TERMS & CONDITIONS
Discoveryitaly.tours is part of the “Discovery Italy Project” which involves the US limited liability company DISCOVERY ITALY LLC and the Italian limited liability company CHAT & TOUR S.R.L. and is aimed at promoting the discovery of Italian beauties for Americans. CHAT & TOUR S.R.L. (hereinafter defined as the “Company”) is a fully licensed Tour Operator under laws of Italy, and operates tour operating services in Italy under the brand “Tour of Sicily Tour Operator” registered at the Sicilian/Italian Tourist Board.
DISCOVERY ITALY LLC and Chat & Tour s.r.l. are the co-founders of the New York corporation DISCOVERY ITALY TOURS INC., with office at 288 Terry Rd., SMITHTOWN NY 17787 (USA).
​​Discovery Italy Tours Inc. is hereinafter defined as “DIT Inc.”.
Services provided by DIT Inc. through the Company are directly handled by third-party suppliers.​
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Price, Payment and voucher issue
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Prices
Price quotations will be provided by the sales office of DIT Inc. and are based on customized-only services and tour packages.
The services included in any offered tour package shall be listed in the Tour Description delivered by the sales office of DIT Inc.
Tips/gratuities, baggage and/or personal insurances, beverages, food, services and products of a personal nature, as well as anything else not expressly listed in the Tour Description will not be included.
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Payment
Unless otherwise set forth in the Tour Proposal provided by DIT Inc., the following Payment Conditions shall apply:
- 30% Deposit is required to process any Booking (and specified in the tour description);
- the 70% balance is due 60 days before the tour starting date.
All Payments will be processed using Secure Payment Gateway (certified by International Security Standard required) or via Bank Transfer (ACH Bank details will be shared upon request).
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Voucher issue
After payment, DIT Inc. will send a Tour Confirmation/Tour Program voucher by e-mail: this document has to be printed, as a proof of purchase, and will be presented to the service provider (if requested).
All information regarding the travelers should be correctly given at the time of booking.
All requests for modifications/amendments must be sent by email to DIT Inc. and could be subject to additional charges.
Neither the Company nor DIT Inc. can be held responsible for any problem that may happen if you don’t receive or read carefully your confirmation / voucher. In case you have not received your voucher, you must notify DIT Inc. at least 72 hours before the date of service.
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Cancellation policies:
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A different cancellation policy will be applied depending on the Type of Tours as specified below:​
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Multi Day Tours
From time of reservation until 60 days before your arrival our Not Refundable Planning & Administrative Fees as follows:
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* USD 150 per person (considering a total tour amount of USD 1499)
* USD 400 per person (considering a total tour amount between USD 1500 and USD 3499)
* USD 750 per person (considering a total tour amount of more than USD 3500)
from 59 to 45 days before your arrival 25% of total amount of the reservation will not be refunded
from 44 to 30 days before your arrival 50% of total amount of the reservation will not be refunded
from 29 to 15 days before your arrival 75% of total amount of the reservation will not be refunded
No refund will be provided for No Show or cancellation made from 14 to 0 days before your arrival
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One Day Tours
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Cancellation more than 15 calendar days before the services begin: 4% (credit card administrative fees).
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Cancellation between 14 calendar days and the day of the services or after: customer will be charged a 100% cancellation fee (i.e., no refund)
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IMPORTANT: For cancellation policy purposes, the combination of more one-day Tours bought through DIT Inc. with the assistance of the Booking Department shall be considered a Multi-Days Tour. If multiple one-day tours are booked by customer online independently (not through DIT Inc. and the assistance of its Booking Department), instead, the One-Day Tours cancellation policy shall apply.
FOR SHORE EXCURSIONS:
In the event a sea excursion is cancelled (due to adverse weather conditions or any other reason), the fees associated to the cancelled sea excursion will be completely refunded to customer only if DIT Inc. and/or the Company are informed by the relevant third-party supplier at least 12 hours before the excursion departure time ***
Incentive, Group Tours
​We will send all the details in case of request.
Different Cancellation Policies:
Please note that certain supplier applies different cancellation fees, which might apply as specified on each tour description.
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Procedure to cancel a booking:
In order to eligible to any refund in accordance with these terms and conditions, any cancellation request by customer must be expressly confirmed by DIT Inc.
DIT Inc. will not be responsible for any cancellation that is not requested in writing and not confirmed in writing by both customer and DIT Inc. and might debit the relative cancellation or no-show charges.
Other Terms
​Reservation Changes:
A handling fee of USD 80 per transaction will be charged for any alteration or revision made to a reservation from the time of booking. A change of tour date or tour itinerary after confirmation, requiring a cancellation of arranged services and re-booking of new services, will accrue the applicable cancellation fees in addition to the costs of the new services.
Passports & Visas:
A valid passport is required of all customers are booking Services to Italy and other EU Countries. Each passenger is responsible for acquiring and bringing their appropriate travel documents required for travel.
Non-European citizens must consult with the appropriate consulate to determine if any visa is required. Securing any required visas is the responsibility of the customers
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Sightseeing:
During holidays could happen some sights, such as museums and churches and archaeological sites, may be closed or unavailable for visits, due to unpredictable events at time of booking. When possible, alternative excursions will be offered in their place. Our local representative/Tour Guide will advise you of the alternative excursions available, all of which must be purchased locally or will be offered free of charge if it will be considered a substitution.
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Travellers who need special assistance/dietary restrictions:
Any disability or dietary restriction requiring special attention must be reported to DIT Inc. at the time of reservation. DIT Inc. will make all the commercially reasonable attempts to accommodate the special needs of disabled tour participants or dietary restrictions, but it is not responsible in the event it is unable to do so, nor is it responsible for any denial of services by carriers, hotels, restaurants, or other independent suppliers.
Motor coaches are not equipped with wheelchair ramps. We are sorry for not being able to provide individual special assistance to disables persons (for example for walking, dining, and getting on and off motor coaches and other transportation vehicles, or other personal needs). Travelers needing such special assistance are required to get a qualified companion/guide.
Any disabilities or dietary restrictions not communicated at time of booking are the strict responsibility of the client, and neither DIT Inc. nor the Company and all of its third-party suppliers are not responsible for addressing such special needs.
Right to Exclude:
Our Company reserves the right to accept or reject any person as a tour participant, to expel any tour participant from the tour, to make changes in the itinerary and to cancel a tour at any time whenever the Company deems it necessary for the comfort, convenience, or safety of the participants. The tour participant agrees that neither DIT Inc., the Company, nor their affiliates shall be liable for any damage, loss (including personal injury, death, and property loss) or expense occurred by any act or omission of any supplier providing the tour services or any other person.
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Baggage allowance:
Porterage is not included in any of the tour programs unless specifically stated. If a tour program provides for porterage, it is restricted to one suitcase only at the hotel. (no porterage will be provided at Airports).
Due to limited van/coach capacity, this single bag should have dimensions not exceeding 30″x 18″ x 10″ inches (76x46x25 cm) and weight not exceeding 60 lbs. (27 kg). An additional charge will be required per travelling day for a second piece of baggage or if the suitcase exceeds the established weight and/or dimensions. One personal travel bag, not exceeding 17″x14″x8″ inches (43x36x20 cm), is permitted and is the responsibility of the owner. No responsibility is accepted for loss of or damage to baggage or any of the passenger’s belongings. International air carriers may also impose fees or require you to remove articles and put them in another bag if weight or size limits on checked or carry-on luggage is exceeded. Baggage insurance is recommended. Discovery Italy Tours is not responsible for any luggage delays or problems regarding airline services.
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Refund Claims:
DIT Inc. operates in Italy through the Company, which is insured with Allianz for tour operator services booked through DIT Inc. and provided by the Company and its third-party suppliers.
If you think you should be refunded because services purchased were not provided, you, the client, (not the Travel Agent or Agency through which you booked services) must send to the Company by registered mail a typewritten claim which must be received within 14 days after the date of the relevant scheduled services.
The Company will then forward any claim to its Insurance Company for investigation, in order to verify the validity and responsible parties involved in the claim. In the event that a claim is justified, the Insurance company will process the request for refund and make payment.
The Company is responsible only for services provided by its suppliers. The Company is not responsible for any communications between clients and their Travel Agents in their country of their residence or miscommunication of services on the part of the client’s Travel Agent.
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Insurance:
Health, accident, luggage and trip cancellation interruption insurance is strongly recommended and available through your travel agent or directly from an Insurance Company. Our Company does not provide any Insurance Packages or solutions.
Travel documents
Travel documents consist of Vouchers for services booked. All vouchers will be sent by Email to your regular Email address supplied by you at time of booking. These are usually emailed about 10 days before services commence.
You must bring vouchers with you and present them to suppliers in order to redeem services.
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Not included in the tour price:
Federal Inspection Fees for U.S. Customs and Immigration; International Air Transportation Tax; Agricultural Tax; Security Fee; airport taxes and fees; fuel surcharges; passports; visas and vaccinations; tips to your tour director, drivers, and in some cases, local guides; laundry; beverages and food not included in the program (these extra items will be billed to you before leaving the hotel or restaurant). Supplements levied by hotels and Tour Service Providers for travel during certain periods of the year, Christmas, New Year, Easter, Carnival and for Trade Fairs occurring in certain cities, Optional excursions, porterage, all other items of a personal nature.
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Responsibility:
DIT Inc., operating in Italy through the Company, is responsible to clients for making arrangements for the tour services offered, including transportation, sightseeing, and hotel accommodations. The carriers, hotels, and other third-party suppliers providing tour services are independent contractors and are not agents, employees, or servants of, or joint ventures with DIT Inc. and/or the Company or its affiliates.
All certificates and other travel documents for tour services issued by DIT Inc. and/or the Company are subject to the terms and conditions specified by the supplier and to the laws of the countries in which the services are supplied (Italy & Malta).
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Reliability:
DIT Inc., through the Company, provides the highest professional standards and travel security. The Company is a member of the International Airlines Travel Association (IATA), Licence D.D.S. 3290/S7 Registration as Travel Agency/Tour Operator at Assessorato Turismo Regione Siciliana (Sicilian Tourist Board) and authorized by Italian Tourist Board (ENIT).
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