General Terms and Conditions
1.1. Doowat: Doowat BV, with registered office at Visserij 156, 9000 Ghent, Belgium, VAT BE 0502.528.195.
1.2. Customer: any company, undertaking, self-employed professional or other professional party making use of Doowat's services.
1.3. Services: all services offered or performed by Doowat, including consulting, project-based services, logistics services and hand-carry/OBC services.
1.4. Assignment: any agreement under which Doowat undertakes to provide one or more Services to the Customer.
1.5. Quotation: any price quotation, price agreement, rate, cost estimate or proposal issued by Doowat in relation to an Assignment, regardless of the form in which it is communicated, including a formal quotation, email, WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS, other messaging service, telephone agreement subsequently confirmed, or any other written or electronic communication.
1.6. Shipment: any goods, documents, parts, baggage, packages or other items transported or accompanied by or under the supervision of Doowat in connection with a hand-carry/OBC Assignment.
1.7. Courier: the person who, on behalf or under instruction of Doowat, personally accompanies or transports the Shipment.
1.8. Means of Transport: any means of transport used for the performance of an Assignment, including aircraft, passenger car, train, bus, public transport, ferry, taxi, bicycle, on foot, rental car or any other suitable means of transport.
2.1. These General Terms and Conditions apply to all Quotations, orders, agreements, Services and performances of Doowat, unless expressly agreed otherwise in writing.
2.2. These General Terms and Conditions form an integral part of every agreement between Doowat and the Customer.
2.3. These General Terms and Conditions apply irrespective of whether the Assignment is agreed through a formal quotation, email, WhatsApp, Telegram, telephone, SMS, online platform or any other form of communication.
2.4. Any terms and conditions of the Customer shall only apply if expressly accepted by Doowat in writing in advance. In the event of conflict, specific agreements accepted by Doowat shall prevail over these General Terms and Conditions, and these General Terms and Conditions shall prevail over the Customer's general terms and conditions.
2.5. If any provision of these General Terms and Conditions is wholly or partially invalid, void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect. The relevant provision shall be replaced by a valid provision that comes as close as reasonably possible to its legal and economic purpose.
3.1. An Assignment may be entered into on the basis of a formal quotation, price quotation, order confirmation, written or electronic communication, or any other form of communication demonstrating the parties' intention to perform the Assignment.
3.2. A separate formal quotation document is not required for an agreement to be formed.
3.3. A price, service, route, schedule, means of transport, fee, cost arrangement or other commercial or operational condition agreed through WhatsApp, Telegram, email, SMS, another messaging service or any other communication channel may constitute a Quotation and/or order confirmation.
3.4. The agreement is formed as soon as the Customer expressly or tacitly accepts the Quotation or the conditions contained therein, including by confirming the Assignment, requesting or permitting its execution, providing the necessary information or instructions, booking transport tickets, or taking any other action from which acceptance of the Assignment can reasonably be inferred.
3.5. Communications between Doowat and the Customer, together with the Quotation and these General Terms and Conditions, constitute, where relevant, the contractual framework of the Assignment.
3.6. In the event of conflicting communications concerning an Assignment, the most recent agreement confirmed by the parties shall prevail, unless expressly agreed otherwise.
3.7. Prices and conditions are based on the information provided by the Customer at the time the price was agreed. Changes to the Assignment may result in a price adjustment.
3.8. Doowat shall not be bound by obvious material or administrative errors in prices, rates, times or other information.
4.1. Doowat shall perform the Assignment to the best of its ability and in accordance with the agreed conditions.
4.2. Unless expressly agreed otherwise as a result obligation, Doowat's obligation shall constitute an obligation of means and not an obligation to achieve a specific result.
4.3. Within the scope of the agreed Assignment, Doowat shall determine its practical organisation, including the choice of Courier, route, means of transport, stops and operational measures.
4.4. Doowat may use employees, self-employed personnel, subcontractors and other third parties to perform its Services.
4.5. The Customer accepts that the performance of an Assignment may be adapted where this is necessary or reasonably advisable due to safety, regulations, availability, traffic conditions, delays, transport restrictions, weather conditions, operational circumstances or other circumstances beyond Doowat's reasonable control.
5.1. The Customer shall provide all information necessary for the proper performance of the Assignment in a timely manner.
5.2. The Customer is responsible for the accuracy, completeness and legality of the information provided.
5.3. The Customer shall inform Doowat in advance of all characteristics of the Shipment or Assignment that may be relevant to safety, regulations, customs, means of transport or performance.
5.4. The Customer shall ensure that the Shipment may lawfully be transported and that all required permits, documents, certificates, licences, customs documents and other formalities have been completed, unless Doowat has expressly accepted a specific obligation to do so.
5.5. The Customer is responsible for the contents of the Shipment and for the consequences of incorrect, incomplete or misleading information.
6.1. An Assignment may be offered at a fixed total price (“all-in”) or on the basis of separate price components.
6.2. In the case of an all-in price, only costs expressly identified in the Quotation or communication as included shall be deemed to be included.
6.3. Where separate price components apply, the following may, among other things, be charged separately:
6.4. If a fixed price, daily rate, nightly rate, flat fee or other specific fee has been agreed, it shall apply in accordance with the agreement, even if the actual performance requires more time or costs for Doowat, except where circumstances justify a price adjustment under these General Terms and Conditions.
7.1. Costs charged by third parties in connection with the performance of the Assignment shall be borne by the Customer, unless expressly agreed otherwise.
7.2. If Doowat advances such costs, Doowat may recharge them in full to the Customer.
7.3. Where the Assignment changes or additional costs arise due to circumstances that could not reasonably have been foreseen when the agreement was concluded, such costs shall also be borne by the Customer.
7.4. Where operationally necessary, Doowat may incur additional costs without prior separate approval if it is not reasonably possible to contact the Customer in advance and such costs are necessary to keep the Assignment safe, lawful or practically executable.
8.1. Invoices are payable within 15 calendar days from the invoice date, unless otherwise agreed.
8.2. Any dispute concerning an invoice must be notified in writing and with reasons within 8 calendar days of receipt of the invoice. A dispute shall not suspend payment of the undisputed portion.
8.3. In the event of late payment, the applicable statutory interest for late payment in commercial transactions shall become due automatically and without prior notice, in accordance with applicable Belgian law.
8.4. The Customer shall also be liable for reasonable collection costs resulting from late payment, to the extent permitted by law.
8.5. Payments shall first be allocated to costs and interest and subsequently to the oldest outstanding principal amount, unless Doowat determines otherwise.
9.1. Doowat may require an advance payment or full payment before commencing the Assignment.
9.2. Doowat may suspend performance until the required advance payment has been received.
9.3. If it reasonably appears that the Customer may be unable to fulfil its payment obligations, Doowat may require additional payment security or suspend performance, without prejudice to its other rights.
10.1. Changes to an Assignment must be communicated to Doowat as soon as possible.
10.2. A change may result in an adjustment of the price, schedule, route, means of transport or other conditions.
10.3. Costs already incurred by Doowat or third parties that can no longer be recovered as a result of the change shall remain payable by the Customer.
10.4. Doowat is not obliged to accept a change if it is operationally, legally, technically or practically impossible to perform.
11.1. The Customer may cancel an Assignment, subject to any different agreement.
11.2. In the event of cancellation, all costs already incurred and which cannot be recovered shall remain payable by the Customer.
11.3. Such costs include, among other things, transport tickets, hotel costs, reservation costs, cancellation charges, third-party costs and Services already performed.
11.4. Doowat may additionally invoice Services already performed and costs reasonably incurred.
11.5. If specific cancellation conditions have been agreed for a particular Assignment, those conditions shall prevail.
12.1. A hand-carry/OBC service means a service whereby a Courier personally accompanies and/or transports a Shipment from a departure point designated by the Customer to a destination designated by the Customer.
12.2. The Courier shall personally accompany the Shipment throughout the Assignment to the extent practically, legally and operationally possible.
12.3. Doowat is not an airline and is not the operator of the means of transport used by the Courier, unless expressly agreed otherwise.
13.1. A hand-carry/OBC Assignment may be performed using one or more means of transport.
13.2. Possible means of transport include, among others:
13.3. Different means of transport may be combined within a single Assignment.
13.4. The means of transport may be determined by the agreed Assignment or, within the scope of the agreed Services, by Doowat.
13.5. Doowat may change the means of transport or route where this is necessary or reasonably advisable due to availability, safety, regulations, delays, operational circumstances, costs or other circumstances affecting the performance of the Assignment.
14.1. Unless expressly agreed otherwise, the Customer shall be responsible for purchasing and paying for the transport documents, tickets and reservations required for the Courier.
14.2. This may include airline tickets, train tickets, bus transport, ferries, public transport, taxis and other transport services.
14.3. If Doowat purchases tickets or reservations on behalf or for the account of the Customer, the relevant costs shall be recharged to the Customer.
14.4. If the Customer purchases tickets or reservations itself, the Customer is responsible for correct booking details, passenger names, travel dates, departure times, baggage conditions, ticket terms and any change or cancellation conditions.
14.5. Costs resulting from an incorrect or inadequate booking made by the Customer shall be borne by the Customer.
15.1. The Customer shall ensure that the Shipment is suitably packaged for the agreed method of transport.
15.2. The packaging must provide adequate protection against normal risks inherent in the agreed transport.
15.3. Doowat may refuse a Shipment or suspend performance if, in its reasonable opinion, the packaging is inadequate, damaged, unsafe or not compliant with applicable regulations.
15.4. If Doowat adjusts or replaces packaging at the Customer's request or where necessary, the related costs may be charged to the Customer.
16.1. The Customer shall not offer goods that are prohibited or whose transport is subject to specific conditions without fully and correctly informing Doowat in advance.
16.2. The Customer must inform Doowat in advance of, among other things, dangerous goods, batteries, lithium batteries, chemicals, liquids, weapons and parts thereof, pharmaceutical products, live animals, valuable goods and other goods subject to special transport, security or customs regulations.
16.3. Doowat is not obliged to transport goods whose transport is prohibited or for which the required permits, declarations or documents are missing.
16.4. If it becomes apparent during performance that a Shipment may not be transported, Doowat may immediately stop the Assignment in whole or in part.
16.5. All consequences, costs, delays and losses resulting from an incorrect or incomplete declaration by the Customer shall be borne by the Customer, subject to mandatory law.
17.1. For air transport, the rules and regulations of the relevant airline, airport, security authorities and other competent authorities shall apply.
17.2. For other means of transport, the applicable transport conditions and legal requirements of the relevant carrier shall apply.
17.3. Doowat and the Courier shall comply with reasonable and lawful instructions issued by airlines, carriers, airport authorities, security services, customs authorities and other competent authorities.
17.4. A carrier or competent authority may inspect, open, refuse or remove a Shipment. Doowat shall not be liable for this where it results from a decision or action of the competent third party, except in the event of Doowat's own fault.
18.1. Doowat cannot guarantee that a flight, train, bus, ferry or other means of transport will operate according to its scheduled timetable.
18.2. Delays, cancellations, overbooking, missed connections, strikes, technical problems, weather conditions, operational restrictions or decisions by carriers may affect the performance of the Assignment.
18.3. Doowat shall, within its reasonable capabilities, take measures to continue performing the Assignment.
18.4. Additional costs necessarily arising from such circumstances shall be borne by the Customer, unless they are solely attributable to a breach by Doowat.
18.5. Doowat shall not be liable for decisions, delays or cancellations by third parties, except to the extent caused by a fault attributable to Doowat.
19.1. The Customer is responsible for the accuracy and completeness of all information and documents required for customs, import, export, transit and other border formalities.
19.2. Unless expressly agreed otherwise, Doowat does not act as customs representative, importer, exporter or fiscal representative of the Customer.
19.3. The Customer shall bear all duties, taxes, levies, administrative costs, fines and other costs resulting from the Shipment or from incorrect, incomplete or missing customs information, except to the extent directly caused by a fault of Doowat.
20.1. The Customer shall ensure that the Shipment is available at the agreed time and location.
20.2. The Customer shall ensure that the recipient or a person designated by the Customer is available to receive the Shipment, unless otherwise agreed.
20.3. Doowat may request proof of collection and/or delivery, including a signature, name, digital confirmation, photograph or other reasonable evidence.
20.4. If the recipient is unavailable or delivery cannot take place due to circumstances not attributable to Doowat, Doowat may provide reasonable additional instructions and charge the related costs to the Customer.
21.1. If the Courier has to wait due to circumstances attributable to the Customer, sender or recipient, waiting time may be charged in accordance with the agreed rates.
21.2. If no specific waiting rate has been agreed, Doowat may charge the costs reasonably incurred and additional Services performed.
21.3. If waiting time makes the originally planned performance impossible, Doowat may adjust or terminate the Assignment, while retaining its right to payment for Services already performed and costs incurred.
22.1. The Customer must inform Doowat in advance if the Shipment has an exceptionally high value or involves special risks.
22.2. Doowat is not obliged to accept a Shipment with exceptional value or special risks.
22.3. If special insurance, security measures or additional Services are required, these must be agreed separately in advance.
23.1. Doowat shall only be liable for damage that is the direct result of a contractual or non-contractual breach attributable to Doowat, to the extent that such liability cannot validly be excluded or limited under applicable law.
23.2. To the extent permitted by law, Doowat shall not be liable for indirect or consequential damage, including loss of profit, loss of revenue, loss of business opportunities, reputational damage, loss of contracts, business interruption or other pure economic consequential loss.
23.3. Doowat shall likewise not be liable for damage arising from circumstances for which Doowat cannot reasonably be held responsible.
23.4. Except where mandatory law provides otherwise, Doowat's liability shall be limited to direct and proven damage.
24.1. To the extent permitted by law, Doowat's total contractual and non-contractual liability in connection with one Assignment shall be limited to the amount paid by the Customer to Doowat for the relevant Assignment.
24.2. Where liability relates to a series of related Assignments, these shall be considered as one event for the purposes of this provision if they arise from the same cause.
24.3. In all cases, and subject to mandatory law, Doowat's liability shall be limited to EUR 10,000 per event.
24.4. The above limitations shall not apply to liability that cannot legally be limited or excluded under mandatory applicable law.
25.1. Doowat may use carriers and other third parties for the performance of an Assignment.
25.2. The Customer acknowledges that such third parties may apply their own general terms and conditions, security requirements, transport conditions and liability regimes.
25.3. Doowat shall not be liable for breaches by third parties that it could not reasonably prevent or avoid, except to the extent provided otherwise by law.
25.4. Where the Customer itself selects or contracts a third-party carrier, supplier or service provider, Doowat shall not be liable for that party's performance.
26.1. Doowat maintains the insurance policies that it is legally required to maintain under applicable law.
26.2. The Customer remains responsible for insuring the Shipment against risks it considers necessary, unless separate insurance coverage by Doowat has expressly been agreed.
26.3. Any insurance arranged by Doowat shall not extend or reduce its contractual liability beyond the limits set out in these General Terms and Conditions.
27.1. To the extent permitted under applicable law, the Customer shall indemnify and hold Doowat harmless against third-party claims arising from:
27.2. This indemnification shall not apply to damage caused solely by a fault attributable to Doowat.
28.1. Doowat shall not be liable for delay or non-performance of an Assignment if this results from circumstances beyond its reasonable control.
28.2. Such circumstances may include, among others:
28.3. Doowat shall, within its reasonable capabilities, seek to mitigate the consequences of such circumstances.
28.4. If performance of the Assignment becomes impossible or unreasonably burdensome, Doowat may suspend or terminate the Assignment in whole or in part.
28.5. Services already performed and costs already incurred shall remain payable.
Doowat may suspend performance of an Assignment if:
30.1. If a party materially breaches a contractual obligation, the other party may, after notice of default and expiry of a reasonable cure period, terminate the agreement if the breach has not been remedied.
30.2. No prior cure period shall be required where the breach is so serious that continued performance can no longer reasonably be required, or where remedy is impossible.
30.3. Upon termination, Services already performed and costs incurred shall remain payable.
31.1. Complaints concerning Services or invoices must be communicated to Doowat as soon as possible after they are discovered.
31.2. Complaints regarding visible defects, damage or missing parts must be submitted in writing no later than 8 calendar days after performance or delivery, subject to mandatory legal provisions or situations where a defect could reasonably only be discovered at a later time.
31.3. A complaint must be sufficiently specific and the Customer must, to the extent reasonably possible, give Doowat the opportunity to investigate the complaint.
31.4. Submitting a complaint shall not suspend the Customer's payment obligation in respect of the undisputed amount.
32.1. The parties shall treat as confidential any confidential information received from each other in connection with the agreement.
32.2. Confidential information may only be used for the performance of the agreement.
32.3. This obligation shall apply during the agreement and for five years after its termination, except for information that, by its nature, remains a trade secret for as long as it qualifies as such.
32.4. This obligation shall not apply to information that:
33.1. All intellectual property rights relating to methodologies, models, software, know-how, documents, templates, concepts, processes and other materials already owned by Doowat before the Assignment shall remain the property of Doowat.
33.2. Unless expressly agreed otherwise, the Customer shall not acquire ownership of such materials through payment for the Services.
33.3. Any specific transfer or licensing of intellectual property rights must be agreed separately and in writing.
34.1. Doowat shall process personal data in accordance with applicable data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
34.2. Personal data shall only be processed for purposes relating to the Services, administration, invoicing, communication, performance of Assignments and compliance with legal obligations.
34.3. Where necessary, personal data may be shared with carriers, personnel, subcontractors, hotels, transport platforms, customs authorities and other third parties necessary for the performance of the Assignment.
35.1. The parties recognise electronic communication as a valid means of communication for the formation, performance, amendment and follow-up of Assignments.
35.2. This includes email, WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS, online messaging services and other electronic communication channels used by the parties in their business relationship.
35.3. To the extent permitted by law, electronic messages, documents sent, confirmations, timestamps, payment information, electronic signatures and other electronic data may be used as evidence of agreements made between the parties.
35.4. If an Assignment is discussed through several communication channels, those channels shall be considered jointly when interpreting the agreements reached.
35.5. The Customer is responsible for providing correct contact details and for timely monitoring of communications relating to the Assignment.
36.1. All agreements between Doowat and the Customer shall be governed exclusively by Belgian law, subject to mandatory provisions of international private law or applicable international law.
36.2. The application of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) is excluded to the extent legally possible.
37.1. For all disputes concerning the formation, validity, interpretation, performance or termination of an agreement with Doowat, the competent courts of the judicial district of East Flanders, Ghent division shall, to the extent permitted by law, have exclusive jurisdiction.
37.2. Where reasonably possible, the parties shall first attempt to resolve any dispute amicably.
37.3. Nothing in this article shall restrict any rights that a party may have under mandatory law to bring proceedings before another competent court.
38.1. Specific written or electronic agreements made for a particular Assignment shall prevail over these General Terms and Conditions where and to the extent that they expressly or necessarily conflict with them.
38.2. All other provisions of these General Terms and Conditions shall remain in full force and effect.
The fact that Doowat does not immediately exercise a right under these General Terms and Conditions shall not constitute a waiver of that right. A waiver of a right shall only be valid if expressly confirmed in writing.
40.1. Doowat may amend these General Terms and Conditions for future agreements.
40.2. For agreements already concluded, the version of the General Terms and Conditions applicable at the time the relevant agreement was formed shall continue to apply, unless the parties agree otherwise or an amendment is required by mandatory legislation.
If one or more provisions of these General Terms and Conditions are declared wholly or partially invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
In such event, the parties shall in good faith endeavour to replace the relevant provision with a valid provision that comes as close as possible to its purpose and economic effect.
These General Terms and Conditions have been drafted in Dutch. If they are translated into another language, the Dutch version shall, unless expressly agreed otherwise, remain the authentic version.
Doowat BV
Visserij 156
9000 Ghent – Belgium
VAT BE 0502.528.195
Version September 2026