Terms and Conditions
Deposit Payment
Prior to securing your reservations, we will request a payment deposit. Our company policy necessitates a deposit of either 20% of the total cost of the tour or $250 per person, whichever amount is greater. Please note that this deposit is non-refundable. Additionally, expenses related to pre-purchased items such as domestic airfares may be required in advance, and will be clearly indicated on your itinerary. If your reservation is made within 60 days of the start of your tour, full payment will be required upon confirmation of all arrangements.
Please keep in mind that once your itinerary has been confirmed, the deposit is non-refundable.
Full and Final Payment
You will need to make the full and final payment for the remaining balance of your tour costs no later than 60 days prior to your tour start date, which will be calculated from the start date in New Zealand Standard Time (NZST). This deadline will be clearly indicated on your itinerary and documentation. If we do not receive your balance payment by the end of the business day in NZST on this date, we may need to cancel some components of your itinerary, and we cannot guarantee your tour. In such cases, our cancellation policy will apply to your booking.
Cancellation Policy
You have the option to cancel your tour at any time, but please note that cancellation fees may be charged as outlined below. All cancellations must be submitted in writing.
Cancellation after confirming your tour arrangements: The deposit is non-refundable. Additionally, third-party providers such as accommodation, car rental, or other activities may impose cancellation fees if they have been prepaid and are subject to cancellation terms.
Cancellation 60 – 21 days before the tour start date: If you cancel your tour 60-21 days prior to the tour start date, you will be charged a cancellation fee of 55% of the total tour reservation value, plus any applicable third-party cancellation fees.
Cancellation 20 – 8 days before the tour start date: If you cancel your tour 20-8 days prior to the tour start date, you will be charged a cancellation fee of 70% of the total tour reservation value, plus any applicable third-party cancellation fees.
Cancellation 7 days or less before the tour start date: If you cancel your tour 7 days or less prior to the tour start date, you will be charged a cancellation fee of 100% of the total tour reservation value.
Third Party Charges
Third-party entities such as travel agents may impose their own cancellation policies, which may entail extra cancellation fees for you. If you’re booking through such a third party, please ensure to inquire about any potential additional cancellation costs.
Although we realize that cancellations can sometimes be inevitable, we strongly advise that you obtain comprehensive travel insurance to protect yourself against any such instances.
Amending or Change of Tour
If you wish to modify your holiday, we will try our best to accommodate your requests. However, please note that we cannot guarantee changes, especially if they are made within 7 days of your start date, due to supplier restrictions and availability. Keep in mind that some popular New Zealand products, such as guided hikes and prepaid items like flights and hotels during peak travel times, may not be changeable or cancelable. If your requested changes are possible, you will be charged any rate changes or fees imposed by suppliers and a fee of NZ$250 per person to cover our administrative costs. Requests for amendments must be made in writing by the person who made the original booking to your consultant. Please also be aware that travel agents or other third parties may have their own policies regarding modifications.
Kiwi Self Drive Tours Company Rights
Our rights
We reserve the right to amend pricing at any time.
From time to time events outside of our control mean that itinerary components may need to be replaced. We guarantee that the replacement product or service will be of equal or higher quality.
Any information provided is done so with the understanding that the information may have been provided by a third party and should therefore only be used as a guideline. We may use third-party suppliers or providers of some services and products and as such acts as agents for those suppliers. Any claim or liability resulting from those services or products is the responsibility of the supplier or provider.
The company, its employees, independent contractors, suppliers and any person acting on behalf of the company accept no responsibility for damage or loss to property or person however caused.
Car rental
Car rental with the company is limited to the payment of and securing of the rental portion and or other inclusions such as collision damage waiver fees of the rental car hire. All other insurance costs (unless specified otherwise on your tour inclusions) are to be settled directly with the car rental supplier. Any other costs incurred by the renter are the sole responsibility of the renter. A full set of terms and conditions for car rental is available on request and will be detailed in your confirmed itinerary or quote.
Flights
International & domestic air travel is not included in the cost of any of our tours unless specifically stated.
Flights booked by us on your behalf will be non-refundable. If you are booking a fixed date coach tour we recommend that flights are booked once a seat on the coach has been confirmed.
Insurance
We recommend you seek local and professional advice on your specific insurance needs at the time you make your reservation. Many insurance providers can include cancellation or interruption cover. This means that should your flight be delayed or cancelled or you need to amend your plans due to illness or other unforeseen circumstances then fees and costs may be recoverable. Check with your insurance provider and ask the question. It is your responsibility to ensure you are adequately covered.
Third-party terms and conditions
The omission of a link or reference to terms and conditions for third parties does not imply that our terms and conditions supersede those. It is impractical to list all of our provider’s terms and conditions and on request, we can supply their individual terms and conditions to you or answer a specific question. At the time of reservation we will provide you with any information we feel you should be aware of but it is ultimately your responsibility to ensure you are happy with these terms.
Passports and Visas
You and all members of your travelling party are solely responsible for making sure that you meet the correct immigration requirements to enter New Zealand, as well as any other country you may have a stopover in. Alongside visa legislation, it is a requirement that most travellers complete a Travel Declaration, obtain an NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Tourist Authority) visa and pay the International Visitor Conservation; Tourist Levy before arriving in New Zealand. See here for further details. If you do not have all the required documentation – visas, passports, and permits – prior to the start of your tour you will be solely responsible for the full amount of any loss or expense incurred by us or yourselves.
Additional Activities
You acknowledge that we are not liable in any way for additional activities you choose to undertake during your tour other than those included in your itinerary. The contract for the provision of any extra activities arranged by you whilst travelling will be between you and the activity provider.
Honest, fair and reasonable
The company prides itself on operating with honest, fair and reasonable business practices and has been built on providing excellent service and product to its guests. Should you feel that the product or service you have experienced did not live up to our promise then please contact via contact@kiwiselfdrivetours.co.nz. All possible actions will be undertaken to rectify the situation to your satisfaction.
Statutory Protections under New Zealand Law
These terms and conditions should be read subject to and in conjunction with the provisions of the Consumer Guarantees Act and the Fair Trading Act (applicable in New Zealand) and do not affect your rights as expressed in these acts.
