Terms and Conditions

This document details the terms and conditions that are legally binding and apply to the services provided by MARION VALL DE RUTEN SAS – CHIC TOURS & EVENTS, referred in this document as “We” or “CHIC TOURS & EVENTS”. By making a reservation with CHIC TOURS & EVENTS, you are deemed to have fully and knowingly agreed to these terms and conditions.

1. RESERVATION PROCESS

(a) We strive to provide a personalized Itinerary that suits your requirements. Enquiries may be made through a third-party travel agent or by contacting CHIC TOURS & EVENTS directly at gerencia@chictours.com.co. Thereafter, CHIC TOURS & EVENTS will design a personalized itinerary (hereinafter “Itinerary”) and provide you with a price.

(b) Once you have confirmed the Itinerary, we will receive a) your Booking Confirmation, b) your deposit, and c) a copy of all clients’ passports; at which time your reservation will be effective.

(c) When a reservation is made, the client declares that he or she is of legal age and has the legal capacity to be bound. Additionally, you declare that you agree to our terms and conditions, that you have the authority to bind and act on behalf of all members of your party to these Terms & Conditions, and that you assume responsibility as the lead name on the reservation to make payment.

(d) In the event of a direct client of CHIC TOURS & EVENTS, all correspondence and other communications will be sent to the address in the Booking Confirmation, unless specified otherwise.

(e) The Services in your Itinerary require detailed information of all passengers travelling. We will therefore ask you at the time of booking for a legible copy of the passport data page of each one of the members of your party, which will be subject to our privacy policy.

(f) Special requests that are essential for the client, such as dietary preferences, room location preference, room with single or double beds, flight seat, which are a determining factor in the scheduling of services, must be indicated in writing in the Booking Confirmation. CHIC TOURS & EVENTS will try to arrange for Special Requests to be met but cannot guarantee that they will be, and will not be liable if any Special Request is not met.

2. PRICE, DEPOSITS & PAYMENTS

(a) To Confirm the reservation, a deposit must be made in accordance with the provisions of section 2.b of these terms and conditions, without prejudice to the fact that the quote for the services issued by CHIC TOURS & EVENTS establishes special conditions for a service schedule in particular special.

(b) Payment terms:
Low season (April 1 – November 30):
– 20% of the total + expenses* to confirm the Reservation.
– 100% of the total reservation 45 days before arrival.
High season (December 1 – March 31):
– 20% of the total + expenses* to confirm the Reservation.
– 100% of the total reservation 60 days before arrival.

NOTES:
• Expenses refer to any value or deposit that is specifically requested by our suppliers for the establishment of reservations or guarantees for the provision of specific services (i.e. hotel, flights or activity deposit).

(c) Applicable taxes. The rates indicated in the quote and Invoice do not include taxes of 19% VAT. According to local laws, foreign residents are exempt from VAT by providing a copy of their passport and immigration stamp in Colombia to CHIC TOURS & EVENTS. In any case, CHIC TOURS & EVENTS is not responsible for national tax reforms and/or new taxes that may be created or modified by the government. The taxes and contributions established by the Colombian Government and in force during the execution of the itinerary would be applied.

(d) If the reservation payments are not made according to the schedule established in section 2.b, the reservation will be canceled automatically and CHIC TOURS & EVENTS will proceed to collect the cancellation charges as listed in section 3d.

(e) All itinerary costs are based upon the specified services in your Itinerary and Invoice. CHIC TOURS & EVENTS is under no obligation to disclose a breakdown of the costs involved in an Itinerary.

(f) Availability of hotels, properties and services cannot be guaranteed until your deposit is made and your reservation has been accepted. We reserve the right to alter the prices of any Itineraries advertised/shown on our website or set out in our written proposal to you at any time before your deposit is made.

(g) Hotels, properties, transportation, activities and meals are included as indicated on the Itinerary documents and Invoice. Hotel taxes and service charges are included in itinerary costs. International departure or airport taxes cannot be pre-paid and are not included in the itinerary cost.

(h) Payments may be made by bank transfer or credit card (American Express, Visa, MasterCard). In all cases, a reservation will not be confirmed until we receive the funds in our account.

(i) Please note that all payments made by credit card may be processed in Colombian pesos (COP). If applicable, they will be converted from the invoice currency to COP according to the official exchange rate on the day of payment. We are not responsible for any charges, commissions or fees that your bank may charge you for a payment processed in a foreign currency.

3. AMENDMENTS & CANCELLATIONS

(a) All requests for amendments or cancellations to your Itinerary must be made in writing and sent by email to travel@chictours.com.co.

(b) If you wish to change your Itinerary after it has been confirmed, CHIC TOURS & EVENTS will do its best to assist you, but cannot guarantee that the amendment will be possible. Amendments to a reservation are subject to availability and may generate extra costs.

(c) Depending on the moment in which CHIC TOURS & EVENTS receives the cancellation notification, the penalties will be the following:

Low season (April 1 – November 30):
– 46 days or more prior to arrival: penalty of 20% of the reservation + bank fees + expenses*
– 45-31 days prior to arrival: penalty of 40% of the reservation + bank fees + expenses*
– 30-16 days prior to arrival: penalty of 60% of the reservation + bank fees + expenses*
– 15 days or less prior to arrival, no-show and early departure: penalty of 100% of the reservation + bank fees + expenses

High season (December 1 – March 31):
– 61 days or more prior to arrival: penalty of 20% of the reservation + bank fees + expenses*
– 60-31 days prior to arrival: penalty of 50% of the reservation + bank fees + expenses*
– 30 days or less prior to arrival, no-show and early departure: penalty of 100% of the reservation + bank fees + expenses

NOTES:
• Expenses refer to any deposit that is requested specifically by our suppliers for the reservations or guarantees for the provision of specific services (i.e. hotel, flights or activity deposit).

(d) Substantial amendments after confirmation. Substantial amendments to an itinerary are considered to be the modification of one destination for another, change of dates, or any other amendments deemed substantial that it requires significant effort by CHIC TOURS & EVENTS. In which case, an amendment penalty equivalent to half of the penalty applicable in case of cancellation (3.c) + expenses will apply. The balance may be applied towards the value of the new itinerary within a period of 1 year. If the new reservation requires a larger deposit than what has already been paid, the difference must be paid to confirm the new reservation.

(e) Insurance policy. It is very important that your trip is covered by a suitable and appropriate insurance policy, which must be contracted by each client. Please note that if the reason for your cancellation is covered by the terms of your insurance policy, you may be able to claim back some or all of the cancellation charges.

(f) CHIC TOURS & EVENTS changes. After the itinerary has been paid in full and your reservation has been confirmed, CHIC TOURS & EVENTS as a tourism agency will make every effort to operate the itinerary as advertised. We plan services well in advance using independent suppliers such as airlines, hotels, local transport operators and guides, over which we have no direct control. CHIC TOURS & EVENTS reserves the right to modify the programmed itinerary in response to extraordinary circumstances beyond its control. In the case of relevant changes in CHIC TOURS & EVENTS’s opinion, the client or their travel agent will be notified as soon as possible and you will have the option of (i) accepting the changes suggested by Us; (ii) arrange a new Itinerary of comparable standard if available from us; or (iii) cancel your Itinerary and receive a refund. If you choose a new, more expensive Itinerary you must pay the difference, but if it is cheaper CHIC TOURS & EVENTS will make the corresponding refund. If you decide to cancel, our cancellation policy described in clause 3(c) applies.

In the event of force majeure, no compensation will be paid and the resulting costs will be the responsibility of the itinerary participants.