Workshops & Tours

Booking Terms and Conditions

The following booking conditions, along with all other information pertaining to the relevant workshop or tour on our website (www.raywilsonbirdphotography.co.uk) and information contained in the Pre-departure pack, forms the basis of your contract with Ray Wilson Bird & Wildlife Photography.  Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations.
 
Please note: In these booking conditions, ‘you’ and ‘your’ refer to all persons named on the booking form (including anybody who is added or substituted at a later date). ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘our’ refer to Ray Wilson Bird & Wildlife Photography.

  1. Placing a reservation
    To reserve your place on a workshop or tour, you must complete and sign our booking form.  All participating persons covered by a single booking form must sign the form.  The primary signatory must be at least 18 years of age at the time of signing.  If any of the participants are under the age of 18, their parents or guardians must also sign the form to indicate they have given their permission for their charge to participate on the workshop or tour.  Persons under the age of 16 are not permitted on any tour or workshop unless accompanied by their parent or guardian.  The completed booking form must then be sent to us along with the required deposit (or full payment if the booking is made less than 120 days prior to departure).  The primary signatory named on the booking form is responsible for making all payments due to us.
     
    Once we have received your booking form and all appropriate payments, we will, subject to availability, confirm your place(s) by sending a confirmation invoice to you.  Please check the details on the invoice carefully as soon as you receive it and inform us immediately if any of the information contained therein appears incorrect or incomplete, as changes may not be possible later.
     
  2. Payment
    Payment may be made by personal cheque/check, PayPal or direct bank transfer.  If paying by PayPal, a 3% surcharge will added to the price of the workshop/tour to cover the fees charged to us by PayPal.
     
    Deposits are required to secure your place on any workshop/tour (see clause 1 for details) and full payment of the remaining balance must be paid at least 90 days before the departure date.
     
    If we do not receive payment (including any surcharges where applicable) in full and on time, we will be entitled to consider your booking as cancelled.
     
  3. Your contract
    A binding contract between us comes into existence when we dispatch the confirmation invoice to the primary signatory named on the booking form.  We both agree that English Law (and no other) will apply to your contract and to any dispute, claim or other matter of any description which arises between us.
     
  4. Cancellations and Refund Policy
    You may cancel your reservation at any time, provided you do so in writing.
     
    Cancellation at least 120 days before departure will receive a full refund of the workshop payment and deposit
     
    Cancellation 90 days before departure will receive a full refund minus the deposit.
     
    Cancellation 30 days before departure will receive a 50% refund.
     
    No refunds given on cancellations less than 30 days before departure.
     
    The refunds given only apply to payments received by us.  Airline tickets and other travel arrangements made by you that are not included in the tour fee are often non-refundable, or may carry penalties for cancellation or change.  It is therefore vital that you purchase travel insurance prior to making any payments to any other company to protect yourself against possible financial loss.
     
    No refunds are given for cancellations due to weather, flight delays, or other factors that delay your arrival.
     
  5. Cancellations made by us.
    We reserve the right to cancel any tour or workshop for which there are insufficient participants.  In the event of any cancellation by us, all deposits and other payments made to us will be refunded in full.
     
    In the extremely unlikely event that Ray Wilson is unable to lead the tour due to severe illness or injury, we reserve the right to cancel the tour at any time.  If this very unfortunate circumstance should occur, a full refund of all deposits and other payments made to us will be refunded in full and a credit note may be issued at our discretion that can be used as a discount against any tour of your choice up to 2 years from the date of the workshop you were originally booked on.  Travel insurance is essential to cover yourself against financial loss for any expenses incurred over and above tour fee, such as international airfares and other travel arrangements and expenses not included in the tour.
     
  6. Alterations to tour itineraries
    Although we will endeavour to stay faithful to the itineraries described on our website and in the pre-departure information pack sent to you at the time of booking, alterations are occasionally necessary.  These changes may be due to factors beyond our control, such as changes in airline schedules (if your tour included domestic flights); changes in ferry schedules or other changes in travel arrangements which we have no control over.  Changes may also be made, if in our opinion, it will provide you with better photographic opportunities than those stated in the published itinerary.  You will be advised of any major changes by email.  Changes in the order of places visited are not deemed major changes. 
     
  7. Passports, Visas and Health requirements
    All participants not resident in the country in which the tour takes place are responsible for, and must be in possession of, a full passport which is valid for at least 6 months beyond the end of the tour.  If you are a British citizen and you currently do not have a passport, or your current passport is about to expire, it is strongly recommended you apply for a replacement at least 2 months prior to the date of departure so that any delays in its processing do not prevent you from joining the tour.  It is the participant’s responsibility to check visa requirements and ensure they are in possession of all relevant travel and health documents necessary to enter the places visited on the tour.  All costs incurred in obtaining such documentation must be paid by you.  We regret we cannot accept any liability if you or any member of your party are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry correct documentation.
     
    Any information regarding vaccinations and health precautions supplied by us is given as a guide only, and it is your responsibility to seek professional medical advice about vaccination and prophylactic medicine requirements for the countries visited on the tour.
     
  8. Behaviour & Smoking policy
    Out of consideration for the health and comfort of the other tour participants and the tour leader, we insist that all smokers refrain from smoking in the proximity of all other group members at all times.  In particular, smoking in confined areas, including, but not limited to, hotel interiors, vehicles or any group gatherings, is not permitted.
     
    When you book with us, you accept all responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you or any member or your party.  Full payment for any such damage or loss must be paid direct at the time to the accommodation owner or manager or other supplier.  If you fail to do so, you will be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us (together with our own and the other party’s full legal costs) as a result of your actions.
     
    If, in our reasonable opinion, you or any member of your party behaves in such a way as to cause or likely cause danger, upset or distress to any third party or damage property or fauna (including the collecting of specimens, e.g. any plants or insects), we are entitled, without prior notice, to terminate our contract with the person(s) concerned.  In this situation, the person(s) concerned will be required to leave the accommodation or other services and we will have no further responsibility towards such person(s), including any return travel arrangements.  No refunds will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination.
     
  9. Fitness requirements
    Our tours and workshops don’t usually require a high level of physical exertion, but you will need to be fit enough to be able to complete short to moderate walks (generally less than 2 miles) while carrying your camera equipment, occasionally on steep or slippery surfaces.  If a higher level of fitness is required, it will be discussed in the relevant workshop itinerary.  On most tours, it is possible to opt out of photo shoots to rest for half a day or a full day if you wish.  If you have any health problems or physical limitations, you are required to inform us before booking. 
     
  10. Our Responsibility
    We will take all reasonable steps to ensure all services provided by us are of a reasonable standard.  We cannot, however, accept liability for physical injury, loss, damage or expense resulting from any event whatsoever beyond our control.
     
    By agreeing to participate in one of our workshops or tours, each participant and/or parent or legal guardian of any participant under the age of 18, on signing the liability waiver provided, agrees to release, indemnify, and hold harmless Ray Wilson Bird & Wildlife Photography.
     
    In regard to travel by any form of transport, we act only as an assistant/consultant for the passenger and assume no liability for injury, loss, accident, delay, or irregularity caused by defect in such vehicles or for any reason whatsoever, including the acts, defaults, or bankruptcies of any company or person engaged in conveying the passenger or in carrying out the arrangements of the tour.
     
    We take no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, or any other causes.  The tour participant shall bear all such losses and expenses.  All baggage is brought at the owner’s risk entirely.
     
  11. Errors and Omissions
    We endeavour to take the greatest care that the information presented on our website and that our tour and workshop itineraries are accurate.  However, errors and omissions can occasionally occur.  Unless the error or omission has a major effect on the tour to the extent that photographic opportunities are drastically altered, no claim for compensation can be entertained.
     
  12. Questions
    If you have any questions, or don’t understand any part of the above terms and conditions, please contact us for further clarification.  Otherwise, we will assume that you fully understand and accept our policies as they are written here.  You may contact us via email at:
    raywilsonphotography@googlemail.com