The following policies are designed to ensure your satisfaction and understanding of the purchasing process.
This Purchase Policy incorporates our Terms of Use by this reference.
Age Range & Intoxication
We follow the rules and regulations of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with respect to alcohol service. Participants must be over 21 years of age. We reserve the right to refuse alcohol to anyone who appears intoxicated.
Class Length
Classes average ninety minutes in length but may be changed at the discretion of the instructor.
Class Rescheduling
At this time, we do not offer refunds for any class. Tickets for classes can be rescheduled for a fee: https://www.vinology.com/helping/reschedule/
Course Rescheduling and Cancellation.
At this time, we do not offer refunds for any academic course.
Customer Support
To keep your costs low, we do not offer phone support. All customer support is handled via our online forum. We endeavor to answer all questions in a timely manner.
Canceled Classes
On occasion, classes or courses may be canceled or postponed by the School due to conditions or other events beyond our control. These may include severe weather, an outbreak of pandemic disease, or a government-ordered shutdown, among other events. Every purchaser will be sent a gift certificate in the full amount of their purchase, and the purchaser agrees to accept the gift certificate in lieu of a refund.
Gift Certificates
Gift certificates have no monetary value and cannot be refunded. They are valid only for classes and programs. Gift certificates are not valid for dinners, trips, or other extracurricular activities undertaken by the School.
Ticket Policies
By purchasing tickets you are acknowledging that you are registering for an educational class. Tickets are subject to availability and are non-refundable. We will not be responsible in the event that you make an error when purchasing your tickets through the Site (including but not limited to selecting the event or the wrong number of tickets). Please check that your selection is correct before confirming the booking as tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded.
By purchasing a ticket to any class or course, you and any guests agree to the following.
- Groups larger than four are prohibited.
- Entry to the classroom will be denied for anyone who arrives 5 minutes past the start time.
- There is no reserved seating.
- No perfume or cologne will be worn.
- There will be no cell phone usage in the classroom.
Wine Course Subscription Service
Recurring Billing. By starting your Wine Course Subscription Service and providing or designating a Payment Method, you authorize us to charge you a monthly or annual subscription fee at the then-current Subscription rate, and any other charges you may incur in connection with your use of the WSoP services.
Billing Cycle. The Subscription fee for our Wine Course Subscription Service will be billed at the beginning of the paying portion of your subscription and each month or year thereafter (as applicable) unless and until you cancel your subscription. We automatically bill your Payment Method each month on the calendar day corresponding to the commencement of your paying Subscription. We reserve the right to change the timing of our billing, in particular, as indicated below if your Payment Method has not been successfully settled.
No Refunds. PAYMENTS FOR OUR WINE COURSE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE ARE NONREFUNDABLE AND THERE ARE NO REFUNDS OR CREDITS
Payment Methods. You may edit your Payment Method information by visiting your Account Page, available at the top of the Wine School website. If a payment is not successfully settled, due to expiration, insufficient funds, or otherwise, and you do not edit your Payment Method information or cancel your account (see, “Cancellation” below), you remain responsible for any uncollected amounts and authorize us to continue billing the Payment Method, as it may be updated. This may result in a change to your payment billing dates.
Cancellation. You may cancel your Wine Course Subscription Service at any time. To cancel, go to My Account on our website and follow the instructions for cancellation. Following any cancellation, you will be removed from all registered courses and any certification previously issued will be revoked.
Reinstating subscriptions. Subscriptions can be reinstated at the request of an individual. The fee for reinstatement is $75.
Chargeback Policy
Our policy regarding chargebacks is zero tolerance. If we receive a chargeback notice from you or your credit card company, your services with us will be suspended immediately. You are obligated to work with the Wine School to resolve any matters in a reasonable manner and in accordance with our Terms and Conditions.
If you violate this policy in the sole discretion of the Wine School, a flat fee of $150 will be charged for the costs incurred by the Wine School defending against any chargeback.
Additional remedies include the following:
(a) a legal action for any loss of income related to the fraud, legal fees, research costs, employee downtime, loss of revenues, and any other related fees incurred by the Wine School;
(b) the matter may be turned over to a collection agency, who will pursue the disputed charges plus additional costs, and report the matter to all credit bureaus as a delinquent account, which may negatively impact purchaser’s credit rating;
(c) a fraud report may be filed with your local police or sheriff’s department, along with a mail fraud complaint with the United States Postal Inspection Service; and
(d) any other remedies now available to the Wine School under the law, or that may be provided under the law in the future.
Arbitration Agreement
Mindful of the high cost of legal disputes, not only in dollars but also in time and energy, you agree that any controversy,
claim, action, or dispute in any way related to your use of the Wine School’s website or the website or any of its affiliates, any
purchase from the Wine School, or to any products or services sold or distributed by the Wine School (“Dispute”) will be
resolved by this dispute resolution procedure and arbitration agreement (“Arbitration Agreement”).
Informal Dispute Resolution. You shall first try in good faith to settle such Dispute by providing written notice to the Wine School by registered mail describing the facts and circumstances (including any relevant documentation) of the Dispute. You agree that this dispute resolution procedure is a condition precedent that must be satisfied prior to initiating any arbitration or filing any claim against the Wine School. Commencing a chargeback with your payment provider does not satisfy these
requirements.
Scope of Arbitration Agreement. To the extent you cannot resolve any Dispute through the informal dispute resolution
procedure described above, a Dispute shall be resolved through binding individual arbitration. Accordingly, you agree to give
up the right to go to court to assert or defend rights under this Arbitration Agreement and with respect to any Dispute. You
expressly delegate to the arbitrator the authority to determine the arbitrability of any Dispute, including the scope, applicability,
validity, and enforceability of this Arbitration Agreement.
How Arbitration Works. Either party may initiate arbitration, which shall be conducted by the American Arbitration
Association (“AAA”) pursuant to its Consumer Arbitration Rules (“AAA Rules”), as modified by this Arbitration Agreement.
The AAA Rules are available on the AAA’s website www.adr.org, or by calling the AAA at (800) 778-7879. In the event the
AAA is unavailable or unwilling to hear the Dispute, the parties shall agree to another arbitration provider. Payment of all
filing, administration and arbitrator fees will be governed by the AAA’s applicable rules.
Waiver of Right to Bring Class Actions and Representative Claims. All arbitrations shall proceed on an individual basis. The
arbitrator is empowered to resolve the Dispute with the same remedies available in court, however, any relief must be
individualized to you and shall not affect any other customer. You hereby waive the right to a trial by jury, to assert or
participate in a class action lawsuit or class action arbitration (either as a named-plaintiff or class member), and to assert or
participate in any joint or consolidated lawsuit or joint or consolidated arbitration of any kind. If a court decides that applicable
law precludes enforcement of any of this paragraph’s limitations as to a particular cause of action, then that cause of action
(and only that cause of action) must remain in court and be severed from any arbitration.
Other Terms. This Arbitration Agreement shall be governed by, and interpreted, construed, and enforced in accordance with
the Federal Arbitration Act and, where applicable, the law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The terms of the Arbitration
Agreement provisions shall survive after your relationship with the Wine School and/or use of our website or other services
and products ends. Except as set forth above, if any portion of this Arbitration Agreement is deemed invalid or unenforceable,
it will not invalidate the remaining portions of the Arbitration Agreement.
Intellectual Property
The National Wine School, LLC owns the copyright of all lectures and course materials. The copyright includes student notes or summaries that reflect lectures or materials, including any food or beverage served during class. Information and materials are made available only for personal use by students, and students may not distribute or reproduce the materials without the express written consent of the National Wine School, LLC.
Intellectual Property includes any description of lecture topics, food or beverages served, amount of any food or beverage served, or any component of a class that the National Wine School, LLC deems critical to its unique brand of classes. As the student, you agree that publicizing any copywritten details of our classes without written approval will incur a fee of no less than $5,000.
Educational Standards
The School is a consumer-based private school dedicated to teaching individual consumers about wine for their personal, and private, enjoyment. As famously quoted by President Judge Leadbetter of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, the School is about “teaching a mathematics professor, homemaker or retired school teacher how to determine if a particular bottle of wine is paired better with pasta or pizza.”
The School does not provide resident instruction to prepare an individual to pursue an occupation or career in the wine, bar tending, hotel or restaurant management industry, or any other occupation or career which is listed in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (1991) as amended or supplemented. The classes offered by the Wine School are neither designed nor intended to aid an individual in obtaining employment in the aforementioned occupations and any individual endeavoring to obtain such instruction from the Wine School does so under their own accord and without the consent of the School.
Nothing in the School’s advertising and/or promotional materials, including, but not limited to, the information contained on www.vinology.com, is intended to convey anything contrary to the above. The School’s use of academic terms such as, but not limited to “certificate,” “course” and “semester” are intended to convey the expert level of instruction that the School provides its students and is not, in any way, intended to give the impression that it is a degree-granting institution qualified by the State Board of Education.
Individuals taking a class specifically acknowledge and agree that they are doing so for their own personal enjoyment and entertainment rather than as a means to obtain employment in wine or wine-related industry.
Gift Policy
If you purchase a class as a gift you are strongly encouraged to purchase ticket insurance during checkout. If you opt to not purchase ticket insurance, you agree to assume all liability if the giftee damages the reputation or goodwill of the Wine School, as determined in the sole discretion of the Wine School.
Ethical Standards
The School is a diverse and open institution. We promise to treat our students with the utmost respect and consideration. In return, we expect that all students abide by the terms put forth on this page. Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated.
Terms of Use
AS USED HEREIN, THE TERMS “YOU” AND “USER” SHALL MEAN ANY VISITOR TO THE WEBSITE.
PLEASE READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAREFULLY. BY ACCESSING THIS WEBSITE YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS BELOW. THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE, FROM TIME TO TIME IN OUR SOLE DISCRETION. WE WILL NOTIFY YOU OF AMENDMENTS TO THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS BY POSTING THEM TO THIS WEBSITE. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, PLEASE DO NOT ACCESS THIS WEBSITE.
You are strictly prohibited from unauthorized use of our systems or this website, including but not limited to unauthorized entry into our systems, misuse of passwords, or misuse of any information posted to this website.
You acknowledge that we may disclose and transfer any information that you provide through this Website if we have a right or duty to disclose or are permitted or compelled to so disclose such information by law. You consent to the transmission, transfer, or processing of such information to, or through, any country in the world, as we deem necessary or appropriate, and by using and providing information through this Website you agree to such transfers.
Use of this Website may be monitored, tracked, and recorded. Anyone using this Website expressly consents to such monitoring, tracking, and recording. You are responsible for being familiar with the current version of these Terms and Conditions posted on the Website during each session.
Copyright notices
The works of authorship contained in this Website, including but not limited to all design, text, sound recordings, and images, are owned, except as otherwise expressly stated, by The National Wine School, LLC or one of its subsidiaries. Except as otherwise expressly stated herein, they may not be copied, transmitted, displayed, performed, distributed (for compensation or otherwise), licensed, altered, framed, stored for subsequent use, or otherwise used in whole or in part in any manner without the owner’s prior written consent, except to the extent permitted by the Copyright Act of 1976 (17 U.S.C. ? 107), as amended, and then, only with notices of the owner’s proprietary rights. You may download information and print out a copy for your personal use, so long as you do not remove any copyright or other notice as may be contained in information, as downloaded.
Pennsylvania Department of Education
By accessing this site, you acknowledge that the Wine School of Philadelphia is a consumer-based private school dedicated to teaching individual consumers about wine for their personal, and private, enjoyment. As famously quoted by President Judge Leadbetter of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, the Wine School of Philadelphia is about “teaching a mathematics professor, homemaker or retired school teacher how to determine if a particular bottle of wine is paired better with pasta or pizza.”
You acknowledge that the Wine School does not provide resident instruction to prepare an individual to pursue an occupation or career in the wine, bartending, hotel or restaurant management industry, or any other occupation or career which is listed in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (1991) as amended or supplemented. Furthermore, you affirm that the classes offered by the Wine School are neither designed nor intended to aid an individual in obtaining employment in the aforementioned occupations and any individual endeavoring to obtain such instruction from the Wine School does so under their own accord and without the consent of the Wine School.
You acknowledge that nothing in the Wine School’s advertising and/or promotional materials, including, but not limited to, information contained on Vinology.com, is intended to convey anything contrary to the above. Furthermore, you acknowledge that the Wine School’s use of academic terms such as, but not limited to, “certificate,” “course” and “semester” are intended to convey the expert level of instruction that the Wine School provides its students and is not, in any way, intended to give the impression that it is a degree-granting institution qualified by the State Board of Education.
You also affirm that individuals taking a Wine School class specifically acknowledge and agree that they are doing so for their own personal enjoyment and entertainment rather than as a means to obtain employment in a wine or wine-related industry.
Website content and materials
The information on this Website is for information purposes only. It is believed to be reliable, but we do not warrant its completeness, timeliness or accuracy. User accesses, uses, and relies upon such content at User’s own risk.
Some of our other website’s or pages within this Website contain supplemental terms and conditions and additional disclosures and disclaimers, which are in addition to these terms and conditions, disclosures and disclaimers. In the event of a conflict, the supplemental terms and conditions and additional disclosures and disclaimers will govern for those sections or pages.
Materials and information posted on the Website may be printed for your use, provided, however, that third party exchange data, if any, may not be downloaded, printed or redistributed for any purposes whatsoever. Materials and information posted on the Website may not be duplicated, copied, re-disseminated or re-distributed to any other person or entity. Re-dissemination and re-distribution includes, without limitation, making any such materials and information available via the Internet or via any other electronic means of access.
You agree that you will not engage in any activities related to this Website that are contrary to applicable law, regulation or the terms of any agreements you have with us.
WE OR OUR SUPPLIERS MAY DISCONTINUE OR MAKE CHANGES IN THE INFORMATION, PRODUCTS OR SERVICES DESCRIBED HEREIN AT ANY TIME WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE TO YOU AND WITHOUT ANY LIABILITY TO YOU. ANY DATED INFORMATION IS PUBLISHED AS OF ITS DATE ONLY OR, IF NO DATE IS STATED, THE DATE OF FIRST POSTING. WE DO NOT UNDERTAKE ANY OBLIGATION OR RESPONSIBILITY TO UPDATE OR AMEND ANY INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO TERMINATE ANY OR ALL WEBSITE OFFERINGS OR TRANSMISSIONS WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE TO YOU. FURTHERMORE, NO DISTRIBUTION OR SOLICITATION IS MADE BY US TO ANY PERSON TO USE THIS WEBSITE OR THE INFORMATION, PRODUCTS OR SERVICES IN JURISDICTIONS WHERE THE PROVISION OF THIS WEBSITE AND SUCH INFORMATION, PRODUCTS OR SERVICES IS PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Links to other sites
Links to unaffiliated websites are provided solely as pointers to information on topics that may be useful to users of this Website, and we have no control over the content on such unaffiliated websites. If you choose to link to a website we do not control, we make no warranties, either express or implied, concerning your use of or inability to use such site, the content of such site, including the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or suitability thereof for any particular purpose, nor do we warrant that such site or content is free from any claims of copyright, trademark, or other infringement of the rights of third parties or that such site or content is devoid of viruses or other contamination. We do not guarantee the authenticity of documents on the Internet. Links to unaffiliated sites do not imply any endorsement of or responsibility for the opinions, ideas, products, information, or services offered at such sites, or any representation regarding the content at such sites and we expressly disclaim any such endorsement or representation. In addition, these third party websites may have a privacy policy or security practices different from this Website so it is important to read the policies of those sites before sharing your personal information.
Legal entity disclosure
The Wine School is the marketing name for The National Wine School, LLC and its subsidiaries and affiliates worldwide.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF HUMAN AND MECHANICAL ERROR AS WELL AS OTHER FACTORS, THE WEBSITE (INCLUDING ALL INFORMATION AND MATERIALS CONTAINED ON THE WEBSITE) IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE”. WE, OUR AFFILIATES, AND ANY THIRD PARTY DATA PROVIDERS:
ARE NOT PROVIDING ANY WARRANTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE WEBSITE;
DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES AND REPRESENTATIONS OF ANY KIND WITH REGARD TO THE WEBSITE, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS, FREEDOM FROM VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL CODE, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE;
DO NOT WARRANT THE ACCURACY, ADEQUACY, OR COMPLETENESS OF THE INFORMATION AND MATERIALS CONTAINED ON THE WEBSITE AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS LIABILITY FOR ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE MATERIALS AND INFORMATION; AND
WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DELAY, DIFFICULTY IN USE, COMPUTER VIRUSES, MALICIOUS CODE OR OTHER DEFECT IN THIS WEBSITE, ANY INCOMPATIBILITY BETWEEN THE WEBSITE AND THE USER’S FILES AND THE USER’S BROWSER OR OTHER SITE ACCESSING PROGRAM, OR ANY OTHER PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED BY THE USER DUE TO CAUSES BEYOND OUR CONTROL.
NO LICENSE TO THE USER IS IMPLIED IN THESE DISCLAIMERS. NOTHING HEREIN SHALL BE CONSTRUED AS LIMITING OR REDUCING OUR RESPONSIBILITIES AND OBLIGATIONS TO CLIENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL WE BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOST PROFITS, LOST OPPORTUNITY OR ANY INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE WEBSITE OR ANY PORTION THEREOF, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER WE HAVE BEEN APPRISED OF THE LIKELIHOOD OF SUCH DAMAGES OCCURRING AND REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF ACTION, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, WARRANTY, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE.
Enforceability and Governing Law
In the event any of the terms or provisions of these Terms and Conditions shall be held to be unenforceable, the remaining terms and provisions shall be unimpaired and the unenforceable term or provision shall be replaced by such enforceable term or provision as comes closest to the intention underlying the unenforceable term or provision. These Terms and Conditions shall be subject to any other agreements you have entered into with The National Wine School, LLC. The user’s access to and use of the Website, and the terms of this disclaimer are governed by the laws of the State of New York.
Any action against the National Wine School, LLC arising from or relating to your access to and use of the Website and the provisions of these Terms and Conditions must be brought by you in state or federal court located in the State of Pennsylvania, County of Philadelphia. You consent to the jurisdiction and venue of the state and federal courts located within the State of Pennsylvania, County of Philadelphia, for the adjudication of all claims by The National Wine School, LLC against you arising from or relating to your access to and use of the Website and the provisions of these Terms and Conditions.