Terms & Conditions
BOOKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. Contract
The Contract for a short-term holiday rental shall be made between the Client and Catherine and Michael Foster, trading as The Big Cottage Company (The Big Cottage Company). The Contract shall be governed by UK Law. It will be entered into when the deposit is processed and The Big Cottage Company issues the confirmation letter. The Contract will be subject to all the following booking conditions. The Client should check the confirmation form carefully.
2. Payment
A deposit of one third of the rental fee is payable if the booking is made more than three months before the commencement of the rental. The balance of the rental fee and a cautionary deposit of £300 (applicable to all rentals with the exception of mid-week breaks) is payable three months before the booking date. Non-payment of the balance of the rental on or before the due date shall be construed as a cancellation of the contract by the Client. For bookings made less than three months before the commencement of the rental the total rental fee and the cautionary deposit of £300 is payable on booking. Payment can only be accepted by cheque and must be denominated in sterling (UK pounds). For properties booked less than three weeks before your arrival date your booking must be paid for in full, by bank transfer.
Cheques should be made payable to The Big Cottage Compnay and sent to M. Foster, The Big Cottage Company, Stapenhill Barn, Blockley, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, GL56 9LJ.
3. Cancellation
Any cancellation made by the Client for whatever reason shall be in writing and addressed to The Big Cottage Company at the address in Condition 2 above. The Big Cottage Company will endeavour to re-let the property. If we are unable to re-let, the full balance owing will remain payable by you and the deposit will not be refunded. If The Big Cottage Company only succeeds in re-letting the property for part of the period booked it shall refund an amount equal to the money paid less (1) the rental for the period which is not re-let and (2) an administrative charge of £20. If The Big Cottage Company is unable to re-let the property at all then all monies paid by the Client shall be forfeit to The Big Cottage Company. Any balance owing will remain payable by you. The Big Cottage Company strongly recommends Clients take out Cancellation Insurance as the above refund terms are non-negotiable.
4. Changes of Date
The Big Cottage Company may consider a request from a client to change the dates of the booking after confirmation has been issued. Agreement will be given where the request is received more than three months away from the start of the booking, subject to availability of the property.
5. Period of Hire
Rentals commence, unless otherwise notified, at 4.00 pm on the day of arrival and terminate at 10.00 am on the day of departure, except for 2 night weekends when check out is 6pm on Sunday.
6. Noise
Consideration must be shown to neighbours at our houses; any late- night noise should be avoided especially outside.
7. Use of Property
The number of persons occupying a property must not exceed the maximum number stipulated on the booking form. The property will be used for personal and domestic purposes only. The property shall not be used for any commercial purposes without the written consent of The Big Cottage Company. The Big Cottage Company reserves the right to refuse entry to the entire party if these conditions are not observed. We regret that the rental of the property by all male groups and stag parties is not permitted at some of our houses - please contact us for details.
8. Complaints
Should there be any cause for complaint during the occupation of the property it must be notified promptly to The Big Cottage Company and in case of serious problems confirmed in writing.
9. Breakages or Damage
The Client is legally bound to reimburse The Big Cottage Company for replacement, repair or extra cleaning costs on demand. These costs will be deducted from your £300 deposit, but are not limited to that amount. You will be billed for the difference between this and the actual cost of the repairs.
10. Care of the Property
The Client shall take all reasonable and proper care of the property, inside the house and in the garden, and its furniture, pictures, fittings and effects in or on the property and leave them in the same state of repair and condition and in the same clean and tidy condition at the end of the rental period as at the beginning. Failure to meet this standard will result in a cleaning charge against your cautionary deposit.
11. Pets
Pets are allowed at most of The Big Cottage Company properties - please contact us for details.
12. No Smoking Policy
All Big Cottage Company properties are entirely non-smoking.
13. Liability
The Big Cottage Company (for itself, its employees and agents) shall not be liable to the Client or third parties for any accident, damage, loss, injury, expense or inconvenience, which may be suffered, incurred, arise out of or in any way connected with the rental. No term of the Contract is enforceable under the Contracts (Rights of The Third Parties) Act 1999 by a person who is not a party to the Contract. If the property which the Client has booked becomes unavailable or unusable for some reason prior to the date of a booking, then The Big Cottage Company's obligation will be to (1) use their best endeavour to find a suitable alternative property, or failing which (2) to reimburse the Client for any monies paid.
14. Warranties
The Big Cottage Company does not warrant and is not responsible for the accuracy of any verbal information given or statements made by its servants.
15. Website and advertisements
The Owners aim to ensure that the information and descriptions provided are accurately conveyed on the official website and any authorized third-party websites or advertisements. There may be small differences between the actual accommodation and its description as we are always seeking to improve services and facilities There are many unauthorised websites listing holiday cottages, we cannot accept responsibility for any mis-description by these sites. Occasionally, problems mean that some facilities or services become unavailable, and if this is the case we will tell you as soon as reasonably practical after we have been made aware of the situation. Similarly, we cannot accept responsibility for any changes or closures to local area amenities or attractions mentioned on the website or advertised elsewhere.
16. Right of Entry
The Big Cottage Company shall be allowed the right of entry to the property at all reasonable times for purposes of inspection or to carry out any necessary repairs or maintenance.
17. Swimming Pool
The heated outdoor pools are open from 9am to 7pm each day from May to September. You are responsible for your own safety whilst using the swimming pools as they are unattended. Guests must accept responsibility for the safety of their children at all times; no child may use the swimming pool unaccompanied. All reasonable care must be taken by you and all pool rules displayed and in the information pack must be obeyed. Failure to observe these rules may result in the pool being closed. If broken glass is found in the pool area the pool will be closed immediately for safety reasons.
Children must be supervised at all times. If the pool cover, or any pool equipment is damaged you will be charged the full replacement cost. We make every effort to keep the swimming pool open all season, however, it may be necessary to close it due to contamination, mechanical breakdown or other circumstances beyond our control. No compensation will be paid in these circumstances.
18. Children
Guests must accept responsibility for the safety of their children.
19. Cancellation Insurance
Cancellation Insurance is strongly recommended.
20. Pricing
We reserve the right to change the advertised prices of our properties at any time without prior notification. We will confirm the price of your holiday at the point of booking and the rental price agreed for the property (excluding any extras), as specified on the booking form and in the confirmation letter, will remain firm and will not be changed under any circumstances.
