OUR TERMS & CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS

1. THE CONTRACT

The following booking conditions form the basis of your contract with OTP Travel Services Ltd T/A Africa Collection (in accordance with Irish Law) whose registered office is Unit 6, First Floor, Clonbealy Business Centre, Newport, Co. Tipperary V94 C5R3 and the contract will be effective once we have issued a confirmation/invoice for a confirmed booking. No verbal discussions can override or vary these Booking Conditions unless we confirm them in writing.

2. YOUR FINANCIAL PROTECTION

Holidays with flights: The air holidays and flights in our brochure and on our website are protected, since we hold a Tour Operators licence (0260) with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA). For further information, visit the IAA website at www.iaa.ie.

We protect all payments made to Africa Collection via our membership of the IAA (0260), in respect of the travel arrangements offered by Africa Collection and to cater where necessary for a refund of such monies and/or your repatriation to Ireland in the unlikely event of our financial failure.

3. PAYMENT

For bookings made 8 weeks or more before the first service being provided a deposit of 25% of the total booking value is required. The balance of the payment is due no later than 8 weeks prior to the first service being provided. Failure to pay the balance by the date shown on your confirmation/invoice may result in your booking being cancelled, with cancellation charges applying. For bookings made within 8 weeks of the first service being provided, full payment is due at the time of booking. Please note that we do not accept American Express cards. Cheques must be made payable to Africa Collection. We are not responsible for postal delays.

Please Note: In some instances airlines require full payment of the airfare at the time of booking & charge 100% of the airfare in the event of cancellation, and other service providers sometimes require larger than usual deposits (e.g. over peak periods) – you will be advised of such conditions at the time of booking. When a part payment equal to more than 25% is made prior to 8 weeks before the first service being provided, that part payment is deemed to then form the deposit for the purposes of section 5. CANCELLATION BY YOU.

4. PRICE

Prices are based upon the prevailing rates and conditions at the time of booking. We reserve the right to change our prices. Rates are subject to surcharges on government action, fuel and currency. We are obliged to absorb 2% of any surcharge. Should the price increase by more than 10% you will be entitled to cancel with a full refund of any money paid, provided you have advised Africa Collection within 14 days of the date of the revised confirmation / invoice. The above conditions require financial commitment on our part therefore we regret, that in the event of the euro strengthening in value since the issue of our confirmation / invoice, no reductions will apply.

5. CANCELLATION BY YOU

The date of cancellation will be deemed to be the date we receive the written instructions of the cancellation. You will be liable for cancellation charges in accordance with the following scale, based on the number of days prior to the first service we have booked for you, of the date of cancellation:-
Less than 15 days prior – 100% of total holiday cost
28-15 days prior – 90% of total holiday cost
41-29 days prior – 70% of total holiday cost
55-42 days prior – 50% of total holiday cost
56 days or more prior – loss of deposit

Any variations or changes to these conditions are at the discretion of each service provider. If the reason for your cancellation is covered by your insurance policy you should be able to make a claim and recover your cancellation fee. If you cancel a portion of your arrangements you will be charged the cancellation fee on the portion cancelled.

6. AMENDMENTS BY YOU

Any amendments made after the confirmation / invoice has been issued, but before the full balance has been paid will be charged at €30.00 per amendment, in addition to any fees levied by the individual service provider concerned. Any amendments made after the full balance has been settled (or is due to be settled) may be adjudged to be a cancellation and rebooking, and therefore potentially subject to the cancellation conditions shown in section 5. CANCELLATION BY YOU of these booking conditions. No credit or refund is available for any unused services once the arrangements have commenced.

7. AMENDMENTS BY US

We reserve the right to make changes to your travel arrangements at any time, as may be occasionally necessary. If the change is material or significant we will notify you as soon as is possible with your choice of alternative arrangements. Air transportation is by scheduled services. We reserve the right to substitute alternative airlines or aircraft types. Such alterations do not constitute a significant change to your travel arrangements and you will not therefore be entitled to cancel or change your travel arrangements, as a result.

8. OUR LIABILITY TO YOU

If the contract we have with you is not performed or is improperly performed by us or our suppliers we will take the appropriate measures. However we will not be liable where any failure in the performance of the contract is due to: you; or a third party unconnected with the provision of the travel arrangements and where the failure is unforeseeable or unavoidable. Our liability, except in cases of death, bodily injury or illness, shall be limited to a maximum of 1.5 times the cost of your travel arrangements. Any such claims must be notified in writing within 60 days and it is a condition that you give Africa Collection and our insurers your full co-operation, as well as assigning your rights to pursue any third party.

9. FORCE MAJEURE

Africa Collection shall not be liable for any failure to perform the contract which is due to circumstances beyond the control of Africa Collection or our suppliers, including but not limited to; war; riot; industrial dispute; terrorist activity; natural & nuclear disaster; fire; adverse weather conditions; epidemics & pandemics; technical problems with transport; closure or congestion of airports, ports or roads.

10. COMPLAINTS & ARBITRATION

Problems or dissatisfaction should be brought to the attention of the establishment or service provider manager in the first instance. If you wish to follow up with Africa Collection, please do so within 21 days of your return to Ireland. We are a member of the Irish Aviation Authority and the Irish Travel Agents Association. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by both their Codes of Conduct.

11. BOOKINGS MADE THROUGH A TRAVEL AGENT

If you book through an agent, any money that the agent accepts from you is held by that agent on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Irish Aviation Authority at all times but subject to the agent’s obligation to pay this to us for so long as we do not fail.

12. PASSPORT, VISA & IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS

Your specific passport and visa requirements are your responsibility. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel because you have not complied with any passport, visa or immigration requirements.

13. TRAVEL INSURANCE

We strongly advise that you have adequate insurance cover in place at the time of making your booking. Your insurance should include cover for cancellation or curtailment of your holiday as well as the cost of repatriation in the event of death, accident, injury or illness.

14. BROCHURE &/OR WEBSITE ACCURACY & IMAGES

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in our brochure and on our website is accurate, and that the images use reflect the current appearance of the hotel and its surroundings. E&OE.