Terms and Conditions - Bugler Coaches Ltd
Terms & Conditions for Private Hire & Day Excursions
For 'Away Breaks' please see below
At the time of booking a Private Hire Trip you will need to pay a non-refundable deposit of 10% of the total booking cost. The balance must be paid at least 14 days before the date of travel and 21 days before the departure date for trips which involve overnight stays.
If you book within our balance due period, you will need to pay the total cost at the time of booking.
If you do not pay the outstanding balance for your trip on or before the date when it is due we may cancel your booking and we may retain your deposit to offset the loss of sale of the trip you reserved.
If you cancel a booked Private Hire Trip the date of cancellation will normally be the date you confirm in writing that you intend to cancel or 10 days after the balance due date, whichever comes first.
CANCELLATION - Should you wish to cancel a private hire, the following scale of charges shall apply.
Period of notice Charge
More than 7 days prior to hire 10% of hire charge
3 to 7 days prior to hire 25% of hire charge
1 to 2 days prior to hire 50% of hire charge
On day of hire 75% of hire charge
On arrival of coach at departure point 100% of hire charge
Where a Day Trip Booking is being cancelled for a very serious reason, eg bereavement of one of the persons booked we will take a sympathetic view and refund the fare price of the immediate relative. Other members of the group will be offered the opportunity to re-book at a later date without charge. Where a refund is made because of exceptional circumstance no refund can be made for that portion of the price which relates to added items including, theatre or other venue tickets, meals, entrance fees, tickets for boats, trains etc. Refunds cannot be given for failure to turn up at the advertised departure point at the correct time.
Where the trip includes additional items, such as meals, boat or train tickets, theatre tickets etc these cannot be cancelled once we have paid the supplier which will be at a date well in advance of the date of the trip as this is necessary in order for us to be certain of reserving the items or seats in question.
The company reserves the right to vary advertised Day Trips as a result of circumstances beyond its control. Time at destination or place of destination may be subject to change in exceptional circumstances such as severe weather or traffic conditions.
The company reserves the right to cancel Day Trips and Private Hire bookings as a result of circumstances beyond its control including insufficient bookings, weather or traffic conditions.
All travel on Bugler Coaches is non smoking.
The Company reserves the right to refuse entry to the coach or any attraction which is part of an excursion to anyone at any time throughout the hire period or excursion if they act in an unreasonable manner in respect of the comfort and well being of the other passengers or crew. The driver has the authority to stop the coach and require any passenger or passengers who are behaving in an objectionable or dangerous manner to leave the coach. Abuse of any kind towards any member of our staff at any time and in relation to any contract, whether on the coach or to our office staff, will result in the immediate termination of the contract and no refund will be made. In this case the hirer will be responsible for arranging all travel as required from that time and point onward. Abuse of any kind towards any person on the coach including staff or other passengers will result in the offending person or persons being required to leave the coach at the first possible point and their contract will be terminated at that point and no refund will be made.
Delays may occur due to traffic conditions, breakdowns or other causes and while we will do everything possible to get you to your destination on time we cannot accept responsibility for damage caused by late arrival or consequential loss. All customer property is carried at customers risk. This includes luggage, bicycles, push chairs, wheel chairs and hand luggage whether stored in the luggage lockers or carried in the passenger area of the coach. Where our staff help with loading or unloading this is done at customers request and acceptance of their help does not imply any acceptance of responsiblity by them or by the Company for any resulting damage or loss to or of the property.
Liability for loss or damage however caused is limited to the cost of the trip under all circumstances.
Customer services - every effort is made to provide the highest possible standard at all times. If for any reason you are not satisfied please contact Bugler Coaches Customer Services on 01225 444422 or in writing to Tyne Depot, Stowey Road, Clutton, Bristol, BS39 5TG or by e-mail to info@buglercoaches.co.uk.
Bugler Coaches ‘Away Breaks’ Terms & Conditions
Bugler Coaches Ltd Tyne Depot Stowey Road Clutton Bristol BS39 5TG
OUR TRADING CHARTER WITH YOU
Why should I read this page?
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.
How and when do I make this contract with you?
We welcome you making contact with us in a number of ways. You can write to us, phone us or visit our website. 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 7 days. Please check this confirmation very carefully to ensure all the information is correct and tell us immediately of any errors.
How is my holiday money protected?
In accordance with “The Package Travel, Package Tours Regulations 1992” all money for bookings paid to Bugler Coaches Ltd is held in a ring fenced trust account This protects customer money for reinbursement if required, arising from the cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Bugler Coaches Ltd.
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. The balance must be paid before the dates listed below.
If you book within our balance due period you will need to pay the total holiday cost at the time of your booking.
If you do not pay the outstanding balance for your holiday on or before the date when it is due we may cancel your booking and you will be required to pay the cancellation charges detailed below. The date of cancellation will normally be the date you confirm in writing that you intend to cancel or 15 days after the balance due date, whichever comes first.
Deposit £50 per person. Your balance is due 8 weeks prior to departure.
Where optional items are purchased as part of the tour package these are payable on the balance due date except where items, such as theatre tickets, have been specifically purchased for you. In this case the cost will be payable at a separate date notified to you and will not normally be refundable unless we obtain a refund from the supplier we use.
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:
Transportation costs such as fuel and/or fuel tax, ferry operator fares and tolls; or
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 insurance premiums and any amendment charges, will be absorbed or retained. For large 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.
Can I change my holiday arrangements?
After we have issued our booking confirmation we will do our best to accommodate any changes you may want to make but we cannot guarantee to do so. Any changes must be notified to us in writing and signed by the lead person who made the booking. If we are able to make the changes an amendment fee of £10.00 will be payable plus any additional charge for the facilities requested. Any significant alteration after the balance due date will be treated as a cancellation of the original booking and will be subject to the cancellation charges detailed below. A significant alteration would include a change of departure date, holiday or hotel, or number of people travelling.
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 and a change cannot normally be made later than seven days prior to departure. We will make an administration charge of £10.00 per person for every transfer we make plus any reasonable additional costs caused by the transfer. You will remain responsible for ensuring that the holiday is paid for by the balance due date.
How can I cancel my holiday?
You, or any member of your party, may cancel at any time provided that the cancellation is made by the person who the signed the booking form and 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 we receive your written confirmation of your cancellation. A reduction in room occupancy may increase the charges for the remaining passengers by the application of supplements for low occupancy of rooms.
Scale of Cancellation Charges
Period before departure within which written
cancellation of holiday is received
Cancellation charge as a %
More than 56 days Deposit
55 – 49 days 30% or deposit, if greater
48 – 22 days 50%
21 – 14 days 75%
7 – 1 days Total holiday cost
Departure day including voluntary termination whilst on holiday Total holiday cost
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 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. In either case we will pay you compensation according to the scale set out below.
A significant change includes a change in departure or return time of more than 12 hours, a significant change of departure point, location of resort or quality of hotel, or the specification of the coach.
If you withdraw from the holiday because we have made a significant change or if we have to cancel your holiday for any reason other than no-payment by you we will offer you the choice of:
A comparable replacement holiday if available;
Or:
A replacement holiday of lower cost together with a refund of the price difference;
Or:
A full refund of the money you have paid.
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.
Scale of Compensation
We will pay you compensation for significant changes on the following scale:
Period before departure in which significant
change is notified to you
Amount per person
More than 56 days Nil
28 to 55 days £5
15 to 27 days £7
8 to 14 days £10
0 to 7 days £15
Payment of compensation according to the scale set out above will not affect your statutory right to claim further compensation if, in all the circumstances, you remain dissatisfied. If, prior to departure, we make a significant change to your holiday arrangements or cancel your holiday we will pay you compensation on the above scale unless:
The holiday is cancelled because the number of persons who agreed to take it is less than the minimum number required, and you were informed of the cancellation in writing within the period indicated in the description of the holiday; or
The holiday is changed or cancelled by reason of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised. These circumstances include war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial disputes, fire, quarantine, epidemic or health risks, natural or nuclear disasters, port closures and adverse weather conditions.
Payment of compensation according to the scale set out above will not affect your statutory right to claim further compensation if, in all the circumstances, you remain dissatisfied.
If, after departure, we need to make a change to a significant proportion of your holiday we will do our best to make suitable alternative arrangements at no extra cost to you. If it proves impossible to make suitable alternative arrangements, or if you have reasonable grounds for refusing the alternative offered, we will arrange transport back to your point of departure, or to an alternative location that we agree to, unless the change is as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control (as described above), you will also be entitled to compensation.
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 of 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 twice the price the person affected paid for their holiday (not including insurance premiums and amendment charges). We will only have to pay this maximum amount if everything has gone wrong and you have received no benefit from your holiday.
If 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 can get copies of the relevant conventions from the Internet. 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 providers have their own booking conditions and these conditions are binding between you and them. Some of these conditions may limit or remove other supplier’s liability to you. You can get copies of such conditions from our office or the office of the relevant supplier.
What do I need to do if I have to complain?
If you have a complaint during your holiday you should tell the driver 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 complete a Holiday Report Form which is available from the driver. You will be given a copy of this report which you should keep. If, on return from your holiday, you remain dissatisfied you should write within 28 days to The Manager, Bugler Coaches Ltd Tyne Depot Stowey Road Clutton Bristol BS39 5TG.
In your letter you will need to quote your booking reference number, holiday number and departure date. 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 or supplier.
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.
Coach Seating
There is a seating plan of the coach for each holiday, but it is possible that on occasions operational reasons will require a coach with a different configuration to be used. We therefore reserve the right to alter a coach-seating plan and allocate seats other than those you have requested. Requests for particular seats can be made on most holidays when booking but because allocations are made on a first come, first served basis you are recommended to book early. Specific seats will not be allocated on coaches which operate on feeder services between pick up points and main holiday departure points.
Health & Safety on Holiday
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 bus or 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 period of immobility.
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. If this happens we will have no further obligations or liability to you. The coach driver 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 previously stated. 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.
No smoking policy
We operate a strict no smoking policy on all our coaches, we do however make frequent comfort stops.
Pets
We do not allow pets to be taken on our holidays. Registered Assistance Dogs will normally be accommodated on our holidays but please check at the time of booking.
Pick up point, itineraries and travel documents
You are responsible for ensuring that you are at the correct departure point, at the correct time, with the correct documents and we cannot be held liable for any loss or expense suffered by you or your party because of late arrival at the departure point.
Included excursions are detailed in the relevant brochure and refunds will not be made for any excursion not taken. Optional excursions may be booked and paid for in the hotel but these will not form part of the package booked with us. Admission fees to buildings, grounds etc are not included in the price of the holiday unless otherwise stated in the brochure.
Do I need to take out travel insurance?
We strongly advise all our customers to take out travel insurance. It is not compulsory in law to have travel insurance for our tours within the UK. But if you do not have insurance and require our assistance whilst on holiday, we reserve the right to reclaim from you any expenses which we may incur on your behalf which would otherwise have been met by your insurers.
What assistance will you give me if things go wrong when it is not your fault?
If you, or any member of your party, suffer death, illness or injury whilst on an excursion not arranged through us, we shall at our discretion, offer advice, guidance and assistance.
Special needs
Please notify us before you book if you or any member of your party has special needs or suffers from any disability. 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 you must let us know in advance. Not all the holidays in the brochure may be suitable for you. We want you to enjoy your holiday and will try to help you select an appropriate trip. If you need advice or further information please contact our office.
Special requests
If you require a special diet please tell us before booking, or as soon as you are medically advised, and send us a copy of the diet. We will notify the hotel on your holiday but please note that some hotels may not have facilities to cope with special diets and we cannot be held liable for their failure to do so unless the hotel has confirmed in writing that a special diet will be catered for. Where we think that a hotel is unlikely to cope with a special diet, we will tell you prior to your booking confirmation being issued so that you can exercise your right to cancel your holiday booking without charge. Any extra costs incurred must be paid to the hotel by you prior to departure from the hotel. We will not be held responsible for any extra costs incurred by you or a member of your party.
Single Occupancy
Single occupancy of rooms when available may be subject to a supplementary charge. You will be informed of this at the time of booking.
Entertainment
Some of our hotels arrange additional entertainment. Where this is part of the holiday details are given in the brochure. 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.
Data Protection Act
In order to process your booking and to ensure that your travel arrangements run smoothly and meet your requirements, we need to use the information you provide such as name, address and any special needs/dietary requirements etc.
We take full responsibility for ensuring that proper measures are in place to protect your information. We must pass the information on to the relevant suppliers of your travel arrangements such as the hotel. In making this booking, you consent to this information being passed on to the relevant persons.
We retain your full contact details and other information in secure files and electronic storage facilities. We may use this information to contact you by mail, telephone or electronic means. We may provide you with details of other holidays and trips in the future. If you do not wish to receive the further information please write to us.
Bugler Coaches Ltd Tyne Depot Stowey Road Clutton Bristol BS39 5TG