Overview
- The Bundesgerichtshof held that mediation fees are payable only when a student actually enrolls, treating service agreements as broker contracts.
- The court found StudiMed’s term requiring full payment upon admission offer ineffective for unfairly pressuring applicants.
- The ruling stems from a case where a Munich applicant refused a Bosnian medical placement and contested an €11,200 fee.
- Mediation agencies typically charge success fees of €8,000 to €15,000 for services from university selection to local support.
- StudiMed has committed to updating its contracts following the decision, a change expected to prompt revisions across similar agencies.