Quick contact

 Terms and Conditions of Service

Booking

To make a booking you can contact us in several ways; directly over the telephone, via our Website, through an approved Travel Agent or by using our booking form. The person making the booking (the ‘lead name’) must be 18 years old or over and possess the legal capacity and authority to make the booking and accepts these booking conditions on behalf of everyone in their party. You will need to pay a deposit at the time of booking which for the majority of our programs is $ 250. The balance of your booking must be paid no later than 10 weeks days before departure. If you book less than 10 weeks before departure full payment must be made on booking.   If you book a Complete VCC program 50% of the balance due must be paid no later than 16 weeks prior to departure date with the remaining balance paid no later than 10 weeks prior to departure.  If you do not pay the balance by the due date your booking will be cancelled and you will forfeit your deposit.

Dependent on which program/s you have selected, you may be sent further forms to complete and return to us. VCC reserves the right to postpone your program if you have not returned all the necessary completed forms to process your application within the required timeframes.

If we accept your booking, we will issue a Confirmation. A contract will exist between us from the date we issue the Confirmation or if you book within 7 days of departure the contract will exist when we accept your deposit payment. When you receive the Confirmation Invoice please check the details carefully and inform us immediately if anything is incorrect.   Names on travel documents must exactly match those in your passports.  Unless we are responsible for the mistake, we will not accept liability if an airline or other supplier refuses boarding because the name(s) shown in your passport differ from those on your ticket.

Your personal safety is of paramount importance to us and therefore it is imperative that you advise us at the time of booking of any condition, medical or otherwise, that might affect your or other people’s enjoyment of the trip.

Please read the Volunteer Capital Centre Limited's (VCC’s) Terms and Conditions carefully before submitting your online booking form. By clicking on the box besides the words 'I have read and agree to the VCC legal terms and conditions' and agreeing to them in the online booking application form, you agree to the following terms and conditions. 

Travel

The volunteer is solely responsible for arranging and paying for their own travel, specifically including all airfares or other transport costs to and from the host country as well as any local transport costs. It is the responsibility of the volunteer to carry all necessary documents when travelling abroad. While VCC may advise the volunteer on required travel documentation, VCC are not responsible for any supporting documents necessary for the volunteer's travel needs or other purposes.

Insurance

VCC does not provide the volunteer with insurance of any kind. Travel insurance is mandatory to volunteer with VCC. The volunteer is solely responsible for evaluating and determining the type, extent and levels of any insurance coverage they need or desire for their planned volunteer travel period.

Refund Policy

VCC’s registration and program fees are significantly less than the fees charged by other such companies and volunteers are encouraged to compare VCC’s fees to the fees charged by other similar companies. As a consequence, VCC operates on a much smaller profit margin and is therefore unable to provide and does not provide a total refund policy.

Registration Fees
Details of our registration fees are set out on our website. The registration fee is refundable up two months before the start of the volunteer’s placement in the host country. All refunds will be made less the costs incurred in processing the refund such as bank and transaction fees and a VCC processing fee ($ 40). If the volunteer changes their start date, the date used for refund purposes will be the earliest dates the volunteer has indicated they wish to start, unless VCC agrees otherwise.

Requests for registration fee refunds must be posted to VCC (hard copy is required)  plus email with the signature of the volunteer and received by VCC sixty days before the start of volunteer's placement. Phone calls are unacceptable. Once the volunteer’s refund request had been received by VCC, the volunteer will be notified immediately via email. If the volunteer does not receive such an email, the assumption should be made that the request has not been received.

VCC reserves the right to revise the registration fee at any time. All registration fee revisions will be made via the VCC website with seven days advanced notice given before they take effect. Registration fee revisions are not applicable to volunteers who have already submitted their online booking before the revisions are due to take effect.  A volunteer’s placement on a program cannot be confirmed until registration fee has been paid in full.

Program Fees

Details of the program fees are set out on our website. Because Program fees are paid to our partner organizations (either directly or through VCC and not to VCC) they are not refundable by VCC.  Program fees paid through VCC by means of online payment, bank or wire transfer will need to have transaction costs covered by the volunteer. All program fee revisions will be made via the VCC website with seven days advanced notice given before they take effect. Program fee revisions are not applicable to volunteers who have already paid their registration fee before the revisions take effect. Program fees are due 60 days prior to the beginning of the volunteer’s program placement. Failure to make this payment can result in a loss of volunteer placement with no refund of registration fee.

Registration fees and program fees are not transferrable to other persons.

Change of Dates and Duration

Once registered and before they begin their trip with VCC, the volunteer is entitled to change their start date and duration once, at no additional cost. If they need to change their start date or duration a second time they will be required to pay an administration fee of $ 70 for each change they make.

Personal Risks

the volunteer acknowledges and accepts the responsibilities and risks associated with their agreement to travel to, temporarily live in and provide volunteer services in a developing country. Such travel and volunteer work can be often hazardous and involves a certain degree of risk, inherently dangerous activities and personal perils to the volunteer, both foreseen and unforeseen, all of which are fully accepted by and solely assumed by the volunteer. Therefore, VCC including any and all of its employees, managers, host families and host country partner organizations are not liable, to the maximum extent of the law, for any loss or harm the volunteer or associates may suffer, including but not limited to loss caused directly or indirectly by:
- Personal injury;
- Emotional injury;
- Death;
- Illness or disease;
- Damage to or loss of property;
- Hostage situations; or
- War or terrorism.

Indemnity

The volunteer agrees to indemnify VCC against any and all liability which VCC incurs arising directly or indirectly out of, or in connection (in any way) with, the volunteer's travel to, living in and providing services in the volunteer's nominated country.

Drug and Alcohol Use

A booking is accepted on the strict understanding that you undertake to comply with the laws, customs, foreign exchange, drug and all other regulations of any countries visited during the program, as well as all hygiene, safety and security rules.  In addition, many of our programs have their own rules and behaviour guidelines, which are intended to ensure your safety and enjoyment of the program.  You will be advised of any specific program rules either in your pre-departure information, or during your orientation.  If you commit any illegal act when on the holiday or if in the reasonable opinion of the leader your behaviour is disruptive, threatening or abusive or is causing or likely to cause danger, distress or annoyance to others we may terminate your travel arrangements without any liability on our part.
The volunteer must abide by the rules put in place by VCC’s partner organization, volunteer placement institution and host family in regards to alcohol consumption. Drug use (unless prescribed by a doctor) is strictly prohibited and will result in instant dismissal from the program with no refund.

Miscellaneous
The volunteer agrees to comply with the partner organization's code of conduct.

VCC reserves the right to use feedback and images provided by volunteers for website materials such as testimonials.

VCC provides a service connecting volunteers to partner organizations.  You agree that VCC is not liable for any actions or omissions of any partner organization.

To the full extent permissible at law, all representations, terms, warranties, guarantees, or conditions whether implied by statute, common law or custom of the trade or otherwise, including, but not limited to, implied warranties and guarantees, are excluded.

Notwithstanding anything else contained in any agreement, the liability of VCC to the volunteer shall not in aggregate exceed the amount of the registration fee paid by the volunteer.

This website is presented solely for the purpose of promoting VCC services and those of VCC’s partner organizations. This site is controlled and operated by VCC from its offices in New Zealand. VCC makes no representation that materials in the site are appropriate or available for use in other locations. Those who choose to access this site from other locations do so on their own initiative and are responsible to the extent local law is applicable.

VCC does not warrant or make any representations regarding the correctness, accuracy, reliability, or otherwise of the materials in this site or the result of their use.

Force Majeure

VCC has no liability for any lack of performance, unavailability or failure of the services or its website, or for any failure of VCC to comply with these terms and conditions, where the same arises from any cause reasonably beyond the control of VCC.

Cancellations

Changes requested by the Client already confirmed of a place on the program can be considered by the Company up to 60 days prior to departure but cannot be guaranteed.   As the program is dependent on close working relationships with schools, communities, Ministries of Education and other service providers, Clients are asked to inform the Company at the earliest opportunity if they are unable to continue taking/take part in the Volunteer.   Alterations cannot be made or considered less than 60 days before the date of departure.   Cancellations and alterations must be made to the Company in writing.  The amount of refund in the event of a cancellation (including deemed cancellation) depends on when the Company receives written notification of the cancellation and shall be calculated as follows:-

• 60 days or more before the Volunteer's departure date - 90% of the Volunteer registration Fee and program fee is refunded.

• Between 59 to 28 days before the Volunteer's departure date - 70% of the program fee is refunded. Registration fees are not refunded.

• 27 to seven days before the departure date - 50% of the program fee is refunded. Registration fees are not refunded

• Between six days and the departure date nothing is refunded

COMPANY SUPPORT 

The Company will give management support to the Client from the UK office and through an in-country representative during the Client's work placement and travel period of the Volunteer.   This support will include an initial in-country induction course and 24/7 assistance during the work placement phase of the Volunteer.   Whilst the Company has no obligation to do so it will give such reasonable assistance that it can to a Client during any independent travel period either before or after the Volunteer whilst the Client is travelling in the same country as the Volunteer.

Program specifics

Where you are responsible for purchasing your own flights and transport you agree to advise us of flight arrival details and of any changes that may be made to your arrival details at the earliest possible opportunity.  Should you arrive outside the agreed start date/time for your program, or do not advise of your correct arrival details, you may have to cover transfer costs.

The accommodation and board basis will contained be within individual program details.  It is your responsibility to advise us of any special dietary requirements.  Please be aware that accommodation, food and facilities that you will be provided with will be of a local standard. You may be required to share a bathroom and/or bedroom and these may differ to the standard you are accustomed to.

Payment

The Registration Fee of £200 is payable when the volunteer's application is made. The balance of the Volunteer Price, as specified in the Company’s invoice, is payable no later 90 days before the scheduled date of departure of the Volunteer. If the Company does not receive either the Registration Fee or the balance of the Volunteer Price on or before the relevant due date, this will be deemed as a cancellation of participation by the Client. 

Alterations and cancellations by VCC

The Company reserves the right to make changes to the Volunteer but if the Company cancels or makes fundamental changes to the Volunteer for any reason after the Company has confirmed a place, the Company will offer the Client the choice of:

·         The altered Volunteer.

·         A full refund of money paid less the Registration Fee.

The Company's liability in the event of cancellation due to changes to the Volunteer made by the Company at any time prior to the departure date of the Volunteer will be limited to offering the Client the choices detailed above and will not extend to the payment of sums in respect of consequential losses, costs, expenses or otherwise of the Client.

CONTRACT AND COMPLAINTS

The contract between the Company and the Client is made under English Law and the English Courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction.   A Client who has a complaint during the Volunteer should refer it immediately to the local representative of the Company.    

If the Client is not satisfied with the resolution of the matter, the Client must, within 28 days of the end of the Volunteer, discuss the complaint with the Company at the United Kingdom office.   If the case is still not resolved satisfactorily it may be referred to the Independent Dispute Settlement Service, promoted by the Year Out Group, which offers a quick service in adjudicating any complaints.   Alternatively, the Client may refer the matter to the Trading Standards Authority or recognised arbitration authorities within 90 days of the end of the Volunteer.