Terms and conditions

1. Identity and services

ELYSIA is the trading name of Stéphane Daniel ROCHE EI, sole trader, SIREN 484 064 522, SIRET 484 064 522 00051, registered in the French National Business Register, established at 173 boulevard Marcel Pagnol, 06700 Saint-Laurent-du-Var, France, and entered in the register of chauffeur-driven car (VTC) operators under number EVTC 006 26 018 001.

Contact: +33 7 49 41 69 91 — contact@elysia-vtc.com.

These terms apply to consumer clients who book a private journey with a chauffeur or a chauffeur at their disposal with ELYSIA. Services ordered for professional purposes and centralised invoicing are subject to specific terms agreed in writing.

The service includes the services described in the accepted summary. International journeys, concierge purchases and special requests require prior confirmation of their feasibility and price.

2. Booking and confirmation

Booking is open to everyone. The client gives the places, date, time and information needed to organise the transport. Comfort preferences are optional. The client checks their details and the characteristics of the journey before sending the request.

ELYSIA checks availability and gives the price to the client in writing. The client can review the details of the service, correct any errors before sending and accept the price proposed. The initial request is not a confirmed booking.

Before confirmation, a request may only be refused for a legitimate reason, in particular genuine unavailability, insufficient transport capacity or the impossibility of performing it in accordance with regulations and safety. Manual validation allows neither discriminatory refusal nor arbitrary cancellation of a confirmed booking. Membership of the Circle is not a condition for booking a journey.

Once the price is accepted, the client receives a link to pay 10 % earnest money. The booking becomes final on receipt of the earnest money and dispatch of the ELYSIA confirmation. The payment deadline and the validity of the offer appear in the summary. An expired offer requires availability to be checked again. A payment received when the booking cannot be confirmed is refunded.

The confirmation sets out the journey or hourly programme, the meeting point, the services chosen, the price and the payment terms. It is provided with the accepted terms on a medium the client can keep. The applicable version is the one accepted at the time of booking; later changes do not apply retroactively.

Before committing to pay, the client is informed of the essential characteristics of the service, the total price, the earnest money and the cancellation terms. The client is informed that the 10 % payment constitutes earnest money (arrhes), deducted from the fare, refunded in full if the cancellation is received at least twenty-four hours before pickup and kept by ELYSIA if it is received later. The client states acceptance of these terms and explicitly confirms the obligation to pay. Merely consulting the website, a price or the terms and conditions does not constitute that acceptance.

3. Prices

Prices are in euros. ELYSIA benefits from the VAT franchise: VAT not applicable, article 293 B of the French Tax Code. The total price due is given before the client commits.

Point-to-point journey: €1.80 per kilometre, with a minimum of €20. Motorway tolls on the route and any paid options chosen are added to this base and included in the total shown. The chauffeur’s empty return is not added automatically.

Chauffeur at your disposal: €60 per hour booked, with 40 km included per hour, pooled over the booking. A four-hour booking therefore includes 160 km. Additional kilometres are charged at €1 per kilometre, on the basis of the distance actually driven and verifiable. Tolls and agreed options are set out in the summary.

Airport pick-up: an airport service of €15 is included in the total price given before acceptance. It covers the planned welcome, up to one hour of waiting under the conditions of article 7 and a name board on request.

The accepted price applies to the agreed programme. Ordinary slowdowns do not increase the price of a journey sold at a fixed price. A change of destination, an additional stop or an extension requested by the client requires ELYSIA’s agreement and prior acceptance of its effect on the price. The same service or period may not be invoiced twice.

4. Comfort and options

A drink of your choice — still water, sparkling water or a soft drink — is offered. Music preferences, temperature and the level of conversation wished for are taken into account as far as is compatible with safety and the equipment available. Not selecting a preference does not prevent booking.

A baby seat or booster seat is provided free of charge when requested and confirmed. Bulky equipment and luggage must be mentioned so that a suitable vehicle can be chosen.

Paid concierge purchases or attentions require agreement on their content and price before any commitment.

5. Earnest money, payment and invoice

The earnest money (arrhes) represents 10 % of the total price accepted and is deducted from the price of the service.

The parties expressly agree that this payment constitutes earnest money (arrhes), with the right to withdraw and the consequences set out in articles 6 and 13, and not a deposit making the whole price payable in the event of the client’s simple withdrawal. It is refunded in full if the client’s cancellation is received at least twenty-four hours before the scheduled pickup time, and kept by ELYSIA if it is received less than twenty-four hours before.

The balance is paid at the end of the journey or of the time at your disposal, directly to the chauffeur, by bank card on the Stancer payment terminal or in cash in euros within the legal limits. Earnest money already paid and applicable reductions are deducted from the amount payable. The only extras due are those agreed or calculated according to the terms previously accepted.

A payment on board does not give rise to a second online charge. No additional sum is debited without proper grounds and authorisation. Monthly invoicing or any other payment schedule requires written agreement; admission to the Circle does not automatically open a credit facility.

An invoice is issued after the service and sent by ELYSIA to the client’s email address. The client gives accurate invoicing details. A later change of profile does not rewrite an invoice already issued; corrections are handled according to the applicable invoicing rules.

The invoice shows payment only for sums actually received. The transport voucher (bon de transport) proves the prior booking and does not replace the invoice.

6. Cancellation and changes by the client

The client contacts ELYSIA by email or telephone to request a change or a cancellation. A request made by telephone is confirmed in writing. The cancellation takes effect on receipt, without being delayed merely because of ELYSIA’s response time.

If the client withdraws from a confirmed booking, what happens to the earnest money depends on when the cancellation is received, relative to the scheduled pickup time:

• cancellation received at least twenty-four hours before pickup: the earnest money is refunded in full;
• cancellation received less than twenty-four hours before pickup: the earnest money is kept by ELYSIA.

In both cases, any other advance corresponding to transport not provided is refunded. No additional penalty is applied for that same withdrawal. This rule does not reduce the client’s rights where the cancellation results from a failure by ELYSIA or where a mandatory rule requires another solution.

A postponement depends on availability and agreement on the new terms. The information and preferences of a request already sent cannot be changed directly on the website: the client contacts ELYSIA, which sets out the accepted changes and any effect on the price.

7. Meeting point, waiting and client no-show

The client comes to the agreed meeting point and remains reachable on the number given. The client informs ELYSIA of any changes of flight, train, terminal or programme they are aware of.

Outside the airport, stations included: fifteen minutes of waiting are included in the price. The time starts at the meeting time, or at the chauffeur’s actual arrival if later. An early arrival by the chauffeur does not start the waiting time before the meeting time.

Beyond fifteen minutes, actual waiting is charged at €1 per minute, pro rata to the time elapsed and rounded to the cent, up to €15. If the client has not appeared after thirty minutes, the chauffeur records the no-show after trying to reach them and ELYSIA cancels the journey. The earnest money is kept and the additional minutes actually provided are charged separately, within that €15 limit. The transport not provided is not charged in full. No automatic debit of these charges is made without proper authorisation.

This rule assumes an absence attributable to the client. The charges correspond only to waiting actually provided under the accepted terms; they are not a second cancellation penalty. In the event of a dispute, ELYSIA provides the information available on the arrival at the agreed point, the time spent there and the attempts to make contact. The client may provide any evidence to the contrary. A difficulty attributable to ELYSIA, or a situation governed by a mandatory rule, is handled according to the applicable rights, without the earnest money being kept automatically.

A delay by the chauffeur, a location error attributable to them, or a period already included in an hourly booking is not charged a second time as waiting. A meeting time changed by mutual agreement becomes the new reference.

At the airport: the chauffeur follows the flight with professional tools and adjusts the pick-up in the event of a delay or early arrival, at no extra cost for that change of time alone. The client does not need to request this adjustment for a correctly given flight. The practical details of the meeting point are sent to the client.

The first sixty minutes of waiting from the actual landing time are included in the price. The flight’s delay before landing does not use up this allowance. Beyond it, continued waiting is offered at €1 per minute, with the client’s agreement. The chauffeur’s own absence cannot generate waiting charges for the client. The cancellation procedure after thirty minutes outside the airport does not apply to airport pick-ups.

If the flight is cancelled, diverted or significantly postponed, ELYSIA contacts the client to agree on a suitable solution. A new programme or price requires the client’s agreement; the rights arising from the initial booking are preserved.

8. The ELYSIA guarantee

Your time is precious. We commit to every minute.

Your ELYSIA-certified chauffeur is in place ten minutes before the agreed meeting time, at the pick-up point given or at the authorised point expressly agreed where access is regulated.

A pick-up delay of strictly more than ten minutes attributable to ELYSIA entitles the client to:

• a 10 % reduction on the transport price excluding tolls and options, capped at €30;
• a €10 privilege credit, valid for six months from its award, for a future ELYSIA service.

The delay is assessed against the confirmed meeting time, readjusted where applicable to follow the flight. The aim of being present ten minutes before the meeting time does not change this threshold. The founder checks the facts and applies the gesture without the client needing to take any step; the client remains free to make observations.

The reduction is calculated on the transport price after discounts already agreed, including the airport service if it is part of that price, excluding waiting charges. It is deducted from the balance remaining due, or refunded if the balance has already been paid. The credit is presented to the client with its expiry date; it is added to the reduction and does not replace it.

If the service is not provided, the cancellation or non-performance rules apply. This commercial gesture does not replace any refunds due and does not deprive the client of their other legal rights.

9. Chauffeur, vehicle and performance

ELYSIA carries on a professional VTC transport business. Journeys are carried out with the necessary qualifications, authorisations and insurance. The term “ELYSIA-certified chauffeur” refers to the brand’s selection and service requirements; it does not replace the professional VTC licence.

A replacement chauffeur or vehicle may be offered, in keeping with the agreed characteristics. Any substantial change is brought to the client’s attention and requires their agreement. Using a partner does not release ELYSIA from its contractual obligations.

Before confirmation, the client mentions any known connection constraints: flight or train time, terminal or station, and check-in or boarding deadline where known. ELYSIA takes into account the information given, reasonably foreseeable traffic and the necessary margins to agree the meeting time. If the time requested does not allow reasonable organisation, ELYSIA proposes an earlier departure or declines the request for that reason. The chauffeur complies with traffic and safety rules at all times.

This information does not transfer to the client responsibility for the professional preparation of the journey. Its absence or inaccuracy does not automatically rule out all liability on the part of ELYSIA: the consequences are assessed according to their actual effect on performance and on the damage.

A change agreed directly with a chauffeur working for ELYSIA is passed on to ELYSIA to update the booking. This arrangement does not deprive the client of rights resulting from commitments made by a person authorised to represent ELYSIA. The client remains free to choose their provider for future bookings.

10. Safety and behaviour on board

Passengers respect the chauffeur, the vehicle, other people and safety instructions, in particular wearing seat belts and using equipment suitable for children.

For everyone’s safety, passengers refrain from any behaviour likely to dangerously distract the chauffeur or hinder driving: shouting, sudden gestures towards the chauffeur, blocking their view, touching the controls or insistent requests during a manoeuvre. They do not ask the chauffeur to handle a telephone, read a document while driving or break the Highway Code.

Courteous conversation remains possible. The chauffeur may ask to pause a conversation for a moment, or stop in a safe place to deal with a request. Reporting an emergency or a safety need is always possible. These rules do not transfer to the passenger the professional’s responsibility for driving.

Real danger, violence, threats or persistent refusal to follow a safety instruction may justify interrupting the journey in a safe place, with recourse to the emergency services if necessary. The financial consequences are assessed according to the facts and the applicable rules; no automatic forfeiture of all sums is provided for.

11. Luggage, children and animals

The client states the number of passengers and any luggage or special equipment. ELYSIA confirms the vehicle’s capacity and the equipment requested. No journey exceeding the authorised capacity or preventing safe loading can be carried out.

Luggage entrusted to the chauffeur is covered by insurance under the conditions and limits of the policies taken out for the business. Fragile items or items requiring special handling are mentioned before pick-up. In the event of loss or damage, the client informs ELYSIA and provides the information needed to handle the claim. The insurance ceilings or exclusions do not in themselves limit the client’s rights against ELYSIA.

The client states the needs relevant to choosing a suitable child seat. Confirmed equipment is provided in accordance with the booking and safety rules.

Pets are mentioned so that their transport can be organised. The rules applicable to guide and assistance dogs are respected; they are not treated as an ordinary paid option.

12. Damage and exceptional cleaning

Damage attributable to passengers, or exceptional cleaning made necessary by their behaviour, may give rise to a justified claim for compensation. ELYSIA provides the evidence of the damage and the reasonable cost of restoration. The client may make observations.

Normal wear and tear remains ELYSIA’s responsibility. No arbitrary flat fee and no unilateral debit without proper grounds and authorisation is applied.

13. Cancellation by ELYSIA

In the event of difficulty in performing the service, ELYSIA informs the client and seeks a suitable solution. A replacement that substantially changes the service requires the client’s agreement.

Where ELYSIA cancels the booking by exercising its right to withdraw, the earnest money is refunded twice over. Other advances corresponding to the service not provided are refunded in addition.

Thus, for €20 of earnest money paid, ELYSIA’s withdrawal results in the refund of €40 in respect of the earnest money, plus any balance already paid for the transport not provided. A refund due cannot be replaced by a credit without the client’s agreement.

Situations of force majeure or non-performance falling under another regime are handled according to the rules applicable to them, without reducing the consumer’s mandatory rights.

14. Insurance, accidents and liability

ELYSIA holds professional third-party liability insurance for its business and the insurance required for the professional transport of passengers. Luggage is covered under the conditions of article 11.

In the event of an accident, the chauffeur’s priority is the passengers’ safety, and the chauffeur calls the emergency services when the situation requires. ELYSIA calls on its insurer’s assistance service to organise, where necessary and according to the cover taken out, the repatriation of passengers and the handling of the vehicle, in particular towing or repatriation.

How assistance is provided depends on the circumstances and the terms of the assistance contract. ELYSIA remains the client’s contact for organising the rest of their journey and following up their claim. The insurer’s involvement does not leave the client to resolve the problem alone and does not remove ELYSIA’s obligations.

Each party is liable for its own failures under the applicable rules. The client keeps their rights to compensation; an excess, ceiling or exclusion in the insurance contract does not automatically reduce ELYSIA’s legal liability. The punctuality guarantees do not replace compensation for recoverable loss.

For a delay, a missed connection or other contractual damage, the claim is examined according to the failure, the recoverable loss and its link with the non-performance. Under articles 1231-3 and 1231-4 of the French Civil Code, compensation covers the immediate and direct consequences of the non-performance and the damage foreseen or foreseeable when the contract was concluded, subject to the legal exceptions, in particular in the event of gross or wilful misconduct. The client provides the relevant supporting evidence, without reversing the legal burden of proof. A missed flight is neither automatically compensated nor automatically excluded from any compensation.

No general ceiling equal to the price of the journey is applied to the consumer to limit the compensation legally due. The ceiling of the commercial gesture in article 8 is not a liability ceiling. Rights arising from mandatory rules, in particular for personal injury, are fully preserved.

Under article 1218 of the French Civil Code, force majeure means an event beyond the control of the party required to perform, which could not reasonably have been foreseen when the contract was concluded and whose effects could not be avoided by appropriate measures, preventing performance of its obligation. Ordinary traffic jams, an announced demonstration, a breakdown or an organisational difficulty are not, merely by occurring, cases of force majeure. Each situation is assessed on its facts.

The party prevented from performing informs the other as soon as possible and takes appropriate measures to limit the consequences. A temporary impediment suspends performance, unless the delay justifies termination of the contract, in particular where the journey has lost its purpose in view of the booking. A permanent impediment has the consequences provided for by law. Where the transport cannot be provided and the contract is terminated for force majeure, the sums corresponding to services not provided are refunded; the doubling of the earnest money specific to ELYSIA’s voluntary withdrawal does not apply on that ground alone, subject to the client’s mandatory rights.

15. Loyalty, the ELYSIA Circle and tailored offers

Your loyalty rewarded. After five honoured bookings, corresponding to five journeys actually completed and totalling at least €250, the client receives a 15 % discount on the transport price of their sixth journey. The €250 threshold applies to the combined amount of the five journeys, not to each of them. Cancelled bookings and client no-shows are not completed journeys.

The discount applies only to the transport part of the sixth journey, excluding tolls and options. It is granted once, for that sixth journey, and is not a discount programme renewed every six journeys. The price summary shows the discount and the final amount before the client accepts them. The 10 % earnest money is calculated on that final amount, after the discount.

A personal invitation to the ELYSIA Circle. After the sixth journey actually completed, the founder may offer the client to join the ELYSIA Circle. This new threshold replaces the previous ten-journey threshold. Admission remains personal and subject to the founder’s approval; it is not automatic. The loyalty discount does not depend on admission to the Circle. An admitted member receives a personal number and a card in their space.

The Circle is a benefits programme linked to the relationship with ELYSIA. Admission is assessed on objective criteria: journeys actually completed, compliance with payment commitments and safety rules, and no established fraud or abuse. Decisions on admission, suspension or removal are never based on a discriminatory criterion. A complaint made in good faith, or the exercise of a right, does not in itself justify an unfavourable decision. The client may ask the founder for the reason for a decision and for it to be reviewed.

Once admitted to the ELYSIA Circle, the client may benefit from other personalised offers and attentions proposed by ELYSIA. These benefits are separate from the one-off 15 % discount on the sixth journey: that discount does not renew. Each offer or attention is presented with its own conditions and any period of validity. The membership number is neither a means of payment nor a right of access to another person’s account. Documented abuse may lead to proportionate measures after notice and an opportunity to explain, except in a safety emergency. Confirmed bookings and legal rights are preserved.

Not being admitted, or the end of membership, does not in itself mean being barred from booking a journey. Booking remains subject to availability and to the legitimate grounds described in article 2. Circle priority does not guarantee unlimited availability and does not allow a journey already confirmed for another client to be cancelled.

After a first confirmed booking, the client may ask for a tailored offer by giving the name of the client who recommended them. The founder checks the recommendation and decides on any price gesture. The request does not lead to an automatic reduction and does not change a price already accepted.

16. Withdrawal, complaints and mediation

Passenger transport does not benefit from the general fourteen-day withdrawal period applicable to certain distance contracts, in accordance with article L221-2, 9° of the French Consumer Code. Cancellations are governed by these terms and the applicable mandatory rights. A purchase separate from the transport remains subject to its own rules.

Any complaint may be sent to contact@elysia-vtc.com or to the business address given in article 1, with the booking reference and the relevant information. Prompt reporting makes handling easier, without making the client’s legal rights subject to an excessively short deadline.

After a prior written complaint that has not been satisfactorily resolved, the consumer may refer the dispute free of charge to the competent consumer mediation scheme, under the applicable admissibility conditions and in particular within one year of their written complaint. Mediation does not prevent recourse to the competent court.

The scheme chosen is the Centre de la Médiation de la Consommation des Conciliateurs de Justice (CM2C), 49 rue de Ponthieu, 75008 Paris, France, website https://www.cm2c.net. ELYSIA’s membership is not yet effective. These details are given for information; they do not announce an agreement already concluded. Access to the scheme on behalf of ELYSIA will be confirmed once membership is finalised.

17. Personal data and evidence

The client reports any suspicious use of their identity or contact details. Confirmations, accepted prices, payments and exchanges are items of evidence assessed under the legal conditions; ELYSIA’s records alone are not binding on the client beyond dispute.

The client provides a valid email address for confirmations and contractual documents and a telephone number allowing the exchanges needed for the pick-up. The website must not be used for identity theft, fraudulent booking or access to other people’s data. A protective measure is proportionate to the risk identified; ELYSIA informs the person concerned and allows a review, except where a restriction is necessary for security or required by law. It does not cancel confirmed bookings or applicable refund obligations.

Data is used for the preparation and performance of the transport, invoicing, management of the Circle and compliance with professional obligations. The privacy policy sets out the purposes, recipients, retention periods and rights. Accepting the terms and conditions does not constitute general consent to marketing.

The client may exercise their data rights with contact@elysia-vtc.com. Not being able to change a request directly does not remove the rights of access, rectification or erasure under their legal conditions. Documents that must be kept for a legal obligation or a dispute remain archived for those purposes only.

Unavailability of the website or the absence of a notification does not remove the commitments of a confirmed booking. The client can contact ELYSIA by telephone or email.

Access to the website and to the Circle does not transfer any of the rights protecting ELYSIA’s content, name, logo or graphic elements. Their unauthorised commercial reuse is prohibited to the extent of the rights actually held, subject to uses permitted by law. This provision does not restrict the client’s right to keep their documents, produce evidence or express a lawful opinion about the service.

18. Governing law

The contract is governed by French law, subject to the mandatory rules protecting the consumer, in particular in cross-border situations. Disputes fall within the jurisdiction of the competent courts under the legal rules.

If a provision is declared inapplicable, the others remain applicable insofar as the contract can continue. These terms do not deprive the consumer of any mandatory right.