British Council English online courses Service – Terms and Conditions

Introduction

These Terms apply to your use of the British Council English online courses Service Website (as defined below), including the Flexible online course, IELTS Coach online, the Self-Study course, the Fixed online course, English for Work, and Closed Groups, By signing up or using any British Council English online courses Service, including all associated features and functionalities, as well as all digital content and software applications associated with our services, you are entering into a binding contract with the British Council.

Please read these Terms carefully before you use the British Council English online courses Service. By clicking “Agree and continue” to the terms and conditions of use before using the British Council English online courses Service, you are confirming that you agree to be bound by these Terms.

If you do not accept these Terms, you may not use the British Council English online courses Service or access any classes.

These Terms are structured in the following parts:

Part	Title	Description
Part 1	General Terms and Conditions	These terms apply to all users.
Part 2	Direct Purchase Terms and Conditions	These Terms apply to users who have purchased a British Council English online courses Service directly from the British Council English online courses Service Website and/or users which have received a course Voucher from a third party
Part 3	Terms and Conditions applicable where purchases made by a British Council Client	These Terms apply to users whose British Council English online courses Service has been purchased for them by a British Council Client (as defined in Part 3 below), which has signed a relevant contract with the British Council or its group companies.
Part 4	Location Specific Terms and Conditions	These are specific terms (if any) that apply to Part 2 users in the location in which you are normally resident. These terms take precedence over the General Terms and Conditions.

Part 1 – General Terms and Conditions

Please be aware Location Specific Terms and Conditions may apply to this Contract in the location in which you are normally resident. If so, they will be set out in Part 4 and any General Terms which conflict with the Location Specific Terms and Conditions will not apply to the extent they are limited by the Location Specific Terms and Conditions.

 

1. Definitions

British Council means the British Council, incorporated in England and Wales by Royal Charter and registered as a charity (under number 209131 in England and Wales and number SC03773 in Scotland), whose registered office is at 1 Redman Place, Stratford, London, E20 1JQ.

Cancellation Period means the cancellation period for British Council English online courses Service described in clause 20 and / or clause 21 (as applicable) of the Direct Purchase Terms and Conditions.

Content means any material from classes delivered online or other digital content or material that is made available through the British Council English online courses Service (whether real time content or self-access).

Contract means the legally binding contract between you and the British Council on these Terms.

Direct Purchase Terms and Conditions means the terms set out in Part 2 of these Terms.

British Council English online courses Service means any services provided on the British Council English online courses Service Website, including all live classes, associated features and functionalities, as well as all content and software applications associated with the services.

British Council English online courses Service Website means the website with the URL https://englishonline.britishcouncil.org/ as at the date that these Terms are agreed to.

Fixed online course means a course with a set duration (based on the option you select at purchase), where classes are fixed on the same day and time each week, with the same teacher (unless changed in accordance with Part 1 clause 5.5 below).

General Terms and Conditions means the terms set out in Part 1 of these Terms.

Location Specific Terms and Conditions means the terms (if any) set out in Part 4 of these Terms and which set out any additional local law variations to the General Terms and Conditions.

Order Confirmation means an order confirmation emailed to you in accordance with clause 15.2 of the Direct Purchase Terms and Conditions.

Payment Processor means the British Council’s third-party payment gateway provider for the British Council English online courses Service. Subscription means a subscription to access any British Council English online courses Service.

Subscription Plan means the particular type of Subscription that you choose to purchase, including the plans Silver, Gold and Platinum available for the Flexible online English course, which determines how many live classes you can join each month. In case of the Self-Study course, Subscription Plan means monthly access or a prescribed number of live classes per month.  Details of each plan is further described at the point a purchase is made.

Package means a particular type of access defined by a one-off payment and includes a Fixed Online course.

Terms means these terms and conditions of use (including the introduction, these General Terms and Conditions, the Direct Purchase Terms and Conditions, the Terms and Conditions applicable where purchases are made by a British Council Client set out in Part 3 and the Location Specific Terms and Conditions) and any other documents referred to in them.

Trial means a trial by you of a Plan for a specified period without payment or at a reduced rate.

Voucher means a voucher or access code to access the British Council English online courses Service.

we, us, our means the British Council.

you means the person agreeing to these Terms.

Your Content means any content created, developed or in any way added on or to the British Council English online courses by you or through your password-protected account, such as during a class or any other part of British Council English online courses.

 

2. How the Contract is formed

Your acceptance of these Terms constitutes a legally binding contract between you and the British Council.

 

3. Your obligations when using the British Council English online courses Service – Student Code of Conduct

All students enrolled in British Council English online courses must accept and adhere to the Student Code of Conduct, set out below. By adhering to these guidelines, students can contribute to a positive, inclusive, and productive learning environment. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in the withdrawal of course access without reimbursement.

As the British Council English online courses Service and the Content will be provided through a third-party web browser (such as Microsoft Edge, Chrome or Firefox) you should also read the terms of use and privacy policy that apply to your use of that web browser.

3.1 Age Requirement: Only individuals aged 18 years or above are permitted to enrol in and access the British Council English online courses Service.  

3.2 Identification and Punctuality: Students are required to join Zoom classes using their full name (first name + surname) as registered. Punctuality is essential; students should join classes on time from a quiet and appropriate environment conducive to learning.

3.3 Single Device Usage and Internet Connectivity: Each student must utilise only one device at a time to access Zoom and ensure a stable Internet connection throughout the duration of the class. Students are strictly prohibited from sharing accounts or providing access to the British Council English online courses Service to any other individual or legal entity. British Council English online courses accounts are linked to your individual details, ensuring a unique and personalised experience tailored to your learning needs.  You are responsible for ensuring you have in place all hardware, software, and telecommunications necessary to access and use the British Council English online courses Service and will be responsible for all related charges, including the fees of internet service providers.

3.4 Appropriate Workspace and Attire: While we understand that finding an ideal space may pose challenges, please try to find a quiet, professional space where you can join the class. If your only option is not as professional as you would like, blur your background or use a Zoom background to maintain your privacy and professionalism. Your attire should be appropriate and non-offensive, ensuring it is suitable for a professional learning environment. Additionally, please be mindful that children should not appear onscreen during class to safeguard their own protection. If a child is visible, the teacher may need to remove you from the session.

3.5 Camera and Microphone Usage and Active Participation: Keeping your camera on during classes is mandatory to foster engagement, facilitate active participation, and enhance the learning experience. Students should also have a microphone and should unmute themselves whenever the teacher asks them to do so. In the event of technical difficulties preventing camera or microphone usage, students must promptly inform the teacher and provide a reason for the inability to comply. We understand that there may be exceptions, such as religious circumstances, where certain students cannot have their cameras on, and we respect these considerations. No other exceptions will be made without good reason.

3.6 Respectful Behaviour: Students must refrain from engaging in activities unrelated to the learning objectives, such smoking, eating, or any other activity that could be distracting for others. Additionally, always conduct yourself in a professional manner, both in communication with teachers and classmates. Use appropriate language and tone in written and verbal communication and demonstrate courtesy and respect in all interactions. Please refrain from using the chat for conversations and topics outside the scope of the class and, as a rule, raise your hand and wait to be invited to speak by the teacher unless other discussion norms have been outlined at the beginning of the class.

3.7 Cultural Sensitivity and Respect for Diversity: Given the diverse nature of our student body at British Council English online courses Service, it is imperative to respect and be mindful of different cultures, religions, ethnic backgrounds, opinions, and experiences present in the virtual classroom. Acknowledge and respect this diversity, avoiding derogatory comments or engaging in behaviours that may be discriminatory or offensive to others based on factors such as race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or socioeconomic status. We do not tolerate bullying or harassment. It is strictly prohibited to abuse, harass, threaten, impersonate or intimidate any other users of the British Council English online courses Service. It is strictly prohibited to use the British Council English online courses Service in any way that prevents, disrupts or interferes with any other person’s use of the same service.

3.8 Online Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct: We are committed to providing a safe and respectful online learning environment for all participants. We have a zero-tolerance policy towards online sexual harassment and sexual misconduct during our classes. Harassment includes unwanted conduct that violates a person’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive online environment, whether verbal, psychological, or through other digital means. Unacceptable behaviours include making sexually offensive comments, engaging in harassment based on sexuality, making unwanted remarks based on sex, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, and perpetuating sexual stereotypes about sexual and gender minorities. Sexual misconduct includes sharing private sexual materials online, posting sexual images, making lewd or sexual gestures while on-camera, and making sexual advances towards a classmate.

3.9 Confidentiality: Respect the privacy and confidentiality of fellow students and teachers at British Council English online courses Service. Refrain from sharing personal information or class-related discussions outside of the designated learning environment without explicit consent. Disclaimer: The opinions and messages posted by students using the British Council English online courses Service do not reflect and are not representative of the views of the British Council or its teachers, employees, affiliates, suppliers, or partners. The British Council is not responsible for the content of messages published by students to other students they have identified through the British Council English online courses Service.

3.10 Content Sharing: You should not take pictures of or record classes or copy our products in any form. It’s strictly prohibited to:

(a) upload or display any comments or materials through your participation in the British Council English online courses Service which are false, offensive, sexually explicit, defamatory, threatening, obscene or unlawful or which infringe intellectual property rights;

(b) probe, scan or test the vulnerability of the British Council English online courses Service or attempt to circumvent or hack any user authentication or security controls in respect of the British Council English online courses Service;

(c) reverse compile, disassemble, reverse engineer, decompile, copy, duplicate, modify or adapt any software or other code or scripts forming part of the British Council English online courses Service (except to the extent permitted by law) or attempt to transmit to or via the British Council English online courses Service, any information that contains a virus, worm, Trojan horse or other harmful or disruptive component;

(d) change, modify, delete, interfere with or misuse any files or other data created, owned or provided by the British Council or any third party provided as part of the British Council English online courses Service (except as expressly permitted under these Terms);

(e) use the British Council English online courses Service in contravention of any applicable law.

How to Report a Violation of the Student Code of Conduct? Please contact support.englishonline@britishcouncil.org if you wish to report a violation of the Student Code of Conduct. Any student, staff member, or community member may report an alleged incident.

 

4. Technology limitations and modifications to the British Council English online courses Service

4.1 The British Council will use reasonable endeavours to make the British Council English online courses Service available at the date, time and in accordance with any other conditions agreed on your Order Confirmation as a result of direct purchase by you or purchase by another person on your behalf or at the time of signing a contract with the purchaser of this service. However, certain technical difficulties, maintenance or testing, or updates required to reflect changes in relevant laws and regulatory requirements, may, from time to time, result in temporary interruptions. The British Council does not and cannot warrant or guarantee that your use of the British Council English online courses Service will be uninterrupted or error-free. We are not responsible for any delays, delivery failures, or any other loss or damage resulting from the transfer of data over communications networks and facilities, including the internet, and you acknowledge that the British Council English online courses Service may be subject to limitations, delays, and other problems inherent in the use of such communications facilities.

4.2 The British Council may, from time to time, at its sole discretion and without prior notice to you, change, expand and improve the British Council English online courses Service. We may also, at any time, cease operating part or all of the British Council English online courses Service or selectively disable certain aspects or portions thereof or any Content. Any modifications or eliminations of the British Council English online courses Service or the Content are at the sole and absolute discretion of the British Council, and your use of the British Council English online courses Service does not entitle you to the continued provision or availability thereof.

4.3 You understand, agree, and accept that the British Council will make reasonable efforts, although it has no obligation to maintain, support, upgrade, or update the British Council English online courses Service or Content, or to provide all or any specific content through the British Council English online courses Service.

 

5. Cancellation of a class booked by the student using credits

5.1 Flexible online course and IELTS Coach online: If you cancel a booking more than 24 hours prior to the class, you will not lose the class credits used for that booking. If you cancel a booking within 24 hours of the class, the class credits will not be refunded. If you wish to cancel a class, you can do so via the Home page, where you can access “Your booked classes” on the dashboard.

5.2 English for Work and Self-Study courses: You can only cancel a booking more than 24 hours prior to the class. If you do so, you will be able to book the class again, but only within the same week of content (a week of content is Monday 00:00 UK time to Sunday 23:59 UK time). If you do not cancel more than 24 hours before the class, you will not be able to cancel your booking or attend the class at a different time in the assigned week.

5.3 If you are not enrolled in any of the aforementioned courses, please note that the option to cancel classes is not available. If your course has been purchased for you by your organisation, please note the relevant cancellation information in your introductory email.

5.4 If the class is cancelled by the British Council, any class credits you have used to book the class will be re-issued to you. For the Fixed Online Course, if we cancel a class, we will offer 2 class credits back, which can be used to book two group classes belonging to the Flexible Online English Course.

5.5 The British Council reserves the right to substitute the assigned teacher with an alternative teacher at any time, including before the course begins, to prevent the cancellation of a course or class if the assigned teacher becomes unavailable for any reason.

5.6 The British Council reserves the right to change any student from one group to another of the same level and timetable.

 

6. Cancellation of the Contract

6.1 This Contract will continue to apply to you until cancelled by either you or the British Council.

Cancellation by the British Council

6.2 The British Council may cancel this Contract or suspend your access to the British Council English online courses Service by giving you notice in writing (whether by email or otherwise) at any time if you breach these Terms in which case the British Council shall have no liability or responsibility to you, and the British Council will not refund any amounts that you have already paid for the relevant Plan period.

6.3 The British Council may also cancel the Contract or suspend your access to the British Council English online courses Service at any time, without liability to you if:

(a) the British Council is unable to provide the British Council English online courses Service in full due to a reason beyond its reasonable control; or

(b) the British Council withdraws part of or the whole of the British Council English online courses Service and/or the Content (in which case we shall provide you reasonable notice in advance of doing so).

Or

(c) The British Council reserves the right to cancel a Fixed online course group if the minimum requirement of four (4) students for the timetable and level is not met, providing that the group is cancelled before the start of the course.

6.4 If the British Council cancels the Contract under clause 6.3, you will be entitled to receive a full refund of the price paid for any unused class credits as at the time of cancellation.

 

7. Data protection

We will only use your personal information as set out in our privacy policy.  This includes the use of your information by our Payment Processor in order to verify and process your payments.

 

8. Equality, diversity and inclusion

The British Council’s work is based on building meaningful, enduring and respectful relationships across different cultures. We cannot do this without a strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. The British Council is committed to ensuring:

• our policies, strategies and procedures promote equality, value diversity and contribute to an inclusive learning environment;
• our student onboarding process and management of student accounts is anti-discriminatory;
• all stakeholders are treated with fairness, dignity and respect; and
• every effort is made to remove barriers and redress imbalances caused by inequality and unjustified discrimination.

8.1. The British Council focuses on six areas of diversity, aligned to those protected by UK equality legislation:

• age;
• disability;
• sex and gender;
• race/ethnicity and culture;
• religion and belief;
• sexual orientation.

Behaviour that contradicts our commitment to promoting equality and valuing diversity is not acceptable and may result in your account being suspended, and your access to the British Council English online courses Service terminated.

8.2 Access Requirements

If you have a disability, are neuro-divergent or have a health condition that might impact your participation in the British Council English online courses Service, we strongly encourage you to share your access requirements. This information is treated confidentially and is used to help us make any adjustments to our delivery that you may require.

Please contact us at support.englishonline@britishcouncil.org to discuss this further.

 

9. Safeguarding

In delivering the  British Council English online courses Service, we are fully committed to complying with the regulations set forth by the British Council regarding safeguarding, and to implementing the British Council Safeguarding global policy statement.

In order to achieve this objective effectively and to streamline communication concerning Safeguarding concerns or incidents, the British Council English online courses Service has a dedicated email address: safeguarding.englishonline@britishcouncil.org. All matters and concerns relating to safeguarding should be directed solely to this email inbox to ensure confidentiality in the handling of any safeguarding issues.

9.1 Private classes are recorded by the teacher unless the student does not give consent at the start of the class. Recordings are stored securely and are not able to be accessed subsequently by the teacher or student. Recordings of private classes are kept for 90 days for quality control purposes and in case of safeguarding disclosures. If a safeguarding disclosure is made, we will retrain the recording as long as is required to investigate.

 

10. Intellectual property

10.1 The British Council is the owner or the licensee of all intellectual property rights in the Content and in the design, structure, “look and feel” and the arrangement of the British Council English online courses Service. We grant you limited, non-exclusive, revocable permission to make use of the British Council English online courses Service for the purposes of your study and research, and limited, non-exclusive, revocable permission to make personal, non-commercial use of the Content for the purposes of your study and research (collectively, “Access”). This Access shall remain in effect until and unless this Contract is cancelled by you or the British Council. You agree that you are using the British Council English online courses and Content for your own personal, non-commercial use and that you will not redistribute or transfer the British Council English online courses Service or the Content.

10.2 You must not use the Content or material contained in the British Council English online courses Service for any other purpose without our prior written approval, including:

(a) for commercial purposes;

(b) republishing any of the Content on another website;

(c) modifying the Content in any way (unless permitted to do so on the relevant part of the British Council English online courses Service);

(d) using any illustrations, images, video or audio sequences or any graphics within British Council Content separately from any accompanying text; and

(e) removing any trademark, copyright or other proprietary notices contained in or appearing on any British Council English online courses Service product or any of the Content in whole or in part.

10.3 If you wish to make any use of British Council Content that is not authorised by these Terms, please contact us at support.englishonline@britishcouncil.org for permission explaining the purpose of use and full details of any the Content you wish to use.

 

11. The British Council’s liability to you

11.1 Nothing in these Terms shall limit or exclude the British Council’s liability for death and/or personal injury caused by the negligence of the British Council or any of their employees, agents or subcontractors, for fraudulent misrepresentation and any other liabilities which cannot as a matter of law be limited and/or excluded.

11.2 Subject to clause 11.1, the British Council does not accept responsibility and expressly excludes liability for any loss or damage to your property that occurs where the British Council is delivering the British Council English online courses Service.

11.3 Subject to clause 11.1, the British Council shall not under any circumstances whatsoever be liable to you (whether for breach of contract, negligence, breach of statutory duty or otherwise) for any:

(a) losses that were not foreseeable to both you and the British Council when the Contract was formed;

(b) losses that were not caused by any breach on the part of the British Council;

(c) loss of profit, loss of business, business interruption, loss of business opportunity, loss of anticipated savings, loss of contract, loss of use, loss or corruption of data or information, any special, indirect, consequential or pure economic loss, costs, damages charges or expenses or any punitive, exemplary or multiplied damages arising under or in connection with the Contract;

(d) loss or damage to the device you use to access the British Council English online courses Service caused by your failure to correctly follow installation instructions or to have in place the minimum system requirements advised by the British Council or which could have been avoided by following the British Council’s advice to apply an update offered to you free of charge.

11.4 Subject to clauses11.1, the British Council’s liability in connection with the Contract will be limited to the price paid for the Plan purchased under the Contract.

 

12. Failure to comply with these Terms

12.1 If the British Council believes that you have not complied with these Terms, the British Council may:

(a) refuse your further use of and/or access to the British Council English online courses Service; and/or

(b) delete your account; and/or

(c) remove and/or edit any or Your Content from the British Council English online courses Service platform.

 

13. Other important terms

13.1 The British Council may transfer the Contract (in whole or in part), or subcontract or delegate the delivery of British Council English online courses Service in any manner at its sole discretion to: (i) any separate entity controlled by the British Council or otherwise forms a part of the British Council group of entities; or (ii) any provider of outsourcing or third party services that is engaged under a service contract to provide services to the British Council.

13.2 The Contract is personal to you and so you cannot transfer any or all of your rights or obligations under these Terms to another person without the prior written consent of the British Council.

13.3 Other than as stated in clause 13.4 or as explicitly agreed upon in writing between you and the British Council, these Terms constitute the entire Contract between you and the British Council in relation to British Council English online courses and supersede any prior agreements in relation to the subject matter of the Contract, whether written or oral. To avoid any misunderstandings about the content of the Contract, please make sure that you ask for any changes, or additions, to the terms of the Contract be put in writing by a British Council representative.

13.4 Please note, however, that certain aspects of your use of the British Council English online courses Service may be governed by additional terms. That could include, for example, access to the English Service as a result of a free or discounted Trials, a promotional subscription, or together with other services. When you are presented with such an offer by the British Council, we will provide you with any related additional terms, and you may have an opportunity to agree to additional terms. To the extent that there is any irreconcilable conflict between any additional terms and these Terms, the additional terms shall prevail.

13.5 If the British Council does not insist immediately that you do anything you are required to do under these Terms, or if the British Council delays in taking steps against you in respect of you breaching this Contract, that will not mean that you do not have to do those things and it will not prevent the British Council taking steps against you at a later date.

13.6 These Terms may be varied by the British Council at any time without notice.

13.7 Each of the clauses of these Terms operates separately. If any court or relevant authority decides that any of them are unlawful or unenforceable, the remaining clauses will remain in full force and effect.

13.8 Subject to the Location Specific Terms and Conditions (Part 4) the laws of England and Wales apply to the Contract and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with the Contract or its subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims). For the avoidance of doubt, this Contract is deemed to have been formed in England unless the Location Specific Terms and Conditions state otherwise.

13.9 The British Council hopes to make your experience of dealing with the British Council an excellent one and welcomes your comments, suggestions and details of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. If you have any comments or complaints in relation to the Contract, please contact us at support.englishonline@britishcouncil.org.

13.10 If a complaint, dispute or claim is not successfully resolved through discussions between you and the British Council, the courts of England and Wales will have non-exclusive jurisdiction over any claim arising from, or related to, the Contract. This means that all claims relating to the Contract can be settled by a judge (or a number of judges) in an English court but you or the British Council may, alternatively, bring proceedings in your country of residence or any other relevant country.

13.11 The British Council may contact you or provide a notice referred to in this Contract through the British Council English online courses Service or by sending you an email to the nominated email address provided by you during the order process.

 

14. Contacting the British Council

If you have any questions, comments or enquiries about the Contract or British Council English online courses, please contact us at support.englishonline@britishcouncil.org.

 

Part 2 – Direct Purchase Terms and Conditions

The following additional terms and conditions are applicable to users who have purchased a British Council English online courses Service course directly from the British Council English online courses Service Website and/or users which have received a course Voucher from a third party

 

15. How the Contract is formed (direct purchases)

15.1 The pages of the British Council English online courses Service Website will guide you through the steps you need to take to purchase. The order process allows you to check and amend any errors before submitting your order.

15.2 Once the Payment Processor receives a legitimate payment into its designated bank account, your Order Confirmation will be emailed to you. When you receive your Order Confirmation, you will be able to access your dedicated British Council English online courses Service account straight away.

15.3 The Order Confirmation confirms the British Council’s acceptance of your order and the Contract will only be formed, and become legally binding, when the Order Confirmation is provided to you. If you have received a Voucher to use for class credits, the Contract will be formed and become legally binding when you redeem the Voucher for class credits.

 

16. How to pay

16.1 All prices offered for the British Council English online courses Service will be displayed during the order process. All prices quoted include applicable taxes and charges incurred by the British Council for use of debit or credit cards unless otherwise stated. You may incur additional charges for the use of debit or credit cards from your provider and those charges are in addition to the advertised price.

16.2 Payment can be made by credit or debit card, or e-wallet (or any other payment method permitted by the British Council English online courses Service such as Vouchers) as explained in the order process. In all cases the British Council treats payment as confirmation that you are the person authorised to use that credit card or debit card and that you are over the age of 18 years.

 

17. The British Council’s Payment Processor

17.1 Payments by credit or debit card are processed immediately via the Payment Processor over a secure link (unless you are making use of a Trial). No card details are held by the British Council.

 

18. Trials

18.1 From time to time, the British Council may offer Trials or other promotional memberships for Subscription Plans. The pages of British Council English online courses will set out the Subscription Plans that are eligible for a Trial and the duration of the Trial.

18.2 The British Council will require you to provide your payment details to start the Trial. By providing those details you agree that we may automatically begin charging you for the paid Subscription Plan on the first day following the end of the Trial on a recurring monthly basis or another interval that we have informed you of in advance.

18.3 If you do not want to continue with the paid Subscription Plan following your Trial, you must cancel the Plan before the end of the Trial. You may at any time during a Trial or promotional subscription choose not to convert or continue to a paid or non-promotional subscription as set out in these Terms and in the promotional membership terms. To exercise this option please select Account status and click on the Cancel subscription option before the end of the Trial period. The British Council will send you a reminder notice in advance of the end date of a Trial.

18.4 Trials are limited to one per user. You agree not to register for a Trial more than once e.g. through the use of alternative email addresses. We reserve the right to cancel your Trial and/or refuse your membership to a Plan if you attempt to make use of a free Trial more than once.

 

19. British Council English online courses Service options – Subscription Plans and Packages

19.1 You can find a description of our Service options on the British Council English online courses Service Website, and we will explain which options are available to you when you create an account. 

19.2 For Subscription Plans, you automatically receive a set of class credits each month upon payment. Class credits are used to book onto classes. The number of credits you receive will depend on the Subscription Plan you have signed up to.  The number of class credits required to book a class will be displayed on the British Council English online courses Service Website. You choose how to use your credits during each month, and you are responsible for using all your credits within their expiry date – 30 days from the date of payment. Any credits not booked before their expiry date will be lost and cannot be refunded.

 

19.3 For Packages, a one-off upfront payment grants you access to a specified teaching course or component of the British Council English online courses Service, to be accessed over a specific time period. The allotment of class credits or total study hours, as well as the duration of the course, is determined by the package you have purchased, and the relevant details shall be set out on the relevant course page on the British Council English online courses Service Website.

19.4 For class credits accessed by way of a Voucher, the purchaser of the Voucher selects the desired quantity of class credits upon purchase – the available options will be displayed on the relevant British Council English online courses Service Website. Vouchers must be redeemed before their expiry date, set at 12 months from the date of purchase, as indicated in the Order Confirmation. The recipient of the Voucher must redeem the Voucher within the timeframe above and all classes must be booked within a 30-day period, commencing on the date of Voucher redemption, at the end of which class credits will expire. Within the 30-day period, classes may be changed or cancelled in accordance with clause 5 above.  Vouchers are emailed to the purchaser and can be distributed at their discretion. The British Council assumes no liability for incorrect details provided during ordering, including email address errors. Each Voucher code is single-use and can be redeemed via the provided link on the relevant British Council English online courses Service Website.

 

20. Managing your Subscription Plan

Billing and renewal

20.1 If you have selected a Subscription Plan without a Trial, payment will be taken upon your placing your order for the Subscription Plan. Your payment to the British Council for any paid Subscription Plan will automatically continue and your payment will be taken on the same day and time each month for the length of your Subscription Plan.

20.2 At the end of your Subscription period, the Subscription Plan will renew automatically unless you cancel your paid Subscription Plan before the end of the relevant Subscription period using the Account Status page in accordance with clause 20.3. The cancellation will take effect the day after the last day of the relevant Subscription period.

20.3 In the event that your Subscription Plan is for a monthly Subscription, we will send you a reminder in advance of the date on which you become liable for a renewal payment at each sixth month of your Subscription Plan.

20.4 In the event your Subscription Plan is for an annual Subscription, we will send you two reminders in advance of the date on which you become liable for a renewal payment.   

20.5 Please note, that our systems may not process cancellation requests immediately. Therefore, if you decide to cancel your Subscription Plan in accordance with clause 20.2, in order to avoid the automatic renewal, we recommend that you cancel the Subscription Plan at least 48 hours before the next automatic billing date.

20.6 You will receive a receipt of payment each month via email for ongoing Subscription Plans.

20.7 The British Council may change the price for the paid Subscription Plans from time to time and will communicate any price changes to you in advance. Any changes in price will take effect at the start of the next Subscription Plan period following the date of the price change. Subject to applicable law, you accept the new price by continuing to use the British Council English online courses Service after the price change takes effect. If you do not agree with a price change, you have the right to reject the change by cancelling the paid Subscription Plan before the price change takes effect.

Updating billing details and payment

20.8 You can check your Subscription Plan details by logging into your British Council English online courses Service account and by clicking on your name in the top right-hand corner. You will see a drop-down menu with various options to choose from, including “Account status”.

20.9 If you wish to change your billing details and payment method, you can do so by clicking on “Change payment method”. New payment details will be stored by our Payment Processor and used to process subsequent payments.

Upgrading your Subscription Plan

20.10 If you wish to change the number of classes you attend each month, you will find the option to downgrade or upgrade your Subscription Plan on the Account status page in your profile settings and any change requested will take effect from the next billing date. Changing your Subscription Plan in this way will not affect any applicable discounts or interfere with your ability to attend classes booked previously.

Cancellation by you within the initial 14-day Cancellation Period

20.11 You may cancel a Subscription Plan (no Trial) and receive a full refund of the payment we have received from you if you cancel within the initial 14-days (Cancellation Period) of payment, for any reason (even if you change your mind).  Please note if, during the 14-day Cancellation Period, you have attended any class, you will not receive a refund if you cancel the Subscription Plan.

20.12 A Subscription Plan (Trial) may be cancelled without charge at any time during a Trial, After the end of the Trial (day 7), payment for the Subscription Plan will be taken and your class credits will be issued to you. You may then cancel the Subscription Plan for any reason within the initial 14-day Cancellation Period from the date payment for the Subscription Plan was taken. If you exercise this right to cancel without attending any class using your class credits, you will receive a full refund of the payment we have received from you. In the event you attend any class using such class credits, you will not receive a refund in the event of cancellation. Your Subscription Plan cancellation will take effect from the end of the current billing period.

20.13 In the event your Subscription Plan is for an annual Subscription, and you have made a renewal payment, you will be entitled to cancel your renewed Subscription Plan within the initial 14-day Cancellation Period from the date that the renewal payment for the Subscription Plan was taken. If you exercise this right to cancel without attending any class using your class credits, you will receive a full refund of the payment we have received from you. In the event you attend any class using class credits from your renewed Subscription Plan, you will not receive a refund of the renewal payment in the event of cancellation. Your Subscription Plan cancellation will take effect from the end of the current renewal billing period.

20.14 The British Council will make the repayment using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction.

Cancellation by you after the 14-day initial Cancellation Period

20.15 After the 14-day initial Cancellation Period has expired, if you no longer want to access the British Council English online courses Service, you can cancel your Subscription Plan by clicking on the cancel option using the Account Status page. Once your Subscription Plan has been successfully cancelled, you will receive an email confirming its cancellation. Please note that cancellation will only take place from your next billing date.

20.16 Upon cancellation of a Subscription Plan, you will be able to use any unused class credits until the end of the relevant billing month. Your account will expire at the end of your billing month, and you will subsequently not be able to book classes after the expiration date of your Subscription Plan. In this case we will not refund any subscription fees already paid to us.

 

21. Managing your Package

Cancellation by you within the initial 14-day Cancellation Period

21.1 You may cancel a Package and receive a full refund of the payment we have received from you within the initial 14-day Cancellation Period for any reason by writing to us at support.englishonline@britishcouncil.org  Please note if, during the 14-day Cancellation Period, you have attended any class, you will not be entitled to receive a refund if you cancel the Package.

21.2 The British Council will make the repayment using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction.

Cancellation by you after the 14-day initial Cancellation Period

21.3 If you cancel a Package after the 14-day initial Cancellation Period has expired (by writing to us at support.englishonline@britishcouncil.org), you will not receive a refund.  Your account will remain active until the end of the Fixed Plan should you choose to continue to access courses.

21.4 If you have purchased a Fixed online course and the first day of classes is scheduled within 14 days of payment, the Cancellation Period will be reduced to the number of days remaining until the first class of the course starts.

 

Part 3 – Terms and Conditions applicable where purchases made by a British Council Client (as defined below)

 

The following additional terms and conditions are applicable to students whose course has been purchased for them by an organisation (“British Council Client”)

 

22. Enrolment methods and course terms

22.1 Direct upload by the British Council: Students who are to access the British Council English online courses Service through their employer or other sponsoring organisation (“B2B students”) may be enrolled through a direct upload procedure conducted by British Council authorised personnel. Student contact details provided by the British Council Client shall serve as the basis for this enrolment process.  Students must utilise the course within the course access period agreed with the British Council Client  which starts at the point of upload.  This information is available on your student profile.

22.2 Access Codes (also referred to as Vouchers): Access Codes, constitute an alternative mechanism for B2B student enrolment. These are issued to the British Council Client for further distribution. The British Council Client should give you the Access Code which you can use to access the British Council English online courses Service platform. You will need to establish a user account using your contact details.

22.3 The British Council Client should advise you how many class credits it has selected for you.  You must redeem the Access Code within its redemption period and access the course within the course access period agreed with the British Council Client which is first activated upon the point of redemption. Further information will be emailed to you in your introductory email.

22.4 Students must redeem the Access Codes and use their class credits to book classes in accordance with the details provided in the introductory email. The distribution of Access Codes by the British Council Client is at its own discretion and the British Council assumes no responsibility for any subsequent inability to access the British Council English online courses Service which result from any incorrect information having been provided by the British Council Client.  Please contact the British Council Client in this event.   Each Access Code is single-use and can be redeemed via this link on the relevant British Council English online courses Service Website: https://englishonline.britishcouncil.org/platform/nui/reactui/build/index.html#/gifts/8/t/B2B.

22.5 API Integration: B2B students may also gain access to the British Council English online courses Service platform via an Application Programming Interface (API) integration with the British Council Client’s platform, This integration shall facilitate the transfer of student contact information from the British Council Client’s platform to ours.  

 

23. British Council Client access to Dashboards/Reports

23.1 The British Council Client will be provided with access to dashboards and reports. The British Council Client will be able to monitor various data relating to each student’s learning experience. By registering an account with the British Council English online courses Service through any of the enrolment methods, you acknowledge and consent to sharing your personal and learning data with the British Council Client.

 

24. Specific Terms of Use

 

24.1 Specific terms of use, encompassing particulars concerning course packages (e.g., allocation of class credits and duration), are as agreed with your organisation.

 

Part 4 – Location Specific Terms and Conditions

25. Residents in India (this section applies to Part 2 users in India)

25.1 These Terms apply to any Service purchased through the British Council English online courses Service Website. If you are a resident in India you are purchasing our courses through BC Education India Private Limited (having its registered office at Unit-4, Second Floor, BPTP Capital City, Sector – 94, Noida, Gautambuddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, 201301, India) and you are also required to follow these Terms, which are issued by BC Education India Private Limited, a subsidiary of the British Council UK.

 

26. Residents in Korea (this section applies to Part 2 users in Korea)

26.1 If you are a resident in Korea you are purchasing our courses through British Council Korea (having its registered office at 19 Seosomun-ro 11-gil, Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea) and you are required to adhere to these Terms which are issued by BC British Council Korea, a subsidiary of the British Council UK.