Terms & Conditions

  1. Introduction to our "Terms and Conditions."

    The following Terms & Conditions apply to all bookings made through True Ecuador Travel. Use of our website and forms, and the process of booking implies the acceptance of these terms and conditions in the absence of a signed contract agreement. These terms and conditions indicated below relate to and describe the relationship between True Ecuador Travel and the client, and express the relationship and obligations of both parties. The terms “we”, “us” and “our” refer to True Ecuador Travel, while the term “you” refers to the visitor to our website, persons booking a reservation through us or otherwise using our travel services.
    True Ecuador Travel reserves the right to make modifications to this agreement in line with changes in Ecuadorian law or other relevant conditions without prior notice. Please refer to our website www.true-ecuador-travel.org whenever necessary to review the most current version of the Agreement. Your continued access to or use of our website or travel services implies your acceptance of any modifications to the Agreement. We may terminate this Agreement at any time for any reason, and such termination shall not affect any right to relief to which we are entitled at law.

    True Ecuador Travel is a registered travel agency and limited company in Ecuador, complying with legal, financial and insurance requirements under Ecuadorian law.

    True Ecuador Travel ONLY uses registered, legal and reliable service providers for all the services that we offer to our clients. We will be happy to provide details of these to any prospective clients.

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  2. Booking policies and procedures.

    • We can receive request for bookings by e-mail, online booking form, and telephone/ Skype
    • Once we have confirmed services or spaces are available, we will confirm by e-mail to you along with payment conditions that apply.
    • A client reservation is considered as confirmed only after a deposit has been made or, in the case of LAST MINUTE DEALS, after the full payment has been sent.
      • Each supplier has their own policies regarding reservation confirmation and True Ecuador Travel will ensure that you are adequately informed of any relevant policy that may affect the confirmation of your space so that payment can be made in a timely fashion both for the reservation and final payments.
      • If you do not make payment within the advised time frame then True Ecuador Travel accepts no responsibility for the loss of the reservation.
    • In the case of airline tickets, payment in full must be made prior to True Ecuador Travel purchasing the tickets as these will be non-refundable. True Ecuador Travel accepts no responsibility for late payments that result in the loss of the original reservation and changes to the flight prices.
      • To book flights we need the full name of each passenger and a clear color scan of their passport along with confirmation of the date, airline, flight number and time of the flight.
    • You can make bookings for a service with no deposit, but your reservation will not be guaranteed without a deposit.  Bookings made without a deposit imply no obligation or responsibility on the part of True Ecuador Travel.
      • Personal information provided to us will remain confidential. It will not be sold, rented, traded or shared with any third party.
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  3. Client cancellations and reimbursement policies.

    We strongly advise all clients to take out suitable travel insurance to cover situations that may result in late cancellation or postponement of your trip.

    Any cancellation must be notified to us in writing and will only be effective upon receipt of such written notification.

    • For services contracted from third party suppliers True Ecuador Travel is bound by their cancellation policies. We will do what we can to mediate in these circumstances on behalf of the client, however we are finally bound by the supplier's policy for cancellations and reimbursements.
    • Deposits: We will reimburse deposits for programs cancelled within specified time limits that do not qualify for supplier penalties minus a handling fee of $25 or 20%, whichever is LESS. In the case that the supplier levies their own cancellation penalty then we will subtract this first from the deposit and calculate our handling fee on the remaining balance. This will be returned to the client within 28 days.
    • Hotel bookings: True Ecuador Travel is bound by the cancellation policies of each individual hotel. These can be described at the time of booking. We will do whatever we can to reduce any penalty levied by a hotel for late cancellation.
    • Last Minute bookings: Any "Last Minute" tour or excursion must be paid in full in order to confirm the booking. Once paid last minute bookings do not qualify for any reimbursement due to cancellation or no-show.
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  4. Prices and Quotations.

    All the prices that we quote, including those shown on our website, are inclusive of our handling fees and local sales taxes and, when published, are correct at the time of publication. Prices may be subject to change from the suppliers from time to time. Quotations will have a time limit for their applicability, and it is up to the client to ensure that any deposits and payments are made within the time limit in order to obtain the quoted price. Please be aware of any potential delays in making payments or transfers to take this into account. True Ecuador Travel will not be responsible for lost bookings through late receipt of payment.
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  5. Variation in services

    At times and due to varying local or temporal circumstances a tour or service may be changed by the independent operator from what was originally described to the client. True Ecuador Travel will always do whatever we can to inform clients prior to the start of the tour of any changes that are being made. If this is the case then:
    • The operator is obliged to clearly communicate the nature of the changes and the reasons for the changes to True Ecuador Travel and/or the client as soon as these are known.
    • The operator is obliged to supply the client with services of equal value and as similar to those originally offered as is possible under the circumstances.
    • The client has a right to complain if he/she feels that the situation is unclear or unfair, or that the new arrangement does not equal the quality of the original offering.
    In the case of the total cancellation of a reserved tour or activity due to circumstances such as not achieving the required number for the tour or activity the client has the right to receive a total refund.
    All tours, packages and services are sold as advertised with specific details, dates and itineraries.
    True Ecuador Travel declines to accept any responsibility for cancellations or delays in transport by air, road or sea that are not part of a package tour or activity and that result in a client not taking any tour or service purchased. Any extra costs incurred by such cancellations or delays are solely the responsibility of the client. Reimbursement will not be made for the loss of tours or activities not taken as a result of transport delays.
    Clients who choose not to take part in any tour or activity, or who do not use any service that is part of a package or activity will not be able to claim a refund for the service, tour or activity not taken.
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  6. Products and suppliers for tours and related activities.

    True Ecuador Travel acts only as the agents of all suppliers of accommodation, transport and other activities recommended by us, and not as suppliers or principals.
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  7. Deposits and payments for tours and services.

    We will send you written confirmation of your booking, detailing the itinerary and arrangements included, the total cost, the amount to pay as a deposit, any amount already paid and, if necessary, how much remains to be paid, along with the dates by which any and all payments are due.
     
    For tours, activities and packages provided by third-party operators:
    • A deposit of 30% of the full cost is necessary to confirm the booking of your program and/or other travel requirements. The remaining balance will be payable at least 21 days prior to the start of your program, except in the case of last minute bookings
    • For last minute bookings the entire payment in full is required to process the booking and must be made by the agreed date in order to confirm the tour, package or activity.
    For programs of Spanish classes and volunteering:
    • No deposit is required, but payment must be made at the start of the program in Ecuador.
    • Students can pay all or part before arriving in Ecuador, or can pay by the week once they start their program, either by cash or credit card, or by local bank transfer if they have access to full online banking.
     
    A contract shall come into effect between True Ecuador Travel and you the client upon receipt by us of the relevant deposit or, in the case of a late booking, upon receipt of full payment of the holiday.
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  8. Documentation.

    True Ecuador Travel advises all clients to check their travel documents at the moment of booking to ensure that their passport will be valid (have at least 6 months validity before entering Ecuador), and that they will not need any special visa for their visit (a standard 90-day tourist visa is issued on arrival which is valid for tourism, volunteering and Spanish classes).

    True Ecuador Travel accepts no responsibility for the client's failure to take a pre-paid program due to immigration or other document-related problems.

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  9. Client changes to itinerary and services

    If you wish to alter your booking (ie. change the dates of your tour or program or vary the activities or the accommodation requested), we will use all our reasonable efforts to comply with your request. However you will be obliged to pay for any additional expenses that are incurred as a result (ie. cancellation fees payable to hotels and other suppliers). 
    If you decide to change your program or tour in any way once it has commenced (eg change accommodation or the duration of your stay), we will do what we can to help with the new arrangements, but we accept no liability for any loss, damage or additional expense and we cannot guarantee a refund of any cost already paid by you.
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  10. Procedures for complaints.

    In the event that you are not entirely satisfied with the services contracted through True Ecuador Travel, you should notify the complaint to our office in writing as soon as possible. In the first instance you can call our offices if there is a problem so that we can use all reasonable efforts to rectify the complaint as quickly as possible. If the problem cannot be resolved during the holiday period, you should contact us in writing within 14 days of returning from holiday and we will use all reasonable efforts to resolve the matter.
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  11. Miscellaneous.

    We regret that True Ecuador Travel cannot accept liability for any loss, damage or additional expense when the booking for a program, tour or activity needs to be altered or cancelled or if we are unable to perform our contractual obligations as a result of events of ‘force majeure’. In these Terms & Conditions ‘force majeure’ implies any event which could not have been reasonably foreseen, or the consequences could not have been reasonably avoided, by us or the suppliers of the relevant services in question, even with the exercise of all due care. Such events may include war or threat of war, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or man-made disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions and all similar events outside our or the relevant suppliers’ control.
    These Terms and Conditions and terms of contract and all matters arising therefrom are subject to Ecuadorean Law and to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Ecuadorean courts.
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