Terms and Conditions of Use of the RBS United
States Exchange Traded Notes Internet Website
This RBS U.S. Exchange Traded Notes Internet
Website (the “website”) is located at www.rbs.com/etnus
and is established and operated by The Royal Bank of Scotland plc (“RBS plc”),
a member of The Royal Bank of Scotland group (“RBS Group”). The website
constitutes a separate portion of RBS plc’s website. For information about our
group of companies please visit www.rbs.com and click on “About Us,” or for
similar enquiries please telephone 1-866-747-4332 or email
investor.products@rbs.com.
The use of this website is subject to the
following terms and conditions (the “Terms”) which you should read carefully. By
using this website you agree to be legally bound by these Terms. If you do not
accept these Terms, you will not be permitted to use this website.
Any acknowledgment, agreement or other type
of click through button on this website that is selected to evidence agreement
or an acknowledgment shall have the same force and validity as a paper copy of
an agreement that has been manually signed.
This website contains certain information
regarding exchange traded notes (“ETNs”) that are issued by RBS plc or The Royal
Bank of Scotland N.V. (“RBS N.V.”) that are distributed in the United States
through RBS Securities Inc. (“RBSSI”). RBS plc is an authorized agent of RBS
N.V. in certain jurisdictions. RBSSI is
an affiliate of RBS N.V. and RBS plc, and a member of RBS Group. RBSSI is a
broker-dealer registered with the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission (the “SEC”) under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and a member of the Securities Investor
Protection Corporation (“SIPC”) and the Financial Industry Regulatory
Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). RBS N.V., RBS plc and members of the RBS Group
undertake their respective U.S. securities businesses through RBSSI.
As used in these Terms, “we,” “us” or “our”
refers to RBS Group and/or any of its affiliates, where applicable.
Use of this Website
1. The information provided on this website
or in any communication containing a link to this website is for personal use
and informational purposes only and the contents have not been prepared with
any specific investment objective, financial situation or particular need of
any specific recipient in mind. The information provided on this website is not
intended for distribution to, or use by, any person or entity in any jurisdiction
in any country outside the United States where such distribution or use would
be contrary to law or regulation or which would subject any member of the RBS
Group to any registration requirement within such jurisdiction or country. Where any opinions are expressed on this
website, they are provided by us for personal use and for informational
purposes only.
2. This website is intended for use in the
United States only. This website is not intended for use by, or to provide any
information to, investors outside of the United States, and such investors
should not rely on any information or material appearing on the website. The
distribution of material on this website may be restricted by the laws or
regulations of the country from which you are accessing this website. Where
such restrictions exist persons accessing this website must inform themselves
about, and observe, any such restrictions.
3. This website has been designed for
informational purposes only. Offers and sales of any of these securities or instruments
may only be made pursuant to the related offering document, which should be
read carefully. Notwithstanding Clause 9, if information relating to an offer
is included on this website, the website will normally contain offering
documents relating to offerings of our ETNs or links to such offering
documents. You are urged to refer to those offering documents for more complete
information about any such offering before making an investment decision. In
the event of any inconsistency between any material contained in this website
and the terms of the relevant offering document, the terms of the offering
document control.
4. This website is designed to be accessed
through its principal home pages and such other pages as we may decide. If you
access the website through individual pages directly, which are not designed
for this purpose, you may not see important information which is relevant to
information on this website. You will be referred on certain site pages to read
these Terms. These Terms will contain important details and relevant legal or
regulatory information and should be read in conjunction with the relevant site
pages.
Investing in Exchange Traded Notes (“ETNs”)
5. The ETNs contained on this website may not
be suitable or appropriate for all investors. Your particular needs, investment
objectives, risk tolerance and financial situation were not taken into account
in the preparation of this website and the materials contained herein. You must
make your own independent decisions regarding any ETNs mentioned herein. You
should consider whether an investment strategy or the purchase or sale of any ETN
is appropriate for you in the light of your particular investment needs,
objectives, risk tolerance, and financial circumstances. In that regard we urge
you to consult with your investment, legal, accounting, tax and other advisors
with respect to any investment in these ETNs.
6. You should carefully review the relevant
offering documents, which contains material terms of the ETNs, including risks
of an investment in the ETN. Even though the ETNs are expected to be listed on
a U.S. securities exchange, there is no guarantee that any listing will be
maintained or that a secondary market for the ETNs will develop. RBS N.V. or RBS plc is not required to
maintain any listing of ETNs on any securities exchange. Accordingly there will
be little or no secondary market and independent market pricing may be very
limited or non-existent. Investment value prior to maturity will be influenced
by many factors, including interest rates, the level of the underlying, implied
volatility and the time remaining to maturity. You may lose some or all of your
investment in connection with some of these ETN.
7. RBS plc, The Royal Bank of Scotland Group
plc (“RBSG”), RBS N.V. and RBS Holdings N.V. (“RBS Holdings”) (collectively,
the RBS Entities) have each filed a registration statement (including a
prospectus) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the offering
of securities referenced on this website. Before you invest in any securities, you should read the relevant
prospectus in such registration statement and other documents that have been
filed with the SEC for more complete information about the relevant RBS
Entities and offerings. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR
on the SEC website at www.sec.gov .
Alternatively, RBSG, RBS plc, RBS N.V., RBS Securities Inc. or any dealer
participating in the relevant offering will arrange to send you the relevant prospectus
and pricing supplements if you request by calling 1-866-747-4332 (toll-free).
Exclusion of Liability
8. These 'Exclusion of Liability' clauses
should be read carefully as they exclude or limit our legal liability in
connection with your use of this website. Nothing in these Terms and in
particular within the 'Exclusion of Liability' clauses shall attempt to exclude
liability to the extent it is not permissible under applicable law.
9. We have taken reasonable steps to ensure
the accuracy and completeness of the content of this website, including any of
the opinions, charts, indicative rates, calculation tools and reports contained
in it. This information has been compiled or arrived at by us from sources we
believe to be reliable. However, as we will not always control these sources of
information, we cannot guarantee their accuracy, completeness, currency, or
quality as well as the availability at any time of the data and other
information provided on this website. Accordingly, any views, statements or
representations provided for on this website do not necessarily reflect our
opinion. Any price information is indicative and may be delayed (not real
time). We exclude any warranties, undertakings or representations (either
express or implied) to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law, that
this website, including, without limitation, the functions contained in it,
will be updated, the access to it uninterrupted or error-free, that defects
will be corrected, or that all or any part of the content or materials or the
accuracy, availability or completeness of the content of this website or any
part of the content or materials are appropriate or available for use in any
jurisdiction. If you use this website from jurisdictions outside of the United
States, you are responsible for complying with any applicable local laws. We
may discontinue production or updating of the website or any part of it without
notice.
10. We accept no liability in contract, tort,
negligence, statutory duty or otherwise (to the maximum extent permitted by
applicable law) arising out of the use of or access to this website, which
includes, without limitation, any errors or omissions contained in it or if the
website is unavailable, the act or omission of any other party involved in
making this website or the data contained therein available to you, or any
other cause relating to your access to, inability to access, or use of the
website (including interruptions, deletion of files, viruses, errors, defects,
or any failure of performance, communications failure, theft, destruction or
unauthorized access), whether or not the circumstances giving rise to such
cause may have been within our control or within the control of any of our
affiliates (including any member of the RBS Group) or of any vendor providing
software or services support. We shall not be liable for any direct or
indirect:
- economic losses (including without limitation loss of revenues,
data, profits, contracts, use, opportunity, business or anticipated
savings);
- loss of goodwill or reputation; or
- direct, special, incidental, consequential, punitive or exemplary
losses or damages,
suffered or incurred or arising out of or in
connection with your use of this website and these Terms, even if we or any of
our affiliates (including any member of the RBS Group) have been advised of the
possibility thereof.
The exclusion of liability hereunder is also
made for the benefit of directors, employees, agents and representatives of RBS
plc, RBS N.V., RBSSI and its affiliates (including members of the RBS Group).
The user agrees to indemnify and hold
harmless RBS plc, RBS N.V., RBSSI and its affiliates against any losses,
liabilities, claims, demands and costs including all direct, special,
incidental, consequential, punitive or exemplary damages (including attorneys’
fees) resulting from or arising out of (i) any misuse by the user of this
website and (ii) any actions related to the user’s use of this website.
11. Access to and use of this website is at
the user's own risk and we do not warrant that the use of this website or any
material downloaded from it will not cause damage to any property, or otherwise
minimize or eliminate the risks associated with the internet including, but not
limited to, loss of data, computer virus infection, spyware, malicious
software, trojans and worms. Also, we accept no liability in respect of losses
or damages arising out of changes made to the content of this website by
unauthorized third parties.
12. To provide increased value to users of
this website, we may provide links to other websites or resources (that neither
we nor any of our affiliates, including members of the RBS Group) maintain and
for which we are not responsible) for you to access in your sole discretion.
From time to time there may also be other websites or resources (that neither
we nor any of our affiliates, including any member of the RBS Group maintain
and for which we are not responsible) that may contain links to this website
with or without our permission. You acknowledge and agree that, as you have
chosen to enter the linked or linking website we are not responsible for the
availability of such external sites or resources and that such external sites
or resources are not being made available on our behalf by the relevant provider
(whether or not we have agreed to the existence of such links to our website),
and that we do not review or endorse and shall not be responsible or liable,
directly or indirectly, for (i) the privacy practices of such websites, (ii)
the content of such websites, including (without limitation) any advertising,
content, products, goods or other materials or services on or available from
such websites or resources or (iii) the use that others make of these websites
or resources, nor for any damage, loss or offence caused or alleged to be
caused by, or in connection with, the use of or reliance on any such
advertising, content, products, goods or other materials or services available
on such external websites or resources.
13. The above limitation or exclusion may not
apply to you to the extent that applicable law may not allow the limitation or
exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages.
14. Unauthorized use of this website is
strictly prohibited.
15. You, if you are (a) an agent acting on
behalf of a governmental entity, represent that you have the authority to bind
the principal and on behalf of such principal, or (b) a governmental entity
using this website directly, in each case hereby represent, that the
governmental entity has waived to the fullest extent permitted by applicable
law, with respect to itself and its revenues and assets (irrespective of their
use or intended use), all immunity on the grounds of sovereignty or other
similar grounds from (i) suit, (ii) jurisdiction of any court, (iii) relief by
way of injunction, order for specific performance or for recovery of property,
(iv) attachment of its assets (whether before or after judgment), and (v)
execution or enforcement of any judgment to which it or its revenues or assets might
otherwise be entitled in any suit, action or proceedings relating to any
transaction that may be effected on any part of this website in the courts of
any jurisdiction and has irrevocably agreed, to the extent permitted by
applicable law, that it will not claim such immunity in any such suit, action,
or proceeding.
Personal Data
16. We may use and share your information
with our affiliates (including other members of the RBS Group) worldwide to
help us and them:
- assess financial and insurance risks;
- recover debt;
- develop customer relationships, services and systems; or
- prevent and detect crime;
Your information includes information about
your transactions.
17. We may also disclose your information to
third parties in certain circumstances, such as:
- where we have your permission;
- where we are required or permitted to do so by law or to prevent
and detect crime; or
- to other companies who provide a service to us or you where we may
transfer rights and obligations under these Terms.
If you would like a copy
of the information we hold about you, please write to: The Royal Bank of
Scotland plc, 36 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH2 2YB. A fee may be payable.
18. By using this website you consent to us
using your personal information for the purposes described above.
USA PATRIOT Act
19. In response to the terrorist attacks on
September 11, 2001, the U.S. Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act. Parts of this
Act apply to the financial services industry and require certain financial
institutions to request specific information from foreign banks on a
“certification” form. Also as part of the USA PATRIOT Act and to assist in the
U.S. government’s fight against terrorist financing and money laundering, we
and our affiliates are required to obtain and verify information about the
identity of our clients. Because of this, when you open an account with us or
our affiliates, you will be asked for information that will allow us or our
affiliates to confirm your identity or the identity of your corporation,
partnership or other entity. This process may include a request to see to your
driver’s license, passport, corporate papers or other identifying documents.
Intellectual Property
20. All intellectual property rights in any
part of the world which subsist in the contents of this website and which
belong to RBSG, RBS plc, RBS N.V., RBSSI or another member of the RBS Group
are, except as expressly granted, hereby reserved.
Copyright
21. The contents of this website are
protected by copyright. Except as expressly granted, these copyrights belong to
RBS plc or another member of the RBS Group. Reproduction in any form of any part of the contents of this website
without our prior written consent is prohibited, except for single copies of
extracts solely for personal non-commercial purposes.
Trade marks
22. This website contains numerous registered
and unregistered trade marks belonging to RBSG, RBS plc, RBS N.V., RBSSI and/or
other companies in the RBS Group. These trade marks include, but are not
limited to: ‘The Royal Bank of Scotland’ logo, ‘The Royal Bank of Scotland’,
‘RBS’, ‘The Royal Bank of Scotland N.V.’, and ‘RBS N.V.’ If you are in doubt as
to whether an item is a trade mark of RBS N.V. or RBS plc or a member of the
RBS Group, please contact us for clarification at 36 St. Andrew Square,
Edinburgh EH2 2YB.
Advice
23. The contents of this website are not
intended to, nor do they, provide any financial, investment or professional
advice and nothing on the pages of this website shall be regarded as an offer
or provision of financial, investment or other professional advice in any way.
Access to this website or the retrieval of any information set out on this
website by a user does not mean that the user becomes a client of RBSSI, RBS
plc, RBS N.V. or of any other member of the RBS Group. You should consider all
risks carefully and should obtain advice from your own investment, legal,
accounting, tax and other advisors before making any decision to invest in any
securities or financial instruments.
24. We or any of our affiliates (including
members of the RBS Group) may purchase or sell financial instruments or hold
positions (long or short) which relate to or are derived from the ETNs
described herein. This may affect the value of the ETNs. The website does not
take into account individual investment objectives, the financial situation or
particular needs of any individual users. The securities and financial
instruments described on this website may not be suitable as an investment
instrument for every user. Further, the purchase of these securities and
financial instruments may entail risk. Information regarding the performance of
a security or financial instrument or of an underlying always relates to the
past. Any historic price development in respect of a security or financial instrument
or of an underlying does not in any way provide a basis for the projection of
the future performance and does not in any way constitute a guarantee of their
future performance and price development.
25. The values and prices set out on this
website in relation to a particular security or financial instrument or of an
underlying may not reflect the value or price available in the respective
market at the time a user intends to purchase or sell a particular security or
financial instrument. Values and prices set out on this website do not take
into account the size of a transaction. Consequently, the size of an
ascertained transaction may result in differing values and prices.
26. We do not in any way provide any
guarantee, recommendation, representation or warranty regarding (a) the
suitability of the securities or other financial instruments presented on the
website for the investor; (b) the accounting or fiscal consequences of an
investment in the presented securities or financial instruments; (c) the future
performance of any securities or financial instruments or of any underlyings;
and (d) the notification of restrictions applicable to the users of the website
in a timely and accurate manner.
Changes to Website
27. The contents of this website, including
these Terms, are subject to change by us without notice and we are not
obligated to remove or update any outdated information from this website or to
expressly mark it as being outdated. You are reminded that the contents of this
website should not be relied upon as up to date or current and should not be
used in substitution for the exercise of independent judgment. You should read
and consider carefully any disclosures or disclaimers made within this website.
Telephone Calls
28. You, and any person connected to or
representing you, accept that all communications (including telephone
conversations) between us may be recorded by us. Such recording will be our
sole property, and will in the absence of manifest error be conclusive evidence
of the communications recorded and may be used as evidence in event of a
dispute. If you have made similar recordings they will be accorded similar
status.
Internet Communications
29. In order to maintain the security of our
systems, protect our staff and detect fraud and other crimes, we reserve the
right to monitor all internet communications, including web and email traffic,
into and out of our domains. Monitoring includes checks for, but not limited
to, viruses and other malignant code, criminal activity, and use or content
which is unauthorized as being in breach of our Information Security policies.
30. A 'cookie' is information that a website
stores on your computer so that it can remember something about you at a later
time. Cookies are commonly used on the internet and do not harm your computer.
The cookies on this website are used in conjunction with a Secure Sockets Layer
(“SSL”) for the purpose of authentication and authorization. Cookies are also
used to record the user's access configuration and preferences and to act as a
flag to help us recognise when we have already asked you to participate in any
on-line market research and to prevent you from being asked to complete the
same questionnaire every time that you visit this website. They do not include any
personal information that others could read and understand about you, such as
your name or account numbers. If you do not want us to use cookies when you
visit this website, you can configure your browser not to accept them or
opt-out. Please refer to your browser's help facility for further information.
Please note, the use of cookies is fundamental to the operation of this
website, and that opting out or refusal to accept cookies may affect its
operation.
Other Important Information
31. The information and any opinion contained
in this website does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation or offer
to buy any securities or financial instruments or any advice or recommendation
with respect to such securities or financial instruments, or a representation
that any investment strategy or security or financial instrument is suitable
for you.
32. This website may contain certain
"forward looking statements" which can be identified by the use of
forward-looking terminology such as "expect", "estimate", "project",
"anticipate", "should", "intend",
"plan", "probability", "target",
"goal", "objective", "will",
"endeavour", "outlook", "optimistic",
"prospects" and similar expressions or variations on such
expressions.
33. Factors that could cause actual results
to differ materially from those estimated by the forward-looking statements
contained in this website, with respect to securities issued by RBS N.V. and
guaranteed by RBS Holdings, or issued by RBS plc and guaranteed by RBSG, or
issued or guaranteed by any predecessor entities, include, but are not limited
to, general economic conditions in the Netherlands, UK, the United States and
in other countries in which we and our affiliates (including companies in the
RBS Group) have significant business activities or investments; the monetary
and interest rate policies of the Bank of England, the Board of Governors of
the Federal Reserve System and other G-7 central banks; unanticipated
turbulence in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, commodity prices
or equity prices; changes in UK or foreign laws, regulations or taxes; changes
in competition or pricing environments; natural and other disasters; the
inability to hedge certain risks economically; the adequacy of loss reserves;
acquisitions or restructurings; technology changes; changes in consumer
spending and saving habits; and the success of RBSG, RBS plc, RBS N.V. or other
members within RBS Group, as applicable, in managing the risks involved in the
foregoing. The risks and uncertainties are discussed in our SEC filings. The
forward-looking statements contained in this website speak only as of the date
of the related document, and we does not undertake to update any forward
looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. For
securities of other issuers, refer to the specific risks contained under the
heading “Risk Factors” in the relevant offering documents.
34. The information contained in this website
is subject to, and must be read in conjunction with, all other publicly
available information, including, where relevant, any disclosure document
published or filed by RBSG, RBS plc, RBS N.V., RBS Holdings, or any member of
the RBS Group. In particular, the terms of any ETNs are governed by applicable
documents establishing such terms. In the event of any inconsistency between
the information on the website regarding a particular security and the terms
specified in, or determined pursuant to, the documents establishing the terms
of issue or contract, the terms so specified or determined shall prevail. Any
person at any time acquiring any securities must do so only on the basis of
such person's own judgment as to the merits and suitability of the securities
for such person’s purposes and only based on such information as is contained
in such public information having taken all such professional or other advice
as such person considers necessary or appropriate in the circumstances and not
in reliance on the information contained herein. In particular, we do not
provide tax advice. Investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding
the tax consequences of any securities described in this website. Levels and
bases of taxation may change. The information is not tailored for any
particular investor and does not constitute individual investment advice.
35. You should consider whether an investment
strategy or the purchase or sale of any ETN is appropriate for you in the light
of your particular investment needs, objectives and financial circumstances.
Questions regarding the suitability of an investment for your specific
financial and tax situation should be referred to your financial and tax
advisers. Certain investment strategies and investment products featured on
this website may not be available or suitable to all persons.
36. Past performance is no guarantee of
future results. Information on this website relating to past performance cannot
be relied on as a guide to future performance. The value and income of any
products mentioned in this website can fall as well as rise and you may get
back less than you invested.
37. The purchase of any securities or
financial products described on this website entails risks. In particular,
changes in (i) interest and exchange rates, (ii) the credit of an issuer of a
security and (iii) the political climate may have a negative effect on the
value, price or return of such securities and financial instruments. Unless
otherwise stated, any pricing information on this website is indicative only,
is subject to change and is not an offer to buy or sell such securities. Unless
otherwise stated, any price quoted is exclusive of tax and delivery costs.
38. The financial information published or to
be published on this website, or made available or to be made available through
this website, is compiled and placed on this website with the greatest of care.
Nevertheless, only the original hard-copy English versions of this information
shall be regarded as the original version. No rights may be derived from
financial information published or to be published on this website, or
available or to be made available through this website, including with regard
to its accuracy and completeness.
Regulatory Matters
Regulatory Information
39. RBS plc is authorized and regulated by the
Financial Services Authority. RBS is entered in the FSA's Register and its
Register number is 121882. The FSA's Register can be accessed at www.fsa.gov.uk/register/.
The Bank's registered VAT number is GB 243852752. We may be contacted by email
at the following address: rbssip@rbos.com.
40. RBS plc subscribes to the Banking Code and Business
Banking Code. If you would like a Banking Code or Business Banking Code leaflet
ask a member of staff at any branch. Full details of the Code are also available
from the British Bankers' Association website
41. If you are not satisfied with any of our products
or services we have a complaint handling procedure
that you can use to resolve such matters.
42. RBS plc is a
member of The Financial Ombudsman Service. If you are still not satisfied after
following the Bank's procedures, you can ask the Ombudsman to review the
complaint.
43. You can find out
more about The Financial Ombudsman Service in a leaflet available from any
branch or by telephoning the Bank. Alternatively you can write to: Financial
Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall, London E14 9SR or
telephone 0845 080 1800.
Australian Residents
44. Persons accessing this website from Australia should note that their
access to, and use of, the information, services and products on this website
may be prohibited under the Australian Corporations Act 2001 or authorised
under RBS' Australian Financial Services Licence. Nothing contained in this
website should be interpreted as an authorization to access or use the
information, services or products on this website in Australia where such
prohibition apply.
United Kingdom
45. The information
on the website is presented, or otherwise approved for the purposes of section
21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA), by RBS.
46. The FSA’s website www.fsa.gov.uk contains
a wide range of information of specific relevance to investors and potential
investors resident in the United Kingdom and provides access to the FSA
register. Other entities referred to on this website may not be regulated by
the FSA and may not have a place of business or provide services in the United
Kingdom. As against such entities the regulatory regime governing an investor’s
rights may be different to that of the United Kingdom. Investors and potential
investors may, however, be entitled to similar protection in the jurisdiction
in which the relevant entity is organised or resident.
General Information
Enforceability
47. In the event any provision of these Terms
is held unenforceable, it will not affect the validity and enforceability of
the remaining provisions and will be replaced by an enforceable provision that
comes the closest to the intention underlying the unenforceable provision.
Governing Law
48. These Terms are governed by the laws of
the State of New York, United Sates of America and any dispute regarding this
website shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal
courts located in the City, State and County of New York.
Notice to Customers
49. To help the U.S. government fight the
funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, all financial
institutions are required by law to obtain, verify and record information that
identifies each individual or entity that opens an account.
Copyright © 2011 The
Royal Bank of Scotland plc. All rights
reserved.