TERMS AND CONDITIONS
By registering your email and other identifying information with Destination Earth and paying a deposit or payment of any value toward a tour, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions herein. Acceptance of your registration will be confirmed by Destination Earth in writing via electronic communication, BASED ON TOUR AVAILABILITY. If you do not understand any of the terms and conditions herein, please feel free to discuss them with Destination Earth by email or phone.
Expectations of Registered Clients/Travelers
Travelers must be over the age of 18 with legal proof of identity and age (valid government issued identification).
Destination Earth facilitates tour management through regular emails and website interaction that provide instruction and information vital to your tour. If you cannot reliably receive information via email, please notify us immediately for support.
Each tour/region has a designated “Tour Dashboard” page on our website where you will be directed to access the instructions, Visa information, packing lists, and relevant waivers and forms for that tour once you are registered. The “Tour Dashboard” will be available 24/7 if you miss an email communication. Some special offers and personal communications may not be available on the “Tour Dashboard.”
Clients/travelers agree to be responsible for following the instructions provided in Destination Earth communication, such as:
- Providing accurate registration and contact information.
- Completing actions such as payment in full, signing and returning registration and liability forms for each traveler , obtaining proof of traveler’s insurance, inoculations (where required), arranging your transportation to the meeting location, etc.
Disruptive or unlawful behavior will not be tolerated.
Failure to complete necessary actions or intentionally providing inaccurate or false information may result in being refused service, and in some cases refunds will not apply (see CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY below).
Copies of company policies are available 24/7 on the Destination Earth website.
Deposits and Payments
Deposit: A refundable deposit of USD $500 per traveler/client, per tour, is required in order to hold a space on a specific tour (except in the case of a "special," in which case the initial deposit is priced as advertised. The balance of the full $500 deposit is due BEFORE 15 days passes from the date the initial "special" deposit is paid. If the remaining balance of the $500 deposit is not received within 15 days of initial "special" deposit, the initial "special" deposit amount up to $100 is forfeited, and the trip spot is no longer guaranteed). Registration is not complete and your space is not assured until all forms, waivers & payments associated with that tour are received by Destination Earth. Destination Earth reserves the right to refuse service to anyone, at any time, for any reason within the scope of lawfulness.
Payments: Payments can be made through Paypal accessed via our website (3% handling fee for this service), or by check or money order (please contact us for instructions). Destination Earth is a DBA of Inspire Productions, Inc. of CA.
Balance Due: All remaining balances are due 60 days before tour departure date unless otherwise arranged with Destination Earth in writing. If the balance is not paid in full by 60 days before tour departure date, Destination Earth will regard the booking as cancelled, and the following refund schedule will apply to any payment made up until that point, based on the date you request a refund (“refund request date”).
CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY
Cancellation By Client
PLEASE NOTE: It is the client’s responsibility to request a refund in writing when cancelling. “Refund request date” will be the date Destination Earth receives your written request for a refund via email or post mail. To protect client information we do not process refund requests over the phone.
90 days or more before tour departure date : If you cancel your registration and request a refund 90 days or more before departure date, you will be entitled to a full refund less a 100.00 Administration Fee (or in the case of a "special", less the entirety of your initial deposit if it was under $100).
Less than 90 days before tour departure date: Cancellations less than 90 days prior to trip departure date will receive no refund of monies paid.
No refunds will be issued on unused portions of the tour. Airline tickets, transportation costs, and all other costs associated with your travel that are not within the scope of the Destination Earth tour are the responsibility of the client. Please refer to the policies of those companies.
Destination Earth will not be held responsible for changes, fees, cancellations or loss associated with or assessed by any other company in the event of a cancellation by traveler or Destination Earth.
Monies will be refunded to you via the same method in which they were received. Destination Earth will make reasonable attempts to communicate with you regarding refunds with the contact information you provide to us.
Please make sure contact information is accurate.
Cancellation of Tour by Destination Earth
Destination Earth reserves the right to cancel a tour or refuse service to anyone, at any time, for any reason within the scope of lawfulness, and will advise you of such cancellation no later than 30 days before the tour departure date. Destination Earth reserves the right to cancel a tour, including a guaranteed one, at any time, if the safety of travelers or international issues become a concern. If a tour is cancelled by Destination Earth, we will offer you alternative or comparable arrangements, or a full refund of monies paid up until that point.
Destination Earth reserves the right to protect the safety and enjoyment of its clients, and the viability of our tours and services. Tour guides and leaders are granted the authority to act on behalf of Destination Earth while a tour is in progress, and may change or adapt the itinerary if needed. In the case that a traveler is asked to leave the tour due to disruptive, dangerous or illegal behavior, no refunds will be issued.
PLEASE NOTE: In the event that your tour is disrupted due to events outside the scope of Destination Earth’s responsibility, such as but not limited to: personal misconduct, violation of law or legal issues, improper personal documentation (including Visas), lost baggage or personal effects, theft, illness, accident, separation from tour group, etc., no refunds will be issued. Please make sure you are fully prepared for international travel. Please feel free to contact us with questions.
Force Majeure
Destination Earth will not be liable for any delay in, change to or cancellation of trips due to “major catastrophe”‟. “Major catastrophe” means a circumstance beyond the reasonable control of Destination Earth and includes, but is not limited to, war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, disease, industrial or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, earthquakes, fire and strikes. In case of “major catastrophe,” Destination Earth will endeavor to refund pro-rated amounts to travelers after reasonable business expenses if possible (as in cases where issues arise before tour departs), but cannot guarantee any refund in these cases. Destination Earth requires our travelers to have travel insurance for their safety and financial security.
TOUR REQUIREMENTS
Travel Insurance
Personal travel insurance is required for travel with Destination Earth, and is not included in the tour price. You must carry and provide proof of personal travel insurance that is adequate to cover you for any disruption, before you will be allowed to participate in tour. Your travel insurance must cover accidents, injury, illness and death medical expenses, including any related to pre-existing medical conditions, emergency repatriation (including helicopter rescue and air ambulance where applicable) and personal liability. Destination Earth also recommends your insurance covers cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects. For your safety and financial security, Destination Earth reserves the right to cancel or suspend you participation on a tour or in certain activities that comprise part of a tour, at any time, including after the commencement of your tour, with no right of refund, if you are unable to provide proof of insurance when requested. We will send you a recommended trip insurance company, but you are free to use any company you prefer. (See Part C: Proof of Traveler’s Insurance)
Passports and Visa
You must carry a valid passport and carry a valid visa for your booked trip when traveling with Destination Earth. Please ensure your passport is valid for 6 months beyond the duration of the tour. It is your responsibility to ensure you acquire the appropriate visas for your travel.
Destination Earth will provide general visa information when you register, but cannot accept responsibility if you are refused entry to a country because you do not have the correct visa and passport documents.
Promotional Material Waiver
Destination Earth reserves the right to take photographs and videos of participants of a tour and these may be used for promotional purposes. Travelers and participants who would prefer their images not be used in this manner must state their preference in writing at least 30 days prior to trip departure date. In this case, Destination Earth will not use images of you taken by our staff for promotion. Destination Earth cannot control photos or videos taken by other travelers on your tour, or where these may be shared or posted, and warns that unintentional cross-references onto our promotional materials through social media may occur that we may not be aware of, so please make sure you let your travel peers know your preferences.
Complaints and Concerns
Destination Earth is dedicated to providing you caring customer service. Please contact us directly with any questions, concerns or complaints, as soon as possible. Written concerns with a return address received by staff members will be responded to in writing within 45 days.
Destination Earth Policy is that parties agree first to try in good faith to settle the dispute by mediation administered by the World Travel Dispute Center under the applicable guidelines as established by International Forum for Travel and Tourism (IFTTA) before resorting to arbitration, litigation, or some other dispute resolution procedure. If mediation is not successful, the parties will settle by binding arbitration administered by the World Travel Dispute Center under the applicable guidelines as established by IFTTA. Judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator(s), or written agreements of the parties, may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof or written agreements of the parties. If litigation is necessary to enforce this agreement, the prevailing party(s) shall receive costs and attorney’s fees.
DESTINATION EARTH PRIVACY POLICY
By using our website or the services offered by us, you are consenting to our use of such personal information as you provide for internal purposes. Direct questions to officestaff@destination-earth.org.
Financial Data
Destination Earth does NOT gather, store or otherwise maintain any Credit Card or other sensitive private data. All credit card transactions are processed through 3rd party services which maintain their own privacy and security policies. Any checks or money orders are deposited to our account promptly, and only internal accounting information is stored on our encrypted servers and encrypted cloud.
How Is My Personal Information Used?
Destination Earth does NOT share your private information with other travelers UNLESS you specifically request that it be shared – for instance, in the event you are sharing a room with a stranger and both wish to communicate with each other before the trip. Destination Earth may share your non personal-identifiers (such as smoking preference, sex, etc) in the event of a room share or activity opportunity, without your prior consent, in order to facilitate logistics.
As you would expect, certain information must be used internally in the course of our business, and provided to outside suppliers who perform services you have requested. Absolutely no credit card or financial information will be provided to our 3rd party affiliates without your express permission (we do NOT store your private financial data).
If you do not provide the Personal Information that we request on our registration forms and liability waivers or health questionnaires, we may not be able to deliver the services you have requested, including processing a refund. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Third Parties, Opt Out Notices, and Deleting Personal Records
Please be assured that Destination Earth and its contracted suppliers never sell, lease or trade information about you or your travel information to other parties in the ordinary course of conducting its business. To Opt Out of receiving emails, please respond as per the Opt Out instructions on any newsletter communication from our company. To have us delete your personal records from our files, please send an e-mail with your request to Destination Earth at officestaff@destination-earth.org.
Privacy Policy Changes
Destination Earth reserves the right to amend or make revisions to this Privacy Policy, which amendments may also apply to your personal information collected under a previous version of this Policy. If we make a change to the Policy, the revised version will be posted on our website.
