Individuals & Families 2008

Centre Booking Information

Booking and Paying for your Course | Other Information | Customer Satisfaction

Booking and Paying for your Course

1. Booking

Please make provisional bookings by telephoning, faxing or emailing the Centre of your choice. Provisional bookings can also be made via the FSC website by adding courses to your basket. If the course is full and we are unable to offer you a suitable alternative, we will enter your name on a waiting list and inform you if a place becomes available. Until the deposit is paid the booking will be treated as provisional. Provisional bookings will be held for 7 days.

If you are making a booking on behalf of another person, please ensure that they are aware of booking, cancellation and deposit conditions.

Please complete a booking form in order to confirm your booking. Provisional bookings will be held for 7 days.

2. Deposits

• Full payment will be required to confirm bookings on day courses at Epping Forest.
• A deposit of £50 per person (£30 for shorter courses under £150) is required to confirm course bookings at a residential Centre.
• For Family Courses, please send 20% of the quoted fee as deposit.
• Full payment is due on bookings made less than 6 weeks before commencement of the course.
• The deposit paid in respect of each course is accepted as a first instalment of the charge and is not refundable.
• If a booking cannot be accepted, notification and refund of any deposit will be sent as soon as possible.

Cheques should be made payable to ‘Field Studies Council’.

Soon after receiving your booking form and deposit, we will send you a receipt and further details – please check these carefully.

3. Balance of Fees

An invoice for the balance of fees and final joining instructions will be sent to you at least 5 weeks before commencement of the course. The balance of payment is due at the latest 28 days before the start of your course.
If payment is not received at this time, FSC reserves the right to cancel your reservation, in which case normal cancellation terms will apply. If you anticipate a delay in making your final payment, please inform the Centre.

4. Group Bookings

Groups of 10 or more adults may qualify for group discounts.

5. Guests from Overseas

The balance due date for guests paying from overseas is 28 days before the start of your course. Guests from overseas should pay only in STERLING by one of the following methods:
a. By credit card – we accept most Visa, Mastercard and Switch cards.
b. By STERLING draft from your bank which should be sent direct to us. Do not send drafts direct to our bank as they may arrive without a name, making them impossible to identify.
c. Direct to our Giro account: number 556 2252.
d. By Eurocheque.

PLEASE NOTE:
1. In each case please include information about the Centre and course dates booked.
2. For methods ‘d’ a surcharge of up to £15 may be made at the Centre to cover bank transfer charges.
3. Please do not pay in a foreign currency by personal cheque as this can result in delay and additional expense.

6. Rooms for Sole Occupancy

The fees quoted are based on two people sharing a room but it is sometimes possible to reserve a room for sole occupancy if required. A supplement of £10 per night is payable with the deposit. In case these rooms are fully booked, guests applying for this facility should indicate on the booking form if alternative accommodation is acceptable.

Preston Montford Visitors

Please note that preference for en-suite rooms will be given to FSC members who are prepared to share.

7. Transfer

If, after your booking has been confirmed, you wish to transfer to a different course or you wish to transfer your confirmed booking to another named person who satisfies all the conditions of booking, we will make every effort to meet your requirements. Alterations made by you less than 28 days before course commencement will be treated as a cancellation of the original course booking and regarded as a new booking for a different course. Cancellation charges as in paragraph 8 may apply.

8. Cancellation

If it is necessary for you to cancel your booking, please inform the Centre in writing as soon as possible. Cancellation is effective from the date your letter is received at our offices and may be subject to cancellation charges as follows:

- The deposit is automatically forfeit if the booking is cancelled by the customer for any reason. Supplements for sole occupancy of a room will be refunded automatically.

- If cancellation is made less than 28 days before the start of the course, whether deliberately or by default, the balance of fees must be paid in full, a condition which is accepted when the booking is confirmed.

9. Other Changes

Anyone enrolling for a course will be invoiced for the full fee. No reductions can be made in respect of late arrival, early departure or absence during any part of the course.

10. Acceptance of Bookings

FSC reserves the right to refuse to accept any booking without stating a reason.

Travel and Cancellation Insurance

If you are forced to cancel or curtail your FSC course you may be liable for payment of up to 100% of the course fees. Furthermore, FSC cannot accept responsibility for loss of or damage to guests' personal belongings, such as baggage or money (see note on liability below). Consequently, we strongly recommend that you take out appropriate insurance cover prior to your visit.

In view of the above, FSC has negotiated optional insurance cover at competitive rates with a leading insurer. This scheme offers reasonably competitive cover in respect of both Cancellation and Personal Belongings, and also includes Personal Accident, Public Liability and Medical Emergency/Emergency Travel Expenses cover. Details will be sent to you with our first written communication, or before if this is requested. You can also view more information online.

Other Information

Consumer Protection

All FSC Centre-based Individuals & Families courses are protected through our membership of the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Ltd (ABTOT, member number 5049). ABTOT is an Association approved by the Department of Trade and Industry.
The FSC has provided a bond to ABTOT which meets the requirements of the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992. Consequently, anyone booking an FSC Individuals & Families course can do so with complete financial security.

Amendments

The course programme is subject to amendment. FSC reserves the right to alter course programmes or engage alternative tutors if and as circumstances dictate. FSC cancels a course only after careful consideration, but reserves the right to do so if numbers booked have failed to meet a minimum requirement or for other exceptional reasons. In this event, applicants will be informed as soon as possible. They will be refunded any monies paid in respect of that course. FSC will not be liable for any additional cost or expense.
All fees were correct at the time of printing. They may be varied should circumstances outside the control of FSC make this necessary. Any increase in charges will not take place within the 28 days prior to the start of the course.

Late Availability

Call any FSC Centre direct for information on late availability. We will be happy to check what vacancies are available and process your booking as quickly as possible.

Travel

Centres will normally make arrangements for a Centre minibus or a taxi service to meet particular trains at the beginning of courses if requested. Times and charge (if any) will be specified in the joining instructions. For those travelling by car, full locational details will be forwarded well in advance. We encourage car sharing and will put you in touch with like-minded people wherever possible.

Departure

Rooms must be vacated by 09.30 on the day of departure, unless special arrangements are made with the Centre.

Special Diets

All FSC Centres provide vegetarian options on request. Please indicate on your booking form if you have vegetarian or other special dietary requirements. Centres, where possible, will make all the necessary arrangements.

Guests with Disabilities

FSC welcomes disabled guests provided they can manage independently or are accompanied by a friend or relative on the same course, able to assist them. Please check with each Centre on the suitability of a course before booking and indicate your disability on the booking form. Blencathra, Dale Fort, Kindrogan, Malham Tarn, Preston Montford and Slapton Ley have purpose-built accommodation and facilities for people with wheelchairs.

Physical Fitness

Some courses are strenuous and a satisfactory state of health is essential. Anyone who has not disclosed a health problem which makes it impossible or inadvisable for them to take a full part in the programme, may be asked by the Head of Centre to leave. Any fee refund in such a case will be at the sole discretion of the Centre concerned.

Group Size

Participant numbers will be suited to the particular course, but to maximise your enjoyment we would normally expect to run a course with between 5 and 17 participants.

Clothing

Most FSC courses spend time outdoors and involve some walking. For your own enjoyment, it is essential that your footwear and clothing are suitable. You will be advised on what to wear and bring.

Smoking

FSC Centres are all non-smoking. Smoking is not permitted inside any of our buildings or in our minibuses.

Pets

We regret we do not have facilities for pets and therefore cannot normally accept them at our Centres or on courses. However, we are able to make special arrangements to accommodate guide dogs.

Customer Satisfaction

Complaints

In the unlikely event of cause for complaint you must notify the Head of Centre during the course so that he or she may investigate and/or remedy the matter without delay. If the problem remains unresolved and you wish to write to us at Head Office after the course then this must be done within 14 days of completion of the course. We will investigate the grievance and reply at the earliest opportunity.

Liability

No responsibility can be accepted for any loss of or damage to guests’ property or motor vehicles, or for injury or loss sustained whilst travelling in such motor vehicles except where caused through the proven neglect of FSC. The safekeeping of guests’ property, including money and valuables, must remain the responsibility of guests unless items are specifically handed to FSC Centre management for safe custody and a receipt obtained. Parents or Guardians undertake to accept full responsibility for and supervision of their children at all times. FSC will not accept responsibility for any aspect of a course, including services and facilties offered by an external supplier, or for any loss, damage or expense of the guest which is due to adverse weather conditions, industrial dispute or any other cause beyond the control of FSC.

Code of Conduct

Guests booking with FSC should be prepared to abide by our code of conduct with regard to safeguarding the natural environment and must also agree to follow the safety instructions of our tutors at all times. It is important to recognise that, although tutors are chosen for their experience in leading field study courses and are able to offer advice on safety procedures and conduct in the field, participants each have a legal responsibility to take all reasonable precautions to maintain their own safety and not to endanger other members of the group.

Our Service to You

FSC endeavours at all times to offer and provide a quality service and we will accept responsibility should our services prove deficient or not of a reasonable standard. We have tried to ensure that this website has all the information you need to book the right course. Should you have any queries, or special requirements not covered here, please contact the Centres directly, where our staff will be happy to help. Any comments on this website will be most welcome, as will any suggestions for improvement - please use the feedback facility below, or contact webmaster@field-studies-council.org