Private Expeditions Limited Terms & Conditions

BOOKING CONDITIONS - Your contract is with Private Expeditions Limited ("Private Expeditions") which is based in the UK. This contract lays out what you have agreed with us.

YOUR TRIP CONTRACT
Below are the details of the terms and conditions of the booking agreement. Please read them carefully. When you confirm a booking and we accept it, a legally binding contract is made. When you sign a booking form, you (and any other person on whose behalf you book) agree to accept all of these conditions and you acknowledge that you have read our Terms and Conditions and Kili Facts. You also warrant that the information given by you on the booking form is complete and true. This contract is made on the terms of these booking conditions: any disputes arising from this contract are to be decided by the English courts.

OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU

1. Your trip price
You will be advised of the current price of the trip that you wish to book before your contract is confirmed. We will not seek to vary this price for whatever reason.

a) When you make your booking you must pay a deposit of £200 per person for the climb and £100 per person for any safari or beach extension. The balance of the price of your travel arrangements must be paid at least 8 weeks before your departure date. In the case of non payment of the balance by the due date, we reserve the right to cancel your booking and cancellation charges will apply.

b) No discounts for unused services will be given if, at the time of booking or prior to departure, you choose not to take any part of your planned itinerary.

2. Trip changes or cancellations
It is in the nature of a trip of this kind that arrangements and participants have to be flexible. While we use all reasonable endeavours to ensure a trip according to the itinerary t he day-to-day agenda and ultimate goal of the trip are taken as aims and not as contractual obligations. It is a necessary condition of your joining any of our trips that you accept this flexibility. Occasionally, we may have to make changes and we reserve the right to do so at any time.

We will not cancel your travel arrangements less than 8 weeks before your departure date, except for reasons of force majeure, inadequate insurance cover or failure by you to pay the final balance. Note that we cannot be held responsible for any non-refundable costs you incur through booking your own flights nor otherwise should we be forced to cancel your trip.

If we cancel your travel arrangements for reasons other than the above, we will offer you compensation as set out in the table below. If we are unable provide the booked travel arrangements, you can either have a refund of all monies paid or accept an offer of alternative travel arrangements of comparable standard from us, if available (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of lower value).

If, for an unforeseeable reason outside of our control, we have to cut short your trip, no refund or compensation will be made for any unused hotel accommodation, hire equipment, air tickets or any other unused service or feature of the trip. In particular, we will not pay you compensation if we have to cancel or change your travel arrangements in any way because of war, riot, industrial dispute, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances that may amount to force majeure.

For cancellation for any other reason than force majeure we will pay compensation as below, in addition to the deposit or part cost paid prior to cancellation.

Period before departure Compensation per person
More than 56 days Nil
56 – 15 days £20.00
14 – 0 days £30.00

3. In-country assistance
If the contract we have with you is not performed or is improperly performed as a result of failures attributable to a third party unconnected with the provision of the services, or as a result of failures due to unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised, or an event which we or our suppliers, even with all due care, could not foresee or forestall, and you suffer an injury or other material loss, we will offer you such prompt assistance as is reasonable in the circumstances.

4. Optional activities
Optional activities, excursions or other tours that you may choose to book or pay for whilst you are on trip are not part of your trip provided by us. For any optional activity, excursion, or other tour that you book, your contract will be with the operator of the activity, excursion or tour and not with us. We are not responsible for the provision of the activity, excursion or tour or for anything that happens during the course of its provision by the operator.

5. Data protection
We take full responsibility for ensuring that proper security measures are in place to protect your information. When you make a booking, you consent to all the information you provide being passed on to our suppliers, wherever they may be based. The information may also be provided to public authorities such as customs or immigration if required by them, or as required by law. Certain information may also be passed on to security or credit checking companies. Full details of our data protection policy are available upon request.

6. Lost or delayed luggage
Occasionally luggage is lost or delayed by an airline and this can cause a major problem for a planned climb. You are advised to travel in walking boots and carry essentials in your carry-on luggage. If luggage is delayed we will do everything to help, however, all additional out-of pocket costs have to be paid locally and should be charged back to your airline or your insurers. This includes the cost of taxis for shopping and/or collecting items from the airport.

7. Our liability
Private Expeditions is liable for the negligence of its employees and suppliers when they are acting in the scope of their employment or in the provision of the travel arrangements. The company is not liable for any failures that occur in the performance of the travel arrangements which are attributable to you or any member of your party, or attributable to a third party unconnected with the provision of the services and unforeseeable or unavoidable, or are due to unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond the control of the company which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised. All baggage and personal effects are at all times at your own risk. We will not be responsible for any loss, damage or accident to any luggage and property, howsoever incurred. You are advised to check the limitations of your insurance policy in this respect.

YOUR COMMITMENT TO US

1. Payment
When you make your booking you must pay a non-refundable deposit of £200 per person for the climb and £100 per person for any extension Clients booking by telephone will be deemed to have read the booking conditions and to have signed the declaration on the booking form, although a completed booking form must subsequently be sent to the Private Expeditions office.

Upon receipt of your booking, we will forward a confirmation invoice informing you of the date by which final payment must be made for your trip. This is normally 8 weeks before departure. We advise that you book any extensions, extra services or additional accommodation at the time you make your initial trip booking.

Payment can be made by bank transfer or by cheque. If payment by credit card is required this is possible but the bank charges us 3% and this will be added onto the invoiced amount for payment. If payment is from an overseas bank account all charges must be paid by the transferor.

2. If you have negotiated a group booking discount
Group discounts are negotiated on the following basis:

  • All arrangements for the group must be dealt with by a single coordinator
  • Any variations an individual wishes to make to the itinerary agreed with the group coordinator must be paid for by that individual
  • All groups must travel together and transfers will be for the group as a whole
  • Discounted prices quoted are related to numbers within the group. If the group size is subsequently reduced the offer of a discount will not continue to be valid

3. If you change your booking
While we normally make changes to a booking for no charge we reserve the right to charge an n administration fee of £50, plus any further costs incurred. . Any request for changes must be made by email by the person who made the booking. You should be aware that costs incurred in changing a booking could increase the closer to the departure date they are made and you should therefore contact us as soon as possible

4 . If you wish to cancel your holiday
You, or any member of your party, may cancel your travel arrangements at any time. Written notification from the person who made the booking must be received at our offices. Cancellation charges as shown below will be applicable.

AMOUNT OF CANCELLATION CHARGE
More than 56 days Deposit and non-recoverable permit or park fee costs
56 – 30 days 50% of total trip cost and non-recoverable permit or park fee costs
Less than 30 days 100% of total trip cost including all permit or park fee costs

UNLESS CONFIRMATION OF ADEQUATE INSURANCE COVER IS RECEIVED 14 DAYS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO CANCEL YOUR TRIP WITH NO COMPENSATION.

Note: If the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges.

5 . Lead Guide authority
Signing our booking form signifies your agreement to abide by the authority of the Lead Guide, who represents Private Expeditions. The decision of the Lead Guide as to the conduct, itinerary and objectives of the tour is final. If, in the opinion of the Lead Guide, your behaviour or physical condition is detrimental to the safety, welfare of you or any member of your party (which are the paramount considerations), or if the Lead Guide considers your general wellbeing will be put at risk by continuing with the trip, you may be asked to leave the tour without the right to any refund for unused services.

6 . Your responsibilities
Risks and hazards
Your booking is accepted on the understanding that you realise and accept the risks and hazards potentially involved in adventure trips and that you are mentally and physically capable of undertaking your chosen trip.

Medical conditions
You must tell us if you have an existing medical condition or disability that might affect your holiday or any of your party's members' enjoyment of it, before you book your trip. If, in our reasonable opinion, your chosen holiday is not suitable for your medical condition or disability we reserve the right to refuse your booking. We reserve the right to cancel the contract if medical problems are discovered and, in this eventuality, we will give a full refund but no compensation.

Proper equipment
You are responsible for bringing with you the proper clothing and equipment, which we advise you about in Kili Facts. If you need to hire any equipment you should notify us at the time of booking. If our Lead Guide does not believe you have proper equipment you must follow his advice to hire or buy the items required locally. Clients will not be allowed to start a climb unless they have proper equipment and in this event no refunds or compensation will be paid.

Passports, visas, and immigration requirements
Your specific passport and visa requirements, and other immigration requirements are your responsibility and you should confirm these with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel because you have not complied with any passport, visa or immigration requirements.

Travel and cancellation insurance
To take part in one of our trips you must be covered by adequate insurance for the complete duration of your trip. Your insurance must include cover for trekking to 6000m, medical expenses, injury, death, cost of repatriation and evacuation via whatever means necessary including by helicopter/air ambulance. If, in the event of an emergency medical rescue or evacuation from a trip of you the client, either by foot, helicopter or otherwise the responsibility for the payment of such costs will lie with the client. Any subsequent costs incurred for expenses such as hotels, food, transport etc shall be borne by the client. Private Expeditions reserve the right to cancel your booking at any time if you have not provided proof that adequate insurance cover is in place. Companies like Snowcard Insurance or Dog Tag specialise in mountain sports travel insurance issue suitable policies for adventure travel trips.

7. If you choose to change the itinerary
If you are unable, or choose not to complete an itinerary outlined for a trip, Private Expeditions is not liable to supply alternative itineraries, excursions, accommodations, services or staff that may result from the change. We allow you the flexibility to decide during a trip if you would like to alter your plans but no refunds are issued for shortened trips and no additional costs incurred will be reimbursed by Private Expeditions.

8 . If you have a complaint
If you have a problem during your trip, you must inform your tour Lead Guide who will endeavour to put things right. If your complaint is not resolved locally, please follow this up within 14 days of your return home by writing to our Customer Services Department, Private Expeditions Ltd., Old Schoolhouse, Dunstall, Staffs DE13 8BH giving your booking reference and all other relevant information. Please keep your letter concise and to the point. This will assist us to quickly identify your concerns and speed up our response to you. It is strongly suggested that you communicate any complaint to your tour Lead Guide without delay and complete a report form whilst on the tour. If you fail to follow this simple procedure we will have been deprived of the opportunity to investigate and rectify your complaint during your trip and this may affect your rights under this contract.

9 . Promotional images
Any likeness or image of you secured or taken on any of our trips may be used by the company without charge in all media (whether now existing or in the future invented) for bona fide promotional materials of any kind, such as brochures, website, slides, videoshows and the internet.

2010/08/25/R/PLD