The receipt of your deposit and/or final payment will indicate that you and your travel agent (when applicable) have read these Terms and Conditions, and that you (and your agent) have accepted them.
The Terms and Conditions below form the basis of the contractual relationship between Sinoway Travel and our clients. It is extremely important that our clients understand and accept these Terms and Conditions as well as all web contents.
Reservation
After receiving your booking request, one of our experienced travel agents will be assigned to assist you in building a pleasant travel plan that best suits your interests.
The final booking will be processed and be secured only upon the receipt of a deposit of 30% of the total tour cost from you. (Our average deposit amount is 30% of the total, but this amount is subject to change. It could possibly be higher, or lower depending on group size and itinerary. Your personal travel consultant will adjust the amount accordingly.) The full or final payment is required 30 days prior of tour starting date.
It is highly recommended that your tour reservation with Yangtze River Cruise be made 40 days prior to the actual traveling date while others be made 30 days prior to the actual traveling date. A full payment by credit card is required at the time of your last-minute booking made within 15 to 1 day prior to the actual traveling date.
Once your booking is confirmed, you will receive a confirmation letter from us, suggesting that the proposed flights, hotels, and tours be available at the time of print. If any conditions should change after the time of print, Sinoway Travel reserves the right to make changes and provide you with the similar alternative options.
Payment
1) We accept payment by PayPal, by Western Union, by Visa, Master card and American Express credit card, but not personal checks.
2) We also accept money wiring / Bank transfer. Please check the following instructions and make sure that you include your tracking code.
3)30% of total payment will be paid as deposit. To secure your booking, your payment for the deposit is required at the point that you agreed with our proposal. Please payonline through PayPal at our Payment Page.
4) Balance on the amount of 70% of total payment is due on 30 days prior of tour starting date. In some cases, when you book a tour or hotel in the same month, your balance is to be due latest 15 days prior to departure, or even less.
5) For urgent booking, you can pay in cash to our tour guide. An offical invoice will be prepared by us and display to you when you pay in cash, please ask our tour guide to sign on the Invoice. Please keep it as a receipt.
6) For urgent booking, if you choose to pay by credit card, we might have to take to our office in Beijing or Guilin. Our POS machine is available to accept your credit card, an extra 4% transaction fee will be charged than cash payment.
7) Disclaimer of Difference Caused by Exchange Rate (For clients who make payment by credit card only).
For the convenience of our clients, Sinoway Travel quotes in US$ in stead of in RMB. Due to the different exchange rates from each other countries or even from different banks, you may find that the actual payment that has been taken away from your credit card differs slightly from the original quotation in US$. Based on our experience, the difference may range from 1% to 3% higher or lower than the original quotes in US$. Sinoway Travel never charges anything more than what they have quoted to clients.
Clients who make payment by wire transfer or company check will pay exactly amount of what we has quoted in US$.
Cancellation Refunds
We very much regret that you are to cancel your trip in China. We understand you have the fair reasons behind your decision. Your refund, minus the cancellation fee, will be credited to your account within the next two weeks as of the date we receive your written cancellation request.
We will issue refund through PayPal. That is the most convenient way for us to transfer foreign currency to your account. If we are asked to tranfer funds to your bank account, we have to send report to Chinese authority and wait for their approval. Please understand that China is a socialist country, and it keeps strict financial control.
1) Deposit refund
Deposit paid by PayPal, Western Union or Cash
We will issue refund to your PayPal account. If you do not have a PayPal account, create a new account for free now.
If you cancel a trip, we will issue 100% refund of your deposit through PayPal for up to 60 days from the original day the deposit was sent.
If you cancel the trip after 60 days from the original day the deposit was sent, and 30 days prior of tour starting date, we will inform you how much transaction fee has been deducted by PayPal.
Deposit paid by credit card
10% of the full payment will be deducted from the total deposit you made by credit card.
2) Balance refund
We will issue refund to your PayPal account. If you do not have a PayPal account, create a new account for free now.
If you need to cancel a trip after you have paid balance, we might have booked hotels, airfares, vehicles, meals, tickets for your China vacations. There might be lost from both of us. To cancel the trip, the cancellation fee will be calculated as follows:
Balance paid by PayPal, Western Union or Cash
5% of the full payment will be deducted.
Balance paid by credit card
More than 30 days prior of tour starting day: 10% of the full payment.
Within 30 to 21 days prior of tour starting day: 20% of the full payment.
Within 20 to 7 days prior of tour starting day: 30% of the full payment.
Within 6 to 3 days prior of tour starting day: 50% of the full payment.
Within 2 to 0 days prior of tour starting day: 100% of the full payment.
At all events, your cancellation fee will be less than or equal to your full payment. No-show travelers will be charged 100% of the full payment. After the trip has begun, there will be no refund for unused services due to your early departure, late arrival, or missed days on tours.
Special Notes For Yangtze River Cruise: the payment for the Yangtze River Cruise will not be refunded if the cancellation notice is received less than 35 days prior to the date of the cruise.
At all events, your cancellation fee will be less than or equal to your full payment. No-show travelers will be charged 100% of the full payment. After the trip has begun, there will be no refund for unused services due to your early departure, late arrival, or missed days on tours.
Special Notes For Yangtze River Cruise: the payment for the Yangtze River Cruise will not be refunded if the cancellation notice is received less than 35 days prior to the date of the cruise.
Alteration of Itinerary
Before your booking has been processed, you still have the opportunity to alter your itinerary free of charge. After you receive the confirmation letter and you want to make changes to the itinerary, the alteration fee is up to $25 per request. Sinoway Travel reserves the right to modify the itinerary of the tour if air schedule or surface transportation changes, and/or events beyond its control make such alteration necessary. If such a situation arises, the increase or decrease of the tour cost will be recalculated and charged accordingly. If the arranged tour has to be changed due to the client's own wishes, he or she is supposed to pay for the additional corresponding cost.
Travel Documentation
All clients must be in possession of a valid passport and necessary visas or permits at the commencement of travel. All such documentation is the sole responsibility of the client. Sinoway Travel may assist you in applying for the necessary travel documentation upon request. We accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever for the failure of clients to obtain appropriate documentation.
Health Requirements
Clients should realize the international travel risk and familiarize themselves with health requirements applicable to the areas they intend to visit. The client is solely responsible for checking the safety and security conditions, vaccination, and other health requirements of governments in countries visited or transited. Due to the extreme high altitude, the individual traveler to Tibet is required to provide a doctor's certificate stating that the he/she is fit to travel and his/her blood pressure and heart condition are normal.
Luggage Allowance
In accordance with regulations of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China, the free baggage allowance within China is 20kg for the economy class, 30kg for the business class, and 40kg for the first class, plus limited carry-on luggage. Excess baggage charges are the sole responsibility of the client. Regulations within China specify that all suitcases must have a locking device attached. Failure to follow this regulation may result in refusal by airport staff to load suitcases onto the aircraft.
Insurance
On top of the travel insurance from your home country with specific overseas coverage, you will be automatically covered by the China Life Tourist Accident/Casualty Insurance. However, this insurance is not applicable to the sole hotel or flight booking.
Communications
You can contact us via web form www.chinadiscover.net, email, fax, or phone call. If for any reason, you fail to receive any reply from us in regard of your tour status within 24 hours from the time you submitted the request for booking, modifying, or canceling a tour, you are responsible to contact Sinoway customer service center at booking@chinatourguide.com or phone at 86-20-37251788 immediately.
Complaints and Claims
Shall you feel unsatisfied with any service we has provided, you agree to notify your local tour guide or your travel agent right away to avoid the potential similar problems from happening again during your trip.
In the event of a complaint or claim for compensation, please inform us by email, regular mail, or facsimile in writing within 15 days from the end of your tour. Relevant receipts and substantiating evidence must be attached to the letter of claim. Please contact our customer service center at booking@chinatourguide.com or phone at +86 20 37251788 as soon as possible, we will pay high attention to every complaint, and we believe that our customers' satisfaction is our first concern, any minor suggestion can help us to improve our quality of service..
Responsibility
Sinoway Travel shall not be liable for any loss, injury, or damage to person, property in connection with climatic conditions, sea fire, breakdown of machinery or equipment, acts of government or other authorities, wars whether or not declared, civil disturbances, strikes, riots, thefts, epidemics, quarantines, medical or customs regulations, terrorist activities, or any other actions, omissions or conditions beyond Sinoway Travel's control. Neither Sinoway Travel nor any of its affiliates or subsidiaries shall be or become liable or responsible for any additional expenses of liability sustained or incurred by the tour member as a result of any of the aforementioned causes.
Sinoway Travel shall not be responsible for any wrongful or negligent acts, omissions, or the failure of any equipment operated by any suppliers such as transportation carriers, cruise, and hotels, or any other party not directly owned or controlled by Sinoway Travel.
Sinoway Travel is not responsible for individual traveler's negative actions while passing the customs.
Sinoway Travel is not responsible for the stolen and lost of valuable items of tourists because of his/her negligence.
Sinoway Travel reserves the right to substitute hotels, flights, or cruise ships, to alter itineraries, or to cancel the tour prior to departure. If Sinoway Travel cancelled any tour prior to the commencement of the tour, Sinoway Travel is liable for a full refund of the money received by Sinoway Travel.
Many of Sinoway Travel tour packages include activities which require attention, caution and discipline such as climbing onto/out of the boats and up/down to the hills, entering the exiting ancient tombs or caves, and so on. You will receive advice and assistance in these activities from your tour guides, but it is at your own risk to undertake such activities. Sinoway Travel, its employees and agents cannot be responsible for participants not having exercised normal and customary caution, stayed with the group, and/or heeded the advice and instructions of your tour guides.
Sinoway Travel reserves the right to modify or rescind the terms and conditions in whole, or in part at any time with or without notice. |
