Booking Terms & Conditions

General

Cornish Cottages Ltd (referred to as the ‘Agency’) acts entirely as a booking agent on behalf of the property ‘Owner’. Once the holiday confirmation has been issued, the contract is between the ‘Customer’ (holidaymaker) and the property Owner. If the customer cancels the holiday once the holiday confirmation is issued, they are liable for the charges in the ‘Cancellation of Booking’ section below. If the final payment is not received by the due date, cancellation of the holiday may result. We will hold telephone/internet bookings for five working days. Deposit or full payment whichever is applicable will be required during this period. The reservation will be cancelled automatically if payment is not received. In the unlikely event that the Agency makes an alteration or cancellation for any reason, the Agency will make every effort to offer alternative accommodation or a refund less any fees already expended.

Payment

A non-refundable deposit plus booking fee and cancellation premium (if required) for holidays made at least eight weeks in advance of commencement date must accompany bookings. The balance is then due at least eight weeks before the commencement of the holiday. We will attempt to send a reminder one week prior to the balance due date however it is ultimately the responsibility of the Customer to settle on time. For holidays booked less than eight weeks before the commencement of the holiday, the full rental plus booking fee and cancellation premium (if required) is to be paid at the time of booking. Bookings will not be accepted without the Cornish Cottages Ltd booking fee. Cancellation cover is recommended and we have arranged a very competitive in-house plan, see details below. All bookings are inclusive of VAT where applicable. Payments may be made by cheque, credit/debit card or bank transfer. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Cornish Cottages Ltd’.

Any charges raised against the Agency for dishonoured payments or chargebacks will be passed on and are the responsibility of the Customer to settle. Any financial compensation or refunds requested by the Customer must be agreed between the Customer and the Owner, with the Owner instructing the Agency to apply or provide them. If the Customer instructs their bank or card provider to reverse a charge without such prior agreement or legal judgement it will be treated as a breach of contract committed by the Customer.

Bank Details

Cornish Cottages bank details for BACS payments.

Sort Code: 12-24-82

Account Number: 10237166

IBAN Number: GB57 BOFS 1224 8210 2371 66

SWIFT BIC: BOFSGBS1

Please ensure you use your booking reference number as the payment reference so that we can match the transaction to your booking.

Bookings From Outside the UK

Will be accepted with payment via credit card or BACS payment direct to our bank. The holidaymaker is to pay ALL charges connected with making a bank transfer including charges at the UK end. Confirmation will not be issued until we have FULL monies.

Provisional Bookings

Provisional bookings may be made for the following year at any time for a holding fee of just £75 per booking (more for larger properties which will be advised at time of booking).  If for any reason your chosen property is not available or there is a significant change (price or facilities etc.) then you will be entitled to a refund or to transfer the booking to another property. We will write to you requesting the formal deposit in order to confirm the booking, against which we will offset the holding fee - usually this happens by the end of October, but in any case before the New Year.  If you do not wish to continue with the booking, or do not pay the remainder of the deposit by the requested date then the holding fee will be forfeit.

Price Changes

The agent may need to alter the quoted price for booked accommodation due to errors, omissions or changes in the rate of VAT. If the price alteration means that the cost of the accommodation goes up, the customer may cancel the booking without penalty within 7 days of the notification of the increase.

Tenure

This agreement is not intended to create a tenancy; the holidaymaker is granted a licence to occupy the property between the agreed dates. The party members must be as advised to the agency at time of booking.  The owner or their agent is to be granted reasonable access to the property during your occupancy if required.  Occupancy is from 4pm on the day of arrival to 10am on the day of departure unless otherwise stated in your booking confirmation or an alternative is offered by prior agreement.  The customer undertakes to keep the premises and all furniture, fittings and effects in or on the premises in the same state of repair and condition as at the commencement of the holiday and also undertakes to leave the premises in the same state as found and failure to comply may result in additional cleaning charges.  All properties are non-smoking.  Domestic utilities (heating, electricity, gas and water) where included are for normal, reasonable domestic use only. For charging of electric vehicles, please see below. Please consider the environment, leaving the heating on all day in an empty property is not considered reasonable and a supplement may be charged.  Properties are not to be used for the purposes of facilitating weddings or wedding parties unless explicitly confirmed with the owner. Properties must also not be used for commercial purposes e.g. filming, business meetings etc. unless explicitly confirmed with the owner.

Electric Vehicles

Please do not charge your vehicle at a property without prior permission. If you will be bringing an electric vehicle on holiday and wish to recharge it, then a fixed cost must be paid as part of your booking. Some properties will have a dedicated EV charge point, which will be highlighted in the properties description and/or features list. Others that don't have a dedicated charge point may have an accessible 3 pin socket - please call to enquire (in this case we strongly advise that you also bring an extension cable for ease of use). In either case we will require you to pay the flat fee for charging. If you do not pay the fee and are found to be charging an EV at a property without prior permission, we reserve the right to charge your card for the fee retrospectively; or you may be required to leave immediately, without refund, if you are in breach of any part of this condition. Please note that some properties may not permit EV charging at all, please check with us at time of booking if this is important to you.

Guest Liability In Case of Damage (Additional Charges & Security Deposits)

Any damage or breakages that you find upon arrival at the property must be reported to us within 48 hours of your arrival. The owner of the holiday property must be compensated for any damage or breakages which may occur during your stay. If, following your departure, there is damage and/or breakages found that were not reported by you during your stay then you agree that we will charge you for repair and/or replacement. You are liable for all repair and replacement costs incurred as a result of your stay. You must also leave the premises in the same state as found and failure to comply may result in additional cleaning charges.

The Agency reserves the right to re-charge your previously used card/s up to the sum of £250, and will make every attempt to notify you of the charge before it is made. Should the Agency be unable to reclaim funds from your previously used card/s, you will be notified of the amount due and given 14 calendar days to settle the balance.

Security Deposits

Some property owners may request we take a security deposit prior to arrival and if this applies to your chosen property, it will say so at the bottom of the property description as well as on the booking form costing and payment schedule.

If applicable, the security deposit will become payable no later than 7 days prior to arrival, and must be settled in full prior to your holiday. You may instruct us to take the payment automatically from your card, or pay online via your Cornish Cottages account or by calling us. If you intend to pay for your damage deposit via a method other than card (such as bank transfer or cheque), it will be required to be paid 14 days prior to arrival to allow for extra time in processing your payment.

On your departure the property should be returned in the same condition and state of repair as at the commencement of your holiday as per these terms and conditions. The security deposit will be released back to your card usually 2 working days after departure. If the owner makes a damage claim, we will notify you that there will be deductions from your repayment and what they are for and then repay the remainder. If delays are incurred in preparing a damage claim (such as the owner needing to obtain repair/replacement quotes) we will notify you of the delay.

If paying by card, we may at our discretion opt to only “authorise” but not “charge” your card, which ring-fences the funds in your account but does not transfer them to us. Authorised funds reduce your “available balance” but not your total balance. After departure we can then either release the funds back to you or execute the charge (either in full or in part) which will transfer the funds to us.

Access

Due to the position of some of our properties and nature of the environment, some may have better access than others. If you have any mobility restrictions or other disability then please speak to one of our staff prior to booking who will advise on the suitability of your property choice. Allergy sufferers should also check with us first regarding suitability of their property if their condition is serious.

Eligibility

The number of persons using the holiday property is not to exceed the number stated in the property description. Only persons (including babies) included on the booking form are eligible to stay at the property. (Infants are described as being under 24 months old at the time of the holiday). The holiday is not transferable but, if individual party members change then you must obtain the agent's consent prior to arrival. Bookings may not be accepted from groups of single persons under the age of 25 in some properties in some areas, please ask. YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY, WITHOUT REFUND, IF IN BREACH OF ANY PART OF THIS CONDITION.

Dogs

Where accepted, dogs are charged per dog per week. The fee will be added during the booking process so you will be able to review it before paying. The fee may be refunded in certain circumstances but in any case will not be refunded once the balance of the booking has been paid. Any other type of pet is by prior arrangement only and the owner of the property reserves the right to make a small charge. Property details state if pets are accepted and if the owners will accept one or two pets. Under no circumstances will pets be allowed into a property without our prior knowledge and payment made in advance. Dogs, where permitted, are to be fully house trained, regularly treated for fleas, kept under control and exercised off the premises. Pets must not be allowed in the bedrooms or on the furniture or left unattended in the property at any time. YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY, WITHOUT REFUND, IF YOU ARE IN BREACH OF ANY PART OF THIS CONDITION. Important Note: Where a property does not accept pets; this does not guarantee that there have never been any pets in the property.

Property Descriptions

In view of the fact that the property descriptions are necessarily prepared some time in advance, some advertised facilities may change. We may therefore alter property descriptions at any time to reflect this. When the agency is made aware of these changes we will make reasonable efforts to inform you of them, either at time of booking or subsequent to this if appropriate.

Mobile Coverage

If you require mobile coverage during your stay, it is your responsibility to ensure that you have such coverage before booking, the agency cannot be held responsible for mobile coverage or the accuracy of coverage checking tools, or the information that we may pass on to you regarding potential coverage as we rely on third parties to provide any such information.

Internet Connectivity

If you require Internet connectivity during your stay, it is your responsibility to ensure that you have such connectivity before booking, eg. via checking that the property you wish to book has WiFi. Please also note that Internet service providers occasionally have issues and the agency cannot be held responsible for such outages, however we will attempt to notify guests before arrival in the event of a known issue. 

The Agency cannot guarantee and is not liable for the security of internet connections, they may be shared by multiple tenants or third parties and wireless/device security is never absolute. If a high level of security is required, the Customer should provide their own security solution on top (eg a VPN). Internet connections may only be used for lawful purposes (eg. not illegal file sharing).

In Case of Complaint

Any complaints regarding the property or facilities must be taken up with the property owner or their representative (caretaker) immediately. They will make all reasonable efforts to solve the issue. If satisfaction is not received please contact the Agency so that the problem can be resolved during your holiday period. No refund will be given, or compensation paid, if you do not give us reasonable opportunity of solving the problem before you return home. The Agency, owner of the property or his representative is to be allowed access to the property in order to investigate the complaint at any reasonable time during the holiday period.  Complaints made at the end of your holiday, or after you have returned home, will be treated gratefully as constructive feedback.

Liability

Once we have issued your holiday confirmation, your contract lies between you and the owner of the property. It is the owner’s responsibility to ensure that the property is in a clean, tidy and presentable condition for your arrival. It is also the owner’s responsibility to ensure that the property is entirely safe at all times for your use, that appliances and equipment are in good and safe working order and that all health, safety, fire and electrical safety regulations are complied with. The agency will not be liable for any act, neglect or default on the part of the owner or their representative, that results in loss, damage, accident, injury, expense or inconvenience which the guest or any member of their party may suffer as a result of the holiday, unless we the agents are responsible. The agency’s liability to the guest is limited to the total of monies paid by the guest to the agency, plus any reasonable expenses.

Changing a Booking

Once a booking has been confirmed to you by the Agents the booking can only be changed by treating the original booking as a cancellation with the resulting loss of any funds already paid. Changing the date of your booking is at the sole discretion of the property owner. Other changes to the booking details will be entirely at the discretion of the agency. There will be a change of booking charge of £25.

Previous Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions supersede all previous copies.

 

Cornish Cottages LTD Holiday Cancellation Plan

Cancellation of Booking

If you have to cancel your booking and do not have appropriate cover then the charge for the cancellation is on the following scale:

1. Cancellation received more than 8 weeks before commencement of the holiday - Deposit only.
2. Cancellation received less than 8 weeks prior to commencement of the holiday - 100% of total holiday cost.

Cornish Cottages Ltd Holiday Cancellation Plan Terms & Conditions

Cancelling your holiday is obviously a last resort, and the response to what is normally an unpleasant and unexpected incident. The last thing you want is to be penalised financially at the same time. For a small extra cost Cornish Cottages Ltd Holiday Cancellation Plan (the ‘plan’) will refund any monies you have paid already, provided the reason for cancellation is covered under the plan and you have followed the simple steps as described under ‘What You Need to Do’

Price of the Plan:

Property Rental £	Price of Plan £
1 to 500	25
501 to 750	27
751 to 1000	30
1001 to 1500	35
1501 to 2000	42
2001 to 2500	52
Each +500	+10

The plan runs from the day we issue your booking confirmation, confirming payment of the premium until the receipt of your cancellation in writing at this office or 12 o’clock midday 2 days prior to your scheduled arrival day, whichever is soonest. I.e. cover ceases at 12 o' clock midday on the Thursday prior to your arrival on the Saturday for a scheduled Saturday arrival.

 

What the Plan Covers

Full refund of all monies paid to Cornish Cottages Ltd excluding £25 admin fee, the original booking fee and the cost of the plan itself in the event of:-

1. Sickness or illness of any ‘member of the party’(The party members are those people told to us at the time of the booking, or amended in line with the terms and conditions overleaf, and set as such on the date we become aware of the cancellation). We will require a doctor’s note to confirm that you are unable to take your holiday because of your illness and that this condition was not known at the time of booking (pre-existing).
   
   
2. Death of any member of the party or their immediate relative. Defined as Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, Child, Husband or Wife. A copy of the death certificate will be required.
   
   
3. Redundancy. The unexpected redundancy of any member of the party. We will require a letter from your employer confirming the redundancy, and that you had no prior knowledge at time of booking.
   
   
4. Jury Service. The unexpected call to jury service of any member of the party.

 

What the Plan Does Not Cover

1. Pets. Sickness, illness, death or any other condition linked to pets.
   
   
2. Sickness or illness of any person not defined above as a ‘member of the party’.
   
   
3. Sickness or illness of any member of the party without a doctor’s note or if the note confirms that the condition preventing you from travelling was known about at the time of booking the holiday (a pre-existing condition).
   
   
4. Pregnancy or any conditions linked with pregnancy.
   
   
5. Addiction, drug abuse or suicide.
   
   
6. Redundancy if the redundancy was known about at the time of booking the holiday. Relocation or redeployment is not covered.
   
   
7. The first £25 (incl. VAT) of any claim, the original booking fee and the cost of the plan will not be refunded.
   
   
8. Cancellation due to national epidemic/pandemic, terrorism, fuel shortage, war or economic, political and natural disasters.
   
   
9. Cancellation requests received later than midday, 2 days prior to your scheduled arrival day.

 

What You Need To Do

Cancellations under the Plan must be notified to us by telephone within 48 hours of the reason for cancellation becoming apparent and then confirmed in writing or email. We will then ask you for any supporting documentation. If this is provided and a valid reason for cancellation is confirmed then any monies paid to us will be refunded immediately as described above. Please read the section ‘What the Plan Does Not Cover’ carefully.

Any payment made under the plan is at the sole discretion of Cornish Cottages Ltd and will be made in line with the above terms.

 

Terms updated 28/03/2024 ( R33 )