[SIA] Terms and Conditions

 

Ethical Invest Group

COURSE PARTICIPATION

 TERMS AND CONDITIONS 

 

Ethical Invest Group (the “Group") provides education and development for finance professionals, investors, advisers and paraplanners who want to expand their advice, client services, and skills to include ethical and sustainable investments.

Through its main course, Sustainable Investment Advice (the "Course”) the Group provides financial advisers and related professionals with the confidence and professional tools to discuss sustainable investment preferences with their clients and incorporate sustainable investment products in their advice. 

From time to time the Group will offer additional programs to which these terms and conditions apply unless otherwise stated. 

This Course Participation Terms and Conditions (the "Agreement") is a legally binding contract between you (the "Course Participant") and Ethical Invest Group ABN: 29 238 432 149. 

The Course is facilitated by the Lead Instructor and Founder of Ethical Invest Group, Alexandra Brown. It covers the purchase and delivery of your selected program. 

If you are purchasing this Course on behalf of your company or organisation, these Terms and Conditions are legally binding between you (the “Group Purchaser”) and Ethical Invest Group ABN: 29 238 432 149, as well as each Course Participant within your group. As the Group Purchaser, you agree to these Terms and Conditions on behalf of your organisation and each Course Participant. Your organisation and each Course Participant are individually and collectively responsible for complying with these Terms and Conditions.

You are deemed to have accepted the terms in this Agreement upon payment of your selected Courses' fees, including the first instalment of a payment plan.

Please read this Agreement carefully and contact [email protected] if you would like to discuss any aspect of this Agreement.   

 
TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

Term

  1. This Agreement will begin upon payment of the advertised Courses' fees. 
  2. It will apply for the duration of the Course and completion of any payment plan going beyond the Courses' length.

 

Outline of Course  

The Group currently offers Sustainable Investment Advice (the "Course"): 

Detailed syllabus can be accessed here: 

  1. Module 1: ESG and sustainable investment advice
  2. Module 2: Market drivers and sustainability trends
  3. Module 3: Nature and climate change risks and opportunities
  4. Module 4: ESG issues for adviser and client readiness
  5. Module 5: Sustainable investment strategies
  6. Module 6: Engagement and shareholder advocacy
  7. Module 7: Research, compare and recommend
  8. Module 8: Client communications and advice solutions

 

Continuity of Access

You understand and agree:

  1. Access to the Platform and Sustainable Investment Advice course materials will remain ongoing, as long as the Course remains open to new Members.
  2. Course content may be updated, and outdated materials will be archived. Members will cease to have access to archived materials. Members will have continued access to updated materials.
  3. Ethical Invest Group will provide a minimum of six months' notice if the Course will close.
  4. In the event Sustainable Investment Advice is unable to continue to use the Platform during this time, upon notification of discontinuance, Ethical Invest Group will provide access to published content by alternate digital means for six months.

 

Fees and Payment

You understand and agree:

Payment options for the Courses are as follows: 

  1. Full of the advertised Course fee at the time of enrolment.
  2. All fees are in United States Dollars. 
  3. Payment is accepted online by Google Pay, Apple Pay, Credit Card (Stripe), and PayPal. (Google Pay and Apple Pay will only display as payment options on applicable devices and when these apps are available)

 

  • Discounts and special offers 
  1. From time to time, the Course may be offered at time-limited early bird or VIP pricing.
  2. Discounts including but not limited to:
    1. 20% discount for RIAA, Ethos, Oko Adviser and Ethical Advisers' Co-op.
    2. 20% discount for early bird.

 

  • Late payments 
  1. You are responsible for ensuring required payments are made on time. 
  2. Ethical Invest Group reserves the right to cease Course access until the due fees are paid in full.
  3. If an account is beyond 30-days overdue, Ethical Invest Group reserves the right to turn the account to third-party collections. 
  4. This Agreement will be terminated at this time, and access to the Course will be revoked.

 

  • Variation
  1. Ethical Invest Group reserves the right to vary any fees at any time.
  2. Changes in fees will not affect you and will only apply to a new round of Course delivery.

 

Refund Policy 

You understand and agree:

  1. You may withdraw from any Course for any reason within thirty (30) days of the Course's commencement, providing no more than half the course has been accessed. To avoid doubt, a refund will not be issued if the Participant has unlocked or accessed more than four of the eight modules of the SIA Course.
  2. All withdrawal requests must be in writing to [email protected].
  3. A full refund, less any fees retained by Stripe, PayPal, or other Payment Processor will be provided within 14 days of notification of withdrawal.
  4. No refund is available after 30 days from the commencement of any Course.
  5. You remain liable for the remainder of the Course fees regardless of whether you paid in full or by payment plan. (Please see Refund Management for reasons other than a change of mind below).

 

Refund Management

You understand and agree:

  1. Your commitment to your success and completion of your Course is required to gain maximum results from the Course.
  2. Refund requests after 30 days of the Courses' commencement will be managed according to our obligations and your rights as consumers under Australian Consumer Law. 
  3. Refund requests after 30 days will be considered on a case by case basis and are not guaranteed. 
  4. Where your payment method is via a payment plan, costs will be calculated and deducted from the total fees owing to Ethical Invest Group.
  5. You will remain liable for the balance for payment owed to Ethical Invest Group.
  6. Failure to pay at any time is a breach of this Agreement, and Ethical Invest Group is entitled to seek legal relief and remedy for this breach and to recover the debt owed by you. 
  7. Outstanding accounts will be referred to a third party for debt collection. 

 

Transferring the course to someone else

You understand and agree:

  1. If you purchase the Course as a Course Participant, your enrolment in the Course is personal to you and you may not transfer the Course to any other person.
  2. However, if you have purchased a Course on behalf of your company, and have provided that company’s details to us, we may, at our discretion, transfer your enrolment/s to other people within your company only. Please contact us if you wish us to consider such a transfer.

 

Day to day communication 

You understand and agree:

  1. Day to day communication for the Courses' duration is via email or the Course platform.
  2. Unless your communication is personal or confidential, you are requested to post all questions, comments, and observations to the Course platform.
  3. For any private matters such as queries regarding the Program, accounts, or personal issues, please email [email protected].
  4. Emails are responded to within 48 hours during business hours, Monday to Friday.
  5. A representative from the Group will respond to Platform questions within 72 hours on business days only.  

 

Financial Adviser, Paraplanner, and Other Member Expectations 

  1. Your commitment includes but is not limited to:
  • completing the entire Course
  • completing, learning, doing, and sharing activities
  • completing quizzes, surveys and feedback forms
  • attending any bonus workshops and live sessions
  • being supportive of others in the Course

 

Platform

  1. The private Platform is by invitation only for Course Participants.
  2. The Platform’s sole purpose is to provide a private forum for Course Participants to access resource materials. 
  3. You agree to abide by the Platform’s rules of conduct, privacy and confidentiality of group discussions, member details and posts relating to their personal stories and businesses.  
  4. You are prohibited from promoting your business, Facebook, Telegram or Other groups and similar courses to that of the Course, in the Platform posts, or by private message to other group members. 
  5. Toxic, abusive and disrespectful conduct will result in removal from the Platform. 
  6. Sharing of posts from the Platform, including images, is strictly prohibited. This conduct will result in immediate removal from the group.
  7. You will respect the confidentiality of each Financial Adviser, Paraplanner, and Participant in all group coaching calls. 
  8. You will not discuss another Financial Adviser or Paraplanner or Participant, or their personal stories or information in either an individual or professional context outside the group for any reason without the Financial Adviser or Paraplanner or Participant's express written permission. 

 

Technology issues

  1. If there are any problems with the website or if the host or network should go down due to circumstances beyond our control, Ethical Invest Group shall not be held responsible. We will do our best to get the system back up as soon as possible when it is within our control.
  2. Ethical Invest Group shall not be liable to you or any other party because of any viruses or malware that may infect your or any other party's electronic equipment. 
  3.  You agree that you:
    1. will not use any robot, spider or other devices, process or means to access the Course;
    2. will not compromise or circumvent the security controls of the Course or otherwise gain unauthorised access to the Course; and
    3. will not attempt to interfere with the proper working of the Course.

 

Course Dashboard and Platform

  1. You will be required to register your details to create a password to access the Course Dashboard, and the Platform's course content.
  2. Your login details will be shared with you to the email address provided at registration. 
  3. It is your responsibility to ensure the details you provide are correct and current. 

 

Password security 

  1. You are solely responsible for the protection and confidentiality of any password that may be issued to or subscribed for by you from time to time.  
  2. You will not share your password with any other person. 
  3. You will immediately notify us if your password is lost or becomes known to any other person. 
  4. You are solely responsible for access and use of this Site via your password, whether such access or use is by you or any other person.
  5. The personal information you provide to the Course will be managed according to our Privacy Policy https://www.ethicalinvestgroup.com/pages/privacy-policy.

 

Confidentiality 

  1. All information shared with the Lead Instructor during individual coaching sessions is confidential and will not be shared with a third party unless required by law. 
  2. Personal and business information provided by you is managed by our Privacy Policy

 

Marketing and Communications

  1. By participating in the Course, you agree to be added to the marketing and email lists of Ethical Invest Group. This means you may receive newsletters, promotional materials, and other communications related to the services and products offered by EIG.
  2. You can unsubscribe from these marketing communications at any time by following the unsubscribe link provided in the emails. However, please note that even if you unsubscribe from marketing communications, you will still receive product or purchase-related emails, such as those related to Course updates, billing, and account management.

 

Intellectual Property and Copyright

  1. Alexandra Brown is the Sustainable Investment Advice Course creator, which delivers engaging content covering foundational knowledge and advanced skills for providing sustainable investment advice. Alexandra Brown owns the common law trademark and intellectual property rights in the term "Sustainable Investment Advice Course". 
  2. You are expressly prohibited from using the term "Sustainable Investment Advice" in your business name, company title, courses or training, or branding. To do so will be a breach of Alexandra Brown's intellectual property rights and this Agreement. 
  3. You may offer the service of Sustainable Investment Advice; however, you may not include the term Sustainable Investment Advice in any education, course or training. 
  4. All material, including but not limited to videos, call recordings, resource downloads, and templates available in the Course and within any course created by Alexandra Brown, are the property of Alexandra Brown and Ethical Invest Group and their affiliates or licensors. They are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. 
  5. As a Financial Adviser or Paraplanner, you are bound, at all times, to ensure that you do not breach our intellectual property rights at any time for any reason. You may not use any of the materials available in the Course or any teaching platform or in a manner that infringes on our rights or has not been expressly authorised by us.
  6. All material, including but not limited to videos, call recordings, resource downloads, and templates available in the Course and within any course created by Alexandra Brown and Ethical Invest Group, is provided solely for your personal and non-commercial use. You are strictly prohibited from reproducing, distributing, or creating derivative works based on any Course materials without explicit written permission from Alexandra Brown.
  7. You are expressly prohibited from creating or attempting to create any course, training, or educational material that competes with the Sustainable Investment Advice Course using any content, concepts, or proprietary information obtained through this Course. Any attempt to do so will be considered a breach of this Agreement and will result in immediate termination of your access to the Course, along with potential legal action to protect our Intellectual Property rights.
  8. By participating in the Course, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless Alexandra Brown, Ethical Invest Group (EIG), and their affiliates from any claims, damages, or losses arising out of or in connection with any breach of our Intellectual Property rights.

 

Use by licence only 

  1. Use of materials for any other commercial purpose is prohibited without the express written permission of Alexandra Brown.
  2. You may not modify, copy, reproduce, republish, upload, post, transmit, translate, sell, create derivative works, exploit, or distribute in any manner or medium (including by email or other electronic means) any material the Course or related programs without the express permission of Alexandra Brown. You may request such permission by emailing [email protected].

 

Publication of assessment material

  1. By participating in the Course, you agree to grant Alexandra Brown and Ethical Invest Group, along with their associated entities, a royalty-free, unlimited, perpetual, and irrevocable license to publish, reuse, and repurpose any content and assessment material created by you during the Course. This license permits Alexandra Brown and Ethical Invest Group to use such material for any business-related purpose whatsoever.

 

Disclaimer 

 You understand and agree:

  1. The goal of the Course is to support financial advisers and paraplanners learn about sustainable investing and develop fundamental advice skills to help their clients to invest sustainably.
  2. The Course deals with education about sustainable investment products and advice delivery. It does not provide financial advice to your clients or to you as a learner in this Course. It is your responsibility to do your own due diligence when providing advice to your clients. 
  3. Ethical Invest Group, and Alexandra Brown cannot make any guarantees about your ability to get results or improvements with your skills or otherwise with the curriculum, coaching, tools, ideas, information, or strategies provided.   
  4. Results are dependent on various factors, including but not limited to your commitment, personal ability, and dedication, and is in no way dependent on any information or strategy provided to you by Ethical Invest Group or Alexandra Brown.
  5. You have purchased the Course and engaged Alexandra Brown's services at your own risk.
  6. All content, resources and coaching are provided for personal use and information only.
  7. Ethical Invest Group, and Alexandra Brown does not offer any representations, warranties, or guarantees, verbally or in writing, regarding your results from the Courses.
  8. Ethical Invest Group and Alexandra Brown does not endorse any of the investment products or services or advice or content mentioned in the Course including but not limited to recorded masterclasses by guest experts and other third parties as suitable or unsuitable for investment purposes. Any investment products, services or ideas mentioned are for case study, reference demonstration of learning principles only.

 

Earnings disclaimer

  1. Ethical Invest Group and Alexandra Brown does not make any guarantees about your ability to get results or earn any money from mentoring, advice, ideas, information, or strategies provided in any Course. 
  2. You acknowledge that there is an inherent risk in any business enterprise or activity. There is no guarantee that you will earn any money as a result of the purchase of any Course. 
  3. Nothing in the disclaimer above will limit or exclude any liability that may not be limited or excluded by applicable law.

 

Limitation of Liability

You understand and agree:

  1. Liability for the services provided by Ethical Invest Group and Alexandra Brown is governed solely by Australian Consumer Law and these Terms and Conditions.  
  2. Nothing in these Terms removes your Statutory Rights as a consumer under Australian Consumer Law and any other relevant legislation. 
  3. To the extent permitted by law: 

 

  1. Ethical Invest Group, and Alexandra Brown exclude all express or implied representations, conditions, guarantees, warranties, and terms relating to any Services except those set out in this Agreement; 
  2. Ethical Invest Group denies any liability in contract, tort (including negligence), or otherwise for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential costs, losses, claims, damages, expenses or proceedings incurred or suffered by you arising directly or indirectly out of or in connection with its services, including but not limited to any loss, damage or expense arising from any defect, error, imperfection, fault, mistake or inaccuracy with the information or advice provided by the Program or Alexandra Brown; and
  3. Ethical Invest Group guarantees all services are supplied to you with due care and skill and fit for the purpose that the services have been advertised.
  4. To the extent that Ethical Invest Group is unable to exclude liability, total liability for loss or damage you suffer or incur from services by Ethical Invest Group and Alexandra Brown is limited to re-supplying the Services to you, or, at our option, refund to you the amount you have paid for the Services to which your claim relates.

 

Dispute Resolution 

You understand and agree:

  1. You will contact Alexandra Brown immediately with any concerns for quick and effective resolution through friendly consultation.
  2. In the event of a dispute, you agree to the following Dispute Resolution Procedure:

 

  1. You must advise Alexandra Brown in writing of the nature of the dispute, the outcome you seek and what actions you believe will settle the dispute. 
  2. You agree to meet with a key representative of Alexandra Brown in person or via Zoom, Teams, or Skype, in good faith to seek to resolve the dispute by Agreement and compromise.
  3. If an agreement cannot be reached to resolve the dispute, any party may refer the dispute for mediation to The Law Society of South Australia.
  4. Both parties must attend the mediation in good faith to seek to resolve the dispute.
  5. Litigation via the court process may only be considered after a genuine attempt at mediation bought by either party is unsuccessful. 
  6. Confidentiality is paramount to both parties personal and professional reputations and standing in their business and community.
  7. At no time will any communications or discussions be made public, including but not limited to any social media platforms or websites of either party. 
  8. Any public discussion or comments about either party will be considered defamatory, harmful or otherwise damaging. They will be the subject of compensation in any mediation or litigation claim.

 

Governing Law  

You understand and agree:

  1. The Terms and Conditions of this Agreement are governed and construed under the laws of South Australia. 
  2. Each party irrevocably and unconditionally submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of South Australia.

 

Thank you for reading this Agreement.  By proceeding with your payment, you accept the Course Terms and Conditions contained in this Agreement.

 

Last updated May 22nd, 2024. 

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