General Terms | LDV Consulting d.o.o.

1. These General Terms and Conditions (hereinafter: “General Terms” or “Terms”) govern the contractual relationship between us and our customers with respect to the services described on the website at URL (hereinafter: “Website”) and further described in these General Terms.

2. Given the nature of the services, the customers to whom these General Terms apply are adult, legally capable natural persons acting as consumers (natural persons who enter into a legal transaction outside their commercial, business, craft, or professional activity).

3. These General Terms govern the entire contractual relationship. In certain circumstances, the offer (as further specified in clause 39) forms part of that relationship as well. Please read both documents carefully. If you are uncertain about any part of the General Terms or our offer, please contact us for clarification at ask@croatiabydescent.com.

4. We may amend the General Terms from time to time. The current General Terms will always be published on the Website, and in the case of material amendments, we will additionally notify you of the changes in writing.

5. By accepting these General Terms, the customer confirms that they have read and accepted all provisions set out in this document and that they are an adult natural person with full legal capacity to enter into contracts. We have the right to verify the customer’s age (e.g. by online call and requesting sight of appropriate documents or by other means) and to refuse to conclude a contract with a customer who does not meet these requirements, or to terminate a contract already concluded should it transpire that the customer’s representations were false.

6. Our services do not constitute legal advice, nor do they constitute legal representation. The services are designed to assist you in the process of gathering documentation and all relevant information required for the submission of an application for Croatian citizenship, in the scope and form as described in our service descriptions.

ABOUT US

We are Croatia By Descent Name: LDV Consultingd.o.o, Registered office: Kosi 75/14, Kosi, Tax ID (OIB): 96397170414 , Registered in the court register of the Commercial Court in: Rijeka, Company Registration Number (MBS): 040495688, Email: ask@croatiabydescent.com, Website: croatiabydescent.com (hereinafter referred to as “we”, “our” or simply XX.)

DEFINITIONS

8. In these General Terms, the following terms have the following meanings:

“Price List” means the document setting out our prices for additional services and fees, available here and forming an integral part of these General Terms.
“Additional Applicants” means natural persons who are submitting or intend to submit an application for Croatian citizenship, simultaneously with the Customer, to whom our services are provided simultaneously with the services to the Customer and for whom the Customer contracts our services as their authorized representative or legal guardian. These are most commonly the Customer’s spouse, children, and other close blood relatives.
“Customer” means an adult, legally capable natural person who has concluded a contract with us or is in the process of doing so. Unless expressly stated otherwise in these General Terms, it includes a Customer acting in their own name as well as a Customer acting as authorized representative of Additional Applicants.
“Web-Shop” means the online purchasing system on the Website. The term Website includes the Web-Shop unless expressly stated otherwise.

SCOPE AND CONTENT OF SERVICES

General Notes

9. Our services, to which these General Terms apply, are services directed at genealogical research, i.e. research into the Customer’s origins (and potentially those of Additional Applicants, depending on the request and any power of attorney granted by the Customer), and assistance in the procedure for obtaining Croatian citizenship.

10. We do not guarantee the acquisition of Croatian citizenship as a result of its services, nor the discovery of all documents and information required to prove entitlement to Croatian citizenship.

11. Where the Customer requests services in respect of Additional Applicants, the Customer must provide us with a power of attorney authorizing the Customer to engage us on behalf of the Additional Applicant, or other evidence of authorization (e.g. a birth certificate in the case of a child), prior to placing the order or concluding the agreement. If the power of attorney or evidence of authorization is not provided, we will promptly request it from the Customer and allow a reasonable deadline for delivery. If the power of attorney or evidence of authorization is not delivered within that deadline, it shall be deemed that no contract has been concluded in respect of the Additional Applicant, and we will return any overpayment made in respect of that applicant.

12. An Additional Applicant may request us to provide them with our services simultaneously with the Customer, but no later than one month after the date of conclusion of the contract with the Customer. If this deadline is exceeded, we won’t be obliged to accept the extension of services to Additional Applicants; if we do accept it, we are entitled to an additional fee in accordance with the Price List.

13. Unless expressly agreed otherwise, all fees for all services, including services for Additional Applicants, shall be paid by the Customer.

Genealogical Research Service

14. This service encompasses searches of private and public registers for the purpose of researching facts relevant to the acquisition of Croatian citizenship for the Customer and potentially Additional Applicants (hereinafter this service referred to as: Research).

15. During the ordering process, the Customer completes a detailed questionnaire with information relevant to the Research, in order to define the scope of the service (hereinafter: Questionnaire). Upon receipt of the completed Questionnaire and any additional information and documents from the Customer, we will carry out the Research as described. The service is performed upon receipt of the advance payment and, where applicable, upon expiry of the 14-day period (see clauses 78–80 of the General Terms).

16. Upon completion of the Research, we will prepare a report on the procedure carried out and delivers it to the Customer. With this delivery, this service is deemed completed.

17. The service is equally deemed completed whether the conclusion of the Research is negative (no connection to Croatian origin found) or positive. The Customer has no right to a refund of any amount depending on the outcome of the Research.

18. We reserve the right to request the delivery of additional information required for carrying out the Research. This request can be made at any time during the performance of the service and after conclusion of the contract. If the Customer fails to provide all required information and if we determine that it is not possible to carry out the Research without such information, we shall terminate the contract and retain 30% of the amount paid as a contractual penalty for termination.

19. The Research service necessarily precedes the performance of any other services described in these General Terms. As a rule, it is contracted independently through the ordering process described in clauses 29–37 of the General Terms, and exceptionally forms part of Package 1. Once the Research service has been completed and its conclusion is positive, a Customer wishing to contract Package 2 or 3 services may do so through the ordering process described in clauses 39 and 40 of the General Terms. For a Customer who contracts Package 2 or 3 services, the price of the Research service is always deducted from the total price of the package contracted.

Package 1: Document Review

20. This service is performed in 2 phases and encompasses:

– Phase 1: Research (as in clauses 14–18) and first review of documents with a report on any identified deficiencies and recommendations for supplementation/corrections. The report is delivered to the Customer’s email, whereupon this phase is deemed completed.

– Phase 2: all subsequent document reviews with a brief report, which the Customer may request on multiple occasions over a period of one year from the date of conclusion of the contract, but subject to a maximum of 1 telephone (online) call and 10 emails. The service is completed upon expiry of one year (unless we voluntarily decide to extend that period) or upon delivery of 10 review reports, whichever occurs first.

Package 2: Standard Package

21. The service is performed in 3 phases and encompasses:

– Phase 1: (i) review of documentation provided by the Customer, (ii) a list of documents required for submission of the application (indicating which documents are missing), (iii) assistance to the Customer in obtaining the missing documents (i.e. assistance that includes information on where, how and which documents to obtain, to the extent possible and permissible, while the Customer personally seeks and obtains those documents) and (iv) obtaining documents from Croatian public registers, e.g. state archives, civil registers (by us or our external associates or subcontractors). The phase is completed when all required documents have been gathered in accordance with the list referred to in point (ii) of this indent.

– Phase 2: (i) review of all obtained documents (form, inconsistencies, etc.), (ii) a list of documents to be corrected, with detailed recommendations for corrections and information on how to obtain corrected documents, (iii) assistance in obtaining apostilles, which includes information to the Customer on where and how to obtain an apostille, while the Customer personally seeks and obtains the apostille, and (iv) arranging translation of documentation from English into Croatian by a court-certified interpreter. The phase is completed upon obtaining all corrected documents in accordance with the list referred to in point (ii) of this indent, and upon obtaining all apostilles and translations.

– Phase 3: (i) assistance in preparation for the consulate interview, which includes explanation of the gathered documentation with particular focus on facts material to the submission of the application, advice and preparation of the most frequently asked questions, and general guidance on the course of the interview (ii) support in obtaining a passport and/or certificate of citizenship, which includes assistance in preparing and verifying the required documentation and submitting the application (iii) ongoing support throughout the process, which includes regular communication with the Customer, responding to queries, providing guidance on further steps, and general administrative support until completion of the procedure. The phase is completed upon conclusion of the administrative procedure for the acquisition of citizenship (a final and binding decision) and upon obtaining a passport or certificate of citizenship, if applicable. The phase is completed regardless of whether the citizenship acquisition procedure concludes favorably or unfavorably for the Customer and/or Additional Applicants.

22. Under this service package, the Customer may use an unlimited number of emails and telephone consultations until completion of Phase 3 of the services.

23. The translation services referred to in clause 21, indent 2 (phase 2) include the cost of translation by a court-certified interpreter for all documents up to 5 pages. For each document of 5 or more pages, an additional fee is charged for translation costs, per standard page, in accordance with the court-certified interpreters’ price list.

24. Attention is drawn to the fact that completion of the Research service is a mandatory prerequisite for the performance of any services under Package 2.

Package 3: Full-Service Package

25. This service encompasses all services included in Package 2, and additionally:

direct procurement of all documents, including apostilles, to the extent permitted and possible, and
direct procurement of all corrections and corrected documents to the extent permitted and possible.

26. Package 3 services are likewise performed in 3 phases, as in Package 2 services. The difference is that Phase 1 includes the direct procurement of all documents (to the extent permitted and possible), and Phase 2 includes the direct procurement of all corrections and corrected documents (to the extent permitted and possible).

27. The provisions of clauses 22 and 23 apply equally to Package 3 services, as does the note on the mandatory prerequisite – completion of the Research service.

ORDERING PROCEDURE AND CONCLUSION OF CONTRACT

28. Depending on the type of service, the Customer may place an order directly through the Web-Shop or by submitting an individual request by email, telephone, or contact form on the Website. Services that may be ordered directly through the Web-Shop are Research and Package 1 while the remaining services are ordered exclusively by individual arrangement, as explained in clauses 38–40 of the General Terms.

Ordering through Web-Shop – Research and Package 1

29. By clicking on a service, the Customer accesses the service and price details. The Customer then adds the service to the virtual shopping cart by clicking on the cart icon. By clicking on the “Cart” button displayed in the upper right corner of the Web-Shop, the Customer reaches a summary page where they may at any time check the contents of their virtual cart and make changes as needed.

30. The Customer may proceed by clicking the “Checkout / Order” button. On the next page, the Customer must enter their address and invoicing details.

31. By clicking the “Continue” button, the Customer reaches the penultimate step of the order – “Review”. Here the Customer has an overview of the order with price details (including VAT, where applicable). The Customer must verify that all details entered are correct and rectify any errors. We bear no liability for inaccurate or incorrect data.

32. Before clicking the “Buy” button, the Customer must accept these Terms and confirm their awareness of the data protection rules as well as the right of withdrawal referred to in clauses 72–80 of these Terms. The Customer may also at this point declare that they wish performance of the contract to commence before the expiry of the 14-day period from the date of conclusion of the contract, as set out in clauses 78–80 of the General Terms.

33. The order is confirmed by clicking the “Buy” button, by which act the Customer submits a binding offer. The Customer then automatically receives an order receipt confirmation by email (order confirmation). The order confirmation does not constitute our acceptance of the offer, nor does it constitute the moment of conclusion of the contract.

34. The contract is concluded when we send an email confirming acceptance of the order and the payment details for the service fee.

35. We do not charge fees for the use of means of distance communication; however, the Customer may incur standard costs of using such services from third-party providers (e.g. mobile network operator, internet service provider).

36. If payment is not made in full within seven days of receipt of the order acceptance, we have the right to terminate the contract without prior notice.

37. Research and Package 1 services may, in addition to the Web-Shop, also be ordered by submitting a direct inquiry (by email, telephone, or web form on the Website, as set out in clauses 41 and 42 of the General Terms).

Ordering Services from Packages 2 and 3

38. Package 2 and 3 services may only be ordered after the Research service has been ordered and completed, and only if that Research yields a positive conclusion (connections to Croatian origin identified). To that end, clicking on Package 2 and 3 services on the Website takes the Customer to a “See if you qualify” button. By clicking the “See if you qualify” button, Customer is directed to the Research service ordering procedure (described in clauses 29–37 and 41-42 of the General Terms).

39. Following completion of the Research, we will deliver a report on the Research carried out and, if the conclusion is positive:

provide the Customer with information on Packages 2 and 3 and invite the Customer to indicate whether they are interested in any of those services and if yes, to provide additional information needed (e.g. number of Additional Applicants);
if the Customer is interested in any such services, we will send them an individual offer, specifying the package requested and the exact price (depending on the complexity of the matter, the number of Additional Applicants included, the type of service package requested, etc.) (hereinafter: “Offer”). These General Terms form an integral part of the Offer and will be referenced by a link to the relevant section of the Website where they are published, or additionally attached to the Offer.
The Contract is concluded upon delivery of the Customer’s email accepting the Offer or upon receipt of payment of the first instalment, whichever occurs first.

40. The Offer is valid for 8 days, unless expressly stated otherwise therein.

Ordering through direct inquiry – All Services

41. A Customer who does not wish to use the Web-Shop ordering process, may order any of our services by submitting a direct inquiry by email, web form, or telephone, simply by expressing an interest in a particular service. Upon receipt of the inquiry, we will send the Customer an Offer together with these General Terms. Prior to sending the Offer, if the Customer’s inquiry does not contain sufficient information, we will send the Questionnaire and if necessary, request additional information.

42. The Contract is concluded upon delivery of the Customer’s email accepting the Offer or upon receipt of payment of the fee/first instalment, whichever occurs first.

PRICES AND COSTS

Service Prices

43. The price of the Research service and Package 1 services is set at a fixed amount and published on the Website.

44. For Packages 2 and 3, given the nature of the service, the price is indicated as a starting (minimum) price, and the specific amount is determined by the individual Offer referred to in clause 39 of the General Terms.

45. All prices are expressed in euros (EUR) and include any applicable VAT.

Additional Services

46. Services not included in the selected service package (such as procurement of Croatian documents, translations, etc. in Package 1), may be contracted as additional services, in accordance with the current Price List or the court-certified interpreters’ price list (depending on the type of additional service). The Price List forms an integral part of these General Terms, while the court-certified interpreters’ price list will be provided to the Customer together with the appropriate Offer for additional services. Acceptance of the offer constitutes conclusion of a contract for additional services, to which the provisions of these General Terms apply in full.

Costs

47. The costs of obtaining documents (birth certificates and other instruments), apostilles, and postage (international and local) are not included in the service fee and are payable by the Customer separately, in addition to the service fee. Costs will be invoiced periodically as a separate line item on each phase and instalment invoice. With each such invoice, we will provide the Customer with a detailed list of costs together with corresponding proof of payment.

48. At the Customer’s request, we will provide the Customer with a list of costs incurred to date even prior to the due date for reimbursement.

Typographical Error in Price

49. In the event of an obvious typographical error in a price, whether on the Website, in the Web-Shop, or in an Offer, we won’t be bound thereby. Any such error identified will be corrected without delay and communicated to the Customer where necessary (e.g. where an offer containing the typographical error was previously sent to the Customer).

PAYMENT METHODS AND DEADLINES

Payment Methods

50. Payment for services may be made by bank transfer in accordance with the invoice issued.

51. We reserve the right, in individual cases and for any order, to not offer certain payment methods or to accept only certain payment methods. Payment by cash or cheque is not possible.

52. When paying by bank transfer, the invoice amount must be transferred to the designated to our bank account within 7 days of receipt of the payment details. Performance of the service may not commence until we have received payment. If the Customer fails to make payment in full and within the deadline, we have the right to cancel the order and terminate the contract without prior notice.

Advance Payments and Payment Schedule

53. All services are paid in advance (by way of advance payments).

54. The Research service (as a standalone service) is paid in full in advance, while package services are paid in instalments as explained below.

55. Package 1 services are payable as follows:

– 1st instalment: upon conclusion of the contract,

– 2nd instalment: upon completion of Phase 1.

56. Package 2 and 3 services are payable as follows:

– 1st instalment: immediately upon conclusion of the contract;

– 2nd instalment: upon completion of Phase 1;

– 3rd instalment: upon completion of Phase 2.

57. Each instalment falls due upon delivery of the invoice, within the payment deadline specified therein. Each instalment constitutes an advance payment for the phase immediately following: the 1st instalment covers Phase 1, the 2nd instalment covers Phase 2, and so forth.

Crediting the Research Fee

58. A Customer who has purchased the Research service (as a standalone service) and then, after receiving the services in full, opts for a package service, will have the amount already paid credited against the total package price, with the remaining balance divided into the appropriate number of instalments

Late Payment and Non-Payment

59. If the Customer is late with payment, performance of the service will be suspended until payment is received.

60. If payment is not made by the due date, we may terminate the contract without prior notice.

61. In any case, we may charge statutory default interest applicable to relations between traders and consumers, in accordance with Article 29(2) of the Obligations Act.

DEADLINES FOR PERFORMANCE OF OUR SERVICES

62. We will not commence performance until payment has been received and credited to our account.

63. We endeavour to complete the services within the shortest practicable timeframe. Precise completion deadlines depend on the nature of the service, circumstances on the Customer’s side (availability of documents, the time required to obtain them, the number of persons involved, etc.), and the actions of public authorities, over which we have no control. All documents and information obtained in the course of performing the services will be delivered to the Customer’s email address without delay, and no later than 8 days from receipt. Original documents delivered to us or obtained by us on the Customer’s behalf will be dispatched by post in a single shipment, immediately before the Customer requires those originals for submission to a consulate or other institution. At the Customer’s written request, original documentation may be delivered earlier.

64. The Customer is not entitled to interest for the period between the advance payment and the completion of the service, regardless of how long performance takes. This provision does not apply where termination of the contract is attributable to us.

CUSTOMER OBLIGATIONS

65. The Customer undertakes to:

use the services solely for lawful purposes and in accordance with these General Terms and the concluded contract;
pay all amounts due in a timely manner.

66. The Customer also undertakes to:

notify us without delay, and no later than 7 days, of any changes to their contact details;
provide all information requested in the Questionnaire and in response to our other enquiries within 14 days;
where the Customer is personally responsible for obtaining documents: submit applications for the issuance, correction, or apostille of documents within 30 days from the date on which the Customer received all necessary information and instructions from us;
deliver scans of all newly obtained or corrected documents to us within 7 days of obtaining them, and the originals within 14 days of our request.

67. The Customer warrants that, to the best of their knowledge, all information provided to us is accurate and complete.

68. Personal data of Additional Applicants and other persons: where the Customer, in the course of using our services, provides personal data of Additional Applicants or other persons (e.g. spouses and ancestors who are not participating in the citizenship acquisition procedure), the Customer confirms that they hold all necessary authorizations and consents of those persons for the disclosure of their data, and that they have informed those persons of our processing of their data (by providing them with our Privacy Notice and, where necessary, other information). We are entitled, at any time, to request confirmation of the foregoing from the Customer, by way of appropriate declarations or confirmations from those persons. Where the Customer provides data constituting a special category of personal data within the meaning of Article 9 GDPR (e.g. data on ethnic origin or religious belief), the Customer will be required to provide the explicit consent of the Additional Applicants and potentially of other living persons (whose such personal data is concerned) for disclosing them to us and our further processing. We will make available any information and clarification to the Customers, including the consent form, without delay (i) upon the Customer’s request or (ii) whenever we become aware that explicit consent or any other notification is required.

69. The Customer shall be liable to us for any loss or damage arising from breach of its obligations under this section.

70. In the event of a breach of the obligations under clause 66, we will notify the Customer of the breach and indicate that in the event of a repeated breach, we have the right, at our discretion, to charge a contractual penalty in the amount of EUR 150.00 and terminate the contract, or to charge only that contractual penalty and continue with the contract. The latter right applies to each subsequent breach of the obligations under clause 66, regardless of whether a contractual penalty has previously been charged.

71. The provisions of clause 70 regarding the charging of a contractual penalty do not apply where there are justified reasons for the Customer’s non-compliance with those obligations. The burden of proving justified reasons for non-compliance lies with the Customer.

RIGHT OF WITHDRAWAL

72. Pursuant to the Consumer Protection Act (OG 19/22) and Directive 2011/83/EU, the Customer as a consumer has the right to withdraw from the contract without stating reasons within 14 days from the date of conclusion of the contract.

73. To exercise the right of withdrawal, the Customer has to notify us of their decision by means of an unequivocal written statement that they wish to withdraw from this contract, by email to: ask@croatiabydescent.com or by post to: Kosi 75/14, 51216 Viškovo, Croatia. For this purpose, the Customer may use the withdrawal form available here, but the Customer is free to use any other form or document containing the same essential declarations.

74. The withdrawal will be in due time if the Customer sends the withdrawal notice before expiry of the 14 days period from point 72. We will promptly confirm receipt of the withdrawal statement on a durable medium.

75. If the Customer exercises the right of withdrawal, we will refund the amount received under the terminated contract to the Customer, within 14 days of receipt of the withdrawal statement, to the same account from which payment was made, unless different account was stated in the withdrawal statement.

76. The Customer shall not bear any costs arising from the exercise of the right of withdrawal, except as set out in these Terms.

77. If the Customer withdraws from the contract, all ancillary contracts connected therewith shall also be automatically terminated.

Exceptions to the Right of Withdrawal and Obligation to Refund the Full Amount

78. The right of withdrawal does not apply if the service has been fully performed and the Customer has requested that performance of the service commence before expiry of the withdrawal period and has confirmed their awareness that they will lose the right of withdrawal once the service has been fully performed within that period.

79. If the Customer has requested that performance of the service commence before expiry of the withdrawal period pursuant to clause 78, and subsequently, within the withdrawal period, exercises the right of withdrawal, and the service has only been partially performed, the contract will be validly terminated; however, the Customer owes us a proportionate part of the agreed price, corresponding to the part of the service performed up to the moment of notification of withdrawal.

80. If the Customer withdraws from the contract, all ancillary contracts connected therewith shall also be automatically terminated, without cost to the Customer, except for the costs provided for in this section.

TERMINATION OF CONTRACT

81. The contract terminates upon unilateral termination by either party or by mutual agreement of both parties at any time.

82. We have the right to terminate the Contract unilaterally without prior notice if we become aware that the Customer is using the services for unlawful or prohibited purposes, or if the Customer is using the Website contrary to these General Terms.

83. We have the right to terminate the contract for Package 1 services, if the Research carried out as part of those services yields a negative result (e.g. no circumstances indicating Croatian origin required for citizenship acquisition are identified). In such case, we will terminate the contract unilaterally and refund any amount paid that exceeds the price of the Research service as a standalone service.

84. Upon termination of the contract, neither party shall be obliged to continue performing its obligations under the contract, with the exception of obligations that remain in force after termination (e.g. confidentiality) and obligations relating to:

reimbursement of any amount received in excess (e.g. amounts exceeding the value of services performed up to the date of termination),
return of originals or sole copies of the Customer’s documentation held by us, at the Customer’s expense
compensation for loss or damage (where one party bears responsibility for the termination of the contract and the other party has thereby suffered loss or damage)
a contractual penalty in the amount of 20% of the total price of services under the terminated Contract, payable by the Customer where the termination is attributable to the Customer’s fault (unless a different penalty amount is specified in these General Terms for a specific case). Termination attributable to the Customer’s fault shall in all cases include termination pursuant to clauses 18, 36, and 66 of these General Terms.

85. We are entitled to offset the contractual penalty referred to in clause 84 against any claim by the Customer for reimbursement of an amount paid in excess.

TERMINATION OF CONTRACT DUE TO DEATH OF A CUSTOMER

86. If there are no Additional Applicants and the Customer dies before the contract is fulfilled in full, the contract terminates upon the Customer’s death.

87. Where there are Additional Applicants (e.g. the Customer and the Customer’s spouse) and the Customer dies before the contract is fulfilled, the power of attorney granted by the Additional Applicants to the Customer terminates upon the Customer’s death, and the contract continues directly with the Additional Applicants, whom we will promptly contact upon becoming aware of the new circumstances in order to inform them further. The same applies where the Customer represented the Additional Applicants as their legal guardian (e.g. the Customer’s minor children), provided those persons have in the meantime reached the age of majority. If the Additional Applicants are still minors at the time of the Customer’s death, the Contract will continue with the Additional Applicants only if another legal guardian (e.g. the other parent) provides appropriate authorization; if no such authorization is available, the contract terminates on the date of the Customer’s death.

88. Upon termination of the contract due to the Customer’s death, we are released from all further obligations, with the exception of obligations to (i) refund any amount received in excess for services not yet performed, and (ii) return the original documentation or sole copy of documentation delivered to us. Refunds shall be made to the Customer’s heir, upon presentation of proof of inheritance and provision of the account number and address to which the monetary refunds or documentation is to be returned. We are entitled to remuneration for all services performed up to the Customer’s death, as well as for services performed after the Customer’s death but before we became aware of it.

89. If we become aware of the Customer’s death, but no one comes forward as the Customer’s heir, we are entitled to contact potential heirs and invite them to collect the documentation and any amounts received in excess. If we are unaware of any potential heirs, we will retain sole copies, original documentation and amounts received in excess for another year (calculating from the date of the Customer’s death), and upon expiry of that period will deposit them with the court according to our registered seat, at the heirs’ expense. Original documentation that can be re-obtained (e.g. extracts from civil registers) is excluded from this obligation.

90. If the Customer’s heirs, who were not Additional Applicants, wish to contract our services in their own name, we will provide them with an appropriate offer. When preparing the offer, we will take into account any services we previously provided to their predecessor; if part of the services already provided can be of benefit to the heirs as new customers, we may offer a discount accordingly.

USE OF THE WEBSITE

91. We manage the Website and are the holder of all intellectual property rights in the materials, photographs, and other content published on the Website, unless expressly stated otherwise. Copying of any part of the Website for commercial, non-personal purposes is not permitted without our express written consent.

92. The Website is available free of charge. We do not guarantee that the Website or any of its content will always be available or will operate without interruption. Access to the Website is granted on a temporary basis.

93. We may suspend, withdraw, discontinue, or amend all or any part of the Website without notice. We accept no liability if the Website is unavailable for any reason.

94. We accept no liability for any damage that may occur to devices used to access the Website or to data stored on such devices in the course of using the Website, where such damage arises from unlawful acts by third parties, computer viruses, or similar, or from other circumstances for which we bear no responsibility. Furthermore, we shall be released from all liability in the event of circumstances that prevent the use of the Web-Shop, the Website, or online sales.

95. Where we provide links enabling visits to third-party websites, these General Terms do not apply to the use of those websites. We assume no responsibility for any of those websites or their content. Visiting those websites is entirely at the Customer’s own risk.

96. The Customer acknowledges that the software and other components of the Web-Shop interface (including photographs of the services offered) are protected by copyright. The Customer undertakes not to carry out any activities that would enable the Customer or third parties to interfere with or use the software or other components of the Web-Shop interface in an unauthorized manner.

97. The Customer is not authorized to use any mechanisms, software, or other procedures that could adversely affect the operation of the Web-Shop interface when using the Web-Shop interface. The Web-Shop interface may only be used to the extent that it does not prejudice the rights of other Customers and visitors and only in accordance with the specifications thereof.

98. The Customer acknowledges that we are not be liable for any errors arising from third-party interference with the Website or as a result of use of the Website contrary to its specifications.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

99. All intellectual property rights in the materials, methodologies, and reports we produce while providing the services remain our property. The Customer is granted a non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use those materials solely for personal purposes in the context of the relevant citizenship acquisition procedure.

100. The Customer may not reproduce, sell, rent, sublicense, or redistribute our materials without our prior written consent.

PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA

101. Matters relating to the processing and protection of personal data are governed by our Privacy Notice, which is available here.

OUR LIABILITY AND LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY

102. In providing the services, we act with the care of a prudent businessperson, respecting all rights and obligations of the parties arising both from the contract concluded between us and from applicable legislation.

103. We accept no liability for:

unlawful, improper, or unethical use of information obtained by Customers;
decisions made by the Customer on the basis of the services or information provided, and their consequences;
the outcome of the administrative procedure for the acquisition of citizenship,
the accuracy and reliability of information from external public sources which are not under our control (archives, civil registration offices, etc.).

104. We shall not be liable for loss or damage caused by delay in or inability to provide the service due to reasons beyond our reasonable control (force majeure, acts of third parties for whom we bear no responsibility, disruptions in delivery, certification, and document issuance processes, etc.)

105. We shall not be liable for theft, loss, or unauthorized access in the event that third parties exploit unknown security vulnerabilities or circumstances beyond our control.

106. In no event shall we be liable for loss of profit of the Customer or any other person.

107. The maximum amount of damages for which we are liable is limited to the fee we received from the Customer for the performance of the service concerned.

CONFIDENTIALITY

108. Both parties undertake to keep confidential all confidential information received from the other party in connection with the services or the contracting and performance of services. “Confidential Information” includes all personal data of the Customer, Additional Applicants, and other living persons, communications between the parties, documentation exchanged between the parties, information on the stages of the procedure, options and possibilities for obtaining documents, and the like. Neither party may use Confidential Information for any other purpose, except for the purpose of performing its contractual obligations and fulfilling its statutory obligations, nor may either party disclose confidential information to third parties without the prior written consent of the other party. Exceptionally, we shall be authorized to compile statistics for internal purposes, in the interest of developing and planning our business, as explained in our Privacy Notice.

109. Confidential Information also includes information regarding our intellectual property rights (i.e. contents of our lists, reports, presentations, and other materials), as well as the names of our associates and our know-how and specific business procedures.

110. Confidentiality obligations shall remain in force after the termination of the contractual relationship.

COMMUNICATION AND SERVICE OF DOCUMENTS

111. The parties shall serve documents on each other as follows:

Written (paper) documents: by registered post to the party’s address stated in the Customer’s service order/concluded contract, with a mandatory copy sent to the email address.
Electronic documents (documents signed with an electronic signature, whether advanced or qualified): exclusively by email.

112. Service of written documents shall be deemed duly effected upon expiry of 5 business days from the date of submission of the document to the receiving post office, while service of electronic documents shall be deemed duly effected upon expiry of 24 hours from the sending of the email, unless the expiry of those 24 hours falls on a weekend or public holiday, in which case service shall be deemed effected at noon on the first following business day.

113. Should any party change its address (whether physical or email address), it must promptly notify the other party of such change. Until the date of delivery of the notification of the address change, service shall be duly effected at the previously known addresses.

114. With regard to regular communication between the parties in connection with the performance of services, the parties agree that such communication will be conducted primarily by email, and exceptionally by online video or audio call or via other means. In certain cases, we may carry out and organize service by other means as well (e.g. via secure shared folders), in accordance with the needs, sensitivity of the documentation, and the advancement and availability of technology. Any online video or audio communication will not be recorded.

115. The parties undertake to regularly check their email correspondence and to respond to the other party’s enquiries no later than within 7 days.

116. For postal or courier deliveries, an insured and tracked delivery service must always be used.

117. We shall not be liable for delays or losses caused by the actions of third parties (postal or courier services).

COMPLAINTS AND OBJECTIONS

118. Should you consider that a service performed has defects, you are entitled, as the Customer, to submit a complaint regarding the performed service by email at: ask@croatiabydescent.com or by post at Kosi 75/14, 51216 Viškovo, Croatia. The complaint must include your details as the Customer (first name, last name, address), a description of the defect on the basis of which you are submitting the complaint, and your request or proposed resolution. To facilitate prompt handling, please also include the order/offer number under which the contract was concluded.

119. We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint in writing without delay, and will respond to the complaint in writing within 15 days of receipt.

120. In the event of a justified and timely complaint, the Customer is entitled to have the defect remedied within a reasonable period; if we do not remedy the defect by the expiry of that period, the Customer may, at their discretion, remedy the defect at our expense, request a reduction in price, or terminate the contract. By way of exception, if the service performed has a defect of such nature that it renders the service unusable, or if the service was performed contrary to the express terms of the contract, the Customer may terminate the contract without first requiring remedy of the defect.

121. The Customer may not exercise the right to terminate the contract where the defect is minor. Furthermore, if remedying the defect would require disproportionate costs, we may refuse to remedy the defects; in such case, the Customer shall be entitled, at their discretion, to a reduction in price or termination of the contract.

122. In any event, if the Customer’s complaint or objection is justified and timely, the Customer is also entitled to compensation for loss or damage within the limits set out in these General Terms and the contract.

OBLIGATION OF INSPECTION, TIME LIMIT FOR COMPLAINTS AND NOTIFICATION OF DEFECTS

123. The Customer is obliged to inspect the work performed (the services provided) as soon as reasonably possible in the ordinary course of events and to notify us of any defects found without delay. If, upon our invitation, the Customer, without justified reason, fails to inspect and accept the service, the service shall be deemed accepted. After inspection and acceptance of the service, we shall no longer be liable for defects that could have been identified by ordinary inspection, unless we were aware of them and failed to disclose them to the Customer.

124. If a defect subsequently emerges that could not have been discovered by ordinary inspection, the Customer may nonetheless rely on it, provided that they notify us as soon as possible and no later than within one month of its discovery. Upon expiry of two years from acceptance of the service, the Customer may no longer rely on any defects.

125. A Customer who has notified us of defects in a timely manner loses their rights upon expiry of two years from the date of notification, unless we fraudulently prevented them from exercising those rights. By way of exception, a Customer who has notified us of the existence of a defect in a timely manner shall, even after the expiry of the two-year period from notification, retain the right to raise a claim for price reduction and compensation for loss or damage as a defense against our claim for payment of the fee.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

126. We are not obliged to participate in proceedings for the resolution of disputes before a consumer mediation body. Notwithstanding, we endeavor to reach an amicable resolution in the event of disagreements with Customers. If the Customer is dissatisfied with any of our services, they are free to contact us at ask@croatiabydescent.com.

127. The bodies currently operating in the Republic of Croatia that deal, within their respective competence, with alternative consumer dispute resolution can be found here: https://consumer-redress.ec.europa.eu/dispute-resolution-bodies_en?prefLang=hr&f%5B0%5D=adr_origin_cty_vocab_adr_origin_cty_org_assoc%3Ahttp%3A//publications.europa.eu/resource/authority/country/HRV#oe-list-page-filters-anchor.

FINAL PROVISIONS

128. The Customer may not, without our written consent, assign, transfer, or cede the rights, obligations, and responsibilities assumed under these General Terms.

129. No amendment, supplement, or agreement contrary to these General Terms shall have effect, except for our express written agreement.

130. These General Terms are governed by and shall be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Croatia, in particular the Obligations Act and the Consumer Protection Act.

131. The parties will endeavor to resolve all disputes arising out of or in connection with these General Terms amicably. If an amicable resolution is not possible, jurisdiction lies with the court in the Republic of Croatia having subject-matter and territorial jurisdiction over the consumer’s place of residence, or the court having jurisdiction over our registered office, in accordance with the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act and applicable EU rules on jurisdiction.

Last amended: APRIL 30, 2026 | LDV Consulting d.o.o.

General Terms and Conditions

LDV Consulting d.o.o.

Monday – Saturday

08:00 - 15:00

Sunday

10:00 - 12:00