Terms & Conditions

Effective Date: 03 February 2026
Last Updated: 01 May 2026

These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) govern your use of valerievale.com (the “Site”) and any purchases made through this Site.

The Site is operated for the sale of books published under the author name Valérie Vale. The legal seller and publisher of products sold through this Site is Yasser Al Marsomi, Belgium, as identified below.

By accessing the Site or placing an order, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.

Store Information

Author name: Valérie Vale
Website: valerievale.com
Legal seller / publisher: Yasser Al Marsomi
Business / Enterprise number: 1018.841.379
VAT number: BE 1018.841.379
Registered address: Leegstraat 5, bus 0202, 9060 Zelzate, Belgium
Contact email: support@valerievale.com

The Woman I Once Was is published under the author name Valérie Vale.

Products are sold through this Site and may also become available through selected third-party platforms, such as Amazon, where stated.

For customer support, order questions, returns, or complaints, please contact: support@valerievale.com.

For full seller information, please see our Legal Notice.

Definitions

For clarity, the following definitions apply:

  • “Product”: A physical book edition offered on the Site (e.g., Paperback, Limited Edition).

  • “Consumer”: An individual buying for personal use, not for business purposes.

  • “Business Customer”: Any buyer purchasing for business, resale, distribution, or commercial purposes.

  • “Diminished Value”: any reduction in the value of a returned Product caused by handling beyond what is necessary to inspect the Product as you would in a physical bookstore.

  • “Withdrawal”: The legal right (in certain jurisdictions) for a Consumer to cancel a distance purchase within a defined period (e.g., EU/EEA/UK).

  • “Working Day / Business Day”: A day when banks and carriers normally operate, excluding weekends and public holidays.

Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in your country) to place an order. By ordering, you confirm you have the legal capacity to enter into a binding contract.

Products & Availability

We offer physical books, including:

  • Paperback (available now)

  • Limited Edition (coming soon; availability may be limited)

We strive to display accurate product descriptions and images. However:

  • Colors and appearance may vary slightly depending on screen settings.

  • Minor variations in printing/cutting may occur and do not automatically constitute a defect.

We reserve the right to:

  • update Product details, availability, and pricing;

  • limit quantities per customer;

  • discontinue Products without prior notice.

Orders

1. Order placement

Placing an order constitutes an offer to purchase. An order is considered accepted when we send an order confirmation and payment is successfully processed.

2. Refusal or cancellation

We may refuse or cancel an order if:

  • payment cannot be verified,

  • the shipping address is invalid or incomplete,

  • inventory is unavailable,

  • we suspect fraud, abuse, or unauthorized activity.

If we cancel after payment, you will receive a refund to the original payment method (processing times depend on the payment provider and bank).

 

3. Customer responsibility

You are responsible for providing accurate information, including:

  • shipping address,

  • email address,

  • phone number (if required by the carrier).

We are not responsible for failed delivery due to incorrect or incomplete address details provided by you, except where mandatory consumer protection law provides otherwise.

Prices, Currency, Taxes & Duties

Prices are shown on the Site and/or at checkout in the currency displayed for your region.

Before you place an order, checkout will show the Product price, applicable taxes where relevant, shipping costs, and the total amount payable.

Prices include VAT where applicable, unless clearly stated otherwise.

For international shipments outside the European Union, your order may be subject to customs duties, import taxes, or handling fees imposed by your country. Unless explicitly stated otherwise at checkout, these fees are the customer’s responsibility and are outside our control.

Payments

Payments are processed via Stripe. Available payment methods may vary by country and local availability.

We do not store full payment card details on our servers. Your payment information is handled by the payment processor in accordance with its policies.

Shipping & Delivery

1. Worldwide shipping

We offer worldwide shipping. Shipping options, costs, and estimated delivery times are shown at checkout based on your destination.

2. Processing time

Orders are normally prepared and handed to the carrier within the processing time shown on the Product page, checkout, or order confirmation. During launches, pre-orders, or Limited Edition releases, processing may take longer if clearly stated before purchase.

Unless a specific delivery timeframe is agreed at checkout or in the order confirmation, consumer orders will be delivered within 30 days after the order confirmation, subject to mandatory consumer protection rules.

3. Delivery estimates

Delivery times are estimates, not guarantees. Delays may occur due to:

  • customs processing,

  • carrier disruptions,

  • local delivery conditions,

  • weather or events beyond our control.

4. Risk of loss

For consumer orders, we remain responsible for the Product until it is delivered to you or to a person designated by you, subject to mandatory consumer protection rules. If delivery fails because of an incorrect or incomplete address provided by you, refusal of delivery, or failure to collect the parcel from a pickup point, we may charge reasonable reshipping costs or deduct costs where permitted by law.

5. Failed delivery / returned to sender

If a shipment is returned due to:

  • incorrect address,

  • refusal to accept,

  • failure to collect from pickup point,
    you may be responsible for reshipping costs. Refunds (if any) may be reduced by shipping and handling costs where permitted by law.

Pre-Orders & Limited Edition

If we offer a Limited Edition or pre-order:

  • Product details and any special conditions will be stated on the Product page.

  • Estimated release/shipping timelines may change.

  • If a copy is clearly personalized, dedicated to you by name, or made to your specific instructions, it may be excluded from the right of withdrawal for change of mind, where permitted by law.

    A standard Limited Edition or numbered copy is not automatically excluded from the right of withdrawal unless it is personalized or made to your specifications. Any special return conditions will be stated clearly on the Product page before purchase.

Returns, Withdrawals & Refunds

This section summarizes our return and withdrawal rules. For full details, please see our Returns & Refunds Policy.

  1. Damaged, defective, incorrect, or incomplete items

If your order arrives damaged, defective, incorrect, or incomplete, please contact us as soon as possible, preferably within 48 hours of delivery, at support@valerievale.com.

Please include your order number, clear photos of the issue, photos of the packaging where relevant, and a short description.

This helps us investigate the issue quickly. Reports made later may take longer to investigate, especially if shipping damage is involved, but your mandatory legal rights remain unaffected.

Depending on the case and applicable law, we may offer a replacement, refund, or another appropriate solution.

  1. Non-EU/EEA/UK customers — change of mind

For customers outside the EU/EEA/UK, change-of-mind returns are not accepted unless we choose to accept them or mandatory local law requires otherwise.

This does not limit any mandatory consumer rights you may have under your local laws.

  1. EU/EEA/UK Consumers — right of withdrawal

If you are a Consumer in the EU/EEA/UK, you may have a legal right to withdraw from your purchase within 14 days of receiving the Product, without giving a reason.

To exercise your right of withdrawal, email us at support@valerievale.com within 14 days of delivery and clearly state that you wish to withdraw from the purchase. Please include your order number.

After notifying us, you must return the Product within 14 days.

You may inspect the Product as you would in a physical bookstore. The Product should be returned in the best possible condition, with no handling beyond what is necessary to inspect it.

If the returned Product shows handling beyond what is necessary to inspect it, the refund may be reduced to reflect diminished value, where permitted by law.

Unless the Product arrived damaged, defective, incorrect, or incomplete, the customer is responsible for the direct cost of return shipping for withdrawal returns, unless the law requires otherwise.

If you exercise your right of withdrawal, we will refund you within 14 days from the day we are informed of your decision to withdraw.

We may withhold the refund until we have received the returned Product or until you provide proof that you have sent it back, whichever happens first.

Refunds are returned to the original payment method unless otherwise agreed.

Where required by law, we refund the standard outbound shipping cost originally paid. If you chose an upgraded shipping option, the upgrade portion may not be refundable where permitted by law.

  1. If you were not informed properly

If required withdrawal information is not provided in the required manner, the withdrawal period may be extended under applicable law.

5. Chargebacks & payment disputes

If you believe there is an issue with your order, please contact us first. Unnecessary chargebacks increase costs and may delay resolution. We may provide proof of shipment, delivery, and product condition documentation to the payment processor in case of disputes.

Intellectual Property

All Site content (text, visuals, branding, design) and the book content are protected by intellectual property laws.

You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, or commercially exploit any content without prior written permission, except where legally permitted (e.g., brief quotations for review).

Reviews & User Content

If you submit reviews, messages, or content:

  • you confirm you have the right to submit it,

  • it must not be illegal, abusive, defamatory, or infringing,

  • we may moderate or remove content at our discretion.

Prohibited Use

You agree not to:

  • attempt unauthorized access to the Site,

  • interfere with Site security or operation,

  • use the Site for fraud or unlawful activity,

  • scrape, copy, or automate data extraction without permission.

We may restrict access or cancel orders where we reasonably suspect misuse.

Privacy & Cookies

Our handling of personal data is described in our Privacy Policy. We use cookies and analytics tools only as described in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy and, where required, according to your cookie consent preferences.

Disclaimers

We make reasonable efforts to keep the Site available and to describe Products accurately. However, we do not guarantee that the Site will always operate without interruption or error.

Nothing in these Terms limits your statutory rights, including legal guarantees, product conformity rights, or withdrawal rights where applicable.

Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

  • We are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages.

  • Our total liability related to any order is limited to the amount you paid for that order.

This limitation does not apply where liability cannot be limited under applicable law (e.g., fraud, intentional misconduct, or mandatory consumer protections).

Indemnification

If you are a Business Customer, or if you misuse the Site, violate these Terms, or use the Site for unlawful purposes, you may be responsible for losses, claims, or expenses caused by your actions, where permitted by law.

Nothing in this section limits any mandatory consumer protection rights.

Force Majeure

We are not responsible for failure or delay caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including carrier disruptions, customs delays, natural disasters, strikes, war, or governmental actions.

Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The updated version will be posted on this page with an updated “Last Updated” date. Continued use of the Site after changes indicates acceptance.

Changes to these Terms will not affect orders already accepted before the updated Terms were published, unless required by law or agreed with you.

 

Governing Law & Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of Belgium, without regard to conflict-of-law provisions.

If you are a Consumer, mandatory consumer protection laws in your country of residence may also apply.

Informal resolution first

Before starting formal proceedings, please contact us at support@valerievale.com to attempt to resolve the issue.

Consumer mediation

If you are a consumer and a dispute cannot be resolved directly with us, you may contact the Belgian Consumer Mediation Service or another competent consumer redress body.

Consumer Mediation Service
North Gate II
Boulevard du Roi Albert II 8 box 1
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Website: consumerombudsman.be

EU ODR Platform

The European Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platform has been discontinued as of 20 July 2025. If you need guidance on consumer dispute options in the EU, you may consult official consumer redress resources.

 

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any policies referenced at checkout (e.g., Shipping/Returns pages), constitute the entire agreement between you and the Store regarding your purchase and Site use.

Contact

For questions about orders, returns, or these Terms:

Email: support@valerievale.com
Website: valerievale.com
Legal seller / publisher: Yasser Al Marsomi
Business / Enterprise number: 1018.841.379
VAT number: BE 1018.841.379
Registered address: Leegstraat 5, bus 0202, 9060 Zelzate, Belgium