INDIA AND SRI LANKA PROJECTS
Your contract is with Loraine Scheepers trading as Vets and Wildlife hereinafter referred to as Vets and Wildlife.
All bookings are subject to Vets and Wildlife Terms & Conditions. When you submit your booking you acknowledge that you have read and understood the Terms & Conditions as set out below and confirm that you are bound to them.
YOUR CONTRACT
All applicants for Vets and Wildlife volunteer programs must complete an online application form and accept the terms and conditions. In the case of minors, a parent or legal guardian must sign. The person or persons who have signed the forms are hereafter referred to as the clients and/or applicants. The client agrees to be bound by these terms and conditions. No agent, representative or client of Vets and Wildlife has any right to alter, vary or waive any of these conditions. This contract, by whoever it is made and wherever it is made, is subject to and shall be governed and construed according to South African Law.
PAYMENT AND ACCEPTANCE OF APPLICATION
On Vets and Wildlife approval of an online application, a provisional booking will be sent to the client via e-mail. The client must then agree to the dates via email to Vets and Wildlife and pay 50% of the total fee, or a lesser amount as determined by Vets and Wildlife. Such deposits are non-refundable, non-transferable, to other persons and except for exceptional circumstances non-transferable to other projects. In the event of a Veterinary University refusing to allow the applicant to participate in the project for the purpose of EMS, the applicant will receive a full refund of any monies paid to Vets and Wildlife. Please note that whilst provisional bookings are indications of project availability, volunteer placements are only confirmed upon receipt of a signed enrolment form and the required deposit.
Please note Airfare and other travel arrangements should only be made after confirmation of a volunteer placement. It is essential that refundable and changeable flight tickets are purchased and that domestic flights are booked separately from international flights. This is because due to circumstances outside our control project times and locations may be changed. Many low cost flight providers will not allow changes to booked flight details or will require exorbitant fees to effect such changes. The balance of the program price is payable in full, one month before date of departure. If the balance is not paid by the due date, Vets and Wildlife reserves the right to disqualify the applicant and cancel the agreement, all amounts paid to Vets and Wildlife will normally be forfeited. For applications made a month or less before the start of the volunteer program the FULL fee is payable on application.
CANCELLATION BY CLIENT
Any notification of cancellation must be in writing. The date on which the letter is received by Vets and Wildlife or its agents will determine the cancellation charges applicable. In the event of cancellation the following charges will normally apply: less than 30 days before departure 100% of total program cost forfeited. Between 60 and 30 days before departure 50% of total program cost forfeited. More than 60 days before departure cost of deposit is forfeited.
CANCELLATION BY VETS AND WILDLIFE
Vets and Wildlife reserves the right to cancel any program for any reason. In the event of a program being cancelled, the client may elect to have a full refund of all moneys paid to Vets and Wildlife or alternatively transfer to any other program that Vets and Wildlife is in a position to offer. No further liability by Vets and Wildlife to the client in this regard will apply.
UNUSED SERVICES
In the event of a client failing to join a program, joining after departure, or leaving prior to completion, no refunds will be made or liability accepted by Vets and Wildlife.
CHANGES
Vets and Wildlife does not accept any liability arising out of changes to itineraries, or any other matters relating to a program, due to factors outside its control. These factors include, but are not limited to, wars, strikes, weather, political disputes, border closures, delayed flights, etc. Any expenses incurred by the client arising out of these changes are for their own account.
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
All clients MUST be in possession of the necessary insurance, and a valid passport, together with any necessary visas, the client accepts full responsibility in this regard. Should a client be refused entry to any country due to incorrect or incomplete documentation, Vets and Wildlife will not be held liable for any costs or repatriation costs in relation thereto. It is the client's responsibility to obtain full travel and health insurance for the duration of their stay abroad.
MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS AND VACCINATIONS
It is the client's responsibility to check and follow their Doctor's advice (in sufficient time before travelling) on the current inoculations/medical precautions they must take before travelling.
PLEASE NOTE - Inoculation against Rabies is compulsory for ALL Vets and Wildlife projects. It is also the client's responsibility to inform Vets and Wildlife of current or former medical conditions or treatment arising from said medical conditions.
AUTHORITY ON TOUR
The client accepts that at all times the decisions of the designated person in charge at that specific time will be final on all matters including, but not limited to issues relating to the safety and well-being of the client.
UNSUITABILITY
During a program should a client, in the opinion of Vets and Wildlife or its duly authorized representative, be considered unsuitable for the program, e.g. being in contravention of any customs or laws of their host country or causing inconvenience or annoyance to other clients/people, then Vets and Wildlife may disqualify the applicant. In such circumstances transportation to the nearest town will be provided. Vets and Wildlife will not make any refund to the client and no other liability by Vets and Wildlife to the client will arise.
PROMPT ASSISTANCE
If a client is in difficulty or discomfort as a result of unforeseeable circumstances outside the control of Vets and Wildlife, regardless of fault, Vets and Wildlife will offer such prompt assistance as is reasonable in the circumstances.
WEATHER
Weather in the world in general is becoming more unpredictable and erratic.
Vets and Wildlife cannot be held responsible for disruptions and/or variations in your project caused by unforeseen weather conditions.
PRICES
Vets and Wildlife reserves the right to vary program prices in the light of any inflation in fuel costs, accommodation costs, park entrance fees or fluctuation in exchange rates. Vets and Wildlife will endeavor to keep such variations to a minimum but may apply surcharges.
DEFAMATION
Any client found to be defaming the Vets and Wildlife programs/projects or the character of any project personnel will immediately be asked to leave the program without a refund from Vets and Wildlife.
EXCURSIONS
Excursions that are outside of Vets and Wildlife organized projects, whosoever arranges them are at the client’s own risk. Vets and Wildlife recommends that volunteers do NOT visit local pubs & nightclubs or walk around the streets alone. Neither should clients travel unaccompanied on local public transport. Vets and Wildlife advises strongly against casual relationships with local persons. Vets and Wildlife does not accept responsibility for the outcome of any of the actions above.
DATA PROTECTION
In order to process your application in an efficient and timely manner we sometimes need to pass on some of your personal data to third party service providers. We take full responsibility for ensuring that proper security measures apply to the information in our possession but we must pass information on to project providers. Data protection legislation within your host country may not be a stringent as Europe but we will not pass on more information than is necessary to complete your booking. The most commonly used information is name and address, medical conditions and dietary requirements.
CLIENT RESPONSIBILITY
It is the client's responsibility to check the most recent travel guidelines at regular intervals before departure to their chosen project. This can be done by visiting the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website www.fco.gov.uk. It is essential that volunteers take responsibility for their own safety and use all available information to make an informed decision as to the risks of travelling to their host country. Any information or advice given by Vets and Wildlife or its agents is given in good faith but clients must also rely on advice from Government agencies and their own judgement. Clients are bound by the aforementioned terms and conditions and confirm that enrolment information is complete and accurate. Any false declaration would render any claim whatsoever void and the client could further be held liable for prosecution in terms of the laws governing the host country.