Volunteering Solutions - Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions of Service - Volunteering Solutions 

Your access and use of www.volunteeringsolutions.com are subject to the following terms and conditions and is an agreement between you (the individual) and Volunteering Travel Solutions Pvt. Ltd. “Volunteering Solutions” “VolSol” , “us” , “we” , “our” refer to Volunteering Travel Solutions Pvt. Ltd. When you submit an online application for a Volunteering Travel Solutions Pvt. Ltd. service, you are agreeing to the Terms and Conditions listed below.  

By applying to volunteer with VolSol, you would agree to the following terms: 

Travel

Volunteering Solutions does not arrange flights or make any travel arrangements to your program location. It is your own responsibility to arrange your own air fares and travel to the program location. Volunteering Solutions provides advise and pre departure information to you, it is your responsibility to obtain all necessary travel documents, such as visa, work permits etc.

You are responsible for ensuring your travel documents are complete and upto date for your travel. Volunteering Solutions cannot accept the responsibility if entry is denied to a country due to incorrect visa or travel documents.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is compulsory for all participants of Volunteering Solutions. All participants need to buy full comprehensive medical insurance for their time of stay in our project.  It is your sole responsibility to purchase your own travel insurance. Please ask us for details at info@volunteeringsolutions.co.uk for more details on how to buy Insurance from Volunteering Solutions. The Insurance is provided by a third party vendor and Volunteering Travel Solutions Private Limited does not take any responsibility towards claims or disputes with the Insurance provider with the client. 

No Refund would be provided for the payment made towards buying Medical/Travel Insurance from Volunteering Solutions. Participants are allowed to change the coverage date  for the Insurance period, only once after they have made the payment. You can also buy your insurance from anywhere else, Volunteering Solutions would need a proof of your insurance before you travel.

Our Responsibility to You

Volunteering Solutions is responsible to you for ensuring that the travel arrangements we make when you apply and book with us are as we described and are of a reasonable standard. We are responsible for the service that our partners/coordinators/representatives abroad offer to you. We are responsible to provide you with the required documentation before you begin your travels. We are responsible to provide you with the best of services.

Refund Policy

Volunteering Solutions provides highly affordable programs and our application fee is amongst the lowest, as a result we do not provide a complete refund policy. Please read the details of application and program fee payments below.

Application Fee

Application fee is refundable up to only 60 days before the program start date. Refund requests must be received sixty (60) days prior the program start date through written confirmation via email, fax or post. Upon receipt of the request the volunteer will be notified immediately via email. If the volunteer does not receive confirmation they should assume that the request has not been received.

The application fee amount of $199/£165/€189 would be refunded less the administration charges of £35/€40 which would cover bank charges and currency conversion charges. If you change your program start date, then the date considered for refund purposes would be the earliest date indicated by you in your online application.

Note: 

• No refund of Application Fee would be provided if you apply for a program within sixty (60) days of program start date, irrespective whether Booking Confirmation is provided or not.
• No refund of Application Fee would be provided once the Booking confirmation is provided to the participant. The booking confirmation is either uploaded on your MyAccount or sent to you via email.

Under the rare instance where Volunteering Solutions. is not able to accept you in the program,  we would be refunding you the application fee less $50/£35/€40 administration charges.

Program Fee

You will find the complete program costs on each program page on the website. Volunteering Solutions reserves the right to change the program fee anytime without any prior information. All program fee are due 45 days from your program start date, if you fail to make your program fee payment before this time Volunteering Solutions has the right to cancel your program.

Cancelation of Program by You

Volunteering Solutions needs to get cancellation requests at least 30 days before your program start date. Volunteering Solutions incurs a lot of charges in order to provide a suitable program to the client.

Our cancellation policy for all programs is:

If you cancel 60 days before your program start date – 70% refund of program fee (less $75/£50/€56 admin charges) – No Refund of Application Fee

If you cancel between 60 – 30 days before program start date – 50% refund of program fee (less $75/£50/€56 admin charges) – No Refund of Application Fee

If you cancel within 30 days of your program start date – No Refund of program fee – No Refund of Application Fee Cancellation after program start date - No Refund of program fee – No Refund of Application Fee 

Cancellation of program by Volunteering Solutions

Incase Volunteering Solutions has to cancel your program due to certain operational reasons after you start your program, Volunteering Solutions will refund part of the remaining time period of the project fee calculated on a pro-rata basis excluding the application fee of $199/£165 /€189. 

If your program is cancelled by Volunteering Solutions due to any uncertain natural calamities (for example – earthquake, floods, typhoon, cyclone, tsunami etc.) or due to any Pandemic/Epidemic, your Program & Application fee would not be refunded under such circumstances. Under such a scenario, Volunteering Solutions would be offering to change the dates of the program without levying any date change fees or charges.

If Volunteering Solutions needs to cancel your program before your program start date, we will refund you the program fee or provide you with an alternative program option.

Payment of refunds

Volunteering Solutions will refund the applicable refund amount to the client within 30 (thirty) days of confirmation of cancellation. Volunteering Solutions would not provide any compensation whatsoever for any of it's programs. 

Online Payment

Volunteering Solutions adds a 4% international banking fee, which is charged at the time of online payment.

Program Change by you

All program participants are allowed to make ONE change to their choice of program and dates applied for (at no extra charges) before their placement has been confirmed by Volunteering Solutions. A charge of $100/£80/€90 is applicable for any subsequent change to the program from your side.  

Use of Photos and Feedback 

By agreeing to the terms and conditions you agree that Volunteering Solutions can use your photos and written feedback while at the project to post on its website www.volunteeringsolutions.com & www.volunteeringsolutions.co.uk Volunteering Solutions might use such material for marketing/promotion in form of brochure/emails/ or on any of its websites. Volunteering Solutions also uses photos and material from our partners and affiliations abroad and in India and is not responsible for claims arising towards that material/photos/content. This includes photos and videos posted on our Facebook page and other social media network sites.

Personal Risks

The volunteer acknowledges and accepts the responsibilities and risks associated with their agreement to travel to, temporarily live in and provide volunteer services in a developing country. Such travel and volunteer work can be often hazardous and involves a certain degree of risk, inherently dangerous activities and personal perils to the volunteer, both foreseen and unforeseen, all of which are fully accepted by and solely assumed by the volunteer. Therefore, Volunteering Solutions including any and all of its employees, managers, directors, shareholders, host families and host country partner organisations are not liable, to the maximum extent of the law, for any loss or harm the volunteer or associates may suffer, including but not limited to loss caused by: Personal injury, Accommodation, Transportation, Safety, Hygiene, Civil Unrest, Dangers associated with wild or other animals, Religious Activities, High Altitude, Food, Water, Emotional injury, Death, Illness or disease, War or Act of Terrorism, Damage to or loss of property, Accident or illness in remote regions without means of rapid evacuation or availability of medical supplies and facilities, Adequacy of medical attention once provided, Pandemic or Endamic situations globally.

You accept and acknowledge and confirm that personal injury or illness, emotional trauma, property damage and death can occur by natural causes or activities of persons or animals, either as a result of negligence or because of other reasons.

By applying for our programs online your confirm that you have read and agree to our terms & you are waiving us of any Liability that, amongst other things forever releases us, our owners, our directors, our shareholders, our employees and any persons or groups associated to us of all liability related to:

• Forever releases us, our owners, our directors, our shareholders, our employees and any persons or groups associated to us of all liability;
• Forever signifies that you are waiving any claims against us, our owners,our directors, our shareholders, our employees and any persons or groups associated with us, and expressly assuming all risks associated with participating in any of our programs.
• Any of our Local Partners´ negligent or willful acts, or failures to act including, without limitation, their partial or complete failure to deliver services to you; any personal injury or illness, emotional trauma, property damage or death which arises out of any service provided to you by our Local Partners;
• Any error, misrepresentation or mistake, whether intentional or unintentional, made by any of our Local Partners/Local Coordinators, local staff members, travel companies etc.

Vaccinations and Health

We may offer you a list of suggested immunizations and travel health tips based on such publicly available sources as the United States Center for Disease Control & Travel Aware UK. However you understand that we are not medical professionals and have no medical expertise whatsoever. We strongly recommend to all our participants that you visit a medical professional (GP) before your trip; however, it is your sole responsibility to arrange and determine any required immunizations and medical procedures that you may need before, during and after your time in the field with us. It is your sole responsibility to arrange and administer any vaccinations/immunizations required to be taken for travel to the country of your program.

Furthermore, you accept and acknowledge that we have no responsibility regarding the adequacy of any medical care, medical equipment, medical supplies and or any evacuation plan that may be provided to you before, during or after your program. You are solely responsible for your own welfare, and you accept and acknowledge any and all risks of personal injury or illness, emotional trauma, property damage and death that may occur as a result of you joining one of our programs.

Under 18 Volunteers

Volunteers who decide to participate in our programs who are under 18 at the time of starting the program, need to provide us with a Parental/Guardian consent in writing.

The Under-18 Volunteer is not entitled to participate in the program unless their parent or guardian has validly executed the consent form and any project-specific requirements of Volunteering Solutions or the Independent Local Team. Volunteers under-18 who are not travelling with a legal guardian must provide a printed copy of this signed consent form when arriving for their program.

The Under-18 Volunteer and their parent/guardian each acknowledge that whilst on a volunteer program, it is the Under-18 Volunteer’s responsibility to make all reasonable efforts to avoid any activity, environment, object or substance that may have an adverse effect on the Volunteer’s health or well-being.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Under-18 Volunteer and their parent/guardian release Volunteering Solutions (including all employees, shareholders and partner organisations) from any claim, suit, action or proceeding in respect of the removal, and/or entering, of the Under-18 Volunteer from or into the program in accordance with this Agreement.

Code of Conduct

Volunteering Solutions is a responsible tourism organisation and is committed towards ensuring good tourism practices. You agree that you would abide by the rules and regulations set out by our partner organisations in the home country. It also ensures that the organisations and people we work with are treated with respect and that consideration is given to other cultural aspects during your placement. Any breaches of the Code of Conduct may result in your placement being terminated without any refund.

• I agree that I will not hold Volunteering Solutions (including all employees, shareholders and partner organisations) liable for any loss or harm I may suffer including loss caused directly or indirectly by personal injury, emotional injury, death, illness or disease, damage to or loss of property.
• I agree that I have declared any medical/mental health conditions or physical limitations which may affect my ability to fully partake in the overall experience.
• I agree that I have been advised that a suitable travel insurance policy for the duration of my trip overseas is recommended. I have assessed the level of cover I require and have insured myself against all the activities I plan to partake in while abroad. I have ensured that all my travel dates have insurance cover including any travel before the Volunteering Solutions program or onward travel planned.
• I agree that I do not have a criminal background and have never engaged in any illegal activities. This will be outlined in an official document provided by myself at least 21 days before I travel.
• I acknowledge that Volunteering Solutions will do their best to cater for dietary requirements, but ultimately, I am responsible for communicating any dietary requirements to Volunteering Solutions and recognising if and when I may need to bring/purchase individual ingredients at my own expense to ensure I police my own requirements.
• I agree that outside of Volunteering Solutions organised trips, weekends are my own time for independent travel. When travelling, I acknowledge and respect that I am signed out of the Volunteering Solutions program until I return back to the participant accommodation after weekend travel and thus responsible for my own safety and wellbeing and will manage any accidents or incidents that may occur in this time.
• I agree that I will not drink excessive levels of alcohol overseas that could impede my overall judgement and safety. That Volunteering Solutions has a zero-tolerance policy towards the possession and use of illegal substances and will result in instant termination.
• I acknowledge any breach of the Code of Conduct can result in potential disciplinary action and ultimately termination of the program with no refund or onward support applicable. Should I choose to leave the program early for whatever reason then Volunteering Solutions are not liable for any refunds for unused time/expenses for onward costs.

General Code of Conduct

I agree to:

• Follow the appropriate dress code as outlined by the local team and in line with the local culture.
• Maintain a positive and proactive approach through my experience.
• Follow the project schedule provided by project staff or the in-country team.
• Assess the risks of every activity I am involved in and seek further advice or guidance if in doubt.
• Ask permission from the project staff if I want to take any photos/videos of children/adults at the project location.
• Respect, and seek to understand, the culture of the country in which I am joining Volunteering Solutions.
• Inform the local team of any medical issues, which may arise during my time in-country.
• Speak to the local team directly in the event of any issues or complaints while in-country.
• Not engage in any sexual relationships with any project staff, local team members or local members of the public.
• Abide by the laws of their chosen destination.
• Ensure I have sought professional medical advice in regard to any potential vaccinations/anti-malarial medication required. To attend my project every day unless ill or unfeasible to attend.
• Recognise that HIV exposure risks can exist across some countries.
• I will follow the protocol of the local staff, look to ensure my own safety and wellbeing and take responsibility for establishing which children/adults are at risk. 
• Respect local customs and abide by the rules of the accommodation in which I am staying. This includes any dress code policy that may be in place across the accommodation.
• Not invite any outside visitors back to the accommodation.
• Be aware that there are no refunds if I decide to go on an independent trip or leave early.
• Maintain high levels of hygiene and cleanliness at all times.
• Be vigilant with my possessions and use safes/lockers to store any valuables where appropriate and will not hold Volunteering Solutions responsible for any losses incurred.
• Respect local policies on the consumption or possession of alcohol.
• Abide by any curfews within the volunteer accommodation.
• Not consume alcohol in the event I am under the legal drinking age at any time whilst on the program. (Please note this can vary between 18-25 across Volunteering Solutions destinations).
• Acknowledge and respect that outside of traditional program/working hours (unless there is an emergency) the in-country support teams have their own livelihoods and independent downtime.

Volunteering Solutions has the right to cancel any placement of an enrolled volunteer if the above code of conduct is violated.

Disclaimer

• User expressly agrees that use of Volunteering Solutions is at the user's sole risk. Neither Volunteering Solutions its affiliates nor any of their respective employees, agents, third party content providers or licensors warrant that Volunteering Solutions will be uninterrupted or error free; nor do they make any warranty as to the results that may be obtained from use of Volunteering Solutions, or as to the accuracy, reliability or content of any information, service, or merchandise provided through Volunteering Solutions.
• Volunteering Solutions is provided on an "as is" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including, but not limited to, warranties of title or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, other than those warranties which are implied by and incapable of exclusion, restriction or modification under the laws applicable to this agreement. 
• In no event will Volunteering Solutions or any person or entity involved in creating, producing or distributing Volunteering Solutions or theVolunteering Travel Solutions Private Limited software/content, be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages arising out of the use of or inability to use Volunteering Solutions. User hereby acknowledges that the provisions of this section shall apply to all content on Volunteering Solutions
• Volunteering Solutions does not take any direct responsibility for the use of third party online payment facilities. HDFC/ Stripe / Paypal / Merchant Account will not be responsible for any malfunction in their software for online payment. All disputes arising with Credit Card fraud will Directly be dealt with HDFC / Stripe/Paypal/Merchant Account (Depending on the payment method you used for Payment).
• In addition to the terms set forth above, neither Volunteering Solutions, nor its affiliates, information providers or content partners shall be liable regardless of the cause or duration, for any errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or other defects in, or untimeliness or inauthenticity of, the information contained within Volunteering Solutions, or for any delay or interruption in the transmission thereof to the user, or for any claims or losses arising therefrom or occasioned thereby. None of the foregoing parties shall be liable for any third-party claims or losses of any nature, including, but not limited to, lost profits, punitive or consequential damages. Neither Volunteering Solutions nor its affiliates, information providers or content providers warrant or guarantee the timeliness, sequence, accuracy or completeness of this information. Additionally, there are no warranties as to the results obtained from the use of the information. 
• Volunteering Solutions does not take any responsibility of photos and documentation provided by our partners and affiliations abroad, who might supply such material to other businesses of similar nature as well. If anyone has any objection to any part of the site, will write to us formally, for us to take appropriate action.
• Volunteering Solutions will share the information submitted on the application form with its partners, branches and subsidiaries around the world. This information is not used for marketing or solicitation purposes, and it is never rented, sold, given or traded to other companies.
• Volunteering Solutions does not take any responsibility of any third party links from our site and will not be held responsible for content or service provided on those sites. Volunteering Travel Solutions Private Limited does not have any affiliation or ownership or any connection with www[.]volunteeringsolutionsafrica[dot]com (Volunteering Solutions Africa – VSA) This organisation is using our brand name and is copying content from our website, without our permission. 
•  

Complaints Procedure

In the unlikely event, If you have a complaint about us or the services we offer to you, please follow this procedure: Your local team at the host country is your first point of contact and should be contacted in case of any complaints If your complaint is not resolved or you are not satisfied, please contact the Volunteering Solutions head office at contactus@volunteeringsolutions.com by sending an email. Please make sure we get your complaint within 30 days of finishing your program.

Volunteering Solutions is not liable in respect of any complaint where you have not followed the rules and code of conduct as laid out in the terms and other written materials. 

Data Protection

You authorise Volunteering Solutions to collect information such as name, contact details, address details, travel preferences, medical history and criminal background etc. and use it within the limitations of the Data Protection Act 1998 and these would be shared with our partners/coordinators within UK/EU and also outside of UK/EU. Such information may be used for marketing purposes which you can opt-out of at any time. Please note that the data protection laws outside the UK/EU are not as strong as the laws governed within the UK. However, we will endeavour to safeguard the information provided to the best of our ability. You agree to the privacy policy set out in the Privacy Policy of Volunteering Solutions. 

Legal Binding

These Terms set out by Volunteering Solutions shall be legally binding upon you, your family, heirs, administrators, executors and legal representatives. In accepting this document & by applying for our programs, you are not relying upon any oral or written representations or statements made by us other than what is set forth in these Terms. 

Applicable law and jurisdiction

No matter where you live, your booking with us is accepted under Indian law and the Courts of Delhi - India shall have the exclusive jurisdiction to decide on any disputes between us.