General terms and conditions
This English translation is provided for convenience only. The German version is legally binding.
use Group GmbH
(Last updated: September 2025)
Separate terms and conditions apply to the use of the municipal bicycle rental system of the Gemeinde Zolling:
Separate terms and conditions apply to the use of the bicycle rental system of the Wohnungsgenossenschaft "Treptow-Süd" eG:
Separate terms and conditions apply to the use of the bicycle rental system of the Stadt Annaberg-Buchholz:
Terms and conditions, bicycle rental system Annaberg-Buchholz
Separate terms and conditions apply to the use of the bicycle rental system of the Gemeinde Ostrhauderfehn:
1. Subject matter/reservation of the right to amend
These general terms and conditions (hereinafter "T&Cs") govern the business relationship between use Group GmbH and its customers (hereinafter referred to as "customer") who wish to use the company's sharing service under these T&Cs.
use Group GmbH is entitled to amend the T&Cs for future sharing contracts insofar as these amendments are reasonable for the user. Customers will be informed of amendments to the T&Cs promptly by email, in writing or in another suitable manner. If the customer does not object to these amendments either by email or in writing, the amendments shall be deemed approved and binding for existing contractual relationships. use Group GmbH will specifically draw the customer's attention to this when announcing amendments. The user's objection must be sent to use Group GmbH within one month of the amendments being announced.
2. Terms of use for the vehicles
Persons authorised to drive when using the sharing service are the person registered with use Group GmbH or a person designated by him/her who holds a valid driving licence recognised in Germany.
Persons authorised to ride our bicycles and pedelecs are persons who are at least 16 years old.
3. Prohibited use
It is prohibited to use the vehicle for motor sport exercises, for test purposes, for the commercial long-distance transport of passengers or goods, or for any other unlawful purposes, even if these are only prohibited under the law of the place where the act is committed, and to make it available to third parties.
Smoking and transporting animals in the vehicles is prohibited. Any special cleaning required as a result will be charged at a flat rate of €200.
4. Carrying a valid driving licence
The customer, as driver of the vehicle, undertakes to carry his/her valid driving licence on every journey. Authorisation to drive is conditional on the continuous, uninterrupted possession of a driving licence and compliance with all conditions contained therein.
In the event of loss, temporary seizure or withdrawal of the driving licence, the authorisation to drive ceases with immediate effect. Other authorised persons may still be engaged. The customer is obliged to inform use Group GmbH without undue delay of the loss or restriction of the driving licence. The above applies equally to all authorised drivers.
5. Fitness to drive
The customer undertakes to drive the vehicle only when fit to drive and must not have consumed any drugs, alcohol or medication that could impair fitness to drive (a blood alcohol limit of 0.0 ‰ applies).
6. Use of the vehicles
The customer must treat the vehicles with care and use them in accordance with the instructions in the manuals, the vehicle documents, the manufacturer's specifications and the further instructions of use Group GmbH.
7. Checking the vehicle before starting a journey
a) Before renting, the customer must become familiar with the general operation of the vehicle.
b) The customer is also obliged to check the vehicle for road safety, functionality and defects before starting a journey; in particular, the customer must check that all safety-relevant screws are tight, the proper condition of the body of the steering wheel, the tyre pressure, and the functionality of the lighting system and the braking system. If a technical defect that could obviously impair road safety exists at the start of use or occurs during use, the customer must notify use Group GmbH of this without undue delay and stop using the rental vehicle immediately. If a defect exists after renting and before starting the journey, the rental will be cancelled by the provider.
c) Defects such as tyre damage, rim damage or gear shift defects must be reported without undue delay. If the vehicle is found unlocked, the customer is obliged to report this by telephone.
The customer is obliged to check the vehicle for defects/damage before starting a journey and to compare these with the damage already documented in the existing damage list or mobile application. Before starting a journey, all new damage/defects or heavy soiling must be reported to use Group GmbH via the user service. If existing damage is not reported, it may be attributed to the customer.
8. Vehicle return/parking locations
All sharing users must ensure the following on return:
a) The customer is obliged to clean up any heavy soiling caused by him/her and should return the vehicle in the condition in which he/she received it.
b) If the rental vehicle is a vehicle with a petrol or diesel tank, the customer is obliged to ensure that the tank is at least ¼ full, so that the next sharing customer can set off flexibly.
c) If the rental vehicle is an electric vehicle, the customer is obliged to start charging the battery before ending the rental.
d) The customer is obliged to check the vehicle for defects/damage on return and to compare these with the damage already documented in the existing damage list or mobile application. On return of the vehicle, all new damage/defects or heavy soiling must be reported to use Group GmbH via the user service.
The customer must park the vehicles at the designated location by the end of the booked period of use. The return is deemed complete when the vehicle is locked (windows and doors locked), all lights are off, the steering lock is engaged and all documents, equipment and the key handed over are in the vehicle.
For sharing users, unless otherwise agreed, the place of return is the place of rental.
e) In the event of proven damage caused by improper use or gross negligence, an excess of €500.00 applies. This will be invoiced to the customer. Normal wear and tear resulting from use as intended is excluded from this. The excess does not limit the customer's liability for damage caused intentionally or through gross negligence whose value exceeds the excess.
9. Fuel card/charging card
Each vehicle is equipped with a fuel card/charging card. If the fuel card/charging card is missing, this must be reported to use Group GmbH before starting the journey.
Passing on the fuel card/charging card is not permitted. The customer undertakes to handle the fuel card/charging card with the necessary care and not to make it accessible to unauthorised persons.
The fuel card/charging card may only be used in the following cases:
a) Payment for fuel at the filling station, unlocking the charging point and opening car park barriers.
b) Payment at the filling station for operating fluids approved by the manufacturer for the vehicle. These include: engine oil, antifreeze for windscreen washer fluid and coolant.
c) Exterior and interior cleaning of the vehicles, such as use of the car wash.
10. Operating fluids
The customer is obliged to use only those operating fluids (engine oil, antifreeze, coolant etc.) that are approved for the vehicle according to the operating manual or by the manufacturer.
The customer shall bear any costs arising from damage caused by unsuitable operating fluids.
11. Conduct in the event of accidents
The customer is obliged to take all measures necessary to mitigate damage and secure evidence, insofar as these are reasonable. To this end, every instance of property damage/accident must be reported to the police, the accident report provided in the vehicle must be completed, and use Group GmbH must be informed via the user service.
12. Journeys abroad
Only journeys within the Federal Republic of Germany are permitted, unless use Group GmbH has given its approval.
13. Obligations of drivers
The driver of the sharing vehicle is obliged to check that the vehicle is in a roadworthy condition before starting the journey. The journey may only be started once the roadworthy condition has been established and there are no defects. In the event of problems that cannot be solved by the driver, the user service must be informed.
The driver and passengers are obliged to leave the vehicle clean and to secure it properly against theft.
14. Access medium
Each customer receives an access medium (access card, key, combination lock code or smartphone) which provides access to vehicles with built-in access technology. Passing on the access medium is not permitted. The customer undertakes to handle this access medium with the necessary care and not to make it accessible to unauthorised persons. Loss of the access medium must be reported to use Group GmbH without undue delay.
In the event of gross negligence, the customer is liable for all damage caused by the loss or passing on of the access medium, in particular if this has enabled vehicles to be stolen.
15. Booking portal for sharing users
In order to make, change, delete and manage bookings, the sharing user must obtain information on our page www.usegroup.eu/sharinglocations.
When booking, all relevant personal and other data must be provided, including name, address, bank details and driving licence number.
In order to use the service of use Group GmbH, consent to participate in the SEPA direct debit scheme is required on registration. Alternatively, payment is processed via our service provider Stripe.
16. Terms of payment, charges, fees
use Group GmbH invoices the customer for usage charges and other charges. Depending on the type of use, these charges are: individual charges for the use of the vehicles and, where applicable, further costs and fees.
Billing is based on the resulting rental period and the distance determined by the on-board computer and, where applicable, on time overruns, insofar as these have been confirmed by the customer. The current sharing conditions and prices are provided with every booking before the purchase is completed.
The customer grants use Group GmbH a SEPA direct debit authorisation to collect the charges. The user also accepts the terms and conditions of our payment service provider Stripe.
If a chargeback is made by the customer or the customer's bank, use Group GmbH is entitled, in addition to the banks' return debit fees, to charge the customer a flat-rate handling fee of €15 for a renewed debit or further invoicing, provided that the direct debit executed by use Group GmbH was lawful.
17. Contract term/termination
The contract term for sharing users results from the conclusion of individual rental contracts, which are determined by the booked duration and use of the vehicle.
These individual rental contracts are concluded when the user provides all the personal data required from him/her, selects a day, a time and a vehicle class and completes the booking by clicking the "Reserve with obligation to pay" button ("Kostenpflichtig reservieren") or a button worded similarly.
The individual rental contract ends as soon as the vehicle has been parked again at the original or agreed location after the journey and the booking has been completed with the access medium. In the event of problems ending the rental, the user service must be informed. The vehicle may only be returned at the specified location, which as a rule is the pick-up location.
18. Liability, insurance cover and customer excess
In the event of vehicle damage, vehicle loss and/or breaches of contract, the customer is in principle liable in accordance with the statutory liability rules.
The customer is fully liable for fees, towing costs, fines and warning fines for legal violations committed by the customer, such as violations of traffic and public order regulations during the period of use and in connection with parking the vehicle.
As no liability insurance can be taken out for e-bikes and electric cargo bikes, the following liability rules apply to all sharing customers:
a) The customer uses the services of use Group GmbH at his/her own risk. The customer shall bear any damage caused by the customer. The customer is responsible for covering third-party liability claims. Recourse claims of the liability insurer, of use Group GmbH, against the customer remain unaffected.
b) If the customer negligently causes damage or if the bicycle is stolen as a result of the customer's negligence, the customer is liable for the resulting material and labour costs and for the replacement of the bicycle. The amount of liability is then based on the value of the damage.
c) The customer is liable for all costs and damage incurred by use Group GmbH as a result of a breach of the notification and cooperation obligations set out in these T&Cs.
d) The customer must report the theft of a rental bicycle during the rental period to use Group GmbH without undue delay.
19. Use of the user service, reporting obligations
use Group GmbH provides a telephone user service for its customers. This user service must be contacted, and the cases reported, in the event of any vehicle problems, booking problems, accidents/vehicle damage/theft, technical defects of the vehicle, loss of the fuel card/charging card and/or the access medium, and for relevant questions regarding vehicle operation.
In cases of above-average use of the user service by a customer, either because of regularly self-inflicted vehicle problems or for listed topics not related to the user service, an additional service fee of up to €50 may be charged.
20. Early and late return; cancellations
If the sharing customer does not meet the agreed return time, he/she must notify the booking duration before the end of the booking period.
If an extension is not possible due to subsequent bookings and the customer does not meet the return time, an overrun fee of €15.00 is charged for delays of less than 15 minutes, an overrun fee of €30.00 for delays between 15 minutes and 60 minutes, and an overrun fee of €50.00 for overruns of 60 minutes or more, in addition to the regular time rate and mileage rate.
No overrun fee is charged for announced delays that do not conflict with subsequent bookings. For unannounced delays that have no impact on subsequent bookings, an overrun fee of €15.00 is payable for overruns of 15 minutes or more.
In the case of early returns, use Group GmbH may charge 50% of the usual time rate for the remaining unused time.
Cancellations are free of charge if they are made at least twelve hours before the start time of the booking. use Group GmbH may charge additional fees if the cancellation is made less than 12 hours before the start time of the booking. If a cancellation is made because a previous booking is overrunning and the journey therefore cannot begin as planned, the cancellation is free of charge.
21. Liability of use Group GmbH
use Group GmbH is liable to customers exclusively in cases of intent, gross negligence and breach of material contractual obligations. Material contractual obligations are those obligations which are necessary for the performance of the rental contract and on whose fulfilment the customer can rely.
In the event of a vehicle breakdown for which use Group GmbH is not responsible, sharing customers have no right to compensation for damages or to a substitute service. In such cases, any compensation for loss of working time or for contracts missed as a result of the delay or breakdown is also excluded.
use Group GmbH accepts no liability for further costs unless otherwise agreed by contract.
22. GPS location
The vehicles are equipped with sharing technology. They can be located by GPS. Location tracking only takes place in the following cases:
Before the start of the booking, to ensure that the vehicle is in the designated parking space
At the end of the booking, to make sure that the vehicle has been parked in the designated parking space
In the event of theft: without locating the vehicle, only the kilometres driven are recorded automatically via the installed sharing technology for the purpose of cost accounting. The routes driven are not tracked.
23. Blocking of user accounts
In the event of improper use, in particular in the case of negligently caused and unreported damage, use Group GmbH is entitled to block the user account with immediate effect.
The customer will be notified of the blocking by email. The customer has a period of 14 days to comment on the blocking. If the period expires without a statement, or if the statement is rejected, the blocking becomes permanent.
A permanent block without the opportunity to comment takes place in the event of intentional damage to or manipulation of vehicles and station infrastructure.
24. Data protection
use Group GmbH processes and uses personal data, including vehicle usage data (such as start and end of booking, distance travelled in kilometres, location of the vehicle at the start and end of the journey, vehicle status relevant to the rental contract, fuel consumption), insofar as this is necessary for the purpose of providing the sharing service. This also includes the use of data to detect and remedy errors and faults in the rental process and in overall operations.
25. Other provisions
Oral collateral agreements are not valid. The contract remains valid even if one of these provisions should be invalid.
German law applies to the business relationship between use Group GmbH and its customers. The place of jurisdiction is Ingolstadt.
26. Complaints/dispute resolution
use Group GmbH is obliged to inform you of the EU platform for online dispute resolution: Online dispute resolution: the European Commission provides a platform for online dispute resolution at http://ec.europa.eu/odr/ (pursuant to Art. 14 (1) of the Regulation on Online Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (ODR Regulation, ODR-Verordnung)).
use Group GmbH is willing to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board. If you wish to make use of this, please contact the following arbitration board:
Allgemeine Verbraucherschlichtungsstelle des Zentrums für Schlichtung e.V.
Straßburger Straße 8
77694 Kehl am Rhein
Fax: 07851/7957941