Please enter the number of coach seats or airport transfers required below for the people in your party over 3 years old.
Please enter the names of everybody in the party below, starting with the group leader. Please also give the date of birth of anyone under 16 on departure date. All names must be provided for our travel suppliers and insurance company.
1.Contract
Your contract is with Hucksters, PO Box 341, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 0WW, will, hereinafter will be referred to as ‘The Company’ and this is whom you will make your contract with. No contract exists until we receive the booking form, the appropriate deposit and have issued a booking confirmation.
2. Booking
Options. An oral or provision of an option does not give rise to contractual obligations to you or The Company and may be cancelled by either party. BOOKING. A booking exists once completed booking forms, with appropriate deposits have been received and a confirmation/invoice has been despatched, detailing what you have booked. Please check it carefully as items not on your confirmation will not be supplied. Once confirmation is despatched you have a firm booking.
3. Payments
Deposits: Your holiday cost is payable in two stages, for your holiday package with Hucksters.
First deposit: £100 (per paying member to accompany your completed and signed booking form) for Hucksters holiday package A statement will be sent to you at least 12 weeks before departure. Your final balance should not be sent later than 8 weeks before departure.
Bookings made within 8 weeks of the start of your trip must be paid in full at time of booking. We reserve the right to consider our contract terminated by you, if payment of your final balance is late.
Flights and snow train bookings- these are made and paid directly to the consolidating agent, or to our preferred consolidator Satellite Travel Limited, 41-45 Lind Road, Sutton, surrey. SM1 4PP Telephone 0208 6433666. www.satelittetravel.co.uk. These bookings are then made subject to their terms and conditions.
Coach Travel only- Clients must pay in full on booking, dates cannot be changed once confirmed. No cancellation refunds are available. Clients are advised to take insurance such as that offered by The Company, which provides a level of cover for cancellation, subject to terms.
4. Prices
Price Promise. If you purchase the insurance offered by Hucksters in this brochure, the price of your holiday is fully guaranteed and will not be subject to surcharge. However in the event that the Government impose a levy on passengers to replenish Air Travel Trust- a fund set up to protect holiday makers, this levy would be additional to holiday prices advertised. If you do not purchase this insurance the price of your holiday will be subjected to surcharge as a result of government action or currency fluctuation as well as increases in aviation fuel. In the case of a surcharge being necessary The Company will absorb an amount equivalent to 2% of your tour price. Should the increase be more than 10% of the total cost you will be entitled to cancel your trip and have all monies refunded, minus any insurance premiums and amendment fees. Should you wish to cancel for this reason you have fourteen days after the issue of our invoice in which to do so. Ski and Boot hire are excluded from the guarantee, as are the exchange losses on ski pass element of your holiday (maximum liability of £90 calculated @ 1.49 to £1).
5. Cancellations By you
Cancellations are only accepted when received in writing, and charges will be made as follows:
More than 8 weeks before departure: loss of all deposits paid or due. Between 4 and 8 weeks before departure: 60% of total cost to be paid.
Between 1 and 4 weeks before departure 80% of total cost to be paid. One week or less before departure: Total invoice cost.
You may, of course, make a claim on if your cancellation comes within the items of the policy.
6. Cancellations Or Material Changes to Arrangements Made By Us.
While The Company will endeavour to ensure that all arrangements satisfy your requirements, nevertheless it may be necessary in some situations to make alterations particularly if events outside our control dictate. The company reserve the right to provide comparable alternative arrangements if operational or other considerations dictate (this will not be considered to be a material change), for example if your chosen hotel or resort is not operable for any reason we could substitute a similar package.
If we do have to cancel a booking or if we make material alterations to any of the arrangements, we will notify you without delay and shall offer a choice of alternative and comparable arrangements, if they are available, or a refund of all monies paid. Any such refund will be sent within 14 clear days, if we make a material change after the final invoice you will be entitled to compensations as follows: 70-35 days before departure: £5 per paying person. 35-15 days before departure: £7 per paying person. 14 days or less: £10 per paying person.
We will not cancel your holiday after two weeks before your departure date unless it is necessary to do so as a result of hostilities, political unrest, industrial disputes or other circumstances amounting to force majeure or any other cause beyond our control, or unless you default in payment of your final balance. If we do have to cancel for these reasons you will not be entitled to a refund of monies paid, and in the case of an unpaid balance you would be liable to cancellation charges.
7. General
Hucksters holidays start and finish where stated on you invoice. We are not responsible for your travel to or from this point or any expenses, including travel, accommodation, subsistence and loss of earnings, caused by delayed return to your departure point, howsoever caused. where stated on your invoice.
· The risk of skiing being adversely affected by the weather conditions has to be accepted. Where transport is arranged to other resorts the cost will be paid locally by the client. The Company shall not be liable for any loss, delay or costs connected with and arising weather conditions, including blocked roads.
· All clients are bound by the conditions of carriage of all airlines, coach companies and other suppliers of transport, accommodation and service, which go to make up their holiday. These conditions are subject to international agreements between countries and copies may be made available for inspection at the offices of the carrier involved.
· No refunds are given for unused portions of the holiday, e.g. journeys, car hire, empty accommodation, unused ski packs, uneaten meals. No representative is authorised to make or promise refunds and The Company will accept no such promises.
· All descriptions in this brochure, made orally or in writing are given in good faith based on information believed to be correct at the time. Descriptions of apartments are a guide, as all are individually owned and differ from one another. They have to be cleaned and checked on change over day, so access is rarely possible until late afternoon and you need to vacate in the morning of your last day.
· To maintain low prices where necessary we share transfers, coaches and/or reps with other operators. Occasionally delays occur which are beyond our control. We liase with all other operators and our policy is to endeavour that any delay is as short as possible.
· We reserve the right to cancel your holiday should an economic sales level not be achieved, in this unlikely event we will either offer you a comparable holiday, if available, or refund in full. VISAS, PASSPORTS and BAGGAGE. At present British subjects do not need a visa for France or Italy but must take a valid passport. Most non-EEC nationals need a visa for France or Italy and must arrange this themselves. Clients are responsible at all times for their own personal documents, baggage and ski equipment, whether hired or not.
8. If You Have a Complaint
If you have a complaint about any service provided by us in resort, this should be reported immediately to our local representative or Agent in order that action can be taken. If a complaint cannot be resolved then please follow it up with a letter to The Company within 28 days from returning from your holiday, as The Company will not accept the liability in respect of claims received outside this period. The Company normally manages to agree an amicable settlement of the few complaints received. However, in the unlikely event that an agreed settlement cannot be reached you may take advantage of the special arbitration scheme as described below.
9. Arbitration
If, despite our best efforts and having followed the above procedure for reporting and resolving your complaint, you feel that it is has not been satisfactorily settled, we recommend that it be referred for arbitration under the ABTOT Travel Industry Service. An independent Arbitrator will review the documents relating to any complaint and deliver a binding decision to bring the matter to a close. Details of this scheme are available from ABTOT, 117 Houndsditch, London EC3A 7BT. This scheme cannot decide in cases where the sums claimed exceed £1500 per person or, £7500 per booking form, or for claims which are solely or mainly in respect of physical injury or illness or the consequence thereof.
10. Liability
The signatory and each and every member of the group are responsible at all times for their own personal safety and the company does not accept responsibility for death, personal injury, loss or damage to property however arising. The Company does not accept liability for the acts or omissions of employees, agents or subcontractors unless the company’s insurers provide an indemnity in respect thereof and in relation to any claim arising.
In the case of coach travel where a sleeper supplement has been paid, Hucksters liability is limited to one half and any supplement paid per journey undertaken it for any reason the sleeper service cannot be provided.
The Company does not accept any liability for any unlawful acts or omissions of its employees, agents or subcontractors. Where services consist of carriage by air or sea, the company will limit its obligations and liability provided by relevant international convention. Claims under this paragraph will be subjected to English law.
11. Responsibility, Supervision, Behaviour, Damage & Disturbance
In signing the booking form, the party leader accepts responsibility for the good conduct of all participants and is responsible for any monies outstanding to Hucksters or one of their agents during the visit. The party leader guarantees that all of their party have insurance that covers the party for winter sports. The party leader and other adult members of the party are responsible for the supervision of any minors in the party and should take steps to prevent to the fabric and equipment of The Company, site owners, hotels and coaches and property belonging to others which, is provided for the party’s use during the visit. The Party leader and other adults should insure that local residents, other guests, holidaymakers or site owners are not disturbed by unreasonable behaviour. The company reserves the right to exclude any group or individual from any activity, hotel or centre where the group’s person’s actions, in the opinion of The Company staff are not compatible with the safe operation of a given activity or adversely affect the enjoyment or privacy of other guests, holidaymakers or hotel/ centre personnel. If equipment or property belonging to The Company or suppliers of The Company is damaged or lost as a result of unreasonable treatment or behaviour, The Company reserves the right to make a charge to make good the damage or loss. The members of the party will be deemed to be jointly and severely liable for any such damage and in the case of ski hire (and possibly room or apartment occupation) at the discretion of The Company a damage deposit will be taken at time of issue or occupation.
Price Guarantee- Provided you purchase our Hucksters Insurance offered to you when booking your holiday, we guarantee the price of your holiday will not change except for government changes VAT. Ski Packages other than pre-paid ski and boot hire are excluded from the guarantee, as are the exchange of losses on the ski pass element of your holiday (maximum liability of £90 calculated @ 1.49 euros to £1)
Your money is safe- The protection of your money is of prime importance to us and this end we have complied with and exceeded EEC regulations concerning financial security for tour operators by creating a double protection policy.
Trust fund- All monies are paid into a trust fund, which means that money can only be used to pay suppliers when your holiday is taken (except for flights/ snow trains which are booked directly with the relevant consolidator)
Insurance
It is a condition that you and your party obtain suitable Wintersports Insurance, from a reputable provider, which must at least include the following: -
- Emergency Medical Expenses including, amongst other costs; mountain rescue, ambulance charges and repatriation
- Cancellation of your trip or Curtailment cutting short your trip
- Personal Liability to include, amongst other liabilities; damage caused by your negligence to the property in which you are staying and may not include a clause which restricts actions being taken against a travelling companion other than family
- Travel and transfer delays which must include amongst other costs; additional costs incurred in the event of a delay beyond your or our control
- The policy must include the activities you are likely to do and in particular off piste skiing with or without a guide (it is possible to ski off piste inadvertently)
Note: -There are of course other sections to a Wintersports Insurance policy such as Baggage, Legal Expenses, Personal Accident and so on.
The Travel Insurance policy described on our website is available from MPI Brokers and satisfies these conditions.
In the event that you fail to obtain suitable Wintersports Insurance we shall not be liable for any costs incurred or claims made against us due to your failure to comply with this term.”
ABTOT Protection
The Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT) provides financial protection under the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 for Hucksters Ski Holidays, and in the event of their insolvency, protection is provided for the following:
1. non-flight packages commencing in and returning to the UK;
2. non-flight packages commencing and returning to a country other than the UK; and
3. flight inclusive packages that commence outside of the UK, which are sold to customers outside of the UK.
4. accommodation only bookings;
1, 2, 3 and 4 provides for a refund in the event you have not yet travelled. 1 and 3 provides for repatriation. Please note that bookings made outside the UK are only protected by ABTOT when purchased directly with Hucksters Ski Holidays.
