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Refund Policy

Refunds & Cancellations Policy

Our Terms and Conditions of service are below, listed in various categories for easy understanding: Private Tours & Safaris | Tailored Tours & Packages | General Conditions (apply to all bookings). You don’t need to worry as there is no small print and fancy Latin legalese, just the basic conditions of sale in plain English (UK).

 

Section I : Private Day Tours & Safaris

 

  • Our private day tours are operated on a 100% private basis, no need to worry about strangers joining you.
  • We will suggest recommended collection times however the final decision is up to the client.
  • Luggage & personal possessions are carried at your own risk. Chitubu Tours and Safaris accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage to luggage and personal possessions of passengers.
  • Please ensure that valuables & travel documents are kept safe at all times.
  • We recommend clients take adequate personal and cancellation insurance cover before departure from home.
  • Payment to be made in full 60 days prior to tour departure via electronic funds transfer (EFT), unless otherwise arranged.
  • Children from 0-11 years old have special rates in most cases, however on certain game drives in open safari vehicles there is a minimum age requirement of 8 years old.
  • Cash payments are to be made in South African Rands (ZAR), unless alternative arrangements have been made.
  • For last minute bookings, full payment is to be made directly to the tourist guide upon commencement of your tour, unless otherwise arranged.
  • Cancellations from 0 to 72 hours prior to tour departure: 100% cancellation fee will be charged.
  • Cancellations 3 to 30 days prior to tour departure: 50% cancellation fee will be charged, plus any additional charges levied by suppliers up to date of cancellation.
  • Cancellations 30 days or more prior to tour departure: 20% cancellation fee will be charged for costs incurred.
  • Refund due to a tour cancellation: 20% cancellation fee will be charged for costs incurred.

 

Section II: Tailored Tours and Packages

 

  • All private & custom tour package departure and arrival times are approximate, we will confirm details at time of booking.
  • Please try keep luggage allowance to 1 x medium and 1 x carry-on luggage per person, unless otherwise arranged.
  • Luggage & personal possessions are carried at your own risk. Chitubu Tours and Safaris accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage to luggage and personal possessions of passengers.
  • Please ensure that valuables & travel documents are kept safe at all times.
  • We recommend clients take adequate personal and cancellation insurance cover before departure from home.
  • A 50% non-refundable deposit is required in certain cases to secure any accommodations, supplier services, etc.
  • Payment to be made in full 60 days prior to tour departure via electronic funds transfer (EFT), unless otherwise arranged.
  • Cash payments are to be made in South African Rands (ZAR), unless alternative arrangements have been made.
  • “No Shows” will be charged 100% of the quoted tour package price.
  • Cancellations from 0 to 45 days prior to tour departure: 100% cancellation fee will be charged.
  • Cancellations 45 to 60 days prior to tour departure: 50% cancellation fee will be charged, plus any additional charges levied by suppliers up to date of cancellation.
  • Cancellations 60 days or more prior to tour departure: 20% admin fee will be charged for costs incurred.
  • Refund due to an activity cancellation: 20% cancellation fee will be charged for costs incurred.
  • All airfare reservations are arranged subject to the conditions imposed by the respective airline.
  • For tours that include services of certain suppliers with more stringent policies, e.g. SanParks, Hotel Chains, Blue Train, Rovos Rail, Private Lodges and others, different cancellation fees will be enforceable. These will be provided when applicable.
  • The non-issuing of an invoice or non-payment of deposit will not exempt travellers from these cancellation terms.

 

Section C: General Conditions (apply to all bookings)

 

  • Prices are subject to change without prior notice. Payment in approved foreign currency will be accepted at the rate of exchange applied by the bankers of Chitubu Tours and Safaris (Pty) Ltd at the time of receipt of payment. Any shortfall resulting from exchange rate fluctuations will be for the account of the passenger.
  • The client indemnifies and holds Chitubu Tours and Safaris(Pty) Ltd / their agents harmless against all claims for damage, loss and injury which any traveller may claim against Chitubu Tours and Safaris (Pty) Ltd / their agents if such claim is excluded in terms hereof.
  • Chitubu Tours and Safaris (Pty) Ltd / their agents reserves the right to use larger vehicles on its scheduled tours should the number of passengers participating increase sufficiently to warrant this.
  • We highly recommend that travellers take adequate personal and cancellation insurance cover before departure from home. • All cancellation percentages refer to the total booking value.
  • Accommodation is as specified in the itinerary and the use of the specified accommodation is subject to availability. Chitubu Tours and Safaris (Pty) Ltd / their agents reserve the right to make use of alternative accommodation should specified accommodation not be available. This will in no way affect the price of the tour. Single accommodation is in short supply but may be available at extra cost on a first come first serve basis.
  • Company Sub-contracts – Chitubu Tours and Safaris (Pty) Ltd / their agents reserves the right to sub-contract in case of an emergency, and when this right is exercised the substitute vehicle will, as far as circumstances permit, compare equally with Chitubu Tours and Safaris (Pty) Ltd / their agents vehicles. If such a vehicle is not acquired, it remains the customer’s right to obtain a vehicle to his own standard and cost. In the event of Chitubu Tours and Safaris (Pty) Ltd / their agents sub-contracting a vehicle, it is agreed that the substituted vehicle operator shall act as an independent contractor, not subject to the control of Chitubu Tours and Safaris(Pty) Ltd / their agents. It shall be decreed that the customer and the sub-contracted vehicle operator entered into a contract of hire and that the customer indemnifies Chitubu Tours and Safaris (Pty) Ltd / their agents against any claim for damage or otherwise resulting from the driving of the substituted vehicle.
  • A child of 12 years and older will be charged the full applicable adult per person rate on all services provided.
  • Children between 6 and 11 years will qualify for a 50% reduction off the applicable per adult sharing rate in most cases, should that child share its accommodation with two adults.
  • No more than one child per room sharing with two adults will be possible.
  • Children who occupy their own room will be charged the full applicable per adult sharing rate.
  • Certain camps, lodges and hotels generally refuse to accept children under 12 years old.
  • On certain game drives in open safari vehicles there is a minimum age requirement of 8 years old.

 

No Shows

 

If a Guest is not available to start your tour on time, Chitubu Tours and Safaris or the Operator will make an attempt to contact the Guests using the email address provided at the time of making the booking. If a Guest is not contactable or is thereafter not available to start a tour within 30 minutes of the scheduled start time, the Guest’s tour will be cancelled but no refund will be due to the Guest and all fees and charges will be retained as liquidated damages. Exceptions to this policy may be considered in certain circumstances but Operators will be free to exercise their discretion in this regard as they see fit.

 

Weather Conditions

 

Guests bear the sole risk of scheduled tours being affected by inclement or extreme weather conditions, such as rain, wind or extreme heat. Under no circumstances can Chitubu Tours and Safaris or any Operator or Venue be held responsible for weather conditions. No booking can be cancelled or amended by Guests at any time on the basis of weather conditions. Neither Chitubu Tours and Safaris not any Operator shall be liable for weather conditions that may affect the delivery and implementation of a planned itinerary.

 

Rescheduling

 

In some cases and subject to Operator availability, it may be possible to reschedule a tour if sufficient advance notice is given, however neither Chitubu Tours and Safaris nor an Operator shall be bound to reschedule any tour notwithstanding the amount of advance notice given. Tours are always subject to Operator availability. Please contact us if you would like to reschedule. If the Operator is unable to reschedule, the terms of this refunds and cancellation policy shall apply.

 

Management of Refund Process

 

Chitubu Tours and Safaris is authorised to manage the refund process on behalf of Guests and to recover any funds held by Operators that are due to be refunded to Guests in terms of this Policy.

 

Refunds and Exclusion of Liability continued

 

Chitubu Tours and Safaris shall not be liable for your own failure to read the booking confirmation email, whether resulting from your provision of an incorrect email address or your inability to access the Internet at any time or for any other reason. Where you apply to make a booking on behalf of any other person, you warrant that you have all necessary permission and authority to do so and to accept all of these terms and conditions on behalf of that person. You indemnify Chitubu Tours and Safaris against any claims that may be made against Chitubu Tours and Safaris by an Operator arising out of or pertaining in any way to your booking or the acts or omissions of any Guest who participates or is booked to participate in the tour booked by you.

 

Chitubu Tours and Safaris will ensure that the Operators with whom your booking is placed will agree to contract with you in terms of the above policy. Where you make payment of an advance deposit of any tour fees prior to receipt of a confirmation email, we will immediately facilitate a refund to you in full in the event that your booking application is not accepted.

 

Chitubu Tours and Safaris shall have no liability to you, nor to any person on whose behalf you act or on whose behalf you made a booking, for any claims arising out of or in relation to use or unavailability of the Chitubu Tours and Safaris website or booking and communications systems or relating to the performance or non-performance of an Operator’s services to you or any Guest or in relation to any harm, losses or damages sustained at any Venue or as a result of any acts or omissions of an Operator, including but not limited to any claims for missed flights or other events or for any damages or losses caused by any means whatsoever. Where you make a booking on behalf of another person, you indemnify Chitubu Tours and Safaris against any such claims that may be made against Chitubu Tours and Safaris by that person.

 

CHITUBU TOURS AND SAFARIS SERVICES MAY BE USED BY YOU TO REQUEST AND SCHEDULE TOURS AND ACTIVITIES WITH THIRD PARTY OPERATORS, BUT YOU AGREE THAT CHITUBU TOURS AND SAFARISHAS NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY TO YOU RELATED TO ANY SERVICES, TOURS, TRANSPORTATION, GOODS OR LOGISTICS SERVICES PROVIDED TO YOU BY THIRD PARTY OPERATORS OTHER THAN AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN THESE TERMS.

 

Should you have a dispute with any Operator that is not resolved to your satisfaction in terms of the Refunds & Cancellation Policy, we may assist in the resolution of that dispute but we shall have no obligation to do so.

 

Without derogating in any way from any other provision in these terms and conditions, you agree that Chitubu Tours and Safaris, entire liability to you, or to any Guest on whose behalf you make a booking, for any harm, losses, or damages sustained in any way in relation to a booking or tour or the actions or omissions of any Operator or Venue shall not exceed an amount equal to the amount that would be due to you or to any Guest on whose behalf you made the booking in terms of the Refunds and Cancellation Policy had that booking or tour has been canceled by you 48 hours prior to its scheduled start time.