Terms & Conditions

These Terms and Conditions govern the relationship between you, the passenger, and us, Ecco Adventures. By booking a trip, you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. They outline, among other things, our cancellation policy and certain limitations of liability. These terms affect your rights to sue, governing law, forum, and jurisdiction; please be sure to carefully read these terms and make sure you understand your rights and obligations and our rights and obligations.

Reservations and Payments

To secure reservations on a trip a full payment is required by credit card at the time of booking. Payment for your trip indicates your acceptance of these terms and conditions. Every effort has been made to produce pricing information accurately. We reserve the right to correct errors.

Cancellations and Refunds

If you must cancel your trip, you must do so in writing in the form of an e-mail to bookings@eccoadventures.com. Cancellation refunds will be calculated as of the date we receive your written cancellation. All payments for travel services not provided to the passenger shall be refunded in accordance with these Terms and Conditions and in accordance with Ecco Adventures cancellation policy.

Processing fee: There is a non-refundable fee of $35 per person for each program you cancel. This low fee reflects only our costs of administering a reservation, and is not intended to be punitive in any way. We realize the majority of those who cancel their reservations do so out of necessity. Please note that if you cancel on or after the scheduled date of departure, you will not receive any refund.
Cancellation charges for Tours: Unless otherwise stated, for all cancellations we will refund the cost of your trip less the following per-person charges. Charges shown include the $35 processing fee

· 90 days or more: $35

· 60 days – 31 Days: 50% of selling price

· 30 days or less: 100% of selling price

Traveler substitutions are considered reservation cancellations and are subject to the above cancellation charges. Ecco Adventures cannot make exceptions to these cancellation policies for any reason, including personal emergencies and weather. Please note that we do not make any refunds for arriving late or any unused portion of your trip.

Minimum Participation

1 Day Trips: have minimum participation of 2 guests. If the minimum participation is not met we will communicate with you within 7 days of the trip’s departure.

3 Day Trips: will run even for one person for an additional $400. And if one more guest signs up, we will refund you the $400. We will extend this offer 15 days prior to the trip’s departure.

Medical Issues

You must advise us in writing, at or prior to booking, of any physical, emotional or mental condition which may require professional attention during the trip or may require the use of special equipment. If you fail to disclose any such conditions, Ecco Adventures may refuse to allow you to take the trip and you will forfeit the trip cost; and in such event we shall have no liability, financial or otherwise. If you are so challenged, you must bring and be responsible for all necessary items related to your condition. If any such condition arises after the trip is booked, you must advise us in writing immediately. Failure to advise us shall release Ecco Adventures and all professional personnel from any liability related to such condition or its treatment.

Children

Children 14 years or older are welcome on any of our International tours if accompanied by an adult.

Health and Fitness

We will send you information on the physical requirements for your trip with your pre-trip materials. Your health and safety during your trip are our first concern. You should be in good health to participate in our active trips.

Ecco Adventures reserves the right to decline any trip participant whose condition, in our opinion, may affect the health, safety or enjoyment of other participants. Ecco Adventures is not responsible for the costs of any medical treatment you may require during the trip. Under no circumstances is Ecco Adventures responsible for the quality of medical care, or lack thereof, you may receive while on the trip.

Responsibility 

Guests are required to provide a signed Release of Liability and Assumption of All Risks Agreement prior to trip departure. You will receive these materials shortly after reserving your trip. You may also complete your forms online. We are unable to allow guests to participate in any aspect of an Ecco Adventures trip without a signed release form.
Guests are responsible for: choosing a trip that suits their abilities, fitness level and state of health, arriving at the trip start with the clothing and gear recommended in the pre-trip materials; respecting the laws and customs of countries visited; following environmental guidelines and regulations while on the trip in accordance with leader direction; and respecting the rights and privacy of other trip members. An individual may be asked to leave a trip if the leader feels that the person’s continuing participation may prove detrimental to the individual or to the well-being and enjoyment of other guests.

The responsibility of Ecco Adventures and its affiliated companies is strictly limited. As a tour operator, Ecco Adventures organizes, promotes, and sells tour programs consisting of certain travel services, including surface transportation and sightseeing excursions that Ecco Adventures purchases or reserves from various suppliers (collectively, “Suppliers”). Ecco Adventures does not own or operate any of these Suppliers. The Suppliers providing travel services for Ecco Adventures’ tour programs are independent contractors and are not agents or employees of Ecco Adventures. As such, Ecco Adventures is not responsible for any negligent or willful act or failure to act of any Supplier or of any third party. Some tours include visits to restaurants, shops and merchants. Ecco Adventures is not responsible for any purchases you make during your trip, whether that merchant is part of the scheduled itinerary or not. By utilizing the travel services of the Suppliers, you agree that you will look to such Suppliers for any accident, injury, property damage, or personal loss to you or to those traveling with you, and that neither Ecco Adventures nor any representative of Ecco Adventures shall be liable.

Without limitation, Ecco Adventures is not responsible for any injury, loss, or damage to person or property, death, delay, or inconvenience in connection with the provision of, or failure to provide, any goods or services occasioned by or resulting from— but not limited to—acts of God or force majeure, acts of war or civil unrest, insurrection or revolt, strikes or other labor activities, criminal or terrorist activities of any kind, physical exertion for which a guest is not prepared, forces of nature, travel by plane, train, auto, boat or other conveyance, or by bicycle, foot or other form of active or adventure travel, mechanical or other failure of transportation or for the failure of any transportation mechanism to arrive or depart on time, consumption of alcoholic beverages, lack of medical care, or for any other cause beyond the direct control of Ecco Adventures. Furthermore Ecco Adventures is not liable for: expenses (e.g. meals, transportation) not specified as included in the trip cost but which may be required to get to or from a trip start or end.

Ecco Adventures reserves the right to make route modifications as necessary to improve the trip’s quality or to accommodate the comfort and well-being of guests. Ecco Adventures reserves the right to take photographic or film records of any of its tours, and to use any such photographic or film records for promotional and/or commercial purposes without financial remuneration.

Binding Arbitration

I agree that any dispute concerning, relating or referring to this Agreement, the brochure or any other literature concerning my trip, or the trip itself, shall be resolved exclusively by binding arbitration pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §§ 1-16, either according to the then existing Commercial Rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) or pursuant to the Comprehensive Arbitration Rules & Procedures of the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc. (JAMS). Such proceedings will be governed by substantive (but not procedural) Pennsylvanian law without consideration of the Pennsylvania Arbitration Act and will take place in West Chester, PA. The arbitrator and not any federal, state, or local court or agency shall have exclusive authority to resolve any dispute relating to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability, conscionability, or formation of this Agreement, including but not limited to any claim that all or any part of this Agreement is void or voidable. By agreeing to these terms and conditions, I, as well ECCO ADVENTURES, waive our right to a trial by jury.

Minimum Participation

All Ecco Adventures trips and their extensions are limited to no more than 7 passengers at this time. All trips and trip extensions require a minimum number of participants to operate. Ecco Adventures reserves the right to change the departure date of any trip, as well as cancel any trip or optional extension that does not reach a minimum level of participation.

Passports

All international trips require a valid passport. All passports must contain at least five blank pages and must be valid for six months after the completion of your trip. If your destination requires a visa for U.S. citizens, you are responsible for obtaining a visa prior to departure. Non-U.S. citizens should contact the appropriate consular office for any requirements pertaining to their trip; Ecco Adventures is not responsible in any way for your failure to do so.

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