Terms & Conditions - 2010 Season
Reservations of all accommodation, whether made by telephone, fax, in person, in writing or from the Internet are accepted by Suffolk Secrets...hereinafter referred to as SS on the following conditions.
SS act only as Agents for owners, and are not Principals in the matter and so the hiring contract will be between you the Hirer and the Owner of the property for which the booking is made and shall be deemed to be made subject to these Conditions of Hire. The Contract of Hire is governed by English law and jurisdiction and is not effective until SS dispatch to the Hirer written confirmation of the booking. The contract is for the hire of the property for holiday purposes only. We do not accept bookings from Hirers under 18 years of age.
Bookings will be confirmed upon receipt by SS of the required deposit payment (which includes our Cancellation Protection Scheme). However, if the booking is made within eight weeks of the holiday commencement date, the full accommodation rental will be required.
SS charges a fee of £20 per booking, payable at the time of booking. The Booking Fee is not charged on second or subsequent bookings in any one year.
The Balance of the Hire will be due for payment eight weeks before the holiday commencement date. The Owner/SS reserve the right to cancel a holiday where full payment has not been received less than 21 days before the holiday commencement date. The deposit paid on such bookings is non-returnable.
We reserve the right to make a charge of 1% if customers wish to pay their deposit, balance or full cost of the holiday by credit card. There is no charge for debit card payments. All bookings paid for by credit/debit cards are subject to these booking conditions.
Where VAT applies to the property rental, it is included in the quoted price at the prevailing rate. All VAT inclusive rentals are subject to change if the rate changes. SS Confirmation of Booking is not a VAT invoice. All SS charges include VAT at the prevailing rate and are subject to change if the rate changes.
Once SS has issued a Confirmation of Booking, you are responsible for the total published price of the property and extras as shown on the confirmation.
If you are forced to cancel your holiday you must inform SS immediately - see Cancellation/Curtailment scheme for details of how to make a claim. In all cases of cancellation where the reason for cancellation is not covered by the Cancellation Protection Scheme, the deposit is forfeited. The Cancellation Protection Scheme is automatically arranged for you and is included in the cost of your holiday. This protects you for all or part of your responsibility for the balance of hire terms if you cancel for one of the qualifying reasons. Cancellation made for reasons outside those listed are not protected in this way, and you will remain liable for full payment unless we are able to re-let all or part of the period booked.
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LAST MINUTE BOOKING DISCOUNT
If a holiday is booked within 14 days of the start date, then we may offer a reduction of 25% on the published price in selected properties. This offer does not apply to all cottages, so please check our website or call us for confirmation of price. This offer is not applicable on winter rates.
The use of accommodation and amenities, where offered, such as swimming pools, rowing boats, beach huts etc. is entirely at the user's risk, and no responsibility can be accepted for injury, or loss or damage to user's or visitor's belongings. However, The Owner/SS do not seek to exclude or limit legal liability for the negligence of their servants or agents.
In no circumstances may more than the maximum numbers of persons, as stated in the brochure occupy a property. The Owner/SS reserve the right to refuse admittance if this condition is not observed. In addition, The Owner/SS reserve the right to refuse or revoke any bookings from parties that may in their opinion (and at their discretion) be unsuitable for the property concerned.
For the whole of the period included within your booking, you will be responsible for the property and will be expected to take all reasonable care of it. The property and all equipment and utensils must be left clean and tidy at the end of the hire period.
All damages and breakages are the legal responsibility of the Hirer, and their cost shall be refundable on demand. However, minor damage or breakages will not normally be charged but in circumstances where extra cleaning is required or damage beyond what is reasonably to be expected, The Owner/SS reserve the right to charge you for any additional costs incurred as a consequence and may at their discretion refuse future bookings. The Owner/SS reserves the right to repossess the Holiday Home at any time, where you or any member of your party has caused damage. The Owner/SS shall not be liable to make a refund of any remaining portion of the hire terms paid.
Any damages/security deposits charged and administered by the Owner themselves or SS will be cashed before the holiday and reimbursed promptly after the holiday (less any penalties which may be incurred)
If you are dissatisfied with the service you received, you should follow the complaints procedure outlined in the Essential information page
The Owner/SS take every care to ensure the accuracy of the property descriptions. All information in this brochure and on the SS website is given in good faith and is believed to be correct at the time of going to press, but the Owner/SS cannot be held responsible for changes beyond their control, which may become known after publication of this literature. In addition, whilst properties may be described as non-smoking or no pets, this cannot be guaranteed. Please be aware that if a property is advertised as having an enclosed garden, this does not necessarily mean a secure garden. It may be enclosed by hedging or open style fencing. The Owner/SS’s description of a cottage shows what amenities that property has but generally does not state what is not in the property.
Further, the Owner/SS will not be liable to you, any member of your party or person visiting the property during the period of your hire of it for happenings outside its reasonable control, such as breakdown of domestic appliances, plumbing, wiring, temporary invasion of pests, damage resulting from exceptional weather conditions or other unforeseeable circumstance. You also accept that SS in acting as agent for the owner will not be liable for any negligence on the part of the Owner resulting in loss, injury or accident.
In the event of any dispute between parties it shall be referred to the jurisdiction of the English courts only and any actions shall be heard in the court for the area in which the property is situated. Any contract between the parties shall be governed by English law and jurisdiction. Any disputes arising between you and the Owner/SS, if not mutually resolved, shall be referred to a single arbitrator agreed, or in the default of such agreement, to the President for the time being of the Law Society or Institute of Arbitrators. In either case, such arbitration would be subject to the provisions of the Arbitration Act of 1996 or any statutory modification thereof for the time being in force. All parties will contribute equally to the cost of Arbitration.
The Hiring Contract is made on the understanding that the property and its facilities as published will be available for the dates stated. In the unlikely event that a property is not available through events arising outside the control of the Owner/SS then the Owner/SS may be forced to cancel the booking. You will be advised as early as possible. Where possible, you will be offered suitable alternative accommodation, which, if not acceptable, will entitle you to a refund of all monies due. You will not as a result have any further claims against SS or the owner. Please note that reservation requests taken via our website are not confirmed bookings until we have contacted you and accepted a deposit. These Booking Conditions supersede any previous issues.
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