Booking Conditions

BOOKING CONDITIONS South America Expeditions

The following Booking Conditions, together with all the information related to your chosen TOUR, form the basis of your contract with South America Expeditions. Please read carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations. The terms agreed in this contract are mandatory for all participants who will do the chosen tour, even if only one representative of them had done and participated in the booking process. It is stated that the representative will act on behalf of them during all the booking process.

1 MAKING YOUR BOOKING

It is understood by booking, the process of making a reservation for a certain date which implies the confirmation of our Company through an authorised representative who will provide the programme of the tour requested or links directing to the official programme on our web site, will provide quotation, will arrange payment from the customer through one of the 3 different methods for payment: credit/debit card, bank swift transfer, cash payment. Our official representative will also send the voucher/itinerary confirming the process of booking as a last step on the process until the arrival of the client. Therefore for the booking be legal, the process must follow the following steps:

– Contact.- Which implies the submission of the booking form, which can be without any other previous contact, first email or whatsapp message sent by the customer as a result of the intention of the client to take one of our tours. It can also be by the visit of the client to our physical office in La Paz .On this stage one of our representatives will provide all info needed and will clear out all the doubts the client may have under his /her request.
Elaboration of booking. – once the client has received all the info, or has read the info on the Company’s website www.southamericaexpeditions.com, once he/she has accepted the programme proposed personally, via email, via whatsapp or by submitting the booking form, will endeavour to read the “booking conditions”, specially the section of the Cancellations & Refunds Policy. Our representative under request can send to the client the link or pdf of the booking conditions if the booking is made online, if the booking is made at the office will make him/her read it before going further on the booking.
– Payment.- it happens once the client has read and accepts the booking conditions. When a payment is made online or via bank transfer, as being this action the last step of the booking to make it legal, implies the client accepts the booking conditions for what the client agrees on the fact that it is not needed a physical or digital signature from him/her to have the contract between South America Expeditions and the client to come into existence.
Once payment is done, our representative will send a voucher/itinerary to the client.

To make a booking online, you must follow the instructions given in the official booking form on the web site. When the tour is booked at the office an official booking form in paper will be signed by the client.

Sometimes bookings are made through official or non-official travel agents that contact occasionally our Company, some in Bolivia others around the world. South America Expeditions will take a booking from agents only when they have paid in full on behalf of their client’s booking prior to departure, feel free to ask us whether the agents have paid us or not. Bookings not paid to us by the agents won’t be operated by South America Expeditions.

2 YOUR CONTRACT

A binding contract between us comes into existence once the participants have followed the instructions and finished the steps of clause 1, once we despatch your Voucher/itinerary Booking Confirmation to the party leader, client, agent, representative of a group. Once the booking process is finished this contract and all matters arising out of it are governed by Bolivian law. We both agree that any dispute, claim or other matter which arises out of or in connection with this contract or your holiday will be dealt with by the Courts of Bolivia.

3 CANCELLATIONS POLICY AND REFUNDS

The Tours are refundable “only” when:

South America Expeditions cancels the Tour due to the Company´s internal problems. 100 % (one hundred percent) will be refunded to the client. Although some administrative fee, bank commissions, transference commissions, credit/debit card charges will be applied and deduced from that 100% and charged to the client.
The client has purchased a “SHORT TERM INSURANCE” sold by South America Expeditions and cancels his/her Tour due to illness, delays and cancellations of flights, late arrivals to the places of departures. 100% refund will be given to the client. In accordance with section 1 of this clause
The client cancels his/her Tour THE COMPANY WILL REFUND:

80 % 90 days to 45 days prior to departure
50 % 45 days to 30 days prior to departure
00 % 30 days to the minute of departure

The Tours are not refundable when:

South America Expeditions delays or cancels the Tour before or once it was started, the transport arrives later from one place to another as a result of circumstances outside of the Company´s direct control like, bad weather, closed roads, stuck trucks blocking the roads, palisades, blockades, civil protests, accidents. South America Expeditions will endeavour to provide safe and fun alternative Tour not necessary the same as the one cancelled.
If you do not want to take the alternative Tour you can get a “Cancellation fee Receipt” that may be able to be used to claim this penalty from your travel insurance. Alternative tours taken by the client do not need a new booking procedure as the client may be in a remote area at the moment of reprogramming his/her schedule, personnel of South America Expeditions may not be able to reach him/her or the client can be with limited time to get to the office in order to get and sign the papers, or the client may be on their way or already on the next transport to the starting point of the alternative tour or whichever other reason. All papers used and signed booking forms and waivers signed by the client or submitted Official Booking Form, filled out on our website, will be used for the upcoming tours going to be taken by the client.
Due to illness the client can´t do the Tour (South America Expeditions reserves the right to fill the vacant space freely).
Due to illness of one of the clients or accident, once the Tour was started the Company has to cancel the whole Tour or part of it in order to assist or evacuate the injured person/s or whichever other reasons that make the Company cancels the Tour. The Client will get a “Cancellation fee Receipt” that may be able to be used to claim this penalty from his/her travel insurance.
When the client arrives late and still wants to do the Tour, then he/she can ask the Company to provide a private transport to catch up with the group, sometimes with the risk of losing part of the Tour. All the expenses will be paid by the client. If the client wants to do the tour some other day will do it in accordance with clause 4(change of dates) subject to availability. The Company is not obliged to give the space for the following day or upcoming days.
Once the Tour was started the client decides not to do the Tour.
When the tour is suspended due to bad weather, departure will be re programmed immediately for the following available day when weather conditions allow the Company to run the tour. If this new date doesn’t fit with the schedule of the client because he/she has special personal reasons for not doing the tour on the new date, the client is allowed and only under these circumstances to transfer the booking to another person/traveller.
On the understanding that there might occur natural disasters, sanitary emergencies, global problems, the company has to cancel, all tours will be re programmed for when operations are available again.

4 CHANGE OF DATES

You can change your Tour date according to the following penalties previous verification of availability:

10 % 90 days to 6 days prior to departure
20 % 05 days to 48 hrs prior to departure
50 % 47 hrs to 24 hrs prior to departure
No change of date 23 hrs to the minute of departure. 100 % penalty.
No cancellations or change of date on reprogrammed tour. 100% penalty.

5 NO SHOW- COMPENSATIONS

NO SHOW

The client can get a 25% compensation when she/he cancelled his/her tour, he/she didn´t show up, by doing any other Tour (of same length) South America Expeditions operates. The 25% will be taken as a partial payment towards a subsequent Tour.

Never this 25% will be reimbursed in cash.

In the event the client wants to do another tour he/she will pay 75% more.

COMPENSATIONS

Compensations work when the client is not satisfied and has a probable and reasonable reason to ask for it, because something was not carried on according to what it has been promised. To apply for a compensation the client must:

Complain at the time when the problem emerges or at the time when the tour is about to finish and in front of the guide, that is with the presence of the guide. Compensations will not take effect if the client complains after the tour is finished and not in front of the providers involved. For that, he, she has to ask the guide to call any of the managers of the Cultural, Trekking, Climbing and Jungle divisions, in charge of the tour that is finishing.

Under normal conditions the guide in charge who is leading the tour always make a phone call to his/her manager to let the manager talk on the phone with one or 30% or 40% of the participants of the group and ask them if everything went well. This action is to let the clients tell the manager if they are satisfied or not.

If the participants are satisfied, no other action will be needed. Therefore, no complaint will be heard, or taken under considerations afterwards.

If one or all of the participants are not satisfied, should tell the guide to let the division’s manager learn about the problem at the moment one or all of them have complaints.
Once they have told the manager they have problems or complaints, a report will be asked to the client, which can be sent via whatsapp and from the guide’s telephone. At the same time the manager will ask the guide to send his/her report.
After receiving the reports, the managers will find solutions in accordance with clause 10.
The client quits his/her right to ask for a compensation if he/she complains once the tour has finished or long after. These complaints must be exteriorised before the guide, in front of her/him. Based in the declaration of Human rights that’s says that all persons have the right to assume defense, this is to let the guide assume self defense and the Company have all of what is needed to solve the probable problem.

6 PAYMENT OF REFUNDS AND COMPENSATIONS

Whenever there is a case on which refund or compensation applies, it will be executed in a term between 90 to 180 days for those payments done via credit/debit card, Bank Swift Transfer or via Money Transfer Companies.

Only those payments done at the office in cash will be executed between 30 and 45 days after the refund was approved and agreed, it will be paid to the client in Bolivian Currency even if the client would have paid in US dollars or any other currency. Exchange rate applied to the refund will be the legal one of the Bolivian Central Bank and not that of the money exchange offices of the streets.

7 TRANSPORT

As long as most of the Tours are not a PRIVATE TOUR. South America Expeditions reserves the right to change the time of departures and to fill the spaces with people from other agencies or occasional passengers. Once a private tour is contracted, private means getting the car and the guide for themselves, the clients are not allowed to add more people to the tour or to the transport. In the unlikely event clients want to add more people they should ask the head office to find out how much more money they have to pay to make possible to add more people en route. Even if we are talking about passersby on the road.

8 OUR RESPONSABILITY

The Company is to provide services agreed according to what it has been promised by our personnel, detailed in the booklet, pdf or website and written on the voucher/itinerary. Both our personnel explanations and the booklet information must coincide. We are responsible for all of the acts and behaviour of our employees before and during the Tours. The Company is not responsible for what it happens after the tour.

9 YOUR RESPONSABILITY

Bookings are accepted on the understanding that all persons travelling are normally in good health and able to fulfil the physical demands of the chosen tour. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in possession of all necessary travel and health documents before departure. We consider adequate travel insurance to be essential. You must give details of your policy (insurer and policy number). Please read your policy details carefully and take them with you on the tour. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance covers cancellations of Tours, adventure tours, rafting, climbing & trekking accidents. If not, you can buy a “SHORT TERM INSURANCE” from the Company. It is also your responsibility to take extreme care of your belongings during the Tours as the Company is responsible at places like campsites and inside vehicles belonging to the Company while travelling and not at places like ports, streets and other public places. Clients also agree that being VEGAN or having allergy to wheat, lactose or other things or food, have special health condition that doesn’t allow them to eat certain food, they will bring their own food on top of the regular food provided by the Company that will not necessarily meet their food requirements, or should ask the Company whether it is possible to provide them especial food before they start the booking process.

It is also responsibility of the clients to inform of any problem they may have encountered during the tours to one of the managers before the tour is ended.

10 PROBLEMS AND COMPLAINTS

In the unlikely event that you have any reason to complain or experience any problems during the Tour, you must immediately inform the closest South America Expeditions office, agent or tour Operator, via whatsapp or in writing and given to them as soon as possible. If the complaint or problem is not resolved to your satisfaction straight away, you must contact the Head office in La Paz, furthermore the client declares that under no pressure and at his/her own will, will talk first to the Company managers before writing any negative review to any travel forum on the internet or travel books.

11 USE OF IMAGE

I do hereby consent to the use of my image by South America Expeditions for any and all purposes, including without limitation video, still photographs, publication, and any trade or advertising purposes, providing such uses are not made so as to constitute a direct endorsement of any product or service.

12 WAIVER for adventure tours.

Those clients booking Biking, Trekking, Climbing, River boat tour longer than 2 days, White Water Rafting or River Tubing please read carefully the Waiver for Adventure tours. To do so refer to the addendum attached to this contract after clause 12 of acceptance. Submitting the form means the acceptance of the Waiver for adventure tours.

13 ACCEPTANCE OF BOOKING CONDITIONS

At the present time, of my free and spontaneous will, without any defects of consent, I accept each and every one of the preceding clauses and as a sign of absolute acceptance I sign the form provided at the office of South America Expeditions, if booking remotely via internet I submit the booking form declaring my acceptance.

WAIVER for ADVENTURE TOURS.

Those clients booking Biking, Trekking, Climbing, River boat tour longer than 2 days, White Water Rafting or River Tubing, please refer to the following addendum attached to this contract.

The following waiver establishes the responsibilities and liabilities of South America Expeditions and that of the client who undertakes a Biking, Trekking, Climbing, river Boat trip, Rafting or River Tubing Tour with South America Expeditions. Clients taking other tours not mentioned here, are not under the terms of this waiver

In consideration of the services of South America Expeditions, their agents, owners, officers, volunteers, participants, employees, and all other persons or entities acting in any capacity on their behalf (hereinafter collectively referred to as « South America Expeditions » or “The Company”), I hereby agree to release and discharge South America Expeditions, on behalf of myself, my children, my parents, heirs, assigns, personal representatives and estate as follows:

By signing at the bottom of this document or finalising my booking with the payment online, I acknowledge that I have read, understood and accepted the following points:

I am responsible for informing this office BEFORE the TOUR of any existing illness, injury or allergy that I have that might affect my ability to undertake the Biking, Trekking, Climbing, Boat, Rafting or River Tubing Tour, or which might require treatment during the TOUR which will be listed at the end of this waiver or will be sent via e mail. Moreover, it is my responsibility to inform the Company if I am inexperienced in swimming in open sea, lakes, (which conditions are similar to wide Amazon rivers), rapids or in fast current rivers, it is my responsibility to inform that my knowledge in swimming is only limited to swimming pools, if so I declare that I will be wearing the life vest provided by the Company throughout the entire Tour, more over if I am experienced in biking, trekking or climbing accordingly.
I understand that being vegetarian I won’t be able to get food with the same nutritional power of the food provided to the meat eaters in the group and that the food provided to me will be simple as the Company won’t provide an extra cook or extra cooking materials. I also understand that being vegan I will bring my personal supplies that won’t be cooked but added to the non-animal food served by the Company.
I understand that I cannot take any Biking, Trekking, Climbing, Boat, Rafting or River Tubing Tour without having medical or travel insurance that covers the specific activity and loss of valuables while on the excursion. I will provide with details of my insurance when signing up for the excursion. In the event that I do not have insurance that covers me specifically for the activity of Biking, Trekking, Climbing, Boat, Rafting or River Tubing Tour, I will purchase a SHORT-TERM INSURANCE POLICY that covers the duration of the Tour offered by South America Expeditions. For its part South America Expeditions must provide in written a certification of what it may have happened.
I further agree that if I am injured or become ill during the Tour and I haven’t purchased the Short Term Insurance from South America Expeditions while I don’t have travel/medical insurance, South America Expeditions may at my cost, arrange or supply medical treatment, evacuation or any other emergency services on my behalf as South America Expeditions deems necessary or appropriate for my safety and well-being for what I will pay back South America Expeditions all the money they may have spent just after the treatment is done or just after emergency measures have been taken, while and before I leave Bolivian territory.
I acknowledge that my participation in outdoor adventure-based activities such as Biking, Trekking, Climbing, Boat, Rafting or River Tubing Tour entails known and unanticipated risks, I accept that it is neither desirable nor feasible to remove all risk from these activities which could result in physical or emotional injury, paralysis, death, or damage to myself, to property, or to third parties. I understand that such risks simply cannot be eliminated without jeopardizing the essential qualities of the activity. I acknowledge that the enjoyment of undertaking activities beyond the normal safety of home, work or country is in part the reason for my participation on this trip. I am aware that the Company’s employees will take all reasonable and practicable steps to manage these risks to an acceptable level. Furthermore, South America Expeditions guides, instructors, facilitators have difficult jobs to perform. They seek safety, but they are not infallible. They might be unaware of a participant’s fitness or abilities. They might misjudge the weather, the elements, or the terrain. They may give inadequate warnings or instructions in case of sudden accidents or difficult situations, and the equipment being used might malfunction. I accept personal responsibility and consequences for my own actions during this activity if I don’t follow the guides’ instructions. I accept that the Company is not responsible or liable in the event of injury, loss or death resulting during the Tour. I expressly agree and promise to accept and assume all of the risks existing in this activity. My participation in this activity is purely voluntary, and I elect to participate in spite of the risks.
I hereby voluntarily release, forever discharge, and agree to indemnify and hold harmless South America Expeditions from any and all claims, demands, or causes of action, which are in any way connected with my participation in this activity or my use of South America Expeditions’s equipment, vehicles, facilities, or premises before, during, and after this activity including any such claims which allege negligent acts or omissions of South America Expeditions.
I am responsible for paying for damages incurred intentionally or wilfully to the Company’s equipment for what I will strictly follow the recommendations given by South America Expeditions’ guides/personnel on behaviour towards the vehicles and equipment of the Company.
For its part, The Company is responsible for answering any questions I might have about the risks involved in this activity and give all the information needed about risks and conditions of weather and terrain.

The Company is also responsible to provide all standard safety (rescue rope, extra tube and first aid kit) to its clients which can be checked out by the client at any time.

I understand that the Company’s guides, while trained in first aid, are not qualified nurses or doctors, and as such the medical attention they will provide in the case of an accident is limited to first aid, and the medical supplies carried are also limited to those necessary to enable a person to be taken safely to the next professional and qualified primary, secondary or tertiary or lower medical attention when close to Villages or just communities. I understand that if Medical attention is required in a remote area, it will take time to the Company to get proper medical attention or organise the evacuation needed. While some painkillers are carried, I understand that if I should choose to take them, I do so of my own accord and at my own risk.
South America Expeditions reserves the right to cancel or modify the Tour for the safety of the participants. Never the Tour will be delayed or cancelled because one of the participants considers the Tour may be cancelled or delayed due to any reason.
I understand if, for any reason, I have to cancel my participation, need to change the date of the Tour for which I signed up, will be done according to the Cancellations Policy.
I do hereby consent to the use of my image by South America Expeditions for any and all purposes, including without limitation video, still photographs, publication, and any trade or advertising purposes, providing such uses are not made so as to constitute a direct endorsement of any product or service.
I declare that I have attentively read the above points of participant agreement, release/waiver and acknowledgement of risk.
I hereby declare that I am not under the influence of, nor will I use any recreational drugs or alcohol while participating in any activity at South America Expeditions.

ACCEPTANCE OF BOOKING CONDITIONS AND WAIVER.

At the present time, of my free and spontaneous will, without any defects of consent, I accept each and every one of the preceding clauses and as a sign of absolute acceptance I sign the form provided at the office of South America Expeditions, if booking remotely via internet I submit the booking form declaring my acceptance.