Accommodation Terms

CATERED TERMS & CONDITIONS

These terms and conditions relate to the rental of catered properties

AGREEMENT

The catered terms and conditions contained in this document, together with your booking form, comprise the contract between the supplier and all persons listed on the booking form. The contract is deemed to have been made as soon as the booking form has been sent and completed by the group leader, accompanied by a non-refundable deposit or full payment as applicable. The “booking form” refers to the soft e-copy or paper copy of the original booking form and the incorporated catered terms and conditions filled in by the group leader.

By completing a booking form, the group leader agrees on behalf of all listed members that:

- He/she has read the catered terms and conditions and agrees that all members of the group are bound by them

- He/she is over 18 years old

- He/she consents to our use of information as stated in our privacy policy

- All information provided to the supplier is correct and accurate

You must read these booking conditions carefully before booking your holiday with. The person making the booking on behalf of the Client (the group leader) accepts the booking conditions on behalf of all persons defined as “Client”. It is the responsibility of the group leader to bring these booking conditions to the attention of all persons included in the booking and to ensure that they are respected. Validation of a booking by the Client implies acceptance without
restriction or reservation of these General Conditions.

The group leader making the booking is deemed to have made the booking exclusively on his/her own behalf and on behalf of the other members of the group staying with him/her – bookings on
behalf of third parties are not permitted.

When payment has been made over the telephone, without a booking form being completed, a contract will come into existence immediately between you and the supplier upon processing of a credit/debit card payment for the deposit or full payment of your holiday. This will be oral confirmation of your booking. Written confirmation will be subsequently sent via email.

The group leader is responsible, on behalf of all other members of the group, for all matters relating to the booking, thus he/she will be personally liable for all monies due to the supplier from the remainder of the guests listed on the booking form. The “group leader” refers to the person stated as such on the booking form.

If at any time, prior to the start of the holiday, there is a change of group leader, the supplier must be notified by email or telephone, by the original group leader.

Under no circumstances are additional guests allowed to stay in the catered property, other than those specified on the booking form. Failure to comply with this may result in your booking being terminated immediately in resort and you and your party being asked to vacate the relevant catered
property immediately. No compensation will be paid for this.

“Catered properties” means the property you are occupying, as stated on the booking form.

Please note that due to the nature of the services, you do not benefit from the 14-day cooling off period.

BOOKING

The booking shall not be final and the contract shall not be entered into until the availability of the catered property has been confirmed by the supplier and upon the receipt of a non-refundable deposit of 50% of the total cost of the holiday (the “Deposit”) unless otherwise agreed by the supplier. A booking enquiry will not be held until a full deposit is received. A completed booking form must also be submitted within 7 days to complete a reservation.

Should a booking be requested in writing/email or verbally, without payment of a deposit, the booking will be deemed not secure until deposit monies are received. Thus, the supplier reserves the right to re-book the same week in the same accommodation to another client without notification.

When you receive your confirmation invoice, please check all details carefully to ensure that they are correct. If there are any errors on the confirmation invoice, please bring them to our attention within 7 days of the invoice being issued, otherwise we will assume that the details shown are correct and a change fee will be charged if changes are subsequently required.

The final balance outstanding on your holiday must be paid 10 weeks before the start date of your holiday. For bookings made within the 10-week start date period, the full cost of the holiday will be payable at the time of booking

If the final balance is not received 10 weeks before the start of you holiday,
we reserve the right to cancel the booking and retain any deposit paid and levy cancellation charges as outlined below. The supplier then reserves the right to re-book the same week in the same catered property to another client without notification.

If you, or your party, change any of your flight details after having booked your holiday, and the supplier has made airport transfer, or any other arrangements on your behalf, an administrative charge of €50 may be incurred, which will be

If you agree to reserve a whole catered property on an exclusive use basis, the group leader is liable for the full cost of that property, as stated on your booking form, irrespective of party size and final number of guests confirmed. Please note, if your party size exceeds the agreed maximum capacity of the catered property, as stated on your booking form, an additional charge will be
incurred.

As group leader, payments for catered properties on behalf of a group must be made in one lump sum. This applies to deposits and also final balances.
Payments made by the client will only be considered final once the said sum has been received.

PRICES AND PAYMENT

Prices are based on exclusive use of the properties and will therefore remain the same irrespective of the number of guests, up to the maximum capacity. We reserve the right to increase our prices and therefore offer no guarantee that postponed reservations will be offered at the same price as the original booking.

The prices quoted for catered accommodation include only one week’s (7 nights) accommodation, plus:

• Breakfast on 7 mornings • Afternoon tea on all 7 days • Evening meal on 5 nights, cooked by a private chef • Specially selected drinks, including wine and Champagne
• 24-hour resort driver service • Daily Housekeeping
Prices do not include lift passes, equipment hire, lessons, flights, transfers or travel costs, travel, holiday and medical insurance or childcare.

The supplier guarantees the price of your holiday as quoted at the time of booking and as stated on your booking form. The supplier reserves the right to increase or decrease the advertised price of unsold holidays at any time.

Details of a valid credit card will be taken pre arrival or on arrival at the property in resort as security against damage, loss, breakages and additional cleaning charges, as more specifically detailed below. These details will be kept for the duration of your stay and by you agreeing to these catered terms and conditions, you are agreeing to allow the supplier to charge that card in
Euros or Pounds Sterling in the event of any damages, losses, breakages or additional cleaning charges. Acceptable payment types are bank transfer, to our GBP or Euro French bank accounts, and credit or debit card.

The supplier will not be held responsible for charges incurred by yourself for international bank transfer costs or charges imposed on you by your bank or card issuer. This also includes payment discrepancies or additional costs caused by variations in exchange rates used by your bank or card issuer.

In the event of unpaid payments, the group leader will be contacted to make immediate payment by other means. In the event of non-payment by other means or a new payment not being honoured within 72 hours of the supplier making the request, we reserve the right to cancel the booking and retain any deposit paid, and to levy a cancellation charge as set out below.

The supplier then reserves the right to re-book the same week of the same property to another client without notice or refund of any sums already paid by the client in respect of the booking.

In the event of late payment of your final balance, any charges or loss of revenue incurred on our behalf will be added to your balance. We reserve the right to cancel your holiday should you fail to pay your final balance. No compensation will be provided.

The supplier will endeavour to resolve any discrepancies during your stay. It is also your responsibility to report to us any damage you notice to the property on arrival or during your stay.
You remain responsible for any damage to the property or its facilities caused by you or any member of your party during your stay. In the event that any damage to the property is not brought to our attention during this period, and is discovered after your departure, we will contact you within 72
hours of your departure from the property to advise you of the cost of repairing the damage to the property.

Any outstanding items purchased on your behalf during your holiday will be outlined on your bill and are payable by credit or debit card before your departure.

AMENDMENTS AND CANCELLATION

The supplier will not be liable to pay you any compensation or refund if the failure to perform any of its obligations under your booking results from events, circumstances or causes beyond our reasonable control (and which we could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid). Such events may include, but are not limited to, acts of God, war or threat of war, riots, civil commotion, terrorist activities (actual or potential), labour disputes, volcanic ash clouds, governmental decisions, natural or nuclear disasters, epidemics, pandemics, adverse weather conditions, fires, closure of ports and airports, and any other similar events beyond our control (“Force Majeure”).

You may cancel your stay at any time, provided that the group leader makes the cancellation in writing/email. The supplier accepts no responsibility for non-delivery or non-receipt of such written cancellation. Cancellation fees are as follows:

In the event of cancellation by you, the deposit paid will be retained regardless of the date of cancellation.

Cancellation Charges
LENGTH OF NOTIFICATION GIVEN CANCELLATION CHARGE
Up to 10 weeks before arrival date = Entire deposit
8 – 10 weeks before arrival date = 60% of total booking cost
6 – 8 weeks before arrival date = 70% of total booking cost
4 – 6 weeks before arrival date = 80% of total booking cost
Less than 4 weeks before arrival date = 100% of total booking cost

Once the outstanding balance has been settled, the customer shall be reimbursed after accounting for cancellation fees. Any unsettled balance, minus refund amount, remains payable in its entirety.

Non-receipt of the balance of the cost of the holiday will not be taken as notification of cancellation. Groups will still be liable for cancellation charges as shown above if they subsequently cancel the holiday.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

The supplier does not accept any liability where-so-ever or how-so-ever arising, or pay compensation for:-
a) Any Force Majeure event.
b) Adverse weather or traffic conditions, avalanche, mud slips, slides and snow conditions and the effect any of these may have on travel arrangements, accommodation and activities.
c) Limitations imposed by resort authorities, ski-lifts, ski school or ski hire operators.
d) Travel arrangements made by the group or on behalf of the group.
e) Any personal injury or death, where-so-ever or howsoever arising, caused to any visitor and/or any member of the group for their duration of stay.

These limitations are not intended to exclude any statutory rights the group and/or visitor may have.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND BEHAVIOUR

Guests should act in a way that is respectful to staff, other guests and local residents at all times and in a way that does not damage the supplier’s reputation. All guests must recognise that the properties are within residential areas and thus keep noise levels appropriate at all times and
minimise any disruption to neighbours. Guests must observe a 22:00 curfew for outdoor noise or excessive noise within the property.
The supplier will not be held responsible for any official fees or fines incurred for noise or breach of peace and reserve the right to refuse to further accommodate guests in breach of this section.
Groups in breach of any part(s) of this section will result in all contractual obligations being terminated immediately and no compensation will be payable.

Smoking within any of Hunter Chalets properties is strictly forbidden. Those wishing to smoke should do so outside the property, disposing of cigarette butts in a designated ashtray. Any group found to have anyone smoking in the properties will be charged €500 for an external commercial cleaning company fee.

The use of illegal substances in any of our properties will not be tolerated. Anyone found to be using or supplying such substances will be evicted from the property with immediate effect. This could lead to the entire group being evicted. No compensation will be paid.

It is the responsibility of the group to ensure that the property is locked at all times. Any group who fails to lock the doors and windows of the property will be liable for any stolen property belonging to the supplier or the Owner as a result of such negligence. The supplier will not be held responsible for any

It is your responsibility to ensure you have all the necessary legal travel documents in place depending on your nationality. It is your responsibility to check which documents are required before you travel and ensure you have those in place for the duration of your holiday. Please ensure your passport is valid beyond your return date. The supplier will not be held responsible to any
legal changes made to travel requirements between the time of booking your holiday to departure.
No refunds or compensation will be made by the supplier in the circumstance where any government changes to travel regulations are imposed.

You are responsible for ensuring that you have full medical and travel insurance cover throughout your stay from the date of booking. Winter/mountain sports and travel involve a degree of risk and therefore we insist that you take out adequate travel insurance in order to cover any accidents during your holiday, for which the supplier will not be held
responsible.

The supplier will only be liable for death or personal injury if it is a direct result of an act or omission of our employees in the performance of their duties, unless the cause of such death or personal injury is due to: – Your acts or omissions or those of a third party not connected with the provision of your
booking; – an event which could not have been foreseen or prevented even by exercising all due care.
However, acceptance of this liability is subject to you informing us of any claim in writing within 28 days of the end of your holiday.

It is your responsibility to park your car in a safe and designated area that does not obstruct any neighbouring property or snowplough access. All personal or rented vehicles are left at the owner’s or user’s risk and must be parked in a safe and authorised parking space. The supplier will not be held responsible for any damage or theft of your vehicle.

It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the fire exits and fire extinguishers in the property when you arrive.

DAMAGES, LOSS, SURPLUS CLEANING, THEFT AND BREAKAGES

Details of the party leader’s valid credit card will be taken during the booking process or on arrival as security against damage, loss, breakages and additional cleaning charges. By you agreeing to these Catered terms and conditions you are agreeing to allow the supplier to charge said card in Euros or Pounds Sterling in the event of any damages, losses, breakages or additional cleaning
charges.

Should any items or property be lost or damaged during your stay, you must notify the supplier. Any damage or loss caused by any member of the group must be paid for in full before departure by the party leader. In the event that we are not notified of the loss or damage before your departure, the supplier will contact you within 72 hours of you leaving the catered property
to confirm additional charges to be charged. These will be deducted from the party leader’s credit card on file.

By accepting these terms and conditions, the client undertakes to take good care of the items, goods and equipment forming part of the property or made available to him/her during the stay and to return them at the end of the stay in the same condition as the client found them on arrival. Any loss of or damage to any of these goods and equipment forming part of the property or made available to the client, will be charged to the client prior to departure on the basis of the cost of replacing them with new material.

Our keys for catered properties are security keys, therefore, should you lose a key, you will be charged €250 for a replacement. This charge will be made immediately using a credit / debit card.

Any client not properly securing the exits or windows of the property, including balcony, garage and hot-tub access doors, will be liable for any property stolen as a result of that negligence.

The supplier will not be held responsible for any theft or loss of any personal possessions from our premises / vehicles. Whilst the supplier will endeavour to ensure the security of guests’ personal possessions, they cannot guarantee it.

It is up to the group leader to ensure that each member of the party is responsible for the safety of all their own personal possessions, documents and equipment. No responsibility or liability will be accepted in respect of such items, as it is a condition of your booking (and therefore reasonably
assumed by the supplier) that all guests have taken out appropriate insurance to cover such loss and/or damage. For the avoidance of doubt, please note that this section also applies to mountain bikes, road bikes, ski/snowboard equipment and any other “high value items” that guests have brought with them on holiday.

CHECK-IN AND CHECK-OUT TIMES

Check-in time is strictly 16:00. Check-out time is strictly 10:00. Whilst we understand that some groups may wish to arrive earlier or depart later on those days, we need to maintain these timings in order to prepare the properties for the next guests. We will happily store luggage should your flight schedule mean you arrive before or after our check-in and check-out times,
however, we cannot guarantee any access to the properties.

DRIVER SERVICES

The supplier provides a driver service within resort for your convenience. The use of this vehicle is taken entirely at your own risk and the supplier takes no responsibility for death or personal injury caused through the use of this service. Seatbelts must be worn at all times.

The driver service is available to your group at all times between 16:00 on your arrival day to 10:00 on your departure day. Your driver’s phone number will be given to you at the start of your holiday. All calls made to the driver’s French mobile phone are at the guest’s own expense and will not be reimbursed.

When phoning for a collection, please allow the driver at 15/20 minutes to reach you.

If travelling with children or babies who require a car seat, it is your responsibility to bring a car seat that is correctly fitted to your child with you. Children under the age of 12 should be accompanied by an adult at all times. The supplier will not be held responsible for children unable to use the driver facility due to lack of appropriate car seat or presence of an adult.

PROPERTY FACILITIES

In order to maintain and protect our properties, outdoor shoes, ski boots and snowboard boots are not permitted in the properties at any time. Slippers are provided for your convenience.

All outdoor equipment such as skis, boards, boots, bikes and sledges must be left in the boot room or other outdoor designated area. This includes any equipment belonging to the group. On arrival you will be shown the secure storage areas where your equipment can be kept. All maintenance and fitting of equipment must be done in the boot room or outdoor area.

Towel rails are strictly for towels only. Please do not hang any wet swimwear or ski clothes on these rails as dyes from the materials may irreparably transfer to the rail. If any towel rail is damaged in such a way the group will be charged for a replacement towel rail.

Under no circumstances should wet clothes be hung on radiators or radiator covers. This is a fire hazard and strictly forbidden.

Fires and stoves should be managed sensibly and should not be overloaded or obstructed in any way. Clothes should not be dried by the fire or stove. The supplier will not be held responsible for any damage to items as a result of being placed too close to the fire.

Guests use hot tubs and swimming pools at their own risk. We recommend that children under the age of 12 and pregnant women do not use the hot tub. Under 16 year olds must be accompanied at all times in the hot tub or pool. Please be aware that the area around the hot tub can become slippery and that ice may form on the deck around it in the winter season. When using the hot tub, drinks must be kept in plastic glasses without exception. Any broken glass in a hot tub will result in the hot tub being permanently closed and any subsequent damage, repair costs or inconvenience to the following weeks clients will be charged accordingly and before the groups departure. Chalet staff reserve the right to close the hot tub at any time if it is being misused, if guests are not observing rules or curfews or if there is any chemical imbalance or breakdown. Compensation will not be payable in such cases and prior notice is not necessary. Hunter Chalets take meticulous care of the hot tubs and drain, clean and replace water for every new group. Daily chemical checks and
maintenance are recorded according to the law. In the interest of hygiene, all persons using the hot tub are required to shower before entering.

Where the property has a barbecue, pizza oven and outdoor bar, it has to be operated by the chef and chalet staff. Damaged caused to them by guest use will be charged accordingly.

Where the property has a sauna, it is to be used at guest’s own risk. We recommend that children under the age of 12 and pregnant women do not use the sauna. Under 16 year olds must be accompanied at all times in the sauna. In the interest of hygiene, all persons using the sauna are required to shower before entering.

Where the property has a treatment room, a third party professional therapist will be brought in to offer treatments. It is the guest’s responsibility to discuss their medical history and the treatments with the therapist. The supplier accepts no responsibility for any injury that may be caused by a therapist or any reaction the products used. The supplier presumes that all guests,
before using any chalet facilities, have read, understood and agreed to these catered terms and conditions.

All members of the group are deemed to have read, understood and accepted these terms and conditions of use, prior to using the facilities of the property.

CHILDREN & ANIMALS

No matter how much care is taken, our catered properties are not childproof.
The supplier will not be held responsible for any accidents occurring within the catered properties. It is the parents’ responsibility to ensure their children are supervised at all times.

The supplier can provide high-chairs, cots and stair gates for infants and babies. However, we accept no responsibility should an accident or injury occur as a result of the use of such items. Parents assume full responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of their children at all times.

Childcare is not provided and must be arranged with our concierge who will
recommend a third party professional. Children under 16 must therefore be accompanied at all times in the properties.

Children’s meals are provided when requested and notice of such should be written on the booking form.

Unless expressly agreed in advance in writing by the supplier, animals are not allowed.
We will be pleased to discuss the conditions for the accommodation of guide dogs for the blind or visually impaired.

Well behaved and clean pets are welcome in most of our properties by prior agreement with the supplier. Pets are not allowed on furniture or beds.

DIETARY AND SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Any food allergies must be brought to the supplier’s attention at the time of booking. Please indicate the severity of such allergies where applicable, for example, “peanut allergy so severe it can be triggered by inhaling airborne particles.”

Dietary requirements should be added to the booking form at the time of booking. Any new dietary requirements should be brought to our attention as soon as possible in order to allow the chef time to adequately prepare.

Any special food and beverage requirements, such as birthday cakes and externally-sourced foods or drinks, should be added to the booking form at the time of booking.

We will endeavour to source any specially required food or drink where given ample prior notice. Such special purchases will be charged to your bill including any shipping or import charges we incur in sourcing these for you. Such items which are requested but not consumed will still be charged in full and no compensation will be given by the supplier.

AIRPORT TRANSFERS AND AIRLINES

The supplier will arrange all of your transfer requirements. These are not included in the cost of your holiday and must be paid on or before the final balance is due.

As standard, we book private road transfers for each group. This means you travel only with your party and do not wait for other tourists or flights to arrive. Should you wish to book a shared transfer, you must notify the supplier at the time of booking.

In accordance to French Law, no alcohol can be consumed in transfer vehicles. Our third party partners reserve the right to confiscate any alcohol being consumed in their vehicles.

In the case of unforeseen circumstances, out of the supplier’s or a third party provider’s control, such as but not limited to flight delays, cancellations, lost luggage, adverse weather and road conditions, you may be required to wait in the airport until the situation can be resolved or another method of transport is arranged. If this happens, you will be notified immediately upon arrival and kept informed of the situation by the supplier.

Due to adverse weather or road conditions, it may be necessary to extend airport transfer times. Such decisions will be made by our partners providing the transfer service and you will be notified of such changes as soon as they are made. Any person who misses a connecting flight, train or other transport, due to not being ready to leave the resort at the agreed time, will not be
compensated by the supplier or our third party partners. Nor will any other members of the group who are inconvenienced, delayed or miss connections as a result of that person.

The supplier reserves the right to dispatch a group and vehicle without all members present in the unusual instance where members of the group do not show up on time and are not responding to phone calls or are under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol and causing delays to the group. Any such person left in resort is responsible for arranging their own transfer and/or
accommodation needs and the supplier accepts no responsibility for this and compensation will not be payable to the client.

Any costs incurred due to unforeseen circumstances resulting in you missing your flight should be claimed against your holiday insurance.

STAFF DAYS OFF

The chefs, drivers and hosts have two days off per week. Typically, this is a Tuesday & Thursday, however, if you require staff to change these dates for any reason, it must be agreed at the time of booking. The supplier reserves the right to change the staff days off at any time.
Guests will be notified immediately of such changes.

On the staff days off, a continental breakfast and afternoon tea will stiil be provided for that day. In the evening, guests can enjoy a meal in a restaurant or can order food to come to the chalet.
Please note that our catered properties are not insured for groups to cook for themselves.

COMPLAINTS

In the unlikely event of you having a complaint with any part of your holiday, you should notify the Chalet staff immediately. All complaints will be dealt with seriously and by a member of management who will endeavour to rectify the situation as soon as possible.

Any complaints made on or after departure will not be considered. Complaints cannot be accepted for snow conditions, weather, closures of ski-lifts and services offered by third party suppliers, or anything outside of the supplier’s direct control.

Our liability is in all cases limited to the reimbursement of the sums actually paid by the customer and we shall not be considered as responsible or in default for any delay or non-performance resulting from the occurrence of a case of force majeure usually recognised by French jurisprudence.

THIRD PARTY SUPPLIERS / ACTIVITIES / CONCIERGE SERVICE

The supplier can assist in sourcing and booking any of the extra services you may need when on holiday. These services are subject to the terms and conditions of the individual third party companies. We reserve the right to charge an administration fee on such bookings.

The supplier has researched to the best of its ability the practices of the third party providers of activities and transport which our concierge service will book on behalf of the client. In the event of any unforeseen circumstances, accident or event due to the actions of a third party, the supplier shall not be held liable. Bookings made to third party providers by our concierge on behalf of the client will be bound by the third party supplier’s terms and conditions which are available upon request.

INSURANCE

Please note that the supplier does not provide winter sports or other travel insurance to its clients. It is your responsibility to ensure that you and your party have appropriate and adequate insurance.

It is a condition of booking with Hunter Chalets that all clients (including all members of their party) provide proof of personal insurance covering:

• Cancellation or interruption of your trip;

• Travel delays and transfer costs (including additional costs incurred in the event of delay);

• Emergency medical expenses, including but not limited to, mountain rescue, ambulance and
repatriation costs;

• Winter sports and any activities you may do in the resort;

• Risks and costs incurred by third parties as a result of damage to property or adjacent
property caused by you or any member of your party, your employees or visitors during your
stay;

In the event that you fail to obtain appropriate insurance in accordance with this clause, we will not be liable for any costs incurred or claims made against us as a result of your failure to comply with this condition. We also recommend that you take out adequate insurance to cover your personal belongings.

In order for us to assist you in an emergency, it is helpful for us to have information about your travel insurance policy. Please provide us with this information at the time of booking.

DATA PROTECTION

We are committed to protecting your privacy. Please see our privacy policy on our website. We may disclose to our suppliers information about you, such as your name, contact details, travel preferences and any special needs or dietary requirements you have provided to us for yourself and your travelling companions, in order to fulfil their obligations.

We do not sell any information or our mailing list to other organisations. Please note that security regulations may require us to provide government agencies with access to the data you disclose to us.

TERMS OF CONTRACT

All descriptions on the website are given in good faith and are believed to be
correct. This is in relation to all aspects, including activity pricing and information.

For the avoidance of doubt in the event of any conflict between the details on the website and the catered terms and conditions, the provisions of the catered terms and conditions prevail.

The contract and the agreement is made in accordance with these catered terms and conditions.

If you book through a Travel Agent, they will act to pass information from you to us and vice versa. They may also receive payment from you for your reservation and will subsequently transfer the funds to Hunter Chalets. Any advice given to you from your Travel Agent, which is not based on advice given to them by us, is their responsibility. In these circumstances we do not accept liability if incorrect advice is given to you by your Travel Agent

We partner with various Travel Agents or other third parties and so our chalets and apartments may appear on third party websites. We have no control over the contents and practices of these websites. You access and rely upon the contents of these third party websites solely at your own risk. We accept no responsibility for the contents of and practices of any third party websites. You
should therefore not solely rely on any descriptions that are not on our website.

MISCELLANEOUS

In the absence of proof to the contrary, the data recorded in the supplier’s computer system constitutes proof of all transactions concluded with the client.

APPLICABLE LAW AND DISPUTES

These booking conditions and all matters arising from them are subject to and governed by French law and are subject to the jurisdiction of the competent French courts.