Experience North Country

These conditions apply to all tours, experiences and packages sold by or through Experience North Country (referred in this document as “Experience North Country”, “us” or “we”. Your contract will be with:

Experience North Country, Preston House, Preston, Chathill, Northumberland, NE67 5DH.

By purchasing any tour, experience or other similar product from or through Experience North Country you are confirming that you and all members of your party accept and understand the following terms and conditions. In instances where you purchase a product not operated by Experience North Country but sold through Experience North Country you are also bound by the terms and conditions of the operator. Please do not hesitate to call for more information.

Where Experience North Country operates your chosen tour, experience of package, your contract is with Experience North Country. Your contract is with the provider of the experience, tour or package in instances where Experience North Country has acted as an agent.

Bookings and Purchases

Bookings and purchases are made either online, by email, by post or over the telephone. In most instances we will require full payment at the time of purchase. In certain instances we will only require a deposit. Where this is the case, your deposit is non refundable. Full payment would usually be required at least 8 weeks prior to the departure of a tour or date of a scheduled experience. Failure to pay in full by any final payment date given will result in the cancellation of your place and the forfeit of your deposit. A booking is regarded as confirmed once we have issued a confirmation email or invoice.

All communication and correspondence will be sent to the lead name on any specific booking.

Changes and Cancellations by You

Cancellations must be made in writing, either by post (to Experience North Country, Preston House, Chathill, Northumberland, NE67 5DH) or email (info@experiencenorthcountry.co.uk).

Cancellation charges vary according to your chosen tour, package or experience. You are bound by the terms and conditions of the experience provider in instances where Experience North Country is acting as an agent and should familiarise yourself with the relevant cancellation policy.

For Experience North Country run products only, cancellation charges are as follows:

8 weeks or more prior to departure: 25% of the total cost of the booking
6 weeks prior to departure: 50% of the total cost of the booking
4 weeks prior to departure: 75% of the total cost of the booking
Within 4 weeks: 100% of the total cost of the booking

The date when confirmation of cancellation by you is received by Experience North Country will determine the charges applicable. Depending on your circumstances and the reason for cancellation, you may be able to recover some of these cancellation fees through a travel insurance policy if you have one.

Where special requests (e.g. diet, room location, twin or double bedded rooms etc) are an important factor in the choice of package, you must advise us when the booking is made. We are happy to pass your request on to the operator, but cannot guarantee that it will be provided for. The provision of any special request does not constitute a term of your contract with us unless we have confirmed it in writing.

In instances where you have purchased a gift voucher a full refund is available, as long as your voucher is returned to us within 14 days of purchase. A refund can only be made to the purchaser. If payment was originally made by credit or debit card, the refund will be made to the same card. A refund cannot be given once a booking has been made or on vouchers that have expired.

Please note that the cost of returning your voucher for a refund will not be borne by Experience North Country and Experience North.

For tours run by Experience North Country only: If any person named on a booking is prevented from travelling as a result of illness, the death of a close relative, jury service or any other reason which we accept as significant which prevents them from travelling, we will agree to that person's booking being transferred to another person who satisfies all the conditions applicable to the tour, provided reasonable written notice (at least 21 days) is given to us of the intention to transfer the booking before the date of departure. In this case, both persons will be jointly and severally liable to us for full payment of the holiday cost (or, if part of the price has been paid, for payment of the balance) and for any additional costs arising from the transfer.

Changes and Cancellations by Us

We, and our suppliers, make every effort to avoid making changes to our advertised experiences, packages and tours. On rare occasions, due to circumstances beyond our control, it may be necessary for us to revise certain aspects of our experiences, packages and tours. We reserve the right to make changes to itineraries, events or to cancel them at any time. We will endeavour to advise you of any major changes in advance. Certain experiences are heavily weather dependent (i.e. hot air ballooning and micro-lighting) and may be rescheduled at short notice.

Changes to overnight tours only: The majority of packages that include overnight accommodation are covered by the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992. Where this is the case, if a major change takes place, we will give you the option to a) transfer to a tour of equivalent value, b) to cancel and receive a full refund or c) transfer to a tour of higher or lower value. In the case of option c) Experience North Country will refund the difference (if the tour is of a lower value) or ask for a balance to be paid (where the experience, package or tour is of a higher value).

In the highly unlikely event that an experience, package or tour is cancelled Experience North Country will offer a full refund but will not offer any additional compensatory payment.

A “major change” is deemed to be a one which has a significant effect on your tour or package. This may be a change in departure date (if applicable) or departure location. A change of accommodation does not represent a “major change”. We reserve the right to decide what constitutes a “major change”.

Experience North Country cannot be held responsible for any changes or cancellations resulting from Force Majeure or circumstances beyond our reasonable control. Examples include adverse weather conditions, vehicle breakdown, traffic conditions or any other circumstances beyond the control of Experience North Country. Experience North Country does not accept responsibility for loss of enjoyment, delays or compensation resulting from such events.

Some packages, tours and experiences require minimum numbers in order to operate. In the rare event that minimum numbers are not reached Experience North Country and their affiliates reserve the right to cancel such tours and experiences. In the event of such a cancellation you will be notified at least 4 weeks prior to departure if your tour includes overnight accommodation and all monies will be refunded to you. Please note that some third party operators, for whom Experience North Country act as an agent, may provide less than four weeks’ notice.

In the event of us cancelling or changing an experience, tour or package, Experience North Country will not be liable for the cost of additional arrangements made by you which may subsequently need to be changed. In this instance, “additional arrangements” are connecting travel, travel to your departure point, accommodation booked for use prior to, or after, the scheduled date of your experience or tour or other similar arrangements.

Our Responsibilities (overnight tours operated by Experience North Country only):

In accordance with the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992, Experience North Country is responsible for the proper performance of our obligations under the contract whether those obligations are provided directly by us or by third party service providers engaged by us and acting within the proper course of their employment.

We are liable to you for any damage caused to you by our failure to perform the contract or by our improper performance of the contract, unless that failure is:
a) attributable to you;
b) attributable to a third party;
c) due to unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control that could not have been avoided even if all due care had been taken;
d) due to an event which even with all due care Experience North Country could not foresee or forestall.

Experience North Country will not accept responsibility or liability for any passenger who contravenes any UK law or regulation.

Where Experience North Country is found liable for damages for failing to carry out the contract, except in cases involving death, injury or illness the maximum amount of such damages, for compensation and loss of enjoyment will be limited to two times the basic trip price shown on the invoice.

Any arrangements that you make independently that are not part of the holiday are done so entirely at your own risk.

If we make any payment to you or any member of your party for death, personal injury or illness, you must give us or our insurers the rights you may have to take action against the person or organisation responsible for causing the death, personal injury or illness and you must co-operate fully with us in seeking recovery of any payment we may make to you.

Where, as a result of circumstances beyond our control, we are obliged to change or end an overnight tour after departure, but before the end of your holiday, we will not pay compensation or reimburse you for expenses incurred. You should have adequate travel insurance for your holiday and claim via your insurance company for any loss or damage to luggage and/or personal possessions as well as any out-of-pocket expenses you incur as a result of the change or premature end to your experience, tour or package.

If, after departure, a significant portion of the services you have contracted for is not provided or we become aware that we will be unable to procure a significant proportion of the services to be provided:

(a) we will make suitable alternative arrangements, at no extra cost to you, for the continuation of the package and will, where appropriate, compensate you for the difference between the services to be supplied under our contract with you and those supplied; and
(b) if it is not possible to make the arrangements referred to in clause (a) above, or these arrangements are not accepted by you for good reasons, we will, where appropriate, provide you with equivalent transport back to the place of departure or to another place to which you have agreed and will, where appropriate, compensate you.

Health & Medical Conditions

If you, or any member of your party have a medical condition or disability which may affect your experience, tour or package, or your ability to undertake your experience, tour or package, we ask that you please tell us before you confirm your booking so we are able to advise as to the suitability of your chosen product. In any event, you must provide us with full details of any medical conditions or disabilities that you have at the time of booking. If we, or any company for whom we act as an agent, reasonably feel we are unable to properly accommodate the particular needs of the person concerned, or that they may affect the normal conduct of the experience, package or tour and the enjoyment of other customers, we reserve the right to decline the booking.

Certain experiences operated by third parties have specific requirements of fitness. These requirements are may include, but are not limited to, age, weight, physical condition and medical restrictions. Where restrictions are present, proof of fitness may be asked for. It is your responsibility to ensure that the end user fulfils any stipulated requirements. By “End User” we refer to you or the recipient (in instances where you are purchasing an experience, tour or package as a gift). Failure to produce proof of fitness, if required, may result in the cancellation of your place or reservation with no grounds for refund.

Your liability to us

You must comply with all Government laws and regulations. Should we, or any company for whom we act as an agent, detect any contravention of any relevant law or regulation, you may be asked to leave the tour without a refund of the tour fees you have paid.

No passenger will be permitted to take part or continue with any tour, experience or package while their mental or physical condition is, in the reasonable opinion of any representative of Experience North Country, such as to render him or her incapable of caring for himself or herself, or whereby their behaviour is causing danger to themselves or to other passengers, damage to property, or persistently affecting the enjoyment of others. We, and those companies for whom we act as an agent, reserve the right to terminate your tour, experience or package immediately and without refund in such a situation.

Documentation

Each customer is responsible for ensuring that all necessary documents and vouchers are valid and effective. We will not be liable to make any refund or pay compensation if you or any member of your party is unable to proceed with the experience, tour or package as planned because of incorrect or missing documents or vouchers.

Where you have purchased a voucher, your voucher should be surrendered to the provider of your chosen experience, tour or package on the day you choose to redeem it. In instances where you are not provided with a voucher you must print off your confirmation email and use this in the same way.

The period of validity of your voucher will be printed on your voucher. This will usually be 9 months or 12 months.

Experience North Country cannot be held responsible for postal delay or loss of documentation by any third party.

Experience Operators

As well as providing experiences and tours, Experience North Country also acts as an agent for selected operators whose products and services are represented within the Experience North Country website. Experience North Country has agreements with its operators regarding their standard of performance and, where appropriate, operators are registered with their relevant controlling or regulatory bodies. We have not, however, undertaken a detailed examination of all their equipment, facilities or systems, and shall not be responsible for the safety standards or the quality or delivery of the experience, or any loss or damage suffered by you whilst participating in the experience for which the operator shall be solely responsible.

Once a booking has been made the participant is bound by the terms and conditions of that operator. By purchasing or redeeming an Experience North Country experience, tour or package you acknowledge that the experiences are dependent on certain factors beyond the control of Experience North Country and agree that Experience North Country is not liable for the cancellation, postponement or alteration of any experience for reasons beyond reasonable control (including but not limited to weather-related reasons, mechanical failure, location changes or otherwise).

Complaints

In the unlikely event of any dissatisfaction with the services provided by us, or companies for whom we have acted as an agent, you must report it at the earliest opportunity to your host or a representative of Experience North Country who will be able to take appropriate action. Failure to notify us, or any company for whom we have acted as an agent, of any problem immediately or at the earliest opportunity, may result in your case being reduced.

We pride ourselves on our customer service and our product range. If you feel we could be doing something better, please bring it to our attention

Data Protection and Privacy Policy

Information about you (and other members of your party where applicable) is collected by us when you join our mailing list or make a booking with us.

In order to make your booking and ensure that your arrangements run smoothly, we may need to pass your information on to third party suppliers. We will only pass your information on to persons responsible for your arrangements. In making a purchase, you consent to your information (and that of your party where applicable) being passed on to the relevant parties.

You are responsible for ensuring that other members of your party (if applicable) are aware of our booking terms and conditions and this privacy policy, and that they consent to you acting on their behalf in your dealings with us. We have measures in place to protect the personal booking information held by us.

Any likeness or image of you taken on any of our packages or experiences may be used without charge in all media for promotional or marketing purposes, including brochures, slides, video shows and on www.experiencenorthcountry.co.uk.

Online payments are processed by Paypal who securely process all financial information on their own servers. We do not keep credit card information on file.

Insurance

Experience North Country carry full liability insurance, as do all experience providers with whom we work. Where your booking falls under the scope of the Package Holiday Regulations, your booking is insured by IPP Ltd and its panel of insurers.

Your financial security

The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 require us to provide security for the monies that you pay for the package holidays booked from our quotations in the event of our insolvency. All relevant contracts with Experience North Country are protected by a policy of insurance arranged by us with International Passenger Protection.

In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the insurer under this policy will indemnify consumers against the loss of any money paid over by them under or in contemplation of contracts for Experience North Country tours and experiences and will arrange for any necessary repatriation of our customers.

In accordance with "The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations1992" all passengers booking with Experience North Country are fully protected for the initial deposit and subsequently the balance of all monies paid to us, including repatriation if required, arising from cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Experience North Country

There is no requirement for Financial Protection of day trips, and none is provided. This insurance is only valid for packages booked that DO NOT include flights.

Consumer aware: Your booking is insured by IPP Ltd and its panel of insurers. - This insurance is only valid for passengers who book and pay directly with/to Experience North Country. If you have booked and/ or paid direct to a Travel Agent for a holiday with Experience North Country please request proof of how the booking is secured as this will not be covered by IPP Ltd in this instance. For further information please go to www.ipplondon.co.uk

This Insurance has been arranged by International Passenger Protection Limited and underwritten by Insurers who are members of the Association of British Insurers & Lloyds Syndicates.