Castanet

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 In these Terms & Conditions "you" and "your" means all persons named on the booking form including anyone who is added or substituted at a later date.  "we" "us" "our" and "owner(s)" means John and Christine Westbrook (westbrookjohn@hotmail.com)

1. THE PROPERTY

1.1  The property known as Castanet 47200, Marmande, France is offered for holiday rental subject to confirmation by the owners John and Christine Westbrook.

2.HOW TO BOOK

2.1  You must contact us prior to making a booking to obtain confirmation of availability.  Subject to availability, and on your request, a provisional booking will then be made.  

A completed booking form must be sent immediately by e-mail.  By completing this, the person who does so certifies that he/she is authorised to agree to the Terms & Conditions on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking form, including those substituted/added at a later date.  The box indicating that the T&Cs have been read and accepted must be ticked.  The person submitting the form must be a member of the party occupying the property and must be 21 or over.  Bookings cannot be accepted from parties of young people under 21 years of age.

3. PAYMENT

3.1  To confirm the booking, a deposit of 25% of the rental cost must be paid immediately on receipt of our PayPal demand, otherwise the provisional booking will be considered cancelled.

3.2  The balance must be paid not less than 8 weeks (56 days) prior to your arrival at the Property.

3.3  We are entitled to treat your booking as cancelled, if you fail to pay the balance on time (see Cancellation, Clause 8)

3.4  Bookings taken within 8 weeks of your arrival at Castanet must be paid in full, including the security deposit.

4. CONTRACT

4.1  Once we have received your booking form and all the appropriate payments, we will confirm your booking by the issue of a confirmation invoice.  This invoice will be submitted to the party leader.  Please check this invoice carefully as soon as you receive it.  If any of the information that appears on the confirmation invoice, or any other document, seems to be incorrect, please contact us immediately, as it may not be possible to make changes at a later date.

4.2  A binding contract between you and us will come into existence on receipt of your deposit.

5. RENTAL

5.1  The prices detailed are in Sterling and the rental price is weekly.

5.2  Castanet is fully-furnished and equipped.  The rental price includes linen, an end-of-let/rental clean, gas, water and electricity. Additional services are clearly stated in the property description.  For long-term lets and winter lets a separate rental contract will be issued.

5.3  We reserve the right to make changes to and correct errors in advertised prices at any time before your holiday is confirmed.  We will advise you of any error of which we are aware at the time of booking.

6. SECURITY DEPOSIT

6.1  A security deposit of £200 is to be paid 56 days (8 weeks) before arrival at the property.  This will be refunded within 7 working days of leaving provided the property is left in good order.  Otherwise, the cost of rectifying any damage will be deducted and the balance refunded.

7. ALTERATIONS/CANCELLATION BY THE OWNERS

7.1  In the unlikely event of a significant change or cancellation of your booking by us, we will inform you as soon as possible.  A full refund of all monies paid by you will be given within 7 working days.

8. CANCELLATION BY YOU

8.1  Any cancellation by you (for whatever reason) must be provided by e-mail.  The effective date of cancellation is the date of the e-mail.

8.2  If you cancel more than 8 weeks prior to your arrival at the property you will lose your deposit in the event we are unable to re-let.

8.3  If you cancel less than 8 weeks before your arrival at the property, or the booking is cancelled due to your non-payment, the owners shall be entitled to the full cost of the holiday from you.

8.4  We will use our best endeavours to obtain a replacement client.  If a replacement is obtained we will then refund all monies paid by you, less any difference between the price you paid for the property and the price paid by the replacement client.

N.B.  If the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges.  Claims must be made direct to the insurance company concerned.

9. YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

9.1  You must keep the property and all the furniture, fittings, facilities, equipment and grounds in the same state of repair and condition as at the commencement of the holiday, and in the same state of cleanliness and general order in which it was found.   If you have moved any furniture, indoors or out, it is your responsibility to ensure it is returned to its original position.  You will be responsible for the payment of any breakages, loss or damage to the property caused by you.  We strongly recommend that you take out adequate insurance to cover this.  The owner reserves the right to make deductions from the security deposit for any extra cleaning, over the number of hours committed to departure cleaning, and to claim against you for any damage or loss, the cost of which exceeds the security deposit.

9.2  You must report to us, without delay, any defects to the property or breakdown in the equipment, plant, machinery or appliance in the property and gardens, and arrangements will be made for repair and/or replacement as soon as possible.

9.3  The parking of caravans/pitching of tents at the property is strictly forbidden.

9.4  For the comfort of all guests, smoking is strictly forbidden inside Castanet.

10.  NUMBER OF PEOPLE USING THE PROPERTY

10.1  Only the number of persons stated in the booking form may use the property unless otherwise agreed with the owners. The maximum number of people, including infants allowed at the property, may not be exceeded.  The owners have the right to terminate hire without prior notice and without refund or compensation if the agreed numbers are exceeded.

11.  ACCESS

11.1  We shall be allowed access to inspect the property prior to your departure. We also have the right to access the property during your stay to carry out maintenance and cleaning.  Gardeners and pool maintenance personnel may enter the grounds during your stay.

12.  BEHAVIOUR

12.1  The person signing the contract is responsible for the correct and decent behaviour of the party.  Should you, or a member of your party, not behave in such a manner, we may use our absolute discretion to terminate the holiday of the person(s) concerned.  In this situation, the person(s) concerned will be required to leave the accommodation. We will not have any further responsibility toward such person(s) including any return travel arrangements.  No refunds will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination.

13.  ADDITIONAL SERVICES AT THE PROPERTY

13.1  Payment for additional services, such as additional cleaning and babysitting, is normally made on location.  Use of electric heating, logs and non-local telephone calls will be billed separately.

14.  LINEN

14.1  Linen is included with the property.  Linen is automatically changed once a week.  If you require more frequent changes you should request this at the time of booking (there will be an additional cost).

14.2  We recommend you take your own cot linen for your baby's comfort.  If you do not wish to take your own, please tell us at the time of booking so we can provide it.

15.  SOLAR-HEATED SWIMMING POOL AND GROUNDS

15.1  The swimming pool is not open all year round.  If your rental is outside the May to September period please check with us that the pool is open, filled and ready for use.  We cannot be responsible for low water temperatures at any period.

15.2  Please note that swimming pools carry dangerous risks.  On arrival at the property you, and all members of your party, must take time to familiarize yourselves with the location of the swimming pool.  Please take special note of all signs and instructions for use which may be displayed.  Pool safety is of the utmost importance.  Children must be supervised by an adult at all times. The pool is fitted with an alarm and it is your responsibility to regularly visually check it and report any failure immediately to the management team.  In the event of an alarm failure you must revert to the back-up security pool cover provided and it is your responsibility to make sure that it is fitted correctly as per the instructions supplied on site.  You and your party agree to take full responsibility for the safety of all members of your party in and around the swimming pool.

15.3  No glass or china is to be taken or used in the pool area.  Plastic crockery is provided.  Should any glass or china fall into the pool we may need to empty, clean and refill the pool and this may take a number of days.  You will lose your security/damage deposit as a result.

15.4  The pool liner is made of plastic and easily damaged by sharp objects of any description.  It is your responsibility to ensure that you and your party do not abuse it in any way. To replace the liner and refill the pool costs circa £4,000 for which you will be held liable.

15.5  Young children must not be allowed to wander unaccompanied in the grounds of the property.

16.  SECURITY AND VALUABLES

16.1  Any valuables left at the property are left at your own risk.  We are not responsible for any loss.  Proper care must be taken against theft and burglary.  It is essential, and also your responsibility, to ensure that all doors, shutters and  windows are closed and locked when leaving the property or when by the poolside/in the grounds.  No refund can be given should you decide to vacate the property as a consequence of a burglary.

17.  ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE

17.1  Arrival is from 16.00 hours local French time (normally GMT + 1 hour).  If your arrival is delayed you must inform us.  Our details will be noted on the directions sheet you will receive upon payment of the balance.

17.2  You must vacate the property by 10.00 hours local French time on the day of departure.  If these times cause you difficulty, please advise us at the time of booking.  It may be possible to arrange for luggage to be left at the property.

17.3  Normal changeover day is Thursday.  Other changeover days may be possible subject to availability and must be agreed with the owners at the time of booking.

18.  INFORMATION

18.1  We reserve the right to make modifications to the property specification that are considered necessary in light of operating requirements.  In the interest of continual improvement, we reserve the right to alter furniture, amenities, facilities or any part of any activities, either advertised or previously available, without any prior notice.

18.2  If we become aware of material changes after your booking has been confirmed, we will advise you before departure.

19.  PETS

19.1  No pets are allowed.

20.  OUR LIABILITY

20.1  We cannot be held responsible for noise or disturbance originating beyond the boundaries of the property or which is beyond our control.

20.2  We cannot be held responsible for the breakdown of any mechanical equipment such as pumps, boilers, swimming pool filtration systems or the failure of public utilities such as water and electricity.

20.3  We shall not be liable for any loss, breach or delay to any cause beyond our reasonable control including, although not limited to, Act of God, explosion, tempest, fire or accident, war or threat of war, civil disturbances, acts, restrictions, regulations, bye-laws, or measure of any kind on the part of the Government or local authorities, strikes, lockouts or other industrial actions or disputes or adverse weather conditions.  In any case, we shall be entitled to treat the contract discharged.

20.4  We cannot accept responsibility for events outside our control,  e.g.  bad weather, delay caused by carrier company, breakdown of domestic equipment.

20.5  We cannot be held responsible for any injury, loss or damage to you, personally, your belongings or your vehicles when using the accommodation, grounds, equipment or other amenities.  The use of these amenities is entirely at your own risk and we accept no responsibility.

20.6  In the event of discharge, our liability shall be limited to the return of the sums paid to us in respect of the unused portion of the holiday calculated on a pro rata daily basis.

21.  INSURANCE

21.1  We strongly recommend and advise that all your party has comprehensive travel insurance and that E111 forms are carried.

22. LAW

22.1   This contract, and all matters arising out of it, are governed by English law and shall be deemed to have been made in England.  We both agree that any dispute, claim or other matter which arises out of, or in connection with, your contract will be dealt with by a court of competent jurisdiction in England.

23.  DATA PROTECTION

In accordance with the 1988 Data Protection Act we will ensure that:

23.1  The collation of personal information is fair and lawful.

23.2  We take responsibility for all personal information held and used and that appropriate security measures are in place to protect this information.

23.3  We request full details of all party members on our booking form as a safety measure whilst you are on vacation.

23.4  Please let us know if you would like your personal details to be removed from our database after your holiday.  We may use this information to update you on details of Castanet.

24.  NOTES

24.1  The property is serviced by septic tank.  Therefore, as with most of rural France, it is important that no sanitary or baby items are flushed down the toilets and only French toilet paper is used (English toilet paper is, apparently, indigestible to the septic tank flora!).  Only toilet cleaners suitable for septic tanks may be used.

By clicking the box at the end of Bookings Form you have indicated your acceptance.