JENS RITTER GERMANY
GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS
FOR CONSUMERS AND DIRECT CUSTOMERS
Version: 1 January 2026
§ 1 General
These General Terms and Conditions apply to all contracts for the sale of products between
Jens Ritter, sole proprietor,
trading as “JENS RITTER GERMANY”
Weinstrasse 19
67146 Deidesheim
Germany
VAT Identification Number: DE183986575
Email: info@ritter-instruments.com
hereinafter referred to as “JENS RITTER GERMANY”, and its direct customers.
Customers may be consumers or business customers.
A consumer is a natural person who enters into a legal transaction for purposes that are predominantly outside that person’s trade, business or profession.
A business customer is a natural or legal person or partnership acting in the course of its trade, business or professional activity.
These Terms do not apply to distributors, dealers or resellers purchasing Products for commercial resale where the separate Business-to-Business Terms & Conditions for Distributors and Resellers apply.
The contractual currency is Euro (EUR).
For the purposes of these Terms, a “Business Day” means Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays applicable at the registered business location of JENS RITTER GERMANY.
§ 2 Orders and Payments
An order submitted by a customer constitutes an offer to purchase.
An order becomes binding on JENS RITTER GERMANY only after JENS RITTER GERMANY has issued a written Order Confirmation.
Unless otherwise stated in the individual Order Confirmation, custom-made instruments are paid as follows:
- 50% of the total purchase price following Order Confirmation and before production begins;
- 25% of the total purchase price before application of the final finish; and
- the remaining 25% before shipment.
JENS RITTER GERMANY is not obliged to begin or continue production before the respective payment has been received.
Products will be shipped only after all amounts due before shipment have been received as cleared funds.
Payments shall be made in EUR to the bank account stated on the relevant invoice.
Once production or Product-specific material procurement for a custom-made Product has commenced, payments already made are non-refundable to the extent permitted by applicable law.
Mandatory statutory consumer rights remain unaffected.
JENS RITTER GERMANY may reject an order before issuing an Order Confirmation.
§ 3 Customer-Requested Changes
Changes requested after issuance of the Order Confirmation require the written approval of JENS RITTER GERMANY.
JENS RITTER GERMANY is not obliged to accept requested changes.
Changes may result in additional costs and an extension of the estimated production period.
Any material additional costs and any material extension of the estimated production period shall be communicated to the customer before the requested modification is carried out.
§ 4 Delivery Times
Any production, completion or delivery period stated in an Order Confirmation, quotation, portfolio or other communication is an estimate unless expressly confirmed as binding in writing.
Handcrafted production, availability and natural characteristics of materials, customer-requested modifications and circumstances outside the reasonable control of JENS RITTER GERMANY may affect the expected completion date.
JENS RITTER GERMANY shall inform the customer of material delays within a reasonable period after becoming aware of them.
Mandatory statutory rights in the event of delay remain unaffected.
§ 5 Shipping, Customs and Import Charges
Unless otherwise agreed, Products shall be shipped to the delivery address confirmed in the Order Confirmation.
Applicable shipping and transport-insurance costs shall be communicated before the respective payment becomes due.
All international shipments originate from Germany.
For deliveries outside the European Union, the recipient may be responsible for import duties, import VAT, customs-clearance fees and other taxes or governmental charges imposed by the destination country.
Such charges are not controlled by JENS RITTER GERMANY and shall be borne by the recipient unless expressly agreed otherwise.
§ 6 Damage During Shipping
The recipient should inspect the shipment immediately upon receipt.
Visible transport damage should be reported to both the transportation company and JENS RITTER GERMANY within 24 hours or, where this is not reasonably possible, no later than the next Business Day.
The notification should include photographs showing:
- the Product;
- the instrument case or protective packaging;
- the external shipping packaging; and
- the visible damage.
All packaging should be retained until the transport claim has been clarified.
Concealed transport damage should be reported immediately after discovery.
Failure to notify transport damage within the above period may adversely affect claims against the transportation company or transport insurer.
It does not by itself exclude mandatory statutory rights of a consumer against JENS RITTER GERMANY.
§ 7 Withdrawal, Voluntary Returns and Custom-Made Products
7.1 Statutory Right of Withdrawal
Where a consumer has a statutory right of withdrawal under applicable law, that statutory right remains fully unaffected by these Terms.
Where applicable, the customer shall receive the legally required information concerning the statutory right of withdrawal.
No 15% handling fee applies where a consumer validly exercises a statutory right of withdrawal.
Any obligation of the consumer to compensate for diminished value in connection with a statutory withdrawal shall be determined exclusively in accordance with applicable law.
7.2 Custom-Made and Individually Manufactured Products
A statutory right of withdrawal generally does not exist for Products that are not prefabricated and are manufactured according to an individual selection or specification made by the consumer or that are clearly personalised to the consumer’s individual requirements, where the statutory requirements for this exception are fulfilled.
This applies in particular to individually commissioned and custom-made JENS RITTER GERMANY instruments where the statutory requirements are met.
Custom-made and individually manufactured Products are excluded from the voluntary return right described in Section 7.3.
7.3 Voluntary 14-Day Return Right
In addition to any mandatory statutory rights, JENS RITTER GERMANY grants customers a voluntary right to return non-custom-made Products within fourteen (14) calendar days after delivery.
The voluntary return right is subject to the following conditions:
- the Product must be returned in substantially the same condition in which it was delivered;
- the Product must not have been damaged, modified or subjected to abnormal use;
- all original accessories, documentation, certificates, tools and packaging supplied with the Product must be returned;
- the customer must notify JENS RITTER GERMANY of the intended voluntary return within the fourteen-day period; and
- the return must be carried out in accordance with the return instructions provided by JENS RITTER GERMANY.
For a return made exclusively under this voluntary return right, a handling and restocking fee equal to 15% of the Product purchase price shall be deducted from the refund.
The customer shall bear the reasonable costs and risk of the voluntary return shipment unless otherwise agreed in writing.
The voluntary return right does not apply to custom-made, individually manufactured or personalised Products.
This voluntary return policy does not restrict any statutory right of withdrawal or any statutory rights arising from defects.
§ 8 Statutory Rights in Case of Defects
Customers retain their statutory rights in the event of defective goods.
The voluntary manufacturer’s warranty set out below exists in addition to these statutory rights and does not restrict them.
The exercise of statutory consumer rights arising from defects is free of charge where provided by applicable law.
Where JENS RITTER GERMANY is legally responsible for the costs necessary for statutory cure or subsequent performance, the applicable statutory rules shall apply.
§ 9 Five-Year Worldwide Manufacturer’s Warranty
9.1 Warranty Provider
Warranty provider:
Jens Ritter
trading as “JENS RITTER GERMANY”
Weinstrasse 19
67146 Deidesheim
Germany
Email:
info@ritter-instruments.com
9.2 Duration and Territorial Scope
New JENS RITTER GERMANY instruments are covered by a voluntary five-year manufacturer’s warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.
The warranty applies worldwide.
The warranty period begins on the date on which the Product is delivered to the original retail purchaser.
9.3 Beneficiary and Product
The warranty applies to the original retail purchaser and to the Product identified by its individual four-digit identification number and applicable authenticity documentation.
9.4 Relationship to Statutory Rights
This manufacturer’s warranty exists in addition to the statutory rights of the customer in the event of defects.
The customer’s statutory rights are not restricted by this warranty and may be exercised free of charge where provided by applicable law.
9.5 Warranty Remedy
Where a Product has a defect in materials or workmanship covered by this warranty, JENS RITTER GERMANY shall remedy the defect in accordance with these warranty conditions and applicable law.
Depending on the circumstances, JENS RITTER GERMANY may repair the Product or, where appropriate, replace it.
Where original materials are no longer reasonably available, comparable materials may be used.
Where replacement is appropriate, JENS RITTER GERMANY may provide the same or the closest reasonably comparable Product.
9.6 Warranty Exclusions
The voluntary manufacturer’s warranty does not cover damage or conditions caused by:
- alteration or modification beyond the original delivered condition;
- abuse, misuse, negligence or accident;
- improper handling;
- subjective tonal preferences;
- unsuitable temperature or humidity;
- normal wear and tear;
- worn frets, strings or other wear components;
- unauthorised repair or servicing;
- improper storage, display or transport;
- normal ageing or changes in natural materials or finishes; or
- failure to observe the storage and environmental requirements set out below.
9.7 Warranty Claims and Transport Costs
A warranty claim should be submitted to:
info@ritter-instruments.com
The customer should provide:
- the four-digit Product identification number;
- a detailed description of the alleged defect;
- photographs or video where appropriate; and
- the customer’s contact details.
No Product should be returned before return instructions have been provided by JENS RITTER GERMANY.
If a warranty claim is confirmed, JENS RITTER GERMANY shall bear the reasonable shipping and transport-insurance costs required for the approved return of the Product and, where applicable, the shipment of the repaired or replacement Product back to the customer.
All shipping arrangements in connection with a warranty claim must be approved in advance by JENS RITTER GERMANY.
If inspection establishes that the reported matter is not covered by the voluntary warranty and no statutory claim exists, reasonable inspection, repair, shipping and insurance costs may be charged to the customer after prior information and, where required, agreement.
§ 10 Storage and Environmental Conditions
To ensure proper functioning and longevity, Products must not be stored, transported or displayed at temperatures below 5°C (41°F) or above 35°C (95°F).
Relative humidity should be maintained between 40% and 60%.
Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight should be avoided.
Products should not be placed directly adjacent to heat sources, amplifiers, air-conditioning outlets, cold-air vents, drafty areas or other locations involving rapid changes in temperature or humidity.
Damage resulting from improper environmental conditions or improper handling is excluded from the voluntary manufacturer’s warranty.
Mandatory statutory rights remain unaffected.
§ 11 Wood, Natural Materials and Visual Appearance
Wood and other natural materials naturally vary in colour, grain, pattern, texture and appearance.
Such natural characteristics do not constitute defects merely because they differ from another Product or from photographs or visual representations.
Exposure to light and natural ageing may alter the appearance and surface colour of wood and other natural materials over time.
JENS RITTER GERMANY cannot guarantee an exact match of grain, figure, pattern, texture or colour.
Digital displays and individual colour perception may also cause differences between images displayed electronically and the completed Product.
For custom-made Products based on sketches, renderings, concept images or photographic simulations, reasonable differences resulting from natural materials, handcrafted production and technical feasibility may occur.
§ 12 Liability
JENS RITTER GERMANY shall be liable without limitation for intentional misconduct and gross negligence, for injury to life, body or health, for fraudulent concealment, for liability arising from an expressly assumed guarantee and for mandatory product liability.
In cases of ordinary negligence, JENS RITTER GERMANY shall be liable only for the breach of a material contractual obligation and only for foreseeable loss typical for the relevant contract, to the extent such a limitation is legally permissible.
Mandatory statutory rights of consumers remain unaffected.
§ 13 Governing Law and Jurisdiction
The laws of the Federal Republic of Germany shall apply.
The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) shall not apply to the extent its exclusion is legally permissible.
For consumers, mandatory consumer-protection provisions and mandatory statutory rules concerning jurisdiction remain unaffected.
For merchants, legal entities under public law, special funds under public law and other business customers for whom an agreement on jurisdiction is legally permissible, the courts of Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany, shall have exclusive jurisdiction to the extent legally permissible.
The place of fulfilment for business customers shall be Deidesheim, Germany, to the extent legally permissible.
§ 14 Closing Provisions
If any provision of these Terms is invalid or unenforceable, the validity of the remaining provisions shall not be affected.
Mandatory statutory provisions shall prevail where applicable.
Individual agreements confirmed in writing between JENS RITTER GERMANY and the customer shall take precedence over these Terms in the event of a conflict.
These Terms are published and used in English only.
END OF TERMS & CONDITIONS
