BOOKING CONDITIONS
Paxos Life Activities Ltd is a company registered in
England under company number 6738903. These Booking
Conditions, together with the relevant website
descriptions and the Important Information section of
the website, form part of your contract with us.
General
Paxos
Life Activities Ltd works with a range of suppliers to
run special interest holidays, courses and activities
mainly on
the island of Paxos. We require each person who wishes
to participate in any of the holidays/courses/activities that we
offer to complete and submit the appropriate on-line
Booking Form. In doing so, you are deemed to have read
and accepted these Booking Conditions on behalf of all
the members of your party and to accept full
responsibility for all payments due to us in respect of
the holidays/courses/activities booked.
These Booking Conditions form part of your contract with
Paxos Life Activities Ltd, so you must read them and
also the
Important Information
section of this website
carefully. If any part of the Booking Conditions is
found to be invalid or unenforceable, then the remainder
of the Booking Conditions will not be affected but will
remain valid and enforceable. Your contract with us is
made subject to English law. All disputes will be
governed by English Law and will be subject to the
exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.
Making a Booking
Once
you have decided which holiday/course/activity you would like
to book, you must complete and submit the appropriate
on-line Booking Form. (We have separate booking forms
for most holidays/courses/activities because we need
different information from you about your existing level
of experience and preferences.) In doing so, you will be
deemed to have accepted these Booking Conditions on
behalf of all the members of your party and will be
responsible for informing them of these. In any case
where the completion of a Booking Form is not required,
the contract will be with the person who pays the
deposit and that person will be deemed to have accepted
these Booking Conditions on behalf of all the members of
their party and will be responsible for informing them
of these. You should also read the
Important Information
section of this website.
Our holidays/courses/activities are only open to people age
18 and over and we reserve the right to decline any
booking. As
Paxos is a relatively hilly island, we do not feel that
it is suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.
Payment of Deposit and Balance
Once
we have received your Booking Form, we will issue a
Booking Confirmation, which you must check carefully to
ensure that the details are as booked, and ask you to
pay a non-refundable deposit equivalent to 25% of your
total booking within seven days.
On receipt of your deposit, we will issue a Confirmation
Invoice which, once again, you must check carefully to
ensure that the details are as booked, as it is at this
stage that your contract with Paxos Life Activities Ltd
comes into being. If for any reason we are unable to
accept your booking, we will return your deposit within
28 days.
We will then ask you to pay the remaining 75% of the
cost no later than eight weeks/56 days before the
commencement of the holiday/course/activity that you have
booked. If this is not received by the due date, we will
regard your booking as cancelled and you will forfeit
your deposit.
If you book a
holiday/course/activity eight weeks/56 days or less before the
date of commencement, we will ask you to pay the full
cost on receipt of your booking form.
We will issue you with full details of your itinerary
and joining instructions at least two weeks before your
holiday/course/activity is due to start.
Insurance
The Cost of Our Holidays, Courses and Activities
We
reserve the right to amend the prices of any of the
holidays/courses/ activities shown on this website either up
or down and will advise you of any price changes before
you book.
The exchange rate used in the calculation of the prices
of the holidays/courses/activities in our 2011 and 2012 programmes
is €1.10 = £1 and this is therefore the exchange rate
that will be used in the calculation of any surcharges.
Once we have issued your Confirmation Invoice, we will
not change the price of your holiday/course/activity, except to
reflect government action, unfavourable changes in
exchange rates, an increase in transportation costs
(including the cost of fuel), taxes or dues payable for
services. We will absorb any increases up to 2% of the
total price of your holiday/course/activity, excluding any
amendment charges. For increases greater than 2%, we
have the right to charge you the amount of the increase
over and above that, plus an administration charge of £1
per person. If this means you have to pay an increase of
more than 10% of the original price, you will be
entitled to cancel your holiday/course/activity and receive a
full refund of all monies paid, except for amendment
charges, or accept a change of holiday/course/activity if we are
able to offer one. If you decide to cancel for this
reason, you must exercise your right to do so within 14
days from the issue date printed on the surcharge
invoice. If you do not tell us that you wish to do so
within this period of time, we are entitled to assume
that you will pay the surcharge. Any surcharge must be
paid with the balance of the cost of the holiday or
within 14 days of the issue date printed on the
surcharge invoice, whichever is the later.
Alterations or Cancellation by You
We will acknowledge all cancellations and alterations
within seven days and, if you do not receive an
acknowledgement within this timescale, you should
contact us immediately.
If you wish to alter your booking after you have
received your Confirmation Invoice, we will try to make
the alteration requested, but reserve the right to make
an administrative charge of up to £20 for each
alteration requested, plus any additional charges that
the holiday/course/activity supplier may levy. If you wish to do
this less than eight weeks/56 days before the
commencement of your holiday/course/activity, we will treat this
as a cancellation and re-booking, giving rise to the
cancellation charges shown below.
The only exception to this is if you wish to transfer
the booking to another person. In
such cases we will allow you to do this but will make an
administrative charge of up to £20 for each alteration
requested. You must make the additional payment before
an alteration can be effected. Where the holiday/course/activity that you
have booked includes accommodation on a shared basis, it
may not be possible to transfer your booking to someone
of the opposite sex.
If
you wish to cancel your booking, the following
cancellation charges will be payable, dependent on the
date we receive notification of cancellation:-
Number of days before holiday/activity/course commencement
written notification received. |
Cancellation charge as a percentage of the
holiday/course/activity price. |
56 days or more |
Deposit |
55 - 28 days |
60% |
27 days or less |
100% |
If
you have booked a holiday/course/activity as part of a group and
we have given you a group discount, any reduction in the
number of group members taking part in the
holiday/course/activity could mean that the remaining members of
the group are no longer entitled to that discount. If
this is the case, then we will advise the remaining
group members of the additional payment required.
If you have booked more than one holiday/course/activity and we
have allowed you a discount on the second and any
subsequent holiday/course/activity but you are no longer entitled to
receive this following cancellation, then the price of
the other holidays/courses/activities will be adjusted accordingly and we
will advise you of the additional payment required.
Alterations and Cancellations by Us
It
is possible that from time to time we may have to change
the arrangements for your holiday/course/activity before you
depart and we reserve the right to do so. We also
reserve the right in any circumstances to cancel your
holiday/course/activity.
If the change is 'major' (i.e. a change of resort, a
change to accommodation that is of a lower standard or a
change of course leader), we will do our best to inform
you as soon as practicable and will offer you the choice
of a comparable alternative holiday/course/activity or a full
refund of all monies paid to us (excluding amendment
fees). In addition, unless the change is caused by
'force majeure' (defined below), we will pay you
compensation on the scale set out below.
Any other change will be considered 'minor' and,
although we are not obliged to offer you an alternative
holiday/course/activity, a refund or compensation, we will
advise you of any such changes as early as possible.
All our holidays/courses/activities require a minimum number of
participants in order for them to operate. The number
required varies according to each holiday/course/activity and
this will be clearly stated on your Booking
Confirmation and Confirmation Invoice. This means that,
from time to time, we may have to cancel a
holiday/course/activity due to an insufficient number of
participants. If we do need to cancel the
holiday/course/activity you have booked for this reason, we will
do our best to inform you as soon as practicable and
will offer you the choice of a comparable alternative
holiday/course/activity or a full refund of all monies paid,
excluding amendment fees. We will not be liable for any
further compensation.
We guarantee that we will not cancel your
holiday/course/activity less than eight weeks/56 days before the
date of commencement, as a result of there being an
insufficient number of participants. Nor will we cancel
your holiday/course/activity less than eight weeks/56 days
before departure for any other reason, except in
circumstances of 'force majeure' or because you have
failed to pay the final balance when due. If you fail to
pay the balance when due, we will regard your booking as
cancelled and you will forfeit your deposit. You will
not be entitled to any compensation.
Period before commencement of holiday/course/activity within
which notification of cancellation or major
change is notified to you |
Compensation per participant as a percentage of the cost of
the course/activity paid to us |
56 days or more |
Nil |
55 - 29 days |
1% |
28 - 14 days |
2% |
13 - 0 days |
3% |
'Force majeure' means unusual and unforeseeable
circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of
which neither we nor our suppliers could avoid,
including but not limited to war, threat of war, riot,
civil strife, strike, industrial dispute, natural or
nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire,
flood, drought, terrorist activity, technical or
maintenance problems with transport, changes of schedule
or operational decisions of transport providers, closure
of ports or airports or similar circumstances beyond our
control.
If we are unable to provide a significant proportion of
a holiday/course/activity after it has commenced, we will make
suitable alternative arrangements for you at no extra
charge to you or alternatively arrange for you to
receive a pro-rata refund of the holiday/course/activity fee. We
will not be liable for any further compensation.
Our Responsibility for the Holiday/Course/Activity Provided
We
accept responsibility for any loss you may suffer if any
part of the holiday/course/activity you book with us is not as
described and not of a reasonable standard. We also
accept responsibility if you suffer death or personal
injury as a direct result of the holiday/course/activity failing
to be as described and of a reasonable standard.
However, these acceptances of responsibility do not
apply if there has been no fault on our part, nor on the
part of our suppliers, and the deficiency, loss, death
or personal injury suffered is attributable to your own
acts or omissions, to the acts or omissions of a third
party not involved in providing the services which make
up your holiday/course/activity, or to unusual or unforeseeable
circumstances, the consequences of which could not have
been avoided or anticipated, even by exercising all due
care. They are also conditional upon you assigning to us
any rights you may have against any other person whose
acts or omissions have given rise to our liability.
Our liability to compensate you, and the amount of such
compensation, is subject to the following limitations.
First, in the case of damage other than death, illness
or personal injury, compensation is restricted to a
reasonable amount having regard to such factors as eg
the price of your holiday/course/holiday and the extent to which
your enjoyment of it can be said to have been affected.
Second, in all cases, liability and compensation are
limited in accordance with the provisions of all
international conventions which concern transportation
and accommodation, particularly the Athens Convention
1974 and the Paris Convention 1962. Copies of these
conventions are available on request; please allow 28
days.
Personal Injury Unconnected with Us
If any member of your party suffers death, illness or
injury whilst overseas arising out of an activity which
does not form part of the holiday/course/activity booked with us
we shall, at our discretion, offer advice, guidance and
assistance to help you in resolving any claim you may
have against a third party, provided such advice and
assistance is requested within 90 days of the
occurrence. Where legal action is contemplated, our
authority must be obtained prior to issuing proceedings
and will be subject to you undertaking to assign to us
any costs you may recover or any benefits you may
receive under an insurance policy. Our costs in respect
of such advice, guidance and assistance will be limited
to £5,000 per party.
Any services purchased locally in resort, even if these
are arranged by our representative or agent, do not form
part of this contract.
Transport and Other Suppliers
As between you and any supplier of services (eg a boat
operator, car rental company or accommodation owner),
the standard terms and conditions of that supplier will
apply. Copies of these conditions, some of which exclude
or limit liability, are available on request; please
allow 28 days. The timings of all transport, including
those shown on any tickets or vouchers, are estimates
only and cannot be guaranteed. They are subject to,
inter alia, weather conditions, the need for
maintenance, the decisions of regulators and the ability
of passengers to check in on time. We cannot be held
liable for any delays which may arise and any
arrangements made for you in the event of a delay will
be in the sole discretion of the boat operator or other
carrier involved. Paxos Life Activities Ltd will not be
liable for providing you with any refreshment and/or
accommodation in the event of a delay.
Some activities carry inherent risks and, if you are
participating in such activities, you may be asked to
sign additional documentation by the local supplier.
Transfers
Where
transfers are included in the cost of your holiday/course/activity, or
where you have purchased transfers from us separately,
the price paid includes travel by shared taxis and
scheduled hydrofoil service from Corfu Airport to your
accommodation on Paxos and return, unless stated
otherwise on your Booking Confirmation and Confirmation
Invoice. If the hydrofoil service between Corfu and
Paxos is suspended for any reason eg adverse weather
conditions, mechanical failure or industrial action, we
will do our best to arrange alternative transport for
you. Where we are able to do this, it will be subject to
the payment by you of any additional charges incurred by
us. If we are unable to arrange alternative transport,
then we will help you to find accommodation, which again
will be at additional cost to you. It is essential that
your travel insurance policy includes cover for delayed
departure, missed departure and missed connections.
Complaints
If
you have a complaint, you must inform our Paxos office
immediately, so that we have an opportunity to resolve
the problem as soon as reasonably possible. If the
problem persists or you feel it is necessary to pursue
the matter further, or seek compensation, then it is
essential that you notify full details to our Paxos
Office in writing and retain a copy before you leave
Paxos.
If the problem remains unresolved on your return to the
UK, provided you have followed the procedures set out
above, a copy of your written complaint should be
received at our UK office not later than 28 days after
the end of the course or activity. We will then make the
necessary enquiries and, whenever possible, respond
fully within 28 days. We do not accept any liability
where our complaints procedures have not been observed
or full written details are not received at our UK
office as detailed above.
Website Descriptions
We
take all reasonable steps to ensure that the information
on this website is accurate. However, facilities and
services can change, and we reserve the right to change
any description or price before you book. Our
descriptions are accurate according to our own
evaluation. Our photographs are intended to give an
overall impression of Paxos, the accommodation we use
and our holidays/courses/activities. We are not liable for any
items of furniture or chattels, which appear in a
photograph but may have been changed or removed from a
featured villa/apartment, nor are we liable for any
aspect of the villa/apartment environment, which may
have changed since the photographs were taken. The
accommodation and facilities are provided only for the
use of clients shown on the Confirmation Invoice.
Please note that some services and facilities featured
on this website only operate in high season. At certain
times of year tavernas and shops may be closed and buses
may not be running to a full timetable. Such matters are
not within our control and we accept no liability in
respect of them. This web page was published in July
2011 and is valid for holidays/courses/activities operating
during the period between
1 September 2011
and 31 October 2012.
Special Requests
If
you have any special requests, you should make these
known at the time of booking. We will pass them on to
our holiday/course/activity suppliers, but we cannot guarantee
that they will be met.
Where accommodation is included in the price of a
holiday/course/activity, we regret that it is not possible to book a
specific room, although you may state your preference
for a double or twin room if two people are booking
together. You may also book certain higher grade rooms eg the master bedroom in Villa
Levanda, or Stephanos
Apartment at The Manor House at a supplement, in
addition to any other supplement. We will not allocate
rooms until we know the final make-up of the course when
we will, as far as possible, allocate what we consider
to be the best rooms to early bookers.
Passports, Visas and Other Documentation
You must ensure that you comply with all applicable
passport, visa and immigration requirements and that you
take all other necessary documents (including medical
declaration, driving licence, diving certification and
proof of insurance) with you on holiday. General
information concerning passport, visa and health
requirements is set out in the
Important Information
section of this website, which you should read in
conjunction with these Booking Conditions. However,
these requirements are subject to change and you are
responsible for checking all requirements before
departure. It is your responsibility to ensure that you
comply with all applicable requirements and take with
you all documents required for your holiday, including
re-entry into the country from which your journey to
Greece originated. We will not be liable for any failure
by you to discharge these responsibilities and you will
have to reimburse us for any costs we incur as a result
of such failure on your part.
Behaviour of Client
You must ensure that you do not do anything or permit to
be done anything which may cause loss, distress, injury
or offence to any other person or damage to any
property. Where accommodation is included in the cost of
your holiday/course/activity, you must use, occupy and enjoy the
accommodation with due care and in a proper manner,
without allowing the accommodation to become
unreasonably soiled. You must not remove any items,
fixtures or fittings from the accommodation or leave
them outside at any time. You will be responsible for
the cost of repairing or replacing any lost, broken or
damaged items, including lost keys (which could also
include the cost of changing the lock), and you must
report all breakages and damage to our Paxos office
before your departure. If you fail to discharge these
responsibilities, we will not be liable to you in any
way and you will be responsible for any additional costs
or expenses whatsoever that you or we may incur. If you
fail to report breakages or damage to our Paxos office,
and we do not become aware of these until after your
departure, we will seek reimbursement of the cost of
replacement/repair from you on your return home and this
will be subject to a handling charge of £20.
Our Privacy Policy
It
is our policy that personal information (ie your name,
postal address, email address, telephone number,
insurance details, medical declaration) is private and
confidential. We will therefore store the personal
information you give us in a secure location and will
only use it for the purposes for which it was provided (ie
to reply to your request, contact you with information
we feel would be of use to you, handle your booking,
respond to enquiries, to pass on to our holiday/course/activity
supplier where appropriate). We are unable to accept a
booking from you if you do not agree to us using your
personal information in this way. Under no circumstances
will we provide or sell personal information to any
third parties.
Financial peace of mind
Some
of our holidays and courses include accommodation in
addition to tuition and are
therefore classed as “packages” under the Package
Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations
1992. In order to comply with the requirements of the
Regulations, all monies paid to us in respect of any
such holiday or course will be held in a trust account until after
the completion of the holiday or course. This provides you with
financial protection, in the event of the Company’s
insolvency. Your Booking Confirmation and Confirmation
Invoice will state quite clearly whether or not the
holiday or course you have booked comes within the scope of the
Regulations.
Direct Marketing Material
From time to time we will feature special offers or new
holidays/courses/ activities in our direct marketing material.
You will be given the opportunity to opt to receive such
material when you submit an on-line enquiry form or
Booking Form. If you do choose to receive such material,
you may subsequently choose to opt out at any time.
Paxos Life Activities Ltd is a company registered in
England under company number 6738903. Our registered
office is at 5
East Park, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 6AN.
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