Discover Switzerland Limited Booking Conditions

Please read these booking conditions for your package carefully. The DiscoverSwitzerland Ltd Booking Conditions spell out our obligations to you and your commitments to us when you book a package with us.

Where in these booking conditions we refer to “we“, “us” and “our”, this refers to DiscoverSwitzerland Ltd. References to "you" and "your" means all persons (or any of them) named on the booking (including anyone who is added or substituted at a later stage). Except where otherwise expressly stated in these Booking Conditions, these Booking Conditions only apply to package arrangements, which you book with us in the UK and which we agree to make, provide or perform (as applicable) as part of our contract with you. All references in these Booking Conditions to “package”, “booking”, “contract”, or “arrangements” means such package arrangements.

 

Our Commitment To You:

 

1. Making a Booking

To make a booking, our booking form must be completed. This must be signed by the first named person on the booking form (“the Party Leader”). The Party Leader must be at least 18 years of age and must be authorised to make the booking on the basis of these Booking Conditions by all persons named on the booking. The completed and signed Booking Form must then be sent to us with the payments referred to below.

Once we have received your Booking Form and all appropriate payments we will, subject to availability, confirm your package by issuing a Confirmation of Booking. As soon as we issue this confirmation a contract will exist between us and your party. The contract is made on these booking conditions.

Changes to these booking conditions can only be made if issued in writing.

Please check all documents we send you as soon as you receive them. Contact us immediately if any information that appears on these documents appears to be incorrect or incomplete, as it may not be possible to make changes later. We regret we cannot accept any responsibility if we are not notified of any inaccuracies in any document within ten days of our sending it out. We will do our best to rectify any inaccuracies notified outside these time limits. However, you will be responsible for any costs and expenses involved in doing so except where we made the mistake and there is good reason why you did not contact us within the time limit.

 

2. Our Price Policy

The prices shown in our brochure were calculated on 11th Sept 2007 on the basis of known costs and exchange rate of £1 = CHF   2.32823 as shown on the Credit Suisse website. We reserve the right to increase or decrease the prices of unsold packages at any time and to correct mistakes in quoted, advertised or confirmed prices.

The price of your package will be confirmed at the time of booking.

 

3. No Surcharge Guarantee

Once we have confirmed the price of your arrangements (errors or omissions excepted) it is fully guaranteed by us and will not be subject to any surcharge.

 

4. Payment

You are responsible for making all payments to us. Please note that if you are paying via your Local Education Authority, governing body, central agency or similar, it is important that you make any necessary arrangements to ensure all payments reach us within the time limits below, and inform us immediately you know this might not be possible.

In order to confirm your chosen package, a deposit of £25 per paying party member (or full payment if booking is within 10 weeks of departure) must be paid at the time of booking. A second deposit of 30% of the total booking price is due 8 weeks after confirmation of booking.

The full balance must be received by us not less than 10 weeks prior to your departure date and this date will be shown on the Confirmation of Booking. Reminders will not be sent. If we do not receive your second deposits or final payment by the dates specified this will be a breach of contract between us entitling us to consider the booking as cancelled by you and to apply cancellation charges as set out in these booking conditions.

This means that if we haven’t received your full payment by the required date you will not be entitled to any activities or accommodation as stated in our package and you will be liable for all the relevant cancellation charges as stated above.

 

5. If We Change Your Holiday Arrangements

Although it is unlikely, we may occasionally have to change your holiday arrangements as they are made well in advance, and we reserve the right to do so at any time. For instance, if a booked activity is not possible due to unforeseen circumstances such as a disruption of local transport networks, or by force majeure we may have to cancel this activity or offer you a similar activity. If this occurs, we always offer you an alternative activity (with a refund of the price difference if it is of a lower value), or a 100% refund of all monies paid within 14 days if the alternative is not acceptable to you.

Very rarely, in instances of force majeure, we may be forced to change or terminate your package after departure but before the scheduled time of your return. This is extremely unlikely but if this situation arises, we regret we will be unable to refund any monies unless we receive refunds from our suppliers, nor can we pay any compensation or meet any costs or expenses you may occur as a result. Nor can we be held liable for any losses or costs, failure to perform, or improper performance of contract due to force majeure.

 

6. Changes by You

Please check all documents we send you as soon as you receive them. Contact us immediately if any information that appears on these documents appears to be incorrect or incomplete, as it may not be possible to make changes later. If you should wish at any time to amend your arrangements in any way, for example different accommodation or activities, we will do our utmost to accommodate your changes but this may not always be possible. You must confirm any request for change, in writing, for any change to be made. We reserve the right to make a £20 amendment charge per change per booking form and will pass on to you any costs we incur from our suppliers as a consequence of the change.

 

7. Cancellation by You

Until 10 weeks before the your departure date the first and second deposits paid by any person that withdraws from your party for any reason may be transferred to another suitable replacement without any financial penalty. If there is no suitable replacement found, the first and second deposits will be retained by us.

From 10 weeks to your departure date, the price per paying member is fixed. Payment paid by the withdrawn person can still be transferred to another suitable person but if no suitable replacement is found, cancellation charges will apply as shown below.

More than 10 weeks before departure – we retain 1st and 2nd deposits per paying person cancelling
69-22 days before departure – we retain 75% of the full price per paying customer cancelling
21 days or less – we retain 100% of the full price per paying person cancelling.

The effective date of cancellation is the working day on which written notification is received in our office.

 

8. If You Have a Complaint

If you have a problem at any time during your stay in Switzerland, please inform the relevant local representative immediately (contactable by telephone or email) who will endeavour to put things right for you. If your problem is not resolved then please contact our office by telephone or email. If the problem is not resolved locally, please follow this up with a letter of complaint to our company offices within 28 days of your return home giving your booking reference and all other relevant information.

 

9. Conditions of Suppliers

Many of the services and activities that make up your package are provide by external, independent suppliers. Those suppliers provide their services in accordance with their own terms and conditions. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier’s liability to you, in accordance with applicable International Conventions and may affect your rights to compensation.

 

10. Travel in Switzerland

If you choose us to organise your transport options in Switzerland we will happily do so, but under no circumstances will we accept responsibility or liability for any incidents that occur whilst travelling through Switzerland.

We will only book transport as an act of good will to your party and you will be bound by the terms and conditions of the local suppliers.

 

11. Safety Standards

The requirements and safety standards of the country in which any services are supplied, are those that apply to those services. As a general rule, they will not be the same as the UK and in some cases may be lower.

 

12. Special Requests and Medical Problems

If you have any special requests you must state them clearly on the booking form and we will do our best to accommodate those requests. Although we will pass on these requests to our suppliers we cannot guarantee any request will be complied with unless we have confirmed this in writing. All special requests are subject to availability. If you or any member of your party has special medical or disability considerations that could affect any activities or programs, please tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can advise you of the suitability of your chosen arrangements. You must give us, in writing, full details of these medical or disability considerations at the time of booking. If we reasonably feel we cannot accommodate the particular needs of the person concerned we reserve the right to decline their reservation or, if full details were not given at the time of booking, cancel as and when we become aware of them.

 

13. Behaviour

When you book with us you accept responsibility for you and all members of your party. Any damage or loss caused by the party will be payable by you. If, in our reasonable opinion or the opinion of anyone in authority, you or any members of your party behave in such a way as to danger, upset or distress any third party, or damage to property, we are entitled, without prior notice, to terminate the package or activity of the person(s) concerned. In this event, the person(s) concerned will be required to leave the accommodation or other service and we will have further responsibility to such persons. No refunds will be given and we will not pay any costs incurred through this termination. All costs incurred through inappropriate behaviour will be payable by you.

 

 

Discover Switzerland Limited January 2008