Membership Terms & Conditions
Membership terms and conditions relating to
Association of Advanced Biostructural Correction Europe (ABC-E) Ltd
Last updated – August 31st 2020
- Contents
Clause - Interpretation
- Association Memberships and Eligibility
Categories of Membership and Eligibility
3.1. Practitioner Membership
3.2. Technician Membership
3.3. Family Technician
3.4. Student Membership
3.5. Affiliate Membership
3.6. Industry Membership - Certification
- Membership Committee
- Membership Fees
- Refund of Membership Fees
- Cancellation of Memberships
- Compliance with the standards and laws of the country in which you practise
- Personal Data and Marketing
- The Association’s Services and Resources – Member Benefits
- Complaints
- The Association and Governing Law
1. Interpretation
- These Terms and Conditions outline what you sign up to when you become a Member of the Association in any category.
Acceptable: acceptable to the Membership Committee.
Association of Advanced Biostructural Correction Europe: We, the Association.
Code of Conduct: The code of conduct of the Association published on the website of the Association as amended from time to time.
In Good Standing: Adhering to the Rules of the Association and the Terms and Conditions.
Membership: Membership of the Association.
Membership Agreement: This agreement between us/we (the Association, the professional organisation) and you (the member), as varied or amended from time to time.
Member Benefits: The privileges, products and services provided by the Association to you, its members.
Misconduct: Behaviour which is contrary to the Terms and Conditions or the Rules of the Association, or any other professional standards which we from time to time adopt or observe.
Membership Committee: The membership committee of Association.
Membership Year: The membership term of one calendar year starting on the 1 January of each year.
Of Suitable Standing: Although not complying with the Terms and Conditions of membership, at the sole discretion of the Membership Committee, you may be of suitable standing by virtue of demonstrating considerable effort and willingness to be of Good Standing and you will be likely to meet the requirements of Good Standing over time.
Rules of the Association: The regulations, the Code of Conduct, guidance or requirements of the Association as made available to members from time to time on the Association’s website.
Terms and Conditions: The rules you must abide by as part of this agreement.
The Relevant Regulator: the regulatory body which in the opinion of the Membership Committee is the relevant regulator for your field of practice (such as a chiropractor, osteopath, physiotherapist, doctor, dentist or sports therapist).
The Register: The register of practitioners in your field of practice maintained by the Relevant Regulator;
Fees or Membership Fees: The fees you must pay us to be a Member of the Association.
Written or in writing, includes printed or electronic writing, which includes e-mails.
2. Association Memberships and Eligibility
- You must be of Good Standing or Suitable Standing in order to be a Member of the Association.
- Membership is for a period of one year and is renewed annually.
- To be eligible for a category of Membership, you must meet the relevant requirements that we stipulate from time to time on our website.
- We may check your eligibility for Membership with other organisations and we may require you to provide proof that you meet the requirements to join the Association. We will not accept your application if we cannot confirm your eligibility.
- If you are on the Register and are undergoing a formal review of your professional standing you must tell us; we may put your application on hold and/or refer your application for review by our Membership Committee.
- We have the right not to accept applications for any reason.
- By submitting an application for Membership you confirm you have read and understood these Terms and Conditions and agree to keep to them and the Rules of the Association. If we do not accept your application for Membership on grounds of ineligibility, you will only be entitled to a refund of up to 50% of any Fees already paid.
- We may amend our membership criteria from time to time.
3. Categories of Membership and Eligibility
3.1 Practitioner Membership
- To be eligible for Practitioner Membership you must be a qualified practitioner and registered with the Relevant Regulator with acceptable professional indemnity insurance in place and be of Good Standing.
- The Membership Committee may terminate Membership in this category if in the reasonable opinion of the committee the Member has ceased to practise or has ceased to be registered by the Relevant Regulator .Technician Membership
- To be eligible for Technician Membership you must not be eligible for Practitioner Membership (in accordance with paragraph 1 above), but be a lay person who has completed at least a level one ABCTM certification (as awarded by an ABC lead instructor at a seminar ) with acceptable professional indemnity insurance in order to treat members of the public in place and be of Good Standing.
- The Membership Committee may terminate Membership in this category if in the reasonable opinion of the committee the Member has ceased to practise.
3.2 Practitioner Membership
- To be eligible for Technician Membership you must not be eligible for Practitioner Membership (in accordance with paragraph 1 above), but be a lay person who has completed at least a level one ABCTM certification (as awarded by an ABCTM lead instructor at a seminar ) with acceptable professional indemnity insurance in order to treat members of the public in place and be of Good Standing.
- The Membership Committee may terminate Membership in this category if in the reasonable opinion of the committee the Member has ceased to practise.
3.3 Family Technician
- To be eligible for Family Technician you must not be eligible for any other membership in the Association, have attended at least one basic seminar of the Association in the interest of helping family members but not in treating members of the public.
3.4 Student Membership
- To be eligible for Student Membership you must be enrolled as an undergraduate student enrolled to study any acceptable medical degree (such as BA Science (Chiropractic) or equivalent) at an acceptable tertiary institution and be of Good Standing.
- Your Student Membership will automatically terminate should your status as a student cease. Students who successfully graduate from their courses are eligible for Membership in the membership category that is relevant to them.
3.5 Affiliate Membership
- To be eligible for Affiliate Membership you will be a supporter of Advanced Biostructural Correction and be of Good Standing.
- Members is this category will be entitled to such benefits and subject to such conditions as the Membership Committee may from time to time determine.
3.5 Industry Membership
- To be eligible for Industry Membership the Membership Committee must recognise you as a relevant industry participant, the terms of which we may stipulate from time to time.
- We may create and administer such other categories of membership as we may see fit from time to time. Full details of these additional categories and eligibility for these will be published on our website.
- We may amend and revise the criteria for membership of the above categories from time to time. If you no longer fulfil the criteria for a certain membership category we will refer your Membership to the Membership Committee.
- Membership is not transferable.
- Should you be a Member in one category, and wish to join another, your application will be referred to the Membership Committee. The Membership Committee is under no obligation to approve the application of an existing Member for membership of another category of membership.
- We may charge different Membership Fees for each category of Membership and will update you of annual rates, including any increase, for each category in advance of payments being required, as set out at paragraph 6 below.
4. Certification
- A Member may seek certification in accordance with The ABC™ Certification Program as published by the Association from time to time.
- Subject to the payment of all applicable fees the Association will issue a certificate to each Member who has satisfied the requirements of The ABC™ Certification Program for any level of practice specified in the Program that the Member has achieved that level.
- Every certificate will remain the property of the Association.
- The Association will at its discretion at the request of the Member and on payment of any applicable fee and subject to such conditions as it may think fit, replace any certificate that has become lost or defaced.
- Each certificate shall be valid for one Membership Year, or where it is issued in the course of a Membership Year, to the end of the then-current Membership Year whereupon it will expire and cease to be valid.
- A certificate will expire and cease to be valid when a Member ceases to be a Member of the Association.
- Subject to the payment of the Membership Fees and any other fees due to the Association, the Association will issue a certificate to each Member in Good Standing for each Membership Year at the level which that Member has achieved.
- Upon ceasing to be a Member the former Member shall return every certificate to the Association.
- A Member shall upon demand return to the Association every certificate that has ceased to be valid.
- No Member who is not in possession of a valid certificate shall represent or cause or allow herself or himself to be represented in any manner and whether expressly or implicitly, as having achieved any level in The ABC™ Certification Programs and, without limiting the foregoing in any way, shall not use any trademark or logo of the Association.
5. Membership Committee
- The Membership Committee will review all applications for Membership of the Association.
- The Membership Committee will review the membership categories and certification levels generally and in relation to each Member from time to time. The Membership Committee will recommend appropriate and proportionate action both in terms of support and your Membership generally.
- The Membership Committee may attach any condition that it may think fit to any certificate issued under Section 4 of these Terms and Conditions including a restriction on the manner in which the Member may practise and a requirement to publish or otherwise make known any such condition.
- The Association reserves the right to publish or otherwise make known any condition attaching to the certificate of a Member.
- You must abide by decisions made by the Membership Committee.
- You have the right to appeal decisions made by the Membership Committee. We will explain your rights under our appeals process.
6. Membership Fees
- When you become a Member, you agree to pay Fees which will be an annual subscription for the Member Benefits we will provide.
- If you choose to pay your Membership Fee by Direct Debit we will automatically renew your membership each year until you tell us not to or you cancel the payment instruction with your bank. Your rights relating to this type of payment instruction are protected separately by the Direct Debit Guarantee.
- We will confirm the relevant terms for your chosen payment method over the phone or in writing before we debit your account.
- We will send you a payment reminder for your membership at the end of each Membership Year which you should pay within 30 days before your membership ends. If you are paying by Direct Debit we will send you an advance notice as required before we debit your account.
- We may change the Membership Fee or introduce additional charges and will notify you at least 30 days before they apply.
7. Membership Fees
- We do not refund Membership Fees including any assessment fees and renewal fees already paid under any circumstance.
- If you believe there has been any mistake in terms of payment of fees, you must notify us of this within 6 months of payment in question, otherwise we will not be obliged to make any repayment.
8. Cancellation of Memberships
- If you no longer wish to be a Member of the Association you may opt out of renewing in writing by providing at least one month’s notice before the start of the upcoming Membership Year. If you fail to provide adequate notice you may be charged additional Membership Fees which will not be refunded.
- If you do any of the following we will be able to cancel your membership at any time without notice and will not pay back any Fees already paid; if you:
- do not keep to the Terms and Conditions of Membership or the Rules of the Association;
- do not comply with the Code of Conduct of the Association;
- fail to pay your Membership Fees;
- if you are no longer of Good Standing or Suitable Standing, are involved in any activity which in our opinion could bring our reputation into disrepute, or similarly the reputation of our Members or the profession in general;
- engage in any other activity that we may consider to be m
- The Membership Committee may suspend your membership and you will not be entitled to access any Member Benefits.
- If you or we cancel this agreement under any circumstance, we shall remain entitled to collect from you any outstanding Membership Fees for the relevant period during which your membership was active.
9. Compliance with the standards and laws of the country in which you practise
- In applying and agreeing to become a Member of the Association, you confirm that you will abide by the laws and standards of the country in which you practise.
- You confirm that should you be found to be breaching the laws and practising standards of the country in which you practice, then your membership will be automatically cancelled without notice to you. In these circumstances you shall not be eligible for a refund of your Membership Fees.
10. Personal Data and Marketing
- If you provide us with your personal details, that data will only be used by us in accordance with these terms and conditions and our privacy policy, for the purpose of the legitimate aims and objectives of the Association.
11. The Association’s Services and Resources – Member Benefits
- You acknowledge that the Association is not responsible for the service or treatment you give your patients and that the Association is not liable to any third party.
- Any advice or information that you receive from the Association by way Member Benefits (which includes telephone advice, responses to any submission made by you via our online enquiry form and responses to any email queries) or other communication is provided to you simply for your information and is subject to these Terms and Conditions and the Rules of the Association.
- We retain the right to alter, suspended or withdraw services, products, privileges or offers at any time without notice.
12. Complaints
- If you have any complaints about your membership or Membership Benefits, these should be directed to the Membership Committee, whose contact details can be found on our website.
13. The Association and Governing Law
- Not exercising any right under these Terms and Conditions, or the Rules of the Association, does not mean we are waiving (giving up) our rights.
These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law.
