Reservations of all holiday accommodation whether made by telephone, email, in person, in writing or from the internet are accepted by Island Escapes, on the following conditions. Island Escapes is an Isle of Man registered limited company number 131984C with a registered office at 5 Parliament Square, Castletown, Isle of Man, IM9 1LF
1. CONTRACT OF HIRE
The hiring contract will be between you the Hirer and the Owner of the property for which the booking is made and shall be deemed to be made subject to these Conditions of Hire and governed by Isle of Man Law. Island Escapes act as Agents for owners, and are not Principals. The Contract of Hire is not effective until Island Escapes despatch to the Hirer written confirmation of the booking. The contract is for the hire of the property for holiday purposes only. We do not accept bookings from Hirers under 18 years of age.
2. INITIAL PAYMENT
Bookings will be confirmed upon receipt by Island Escapes of the required deposit payment of 25% of the total holiday cost, comprising cottage rental, booking fee and any additional charges – e.g. pets. If the booking is made within eight weeks of the holiday commencement date, the full accommodation rental will be required at the time of booking. Deposits can be paid by debit card or credit card, BACS transfer or cheque. In the case of web bookings, these can be paid online through our secure payment system.
For the period of the Isle of Man TT races, accommodation is in short supply and demand is high. Lost bookings can be costly and not easy to replace at short notice, so to ensure commitment from all parties a deposit payment of 50% of the total holiday cost is taken for bookings starting in this period
3. BALANCE PAYMENT
The Balance of the Hire will be due for payment 42 days before the holiday commencement date. On receipt of the Balance Payment, advice on key collection arrangements and directions to the property will be sent to the Hirer. The Owner/Island Escapes reserves the right to cancel a holiday where full payment has not been received less than 30 days before the holiday commencement date. The deposit paid on the booking is non-returnable.
4. METHOD OF PAYMENT
Cheques should be made payable to Island Escapes. There is no charge for Debit/Credit Card payments. We do not normally accept cash payments.
5. CONFIRMATION OF BOOKING
Once Island Escapes has issued a Confirmation of Booking, the Hirer is responsible for the total published price of the property and extras as shown on the confirmation. Amendments to bookings, where applicable, will be subject to an administration fee of £60. The Agents reserve the right to adjust prices quoted in the brochure, on our website or on details to properties, due to errors or omissions or changes in VAT.
6. BOOKING CANCELLATION
If you are forced to cancel your holiday you must inform Island Escapes as soon as possible. The day we receive your notice in writing to cancel is the date on which we will cancel your booking with the owner. If you cancel your holiday within 42 days of the commencement of your holiday no refund will be made, if you cancel more than 42 days before holiday commencement, you will not be entitled to a refund but can take a credit note for a future booking with Island Escapes, the holiday must be taken within 12 months of the original booking. Island Escapes recommends you take out travel insurance to cover unexpected eventualities, you can add booking protect to your booking at checkout or we work with a local insurance broker Cherry Godfrey Insurance Services who can provide this for you. Please follow this link for a quote. If your ferry or flight is cancelled to the Island you will still be liable for the full cost of accommodation. If you need to cancel due to Government imposed travel restrictions please see point 7. below.
7. GOVERNMENT IMPOSED TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS (applies to all bookings made post 23rd March 2020)
If you are forced to cancel your holiday because you are legally not able to travel to the Isle of Man because of border restrictions you will be entitled to change the dates of your trip, take a credit note to the full value of your holiday (to be used within 12 months) or take a full refund less a £40 booking fee to cover administration costs. If you are an Isle of Man resident this also applies should a local lockdown occur which means you are unable to travel to your accommodation.
8. BOOKING FEE
Island Escapes charges the guest a booking fee of £45 (as specified when booking) payable at the time of booking.
9. AMENITIES
The use of accommodation and amenities, where offered, such as swimming pools, hot tubs etc, is entirely at the users’ risk and no responsibility can be accepted for injury, or loss or damage to users’ or visitors’ belongings. However, Island Escapes do not seek to exclude or limit legal liability for the negligence of their servants or agents.
10. PARTY NUMBERS
In no circumstances may more than the maximum number of persons as stated in the cottage brochure or website occupy a property. Owners reserve the right to refuse admittance if this condition is not observed. Only those listed on the booking may occupy the premises. The person who completes the booking, i.e. the lead name, certifies that he or she is authorised to agree to the Booking Conditions on behalf of all members of the party, including any changes. The lead name must be over 18 years and a member of the party occupying the property. The lead name agrees to take responsibility for all members of the party who must be named on the booking.
The Owner/Island Escapes reserve the right to refuse or revoke any bookings from parties that may in their opinion (and at their sole discretion) be unsuitable for the property concerned.
11. YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
For the whole of the period included within your booking, you will be responsible for the property and will be expected to take all reasonable care of it. If a property is not left clean and tidy, any additional cleaning costs will be charged to the hirer. The property details aim to give accurate descriptions of the properties. Should there be any specific health or mobility difficulties which may affect a party member; this must be pointed out at the initial reservation stage so that the suitability of the property can be assessed. The property and all equipment and utensils must be left clean and tidy at the end of the hire period. At no time should a pet be left alone unsupervised at the property. The property must be vacated by the specified time of departure, along with any parking provision. All of the Hirer's private property must be taken with them when vacating the holiday rental. Island Escapes cannot guarantee the return of lost property following departure.
12. DAMAGE
All damages and breakages are the legal responsibility of you, the Hirer, and should be notified to the Owner or Agent, keyholder or housekeeper before the end of your holiday. The cost of damage or breakages shall be payable on demand. Normally, minor damage or breakages will not be charged but in circumstances where extra cleaning is required or there has been breakage or damage beyond what is reasonably to be expected, the Owner/Island Escapes reserve the right to charge you for any additional costs incurred as a consequence and may, at their discretion, refuse further bookings. Should you find on arrival any damaged or non-working items, they must be reported to the Owner or Agent/keyholder immediately, so that matters can be rectified. The Owner/Island Escapes has the right to enter the property (without prior notice if this is not practical or possible) if special circumstances or emergencies arise (for example if repairs need to be carried out). We are committed to protecting our properties which is why we take a non refundable £35 damage waiver on every booking. This is included in the price you pay and covers accidental damage and breakages up to £500 in value. The Owner/Island Escapes reserves the right to repossess the Holiday Home at any time, where you or any member of your party has caused damage. The Owner/Island Escapes shall not be liable to make a refund of any remaining portion of the hire terms paid.
13. COMPLAINT PROCEDURE
If you are dissatisfied with the service you receive, Island Escapes / or the Owner must be notified immediately, so that investigation can be carried out and any necessary action taken. Island Escapes may be required to carry out an on the spot investigation and request the owners to take remedial action. In no circumstances can compensation be made for any complaints that are made after the hire has ended, or where the Hirer has denied the Agents or the Owners the opportunity to try to put matters right during the Hirer´s stay.
14. LITERATURE
Island Escapes takes every care to ensure the accuracy of the property descriptions. All information in our brochure and on our website is given in good faith and is believed to be correct at the time of going to press, but Island Escapes cannot be held responsible for changes beyond their control, which may become known after publication of this literature. In addition, whilst we describe properties as non-smoking or no pets, this cannot be guaranteed. The description of a cottage shows what amenities that property has but generally does not state what is not in the property. Please be aware that if a property is advertised as having an enclosed garden, this does not necessarily mean a secure garden. It may be enclosed by hedging or open style fencing. Further, Island Escapes cannot accept liability for happenings outside their reasonable control, such as breakdown of domestic appliances, plumbing, wiring, temporary invasion of pests, damage resulting from exceptional weather conditions or the Owner’s negligence resulting in loss, injury or accident.
15. LEGAL
In the event of any dispute between parties it shall be governed by the jurisdiction of the Isle of Man courts only and any actions shall be heard in the court for the area in which the property is located unless otherwise agreed between the parties. However, it is hereby agreed and declared that all reasonable endeavours will be used to resolve the dispute arising between you and the Owner and/or Island Escapes without immediate recourse to litigation. If not mutually resolved, it is further agreed that all reasonable endeavours will be used to resolve the dispute by a formally recognised alternative dispute resolution process i.e. mediation, arbitration or expert determination.