New Trading Charter

Why should I read this page?

Because it is very important. Our Trading Charter forms a key part of our agreement with you and forms the basis of a legally binding contract between you as the lead name making the booking, anyone else in your party and us.

When you make this booking as the lead name you undertake that you have the authority to accept, and do accept, on behalf of your party the terms of these booking conditions. This contract is made subject to the terms of these booking conditions, which are governed by English Law, and the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.

These contract terms and financial guarantees will not apply to any holiday involving any type of flight. Instead, you will be supplied with the full booking conditions of the ATOL holder arranging your holiday. Your booking agent will have a copy or alternatively you can request one prior to booking your holiday.

How and when do I make this contract with you?

We welcome you making contact with us in a number of ways. You can phone us, e mail or visit our premises at Ingleton Industrial Estate, Ingleton, Carnforth, Lancs, LA6 3NU. TEL: 015242 41330. Whichever way you contact us the contract is made when your booking is entered on to our reservation system and we issue a confirmation of booking. We will send you the confirmation of your booking within seven working days. Please check this confirmation very carefully to ensure all the information is correct and tell us immediately of any errors.

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How is my holiday money protected?

We subscribe to the Code of Conduct of the Bonded Coach Holidays Group (“BCHG”) of the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK.

BCHG requires a bond to be taken out to provide protection for your holiday money in the unlikely event that a Member cannot, for financial reasons, carry out their obligations to their passengers.

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BCHG Consumer Guarantee

The Bonded Coach Holiday Group guarantees to bona fide customers that in the event of failure of a bona fide Member, it will:

(1) wherever possible, arrange for a holiday or tour to be completed;
(2) where failure occurs after a holiday has begun, arrange for customers to be returned by an appropriate means of transport to their UK area of departure;
(3) if the holiday or tour cannot be completed as planned, the reimbursement of payments made by the customer to the BCHG Member.

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When do I need to pay for my holiday and how much?

At the time of booking you will need to pay a deposit for each person named on the booking. Payments can be made by cash or cheque (payable to Bibbys of Ingleton Ltd) or you can pay by Mastercard/Visa. The balance must be paid by the date stated on your booking confirmation form.

If you book within our balance due period you will need to pay the total holiday cost at the time of your booking.

Deposits required:
UK – 2-3 day £20.00 pp | 4-5 day £30.00 pp | 6-8 day £60.00 pp
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND & EUROPE – £80.00 pp

THE DEPOSIT IS NON REFUNDABLE

The final payment should be paid by the date stated on your booking confirmation form, if the balance is not paid on time we reserve the right to cancel your holiday and retain your deposit.

A REMINDER WILL ONLY BE SENT IF THE BALANCE IS NOT PAID BY THE DUE DATE.

Your balance is due 6 or 8 weeks prior to departure, the balance due date will be on your booking confirmation.

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Can you change the price of my holiday after you have issued the booking confirmation?

Yes we can, but only in very limited circumstances. The price of your holiday can be varied due to changes in:
(1) Transportation costs such as fuel and/or fuel tax, ferry operator fares and tolls, embarkation or disembarkation fees at terminals;
(2) Exchange rates applied to the particular holiday booked; or
(3) Dues and taxes including changes in VAT or any other Government imposed changes.

In the case of any small variation, an amount equivalent to 2% of the price of your holiday, which excludes any amendment charges, will be absorbed or retained. For larger variations, this 2% will still be absorbed for increases, but not retained from refunds. If this means that you have to pay an increase of more than 10% of the price of your holiday, you may cancel it and receive a full refund of all monies paid, except for any amendment charges. Should you decide to cancel for this reason, you must exercise your right to do so within 14 days from the issue date printed on your final invoice. Alternatively, you can accept an offer of an alternative comparable holiday of equivalent or superior quality, if available, or an alternative holiday of lower quality, if available. You may then transfer payment made in respect of the original holiday to the alternative holiday. If the cost of the alternative holiday is less than the original holiday, the difference in price will be refunded. Please note that travel arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your holiday due to contractual and other protection in place. In addition to sterling we use the following currencies in calculating our holiday prices. Below are the equivalent exchange rates to £1 sterling from the Financial Times dated 20 June 2011. Euro 1.13.

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Air Holidays

If your holiday involves travel by air, your contract will be with the ATOL holder named on the individual brochure page. You will be supplied with the full booking conditions of the ATOL holder arranging your holiday. You can request one prior to booking your holiday.

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Can I change my holiday arrangements?

If, after a confirmation of booking has been issued, you wish to change your holiday to another destination we will do our utmost to make the changes and you will be asked to pay an administration charge of £15.00 per booking, plus any further costs we incur in making this alteration. You should be aware that these costs could increase the closer to the departure date that changes are made, in particular once your balance becomes due. Please note, if you want to transfer to a different holiday you must cancel & transfer at the same time, you cannot cancel your booking and transfer the deposit at a later date. It is not possible to transfer any holidays to the following year or to subsequent brochures. If you wish to make a significant alteration after you have paid the balance (eg; change of departure date or destination) this will be treated as a cancellation and will be subject to our cancellation charges.

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Can I transfer my booking to someone else?

You can transfer your booking to someone else provided you give us reasonable notice. This person must be able to satisfy all the conditions for the holiday. You will remain responsible for ensuring that the holiday is paid for by the balance due date.

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How can I cancel my holiday?

You, or any member of your party, may cancel at any time provided that the cancellation is communicated to us in writing. You will have to pay cancellation charges set out in the scale below to cover our estimated loss resulting from the cancellation. If you are insured against cancellation you may be able to recover the charges from your insurers. Your cancellation will take effect from the date when we receive your written confirmation of your cancellation. You must also return any tickets or vouchers that you have received. A reduction in room occupancy may increase the charges for the remaining passengers by the application of supplements for low occupancy of rooms.

If the client cancels more than 56 days prior to departure THE DEPOSIT IS FORFEITED.

If the client cancels less than 56 days prior to departure the following scale of charges apply:

  • 56/43 days = 25% cancellation charge
  • 42/29 days = 35% cancellation charge
  • 28/15 days = 50% cancellation charge
  • 14/07 days = 65% cancellation charge
  • Under 7 days = 100% cancellation charge

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What happens if you change my holiday?

The arrangements for your holiday will usually have been made many months in advance. Sometimes changes are unavoidable and we reserve the right to make them. Most of these changes are likely to be minor and we will do our best to keep you informed.

If, after booking and before departure, we make a significant change to your holiday you will have the option of withdrawing from the holiday without penalty or alternatively you may transfer to another holiday without paying an administration fee.

A significant change includes location of resort or quality of hotel, (excluding single overnight hotels on touring holidays where the quality of the hotel is comparable).

It is necessary for there to be a minimum number of passengers in order to operate a tour. In certain circumstances therefore, we may have to cancel your holiday. If this should occur we will return to you all money you have paid to us, or we will offer you a suitable alternative with a small discount.

When we have notified you of the changes and options available, you must tell us your decision as soon as possible and within any timescale we may need to set bearing in mind the need to safeguard the holiday arrangements of other customers.

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What is the extent of your liability?

We accept responsibility if you or any member of your party is killed or injured as a result of an activity forming part of your holiday arrangements which you booked with us before your departure; or if any part of your holiday arrangements, booked with us in the UK, is not as described in the brochure or not of a reasonable standard; if the failure in your holiday arrangements or any death or personal injury is due to any fault on our part or that of our agents or suppliers whilst acting in the course of their employment. We do not accept responsibility if the failure, death or personal injury is not caused by any fault of ours or of our agents or suppliers or is caused by you or someone not connected with your holiday arrangements; or if the failure, death or personal injury is due to unusual or unforeseen circumstances which, even with all due care, we, or our agents or suppliers, could not have anticipated or avoided.

For claims which do not involve personal injury, illness or death, the most we will have to pay if we are liable to you is the price the person affected paid for their holiday. We will only have to pay this maximum amount if everything has gone wrong and you have received no benefit from your holiday.

If you or any member of your party is killed, injured or becomes ill as a result of transport by ship, train or coach, any liability which we may have to pay compensation is limited in line with the Athens Convention (applies to transport by ship), the Berne Convention (applies to transport by rail) and the Geneva Convention (applies to transport by road). You should also note that these conventions may limit or remove the carrier's liability to you and the amount which the carrier has to pay you.

If we make any payment to you or any member of your party for death, personal injury or illness, you will be asked to assign to 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.

Our suppliers (such as accommodation or transport providers) have their own booking conditions or conditions of carriage, and these conditions are binding between you and the supplier. Some of these conditions may limit or remove the relevant transport provider's or other supplier's liability to you. You can get copies of such conditions from our offices, or the offices of the relevant supplier.

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What do I need to do if I have to complain?

If you have a complaint during your holiday you should tell the driver/representative or supplier at the earliest opportunity so that they can do their utmost to resolve the problem immediately. If they are unable to resolve the problem to your satisfaction you should notify us in writing within 14 days of your return.

If you do not tell us at the earliest opportunity about a problem giving rise to your complaint we cannot take steps to investigate and rectify it. In deciding how to respond to your complaint we will take into account the date you first drew the problem to the attention of our driver/representative or supplier.

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If I do not agree with your decision can I request arbitration?

Yes you can. If we cannot resolve your complaint amicably you may request that the dispute is referred to an independent arbitration scheme established by the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK (CPT). Full details of this scheme will be provided on request or you can obtain a copy from CPT. This arbitration scheme provides a simple and inexpensive method of arbitration on documents alone with restricted liability on the customer in respect of costs. This scheme does not apply to claims for an amount greater than £1500 per person. There is also a limit of £7500 per booking. Normally there is a time limit of 9 months from the date of return from your holiday within which to request arbitration but in exceptional circumstances the scheme can be used beyond this date. This scheme does not apply to claims that arise mainly in respect of physical injury or illness or the consequences of any illness or injury.

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Coach seating

Requests for particular seats can be made when booking but because allocations are made on a first come, first served basis early booking is advisable. When your booking is confirmed you will be offered the best seats that are available at that time. We reserve the right to change your seat and allocate you a different one for operational reasons, but this will happen rarely. We accept no liability in the event of such a change.

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Health & Safety on holiday

In some foreign countries, standards of infrastructure, safety and hygiene may be lower than those to which we are accustomed in the UK. You should therefore exercise greater care for your own protection. Some people may be at risk from discomfort or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) if they remain immobile on a journey for a long period of time. If you are planning to undertake a coach journey of more than 3 hours you should consult your doctor if you have ever had DVT or pulmonary embolism, a family history of clotting conditions, cancer or treatment for cancer, a stroke, heart or lung disease or if you have had major surgery in the past 3 months. We reserve the right to refuse any booking in the absence of a doctor's certificate confirming that you are fit to travel. During the journey we will provide comfort stops as frequently as possible. During these stops you are encouraged to get off the coach and walk around. Exercise reduces any discomfort which may be caused by periods of immobility. During any journey you should drink alcohol only in moderation as it leads to dehydration.

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Passenger behaviour

We want all our customers to have a happy and carefree holiday. But you must remember that you are responsible for your behaviour and the effect it may have on others. If you or any member of your party is abusive or disruptive or behaves in a way which, in our reasonable opinion, could cause damage or injury to others or affect their enjoyment of their holiday, or which could damage property, we have the right, after reasonable consideration, to terminate your contract with us. This includes passengers who fail to advise us of any disability or special needs as outlined in the ‘Special Needs’ section below. If this happens we will have no further obligations or liability to you. The coach driver/representative, ship's captain, or authorised official of other means of transport is entitled to refuse you boarding if in their reasonable opinion you are unacceptably under the influence of drink or drugs or you are being violent or disruptive. If you are refused boarding on the outward journey we will regard it as a cancellation by you and we will apply cancellation charges according to the scale. If the refusal is on the return journey we have the right to terminate the contract and will have no further obligations or liability to you.

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Special needs

Unfortunately, many hotels overseas do not provide adequate facilities for guests with mobility problems or who suffer from other disabilities. But whether you are planning a holiday overseas or in the UK, please notify us before you book if you or any member of your party has special needs or suffers from any disability.

We recognise that not all our holidays will be suitable for people with disabilities and mobility problems. Some tours involve a great deal of travelling and changes of hotels and it is not possible for our driver(s) to provide a sufficient level of care, particularly in cases of poor mobility. If each passenger who has a disability is accompanied by a companion who is able to provide the necessary assistance, and the coach steps can be negotiated then you are most welcome. We are pleased to carry your folding wheelchair or walking frame in the luggage compartment but you MUST notify us of your intention to bring one. We regret that due to health & safety we are unable to carry battery powered wheelchairs or mobility vehicles on our feeder minibuses and small coaches, we will only carry them on tour vehicles if there is sufficient space in the luggage compartment and a travelling companion is present to lift and handle the mobility vehicle. It is not the drivers responsibility to handle mobility vehicles. Mobility vehicles must be brought to our depot before you book a holiday so we can confirm if the vehicle is suitable to be transported in the luggage compartment of our vehicles.

Passengers with these types of vehicles MUST board the coach at our depot in Ingleton and as space is limited only 1 SMALL mobility vehicle will be allowed per tour. Please do not be offended if a mobility vehicle is refused as we will not jeopardise the practicalities and smooth running of the tour.

We are keen to plan arrangements for your holiday so that special needs and requests can be accommodated as far as possible. If you will need assistance or special facilities in the hotel, or may have difficulties in taking part in excursions or boarding and travelling on the coach or other means of transport you must let us know in advance.

Drivers cannot act as carers for passengers at departure, during the journey or on arrival at destination. Our drivers will be happy to provide general assistance to passengers but will not be expected to:
(1) Provide assistance that extend to bodily lifting and carrying of any passengers on and off the coach.
(2) Undertake any action that may put their health, safety, welfare or legal requirements for a break in duty at risk.

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Special requests

If you have any special requests, for example, low floor rooms, non smoking rooms, special diets etc, THEY MUST BE MADE WHEN BOOKING. We will pass your request to the relevant supplier but this does not necessarily mean that your request will be fulfilled. Please note that requests cannot be guaranteed unless we confirm on your booking confirmation that this is a guaranteed requirement. Requests made by you direct to a hotel will not be considered.

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Single rooms

Single rooms get booked very quickly, and we would suggest that if you are travelling alone you should book early to avoid disappointment. AS EACH HOTEL ONLY OFFERS A LIMITED NUMBER OF SINGLE ROOMS, WE WOULD ASK THAT WHERE IT IS POSSIBLE TO SHARE A TWIN ROOM WITH A FRIEND YOU ARE TRAVELLING WITH, THAT YOU SHOW CONSIDERATION TO THE SINGLE TRAVELLER BY DOING SO. Some hotels make a single supplement charge which we must pass on to you. The payment of a single room supplement does not imply that any room allocated will be anything other than a single room.

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Entertainment

Some of our hotels arrange additional entertainment. Where this is part of the holiday details are given on the respective brochure page. Where it is not specified it may still be available but is at the discretion of the hotel and is not guaranteed. It may be withdrawn if there is a lack of demand or for operational reasons.

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Data Protection

Records are held on computer to enable us to offer the best possible service to our customers. Information is held only to send you details of forthcoming holidays or inform you of any changes affecting your booking. We do not pass names and addresses on to third parties without your permission. If you no longer wish to receive brochures from us, please telephone 015242 41330 we will amend our database immediately.

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Suitability of holidays

Please note that some tours can be demanding with several hotels being used. Please read the itinerary carefully before deciding on your holiday to make sure the holiday or hotel will be suitable for you. If you are unsure about booking, please contact our office and we will do our best to advise you and help you make your decision.

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Suitcases

All baggage and personal belongings are carried at owners risk and Bibbys of Ingleton will not accept any responsibility for loss or damage except where such loss or damage is caused by proven negligence of the company’s employees.

Due to the health and safety of our employees you must keep to one MEDIUM sized suitcase per person, maximum weight 18 kg (40 lb). We reserve the right to refuse to carry suitcases which exceed the weight limit and ask you to remove any excess weight. On tours where there is overnight hotels it is advisable to take in addition a small overnight bag and your main case can be left in the luggage hold. You can also take a small travel bag or handbag on board the coach.

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Travel Documents

When you have paid the balance we will forward to you all the necessary documents/labels/pick up information. You will receive coach holiday information approximately 28 days before departure and air holiday information approximately 10 days before departure. Certain documents such as flight tickets or theatre tickets will be retained by us and given to you on departure.

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Passports

For all continental holidays you will require a British Passport. We cannot accept responsibility if passengers are not in possession of the correct travel documents and no refunds can be given to those unable to complete their journey for this reason. The E111 has been changed to the EHIC European Health Insurance Card, please make sure you are in possession of one when travelling abroad.

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Smoking

Smoking is not allowed at any time on the coach. There will be frequent stops to ensure that smokers are not too inconvenienced. Please advise at the time of booking if you require a non smoking bedroom as some hotels still have smoking rooms available.

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Seat belts

New legislation has been introduced regarding the use of seat belts. It is now your own responsibility to ensure your seat belt is securely fastened at all times.

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Hotel classifications

Any ratings shown are the official ratings of the country concerned, and may differ from normal British standards. Please note in some European countries, especially Austria ‘twin beds’ can be two separate mattresses in a double frame with single duvets.

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Hotel amenities

All the amenities described in this brochure will normally be available for the enjoyment of our customers. However, some amenities (lifts, swimming pools etc) may occasionally require servicing or cleaning and therefore we cannot guarantee that they will always be available.

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Brochure details

Every effort has been made to ensure that all details enclosed are correct at the time of going to print (June 2011). The brochure is merely a guide for you to make your holiday choice and we cannot accept responsibility for changes that may occur.

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Gratuities

Gratuities to our drivers are not included in the cost of the holiday. Any donations should reflect on the service you have been given by our representative. We also recommend that gratuities should be made on an individual basis rather than a group collection. Check with your driver regarding gratuities for hotel staff as each hotel has its own system.

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Mobile telephones

For the comfort of all passengers, mobile telephones should not be used while the coach is in motion, except in emergencies.

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Travel insurance

From 1 January 2009 the sale of travel insurance was regulated by the Financial Services Authority. As we do not hold the necessary authorisation, we are no longer able to offer or advise on Travel Insurance related matters, therefore, you will have to make alternative arrangements. We have leaflets available which allow you to purchase Insurance either by website or call centre.

We strongly advise all clients to take out travel insurance. It is not compulsory in law to take out travel insurance for a tour within the United Kingdom, but it is compulsory for our tours operating outside the United Kingdom. You will be required to provide us with your travel policy details and emergency contact number when travelling to Europe, Republic of Ireland, Jersey and Isle of Man. Bibbys of Ingleton will not accept responsibility or any liability due to the failure of any person to take out adequate insurance cover.

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Punctuality

Passengers are asked to be punctual at all times when on a Bibbys holiday. Times will be given by your tour driver and he will only be permitted 15 minutes waiting time.

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National Trust properties

There will be no refunds or reductions when visiting National Trust properties if you are a National Trust member. Admission to the property will be included in the holiday package.

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Departure points

We pick up at the following: Lancaster, A6/Forton, Morecambe, Carnforth, Heysham, Milnthorpe, Arnside, Grange over Sands, Kendal, Windermere, Ambleside, Ulverston, Kirkby Lonsdale, Settle, Skipton, Keighley, Cross Hills, Bingley, Shipley, Bradford, Harrogate, Pateley Bridge, Summerbridge, Dacre Banks, Darley, Birstwith, Hampsthwaite, Killinghall, Starbeck, Knaresborough and Ilkley. We can also pick up at some villages en route – please enquire. Another option is to leave your vehicle at our Depot at Ingleton Industrial Estate.

Please do not change your pick up point without informing us first. You are responsible for ensuring that you are at the correct departure point at the correct time, and we cannot be liable for any loss or expense suffered by passengers because of their late arrival at any departure point.

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Office opening hours

Monday-Friday 9.00 am – 5.00 pm Saturday 9.00 am – 12.30 pm.

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