Terms and Conditions
General Terms and Conditions of STEPMASTERS
Version 4, in force from 14 October 2026
Note on this English version: These General Terms and Conditions were drawn up in German. The English text is a translation. For consumers who conclude the contract in English, the English version is authoritative. For business customers, the German version prevails in the event of discrepancies (see § 3(6)). The German version is available at stepmasters.de/policies/terms-of-service.
§ 1 Provider, Scope of Application and Customers
(1) These General Terms and Conditions govern all contracts concluded via the STEPMASTERS online shop at stepmasters.de between
STEPMASTERS
Owner: Nico Rotter
Dörfer Kamp 19a
59394 Nordkirchen
Germany
Email: info@stepmasters.de
(hereinafter “STEPMASTERS” or the “Provider”)
and the customers of the online shop.
(2) Customers within the meaning of these General Terms and Conditions may be consumers or business customers.
A consumer is a natural person who concludes a legal transaction mainly for purposes that can be attributed neither to that person's commercial activity nor to that person's independent professional activity.
A business customer is a natural or legal person or a partnership with legal capacity that, when concluding the contract, acts in the course of its commercial or independent professional activity.
(3) STEPMASTERS addresses its offer to customers whose domicile, habitual residence or registered office is in Germany, the other Member States of the European Union, Monaco, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway, the United States or Australia (delivery area). STEPMASTERS does not accept orders from customers outside the delivery area. Paragraph 4 remains unaffected.
(4) Because of the sanctions imposed by the European Union on the following states and territories, and in order to avoid the associated verification effort, STEPMASTERS does not conclude contracts with customers whose domicile, habitual residence or registered office is located in Russia, Belarus, Iran and North Korea, as well as in Crimea, in Sevastopol and in those parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts that are not controlled by the Government of Ukraine. The same applies to persons and companies that are named on a sanctions list of the European Union. If such a customer nevertheless places an order, STEPMASTERS may rescind the contract. In this case, the customer must delete any files already downloaded and may not use them; any payments already made will be refunded unless sanctions regulations prevent this.
(5) Terms and conditions of a business customer that conflict with or deviate from these General Terms and Conditions only become part of the contract if STEPMASTERS has expressly agreed to their application.
§ 2 Subject Matter of the Contract
(1) STEPMASTERS sells digital design models and technical files, in particular CAD models as well as build plans and technical drawings. Where these General Terms and Conditions refer to the products sold by STEPMASTERS as a “model” or “STEPMASTERS model”, this means all of these digital products, including build plans. Where the online shop refers to a product as a “project”, this also means such a model.
(2) The products are provided in particular as CAD models in STEP or STP file format or as build plans in PDF file format. Depending on the product, further file formats such as DXF, DWG or other digital file formats may also be offered, provided they are stated in the product description.
(3) The content, scope, file format and characteristics of a product, as well as any components it includes, are determined by the product description in the online shop at the time of the order.
(4) As a rule, the subject matter of the contract is solely the provision of the digital file or files described. No physical product is delivered.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, any machines, attachments, furniture, structures, components, assemblies or other physical objects that are shown merely serve to illustrate the digital product.
(5) Individual design services, adaptations to customer specifications, engineering services and other commissioned work are not covered by these General Terms and Conditions.
(6) Suitable software, hardware or technical knowledge may be required to open, print, edit, convert or otherwise process the files or to manufacture parts from them. Unless the product description states otherwise, these are not part of the contract.
§ 3 Conclusion of the Contract
(1) The presentation of the products in the online shop does not yet constitute a legally binding offer by STEPMASTERS. It is an invitation to the customer to place an order.
(2) The customer can select products, add them to the shopping cart and go through the electronic ordering process. Before submitting the order, the customer has the opportunity to review and correct the information entered.
(3) By clicking the final order button, which is clearly labelled as involving an obligation to pay, the customer submits a binding offer to conclude a contract for the digital products contained in the shopping cart.
(4) The contract is concluded when STEPMASTERS expressly accepts the offer or makes the purchased digital product or the download option available to the customer. Whichever of these events occurs first is decisive.
(5) An automatically generated confirmation that merely records the receipt of the order does not in itself constitute acceptance of the offer. If the download is made available together with this confirmation, the contract is concluded no later than the moment it is made available.
(6) Contracts may be concluded in German, English, French, Spanish, Italian or Polish. The contract language is the language in which the customer goes through the ordering process. These General Terms and Conditions, the information on the right of withdrawal and the privacy policy are available in all of these languages. For consumers, the version in the contract language is authoritative; for business customers, the German version of these General Terms and Conditions prevails in the event of discrepancies.
(7) The customer can save or print these General Terms and Conditions before completing the order. STEPMASTERS stores the contract text, i.e. the order data and the version of these General Terms and Conditions applicable when the contract is concluded, within the framework of statutory and operational retention. The customer receives the contract text with the order confirmation by email. The customer can also view the order data in the customer account, if the customer uses one. On request to info@stepmasters.de, STEPMASTERS will send the contract text to the customer again.
§ 4 Prices, Small Business Scheme and Payment
(1) The prices stated in the online shop at the time of the order apply.
(2) The prices stated to consumers are the total prices payable by the consumer.
(3) STEPMASTERS currently applies the small business scheme under Section 19 of the German VAT Act (Umsatzsteuergesetz, UStG). VAT is therefore neither charged nor shown separately. If STEPMASTERS is obliged in another state to charge VAT or a comparable tax, this tax is included in the total price displayed.
(4) As the products are provided exclusively in digital form, no shipping costs are generally incurred.
(5) The available payment methods are shown to the customer in the shop before the ordering process begins and again at checkout. Which payment methods are offered in an individual case may depend in particular on the customer's country, the order value, the device or browser used and a check by the respective payment service provider.
(6) Payment is processed via the payment service Shopify Payments and, depending on the payment method chosen, via further payment service providers such as Klarna or PayPal. The terms of the respective payment service, which are shown to the customer during checkout, may additionally apply to its use.
(7) The purchase price is due for payment upon conclusion of the contract. If the customer chooses a Klarna payment method under which the customer pays Klarna at a later date or in instalments, the payment period and due date in relation to Klarna are governed by the Klarna terms shown to the customer during checkout.
(8) If a payment service provider declines the payment, for example after an identity or credit check, the order is not completed with that payment method. In this case, the customer may choose another payment method on offer.
(9) Prices are set in euros. Depending on the customer's country, the shop displays them converted into the respective local currency and charges them in that currency. The total amount shown during the ordering process is decisive.
§ 5 Provision of the Digital Products
(1) Once the order has been successfully completed and, where required, the payment has been successfully processed, the customer receives the purchased file or the option to download the file.
(2) The file is usually provided immediately after the order or payment has been completed. It may be provided in particular via a download link, an order confirmation page, an email or a download service integrated into the online shop.
(3) When ordering, the customer must provide a correct email address at which the customer can be reached.
(4) The customer is responsible for having a suitable internet connection and the technical means required to download and store the file.
(5) After a successful download, the customer should back up the purchased files on the customer's own storage medium.
STEPMASTERS only owes an online download that remains available permanently and without time limit, or permanent storage of the files by STEPMASTERS, if this has been expressly promised.
(6) If the provision or the download fails due to a technical problem for which STEPMASTERS is responsible, the customer may contact STEPMASTERS at info@stepmasters.de.
(7) The customer's statutory rights in the event that the product is not provided or is provided defectively remain unaffected.
§ 6 Basic Grant of Rights of Use
(1) The purchase does not give the customer ownership of any copyright, design right, trademark right or other intellectual property right in the respective digital product.
(2) Upon full payment of the purchase price, the customer receives a simple, non-exclusive right of use in the purchased digital product which, subject to the following provisions, is non-transferable. If the customer chooses a Klarna payment method under which the customer pays Klarna at a later date or in instalments, the purchase price is deemed to have been paid in full within the meaning of this paragraph as soon as Klarna has confirmed the payment to STEPMASTERS.
(3) The right of use is granted without time limit, as long as the underlying contract exists. Uses not permitted by these General Terms and Conditions are not covered by the right of use. If the customer seriously breaches §§ 7 to 11, STEPMASTERS may terminate the contract for good cause once a reasonable period for remedy, set in text form (e.g. by email), has expired without success; no such period is required if the breach can no longer be remedied. The consequences are governed by § 17.
(4) Within the scope of the following terms of use, the customer may in particular:
- a) download the purchased digital product and save it on the customer's own devices,
- b) make reasonable backup copies for the customer's own use,
- c) open and view it with suitable software,
- d) edit, modify, supplement and adapt it to the customer's own requirements,
- e) use it within the scope of the private or company-internal use permitted in each case,
- f) use it to manufacture physical components or products in accordance with the following provisions.
(5) All rights not expressly granted remain with STEPMASTERS or with the respective rights holder.
§ 7 Right of Use for Private Customers
(1) Consumers may use the purchased digital product for their own private, non-commercial purposes.
(2) In particular, they may edit the model, use it for their own private projects and, on its basis, manufacture physical components or products for their own private use or have them manufactured.
(3) Any direct or indirect commercial exploitation of the original STEPMASTERS model, or of a STEPMASTERS model that remains substantially recognisable, is not permitted.
(4) In particular, products manufactured on the basis of a STEPMASTERS model that remains recognisable may not be offered or sold commercially. In addition, such products may not be sold privately either. The customer may give away individual products of this kind as gifts.
The provisions on independent new developments in § 10 remain unaffected.
§ 8 Right of Use for Companies and Internal Business Use
(1) If a digital product is purchased by a company, it may be used within the purchasing company for internal business purposes.
(2) All of the purchasing company's own employees may work with the purchased model in the course of their activities for that company.
A separate right of use for each individual employee is not required.
(3) The right of use applies exclusively to the company, or to the legally independent person or entity, that purchased the product.
(4) Affiliated companies, subsidiaries, parent companies, sister companies and other legally independent companies are not automatically covered by this right of use.
(5) Permitted uses include in particular internal planning, internal design, trials, internal production, internal documentation, training and other business purposes that remain exclusively within the purchasing company.
(6) Use within a commercially active company does not constitute prohibited commercial exploitation for that reason alone.
The decisive factor is that the purchased STEPMASTERS model, or a STEPMASTERS model that remains substantially recognisable, is not commercially exploited in relation to third parties.
(7) Using the STEPMASTERS model that remains recognisable for paid customer orders or for the commercial sale of physical products derived from it is not permitted.
(8) Employees may not use the digital product for their own private or commercial purposes, and they may not keep or continue to use any copies after leaving the company.
§ 9 Prohibited Uses and Passing On
(1) Unless these General Terms and Conditions expressly permit otherwise, the customer may not pass on the purchased digital products to third parties, whether for payment or free of charge.
(2) In particular, the customer is prohibited from:
- a) selling or reselling the original file,
- b) giving away copies of the file to other persons or companies or passing such copies on to them,
- c) making the file available to the public or to third parties on websites, marketplaces, download platforms, cloud platforms, forums, file-sharing networks or comparable services,
- d) adding the file to CAD libraries that are publicly or externally accessible,
- e) offering the file under the customer's own name as the customer's own digital product,
- f) selling or passing on versions with only minor modifications as the customer's own digital products,
- g) using the STEPMASTERS model that remains recognisable for paid design or planning services for third parties,
- h) using the STEPMASTERS model that remains recognisable for customer orders,
- i) manufacturing physical products in series or commercially for sale to third parties on the basis of the STEPMASTERS model that remains recognisable,
- j) granting third parties rights of use in the file, unless these General Terms and Conditions expressly permit this.
(3) Whenever the customer passes on or uses the files in a manner permitted under these General Terms and Conditions, the customer must comply with the export control and sanctions regulations of the European Union and of the Federal Republic of Germany. In particular, the customer may not transmit the files to any state or territory referred to in § 1(4) or make them accessible to persons there. Using the files in Russia or Belarus is prohibited, as is passing on the files, or components or products manufactured on the basis of them, to Russia or Belarus or for use there.
§ 10 Independent New Developments and Extensive Modifications
(1) STEPMASTERS permits the customer to create the customer's own designs and further developments on the basis of a purchased model.
(2) Commercial use of such a further development is permitted if comprehensive and independent design work has resulted in a new design in which the original STEPMASTERS model can no longer be recognised, either from its overall impression or from its essential design and geometric features.
(3) Compared with the original STEPMASTERS model, the newly created design must have its own independent technical or creative character.
(4) In particular, the following changes are, taken on their own, generally not sufficient for an independent new development within the meaning of this provision:
- a) mere changes to individual dimensions,
- b) scaling or resizing,
- c) mirroring,
- d) a change of colour or material,
- e) mere replacement of individual standard parts or profiles,
- f) removal or addition of merely minor components,
- g) renaming of components,
- h) mere conversion into another file format,
- i) combination of the model with other components if the original model remains recognisable as such.
(5) If the original STEPMASTERS model is no longer recognisable after comprehensive independent modification within the meaning of the preceding paragraphs, the customer may also use the resulting independent new development commercially and may manufacture and sell physical products on its basis.
(6) This permission does not extend to passing on, publishing or selling the original STEPMASTERS file or intermediate versions in which the STEPMASTERS model remains substantially recognisable.
(7) Trademarks, logos, product names, identifying signs and other protected rights of STEPMASTERS may not be adopted or used unless STEPMASTERS expressly permits this.
(8) Rights of third parties remain unaffected.
§ 11 Passing On to External Manufacturing Service Providers
(1) By way of exception to the general prohibition on passing on, the customer may make a purchased file available to an external manufacturing or production service provider to the extent that this is technically necessary to have components or products manufactured exclusively for the customer within the scope of the use permitted under these General Terms and Conditions.
(2) This may include in particular passing the file on to a metal fabrication company, a laser cutting company, a sheet metal processor, a machining company, a joinery, a 3D printing service or a comparable manufacturing service provider.
(3) The file may only be passed on to the extent required for the specific manufacturing order.
(4) The manufacturing service provider does not thereby acquire any permanent right of use of its own in the digital product.
(5) The customer must ensure that the manufacturing service provider uses the file exclusively to carry out the specific order and neither uses it for its own projects or projects of others nor passes it on, publishes it or exploits it in any other way.
(6) Once the manufacturing order has been completed, the external manufacturing service provider may not use the file for any further projects.
(7) The file may not be passed on to manufacturing service providers that would be excluded as customers under § 1(4), nor may it be passed on for manufacture or use in a state or territory referred to in § 1(4).
§ 12 File Formats, Technical Requirements and Compatibility
(1) STEPMASTERS provides the digital product in the file formats specified in the respective product description.
(2) STEPMASTERS recommends that, before the purchase, the customer checks on the basis of the product description whether the file format offered can be processed with the software the customer uses and within the customer's intended workflow. The statutory requirements regarding the compatibility of digital products remain unaffected.
(3) STEPMASTERS does not guarantee compatibility with every available CAD, CAM, PDF, manufacturing or other software or with every software version.
(4) Where a product description expressly assures compatibility with a particular software or a particular file format, that statement remains authoritative.
(5) Deviations in import, display, parameterisation, feature recognition or further processing that are caused solely by the third-party software used or by its import functions do not automatically constitute a defect of the file provided.
(6) Mandatory statutory rights of the customer remain unaffected.
§ 13 Technical Review, Structural Analysis, Standards and Responsibility for Practical Implementation
(1) The digital models offered by STEPMASTERS are in principle digital design models or design bases.
(2) Unless the respective product description expressly states otherwise, the purchase does not include in particular any:
structural calculation,
verifiable structural analysis,
review or approval by building authorities,
release for manufacture,
release for assembly,
detailed design for a specific place of installation,
CE conformity assessment,
risk assessment,
verification of compliance with all relevant standards,
official permit
or comparable technical or legal approval.
(3) By providing a model, STEPMASTERS does not assume any planning, structural engineering, inspection, supervision or site management services for the customer's specific application.
(4) Before actually manufacturing, assembling or using the model, the customer is responsible for checking its suitability for the specific intended application or for having it checked by appropriately qualified persons.
(5) Depending on the application, the following must be checked in particular:
dimensions and geometries,
materials,
profiles and wall thicknesses,
loads,
strength,
stability,
welded and bolted connections,
tolerances,
fastenings,
connection points,
manufacturing processes,
assembly situation,
local conditions,
applicable technical rules,
DIN and EN standards,
statutory regulations,
occupational health and safety requirements.
(6) For safety-relevant or load-bearing structures, in particular stairs, railings, steel structures or comparable applications, a review by an appropriately qualified expert must be carried out before practical implementation, insofar as this is required by the nature and use of the structure.
(7) If the customer modifies a model provided, the customer is in particular responsible for the technical review of the effects caused by those modifications.
(8) The customer's statutory rights based on a defect in the digital file provided by STEPMASTERS, as well as mandatory statutory grounds of liability, remain unaffected.
§ 14 Rights in the Event of Defects and Digital Products
(1) In relation to consumers, the statutory provisions on digital products apply, in particular Sections 327 et seq. of the German Civil Code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch, BGB).
(2) The digital product must comply with the statutory requirements and the contractually agreed requirements.
(3) If a digital product is defective or is not properly provided, the consumer is entitled to the statutory rights.
(4) Where required by law, STEPMASTERS will provide updates that are necessary to keep the digital product in conformity with the contract.
(5) For files that are provided once for download, there is no entitlement beyond the statutory requirements to future functional developments, extensions, additional designs, additional file formats or entirely new product versions, unless this has been expressly promised.
(6) For business customers, the statutory rights in the event of defects apply unless a valid deviating agreement has been made.
§ 15 Consumers' Right of Withdrawal
(1) For distance contracts, consumers are in principle entitled to the statutory right of withdrawal, irrespective of the state in which they live.
(2) The details of the right of withdrawal are set out in the separate information on the right of withdrawal provided by STEPMASTERS.
(3) For digital content that is subject to a charge and is not supplied on a tangible data carrier, the right of withdrawal may expire in accordance with the statutory provisions if
- a) STEPMASTERS has begun to perform the contract,
- b) the consumer has expressly agreed that STEPMASTERS may begin to perform the contract before the withdrawal period has ended,
- c) the consumer has confirmed being aware that, by giving this consent, the consumer loses the right of withdrawal once performance of the contract has begun, and
- d) STEPMASTERS has provided the consumer with the confirmation of the contract required by law.
(4) If the statutory requirements for the expiry of the right of withdrawal are not met, the statutory right of withdrawal continues to apply.
(5) Business customers are not entitled to the statutory right of withdrawal for consumers.
§ 16 Liability
(1) STEPMASTERS is liable without limitation for damage resulting from intentional or grossly negligent conduct of STEPMASTERS, its legal representatives or its vicarious agents.
(2) STEPMASTERS is likewise liable without limitation for damage resulting from injury to life, body or health.
(3) Mandatory statutory liability likewise remains unaffected, in particular under the German Product Liability Act (Produkthaftungsgesetz), for fraudulently concealed defects or on the basis of expressly assumed guarantees.
(4) In relation to business customers, in the event of a slightly negligent breach of an essential contractual obligation, STEPMASTERS is only liable to compensate the damage that was typically foreseeable at the time the contract was concluded.
Essential contractual obligations are obligations whose fulfilment makes the proper performance of the contract possible in the first place and on whose observance the contractual partner may regularly rely.
(5) In all other cases, liability towards business customers for damage caused by slight negligence is excluded. In relation to consumers, STEPMASTERS is liable for damage caused by slight negligence in accordance with the statutory provisions.
(6) Where damage was partly caused by unauthorised modifications made by the customer, by use contrary to the product description, by the omission of a required technical review or by any other misapplication for which the customer is responsible, the statutory provisions on responsibility and on any contributory fault apply.
(7) Mandatory statutory claims of consumers based on defective digital products remain unaffected.
§ 17 Termination of the Contract and Rights of Use
(1) If a contract is effectively withdrawn from, terminated or reversed and the customer has no right to continue using the digital product, the right of use granted under that contract also ends.
(2) In this case, the customer may no longer use the digital product or make it available to third parties and must delete any existing copies, unless otherwise provided by law.
(3) For consumers, the statutory provisions on the legal consequences of terminating a contract for digital products apply in particular.
§ 18 Data Protection
(1) STEPMASTERS processes the customer's personal data exclusively in accordance with the applicable data protection provisions.
(2) Details on the processing of personal data are set out in the separate privacy policy of STEPMASTERS.
§ 19 Complaints and Consumer Dispute Resolution
The customer may send complaints by email to info@stepmasters.de or to the address stated in § 1(1); STEPMASTERS usually replies within 14 days. STEPMASTERS is neither obliged nor willing to take part in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer conciliation body, unless there is a statutory obligation to do so in the specific individual case.
§ 20 Applicable Law and Place of Jurisdiction
(1) The law of the Federal Republic of Germany applies.
(2) If the customer is a consumer, this choice of law applies only to the extent that the consumer retains the protection granted by the mandatory provisions of the law of the state in which the consumer has his or her habitual residence.
(3) In relation to business customers, the application of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) is excluded.
(4) If the customer is a merchant within the meaning of the German Commercial Code (Kaufmann), a legal entity under public law or a special fund under public law, if the customer, being a business customer, has no general place of jurisdiction in Germany, or if an agreement on the place of jurisdiction is permissible for other statutory reasons, the place of jurisdiction for all disputes arising from the contractual relationship is the place of business of STEPMASTERS. Mandatory statutory places of jurisdiction remain unaffected.
(5) In relation to consumers, the statutory rules on the place of jurisdiction apply.
§ 21 Amendments to the General Terms and Conditions
(1) Amendments to these General Terms and Conditions in principle only apply to contracts concluded after the amended version has entered into force.
(2) For contracts that have already been concluded, the version in force at the time the contract was concluded remains authoritative, unless a valid deviating agreement is made or statutory provisions stipulate otherwise.
§ 22 Final Provisions
(1) Individual agreements between STEPMASTERS and the customer take precedence over these General Terms and Conditions.
(2) Should individual provisions of these General Terms and Conditions be or become invalid in whole or in part, the validity of the rest of the contract remains unaffected.
(3) The statutory provisions take the place of any provision that is invalid or has not become part of the contract.
End of the General Terms and Conditions