Introduction
Please note that participation in events is only available to members of VinMog. If you are currently not a member but would like to join, please see our membership guide.
Your contract is with VinMog, an Association loi de 1901. As such, VinMog is limited in the number of events that it may organise each year, but for any event that we do organise these are our general booking conditions that will always apply.
Please see the individual event conditions/prospectus for details of additional conditions specific to an event. These booking conditions, together with the information contained in the event conditions/prospectus and booking-form, form the basis of your contract.
Events are arranged and led by the travel coordinator on behalf of VinMog. The booking conditions below seek to explain as clearly as possible the responsibilities undertaken between us when you make, and we accept, a booking.
1. To make a booking
Reservations can only be made directly with the VinMog travel coordinator who will furnish you with a booking form. This booking form must then be completed and signed by the person accepting the booking conditions on behalf of all those named on the form. It should then be posted to the travel coordinator together with a deposit before we will confirm your place(s) for the event. Due to the large number of possible variations, the amount of deposit required and the payment schedule is variable. Full details will be given in the event prospectus.
You are also subject to the conditions of carriage of any carriers used (which may limit or exclude liability to you), or other companies for whom we act as agents. Bookings are accepted at the discretion of the travel coordinator.
2. Payments
In order to keep the costs to you as low as possible, we do not accept payment by credit cards or PayPal.
We prefer payment by Direct Credit (commonly known as Faster Payment or BACS) to ASSOC. VINMOG at either of our euro or sterling accounts. Cheques should be made payable to Assoc. VinMog.
Account details and payment terms are on this site
You must pay the balance or interim payments on the date listed in the event prospectus which is usually at least ten weeks before the start of the event. If you book an event within ten weeks of its commencement you must pay the full cost at the time of booking. If for any reason the final payment is not received by this time you will be deemed to have cancelled your booking, and cancellation charges will be applied. Reminders will not necessarily be sent.
3. Our price policy
The prices given in the prospectus are the expected costs of the event described and will be confirmed by the travel coordinator when you make the booking. Once you have paid your deposit and the booking has been confirmed in writing, we guarantee that we will not increase the price of your event, except for any surcharge that may be imposed.
4. Surcharges
We reserve the right to impose a surcharge up to 30 days prior to commencement of the event if our costs increase due to unfavourable changes in exchange rates, increases in transportation costs, including cost of fuel, or if government action should require us to do so. Even in this case we will absorb an amount equivalent to 2% of the event price, excluding insurance premiums. Only amounts in excess of this 2% will be payable by you. Should a surcharge exceed 10% of the event price you will be entitled to cancel your booking and receive a refund of all monies paid except for insurance premiums. Should you decide to cancel because of this you must exercise your right to do this as soon as possible from the issue date of the revised invoice.
5. If you cancel your booking
Cancellations must be received in writing to be admitted and considered as effective. All refunds are based on the date the written letter, or electronic mail message, is received in our office. We can accept no responsibility for cancellation charges arising from correspondence delayed or lost in the post. Cancellation fees will be levied in line with the costs that VinMog will incur and these may vary from event to event. The scale of charges for each event will be listed in the event prospectus. Insurance premiums are NOT refundable. Should you be prevented from attending the event booked by circumstances which do not permit a claim on a normal insurance cancellation policy, you may transfer your booking to another person provided that person meets all the requirements relating to the event and your request is received by us at least ten weeks prior to departure. No refund will be given for any unused portion of any programme.
6. Transfers
If you wish to transfer your booking to another member, this may be possible, but only subject to the status of any waiting list for the event. We may require that your place be offered to those at the top of the list. We will make all reasonable efforts to meet any request received within ten weeks of an event but this cannot be guaranteed. Both the person taking over and the person leaving the booking will be responsible for paying any additional costs arising from the transfer. Any administrative costs of the name change will be your responsibility.
7. If we cancel your booking
Provided all monies have been paid we will not cancel your booking unless we are forced to do so:
- due to unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control which could not be avoided even with all due care having been exercised, or what is usually known as "force majeure" (see clause 15), or
- because the minimum number of bookings needed to operate the event has not been reached. In this case participants will be notified of the cancellation no later than ten weeks prior to the event commencement date.
If the event is cancelled then all monies paid, except insurance premiums, will be refunded without interest. We will NOT pay any compensation or be liable to refund you any incidental expenses that you may have incurred as a result of your booking such as visas, vaccinations, non-refundable connecting flights etc.
8. If we change your booking
Circumstances may require some changes to be made at any time to the particulars of any event (e.g. itineraries, overnight locations, meals or routes). Any such changes will be communicated to you as soon as possible and will be held to be of a minor nature. We will not materially change the value of the event and the original theme will be retained.
9. Comprehensive Travel Insurance
For all events involving destinations outside your home country it is a condition of travel that you are responsible for arranging suitable personal travel insurance. VinMog may require proof that this has been arranged. Suitable vehicle breakdown cover is highly recommended. In the event of you being unable to maintain the itinerary, due to breakdown or any other reason, the event coordinator will take what steps are possible to mitigate any loss to you, but it must be understood that no action may be taken that would cause significant inconvenience to others in the group.
10. Bookings are accepted on the following understanding
Changes in itinerary may be caused by local political conditions, ferry cancellations, industrial action, mechanical breakdown, weather, border restrictions, sickness or other unforeseen circumstances. No refund will be given for services not utilised. It is a fundamental condition of attending the event that a participant accepts the need for this flexibility and acknowledges that delays and alterations and their results, such as inconvenience, discomfort or disappointment, are possible.
It is necessary that a participant abides by the authority of, and co-operates with, the event coordinator. Signing the booking form signifies the participants’ agreement to this, and we reserve the right, at the travel coordinator's absolute discretion, to terminate without notice the booked arrangements of any participant who commits an illegal act when at the event or whose behaviour is such that it is likely, in the travel coordinator's opinion, or that of any accommodation owner or manager, or other person in authority, to cause distress, danger, damage or annoyance to other customers, employees, property or to any third party. If any participant is prevented from travelling because in the opinion of any person in authority he or she appears unfit to travel or is likely to cause discomfort or disturbance to passengers, our responsibility for that participant's booking will then cease. In all cases we will be under no obligation whatsoever for any costs incurred, and the participant concerned shall not be entitled to any refund.
11. Our liability to you
We promise to ensure that all parts of the event that we have agreed to arrange as part of our contract are provided to a reasonable standard and in accordance with that contract. We accept responsibility for any personal injury or death caused to you as a result of the proven negligent acts and/or omissions of our travel coordinators, agents, suppliers and sub-contractors. VinMog shall not be liable for any damages caused by the total or partial failure to carry out the contract if such failure is:
- attributable to the participant or any member of his or her party, or
- the fault of a third party unconnected to either the travel coordinator or VinMog, or
- a result of unusual or unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of the travel coordinator, VinMog or the supplier of the service in question which could not have been predicted or avoided even after taking all reasonable precautions, or
- the fault of any person who was not carrying out work for us (generally or in particular) at the time.
Where VinMog is found to be liable for damages in respect of its failure to carry out the contract the maximum amount of such damages will be limited to the price paid for the tour. Where the damages relate to the provision of transport by air, sea or rail, or hotel accommodation, any compensation payable will be further limited by the Warsaw Convention as amended by the Hague Protocol 1955 (Air), the Athens Convention 1974 (Sea), the Berne Convention 1961 (Rail), the Paris Convention 1962 (Hotel Accommodation), and the International Convention for the Carriage of Passengers & Luggage by Road 1974.
Any independent arrangements made by the participant that are not of the event are entirely at his or her own risk.
12. Should you have a complaint
In the event of problems arising during the event, participants should try to resolve them directly with the travel coordinator. If the problem cannot be resolved at this time an incident report form will be completed by the travel coordinator, a copy of which will be given to you. On return home you should write to VinMog giving full details of any complaint and enclosing your copy of the incident report form. This letter must be received by the organisation within 21 days of your return.
Complaints will be dealt with in accordance with the procedures of VinMog under which the complaint will be investigated within a given timescale. Should an amicable solution not be agreed an appeal will be handled at Board level.
13. Special requests
Any special requests made on your booking form are noted, and though we do our very best to comply with these we cannot guarantee they will be provided.
14. Travel arrangements
All timings are provisional and for your guidance only. Final details will be advised nearer the time of departure.
15. Event coordinators
We reserve the right to substitute event coordinators should circumstances make this necessary.
16. Force majeure
This is the term applied to unusual and unforeseeable circumstances that are beyond our control. Compensation payments do not apply to changes, cancellations or curtailment caused by reason of war, threat of war, riots, civil strife, terrorist activities, industrial disputes, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, floods etc, technical problems of transport, closure or congestion at ports, cancellation or changes of schedule by ferry companies or similar events. We cannot accept responsibility where the performance or prompt performance of our contract with you is prevented or affected as a result of such circumstance.