Terms of Sale

These Terms govern what you buy from us. Section A covers tickets for the Free Cities Conference, which we sell ourselves. Section B covers our merchandise shop, which is operated with Fourthwall, and where Fourthwall rather than we are the seller. The contact and governing law at the end apply to both.

We are Free Cities Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation registered in Wyoming, USA, at 30 North Gould Street, Suite R, Sheridan, WY 82801 (“we”, “us”, “our”).

A · Conference tickets

These terms govern the purchase and use of tickets for the Free Cities Conference (the “Event”). By buying a ticket, you (“you”, “attendee”) agree to them.

1 · Purchase and confirmation

Our ticket shop runs on Pretix, which we host ourselves at tickets.free-cities.org. Your purchase is complete, and a contract is formed, when we send you an electronic confirmation and your ticket by email. Please check that the details you give at checkout are correct, in particular your email address.

All ticket prices are stated and charged in US dollars. Where our website shows an amount in euros, it is a guide converted at a published reference rate and is not the amount you pay. Each ticket admits one person for the days covered by the tier you bought.

2 · Reduced and age-restricted tickets

Some tiers are sold at a reduced rate on conditions. The Young Person ticket is available to attendees aged 26 or under on the first day of the Event. When you book one, we ask for the attendee’s date of birth at checkout, and we may ask to see matching photo identification when you collect your badge.

If you cannot show that you meet the condition, you are welcome to attend by paying the difference to the Standard rate. We cannot refund a reduced ticket on the grounds that its condition turned out not to be met.

3 · Transferring your ticket

Tickets are fully transferable to another person at no cost, up to 24 hours before the Event begins. To transfer a ticket, email info@free-cities.org with the name of the original ticket holder and the full name and email address of the new attendee.

The new attendee is bound by these Terms. If the ticket is an age-restricted tier, the new attendee must also meet that condition and give their own date of birth. Tickets may not be resold above face value or offered commercially without our written consent.

4 · Cancelling and refunds

Plans change, so we offer a refund window that goes beyond what the law requires of us. To cancel, email info@free-cities.org.

• Full refund. You receive 100% of the amount you paid if you cancel within 14 days of purchase and no later than 24 hours before the Event begins, whichever comes first.
• Partial refund. After that, and up to 24 hours before the Event begins, you receive 50% of the amount you paid.
• No refund, and no-shows. In the last 24 hours before the Event begins, and if you simply do not attend, we cannot refund the ticket. The transfer window in section 3 closes at the same moment, so if you know you cannot come, tell us before then and the ticket can go to someone else.

We refund the amount you actually paid, after any voucher or discount. Refunds go back to the payment method you used. Card refunds are usually with you within 10 business days, though your bank may take longer. Bitcoin payments are refunded at the US dollar value of your purchase at the time it was made, so any change in the exchange rate since then is yours.

Because the Event takes place on set dates, the statutory right of withdrawal for distance contracts does not apply to these tickets. The refund window above is our own policy, offered voluntarily.

5 · Changes, postponement and cancellation

We may change the schedule, the speakers or the venue at any time, and such changes do not entitle you to a refund. If we postpone the Event, your ticket stays valid for the new dates; if you cannot attend them, you may request a full refund within 30 days of us announcing them. If we cancel the Event, you receive a full refund of the amount you paid.

This applies whether the cause is within our control or not, including government restrictions, venue failure or other circumstances beyond our reasonable control. We are not responsible for your travel, accommodation or other costs in any of these cases, so we recommend flexible fares and refundable accommodation.

6 · At the Event

You agree to follow the venue rules and to treat everyone at the Event with respect. Your badge must be worn and is not transferable once collected. We may refuse admission to, or remove, anyone behaving in a disruptive, threatening or otherwise inappropriate way, without a refund.

Attendees under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult who remains responsible for them throughout, including in any supervised area we provide for children.

7 · Photography and filming

We photograph and film the Event, and we publish talks, recordings and photographs on our website, our YouTube channel and our social media. By attending, you accept that you may appear in such material, including in the audience and in general views of the venue.

If you would prefer not to appear, tell us at info@free-cities.org before or during the Event and we will do what we reasonably can, including a marker on your badge and, where material is already published, removing or obscuring it where that is technically feasible.

8 · Visas and travel

You are responsible for your own travel documents. On request we will issue a letter of invitation to support a visa application, but we have no influence over the decision. A refused visa is handled under the refund rules in section 4 and gives no additional right to a refund.

9 · Liability

Attendance is at your own risk. We are not responsible for personal injury, or for loss of, theft of or damage to property, occurring at or in connection with the Event.

Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for any other liability that cannot be limited or excluded under applicable law.

10 · Your personal information

We use what you give us to process your order, admit you to the Event, and send you information about the Event you signed up for. Where you book an age-restricted ticket, this includes the attendee’s date of birth, which we use only to confirm eligibility. Ticket data is held in our self-hosted Pretix instance on servers in Germany; card payments are processed by Stripe and Bitcoin payments by our own BTCPay Server. Full details, including your rights and how to exercise them, are in our Privacy Policy.

B · Merchandise

11 · Who you are buying from

Our merchandise shop at https://free-cities.org/merchandise is operated with Fourthwall. Fourthwall, not Free Cities Foundation, is the seller of all products offered there. Your purchase contract is with Fourthwall, and Fourthwall is responsible for payment, taxes, production, shipping, returns and refunds. We design the range and receive a share of the proceeds, which supports our work.

Browsing and ordering are therefore also subject to Fourthwall’s Terms of Service and Fourthwall’s Privacy Policy, both also linked at the foot of every product page. Checkout takes place on Fourthwall’s own site, where payment and delivery details are shown before you order.

12 · Prices, returns and problems with an order

Merchandise prices are shown in the currency Fourthwall determines for your location and are charged by Fourthwall.

Report a damaged, defective or incorrectly fulfilled item within 30 days of delivery and it will be replaced at no cost to you. Products that are not defective are generally not returnable. If you are a consumer in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, any statutory right of withdrawal you have applies against the seller, Fourthwall.

Start any of this by writing to info@free-cities.org and we will put you in touch with Fourthwall’s support, or contact Fourthwall directly using the details in their terms.

Common provisions and contact

13 · Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms. The version in force at the time of your purchase applies to that purchase. The current version, with the date it took effect, is always on this page.

14 · Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Wyoming, USA, without regard to its conflict of law principles. If you are a consumer resident in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, this does not deprive you of the protection of any mandatory consumer law of your country of residence, and you may bring proceedings in the courts there.

15 · If part of these Terms does not hold

If any provision is found invalid or unenforceable, the rest stays in force.

16 · Contact

For anything about a ticket or an order, write to info@free-cities.org. Our full legal details are in the Legal Notice.

Ticket questions about the current edition are usually answered fastest on the conference FAQ.