The following Book with Confidence Terms (“Supplementary Terms”) are supplementary to our Booking Terms & Conditions and as such, these Supplementary Terms amend our Booking Terms & Conditions. Save as otherwise amended by these Supplemental Terms, our Booking Terms & Conditions continue in full force and effect.
Where you make a booking with us whilst these Supplementary Terms are in place, these Supplementary Terms and our Booking Terms & Conditions form the basis of your contract with us, Field Studies Council (FSC), a charity with charity numbers 313364 (for England and Wales) and SC039870 for Scotland, and a company limited by guarantee with company number 00412621, registered in England and Wales of Preston Montford, Montford Bridge, Shrewsbury, SY4 1HW.
We understand the difficulties of making plans in the current situation when guidelines continue to change. For bookings made from 1st September 2020 and due to take place before 31st July 2023, the following Supplementary Terms will apply. Where there is a conflict between the Terms contained within and our Booking Terms & Conditions, these Terms will prevail.
- Payment Schedule (Amendment to Condition 5 of our Booking Terms & Conditions)
When you contact us we will set out in writing the details of the booking between us and you. A booking is made with us when you pay us a holding deposit, which will differ depending on the type of booking (please see Condition 2 of our Booking Terms & Conditions for more information) and we send you a written confirmation.
A binding contract will come into existence between you and us as soon as we have received your holding deposit (or full payment if booking within 2 weeks of your arrival date) and have issued you with a booking confirmation that will confirm the details of your booking.
2. Cancellation due to COVID-19 related reasons (Amendment to Condition 6 of our Booking Terms & Conditions)
A COVID-19 related reason will be determined by us at our absolute discretion, but can include any of the following, if these scenarios affect the courses and/or experiences you have booked with us prior to your arrival date:
a) If the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advise against travel (including non-essential travel) to your destination;
b) If the national and/or local authority pass laws or impose restrictions that prevent you from travelling to the destination. E.g. advise against travel within the United Kingdom due to the implementation of a local or national lockdown, or the restriction of travel between tiers;
c) The implementation of a Government policy advising against educational visits and/or school closures;
d) If you are required to self-isolate/quarantine preventing you from travelling, including where you have been diagnosed with COVID-19, where you have been in contact with someone that has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or where you have been contacted by the National Health Service’s Test and Trace system and are required to self-isolate. Please see additional information affecting bookings with multiple participants in Condition 3 of these Terms.
e) You are required to self-isolate/quarantine after returning from another destination, preventing you from travelling. Please see additional information affecting bookings with multiple participants in Condition 3 of these Terms.
You will have the following options if you wish to cancel your booking at any time prior to your arrival date due to a COVID-19 related reason:
- Date flexibility: You can change your booking to another date/course until 31st July 2023 at any FSC Centre (availability permitting). In this case we will retain your holding deposit and you will be required to make final payment 2 weeks before your new arrival date at your FSC location. If you move your booking and cancel for any reason, other than the reasons listed above, you will be liable to pay any outstanding payment at the times specified in Condition 2 of your Booking Terms and Conditions based on the new date of booking.
- Refund: We will refund you in full any payment you have made, within 28 days of cancellation.
How to cancel: You must notify us of your cancellation and the reason for cancellation in writing. Any cancellation will only be effective when we receive it in writing. If you choose to change to an alternative course or postpone to a later date, a binding contract will come into existence between you and us as soon as we have issued you with a new booking confirmation that will confirm the booking of your alternative course or new dates of your booking. The right to cancel in the above circumstances will only arise 14 days before your scheduled arrival date and, if your reason for cancelling is a), b) or c), will only apply if the relevant restrictions are still in place at the time of cancellation.
If you need to cancel your booking for other reasons that are not listed above, we will try to accommodate your request but you will be liable to pay any outstanding payment at the times specified in Condition 6 of our Booking Terms & and Conditions. Please contact us in writing to discuss your request.
- Transfer of Booking and Minimum Number Requirements
If you or any other participant included in your party is prevented from travelling due to the requirement to self-isolate/quarantine, that person(s) may transfer their place to someone else, subject to that person being introduced by you and satisfying all the conditions applicable to the booking, any outstanding balance payment is paid and the transferee (or their parent/guardian if under 18) agrees to these Terms and our Booking Terms & Conditions. You and the transferee remain jointly and severally liable for payment of all sums.
If you are unable to find a replacement taking the number of participants below the minimum required, please contact us as soon as possible. In some circumstances, it may be possible for us to continue to offer the course with fewer participants and we will let you know if this is the case. If we are able to continue to offer the course, it may increase the per person booking price of those still participating and you will be liable to pay this increase.
However, if it is not possible for us to continue to offer the course due to minimum numbers not being met, you will have the option of moving your booking to an alternative date. In this case we will retain your holding deposit and you will be required to make final payment 2 weeks before your new arrival date at your FSC location. Since we incur costs in cancelling your arrangements, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result of failing to reach the minimum number of participants required.
- General
These Terms do not restrict or limit your rights contained within our Booking Terms & Conditions but offer you alternative cancellation options if you cancel in accordance in accordance with Condition 1 of these Terms.
These Terms only apply pre-departure. You are not entitled to the benefits of these Book with Confidence Terms where you curtail your booking after your arrival date in circumstances where you have no reasonable cause for complaint about the course or services provided. Please see Condition 7 of our Booking Terms & Conditions.