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THE DYNAMICS OF USING YOUR MONEY Any time you are considering travel, you need to know what your financial obligations are. Airlines, hotels, motor coaches, sightseeing and event entry fees all have to be guaranteed, and each requires a slightly different payment schedule. For the most part, these can be consolidated in two requirements; your deposit and your final payment. In order for Airlines to hold a 'block' of seats at their lower, group fares, they require a deposit almost as soon as the space is confirmed. For this reason, you will be asked for a substantial deposit at the time you book your tour. The local operator overseas will have made similar requests to all the hotels and coach operators - and THEY will require deposits to hold the group bookings they have made for me on your behalf. All operational entities will require payment in full by 40-45 days before departure. When I collect your final payments and send them abroad, I get back confirmations, vouchers, tickets or passes for all prepaid services. These have to arrive here in time for me to send them on to you by 'snail mail' - so 45 days is none too far in advance. Each commercial entity providing service has a different standard or tradition for refunding deposits or payments. Once hotels have payments in hand, it's reasonable to expect they will hold at least the value of one nights' stay before they refund. If there are 14 or 15 nights involved in your tour, you can see the holdback can amount to a considerable amount. Airlines and coach companies have such refund policies as well, and they differ from company to company. It is for this reason that my Responsibility Clause states I will make refunds under reasonable circumstances of ALL the money I CAN COLLECT from suppliers of service. It is very hard to collect refunds on cancellations made close to departure day - but I will always do my best on your behalf. If you book tours through Senior Safaris operated by other companies, their payment and refund policies will apply. In most cases they are similar to mine. RESPONSIBILITY CLAUSE: Sometimes this is the stuff written in very small print on the back of your schedule. Since you are entrusting your vacation plans to someone else, I feel this should be written in large type, and should make common sense. You need to know how your money will be handled, and the responsibilities assumed by the several entities who will handle it. I am personally committed to the proper stewardship of your funds, and will do my best to manage them in your best interest, according to the requirements of the travel and hospitality industry people who make your trip possible. It is the basic contract between Senior Safaris as your travel manager, and you as a purchaser or passenger on an adventure. It applies to all itineraries, so I'll write it just once. Paladin Senior Safaris, Lloyd A. Stevens (the Operator) and/or their travel management associates in the U.S. or abroad act only as agents for the passenger in all matters relating to travel by any means, and as such are not responsible for any damage, loss (including personal injury, death and/or local property loss) or expense occasioned by any act or omission of any supplier. Carriers, hotels and other suppliers providing tour services are independent contractors, and are not agents, employees or servants of, or joint venturers with the Operator or his affiliates. All tickets, certificates or other travel documents issued for tour services are subject to the terms and conditions of use specified by the supplier and to the laws of the countries in which the services are supplied. If, after tour departure, services indicated in the itinerary cannot be exactly supplied, or there are changes for reasons beyond the control of the Operator, he will arrange for provision of comparable services and/or accommodation. Any resulting additional expense will be payable by tour participants, and any resulting savings will be refunded. In order to ensure congenial membership, the Operator reserves the right to accept or retain any person as a tour participant, and to remove from the tour any member whose conduct is deemed incompatible with the interests of the group. Prices for membership are based on a complete package of service and accommodation, and itemization of component costs will not be rendered. Payment of deposit and/or other monies represents acceptance of these terms and conditions by the purchaser of this tour and/or participant.
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Senior Safaris and International Adventures are trademarks of Paladin Group
America, Ltd. All other products and companies mentioned are their registered
trademarks or trademarks of their associates.
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