This Cancellation Policy explains how cancellations, amendments, deposits, balance payments and refunds are handled when booking a Cotswolds Expeditions Ltd ("we", "our", "us") experience. It forms part of the booking contract and should be read before a booking is completed.

Company registration number: 17032474

1. Customer Cancellations

If you need to cancel your booking, please contact us as soon as possible at:

enquiries@cotswoldsexpeditions.co.uk

Cancellation requests must be made in writing by email so that there is a clear record of the request.

Cancellation will take effect when a customer’s email is received. Emails received outside of business hours will be treated as being received on the next working day.

2. Deposits and Balance Payments

For the majority of bookings, full payment is required at the time of booking.

Deposits will generally only be accepted where specifically offered, for example for certain corporate bookings or selected Private Expeditions. Where a deposit is accepted, the deposit amount and payment schedule will be confirmed before booking. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, any outstanding balance must be received no later than 7 days before the scheduled tour or experience date.

If an outstanding balance is not paid by the due date, we may contact the customer to request payment. If payment remains outstanding, we may cancel the booking and treat it as a customer cancellation under this policy.

Deposits and cancellation charges are not intended to operate as penalties. Any amount retained following cancellation will be limited to the reasonable losses and committed costs arising from the cancellation, taking account of any reasonable opportunity to reduce those losses.

3. Cancellation More Than 7 Days Before Your Tour

If you cancel more than 7 days before your scheduled tour date, you will normally receive a refund of amounts paid, less any actual non-recoverable costs reasonably incurred specifically for your booking.

These deductions may include non-recoverable third-party charges, partner or venue costs already committed for the booking, or payment charges that Cotswolds Expeditions Ltd cannot recover, where it is lawful and reasonable to pass those costs on. We do not apply a separate administration fee unless one has been expressly agreed for a bespoke booking before confirmation.

4. Cancellation Between 48 Hours and 7 Days Before Your Tour

If you cancel between 48 hours and 7 days before the scheduled tour date, up to 50% of the total booking value may be retained, reflecting the losses and committed resources reasonably arising from the cancellation.

Where possible, Cotswolds Expeditions Ltd may offer a move to another available date as an alternative to cancellation. Rescheduling during this period is at our discretion and is not an automatic customer entitlement.

We will not add the same loss twice. Any third-party or committed costs will be taken into account when determining the total amount reasonably retained and will not be charged again on top of a cancellation amount where that would duplicate the same loss.

If a booking is cancelled within the applicable cancellation period, any refund will be calculated by reference to the amount paid, the applicable cancellation window and any reasonable, non-recoverable costs or losses arising from the cancellation.

5. Cancellation Less Than 48 Hours Before Your Tour

If you cancel less than 48 hours before the scheduled tour, up to 100% of the booking value may be retained where this reasonably reflects the loss arising from the late cancellation and the limited opportunity to resell the date.

In exceptional circumstances, bookings cancelled less than 48 hours before may be rescheduled. This shall be considered on a case by case basis.

6. No-Shows and Refusal of Participation

If you do not attend the agreed pickup point, do not contact us, or arrive after the maximum waiting period described below, the booking may be treated as a no-show.

A booking may also be treated as a customer cancellation or no-show where the tour cannot safely or lawfully proceed because the customer or a member of their party:

• ‍Fails to provide a suitable child car seat where one is required by the booking conditions

• ‍Arrives intoxicated or otherwise unable to participate safely

• Possesses or uses illegal drugs

• Engages in threatening, abusive, aggressive or dangerous behaviour

• Otherwise fails to meet a material safety requirement that was made clear before travel

In these circumstances, no refund will ordinarily be payable, subject always to applicable consumer law and the actual loss incurred by Cotswolds Expeditions Ltd.

7. Changes to Your Booking

We will try to accommodate reasonable changes to the booking date, pickup location or other booking details where operationally possible. All requests are subject to availability and must be made in writing.

Please note, there may be a charge for any booking amendments depending on the type of change. We request that any requests for changes to a booking are made with as much notice as possible. Changes requested at short notice may not be accommodated.

A substantial change to passenger numbers, itinerary, pickup location or other requirements may result in a revised price.

8. Late Arrivals and Missed Departures

Please arrive at the agreed pickup or meeting point in good time. The driver will normally wait for up to 30 minutes after the agreed start time, provided this remains operationally and legally possible.

If you arrive within the waiting period, we will try to continue with the experience, but delays caused by the party may result in reduced time at planned stops, a shortened route or other reasonable adjustments. The experience will not be extended and will conclude at the pre-arranged time. No refund will be due for time lost because of customer lateness.

If the party has not arrived within 30 minutes and we have been unable to agree an alternative arrangement, the booking may be treated as a no-show.

9. Weather

Cotswolds Expeditions Ltd experiences normally operate in most weather conditions. Poor weather alone does not entitle a customer to cancel or receive a refund where the tour can still safely and reasonably operate.

The decision as to whether road, weather or operating conditions are safe for the experience rests with Cotswolds Expeditions Ltd, taking account of the driver's professional judgement and available information.

If we decide that the tour cannot safely or reasonably proceed, we will contact you as soon as reasonably possible and normally offer either an alternative available date or a refund of the amount paid for the affected booking.

10. Cancellations by Cotswolds Expeditions Ltd

In rare circumstances, we may need to cancel or reschedule because of severe weather, vehicle mechanical breakdown, driver illness or unavailability, road closures, safety concerns, emergency situations or other operational circumstances.

Where the advertised Defender is unavailable, we will first consider whether a suitable replacement vehicle of a similar standard can reasonably be provided. If a suitable replacement cannot be provided and the experience cannot proceed, we will normally offer rescheduling or a refund of the amount paid for the affected booking.

To the extent permitted by law, any refund is limited to amounts paid to Cotswolds Expeditions Ltd for the affected booking and does not include indirect or consequential losses, or costs of travel, accommodation or other arrangements made independently of the booking.

11. Partner Offers and Expedition Pass Benefits

Partner offers, discounts, complimentary items or guest extras may be amended, withdrawn or become unavailable without notice by the independent partner business. Unless a specific partner benefit formed a material part of the service sold to you, its unavailability does not affect the validity of the main booking or create an automatic right to cancel or receive a refund.

12. Private, Corporate and Bespoke Bookings

Private Expeditions, Corporate Expeditions and bespoke group bookings may have different payment and cancellation arrangements because of their size, complexity, third-party commitments or bespoke requirements. Any different terms will be provided before the booking is confirmed.

Where a bespoke quotation, written contract or booking confirmation contains different cancellation terms, those specifically agreed terms will take precedence over this standard Cancellation Policy to the extent of the difference.

13. Refund Processing

Where a refund is due, Cotswolds Expeditions Ltd will initiate the refund through Stripe after it has been approved. Once Stripe has initiated a card refund, it typically takes 5–10 business days to appear in the customer’s account, depending on the customer’s bank or card issuer.

For fraud-prevention and accounting purposes, refunds will normally be returned to the original payment method. Where a booking was made through a third-party booking platform, the refund may need to be processed through that provider and its processing times may also apply.

14. Statutory Rights

Nothing in this Cancellation Policy limits or excludes statutory consumer rights. Cancellation deductions and charges will be applied only to the extent that they are fair, proportionate and reasonably reflect losses arising from the cancellation.