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Booking Conditions

CONTRACT

These Booking Conditions, together with our privacy policy and any other written information we brought to your attention before we confirmed your booking, apply to your booking with Story Unheard Ltd, a company registered in the UK under company number 10778407, whose registered office address is at 90 Prince of Wales Drive, London, SW11 4HP trading as “Story Unheard” (“we” or “us”). Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations. In these Booking Conditions references to "you" and "your" include the first named person on the booking and all persons on whose behalf a booking is made or any other person to whom a booking is added or transferred. 

We act in the following capacities:

       i.         ITINERARY

Story Unheard curates personalised itineraries that recommend the top accommodations, activities, food and drink locales, and excursions (“Itinerary”) in destinations worldwide.

     ii.         ARRANGEMENTS

Story Unheard acts as a booking agent for any bookings made on your behalf with third party supplier(s) recommended in the itinerary (“Arrangements”)  i.e. accommodation(s), activities, tours, trips, restaurant reservations, transfers, or other services.

Our obligations to you may vary depending upon which arrangements you book with us. These terms and conditions set out the basis on which we curate your Itinerary and arrange your Experiences/Services.

       i.         ITINERARY

When you make a booking for “Itinerary” – information only – you are entering into a contract with Story Unheard.

     ii.         ARRANGEMENTS

When you make a booking for “Arrangements”, you are entering into a contract with the third party suppliers that provide those particular experiences/services (referred to from now on as the "Supplier(s)") via Story Unheard, not with Story Unheard itself.

As an agent we accept no responsibility for the acts or omissions of Suppliers or for the services provided by Suppliers with whom you have a contract. The Supplier’s terms & conditions will apply to your booking and we advise you to read these carefully as they include important information about your booking. Please ask us for copies of these if you do not have them.

All Arrangements sold through us are not offers by us to sell the Arrangements, but an invitation to you to make an offer to the Suppliers of the Arrangements. We are free to accept that offer on behalf of those Suppliers or to reject it. All arrangements featured or referred to are at all times prior to specific confirmation subject to availability and no warranties, promises or representations are given as to availability.

PRICES

We reserve the right to correct any errors or revise prices at any time before issuing the confirmation invoice. You will be advised of the current rate before your booking is confirmed.

       i.         ITINERARY & BOOKING SERVICE

Prices displayed throughout the website for the itineraries and bookings service fee are the confirmed rates. Prices quoted are GBP sterling based on daily currency exchange rates current at the time of quotation.

     ii.         ARRANGEMENTS

Any rates shown during the initial enquiry process (i.e. before a Supplier has replied with a quote for a specific stay, activity or service) are intended as a best possible guide, but do not constitute a firm offer or a guarantee of rates.

Quotes provided by the Supplier will be made in the Supplier’s own currency. Any prices shown in currencies other than the Supplier’s own currency are approximate, and are based on conversion rates supplied by XE.com. Conversion rates used by us are believed to be accurate, but we do not certify such accuracy.

The outstanding balance owed to the Supplier, as well as any additional charges that may be incurred during your trip will be settled by you directly with the Supplier in its local currency which may be subject to exchange rate fluctuations (depending on the date charged) and charges from your bank or card issuer for which we have no liability.

We endeavor to ensure that any taxes listed are correct, we accept no responsibility if taxes shown (whether included in quoted prices or excluded from quoted prices) are incorrect, or if they change between the point of enquiry and the point of booking confirmation, or between confirming a booking and the date of the trip, or at any other time. Taxes will always be due at the rate in force at the moment of making any applicable payment.

PAYMENT

Kindly note, all payments taken on debit or credit card and PayPal will be taken in GBP sterling. If your card is not denominated in GBP, the final price will be calculated in accordance with the appropriate exchange rate on the day your card issues processes the transaction.

Where payment is made by credit card, we reserve the right to charge you a transaction charge of 2% (2.25% for AmEx) when your deposit and balance payments are made. To avoid this we can accept payment in GBP, EUR, and USD by bank transfer.

Payment must be made in the currency of the invoice and you will be responsible for any bank charges that may be incurred. Payment can be made by bank transfer, debit or credit card, and PayPal. In all cases, a booking will not be confirmed until we are in receipt of cleared funds.

       i.         ITINERARY & BOOKING SERVICE

When you make your itinerary booking, you will be required to make full payment at the time of booking, before receiving the itinerary. Your booking will not be confirmed until we are in receipt of cleared funds. When you make your booking for us to handle your Arrangements, you will be required to make full payment before any bookings take place.  

     ii.         ARRANGEMENTS

Your reservation will become confirmed once you have sent an on-line confirmation, provided your credit card details, paid any required deposits or provided a guarantee by way of credit card pre-authorisation and when the Supplier or Story Unheard acknowledges receipt of your deposit or guarantee and confirms your booking.

You must pay the full balance by the balance due date notified to you. If full payment is not received by the balance due date, we reserve the right not to issue travel documentation and treat your booking as cancelled. We will notify the supplier who may cancel your booking and charge the cancellation fees outlined in their terms and conditions. Except where otherwise advised or stated in the booking conditions of the supplier concerned, all monies you pay to us for arrangements will be held on behalf of the Supplier(s) concerned.

Any other amounts owed by you, other than any cancellation fees collected by us on behalf of any Supplier, will be charged directly to you by the Supplier concerned. As such, we accept no liability in relation to any contract you enter into or for any Arrangements you purchase or for the acts or omissions of any Suppliers or other persons or parties connected with any Arrangements. By accepting these terms and conditions you agree that the Supplier, or us on the Supplier's behalf, can charge your credit card with applicable deposits or take a guarantee by way of credit card pre-authorisation and that any applicable cancellation charges can be charged to the credit card details provided. Please be aware that your booking may not be secured if you fail to pay the required amounts when they are due.

In most cases we will charge an initial non-refundable deposit on behalf of the Supplier. These deposits are charged in sterling. If the deposits are quoted in another currency, they will be charged at the equivalent sterling amount using the current daily market conversion rate as showing on XE.com. Conversion rates used by us are believed to be accurate, but we do not warrant or guarantee such accuracy, and actual rates may vary. Where deposits are charged directly by Suppliers their own conversion rates will apply. Please be aware that if you are making payment from a non-sterling bank account you may be subject to additional charges from your bank.

NO RIGHT OF WITHDRAWAL

When purchasing Travel on Impulse available for immediate receipt, you confirm by clicking on the ‘Book Now’ button that you agree the itinerary available for immediate download cannot be returned and you agree that your rights under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 to cancel the order within 14 days, (the “Cooling Off Period”) shall not apply. If you do not wish to waive your rights under these Regulations in respect of an Itinerary available for immediate download then we regret that we are unable to delay such download until the 14 day Cooling Off Period has expired and you should not proceed with the purchase.

YOUR BOOKING

For all bookings, by making a booking, the first named person on the booking agrees on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking that:

·      Has read these terms and conditions and has the authority to and does agree to be bound by them;

·      Is over 18 years of age and where placing an order for services with age restrictions declares that he/she and all members of the party are of the appropriate age to purchase those services;

·      Accepts responsibility for payment of the arrangements on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking;

·      Agrees to our use of information in accordance with our Privacy Policy

       i.         ITINERARY & BOOKING SERVICE

The sale and purchase of the Itinerary & Booking Service will be governed by a contract between you and us formed when you have placed an order, your order has been accepted by us and we have sent you Confirmation of this. 

We reserve the right to change these Terms at our discretion. We agree to ensure that a note of the date of any such changes will be included as part of these Terms. Any changes will be posted to the Website and it is your responsibility to ensure, from time to time, that you are aware of any such changes. Changes will become effective 24 hours after first posting and you will be deemed to have accepted any change if you continue to book after that time.

You acknowledge and agree that, in entering into a Contract, you do not rely on and have no remedy in respect of, any statement, representation, warranty or understanding (whether negligently or innocently made) of any person (whether party to the Contract or not) which is not expressly set out or referred to in the Contract. This is not intended to limit or exclude liability for fraud on our part.

You acknowledge that all information and specifications relating to the Itinerary and any material produced by us are approximate only. We may correct any error in any unconfirmed order or other document or information issued by us or placed on this Website without any liability. We may make any changes in the specification of the Itinerary to conform with any applicable safety or other statutory or European Union requirements which do not materially affect their quality or performance.

We cannot guarantee availability of the recommendations included in the itinerary. By booking with us you agree that you are buying the information only and that it is not a confirmation of any of the recommendations listed within it.

If you have opted for our booking service you have within 72 hours to get back to us with your selection. Any longer than that time, then the booking becomes inactive and your payment will be lost. By booking with us you agree you have read this on the website and in the shared documents.

We do not accept liability for any loss or damage or other sum or claim of any nature whatsoever (direct, indirect, consequential or other) which arises, directly or indirectly, in connection with us including, for the avoidance of doubt and not by way of limitation, any use of any information or material contained in this website or shared in any documents or any inability to access or use this website.

However, in the event that we are found liable to you on any basis whatsoever, our maximum liability to you is limited to 15% of the total itinerary cost and/or booking fee. All exclusions of liability apply only to the extent permitted by law.

     ii.         ARRANGEMENTS

All bookings for Arrangements are subject to the booking conditions of the Supplier. You are responsible for reading the Supplier's booking conditions.

Where Suppliers provide trip itineraries, any services provided will be subject to the terms and conditions of these Suppliers or other service providers and will be governed by the laws of the country in which they operate. For example where tours, trips, transfers, accommodation and other services are provided by Suppliers, where applicable, as part of the Accommodation, these trips are subject to their own terms and conditions and the laws of the country in which they operate and all details relating to applicable terms and conditions should be verified with the relevant Suppliers.

We do not accept responsibility for your direct dealings with the Suppliers (or any other service providers they may use), or the provision of their services once the introduction has been made. All Suppliers featured are themselves responsible for providing you with the final quote and the terms and conditions of your booking. Our responsibilities are limited to making the booking, in line with your instructions. We do not accept responsibility for any information about the Arrangements that we pass onto you in good faith.

We are an agent of each of the Supplier to the extent that we may charge a non-refundable deposit or recover cancellation charges on behalf of a Supplier, in accordance with the Supplier's terms and conditions. Otherwise, we are an independent contractor and nothing on this website or in our documents shared shall be construed to imply that there is any relationship between us and any of the Suppliers whose accommodation or services are contained or referred to on this website and the shared documents.

We do not accept liability for any loss or damage or other sum or claim of any nature whatsoever (direct, indirect, consequential or other) which arises, directly or indirectly, in connection with us including, for the avoidance of doubt and not by way of limitation, any use of any information or material contained in this website or shared in any documents or any inability to access or use this website.

CHANGES OR CANCELLATION BY YOU

You, or any member of your party, may cancel your travel arrangements at any time. The cancellation will take effect from the date that we receive written notification of cancellation from you. We will accept notification of cancellation by email, on the understanding that you agree and accept that where you are shown as the sender of the email, we will be entitled to assume that such email has been sent by you.

Where you, as the lead and contracting member of your party, are unable to travel, and your place is taken by another person, that person will assume the role of lead and contracting member of the party, unless you notify us to the contrary. If you and/or any member of your party are considering altering your booking in any way, please contact our staff, who will notify you of the applicable charges.

In addition to amendment and cancellation charges that we apply, you will be responsible for any increased charges arising from changes to accommodation arrangements and/or room occupancy levels that you wish to make. Booking cancellations may incur cancellation charges depending on how much notice you give us prior to the departure date.

       i.         ITINERARY

Amendments

For trips that will be taken in 3-4 weeks of receiving the itinerary, we allow changes to be made to the Itinerary within 72 hours of receiving the itinerary. For trips that will be taken over a month’s time, we allow changes up to 120 hours from receiving the itinerary to get back to us. By booking with us you acknowledge these terms outlined on the website and shared documents. If you do not get back to us before then with any comments then you’re itinerary becomes inactive and we will not be able to make any amendments to the itinerary. If you need to amend a confirmed itinerary booking after the designated time period, amendment charges will be payable to us. The amount of such charges will be 50% of the itinerary cost.

Cancellation

For cancellations of the Itinerary before receiving the proposed itinerary, you will receive 75% refund. If you cancel a confirmed itinerary booking after receiving it, cancellation charges will be payable to us. The amount of such charges will be 50% of the itinerary cost.

     ii.         BOOKING SERVICE

Amendments

Once you have paid for the booking service we allow 72 hours (for trips that will be taken in 2-4 weeks time) to get back to us with confirmation on what you would like to be booked. For trips that will be taken over a month’s time, we allow changes up to 120 hours to get back to us. By booking with us you acknowledge these terms outlined on the website and shared documents. If you do not get back to us before then with any comments then you’re booking service becomes inactive and we will not be able to make any bookings. If you need to amend any bookings after the designated time period, amendment charges will be payable to us. The amount of such charges will be 50% of the booking service cost.

Cancellation

For cancellations of the booking service before any activity has taken place, you will receive a full refund. If activity has taken place, then you will receive a 75% refund. If you need to cancel a confirmed booking after the designated time period, cancellation charges will be payable to us. The amount of such charges will usually vary according to the period of notice given, however minimum will be 50% of the booking service cost.

    iii.         ARRANGEMENTS

Amendments

If you need to amend a confirmed itinerary booking, cancellation/amendment charges may be payable to the Supplier. The amount of such charges will depend on the Supplier's cancellation policy and usually varies according to the period of notice given.

If after our booking confirmation has been issued, you wish to change your travel arrangements in any way, we will do our best to assist you in amending your arrangements after booking, but cannot guarantee that this will be possible. Any request for changes must be sent via email from the person who made the booking. You will be asked to pay an administration charge of £50 and any further costs we incur in making those alterations.

In all cases, where cancellation results in us making a refund payment to you, such payment will be made to you as the lead and contracting member of your party, or any substitute lead and contracting member of the party (see above). This will be the case regardless of which members of the party make the deposit and balance payments for the booking.

CHANGES OR CANCELLATION BY US / SUPPLIER

       i.         ITINERARY & BOOKING SERVICE

In the unlikely event that Story Unheard needs to cancel an itinerary booking or booking service, we will provide a full refund. Whilst we hope we will never have to cancel your trip, this is very occasionally necessary and we reserve the right to do so. We will do our best to offer alternative arrangements, or will give you a full and prompt refund.

     ii.         ARRANGEMENTS

If you need to cancel or amend a confirmed booking, cancellation/amendment charges may be payable to the Supplier. The amount of such charges will depend on the Supplier's cancellation policy and usually varies according to the period of notice given. In the unlikely event that a Supplier needs to cancel or amend a booking it may be able to offer an alternative or provide a refund, depending on its cancellation policy.

TRAVEL DELAYS

There are occasions when travel delays do occur. We are not liable for this. Your right to a refund and/or compensation is set out in the Supplier’s terms and conditions.

FORCE MAJEURE

Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions we will not be liable or pay you compensation if our contractual obligations to you are affected by any event which we or the Supplier(s) could not foresee or avoid. These events can include, but are not limited to war, threat of war, civil strife terrorist activity and its consequences or the threat of such activity, riot, the act of any government or other national or local authority including port or river authorities, industrial dispute, lock closure, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, chemical or biological disaster and adverse weather, sea, ice and river conditions and all similar events outside our or the Supplier’s control. Advice from the Foreign Office to avoid or leave a particular country may constitute Force Majeure.

COMPLAINTS

       i.         ITINERARY & BOOKINGS SERVICE

If you have a complaint or issues with your itinerary or the bookings service, please inform one of the team immediately who will endeavor to rectify the situation.

     ii.         ARRANGEMENTS

Since the contract for your Arrangements is between you and the Supplier, any queries or concerns should be addressed to them. If you have a complaint or issue during your trip, this must be reported to them immediately. Failure to follow this procedure will mean less opportunity for the Supplier to investigate and rectify your complaint, which may affect the amount of compensation you may be entitled to. Any complaints made on your return home should be addressed to the Supplier.

If your complaint is not resolved locally, please email us at info@storyunheard.com with your booking reference and any other information you can share. If you fail to follow this procedure, we will have been deprived of the opportunity to investigate and rectify your complaint at the time the problem occurred and this may affect your rights under this contract.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

INSURANCE

It is essential to take out personal travel insurance, at the time of booking, for all members of your party. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance you purchase is adequate and appropriate for your particular needs. We will not be responsible for any costs incurred by you or any member of your party before, during or after your trip as a consequence of inappropriate or insufficient travel insurance being purchased. ABTA can provide you with independent advice regarding travel insurance https://abta.com/tips-and-latest/abta-campaigns/travel-insurance-campaign 

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS, VISAS & HEALTH REQUIREMENTS

It is your responsibility to ensure in advance that you and your party will obtain valid visas/travel documents (if necessary) and comply with all local health and custom requirements applicable to the destination visited. Most countries now require passports to be valid for at least 6 months after your return.  We will not accept liability if you or any member of your party is refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your/their part to carry correct documentation or to comply with relevant health requirements. Travel to certain destinations may involve greater risk than others and we recommend that you check the latest advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office before you travel. By offering travel to particular destinations we are not certifying that travel to those destinations is without risk. You are responsible for ensuring that your booking is suitable for you and any member of your party. If you are in any doubt of an Accommodation or Tailormade Tour we recommend that you make your own further enquiries to confirm suitability.

DISABILITY

We are not a specialist disabled holiday company, but we will do our utmost to cater for any special requirements you may have. If you or any member of your party has a disability, it is vital you contact our offices prior to making any booking to ensure compatibility for the trip that you choose.

CHILDREN

Parents are responsible for ensuring children are supervised, and should be careful not to book any excursion or activity that could prevent a risk to their children.

YOUR BEHAVIOUR

All guests booking with us are expected to conduct themselves in an orderly and acceptable manner and not to disrupt the enjoyment of other guests. If in our opinion or in the opinion of any Supplier manager or any other person in authority, your behaviour or that of any member of your party is causing or is likely to cause distress, danger or annoyance to any other guests or any third party or damage to property, or to cause a delay or diversion to transportation, we reserve the right to terminate your booking arrangements with us immediately. In the event of such termination our liability to you and/or your party will cease and you and/or your party will be required to leave your accommodation or other service immediately. We will have no further obligations to you and/or your party. No refunds for lost accommodation or any other service will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of termination. You and/or your party may also be required to pay for loss and/or damage caused by your actions and we will hold you and each member of your party jointly and individually liable for any damage or losses caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or losses must be paid directly to the supplier prior to departure. If you fail to make payment, you will be responsible for meeting any claims (including legal costs) subsequently made against us as a result of your actions together with all costs we incur in pursuing any claim against you. We cannot be held responsible for the actions or behaviour of other guests or individuals who have no connection with your booking arrangements or with us.

SPECIAL REQUESTS

Please let us know at the time of booking if you have any special requests (such as dietary requirements, cots or room location). We will pass on all requests to the supplier, but we can't guarantee compliance and we are not liable to you if they are not.

FINANCIAL PROTECTION

Arrangements such as hotels, transfers on their own may not be ATOL protected and you should ask us what protection is available.

ACCURACY

We reserve the right to make changes to the website and any information shared at any time. Whilst we make every effort to ensure that the information on our website and shared documents is accurate, it may be subject to change and we cannot be held responsible for any errors, omissions or changes that may have occurred. All recommendations, opinions expressed and prices regarding properties, activities, restaurants and/or destinations displayed are provided for guidance only. Services and facilities can be withdrawn at short notice and we do not accept any liability for the descriptions given. Our reviews have been written in good faith and are subjective; individual opinions may differ. All maps in our shared documents are intended as a guide to location, not an exact pinpoint, and no guarantee is made that the positioning is accurate. Any directions provided by us are provided in good faith but we accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions. We endeavour to ensure that all the information and prices shared on our website and in our documents are accurate; however sometimes changes and errors occur and we reserve the right to correct prices and other details in such circumstances. You must check the current price and all other details relating to the arrangements that you wish to book before your booking is confirmed. Please note that special offers may be withdrawn without any notice.

RATINGS AND STANDARDS

All ratings are as provided by the relevant supplier and these may differ from the official ratings. These are intended to give a guide to the services and facilities you should expect from your accommodation. Standards and ratings may vary between countries, as well as between suppliers. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of any ratings given.

DATA PROTECTION AND PRIVACY

The booking information that you provide to us will be passed on only to the relevant Supplier or other persons necessary for your Arrangements. The information may therefore be provided to public authorities such as customs or immigration authorities if required by them, or as required by law. Certain information may also be passed on to security or credit checking companies for the purposes of processing your booking. If we cannot pass this information on as above, we will be unable to provide your booking. In making this booking, you consent to this information being passed on to the relevant persons. Please see our data protection and privacy policy for further information.

DOCUMENTATION

We will send your tickets, vouchers and final documents for your trip by e-mail or post around two weeks before your departure. We will not be responsible for the loss of documents once they leave our offices unless it’s a result of our negligence. If tickets or other documents need to be reissued all costs will be paid by you.

JURISDICTION

This contract is governed by English Law and we both agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the English Courts at all times. You may however, choose the law and jurisdiction of Scotland or Northern Ireland if you wish to do so.


CONTACT US

Please contact us by email at info@storyunheard.com or by telephone on +44 74 0151 0141. Opening hours (UK GMT) are Monday – Friday 9:00 – 19:00.

This policy was last revised on 7th July, 2017