Independent and Gap Year Support Cancellations, Refunds, Terms, and Conditions
Our independent, gap year, and family travel support is a consulting service offered by Educational Travel Collaborative, LLC to support young people and their families in planning meaningful international travel that results in personal and professional growth. All travel is undertaken individually, and the Collaborative is not liable in any way for the actions of the traveler or the results of those actions before, during, or after initiating their travels.
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A nonrefundable payment is made at the initiation of the consulting arrangement, which allows us to complete initial research and conversations with our partners to price and arrange independent travel. Once we are hired, we will provide you with intellectual property in the form of possible itineraries, medical and logistical guidance, and packing and planning support. As this intellectual property is created and delivered on demand for our clients, in principle, all payments made to the collaborative are nonrefundable.
Forms and Waivers
Both participants (and their parents/guardians in the case of participating minors) are required to sign and comply with various liability waivers and releases prior to the beginning of any Educational Travel Collaborative program. These documents include the Participation Enrollment Agreement, the Acknowledgement and Assumption of Risks & Release and Indemnity Agreement, and the student’s medical form. Participants are not permitted to travel on any Educational Travel Collaborative program unless all required paperwork has been received in our office at least 30 days prior to departure.
Enrollment Meetings
All participants are required to participate in an Enrollment Meeting held with the student and a member of our team. If the student is a minor, a parent or legal guardian must attend. If the student is a legal adult, parents and guardians are still strongly encouraged to attend. Additional follow-up meetings may be required.
VISAS AND TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
While we provide advice around the provision of travel documents, it is your responsibility to ensure that your passports and visas (if applicable) are up to date, and to stay in custody of these documents throughout your travels.
SPECIAL TRIP INSURANCE
As independent and gap year travel is undertaken independently from us following the provision of our consultation services, Educational Travel Collaborative LLC is not responsible for costs associated with cancelled travel for any reason.
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MEDICAL AND EVACUATION EXPENSES
It is the responsibility of the traveler to understand the limits of any medical and evacuation policy, and to provide up-front payment of emergency services when required.
Website Terms and Conditions
Terms and Conditions
Agreement between User and www.educationaltravelcollaborative.com
Welcome to www.educationaltravelcollaborative.com. The www.educationaltravelcollaborative.com website (the "Site") is comprised of various web pages operated by Educational Travel Collaborative LLC ("Educational Travel Collaborative"). www.educationaltravelcollaborative.com is offered to you conditioned on your acceptance without modification of the terms, conditions, and notices contained herein (the "Terms"). Your use of www.educationaltravelcollaborative.com constitutes your agreement to all such Terms. Please read these terms carefully, and keep a copy of them for your reference.
www.educationaltravelcollaborative.com is an E-Commerce Site.
Educational Travel Collaborative, LLC (Educational Travel Collaborative, ETC, E.T.C, the Collaborative) is the industry leader in operating guided travel and providing independent travel consulting for young people. Our team of international educators and veteran travelers are here to deepen travelers’ understandings, help them navigate the logistics of travel planning, and engage deeply with the destinations they visit, whether with our team or through independent travel we advise on.
Privacy
Your use of www.educationaltravelcollaborative.com is subject to Educational Travel Collaborative's Privacy Policy. Please review our Privacy Policy, which also governs the Site and informs users of our data collection practices.
Electronic Communications
Visiting www.educationaltravelcollaborative.com or sending emails to Educational Travel Collaborative constitutes electronic communications. You consent to receive electronic communications and you agree that all agreements, notices, disclosures and other communications that we provide to you electronically, via email and on the Site, satisfy any legal requirement that such communications be in writing.
Children Under Thirteen
Educational Travel Collaborative does not knowingly collect, either online or offline, personal information from persons under the age of thirteen. If you are under 18, you may use www.educationaltravelcollaborative.com only with permission of a parent or guardian.
Links to Third Party Sites/Third Party Services
www.educationaltravelcollaborative.com may contain links to other websites ("Linked Sites"). The Linked Sites are not under the control of Educational Travel Collaborative and Educational Travel Collaborative is not responsible for the contents of any Linked Site, including without limitation any link contained in a Linked Site, or any changes or updates to a Linked Site. Educational Travel Collaborative is providing these links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by Educational Travel Collaborative of the site or any association with its operators.
Certain services made available via www.educationaltravelcollaborative.com are delivered by third party sites and organizations. By using any product, service or functionality originating from the www.educationaltravelcollaborative.com domain, you hereby acknowledge and consent that Educational Travel Collaborative may share such information and data with any third party with whom Educational Travel Collaborative has a contractual relationship to provide the requested product, service or functionality on behalf of www.educationaltravelcollaborative.com users and customers.
No Unlawful or Prohibited Use/Intellectual Property
You are granted a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use www.educationaltravelcollaborative.com strictly in accordance with these terms of use. As a condition of your use of the Site, you warrant to Educational Travel Collaborative that you will not use the Site for any purpose that is unlawful or prohibited by these Terms. You may not use the Site in any manner which could damage, disable, overburden, or impair the Site or interfere with any other party's use and enjoyment of the Site. You may not obtain or attempt to obtain any materials or information through any means not intentionally made available or provided for through the Site.
All content included as part of the Service, such as text, graphics, logos, images, as well as the compilation thereof, and any software used on the Site, is the property of Educational Travel Collaborative or its suppliers and protected by copyright and other laws that protect intellectual property and proprietary rights. You agree to observe and abide by all copyright and other proprietary notices, legends or other restrictions contained in any such content and will not make any changes thereto.
You will not modify, publish, transmit, reverse engineer, participate in the transfer or sale, create derivative works, or in any way exploit any of the content, in whole or in part, found on the Site. Educational Travel Collaborative content is not for resale. Your use of the Site does not entitle you to make any unauthorized use of any protected content, and in particular you will not delete or alter any proprietary rights or attribution notices in any content. You will use protected content solely for your personal use, and will make no other use of the content without the express written permission of Educational Travel Collaborative and the copyright owner. You agree that you do not acquire any ownership rights in any protected content. We do not grant you any licenses, express or implied, to the intellectual property of Educational Travel Collaborative or our licensors except as expressly authorized by these Terms.
International Users
The Service is controlled, operated and administered by Educational Travel Collaborative from our offices within the USA. If you access the Service from a location outside the USA, you are responsible for compliance with all local laws. You agree that you will not use the Educational Travel Collaborative Content accessed through www.educationaltravelcollaborative.com in any country or in any manner prohibited by any applicable laws, restrictions or regulations.
Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Educational Travel Collaborative, its officers, directors, employees, agents and third parties, for any losses, costs, liabilities and expenses (including reasonable attorney's fees) relating to or arising out of your use of or inability to use the Site or services, any user postings made by you, your violation of any terms of this Agreement or your violation of any rights of a third party, or your violation of any applicable laws, rules or regulations. Educational Travel Collaborative reserves the right, at its own cost, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter otherwise subject to indemnification by you, in which event you will fully cooperate with Educational Travel Collaborative in asserting any available defenses.
Class Action Waiver
Any arbitration under these Terms and Conditions will take place on an individual basis; class arbitrations and class/representative/collective actions are not permitted. THE PARTIES AGREE THAT A PARTY MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN EACH'S INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PUTATIVE CLASS, COLLECTIVE AND/ OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING, SUCH AS IN THE FORM OF A PRIVATE ATTORNEY GENERAL ACTION AGAINST THE OTHER. Further, unless both you and Educational Travel Collaborative agree otherwise, the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims, and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative or class proceeding.
Liability Disclaimer
THE INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, AND SERVICES INCLUDED IN OR AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SITE MAY INCLUDE INACCURACIES OR TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS. CHANGES ARE PERIODICALLY ADDED TO THE INFORMATION HEREIN. EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL COLLABORATIVE LLC AND/OR ITS SUPPLIERS MAY MAKE IMPROVEMENTS AND/OR CHANGES IN THE SITE AT ANY TIME.
EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL COLLABORATIVE LLC AND/OR ITS SUPPLIERS MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE SUITABILITY, RELIABILITY, AVAILABILITY, TIMELINESS, AND ACCURACY OF THE INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND RELATED GRAPHICS CONTAINED ON THE SITE FOR ANY PURPOSE. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ALL SUCH INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND RELATED GRAPHICS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OR CONDITION OF ANY KIND. EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL COLLABORATIVE LLC AND/OR ITS SUPPLIERS HEREBY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS WITH REGARD TO THIS INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND RELATED GRAPHICS, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL COLLABORATIVE LLC AND/OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THE SITE, WITH THE DELAY OR INABILITY TO USE THE SITE OR RELATED SERVICES, THE PROVISION OF OR FAILURE TO PROVIDE SERVICES, OR FOR ANY INFORMATION, SOFTWARE, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND RELATED GRAPHICS OBTAINED THROUGH THE SITE, OR OTHERWISE ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THE SITE, WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL COLLABORATIVE LLC OR ANY OF ITS SUPPLIERS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGES. BECAUSE SOME STATES/JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IF YOU ARE DISSATISFIED WITH ANY PORTION OF THE SITE, OR WITH ANY OF THESE TERMS OF USE, YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY IS TO DISCONTINUE USING THE SITE.
Termination/Access Restriction
Educational Travel Collaborative reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to terminate your access to the Site and the related services or any portion thereof at any time, without notice. To the maximum extent permitted by law, this agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Wyoming and you hereby consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of courts in Wyoming in all disputes arising out of or relating to the use of the Site. Use of the Site is unauthorized in any jurisdiction that does not give effect to all provisions of these Terms, including, without limitation, this section.
You agree that no joint venture, partnership, employment, or agency relationship exists between you and Educational Travel Collaborative as a result of this agreement or use of the Site. Educational Travel Collaborative's performance of this agreement is subject to existing laws and legal process, and nothing contained in this agreement is in derogation of Educational Travel Collaborative's right to comply with governmental, court and law enforcement requests or requirements relating to your use of the Site or information provided to or gathered by Educational Travel Collaborative with respect to such use. If any part of this agreement is determined to be invalid or unenforceable pursuant to applicable law including, but not limited to, the warranty disclaimers and liability limitations set forth above, then the invalid or unenforceable provision will be deemed superseded by a valid, enforceable provision that most closely matches the intent of the original provision and the remainder of the agreement shall continue in effect.
Unless otherwise specified herein, this agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the user and Educational Travel Collaborative with respect to the Site and it supersedes all prior or contemporaneous communications and proposals, whether electronic, oral or written, between the user and Educational Travel Collaborative with respect to the Site. A printed version of this agreement and of any notice given in electronic form shall be admissible in judicial or administrative proceedings based upon or relating to this agreement to the same extent and subject to the same conditions as other business documents and records originally generated and maintained in printed form. It is the express wish to the parties that this agreement and all related documents be written in English.
Changes to Terms
Educational Travel Collaborative reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to change the Terms under which www.educationaltravelcollaborative.com is offered. The most current version of the Terms will supersede all previous versions. Educational Travel Collaborative encourages you to periodically review the Terms to stay informed of our updates.
Contact Us
Educational Travel Collaborative welcomes your questions or comments regarding the Terms:
Educational Travel Collaborative LLC
30 N Gould Street Suite N
Sheridan, Wyoming 82801
Email Address:
legal@educationaltravelcollaborative.com
Telephone number:
3072065020
Effective as of December 01, 2020
Guided Travel Cancellations, Refunds, Terms, and Conditions
Our guided travel experiences - both intensives and excursions - are bespoke experiential service learning experiences operated and organized by Educational Travel Collaborative, LLC.
A $500 US dollar deposit is required to hold your space on an Educational Travel Collaborative guided travel program. Your deposit will be applied towards the total cost of the trip upon completion of the admissions process. Should you change your mind prior to admission, the deposit is refundable less a 50 dollar administrative fee. After the admissions process is complete, the deposit is non-refundable. Should ETC determine that the traveler is not admissible to the program for any reason, the deposit will be refunded in full, without any administrative fee.
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PROGRAM ITINERARY
Our intention is to create a travel experience that addresses the goals and program elements as listed in each program description. All participants and families are advised to note that course itineraries will change. When changes are made to incorporate student goals and interests, adjust to the health of the group, or made necessary because of foul weather, problems with transportation, political unrest or any other unforeseen problem, we will work to structure the itinerary so that it stays true to its original intent.
GUIDED TRAVEL ATTENDANCE FEES INCLUDE:
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All accommodation
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All meals
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All surface transportation
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Air Transportation from a major international gateway
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Museum, park, and temple entrance fees
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Donations to charitable causes in the host country
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Instructor, faculty, and extra guide fees
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On-site equipment rental (e.g. bike rental, snorkel rental, etc.)
Not included are personal expenses such as the cost of obtaining passports, visa fees, laundry, medical fees, cost of evacuation (generally covered by insurance, which we require and are happy to advise you on), health and travel insurance, extra baggage fees, traveler or parent communication (phone, data, internet, etc) costs, lodging before and after international travel, luggage, clothing, academic supplies, etc.
AIR TRAVEL
All participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation to the approved location(s) at which travelers join the group. At least 60 days before departure, the Collaborative will send you information regarding connecting travel.
GUIDED TRAVEL REFUND POLICY
Program Cancellation by You
Cancellations are subject to the Educational Travel Collaborative Cancellation Policy Once your application has been received and accepted, cancellation by you results in a penalty.
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Cancellation by you more than 120 days prior to the start date of your trip will result in the loss your deposit, as well as 40% of your total program price plus any additional non-refundable airfare, permits, licenses, etc. purchased on your behalf.
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Cancellation by you between 60 and 119 days prior to the start date of your trip results in a loss of your deposit, in addition to 70% of your total program price plus any additional non-refundable airfare, permits, licenses, etc. purchased on your behalf.
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Cancellation by you fewer than 59 days prior to the start date of your trip will result in the loss of 100% of the total trip cost (including any airfare and any other payments you made).
You acknowledge and agree that if you pay using a credit card or debit to a bank account and if you cancel for any reason, you will not dispute the payment with your credit card company or bank, or process a chargeback or credit to your account, so long as the transaction corresponds to the terms of this Agreement.
PRE-DEPARTURE PROGRAM CANCELLATION
Educational Travel Collaborative LLC reserves the right to cancel any program if there is insufficient enrollment or as a result of health, safety, or security concerns in the host country beyond our control. A full refund will be granted for canceled programs that arise out of insufficient enrollment, though the Collaborative is not responsible for other costs incurred by clients preparing for the program. For programs that the Collaborative cancels pre-departure due to any event that is beyond our control, we will refund all tuition less costs already incurred (i.e., flight fees, bookings, etc.) and less the deposit of $1000.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if cancellation by Educational Travel Collaborative is due to a force majeure event such as an Act of God, weather, war, terrorism, pandemic (including COVID), act of a government organization or other similar event beyond The Collaborative’s reasonable control, only a full credit (if canceled prior to the start date) or a partial credit (if canceled after the start date) in the form of a travel voucher will be given to the participant to redeem towards future Collaborative experiences.
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IN-FIELD PROGRAM CANCELLATION & RE-ROUTING
ETC may choose to cancel or re-route a program that is in-progress if circumstances arise that, in the Collaborative’s judgement, make the continuation of a program no longer tenable. Circumstances that could result in a cancellation or re-route may include natural disaster, health epidemic, political turmoil, government recommendation, border closure, etc. In such situations, the Collaborative will explore reasonable alternative arrangements to re-route the program to another Collaborative selected location or will cancel the program. The Collaborative will take reasonable steps to notify the participant of his/her options and otherwise limit the costs associated with the occurrence, to the extent possible. However, the participant agrees to be financially responsible for all costs expended on his/her behalf such as alternative international flight, travel, academic, and accommodation costs and to otherwise reimburse the Collaborative for any financial obligation incurred in this regard. Should a program be cancelled after course start due to events beyond ETC’s control or should a participant choose to not continue on a program that is re-routed, no refund will be issued.
For students participating in for-credit courses, if alternative arrangements cannot be made, the Collaborative will make reasonable efforts to collect documentation of the participant’s work completed prior to program cancellation. In collaboration with our School of Record, The Collaborative will determine if sufficient academic work was completed to warrant award of full or partial academic credit.
TRIP CANCELLATION INSURANCE
Educational Travel Collaborative LLC is not responsible for costs associated with cancelled enrollment (such as cancellation due to a personal emergency), programs that cancel for reasons beyond our control or due to low enrollment, evacuations, and/or separations from programs. Examples of these costs are: tuition, non-refundable flights, and international flight costs incurred by program re-routing due to health, safety, or security concerns.
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Travel insurance options include “cancel for any reason” options which can allow for additional cancellation flexibility for our clients - after booking we will reach out with information on our partners who can support you in this regard.
MEDICAL AND EVACUATION EXPENSES
It is the responsibility of the student and his/her family to understand the limits of any medical and evacuation policy, and to provide up-front payment of emergency services when required.
EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL COLLABORATIVE RULES AND REGULATIONS
If a participant acts in a way that is injurious to himself or herself, people of the host country, other participants on the program, or generally conducts himself or herself in a way that is disruptive to the program or in violation of our student policies, ETC reserves the right to send the participant home without refund. Underage use of alcohol and the use of illegal drugs are cause for dismissal. Participants sent home early or who voluntarily choose to return early for any reason, including but not limited to sickness, personal emergencies, or injury, will be responsible for all associated costs, such as medical costs, and related travel and logistical costs associated with an early departure.
VISAS AND TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
Applicant must be in possession of a valid passport for international travel, complete with four blank visa pages. The date of expiry must be beyond 6 months from the date of course departure. Upon admission to the program, detailed instructions for acquiring appropriate visas will be sent to the applicant, however, participants are responsible for obtaining a visa specific to their their nationality’s requirements and restrictions.
For countries that require travel visas, ETC can advise participants on the visa process and connect you with visa agents with whom we work, but we cannot guarantee that participants will be granted visas or directly provide services to obtain visas. Please research the visa process specific to your nationality and check in with the ETC team as needed before finalizing travel plans for your program.
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS AND SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS
All Collaborative programs are rugged, and all require basic physical conditioning. If you have any questions regarding the physical demands of a program, please contact us. All participants will be responsible for submitting to us a completed health form that is signed by a physician, and that completely and accurately represents the current mental and physical well-being of the participant. The Collaborative has the right to disqualify any member from the group if considered medically necessary, and will do so if a participant or family member falsely represents the student in interviews, the application, the participant’s health form, or any other required paperwork. In the event of a medical emergency, ETC will attempt to procure medical treatment; however, we assume no liability regarding provision of medical care. Applicants are urged to check their insurance coverage for its adequacy when outside of their own country, and to purchase travel health and evacuation insurance.
REQUIRED MEDICAL DOCUMENTS
All participants will be responsible for submitting to us a completed health form that is signed by a physician, and that completely and accurately represents the current mental and physical well-being of the participant.
LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY
Participants and their parents will be required to read and sign an “Acknowledgment and Assumption of Risk and Release and Indemnity Agreement” prior to participating in our program.
Forms and Waivers
Both participants (and their parents/guardians in the case of participating minors) are required to sign and comply with various liability waivers and releases prior to the beginning of any Educational Travel Collaborative program. These documents include the Participation Enrollment Agreement, the Acknowledgement and Assumption of Risks & Release and Indemnity Agreement, and the student’s medical form. Participants are not permitted to travel on any Educational Travel Collaborative program unless all required paperwork has been received in our office at least 30 days prior to departure.
Enrollment Meetings
All participants are required to participate in an Enrollment Meeting held with the student and a member of our team. If the student is a minor, a parent or legal guardian must attend. If the student is a legal adult, parents and guardians are still strongly encouraged to attend. Additional follow up meetings may be required.