Terms & Conditions
The Essentials
If you do not wish to read through all the small print, these are the main points to bear in mind:
- Numbers
We cannot run a majority of our tours with fewer than two passengers. In some instances, the minimum is four (see individual tour descriptions). If you are a single traveller, then please check with us before making a booking to ensure that you won’t be alone. The maximum number we can accommodate is 12. If there are no bookings for a tour 3 hours prior to its scheduled departure, the tour will be cancelled. - Charges
Unless specifically stated as otherwise, the price of our tours does not include admission to the attractions we may visit along the way. There is no obligation to enter these attractions, but if you do, then you will be required to pay any entrance charges yourself. - Food & Refreshments
Our minibus is fitted with an electric coolbox, and refreshing drinks will be offered to our guests free of charge. We will also stop from time to time along the route, and guests are welcome to visit shops, pubs and restaurants, as time allows. However, we cannot be responsible for meeting any costs incurred, and guests will be required to supply or purchase their own lunches and snacks. - Animals & Pets
For the comfort and security of fellow passengers, we regret we cannot carry animals and pets. If you rely upon the aid of a registered Dog for the Disabled, such as a Guide Dog, then please Contact us before making a booking and we will do our utmost to accommodate you and your dog. - Disabled Passengers
We will do our best to carry disabled passengers on our tours, but please be aware that our minibus is not specially adapted for wheelchair users. Unless capable of being folded into a compact space, we also cannot always guarantee to be able to accommodate wheelchairs on the tour. Please Contact us before making a booking. - Route & Itinerary
Our itineraries and the routes we follow may be subject to change. They may also be dependent upon the weather, prevailing traffic conditions and other circumstances beyond our control. Tours may occasionally have to be cancelled due to extreme weather conditions, such as heavy snow, flooding or strong winds (which can bring down trees and endanger travel) or force majeure. If it proves necessary to cancel a tour, we will endeavour to contact all booked passengers as soon as possible. Where possible, the tour will be rescheduled or a full refund will be offered. - Availability
The availability of spaces stated on the website is as up-to-date as it can be, but bookings taken through other means may not always be registered on the site immediately. If we cannot accommodate you on a tour that you have booked through the website, for whatever reason, we will always do our utmost to find an alternative date or time that meets your requirements. If this proves impossible, then we will refund you in full. - Timing & delays
Each tour begins at the time and place stated. It is incumbent upon each guest to be ready to depart on time. In consideration of other passengers and their enjoyment of the day, departure will not be delayed, even if a passenger with a confirmed booking has not arrived. - Insurance & Liability
Passengers are covered by our general Public Liability Insurance, but this has limited and strictly enforced liabilities. Guests are advised to take out their own travel and personal insurance cover, and it is their own responsibility to do so. We visit a number of attractions en route, and these are owned or operated by third parties. We cannot be liable for any damage, loss or injury incurred while visiting these sites, or for unscheduled closure or restriction to services they may impose. - Children & Young Adults
Experience has suggested that our tours are not really suitable for children under the age of 8. While we do welcome passengers under 18 years of age, they must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or responsible adult. Children aged 12 – 18 are charged at the full adult price. For children under the age of 12 please contact us for child prices. - Luggage
Luggage space aboard the minibus is at a premium. Guests are requested to restrict their baggage to one modestly-sized bag, whether a small carry-all, shoulder bag or a camera case. We reserve the right to refuse to carry larger suitcases, rucksacks, panniers and trolleys unless in exceptional circumstances. - Smoking
Under current legislation, smoking is not permitted in any of our vehicles.
The ‘Smaller’ Print
The following paragraphs represent our full Terms & Conditions, and also include additional information which may be of use or interest to our guests.
Bookings, Payment & Tours
Booking a Tour
If you wish to book a tour with Cotswold Exploring, you can do this through the website. However, if the dates you are considering are at very short notice, it is advisable to Contact us first, either by telephone or by email, to ensure that your chosen tour is on schedule, and there is availability of space on the date you’ve chosen.
If you make a booking through the website, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement. This is not confirmation of your booking! This is merely the website’s programming letting you know that your booking has been successfully submitted to us. We will send you a personal email shortly afterwards. This email will be confirmation that your booking has been accepted, and that the dates and times you’ve selected are possible. If you co not receive this email within 24 hours, please Contact us again. In rare circumstances it may not be possible for us to accommodate your request, and we will give a full and detailed explanation of the reasons – see below.
If you book online within 24 hours of departure you must also telephone Cotswold Explorer to allow us to offer immediate verbal confirmation of your booking. If you do not, we cannot guarantee your booking will be successful.
Payment
You may pay using one of the following methods:
Through the website: From your chosen tour, select the Availability tab, and then click on your chosen date. Various options will open up below. Complete the booking process, checking that details are correct as you move from page to page. If you omit certain details, or make a mistake, you may be prompted. At the end of the process, you will be able to pay using PayPal, certain (but not all) credit or debit cards, or by direct bank transfer.
By Cheque: If you are booking well in advance, it may be possible to send us a cheque payable to “Cotswold Exploring” for the full amount due. However, cheques must be in Pounds Sterling and drawn on a British bank. Please Contact us if proposing to use this method.
By International Postal Order: This should be in Pounds Sterling, and can be purchased from most Post Offices. As with cheques, please Contact us if proposing to use this method.
By Bank Transfer: Please note that you will have to cover all the costs and bank charges. If you wish to use this method, please Contact us in order to confirm bank details etc.
Using Cash: We regret that we cannot accept payment in cash, either in advance, or on the day.
Cancelling or Changing your Booking
If you need to make alterations to the details of your booking, we will do everything we can to help. Cancellation or amendments to the booking must be made in writing.
Bookings cancelled up to 7 days before the date of the tour will receive a full refund. Bookings cancelled 2 – 7 days before the date of the tour will receive a refund of 50% of the price of the tour. We regret we can offer no refunds for tours cancelled with less than 48 hours notice.
On the occasion that a guest fails to arrive on time for the departure of the tour, the total amount of the fee will be retained and no refund will be offered.
In the case of a request to change the date and/or time of a confirmed booking, a £15 administration fee may be charged, at the discretion of the company.
These cancellation charges may be implemented in all cases. We recommend that you are fully covered by a comprehensive travel insurance policy.
Cotswold Explorer reserves the right to cancel trips under exceptional circumstances (as previously stated). In such cases clients will be promptly informed and offered either a transfer to a substitute tour, or an alternative tour provided by another operator, or a full refund of any monies paid to Cotswold Explorer.
Late Arrival
Our tours work to a tight schedule, and it is not possible for us to delay departure by more than a few minutes – if at all. We encourage all passengers to arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time, and to be ready to depart promptly at the time and place agreed. No refunds will be given for those who arrive late or miss the tour.
Liability
Passengers are covered by our general Public Liability Insurance, but this has limited and strictly enforced liabilities. Guests are advised to take out their own travel and personal insurance cover, and it is their own responsibility to do so. This should include appropriate and adequate insurance to cover death, personal injury, medical expenses, repatriation expenses, loss of or damage to luggage and contents, and any expenses associated with cancellation or curtailment of a tour. The client is also uniquely responsible for loss of or damage to baggage or personal possessions or consequential loss arising therefrom. In the event of client illness or client injury then the client must accept responsibility for any medical costs incurred and Cotswold Exploring shall not be liable to refund any part of the tour cost.
We visit a number of attractions en route, and these are owned or operated by third parties. We cannot be liable for any damage, loss or injury incurred while visiting these sites, or for unscheduled closure or restriction to services they may impose.
Cotswold Exploring accepts no responsibility for accidents occurring during the course of tour.
All Cotswold Exploring guides are members of the Oxford Guild of Guides and hold the guiding qualifications of the Institute of Tourist Guiding in London. Guests must at all times abide by the directions of the Tour Guide.
Cotswold Explorer reserves the right to terminate a tour if, in the opinion of the company, the behaviour of a guest or a group of passengers is, or is likely to be, disruptive, dangerous or upsetting to other people, or if such persons have caused or are likely to cause damage to property. Cotswold Explorer will not pay any refund or costs incurred by a client in the event that a tour is terminated due to unacceptable behaviour.
Comments & Complaints
We want our guests to enjoy their tour, and tell others of their experience with Cotswold Exploring. We rarely get complaints, but if you do have any concerns about your tour or the service you’ve received, then please tell the guide or the driver straight away. They will make every effort to resolve the problem immediately. In the event that a complaint cannot be resolved on the day, then please write to us as soon as possible.
We welcome comments and suggestions. If you have a good idea about ways in which you think our tour could be improved, please let us know! If you enjoy the tour, then tell the world. We have a very active page on TripAdvisor, as well as pages on Facebook and Twitter. It will be wonderful to meet you there!
Foreign Language Tours
Upon request, every effort will be made to find a guide that speaks your language. However, this may not always be possible, especially on a scheduled tour that you share with other passengers. If you specifically requested a foreign language guide, and we agreed to meet your requirements but, for whatever reason, are subsequently unable to do so, then you will be free to cancel your booking and a full refund will be offered.
School Tours
We welcome bookings from schools and educational establishments, and will be happy to tailor a tour to the specific needs of pupils and students.
When making a booking, schools and colleges should nominate a leader who will be responsible for the group, with at least two adult members of staff accompanying every ten pupils or part number thereof. They should also inform us of the age range of the students and, where applicable, the sphere of interest or course being studied. Please provide this information at the time of making a booking.
English Tours for Foreign Students
Guides can be booked to match the English level of the Group: Beginners or Intermediate. Please specify the level required on the Booking Form.
Fee Conditions
Each group leader counts as one person and there are no free places on tours and no price reduction for children.
Other T&Cs
In addition, Cotswold Exploring Limited is protected by a series of standard “Force Majeure” clauses relating to rare instances where, due to circumstances beyond our immediate control, we may be forced to make changes to a tour, or even cancel a booking. If you would like to receive a copy of these, please Ask.
The ‘Even Smaller’ Print
The sections below relate to your Privacy, how we hold Data about you, our use of Cookies, and how we strive to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations.
General Privacy & Mailing
We are firmly committed to respecting the privacy of our clients. If you are on our mailing list you will only receive communications from us that we believe are relevant to your interests, such as new tours or special offers, and you can remove yourself at any time from our list either by writing to us (see our Contact us page for full details) or by sending a blank email with “Unsubscribe Mailing List” in the subject line.
The Website
This website employs ‘cookies’ (see below ) for two reasons. Firstly, to allow us to monitor general non-specific statistics relating to traffic visiting the site, and secondly, to enable our clients to access their own records of bookings and reservations.
We never check or examine cookies individually. Analytical cookies allow us to monitor some very general statistics about the website and the traffic that visits it. Using Google Analytics and other similar webmaster tools, we can assess the volume of visitors to the site, as well as where visitors are coming from, the links they have used to reach the site, keywords they may have used in search engines, and so forth. We do not have the facility to make any further use of the information that these generic cookies may contain, and they are, at all times, anonymous.
If you place a booking with us, the details you submit will be placed securely in our database. Those details allow us to process your booking quickly and efficiently, and without this mechanism, it would be difficult for us to offer the kind of service of which we are very proud. It would also be impossible for us to offer an on-line booking facility. In addition, these details will always remain accessible to you if you have registered an on-line account with us, allowing you to log in at any time to check the details of your booking.
Changing your browser settings to decline cookies will enable you to opt out of the anonymous analytical data collection, should you wish to do so, but it may also restrict the level of service that we can offer to you, as a guest on one of our tours.
Website Links
This website includes some links to third-party websites, plug-ins and applications. Clicking on those links or enabling those connections may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. We have no control over these third-party websites and are not responsible for their privacy statements. When you leave our website, we encourage you to read the privacy notice of every website you visit.
Cookies
A cookie is a small text file placed on your hard drive by a web page server. They are usually stored in a folder entitled “Temporary Internet Files”. Where this folder is sited on your computer’s hard drive will depend upon the operating system you use. Please note that cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses. They do not contain information that can be used to identify you personally. Cookies simply enable website managers to track visitor numbers and routes through their web sites.
Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can opt out by changing your browser settings. If using Windows, please check your Internet Options dialogue via Control Panel, or under the “Tools” drop-down menu in Internet Explorer. In Google Chrome, the cookie control facility can be found under the “Options” dialogue within the wrench drop-down menu. Access in Firefox is via Tools/Options/Privacy.
Errors
The information given on this website has been carefully checked and we believe that it is correct at the time of writing. However, we reserve the right to make alterations and improvements to the tours that we offer. In addition, we cannot be held responsible for changes implemented by third parties, either to prices or details of attractions and services.
This website has been created and published in good faith, and in the belief that references, prices and content is factually accurate. If you discover errors, or you have additional relevant information that you feel might be of use to us, or to other visitors to this site, please let us know. We are always happy to develop and improve the content of the website.
If you encounter any problems with the website, such as broken links or problems with functionality, please contact our webmaster.
Privacy Notice, Data Protection & GDPR Compliance
Privacy Statement
This Privacy Statement provides you with details of how we collect and process your personal data through your use of our site at Cotswold Exploring (www.cotswoldexploring.co.uk). Isobel and David Lewis, Proprietors of the Business, are the Data Controllers and are responsible for your personal data (referred to as “we”, “us” or “our” in this privacy notice).If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice, please Contact us through this website, or you can telephone us using any of the numbers on our Contact page. It is important to you, and to us, that the information we hold about you is accurate and up to date. Please let us know if at any time your personal information changes by emailing us.
For the purposes of GDPR, Personal Data means any information capable of identifying you as an individual. That may be a named specific email address, your postal address, order details for a service we may have provided, and so forth. We may process the following categories of personal data about you, depending upon what our relationship has been:
• Communication Data. This includes any communication that you send to us whether that be through the Contact page on our website, through email, text, social media messaging, social media posting or any other communication that you send us. We process this data for the purposes of communicating with you, for record keeping and for the establishment, pursuance or defence of legal claims. Our lawful ground for this processing is our Legitimate Interests, which in this case are to reply to communications sent to us, to keep records and to establish, pursue or defend legal claims.
• Customer Data. This includes data relating to any purchases of services from Cotswold Exploring, such as a tour booking. This may include your name, title, billing address, delivery address email address, phone number, contact details, purchase details and your card details. We process this data to supply the goods and/or services that you have purchased and to keep records of such transactions. Our lawful ground for this processing is the performance of a contract between you and us and/or taking steps at your request to enter into such a contract.
• User Data. This includes data, typically stored as Cookies, which record how you use our website and the online services we provide. We process this data to operate our website and ensure relevant content is provided to you, to ensure the security of our website, to maintain back-ups of our website and/or databases and to enable publication and administration of our website, other online services and business. Our lawful ground for this processing is our Legitimate Interests which, in this case, are to enable us to administer our website and our business properly.
• Technical Data. This includes data, typically stored as Cookies, about your use of our website and online services such as your IP address, your login data (if you have an on-line account with us), details about your browser, length of visit to pages on our website, page views and navigation paths, details about the number of times you use our website, time zone settings and other technology on the devices you use to access our website. The source of this data is from our analytics tracking system. We process this data to analyse use of our website and other online services, to administer and protect our business and website, to deliver relevant content to you and to understand the effectiveness of our advertising. Our lawful ground for this processing is our Legitimate Interests, which in this case are to enable us to administer our website and our business correctly and efficiently, and to grow our business and to decide our marketing strategy.
• We may use Customer Data, User Data, Technical Data and Marketing Data to deliver relevant website content and advertisements to you (including Facebook adverts or other display advertisements) and to measure or understand the effectiveness of the advertising we serve you. Our lawful ground for this processing is Legitimate Interests, which is to grow our business. We may, very rarely, also use such data to send other marketing communications to you. Our lawful ground for this processing is either Consent or Legitimate Interests (namely to grow our business)
• Sensitive Data. We do not collect any Sensitive Data about you. Sensitive data refers to data that includes details about your race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation, political opinions, trade union membership, information about your health and genetic and biometric data. We do not collect any information about criminal convictions and offences.
Where we are required to collect personal data by law, or under the terms of the contract between us, and you do not provide us with that data requested, we may not be able to perform the contract (for example, to deliver goods or services to you). If you don’t provide us with the requested data, we may have to cancel a product or service you have ordered but if we do, we will notify you at the time.
We will only use your personal data for the purpose for which it was collected, or for a reasonably compatible purpose if necessary. For more information on this please Contact us. In case we need to use your details for an unrelated new purpose we will let you know and explain the legal grounds for processing. We will only process your personal data without your knowledge or consent where this is required by law.
We may collect data about you when you provide that data directly to us (for example, by filling in forms on our site or by sending us emails). We may automatically collect certain data from you as you use our website by using cookies and similar technologies. Please see our Cookie Policy (above) for more details about this.
We may receive data from third parties such as analytics providers, including Google, based outside the EU, advertising networks such as Facebook based outside the EU, search information providers such as Google based outside the EU, providers of technical, payment and delivery services, such as data brokers or aggregators.
Disclosure of your Personal Data
Under normal circumstances, we will not disclose or share your Personal Data with anyone else. However, there may be rare occasions when this is either necessary, or our legal obligation. This may include:
• Other companies who provide services to us and facilitate our provision of our services to you. This may, for example, include booking or travel agencies, third parties offering elements to a tour (such as stately homes we may visit or other attractions), hotels and tourist information bodies.
• Service providers who provide IT and system administration services.
• Professional advisers including lawyers, bankers, auditors and insurers.
• Government bodies that may require us to report processing activities.
We require all third parties to whom we transfer your data to respect the security of your personal data and to treat it in accordance with the law. We only allow such third parties to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions. We would not transfer your personal data outside the European Economic Area.
Data Security
We have put in place security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used, altered, disclosed, or accessed without authorisation. We also allow access to your personal data only to those employees and partners who have a business need to know such data. They will only process your personal data on our instructions and they must keep it confidential.
We have procedures in place to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach if we are legally required to.
Data Retention
We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. When deciding what is the correct period for keeping the data, we look at its amount, nature and sensitivity, potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure, the processing purposes, if these can be achieved by other means and legal requirements. For tax purposes the law requires us to keep basic information about our customers (including Contact, Identity, Financial and Transaction Data) for six years after they stop being customers. In some circumstances we may anonymise your personal data for research or statistical purposes in which case we may use this information indefinitely without further notice to you.
Your Legal Rights
Under data protection laws you have rights in relation to your personal data that include the right to request access, correction, erasure, restriction, transfer, to object to processing, to portability of data and (where the lawful ground of processing is consent) to withdraw consent. You can find out more about these rights on the ICO website. If you wish to exercise any of the rights set out above, please email us. You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal data (or to exercise any of the other rights). However, we may charge a reasonable fee if your request is clearly unfounded, repetitive or excessive or refuse to comply with your request in these circumstances.
We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access your personal data (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is a security measure to ensure that personal data is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it. We may also contact you to ask you for further information in relation to your request to speed up our response.
We try to respond to all legitimate requests within one month. Occasionally it may take us longer than a month if your request is particularly complex or you have made a number of requests. In this case, we will notify you.
If you are not happy with any aspect of how we collect and use your data, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues. We should be grateful if you would contact us first if you do have a complaint so that we can try to resolve it for you.
Copyright & Content
Photographs & Content
This website is in the public domain. You are therefore granted personal, non-transferable and non-exclusive access to read and reference the content of this website for your own personal use. However, you are reminded that all intellectual property rights, whatever their form, are copyright Cotswold Exploring or by the photographers and copywriters who have worked with us to create the site. The dissemination and use of that material within a context outside your own personal use may contravene copyright laws and could result in legal action. This is particularly so in relation to this site’s photographic and textual content. No part of this website may be reproduced or stored in any other website or included in any public or private electronic retrieval system or service without our prior written permission. If you wish to use content sourced from this website, please feel free to Contact us for advice. If you would like permission to use any image from this site for editorial purposes, or to request high resolution versions of the images featured here, please Contact us .
Liabilities & Links
The use of this website and the content is at your own risk and we cannot be held liable or responsible for any matters arising therefrom. This website contains links to other sites. We cannot assume responsibility for the accuracy or appropriateness of the information, data, opinions, advice, or statements contained within these sites, and when you access such sites, you are doing so at your own risk. In providing links to these other sites, we are in no way acting as a publisher or disseminator of the material contained thereon and we do not monitor or control such sites. A link to another site should not be construed to mean that we are affiliated or associated with the site, and we do not recommend or endorse any of its content, including without limitation any hyper-links to or content found, on the other web site. The mention of another party or its product or service on this web site should not be construed as an endorsement of that party or its product or service.
© 2019 Cotswold Exploring Limited
The Turret House, St Mary’s Walk, North Aston, OX25 6AA, England