General Terms and Conditions

VothLine, owner Larissa Voth – brand “Gentleman Swiss Car”

Echternacher Straße 14, 52351 Düren, Germany · Telephone: +49 178 4147808 · Email: info@gentleman-swisscar.com

Last updated: 30 August 2026

§ 1 Scope and contracting parties

  1. These General Terms and Conditions (hereinafter “GTC”) apply to all contracts for services provided by VothLine, owner Larissa Voth, Echternacher Straße 14, 52351 Düren (hereinafter “the provider”, “we” or “us”), under the brand “Gentleman Swiss Car” and via the website gentleman-swisscar.com.
  2. The provider is a sole proprietorship. There is no company incorporated under Swiss law behind this offering; earlier references to such a company are void.
  3. These GTC apply to consumers and to traders alike. A consumer is any natural person who enters into a legal transaction for purposes that are predominantly outside their trade, business or profession (Section 13 BGB, German Civil Code). A trader is a natural or legal person or a partnership with legal capacity which, when entering into the legal transaction, is acting in the exercise of its trade, business or profession (Section 14 BGB).
  4. The version of these GTC available at the time the contract is concluded applies. Terms of the customer that deviate from, conflict with or supplement these GTC do not become part of the contract unless we have expressly agreed to their application in text form.
  5. The language of the contract is German. English-language versions of the website are provided for information only; in case of doubt, the German version of these GTC prevails.

§ 2 Conclusion of contract and booking

  1. The presentation of vehicles, services and prices on the website is not a binding offer but a non-binding invitation to the customer to submit a booking enquiry.
  2. Booking enquiries can be submitted via the website’s online booking form, by telephone, by email or via the contact form.
  3. By submitting the online booking form, the customer makes a binding offer to conclude a contract of carriage or a contract for services. Before submitting, the customer can review their entries in the preceding steps of the form and correct them using the form’s navigation elements or the browser’s back function; the process can be cancelled by closing the browser window.
  4. An automatically sent acknowledgement of receipt merely documents that the booking enquiry has been received and does not yet constitute acceptance. The contract is only concluded once we expressly confirm the booking in text form (email) or actually perform the service. As a rule we confirm or decline an enquiry within 24 hours on working days.
  5. The reservation in paragraph 4 is necessary because the availability of a particular vehicle, chauffeur or security operative at the desired time can only be established after checking. If no contract is concluded, any payments already made are refunded in full without undue delay.
  6. We store the text of the contract and send the customer the booking data together with these GTC by email. The version of the GTC applicable in each case is also available at any time at gentleman-swisscar.com. For security reasons, booking data are not accessible via a public customer account.
  7. The customer is obliged to provide complete and accurate details when booking, in particular regarding the pick-up and destination location, date and time, number of persons, volume of luggage and – for airport pick-ups – the flight number and scheduled arrival time. The customer is liable for additional costs or performance disruptions resulting from inaccurate or incomplete details.
  8. We only accept bookings from persons under the age of 18 with the consent of a legal guardian.

§ 3 Scope of services

  1. We provide in particular the following services:
    • Chauffeur and limousine service – carriage of persons in vehicles from our fleet with our own or contracted driving personnel, as a transfer journey, as a journey by time (hourly booking) or by route;
    • Airport transfers, in particular to and from Zurich Airport, including meeting the passenger at the agreed meeting point;
    • Local services in Zurich and Davos and in the respective surrounding areas;
    • Close protection and personal security by security operatives, individually or as a team, in conjunction with a vehicle booking;
    • Additional services as agreed, such as airport assistance and meet-and-greet service, child seat, vehicle delivery and collection, flowers or drinks.
  2. The specific scope of services follows exclusively from the booking confirmation. Statements on the website, in brochures or on social media are non-binding descriptions of services.
  3. Vehicle category rather than an individual vehicle. Unless a particular vehicle has been expressly promised in writing, what we owe is a vehicle of the category booked. We are entitled, for operational reasons – such as technical defect, accident or unavailability – to use an equivalent or higher-grade vehicle of the same or a higher category. No additional charge arises for the customer as a result.
  4. Use of subcontractors. In order to perform the contract we may deploy other drivers who hold the licence required in each case for the carriage of passengers, and may commission suitable partner companies to carry out the service. Our responsibility towards the customer remains unaffected by this.
  5. No entitlement to a particular driver. An entitlement to a specifically named chauffeur or a specifically named security operative exists only where this has been expressly agreed.
  6. Choice of route. The choice of route is a matter for the driver, who takes account of the traffic situation, safety and statutory requirements. If the customer wishes to take a particular route, this will be accommodated where possible; any additional time or costs arising from this are borne by the customer.
  7. Changes to the route. If the actual course of the journey deviates from the one booked – for example through additional intermediate stops, changed destinations or an extension of the journey time – the additional services are charged separately at the agreed rates.
  8. Close protection and personal security. Security services are provided within the framework of the applicable legal order. Our security operatives have no sovereign powers. What we owe is a professionally performed service, not the achievement of a particular outcome; in particular, no outcome in the sense of the absence of any and all danger is owed. The scope – number of operatives, duration of deployment, place of deployment – is agreed separately.

§ 4 Prices, currency and taxes

  1. The prices stated in the booking confirmation apply. Price information on the website – such as per-kilometre rates – are guide values and are subject to confirmation in the individual case.
  2. Currency. Prices are stated and invoiced in Swiss francs (CHF). In the case of card and online payments, the customer’s bank may carry out a currency conversion and charge a fee for this; we have no influence over this.
  3. Ancillary costs. Third-party costs incurred in the course of the assignment – in particular parking, road, tunnel and toll charges, airport access fees and ferry costs – are invoiced separately in the amount evidenced, unless they are expressly included in the flat-rate price.
  4. Night, Sunday and public holiday surcharges as well as surcharges for journeys on dates of special events are only charged if they were disclosed before the contract was concluded.
  5. Gratuities are not included in the prices and are voluntary.
  6. VAT. For consumers, all prices stated are final prices and include statutory VAT; the VAT is shown separately on the invoice. For business customers, prices are exclusive of statutory VAT. The place of supply, and therefore the applicable tax, is determined by the statutory provisions; in the case of transport services this may mean that different tax rates apply to the parts of a route in different countries.
  7. Price changes after the conclusion of the contract are excluded. This does not apply to additional services under § 3 paragraph 7, to waiting times under § 6 and to ancillary costs under paragraph 3.

§ 5 Payment and due date

  1. The payment methods offered in the relevant booking form are available. At present these are:
    • cash payment before or at the start of the journey,
    • card payment online via the payment service provider Stripe,
    • card payment on pick-up in the vehicle,
    • bank transfer, where offered in the relevant booking form.

    Which payment methods are available in the individual case follows from the booking process. We reserve the right not to offer individual payment methods. Payment via PayPal is currently not possible.

  2. Due date. Unless otherwise agreed, the fee is due before the start of the journey in the case of cash payment and card payment on pick-up, upon completion of the booking process in the case of online payment, and within 14 days of the invoice date without deduction in the case of payment on invoice.
  3. Advance payment. For assignments with an order value of CHF 1’000.– or more, for bookings made well in advance and for multi-day assignments, we may require an advance payment of 30% of the order value. The advance payment is credited against the final price.
  4. Invoicing. Invoices are transmitted electronically in text form. The customer consents to electronic invoicing.
  5. Default of payment. If the customer is in default, we are entitled to demand default interest at the statutory rate. We reserve the right to assert further loss caused by the default where specifically evidenced. In relation to traders, Section 288(5) BGB additionally applies.
  6. Set-off and right of retention. The customer may only set off claims that are undisputed or have been finally established by a court. The customer has a right of retention only in so far as it is based on claims arising from the same contractual relationship. Statutory consumer rights remain unaffected.
  7. Where payment is made via a payment service provider, that provider’s terms additionally apply to the payment transaction. Payment data are processed exclusively by the payment service provider; details are set out in our privacy policy.

§ 6 Waiting times and delays

a) Airport pick-up

  1. For airport pick-ups, the start of the waiting time is determined not by the time booked but by the actual landing time of the flight stated by the customer when booking.
  2. After the actual landing, the customer is entitled to 60 minutes of free waiting time. This period usually covers immigration, baggage reclaim and the walk to the meeting point.
  3. We monitor the flight data of the flight stated and adjust the pick-up to any delays, provided that we have been given a correct flight number. If the customer has given no flight number or an incorrect one, the rule for other journeys under letter b applies.
  4. Once the free waiting time has expired, we charge CHF 25.– for each 15 minutes commenced.
  5. If a flight is cancelled or diverted to another airport, the customer is obliged to inform us without undue delay. We will endeavour to adjust the booking; an entitlement to this exists only subject to availability. If an adjustment is not possible, § 7 applies.

b) Other journeys

  1. For all other pick-ups, the waiting time starts at the agreed pick-up time.
  2. 15 minutes are free of charge. After that we charge CHF 25.– for each 15 minutes commenced.
  3. In the case of hourly bookings, waiting time within the period booked forms part of the service and is not charged separately. Any period exceeding the booked time is charged at the agreed rates.

c) Failure of the passenger to appear

  1. If the passenger does not appear at the agreed meeting point within 60 minutes in the case of airport pick-ups and 30 minutes in the case of other journeys after the end of the free waiting time, and cannot be reached on the telephone number provided, the service is deemed not to have been taken up. In this case the full agreed price is payable; § 7 paragraph 6 remains unaffected.
  2. The customer is obliged to provide a mobile telephone number when booking on which they can be reached on the day of the journey, and to remain reachable on it.

d) Delays on our side

  1. We endeavour to provide the service punctually. If delays occur on our side, we inform the customer without undue delay on the telephone number they have provided.
  2. If a delay for which we are responsible means that the service is of no interest to the customer, the customer may withdraw from the contract after a reasonable period of grace has expired without result; payments already made will be refunded. Further claims are governed by § 10.
  3. We are not responsible for delays caused by the traffic situation, weather, road closures, diversions or official orders. The customer is required to allow an appropriate time buffer for time-critical appointments – in particular flight and rail connections.

§ 7 Cancellation and rebooking

  1. The customer may cancel a confirmed booking at any time. The cancellation must be made in text form (an email to info@gentleman-swisscar.com is sufficient). What is decisive for calculating the period is the receipt of the cancellation notice by us.
  2. If the customer cancels, we are entitled to demand flat-rate compensation for arrangements and planning already made and for lost remuneration. The flat rate is calculated as follows:

    Vehicles with up to and including 8 passenger seats (limousines, vans):

    • up to 14 days before the agreed start of the service: 25% of the order value
    • from 14 days to 7 days before the agreed start of the service: 50% of the order value
    • from 7 days to 48 hours before the agreed start of the service: 75% of the order value
    • less than 48 hours before the agreed start of the service, and in the event of a no-show: 100% of the order value
  3. Close protection and personal security services as well as multi-day assignments. Different cancellation terms may be agreed for security services and for assignments spanning several days. These are communicated to the customer in text form before the contract is concluded and take precedence over the provisions of this section.
  4. Rebooking. A change of date or time is possible subject to availability. Up to 48 hours before the agreed start of the service, rebooking is free of charge. After that, a change of date is treated as a cancellation followed by a new booking, unless we expressly agree to the change. Rebooking is possible only once per assignment.
  5. Changes to the scope of services – such as vehicle category, number of persons, route – are made subject to availability. Price differences are charged or refunded accordingly.
  6. Evidence of lower loss. The customer is in every case free to demonstrate that we have suffered no loss or a substantially lower loss than the respective flat rate. In that case the customer owes only the amount actually incurred. Conversely, we reserve the right to demonstrate a higher actual loss.
  7. Cancellation by us. We may withdraw from the contract if performance becomes impossible for reasons of force majeure (§ 11), if the customer fails to make a due advance payment despite a reminder, or if circumstances become known after the conclusion of the contract that preclude safe performance. In these cases we refund payments already made in full; further claims of the customer exist only in accordance with § 10.

§ 8 Obligations of the passenger and exclusion from carriage

  1. The instructions of the driver and of the security operatives deployed must be followed for reasons of safety and operational order.
  2. The statutory obligation to wear seat belts applies to all occupants. Children must be secured in accordance with the statutory provisions; any child seat required must be stated when booking.
  3. Smoking is prohibited in all vehicles; this also covers e-cigarettes and comparable products. The consumption of food and drink is permitted only by prior arrangement.
  4. The number of persons carried may not exceed the maximum number approved for the vehicle. We are entitled to refuse to carry surplus persons.
  5. Carrying animals requires prior consent and must be stated when booking.
  6. Carrying dangerous, prohibited or unlawful items or substances is not permitted.
  7. Exclusion from carriage. We may exclude from carriage persons who
    • damage the vehicle or its fittings wilfully or through gross negligence,
    • constitute a danger to safety or order,
    • substantially harass or threaten other passengers or the personnel, or
    • are evidently so heavily under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicants that safe carriage cannot be ensured.

    The entitlement to the agreed fee remains in place in these cases; expenses saved are to be credited.

  8. Customer’s liability for damage. The person causing the damage is liable for damage to the vehicle or its fittings caused by the customer, their companions or animals carried; the customer is additionally liable as the party placing the order. This also covers the cost of any special cleaning required as well as loss of use for the duration of the repair.

§ 9 Luggage and items carried

  1. Luggage is carried within the space available in the vehicle booked. The customer is obliged to state the number and size of items of luggage when booking. We accept no responsibility for undeclared luggage that cannot be carried.
  2. Oversized or special luggage – such as sports equipment, musical instruments, bulky goods – must be declared separately. Carriage takes place only after express confirmation.
  3. The passenger is responsible for their own luggage and personal belongings. We do not undertake any safekeeping. We are liable for the loss of, damage to or disappearance of items carried only in accordance with § 10.
  4. Valuables – cash, jewellery, watches, electronic devices, documents, data carriers – must be kept by the passenger on their person and not left in the vehicle. We are liable for valuables left behind in the vehicle only in accordance with § 10.
  5. Lost property. Items found in the vehicle are kept by us for three months and handed over to the person entitled to them on request. Items are returned by post on request and at the customer’s cost and risk. In all other respects the statutory provisions on lost property apply.

§ 10 Liability

  1. We are liable without limitation in accordance with the statutory provisions for personal injury – loss or damage arising from injury to life, body or health. This also applies to liability under the StVG (German Road Traffic Act) and the ProdHaftG (German Product Liability Act), as well as in cases of intent and gross negligence and in the event of fraudulent concealment of a defect.
  2. In the case of a slightly negligent breach of material contractual obligations – obligations whose fulfilment is what makes the proper performance of the contract possible in the first place and on whose observance the customer may regularly rely – our liability is limited to the loss that is foreseeable at the time the contract is concluded and typical for this type of contract.
  3. In all other respects, liability for slight negligence is excluded.
  4. The above limitations of liability also apply for the benefit of our legal representatives, employees, drivers, security operatives and vicarious agents.
  5. For consequential loss, in particular for missing flights, connections, appointments or events, we are liable only in accordance with paragraphs 1 to 3. The customer is required to allow an appropriate time buffer for time-critical appointments (§ 6 letter d paragraph 3).
  6. We maintain the statutorily prescribed motor vehicle third-party liability insurance.
  7. The above provisions do not entail any change in the burden of proof to the customer’s detriment.

§ 11 Force majeure

  1. Events of force majeure that make performance substantially more difficult or impossible for us release us from the obligation to perform for the duration of the disruption. Force majeure includes in particular natural events, extreme weather, danger of avalanches and flooding, earthquakes, fire, war, terrorist attacks, civil unrest, strikes and lock-outs, epidemics and pandemics, official orders, road closures and failures of transport, energy or telecommunications infrastructure.
  2. We inform the customer without undue delay of the occurrence and expected duration of the disruption and offer, where possible and reasonable, a substitute service or an alternative date.
  3. If the disruption lasts longer than 24 hours, or if it is foreseeable from the outset that the service cannot be provided on the agreed date, both parties are entitled to withdraw from the contract. In this case payments already made are refunded in full; the flat-rate cancellation charges under § 7 do not apply. Neither party has any further claims on account of the non-performance.
  4. This provision does not affect the customer’s statutory rights in the event of non-performance or defective performance for which we are responsible.

§ 12 Right of withdrawal

a) When there is no right of withdrawal

  1. The great majority of our services are exempt from the right of withdrawal. This is not a restriction that we impose by agreement; it follows directly from the law:
    • The provisions on the right of withdrawal for distance contracts are from the outset not applicable, under Section 312(2)(14) BGB, to contracts for the carriage of passengers – that is, to our chauffeur, limousine and airport transfer service.
    • In addition, Section 312g(2)(9) BGB exempts from the right of withdrawal, among other things, contracts for the rental of motor vehicles where the contract provides for a specific date or period of performance. That is precisely the case with a booking for a fixed journey date and a fixed time.
  2. The reason for this statutory exemption is the same as the reason for our cancellation rules: we reserve a particular vehicle for a particular date and commit a chauffeur or a security operative. This capacity cannot be reallocated at short notice. For that reason, the cancellation rules in § 7 take the place of a right of withdrawal; they allow the customer to release themselves from the contract at any time against staggered compensation graded by the amount of notice given – and they expressly leave the customer free to demonstrate a lower loss (§ 7 paragraph 6).
  3. The cancellation rules and the right of withdrawal therefore do not apply side by side. Where the law provides for no right of withdrawal, § 7 applies. Where a right of withdrawal exceptionally does exist (letter b), the withdrawal instructions set out below take precedence; the flat-rate cancellation charges under § 7 then do not apply.

b) When there is a right of withdrawal

  1. A right of withdrawal exists where a consumer concludes a contract at a distance or off our business premises that provides for no specific date or period of performance. This concerns in particular:
    • gift vouchers and credit balances without a fixed journey date,
    • service quotas and framework agreements without a specific commitment to a date,
    • additional and advisory services not tied to a date.
  2. The withdrawal instructions set out below apply to these cases.

Withdrawal instructions

Right of withdrawal

You have the right to withdraw from this contract within fourteen days without giving any reason. The withdrawal period is fourteen days from the day of the conclusion of the contract.

To exercise your right of withdrawal, you must inform us – VothLine, owner Larissa Voth, Echternacher Straße 14, 52351 Düren, telephone +49 178 4147808, email info@gentleman-swisscar.com – of your decision to withdraw from this contract by an unequivocal statement (for example a letter sent by post or an email). You may use the model withdrawal form set out below, but it is not obligatory.

To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired.

Effects of withdrawal

If you withdraw from this contract, we shall reimburse to you all payments received from you without undue delay and in any event not later than fourteen days from the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract. We will carry out such reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.

If you requested that the services should begin during the withdrawal period, you shall pay us an amount which is in proportion to what has been provided until you have communicated to us your withdrawal from this contract, in comparison with the full coverage of the contract.

End of the withdrawal instructions

Model withdrawal form

(If you wish to withdraw from the contract, please complete this form and send it back.)

To VothLine, owner Larissa Voth, Echternacher Straße 14, 52351 Düren, email: info@gentleman-swisscar.com

  • I/We (*) hereby give notice that I/we (*) withdraw from my/our contract for the sale of the following goods (*) / for the provision of the following service (*)
  • Ordered on (*) / received on (*)
  • Name of consumer(s)
  • Address of consumer(s)
  • Signature of consumer(s) (only if this form is notified on paper)
  • Date

(*) Delete as appropriate.

§ 13 Warranty, notification of defects and dispute resolution

  1. The statutory provisions on the customer’s rights in the event of defects apply.
  2. The customer is asked to report complaints as promptly as possible – where feasible while the service is still being provided, to the driver or on our telephone number – so that we can put matters right. A failure to make such a report leaves the consumer’s statutory rights unaffected.
  3. Our customer service for questions and complaints can be reached on working days from 8:00 to 17:00 on the telephone number +49 178 4147808 and at any time at info@gentleman-swisscar.com.
  4. Online dispute resolution. The European Commission’s online dispute resolution platform was discontinued on 20 July 2025 and is no longer available.
  5. Consumer arbitration. We are neither willing nor obliged to take part in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board.

§ 14 Data protection

  1. We process the customer’s personal data exclusively within the framework of the statutory provisions. Details of the nature, scope, purpose and legal basis of the processing, and of the rights of data subjects, are set out in our privacy policy.
  2. In order to carry out the assignment, we pass on the necessary data to the drivers, security operatives, partner companies and payment service providers deployed.

§ 15 Final provisions

  1. Applicable law. All legal relations between the provider and the customer are governed exclusively by the law of the Federal Republic of Germany, to the exclusion of the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG). In the case of consumers, this choice of law applies only in so far as it does not deprive them of the protection afforded by the mandatory provisions of the law of the state in which the consumer has their habitual residence.
  2. Place of jurisdiction. If the customer is a merchant, a legal person under public law or a special fund under public law, the exclusive place of jurisdiction for all disputes arising from this contract is Düren. The same applies if the customer has no general place of jurisdiction in Germany or if their domicile or habitual residence is unknown at the time proceedings are brought. In relation to consumers, the statutory places of jurisdiction apply; the right to bring proceedings before a court at another statutory place of jurisdiction remains unaffected.
  3. The place of performance is Düren, unless the nature of the service requires a different place.
  4. Text form. Where these GTC require text form, transmission by email is sufficient.
  5. Changes to these GTC. The version transmitted at the time the contract was concluded always applies to a contract already concluded. Changes to these GTC have no retroactive effect on existing contracts.
  6. Severability clause. Should individual provisions of these GTC be or become wholly or partly invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions remains unaffected. The statutory provisions take the place of the invalid provision.