Booking Terms and Conditions
The following Booking Conditions together with the Holiday Information appearing
in this web site form the basis of your contract with WineHunters. Please read
them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations.
The Booking Conditions form the legal contract between you and us and govern the
terms on which holiday services are offered and sold. Nothing in this site shall
constitute an offer of goods or services. No contract shall be formed between you
and WineHunters until you have received confirmation that we have accepted your
booking.
1. Booking Your Holiday
The person making the booking must be at least 18 and authorised to do so on the
basis of these Booking Conditions by all members of his/her party. The party leader
is responsible for making all payments due to us. As alcohol forms an integral part
of a WineHunters holiday, all persons going on a Grape Escapes holiday must be
over 18. All names, titles and initials of those travelling should be correctly
given at the time of booking. Changes cannot be made at a later date without extra
charges being incurred.
Once you have made your booking and we have received all appropriate payments, we
will confirm your holiday by issuing a written confirmation. This confirmation will
be sent to the party leader. Please check this confirmation carefully as soon as
you receive it. Contact us immediately if any information on the confirmation or
any other document we send you is incorrect or incomplete as it may not be possible
to make changes later.
2. Payment
In order to confirm your chosen holiday, your deposit must be paid at the time of
booking. If booking within 60 days of the start of your holiday, the full cost must
be paid when you book. If you wish to purchase the insurance policy we offer, all
applicable premiums must also be paid at the time of booking (you must be insured).
The balance of the holiday cost must be received by us at least 60 days before the
start of your holiday. This date will be shown on the confirmation/invoice. Reminders
are not sent. If we do not receive all payments (including any surcharge where applicable)
by the due date, we have the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you and
retain all deposits paid or due. Balances paid by credit and debit cards are subject
to a 2.5% charge. Alternatively you may post us a cheque for your balance to avoid
these charges. All accommodation is offered subject to restricted availability and
on a first-come first-served basis.
3. Your Holiday Price
We reserve the right to change any of the prices, services or other particulars
at any time before we enter into a contract with you. If there is any change, we
will notify you before we enter into such a contract. The price of your chosen holiday
will be confirmed at the time of booking. We reserve the right to correct errors
in both advertised and confirmed prices. We will do so as soon as we become aware
of the error. You must check the price of your chosen holiday at the time of booking.
4. Special Requests and Medical Problems
If you have any special requests, you must advise us at the time of booking. For
the avoidance of doubt, you should confirm any special request in writing to us
as soon as possible. Although we will endeavour to pass any reasonable requests
on to the relevant supplier, we regret we cannot guarantee any request will be met.
Failure to meet any special request will not be a breach of contract on our part.
We regret we cannot accept any conditional bookings, i.e. any booking which is specified
to be conditional on the fulfilment of a particular request. All such bookings will
be treated as "standard" bookings subject to the above provisions on special requests.
If you or any member of your party has any medical problem or disability which may
affect your holiday, please tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can
advise as to the suitability of the chosen arrangements. In any event, you must
give us full details in writing at the time of booking. If we reasonably feel unable
to properly accommodate the particular needs of the person concerned, we must reserve
the right to decline their reservation or, if full details are not given at the
time of booking, cancel when we become aware of these details.
5. Altering Your Holiday Booking
If you wish to change any aspect of your confirmed holiday, you must notify us in
writing as soon as possible. We will always try to comply with alterations to the
booking where possible but we cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet any
such requests, particularly where made within 4 weeks of the start of your holiday.
6. The following changes will be treated as a cancellation of your holiday by you.
Your amended holiday arrangements will then be treated as a new booking.
- A change of the start date of your holiday by more than two weeks.
- Any change in your holiday dates where requested after balance due date.
- A reduction in your holiday duration where requested after balance due date.
See clause 7 if any member of your party is prevented from travelling.
7. Cancelling Your Holiday Booking
Should you wish to cancel the whole or part of your booking once it has been confirmed,
the party leader must advise us as soon as possible. He/she must notify us initially
by telephone and then by letter sent by recorded delivery to us. As we incur costs
from the time we confirm your booking, the cancellation charges will be payable.
Insurance premiums and amendment fees/charges are not refundable in the event of
the person to whom they apply cancelling.
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60 days or more
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Loss of deposit
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59-28 days
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50%
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27-14 days
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70%
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13–8 days
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90%
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7 days or less
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100%
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Depending on the reason for cancellation, you may be able to reclaim these cancellation
charges (less any applicable excess) under the terms of your insurance policy. Claims
must be made directly to the insurance company concerned. If you cancel certain
elements of your holiday (for example hotel or ferry crossing) we levy an administration
fee of £50 per item changed and pass on all charges levied by the supplier.
Transfers: If any member of your party is prevented from travelling, you
may change your booking up to 14 days before departure by transferring it to another
person if you are unavoidably prevented from travelling, and the person to whom
you wish to transfer the holiday meets any conditions which may apply to it. The
right to transfer is subject to a payment of an administration fee of £20 per person,
and the payment costs incurred in making the transfer.
8. Insurance
We consider adequate travel insurance to be essential. If you decide not to purchase
our insurance, you must give details of your alternative policy (insurer, insurer's
phone number and policy number) at the time of booking. Please read your policy
details carefully and take them with you on holiday. It is your responsibility to
ensure that the insurance cover you purchase is adequate for your particular needs.
We do not check alternative insurance policies.
Very rarely, we may be forced by circumstances beyond our control to change or
terminate your holiday after departure but before the scheduled end of your time
away. This is extremely unlikely but if this situation does occur, we regret we
will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain any refunds from our suppliers),
pay you any compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result. However,
where as a result of circumstances beyond our control, your accommodation becomes
uninhabitable, we will endeavour to provide alternative accommodation for you, at
our reasonable discretion.
9. Circumstances Outside Our Control
Except where otherwise expressly stated in these Booking Conditions, we regret we
cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt
performance of our contractual obligations is prevented or affected by or you otherwise
suffer any damage or loss (as more fully described in clause 11(1) below) as a result
of "circumstances beyond our control". In these Booking Conditions, “circumstances
beyond our control" means any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in
question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include
war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute,
natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire and all similar events
outside our control.
10. Our Liability To You
We promise to make sure that all parts of the holiday we have agreed to arrange
as part of our contract are provided to a reasonable standard and in accordance
with that contract. We also accept responsibility for what our employees, agents
and suppliers do or do not do. We will not, however, be responsible for any injury,
illness, death, loss (for example, loss of enjoyment), damage, expense, cost or
other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following:-
(a) the fault of the person(s) affected or any member(s) of their party or (b) the
fault of a third party not connected with the provision of your holiday which we
could not have predicted or avoided or (c) an event or circumstances which we or
the supplier of the service(s) in question could not have predicted or avoided even
after taking all reasonable care (see clause 10). (d) the fault of anyone who was
not carrying out work for us (generally or in particular) at the time.
In addition, we will not be responsible where you do not enjoy your holiday or suffer
any problems because of a reason you did not tell us about when you booked your
holiday or where any problems you suffer did not result from any breach of our contract
or other fault of ourselves or, where we were responsible for them, our suppliers
or agents or where any losses, expenses, costs or other sum you have suffered relate
to any business. Please note, we cannot accept responsibility for any services which
do not form part of our contract. This includes, for example, any activities, services
or facilities you book or purchase locally (which includes the AOB activities in
Burgundy). Any claims arising from participation in AOB activities must be made
directly to AOB.
The promises we make to you about the services we have agreed to provide or arrange
as part of our contract - and the laws and regulations of the country in which your
claim or complaint occurred - will be used as the basis for deciding whether the
services in question had been properly provided. If the particular services which
gave rise to the claim or complaint complied with local laws and regulations applicable
to those services at the time, the services will be treated as having been properly
provided. This will be the case even if the services did not comply with the laws
and regulations of the UK/Republic of Ireland which would have applied had those
services been provided in the UK/Republic of Ireland.
Where any claim or part of a claim concerns or is based on any travel arrangements
(including the process of getting on and off the transport concerned) provided by
any sea, road or rail carrier or any stay in a hotel, the maximum amount of compensation
we will have to pay you will be limited. The most we will have to pay you for that
claim or that part of a claim if we are found liable to you on any basis is the
most the carrier or hotelier concerned would have to pay under the international
convention which applies to the travel arrangements or hotel stay in question (for
example, the Athens Convention for International Travel by Sea). When making any
payment, we are entitled to deduct any money which you have received or are entitled
to receive from the transport provider or hotelier for the complaint or claim in
question.
Limit of liability - You must provide ourselves and our insurers with all assistance
we may reasonably require. You must also tell us and the supplier concerned about
your claim or complaint as set out in clause 13 below. If asked to do so, you must
transfer to us or our insurers any rights you have against the supplier or whoever
else is responsible for your claim or complaint. You must also agree to cooperate
fully with us and our insurers if we or our insurers want to enforce any rights
which are transferred.
11. Our Assistance To You
If you or any member of your party suffers illness, injury or death, through misadventure,
as a result of an activity which does not form part of your contracted holiday arrangements,
we will provide you with all reasonable assistance.
12. If You Have A Complaint
Our aim is for you to have an enjoyable and trouble free holiday. Should there be,
however, any cause for complaint, you should inform us immediately. We are unable
to accept responsibility for any complaint which can be rectified on site if it
is not reported immediately it arises.
13. Behaviour
When you book with us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by
you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or loss must be
paid direct at the time to the hotel manager or other supplier. If you fail to do
so, you will be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us
(together with our own and the other party's full legal costs) as a result of your
actions.
You also accept and agree to be bound by the rules and regulations of the suppliers
of the services and facilities which make up your holiday (copies available on request).
We cannot accept responsibility for the consequences of any breach(es) of these
rules and regulations.
We expect all clients to have consideration for other people. If in our reasonable
opinion or in the reasonable opinion of any other person in authority, you or any
member of your party behaves in such a way as to cause or be likely to cause danger,
upset or distress to any third party or damage to property, we are entitled, without
prior notice, to terminate the holiday of the person(s) concerned. In this situation,
the person(s) concerned will be required to leave the site or other service. We
will have no further responsibility toward such person(s) including any return travel
arrangements. No refunds will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs
incurred as a result of the termination.
14. AOB and Other Local Activities
Please note, these activities are not operated, supervised or controlled in any
way by WineHunters. We have no involvement at all in these activities. They are
all run by local companies/operators who are totally independent of WineHunters.
Your contract will be with the local operator who is solely responsible for the
activity concerned. In providing details of these activities, we have simply identified
local operators who offer activities we feel will be of interest to you. We have
not "vetted" the courses themselves or the operators who provide them. We do not
act as agents for any of these operators. All activities are booked by you directly
with the local operators during your holiday. These activities do not form any part
of your contract with WineHunters and we regret we cannot accept any liability
for them. The acceptance of liability contained in clause 11 of these booking conditions
does not apply to these activities.
15. Safety
Please note, it is the requirements and standards of the country in which any services
which make up your holiday are provided which apply to those services and not those
of the UK. As a general rule, these requirements and standards will not be the same
as the UK/Republic of Ireland and may sometimes be lower. You should therefore take
all reasonable precautions to protect yourself and your party whilst on holiday.
In particular you should familiarise yourself with fire procedures, swimming pool
areas and any unfamiliar cooking appliances. You should also familiarise yourselves
with any safety notices on site and ensure that you comply with all specifications
for their use. We will not be responsible for any loss and/or damage which occurs
as a result of your failure to comply with this condition.
16. Passports, Visas and Health Requirements
All clients must be in possession of a full 10-year passport. You MUST inform Wine
Hunters if you are travelling on a British Subject's Passport. On a family passport
the lead name must travel. A full British passport presently takes approximately
4 weeks to obtain. Requirements may change and you must check the up to date position
in good time before departure. Information on health is contained in the Department
of Health leaflet T6 (Health Advice for Travellers) available from your local Department
of Health office and most Post Offices. You should obtain a completed and issued
form E111 (details in leaflet T6 referred to above) prior to departure.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in possession of all necessary
travel and health documents before departure. All costs incurred in obtaining such
documentation must be paid by you. We regret we cannot accept any liability if you
are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your
part to carry correct documentation. If you or any member of your party is not a
British citizen or holds a non British passport, you must check passport and visa
requirements with the French Embassy or Consulate. If failure to have any necessary
travel or other documents results to fines, surcharges or other financial penalty
being imposed on us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly.
17. Privacy Statement
WineHunters is committed to respecting your privacy. Our website is designed so
that you can visit it without identifying yourself or revealing any personal information.
Once you opt to provide personally identifiable information (any information by
which you can be identified), it will only be used to support your customer relationship
with us. In order to reserve your holiday we will ask for information from you -
this will include such criteria as your name, sex, age, address, credit card details
(for payment purposes) and details of any illness or disability. We do our utmost
to protect the privacy of the information of our clients. We ensure that we only
collect and use information that is relevant to your holiday and we take measures
to ensure that such information is secure and that it is not used or passed to third
parties for any purpose other than effecting your holiday arrangements.
18. Links To Third Party Sites:
This web site may contain hyperlinks to web sites operated by parties other than
WineHunters Ltd. Such hyperlinks are provided for your reference only. Grape Escapes
Ltd. does not control such web sites and is not responsible for their contents.
Grape Escapes Ltd. inclusion of hyperlinks to such web sites does not imply any
endorsement of the material on such web sites or any association with their operators.
19. Our Descriptions
The description of the regions, hotels, and other aspects of the holidays are based
on opinions gained on visits to them and on the opinions of official bodies and
guides. We have gone to considerable effort to ensure the accuracy of descriptions
and information contained in our brochure.
20. Self-Drive
You should mask the beam deflector part of your headlights with tape and carry a
first aid kit. A set of spare bulbs, nationality sticker and insurance documents
are obligatory. Speed limits in France are generally 110 kilometres per hour on
auto routes, 90kph on other major roads, and 50kph in towns. Toll auto routes have
a speed limit of 130kph; tolls are about £4 for 150km. Your licence may be confiscated
if you exceed any speed limit by 25mph (40kmh). Check all your tyres and tyre pressures,
oil levels and coolant systems before going on holiday. Never drive when you are
tired - stop and rest or share the driving. Remember to drive on the right! (The
driver's side will be nearest the kerb). Just ask us for route planners or invest
in a road atlas. You must have your driving licence with you (and other drivers
of your car must also have theirs), the registration document of your car (or, if
you are not the owner, a letter of permission to take the car abroad) and it is
still advisable to obtain a green card from your car insurance company.
21. Chateau Rooms
In general, rooms are available for occupancy after 4pm on your day of arrival and
should be vacated by 10am on your day of departure. Your luggage can be left with
the hotel reception if need be.
22. Local Times
All times quoted on the Account & Confirmation of Booking are local. France
is always one hour ahead of British time.