Terms and Conditions

By placing a booking with Coach Hire Compare Ltd, The Customer acknowledges that they have read, understood and agree to accept the Terms and Conditions as detailed below.

No part of these Terms and Conditions affects your rights as a consumer. These Terms and Conditions are in addition to your rights as a consumer.

In the following terms and conditions, 'the Company' refers to Coach Hire Compare Ltd, it’s subsidiaries, brands or identities under which the company may trade and ‘the customer’ and/or ‘the hirer’ refers to the person and/or organisation making the booking.

1. Application

Our Standard Terms and Conditions apply equally for verbal or written contracts. The acts or omissions of the passengers are the hirers' responsibility and therefore any additional costs incurred for the performance of the contract rest entirely with the hirer irrespective of whether the hirer travels with the party.

2. Quotations

All quotations are valid for 7 days (providing the date of travel is more than 14 days ahead) unless agreed in writing at time of booking and are given subject to ‘The Company’ having an appropriate vehicle available at the time the hirer accepts the quotation. The given quotation is for driver and vehicle only.

After such period the company may at its absolute discretion vary the price, in which event a new quotation will be provided to the customer, and previous quotations will be deemed null and void.

3. Payment

All monies must be made in full prior to the performance of the booking unless expressly agreed by the company. If any outstanding monies are due, the company reserves the right to collect the monies due from the original credit/debit card used by or for the hirer at any time. The hirer also agrees that no chargeback will be raised to any credit/debit card issuing company with regards to the booking payment. In the event that the deposit is not paid on time or balance is not paid by the due date (normally 14 days before travel unless expressly agreed in writing) the company reserve the right to cancel the whole booking and any monies paid will be forfeited and the full balance will be due.

If payment has not been received within the agreed timescales then the Company can no longer guarantee the quoted price and may be required to revise its quotation

All bookings made through credit cards will incur a 3% banking charge and through debit cards a 1% banking charge unless agreed by the company.

4. Booking Confirmations and Amendments

It is the responsibility of the Customer to check the Booking Confirmation, once received, for its accuracy and completeness, any discrepancies found in the Booking Confirmation should be communicated to the Company as a matter of urgency

If a Customer requires to amend a Booking, the amendment will only be considered as implemented when the Customer has it confirmed in writing and the Company has acknowledged said amendment with a new Booking Confirmation. If an updated Booking Confirmation has not been received by the Customer with the updated details, then the Customer must assume that the existing booking has not been amended.

It is the Customers responsibility to ensure that all trip details are complete and correct and at no time should verbal amendments be considered as confirmation of a change to an existing booking.

Depending on the nature of the booking amendment, additional charges may be required

5. Additional Charges and Surcharges –

Unless, it has been agreed otherwise, the hire price will not include tickets, admission charges, ferries, road tolls or parking. However, at your request we may make these arrangements for you, but would do so as your agent. This means that any terms and conditions applicable to that transaction by that supplier (ie those relating to payment, cancellation, etc.) would be as binding on you as if you had made these arrangements directly. Details of such can be available upon request, we will not enter into any arrangement on your behalf until you have made payment to us.

All jobs at the point of quotation will be based on the use of a single driver however, for longer journeys in terms of hours it may be necessary to employ the services of a second driver in order to comply with the regulations regarding “driver’s hours” and therefore we reserve the right, to review our quotation should this be the case and should there be a need for additional charges the Hirer will be advised at least (where possible) 7 days prior to the journey date

For some journeys, it may be necessary to accommodate the driver, these costs will be borne by the Hirer and will be paid in advance of the journey’s commencement

The quotation is given with regard to the operating costs at the time of the quotation. If more than 14 days elapse between the date of the quotation and its performance, the company reserve the right to pass on any increase in the cost of fuel or any other increased costs resulting from government action. The company reserves the right to charge for damage to vehicles made by the hirer and/or the passengers. Monies will be collected from the hirer. The Company may charge a £100 refundable sickness and damage deposit for night time hire.

6. Cancellation by Hirer

All cancellations must be made in writing. Cancellation refund is based on the following:

i. 21 days or more notice 75% of the total cost will be refunded

ii. 14 days or more notice 50% of the total cost will be refunded

iii. 7 days or more notice 25% of the total cost will be refunded, if the hirer cancels

iv. less than 7 days notice before the booking, all monies will be forfeited to the company and the full value of the trip will be due.

Cancellation of an event or holiday or "reason for travel" does not affect the hirer’s liability and the monies will be due as if the vehicle was travelling.

7. Cancellation by the company

In the event of that the company is unable to provide a vehicle or vehicles to meet all or part of the customer’s booked requirements due to reason of emergency, vehicle unavailability or a request by the hirer to unilaterally vary the agreed conditions, the Company may return all monies paid and without liability cancel the contract. 

In such circumstance the company will not be liable for any inconvenience or loss incurred and will not be liable for any consequential loss howsoever caused. It is strongly recommended that you should consider insuring against this risk

8. Force Majeure: 

Neither party shall be liable in damages or have the right to terminate this Agreement for any delay or default in performing hereunder if such delay or default is caused by conditions beyond its reasonable control including, but not limited to Acts of God, Government restrictions (including the denial or cancellation of any export or other necessary license), wars, insurrections, including, without limitation, failure of suppliers, subcontractors, and carriers, and/or any other cause beyond the reasonable control of the party whose performance is affected to substantially meet its performance obligations under this Agreement

9. Use of the Vehicle

The hirer cannot assume the use of the vehicle between outward and return journeys nor will the vehicle remain at the destination for the hirers' sole use unless this has been expressly agreed in writing by the Company. The company reserves the right to levy additional charges for timings or mileage over and above the original agreement on a pro rata basis as confirmed to the hirer at the time of booking.

10. Change of vehicle

The Company reserves the right to subcontract to another operator to perform the hire or to supply replacement vehicles with the same number of seats. In the event that a vehicle of differing specification is supplied the companies’ liability will be limited to the amount specified in our standard table of compensation, If for operational reasons we are compelled to supply a larger coach than required this will be at no extra charge (unless the number of passengers is increased from the original booking).

11. Route

Unless the hirer has advised of a particular route and specified it at the time of booking, the route taken will be entirely at the discretion of the company or driver according to road, traffic and weather conditions at the time of travel. The vehicle will depart at the times agreed by the hirer at the time of the booking confirmation; no price discount shall be given if the route chosen is not actually the shortest. Stops will be made at suitable points to satisfy legal requirements regarding breaks and rest for drivers. It is the hirers' responsibility to account for all passengers at those times. The company cannot accept liability for any losses incurred by passengers who fail to adhere to the hirers' instructions.

12. Breakdown or Delay

The company may give advice on journey times in good faith, but cannot guarantee that the journey is completed  by a specific time and cannot accept any responsibility or liability whatsoever for traffic congestion, road accidents, adverse weather conditions, compliance with requests of the police, customs or other government officials and security services or other matters outside it’s reasonable control and will not be liable for any inconvenience or loss incurred caused by a breakdown or unforeseen delay be that en-route to pick up the hirer or en-route to the booking destination as a result. And will not be liable for any consequential loss howsoever caused.

It is strongly recommended that you should consider insuring against this risk if journey times are particularly crucial, for example for the commencement of an event.

13. Driver Hours

Drivers hours and rest periods are strictly regulated by law and the hirer accepts responsibility for timings agreed at confirmation of booking. The hirer accepts that neither they nor their passengers shall delay or interrupt the journey in such a way as to cause the driver to breach driver's hour's regulations and must adhere strictly to all collection times contained in the Booking Confirmation. If any breach is likely to occur the hirer agrees to pay any additional costs incurred.

If delays occur for whatever reason, the Company may take whatever action is deemed necessary for the Vehicle in order to comply with the law. Where delays do occur the Company cannot be held responsible for any losses arising as a result of those delays or non-performance of the Services unless they are due solely to the negligence of the Company.

14. Property

The vehicles are subject to statutory safety restrictions on the carriage of luggage and driver has sole authority to decide whether the property is suitable to be carried on that vehicle.

Whilst The Company will take all reasonable care with passenger’s property it cannot accept liability for any damage to, or loss of that property being carried on the vehicle and we would strongly recommend that no valuables should be left on the vehicle at any time, even if that vehicle is locked.

Nor can the Company accept responsibility for any loss of or damage to property left on the vehicle after hire. Property found on the vehicle after hire will be held at the vehicle operating base. It is the hirers' or the passenger's responsibility to collect the property and any costs incurred to collect the property are to be borne by the hirer or passenger. Property is to be collected at a time agreed by the company and the hirer or passenger.

15. Passenger Conduct

It is incumbent upon the Hirer and the hirer’s party to behave in a proper manner for the duration of their journey. The driver is responsible for the safety of the vehicle and as such may refuse to allow a passenger or passengers to board the Vehicle or eject them from the Vehicle if, in his sole discretion, he considers them unfit to travel for whatever reason (for example, being intoxicated, aggressive or abusive). The Driver may refuse to continue a journey if in his sole discretion he considers any passenger to be behaving in such a way as may compromise the safety of other persons, the contents of the Vehicle or the Vehicle itself.

In such event, at the driver’s sole discretion, the journey may continue once the passenger or passengers have been removed from the vehicle, but should passenger conduct result in summary termination of the journey, the company reserves the right to cancel any other parts of a booking, and in such circumstances the forfeiture of any monies paid, and no claims for compensation or refund in either whole or part shall be entertained

If passenger conduct results in damage to the vehicle, the Hirer shall be responsible for any remedial costs incurred.

16. Alcohol, Tobacco or Drug Consumption

Drinking of alcolohol on the coach is always at the driver’s discretion and for certain sporting events is legally prohibited.  All vehicles are strictly non-smoking by law.

Non-compliance with a driver’s request for passengers to refrain from drinking alcohol, and the smoking of tobacco or consumption of illegal narcotics, may result in summary termination of the journey, cancellation of any other parts of a booking, and in such circumstances the forfeiture of any monies paid, and no claims for compensation or refund in either whole or part shall be entertained.

17. Complaints

All complaints must be made in writing within 7 days of the date of hire to the Company. Any remedies or compensatory measures offered (if any) by the Company are at the strict discretion of the management of the Company and are detailed in our Customer Services Policy (a copy of which is available on request). The hirer also agrees that in the event of a dispute arising from a booking, a charge back request will not be raised through the card issuer or bank. The hirer agrees to have a fair independent hearing in a County Court if an agreement cannot be made between the hirer and the Company

18. Standard Compensation terms

The table below details our standard compensation amounts / percentages where there has been a service failure on our part. Where an amount and a percentage figure are shown in the compensation column, the compensation payable will be limited to the maximum amount shown.

Where a booking covers more than one journey or the journey consists of more than one part or leg (for example an inward and outward journey), any compensation will only be applicable to and limited to the affected part of that journey.

In the unlikely event that there is more than one service issue, compensation will only be paid against the issue which has the highest value.   Payments and or refunds will not be made against multiple issues.

19. Maximum liability

The company’s maximum liability under this Agreement is strictly limited to the contract value, and specifically excludes liability for consequential losses and damages.

20. Animals

With the specific exception of recognised assistance dogs, (which includes guide dogs), no animals are permitted to be carried on any vehicle booked under the terms of this agreement, unless specific permission has been obtained in writing from the company a  minimum of three working days prior to the commencement of any journey. 

The inclusion of this clause should not be taken to imply that permission will be given for the carriage of animals other than recognised assistance dogs, and specific requirements may be given with regards to restraint of aforesaid animals to ensure safe transit of any animals for which permission is given.  Failure to comply with any reasonable requirements may result in summary termination of the journey and removal of the animal from the vehicle.

A recognised assistance dog is one that has been specifically trained to assist a disabled person and that meets the accredited membership criteria of Assistance Dogs International/Assistance Dogs Europe, or other such bodies as may from time to time be recognised. An assistance dog trained by a member of Assistance Dogs International will have formal identification. Accredited UK, European and International assistance dog organisations can be found at the website address:
http://www.assistancedogsinternational.org/assistancedogproviders.php

21. English Law

Orders are only accepted in that English law shall apply to the contract arising from such an order and to the determination of the rights and liabilities of the respective parties and in that no action or other proceedings shall be bought by either party in relation to such a contract except in a court of competent jurisdiction and laws of England and Wales.

Appendix 1 – Table of compensation