GTC - GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. TERMS OF CONTRACT
1.1 Scope of Application
The following General Terms and Conditions (GTC) serve as the legal basis for the duration of the contractual relationship between “Riviera Design Studio” and the customer and apply to the entire scope of business of “Riviera Design Studio.” The GTC also apply to future business dealings, even if they are not expressly incorporated into the contractual relationship again.
1.2 Deviations
Deviations from these GTC are valid only if confirmed in a document signed by both parties and do not affect the applicability of the remaining provisions.
1.3 Amendments
“Riviera Design Studio” reserves the right to amend these GTC at any time and without notice. For an existing contractual relationship, the GTC accepted at the time the contract was concluded generally apply, unless subsequent changes are expressly agreed upon by the parties.
2. ORDER PLACEMENT
2.1 Services
“Riviera Design Studio” provides creative and design services, particularly in the areas of branding and corporate design, web design, print and editorial design, wedding stationery, and digital wedding solutions, as well as related consulting, conceptualization, design, copywriting, production coordination, and other services defined in the respective proposal.
2.2 Initial Consultation
The first consultation (initial contact, quote discussion) for an order is free of charge and non-binding for both parties.
2.3 Placement of Order
The contractual relationship is established upon acceptance of the order or commencement of work by “Riviera Design Studio” based on the customer’s confirmation. Depending on the product/service and the customer, this confirmation may be provided verbally, via email, through an online form, via an online signature, by a signed document, or through the use of the service. By placing an order and using our products and services, the customer accepts these Terms and Conditions in their entirety and without modification. The earliest date of the aforementioned events is considered the start of the contract. “Riviera Design Studio” reserves the right to decline an order.
3. TERMS OF PAYMENT
3.1 Prices
The quote is binding for the agreed scope of services in the sense of a cost ceiling. If, in the course of the project, it becomes apparent that the actual expenses exceed the amounts stated in the quote, “Riviera Design Studio” is obligated to notify the client as soon as possible. Additional expenses resulting from changes or additions to the content that are not listed in the quote will be billed separately. Where no explicit prices have been specified, the hourly rate of CHF 120.00 applies. All amounts stated in the offers are in Swiss francs. “Riviera Design Studio” is currently not subject to value-added tax. Should a value-added tax liability arise in the future, the value-added tax required by law will be shown accordingly.
3.2 Additional costs
Additional costs include, among other things, color prints, copies, data storage media, scans, small items, and presentation materials, and are billed based on actual expenses. Travel expenses are paid in advance by “Riviera Design Studio” and settled according to actual costs. The flat rate for one kilometer by car is CHF 0.85; travel by public transportation is billed at second-class rates. Third-party costs (e.g., licensing fees for images, fonts, hosting, etc.) are arranged by “Riviera Design Studio” as part of the project and at the client’s expense. These costs are submitted to the client for approval before the corresponding order is placed. Third-party costs are generally billed directly.
3.3 Payment Terms
Based on the quote, 50% is due upon placement of the order and 50% upon completion of the project. The down payment is considered a binding reservation of the project period and is non-refundable in the event of cancellation by the client. For projects lasting several months, interim invoices may be issued for services rendered. Payments are due net within 10 days.
“Riviera Design Studio” expressly reserves the right to obtain credit reports and is not obligated to begin providing services before receiving the agreed-upon down payment.
3.4 Objections to the Invoice
The customer may raise written and substantiated objections to the invoice within 7 days of the invoice date. If the customer fails to do so, the invoice is deemed approved.
3.5 Late Payment
If the customer fails to pay by the due date, the customer is in default without the need for a reminder. The customer may not set off any claims against the invoice. If, by the due date, the customer has neither paid the invoice nor raised any written and substantiated objections to it, “Riviera Design Studio” may suspend the provision of all services without further notice and/or terminate the contract immediately and without compensation. Websites will only be reactivated after full payment has been received, plus a processing fee of CHF 100. A reminder fee of CHF 50 is due for each reminder to cover the associated administrative costs. “Riviera Design Studio” reserves the right to refer the matter to a third party for collection.
3.6 Early Termination
If the customer wishes to terminate the contract prematurely despite a valid contract and if cooperation is no longer possible due to a lack of support on the part of the customer, “Riviera Design Studio” can voluntarily agree to the early termination of the contract in return for compensation. “Riviera Design Studio” can either charge the actual effort or demand a lump sum compensation, especially for fixed prices without detailed hourly billing. The flat-rate compensation of the original order volume is 30% until the start of the project, 50% in the first month from the start of the project and 75% thereafter. The start of the project is considered to be every order execution by “Riviera Design Studio” that takes place with the confirmation of the order. Advance services of third parties will also be charged.
4. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE CUSTOMER
4.1 Cooperation
The customer undertakes to cooperate and to meet the agreed deadlines so that “Riviera Design Studio” can provide the desired services in the best possible way. Unless otherwise agreed, a maximum project duration of 2 months applies to orders up to CHF 5,000.00, otherwise the services must be invoiced and we reserve the right to charge a surcharge of 20% per additional month for the additional work. The same applies analogously for orders over CHF 5,000.00 for a maximum project duration of 4 months.
4.2 Contact Information
The customer agrees to provide accurate and complete address information, including a phone number, and to provide an email address. In the event of any address changes (contact person, email, mailing address, phone number, VAT number), the customer is obligated to notify “Riviera Design Studio” within 10 days to prevent difficulties in establishing contact and delays. “Riviera Design Studio” is not obligated to take into account any contact information other than that provided by the customer or to conduct its own investigations to correct such information. If the contact information proves to be incomplete, incorrect, or out of date, and as a result the customer’s identity can only be determined with disproportionate effort, or if communications to the customer cannot be delivered, “Riviera Design Studio” is entitled to suspend the provision of its services and to pursue legal action to collect the outstanding amount. “Riviera Design Studio” is also entitled to bill the customer for any costs incurred as a result of outdated, incomplete, or incorrect contact information.
4.3 Briefing and Project Basis
The conceptual and design work of “Riviera Design Studio” is based on the information provided by the client prior to the start of the project and, where applicable, on the completed "Client Questionnaire". The client agrees to provide the information contained therein completely, carefully, and truthfully. Together with the agreed scope of services, this information forms the binding basis for the development of the concept.
Subsequent changes to the strategic, content-related, or design-related direction that deviate significantly from the information originally provided are considered a change to the agreed scope of services and will result in an adjustment to the costs and the project schedule.
4.4 Concept Development and Revisions
“Riviera Design Studio” generally operates according to a “one-concept” principle. Unless otherwise agreed upon in the proposal, a specifically developed design or conceptual direction based on the briefing will be presented and refined collaboratively as the project progresses.
The number of revision or feedback rounds included in the price is determined by the specific proposal. A revision includes adjustments and refinements within the presented and agreed-upon conceptual direction.
The development of a completely new conceptual direction based on the client’s subsequently changed wishes, preferences, objectives, or ideas is not part of the agreed-upon revisions. If a fundamentally new direction is requested after the concept has been presented, this is considered a new development and will be billed additionally at a rate of at least 50% of the price agreed upon in the original proposal for the relevant concept or design service. The scope, costs, and any potential impact on the project timeline will be coordinated with the client before the new development begins.
4.5 Personal Briefing and Feedback
Questionnaires, briefings, approvals, and project-related feedback must be prepared by the client themselves and based on their own assessment, goals, and preferences. They must not be created, evaluated, or replaced—either in their entirety or to a significant extent—by third parties or AI-based systems.
This applies in particular to the evaluation of presented concepts and the formulation of resulting requests for changes. The conceptual work of “Riviera Design Studio” is based on the client’s individual briefing as well as on the goals, target audiences, and requirements defined therein. Third parties or AI-based systems do not have the full project context and therefore cannot replace the agreed-upon strategic and design foundation.
Regardless of any external opinions or tools consulted, the client remains solely responsible for their briefing, decisions, feedback, and approvals.
Recommendations, evaluations, or alternative design directions from third parties or AI-based systems do not constitute grounds for additional drafts, concept variations, revision rounds, or a new development at no charge. Any resulting requests for changes will be considered only during the agreed-upon revision rounds, provided they are consistent with the original briefing and the presented conceptual direction. Changes beyond this scope are considered additional services and will be billed accordingly.
4.6 Third-Party Rights
The customer is solely responsible for the legal admissibility of the domain name and the content of its websites and printed materials, as well as for the data and content it provides (texts, electronic data, image data, videos, original creations, etc.), including search terms and keywords. The same applies to the protection of third-party rights, particularly with regard to copyright, competition law, and criminal law.
4.7 Warranty
In the case of edits, adaptations, or redesigns of third-party works (such as design work, photographs, texts, samples, electronic data, etc.), “Riviera Design Studio” may assume—unless the client expressly states otherwise—that the necessary authorization for such uses exists and that, accordingly, no third-party rights are infringed. It is the client’s responsibility to have the deliverables reviewed, if necessary, for their legal admissibility, particularly with regard to trademark, copyright, design, competition, and other relevant rights and regulations. “Riviera Design Studio” assumes no liability for the eligibility of the deliverables for protection or registration under trademark, copyright, or design law.
4.8 Acceptance
The services and products provided by “Riviera Design Studio” must be inspected by the customer immediately upon receipt. Any complaints must be submitted in writing without delay, no later than 7 days after receipt. Complaints submitted after this period cannot be considered.
4.9 Data Backup and Personal Responsibility
The client is obligated to independently and permanently back up the data, documents, texts, images, access credentials, and other content provided for the project as well as those handed over to the client. “Riviera Design Studio” assumes no obligation to permanently store or restore this data unless expressly agreed upon.
For websites and other digital projects operated via third-party providers such as Wix, Framer, or similar platforms, the availability, hosting, technical infrastructure, data backup, and operation of the respective platform are beyond the control of “Riviera Design Studio.” “Riviera Design Studio” assumes no liability for service interruptions, technical malfunctions, data loss, changes in functionality, or the discontinuation of services by third-party providers, unless these were caused by “Riviera Design Studio” itself.
The customer is responsible for the secure storage of their login credentials as well as for any changes made by them or by third parties authorized by them after access has been granted to accounts, websites, or other digital products.
4.10 Data Protection
“Riviera Design Studio” processes the customer’s personal data only to the extent necessary for the initiation, execution, and fulfillment of the contractual relationship, as well as for the provision of the agreed-upon services.
To the extent necessary for the provision of services, data may be transferred to contracted service providers or third parties, for example, for hosting, domains, print production, shipping, or other project-related services. In such cases, only the data necessary for the respective service will be shared.
Further information regarding the processing of personal data can be found in the “Riviera Design Studio” Privacy Policy.
5. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF "RIVIERA DESIGN STUDIO"
5.1 Duty of Care and Loyalty
“Riviera Design Studio” undertakes to perform the tasks entrusted to it with due care. It undertakes to treat as confidential any information entrusted to it or developed on behalf of the client.
5.2 Services
“Riviera Design Studio” is responsible for providing the services in accordance with the proposal accepted by the client. “Riviera Design Studio” has complete discretion regarding the nature of the environment required for these services; for example, it may engage domestic and foreign companies or third parties. Any changes in this regard are also to be made at the discretion of “Riviera Design Studio.”
5.3 Delays
Stated project and delivery dates are based on the project status known at the time of planning. Binding deadlines are valid only if they have been expressly agreed upon as such. “Riviera Design Studio” assumes no responsibility for any delays that may arise, particularly if they are caused by changes requested by the customer. “Riviera Design Studio” is not liable for intangible damages or loss of income, or in cases of force majeure.
5.4 Third-Party Materials
For images, fonts, templates, and other licensed content obtained from third parties, the respective license terms of the rights holder apply. The customer agrees to comply with these terms. Any license fees shall be borne by the customer, unless otherwise agreed upon in the offer.
5.5 Websites
Our websites are created using third-party providers such as www.wix.com or www.framer.com. Websites are generally created using the platform agreed upon in the offer. The customer is responsible for costs related to hosting, domains, premium subscriptions, apps, plugins, and other third-party services, unless otherwise agreed upon in the quote. Changes to prices, features, and services offered by these third-party providers are beyond the control of “Riviera Design Studio.”
5.5.1 Search Engine Rankings
“Riviera Design Studio” does not guarantee the client success as a result of the measures taken. A website’s ranking in search engines depends on numerous factors over which “Riviera Design Studio” has no control; therefore, the services provided by “Riviera Design Studio” alone may not lead to success.
5.5.2 Browser Compatibility
“Riviera Design Studio” provides web services based on modern and currently standard technologies for desktop and mobile screens, unless otherwise specified in the order. However, the display may vary depending on the web browser and operating system used. No guarantee of compatibility is provided for technologies with a market share of less than 4%, as well as for outdated browser versions that are no longer being developed.
5.5.3 Additional Work
Work that falls outside the scope of “Riviera Design Studio” or the service catalog applicable to the respective product may be declined by “Riviera Design Studio” or billed to the customer based on the time and effort involved. Examples of such chargeable services—typically billed at an hourly rate—may include, among other things, restoring a website administered by the customer that has been unintentionally modified, providing support for using the CMS, or resetting passwords.
5.5.4 Suspension of Services
In the event of a significant or repeated breach of the customer’s obligations to cooperate or other contractual obligations, “Riviera Design Studio” is entitled to suspend the provision of further services until the relevant issue has been resolved. In the event of serious or repeated breaches of contract, “Riviera Design Studio” reserves the right to terminate the contractual relationship.
5.6 Notifications
Contract- and project-related notices, invoices, payment reminders, approvals, login credentials, and other communications may be validly sent via email to the email address provided by the customer.
5.7 Storage
Once a project has been completed and delivered, “Riviera Design Studio” is under no obligation to permanently store project, work, or client data, unless otherwise agreed in writing. The client is solely responsible for permanently backing up the final data and documents provided to them.
5.8 Liability
In the event of deficiencies, the Client is only entitled to demand subsequent performance or a reduction in price. If subsequent performance fails, is unreasonable, or if the Client has no objective interest in it, the Client may exercise other warranty rights. To the extent that defects are limited to a definable part of the service, only that part may be the subject of a complaint, provided that the defect-free and defective parts can be separated by reasonable means. The foreseeable damage typical for this type of contract shall not exceed the net order value. “Riviera Design Studio” is not liable for financial, indirect, or consequential damages, such as lost profits, lost savings, loss of production, or loss of use. Approval of production and publication is the responsibility of the client. “Riviera Design Studio” assumes no liability whatsoever for designs, texts, and final artwork approved by the client. Complaints must be submitted in writing to “Riviera Design Studio” within 7 days of delivery. After that, the work is deemed to have been accepted as conforming to the contract and free of defects. By signing the printer’s “Good to Print” approval, the client assumes full responsibility for the form, color, and content of the printed material. If the client waives a written “Good to Print” approval for reasons of time or cost, “Riviera Design Studio” assumes no responsibility whatsoever for any complaints.
By signing the printer’s “Approval for Printing,” the client assumes full responsibility for the layout, color, and content of the printed material. If the client waives a written “Approval for Printing” due to time or cost constraints, “Riviera Design Studio” assumes no responsibility whatsoever for any complaints regarding the results. “Riviera Design Studio” is not responsible for complaints regarding the services of third parties (such as photographers, illustrators, printers, etc.) for whom “Riviera Design Studio” acted solely as an intermediary.
5.9 References
For websites designed by “Riviera Design Studio,” “Riviera Design Studio” is entitled to include an appropriate acknowledgment in the imprint or footer regarding the design or creation of the website, including a link to the “Riviera Design Studio” website. This acknowledgment may be waived by explicit agreement.
“Riviera Design Studio” and any third parties it engages are permitted to name the client and to describe all work deliverables for marketing purposes, as well as to display images thereof. This content may be published on the website, social media channels, in publications (trade press), and in presentations. The timing and scope do not require coordination with the client. As a general rule, only publicly available information may be used in “Riviera Design Studio’s” own communications.
5.10 Copyright and Rights of Use
All drafts, concepts, designs, and deliverables created by “Riviera Design Studio” are protected by copyright. Upon full payment of the agreed-upon fee, the client receives the rights of use necessary for the agreed-upon purpose with respect to the final deliverables selected and handed over as part of the project.
For branding projects, this includes, in particular, the final logo and brand files delivered to the client, as well as the brand guide and other expressly agreed-upon final assets.
For website projects, this includes the completed website delivered to the client in the agreed-upon scope.
Unselected designs, rejected versions, sketches, drafts, presentations, mood boards, concepts, and other materials created during the work process remain the sole property of “Riviera Design Studio.” The client shall not receive any rights of use to these materials unless expressly agreed otherwise in writing. For third-party components—in particular fonts, stock images, templates, plugins, or other licensed content—the respective license terms of the rights holder shall apply. “Riviera Design Studio” may grant only those rights of use that it is itself authorized to transfer.
5.11 Unfinished and Source Files
The delivery of unfinished or editable work and source files is not part of the contract, unless this has been expressly agreed upon in the respective proposal. This includes, in particular, work files from graphics, layout, and design programs; editable presentations; draft files; interim results; and other production or source files.
The final files owed to the customer pursuant to Section 5.10 will be delivered in file formats suitable for the agreed-upon use. Additional open working files may be provided by agreement and for a separate fee, provided that no third-party rights or license terms preclude such provision.
6. APPLICABLE LAW AND PLACE OF JURISDICTION
The present contractual relationship is governed exclusively by Swiss law. The exclusive place of jurisdiction is the registered office of "Riviera Design Studio" in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Last updated: 08.09.2026