of payment; this refund may be withheld until the product has been received or proof of its dispatch has been provided. The Customer may be held liable for any diminished value of the product resulting from handling other than what is necessary to establish its nature and characteristics (broken pieces, pieces reduced to powder, exposure to water…).
The right of withdrawal does not apply to purchases made by businesses for their professional activity.
9. Legal guarantees
The consumer Customer benefits from the legal guarantee of conformity (articles L217-3 to L217-20 of the French Consumer Code) for two years from delivery of the goods, and from the guarantee against hidden defects (articles 1641 to 1649 of the French Civil Code). In the event of a lack of conformity, the consumer may obtain replacement of the product or, failing that, a refund. The natural fragmentation of the pieces, inherent to the material, does not constitute a lack of conformity provided the volume sold is respected.
10. Liability
The Seller cannot be held liable for damage resulting from use of the products that does not comply with their purpose or with the handling advice. For business customers, its liability is limited to the amount of the order concerned. Nothing in these terms limits the Seller’s liability towards consumers beyond what the law allows.
11. Personal data
The data collected is necessary to process the order. It is processed in accordance with our privacy policy.
12. Complaints and mediation
Any complaint should first be sent to customer service: contact@virtuavia.com — +33 4 58 00 15 74. In accordance with article L612-1 of the French Consumer Code, consumers may use a consumer mediator free of charge, after a prior written complaint that has not been satisfactorily answered: mediator’s details available on request from our customer service. They may also refer the matter to the competent courts.
13. Applicable law
These terms are governed by French law, without prejudice to any more protective mandatory provisions of the consumer’s country of residence. For business customers, any dispute falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Commercial Court of Grenoble.
Appendix — Withdrawal form
(complete and return this form only if you wish to withdraw from the contract)
To VIRTUAVIA SARL, 2 rue Marcel Benoit, 38000 Grenoble, France, contact@virtuavia.com:
I hereby give notice that I withdraw from my contract for the sale of the following goods:
— Order number: …………… — Ordered on: …………… / received on: ……………
— Name of consumer: ……………
— Address of consumer: ……………
— Date and signature (only if this form is notified on paper): ……………