GCU General conditions of use for the Thalys.com website

1. Introduction

Thalys International has designed and now runs a service available to Thalys® passengers, called the Ticketless service (hereinafter referred to as the “Service” or “Ticketless”). The purpose of these General Terms and Conditions of Use is to set out the terms governing the operation of the Service. These General Terms and Conditions apply to users of the Service, regardless of the means of identification that they use (e-mail confirming the booking, MobileTicket, Thalys TheCard or Ticketless card, Passe Navigo© etc.). Any person registering for the Service is deemed to have read and unconditionally accepted these Terms and Conditions of Use.

2. Purpose of the Service

Ticketless allows customers wishing to travel on one or more Thalys trains to travel without a physical ticket, subject to the terms and conditions set out below. Ticketless produces “digital tickets” which replace traditional paper tickets. The underlying contract of carriage only exists in electronic form and information on the journey (date and time of the journey, departure and arrival stations, class etc.) are registered in electronic form and can be consulted in various ways and inspected as stated in section 7.

3. Access to the Service

Only customers that have made a booking and paid the fare for the journey can use the Service. Ticketless bookings are personal and non-transferable. For group bookings, the Service can only be used if all members of the group travel Ticketless. Customers are free to decide whether they wish to use the Ticketless service or purchase a “paper” ticket.

4. Restrictions and Scope

The Ticketless service is available for all international journeys on the Thalys network (except for Thalys offers involving a connection in London or where London is the departure point or destination) but cannot be used for certain fares (see the “Fares” section of the Website).

5. Booking and Purchasing Methods

The Ticketless service can be used via the following distribution channels: through SNCB-approved travel agencies in Belgium and SNCF-approved travel agencies in France, by calling the Call Center International on +32 (0)70 79 79 79 (Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and weekends and public holidays from 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.), for certain SNCB customers and Thalys The Card members that have been informed that they are eligible to use this service, by calling Ligne Directe on + 33 (0) 8 92 35 35 36 (seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., €0.34/min, subject to rate changes by telephone operators) and by connecting to "www.thalys.com” or "www.b-rail.be”. The Ticketless service is not available for tickets purchased at station ticket offices. Customers will be asked for their Thalys customer number when making a booking using the Service and this number will be checked.

6. Booking Confirmations

When customers make a booking or exchange a ticket using the Ticketless service, they receive an instant confirmation e-mail from Thalys International providing customers with a written record of all their journey details (date, time, train number, seat number etc.). Where a ticket purchased using the Ticketless service is cancelled, customers automatically receive an e-mail confirming the cancellation. In addition to the confirmation sent by Thalys International, customers also receive an e-mail from the distributor for tickets purchased on the Internet or from a travel agent. Where requested by customers, they will also receive an SMS message confirming their seat number before the departure of their train. E-mails and SMS messages can only be sent where customers have provided their mobile telephone number and e-mail address during the booking procedure.

In the event of a disruption to Thalys services, Thalys International may send an SMS message about the disruption to customers that signed up for this service during the booking procedure. However, Thalys International cannot be held liable for any failure to send an e-mail and/or SMS message or for any errors in the information provided or any consequences thereof.

7. Terms of Use

Ticketless bookings are inspected and validated when boarding the train and/or on board the train by the Train Manager. Ticket inspections require production of the e-mail confirming the booking printed out by the customer, containing the 2D barcode and/or the customer’s Thalys TheCard and/or the customer’s Ticketless card and/or the MobileTicket where the customer has chosen to receive the ticket in this form*. During the ticket inspection, the Train Manager may require proof of identity as Ticketless bookings are personal and non-transferable.

Customers travelling using the Ticketless service can request an upgrade from Comfort 1 to Comfort 2 or an extension of their journey (on the same terms and conditions as for paper tickets and subject to the availability of seats). As with paper tickets, customers will need to pay any additional fare charged to the Train Manager.

* Subject to the availability of this service, the service is provided free of charge except for Internet connection charges from the customer’s mobile phone.

8. After-Sales Services

The after-sales services available (ticket exchanges, refunds) are governed by the terms and conditions applicable to the relevant fare category. These terms and conditions are identical to those applied to paper tickets for the same fare, apart for the deadline for ticket exchanges by telephone (10 minutes before the departure time). EXCHANGES: Ticketless journeys purchased from Call Center International or Ligne Directe can be exchanged free of charge by calling Call Center International or Ligne Directe. Ticketless journeys purchased from a travel agency in Belgium may be exchanged at the travel agency that sold the ticket. Ticketless journeys purchased from a travel agency in France may be exchanged at the travel agency that sold the ticket. Where Ticketless journeys purchased on the Internet, from a travel agency or from Ligne Directe are exchanged by calling Call Center International and the class, fare or route is modified, Call Center International will issue a paper ticket and customers will need to pick up their ticket from the station. REFUNDS: refunds for Ticketless journeys purchased from a travel agency are given by the relevant travel agency, refunds for Ticketless journeys purchased on the Internet or by calling Call Center International are given by Call Center International and refunds for Ticketless journeys purchased by calling Ligne Direct are given by Ligne Directe. Customers must claim refunds within two months of the scheduled travel date.

9. Improper Use, Fraud or Attempted Fraud

Customers are only authorised to travel Ticketless where they have made a Ticketless booking and paid the fare in full and can produce to the ticket inspector an e-mail confirming the booking in the customer’s own name printed out with a bar code, or a valid Thalys TheCard or Ticketless card in the customer’s own name or a MobileTicket. Only bookings electronically registered in Thalys International’s information system constitute valid bookings. Failing this, passengers are considered to be travelling without a valid ticket and will be liable to pay a penalty fare to the Train Manager. In the event of confirmed fraud on a Ticketless journey, any Ticketless journeys that a customer has booked but has not yet used will not be refunded. The same penalties apply as for paper tickets. The Thalys Customer Service is available to deal with any claims relating to use of the Ticketless service.

10. Disputing Use of a Ticketless Journey

In the event that a customer wishes to dispute use of a Ticketless journey, customers must file a complaint with the Thalys Customer Service within one month of the date of the journey. No claims can be accepted after this deadline.

11. Liability

Thalys International cannot be held liable for any delays, loss or improper distribution of e-mails, for any e-mails sent to the wrong address, for any Service unavailability or problems with the operation of the Service or telephone or Internet connection problems that may delay or prevent the performance of its obligations under the Ticketless service. Even though Thalys International endeavours to check that all information provided by customers is correct, Thalys International cannot be held liable for any inaccuracies in the information provided or any consequences thereof. Thalys International disclaims all liability in the event of a fraudulent use of the Ticketless service.

12. Data Processing and Civil Liberties

Pursuant to the provisions of the Personal Data Protection Act of 8 December 1992, customers are informed and agree that all of the information that they may provide when registering for or using the Ticketless service will be processed by automated means by Thalys International. Thalys International will use this data to send customers, who agree to this service, information on new Advantages and Services, in particular as part of suitable Direct Marketing initiatives, by an electronic means of communication. Customer information may also be given to Partners and service providers with contracts with Thalys International, for the same purpose, apart from Passe Navigo and Passe Navigo Découverte serial numbers and information recorded during inspections of these passes allowing journeys made by test customers to be retraced. The Passe Navigo number corresponds to the manufacturer’s serial number and is the only Navigo data recorded. No other data stored on the Pass is read, recorded or processed by Thalys International.

Customers are informed that they have the right to directly access, correct or remove their personal data held by Thalys International. In order to exercise this right to directly access, correct or remove personal data, please send a written request to Thalys International, Service clientèle, Place Stéphanie, 20, B-1050 Brussels. Customers may also exercise these rights directly on the www.thalys.com website by logging-in with their e-mail address and password.