THE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF VACATION VILLAS CROATIA:
GENERAL
Use of services provided by BLUE SKY ADRIA obrt., Obala kneza Trpimira 20, 23000 Zadar, Croatia, OIB: 75716153936. VACATION VILLAS CROATIA (hereinafter: ''V V C'' or ''We'') operated by BLUE SKY ADRIA, obrt specialised for agency activities in renting of private villas with swimming pools. Vacation Villas Croatia contracts accommodation services directly with property/villa owners in order to secure its guests the best possible service. All advertised villas are under contract with V V C and they all have licenses issued by the Croatian state authorities.
INTRODUCTION
The rental contract which you enter into with Vacation Villas Croatia as an agent, you as a lessee (hereinafter: Guest) actually conclude with the villa/owner (hereinafter: ''Villa'') as a lessor (hereinafter: ''Owner''). V V C acts exclusively as an agent and it shall be liable only as an agent. By paying an advance for the reservation of the selected villa in the demanded period you unconditionally accept these General terms and conditions which shall be published on the web page of VACATION VILLAS CROATIA www.vacationvillascroatia.com which come into force on the day of publishing. After V V C receives the reservation down payment, we shall send a written confirmation to the guest by e-mail ( hereinafter: confirmation ), which shall contain a precise villa location and all necessary contact information. The written confirmation, together with these General Conditions represent a binding rental contract between the guest and the villa owner.
1. ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
The earliest arrival time is 16.00 on the arrival day. The latest departure time is 10.00 on the departure day. Earlier arrivals and later departures will not be possible.
1.1. Guest registration
The guest is obligated by Croatian law to provide the villa owner/villa host with official identification documents containing personal details for tourist registration purposes with the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ). This information will not be used for any other purposes. Any guest that refuses to provide any form of personal identification for tourist registration purposes as required by law, may be denied access to the property with no possibility of refund of the paid rent.
2. VILLA
2.1. Number of guests
At any time, the number of guests on the villa property premises cannot be higher than the one stated in the confirmation. The number of guests can be increased up to the maximum capacity stated on the villa website, no later than 3 (three) days before arrival. The guest number change request must be submitted by email. The total number of guests includes children regardless of their age. If unregistered guests are discovered on the villa property, the owner or V V C retain the right to terminate the rental agreement immediately, without a notice period, and the guests are obligated to leave the villa permanently, within 2 (two) hours. A refund for the unused part of the rental period will not be possible.
2.2. Youth groups
In the case that the guests are 25 years old or younger, they are considered a youth group. Special conditions may apply to youth groups, depending on the individual villa house rules. Youth groups are obligated to inform V V C prior to, or immediately after the booking about their youth group status. Non-compliance with this article may result in an immediate non-refundable booking cancellation.
2.3. Tents and camp trailers
It is forbidden to set up tents or bring camp trailers or similar onto any of the villa premises. If this provision is not respected, the owner and/or V V C are authorised to terminate the lease agreement immediately, without a notice period, and the guest is obligated to leave the villa permanently together with all the persons staying there within 2 (two) hours, and he/she is not entitled to demand from the owner or V V C the return of the paid sum for accommodation.
2.4. House pets and allergies
It is noted on the web site of each villa if pets are allowed and under which conditions. Pets are not allowed in the pools in any of the villas. Possible additional costs for the cleaning regarding the pets shall be clearly mentioned on the web page of the villa. It is not permitted to keep a larger number of pets than the number which is registered and mentioned on the confirmation. In case that the guest wishes to bring more than 2 (two) pets, the guest must contact V V C, and obtain written permission, otherwise it shall not be permitted to keep more than 2 (two) pets in any given villa.
The pet owners are responsible for cleaning of pet waste after their pet, and the pets are not allowed to sit on the furniture at any given time. Any evidence of a pet/s sitting on furniture may attract additional cleaning costs. All pets must be timely vaccinated against rabidity and all other illnesses in accordance with valid regulations. It is recommended that all guests inform themselves about any possible common pet illnesses withiin the travel location and to prevent them. Keeping of pets in a villa is the exclusive responsibility of the guest, and owners and V V C do not take any responsibility for any possible illness or injury that pets might suffer during their stay.
In some villas it is not permitted to keep pets. However, neither the owner nor V V C can guarantee that there were no pets in the house previously, or that the owner has no pets. V V C does not take any responsibility for possible allergic reactions of guests that might occur in any of the houses. If the guest brings a pet that was not announced in advance, the owner and/or V V C retain the right to terminate the rental contract immediately, without a notice period, and the guest is obligated to leave the villa permanently within 2 (two) hours with all the persons staying there, and he/she are not entitled to demand from the owner or V V C the return of the paid sum for the accommodation.
3. DAMAGE SECURITY DEPOSIT
3.1 A damage security deposit is required to cover the cost of any potential damages or breakages. The deposit will be collected on your arrival at the villa (in cash) and will usually be €200 - €1000 per villa. The guest is obligated (if he/she has no property damage liability insurance policy) to leave a cash deposit on arrival to the owner/villa host. The deposit sum that the guest is obligated to deposit with the owner/villa host at arrival shall be stated in the written confirmation. The deposit serves as security to the owner for caused damages in the villa. In cases where the cost of the caused damage is higher than the deposited sum, the guest is obligated to pay the total damage amount directly to the owner. If no damage is caused to the villa, the owner/villa host is obligated to return the deposited sum to the guest at the guests departure.
4. CHANGES IN YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES
If you are prevented from travelling, you have a right to transfer your villa to another person and or another date. However, we should receive your prefered choice in writing no more than 40 days prior to arrival. We will charge an amendment fee of €50 per booking. You will also be liable for any additional costs caused by this transfer. Until we receive full payment, both you and the person taking your place are responsible for full payment of the villa.
5. CANCELLATION
5.1 If you wish to cancel or part cancel your booking you may do so either by writing to us via email. All cancellations will take effect from the date received by V V C In all cases a cancellation will only be accepted from the guest/party leader. If you do cancel you will have to pay cancellation charges. The amount you pay depends on the date we have been informed of the cancellation in writing.
The following cancellation charges apply:
More than 60 days prior to villa arrival will result in loss of deposit amount.
59-0 days prior to villa arrival will result in loss of 100% of booking cost.
5.2 Cancellation charges are calculated as a percentage of the total villa cost. Cancellation charges exclude amendment charges which are non-refundable in the event of your cancellation. Depending on the reason for your cancellation, you may be able to re-claim these cancellation charges (less any applicable excess) under the terms of your own insurance policy. Claims must be made directly to the insurance company concerned. V V C strongly recommends that you purchase travel insurance when booking your villa rental.
5.3 It is not possible to transfer the booking to another villa, as V V C forwards all the payments to the individual villa owners immediately.
6. CHANGES AND CANCELLATIONS BY US
6.1 In the unlikely event that alterations and cancellations have to be instigated by us, we will inform you as soon as possible and if requested we will try to arrange alternative accommodation of a similar type, standard and location.
6.2 If no alternative accommodation is available or acceptable, we will fully refund all money paid and we shall be under no other liability.
7. COMPLAINTS
7.1 If you have a problem whilst at your booked villa, please bring it to the attention of our local representative/agent/villa owner so that they have an opportunity to put it right at the time. If no representative/agent/villa owner is available in that area, please contact our office directly. Failure to alert us of any problem whilst you are in the villa will lead to a rejection of your complaint by our office.
7.2 If your complaint cannot be completely resolved locally, you must inform our local representative/agent/villa owner and follow this up within 10 days of checking out of the property by writing to us giving full details of your complaint and we will pass your comments onto the villa owner. In all cases we will try and settle the matter amicably. If you fail to notify us within 10 days of checking out of the property, we reserve the right to reject any claim as it may be by then, difficult for us to investigate the complaint.
7.3 If you vacate the property before the departure day without notifying our local representatives you will lose the right to compensation.
7.4 In the event of controversy arising from the booking and property rental, will be resolved between the owner and the client. The agreements shall be governed by the laws of Croatia and The Court in Zadar.
8. ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
8.1 Guests are expected to arrive between 4.00pm and 7.00pm Croatian time and to depart by 10.00am. There may be slight variations to these times +/- one hour – you will be advised of the correct arrival/departure times for your property on your travel documentation. If your arrival is outside these times we may have to impose an out of office hours charge for someone to meet you at the villa. If you arrive after 10.00pm every effort will be made to arrange meeting personnel, otherwise you may not be able to access the property until the following day. V V C will not be held responsible for any problems arising as a result of the party or members of the party travelling with incorrect documentation.
8.2 Details of whom to meet at the villa are given on the directions sheet issued to you once we have received full payment for the villa.
8.3 V V C is unable to offer refunds as a result of time lost at your villa due to flight delays. In addition, refunds cannot be issued on villa rentals aborted early.
9. TRAVEL
9.1 The guest/party leader is responsible for the parties taking with them correct travel documentation (passports and visas, driving licences, vehicle registration, green card, motor insurance etc).
9.2 It is very important that you secure your travel (e.g. flights) arrangements at the same time as booking a villa as V V C cannot be held responsible for problems arising as a result of non-confirmation of your travel arrangements.
10. YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
10.1 You must keep the property and all furniture, fittings, effects, facilities, equipment and grounds in the same state of repair and condition as at the commencement of your holiday, and in the same state of cleanliness and general order in which it was found. You will be responsible for any breakages, loss or damage to the property. Once again we strongly recommend adequate insurance cover to be made by yourselves and all party members. The property 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 compensation for costs over and above the sum of the security deposit.
11. NUMBER OF PEOPLE USING THE PROPERTY
Only those persons named at time the time of booking may use the property without prior agreement. The maximum number of people, including infants, allowed at the property may not be exceeded by the original booking. The owner has the right to terminate the rental without prior notice and without refund if the numbers are exceeded.
12. ACCESS
The property owner or their representative shall be allowed reasonable access to the property to carry out urgent maintenance and/or inspection.
13. CONDUCT AND BEHAVIOUR
The person signing the contract /party leader/ is responsible for the correct and decent behavior of the party. Should you and your party not behave in such a manner, if your behaviour is causing danger, damage to property or persistently affecting the enjoyment of others, we reserve the right to terminate your holiday. Should this happen, the villa owner/manager/key holder may at his absolute discretion ask you and your party to vacate the property without a compensation or refund of the rental fee.
14. LINEN
Linen and linen change is included in all properties. It is advisable to take a beach towel and to check that cot linen is provided.
15. COMMERCIAL USE OF VILLA FOR SOCIAL EVENTS AND OTHER FUNCTIONS
V V C acts as an agent for property owners for the private rental of a property. Use of the villa for commercial purposes is expressly forbidden unless agreed upon prior to booking in which case additional terms and conditions and/or insurance may apply. If you are intending to organise a private function (e.g. party, wedding, cocktail party) at the property, you must seek prior permission from V V C. Please note we do not accept hen/stag party groups. Additional charges and/or increased security deposit may be sought at the owner's discretion.
16. SECURITY AND VALUABLES
Any valuables left at the property are left at your own risk. Neither V V C nor the property owner is responsible for their loss. No refund can be given should you decide to vacate the property as a consequence of a burglary.
17. INFORMATION
17.1 While we make every effort to ensure that descriptions supplied are accurate, we cannot accept responsibility for errors contained therein or the results thereof. You must accept that minor differences between the photograph/illustration/text used and actual property may arise.
17.2 Property owners reserve the right to make modifications to the property specifications that are considered necessary in light of operating requirements. In the interest of continual improvement, property owners reserve the right to alter furniture, fittings, amenities, facilities or any part of any activities, either advertised or previously available without prior notice.
17.3 If material changes occur after your booking has been confirmed, we will advise you if there is time before departure.
18. ENVIRONMENT
18.1 Please be aware that many of our properties are in rural or isolated locations and as such you may encounter flora that may cause allergies and fauna such as mosquitoes, wasps, ants, local dogs etc as well as other environmental activities e.g. farming, drains etc. Some properties are located on non-surfaced roads.
18.2 Some of our properties are over 100 years old and some are listed. As a result the structure and safety may not have current safety and design features. Whilst V V C makes every effort to give as much detail on each property as possible, including when it was built and whether or not it is suitable for children/people with walking difficulties, it may mean that the property may be less safe than a more recently designed/built property. Due to the rocky nature of the coastline some of our coastal properties may have steep approaches, many stairs and/or maybe perched on a rocky promontory. Whilst this provides a spectacular location it might not be suitable for certain types of customers and again every effort is made to advise you of this on the villa details.
18.3 Please note we cannot be held responsible for any building or road workings occurring near the property. We will endeavour to advise you of any work occurring should we be aware of it, but work can occur at any time without our prior knowledge.
19. OUR LIABILITY AND THE PROPERTY OWNER
19.1 Neither Vacation Villas Croatia (as agent for the property owner), nor the property owner shall be responsible for the death of, or personal injury of any member of a booking party, or of any other person at the property unless this results from the proven negligence of the owner, V V C, or our employees.
19.2 V V C would like to remind clients of the importance of supervising children at all times especially around swimming pools and at the beach.
19.3 We shall not be liable for any loss, breach or delay due to any cause beyond our reasonable control including though not limited to acts of God, explosion, tempest, fire or accident, war or threat of war, civil disturbances, acts, restrictions, regulations, bye-laws or measures of any kind on the part of the government or local authority, strikes, lock-outs or other industrial actions or disputes or adverse weather conditions. In any case we shall be entitled to treat the weather conditions. In any case we shall be entitled to treat the contract as discharged.
19.4 We cannot be held responsible for the breakdown of mechanical equipment such as pumps, boilers, swimming pool filtrations systems, nor for the failure of public utilities such as water, gas and electricity.
19.5 Neither V V C nor the owner can be held responsible for noise or disturbance originating beyond the boundaries of the property or which is beyond our control. In the event that a source of noise has been in existence prior to your arrival and we are informed of this, we will contact you to inform you of the disturbance.
19.6 We cannot accept responsibility for events out of our control e.g. bad weather including events arising as a result of very hot or unusual weather, delays caused by carrier companies, breakdown of domestic equipment.
19.7 Occasionally facilities may have to be temporarily withdrawn at short notice during your holiday, often this is beyond our immediate control.
19.7a Occasionally facilities may have to be temporarily withdrawn at short notice during your holiday, often this is beyond our immediate control.
20. FORCE MAJEURE EVENTS
V V C (including its affiliates) and its partners shall not be liable for any damage and/ or delay in providing the accommodation service caused by force majeure. A force majeure event includes, but is not limited to, act of God, government action, war, political unrest and riots, civil strife, industrial disagreements, labor disputes, strikes, natural or nuclear disasters, fire, theft, disease epidemics and pandemics, other diseases, equipment malfunctions or breakdowns, weather conditions, quarantine, medical or customs regulations, technical or administrative problems with transportation, airport closures, ferryboat schedule changes, vehicle failures, water shortages and other changes beyond our control. V V C and its partners are not obliged to provide you with a refund (advance and / or balance, the full amount of the Accommodation) if you cannot use the accommodation due to force majeure that does not prevent the provision of the accommodation service.
Currency exchange rates fluctuate. Prices are subject to change based upon currency exchange rate fluctuations, provided actual variations have occurred.
21. LOW SLUNG SPORTS CARS
People arriving with low slung sports cars are advised to check that access to the property is suitable.
22. SPECIAL REQUESTS
We will endeavour to meet any requests you may have prior to travel but unfortunately we cannot guarantee them. Special requests do not form part of our contractual obligations to you and we accept no liability if they are not met.
23. BOOKING AND PAYMENT PROCESS
23.1 Upon choosing your holiday villa, select your dates and the duration of your stay on the booking calendar. Only available periods will be open for selection. If your chosen property is available you may then proceed to the selection of payment method. You will then be able to confirm your reservation immediately, with the exception of some cases when we might need the owners prior confirmation.
The details of your booking will be shown and you may then review your selection and click continue. Enter your personal contact information together with the number of adults and children in your group. You may then also add any further questions or messages you might have.
Once you have made a reservation with us we will ask you to confirm your booking via e-mail. This must be from the first named person on the booking ('guest/party leader'). The party leader must be at least 18 years of age and must be authorised to make the booking on the basis of these booking conditions by all persons named on the booking. By confirming the booking details with Vacatiom Villas Croatia the party leader confirms that he/she is so authorised and that all party members agree to be bound by the booking terms and conditions.
23.2 If you cancel your reservation at least 60 days prior to your arrival, we will return the advance payment. If you cancel your reservation within 60 days prior to your arrival, we will not be able to return your advance payment or any other payment you have made.
Upon paying the full amount, we will send you all of the necessary documents for your accommodation including details on how to reach us.
We recommend that you purchase the appropriate travel insurance in order to avoid possible losses caused by reservation cancellation. If you would like to cancel your reservation and reschedule it for another period, we will do our best to satisfy your demands. If you would like to pass on your reservation to someone else, we will accept this under the same terms, provided we are informed about who the new guests are. Please make all requests related to your reservation in written form.
By confirming your reservation after reading specific and paying the advance, you explicitly confirm that you are familiar with the general terms and conditions of the specific villa, and that you accept them.
23.3 The party leader is responsible for making all payments due to us. Once an invoice has been sent from Vacation Villas Croatia a minimum non-refundable deposit of 30% of the total rental cost must be paid. A higher deposit may be required where additional terms have been imposed on us by the property owner. You will be notified of any unusual deposit conditions prior to confirmation by us of your booking. The balance of your booking must be received not less than 60 days prior to your arrival date at the villa (depends on the property so please check with us). Please make a note in your diary to send the final balance to us by the date due. A reminder invoice will be sent. If final balance is not received on time we may impose an additiuonal administration fee. Further your booking may be cancelled by us in the event of late payment of the final balance. If booking within 10 weeks of arrival, the full cost of the villa must be paid at the time of booking. You may make a booking by emailing us at info@vacationvillascroatia.com. Bookings received in this way are provisional and will be held for 7 days (3 days if traveling within 10 weeks) pending receipt of your deposit/ full payment as applicable. If your payment is not received within 5 days the booking will automatically lapse.
23.4 Payment can be made via online banking or wire transfer to - Blue Sky Adria, obrt. as the owner and on behalf of Vacation Villas Croatia. We use either Paypal or Bank transfer payment methods. Please ensure you quote your booking reference number when sending us your details. Bank transfer payments can be made in USD or EURO currencies, however full the amount will be converted to local currency in accordance with Croatian law. If you wish to pay by bank transfer please advise us which currency you wish to pay in. Please be sure to pay all bank and currency exchange charges related to your booking.
23.5 Bookings cannot be accepted from parties that are less than 18 years of age. We reserve the right to refuse a booking without any given reason.
24. CONTRACT
24.1 A contract between you, the party leader and the property owner will come into existence when you have paid a deposit (or full payment if booking within 10 weeks of departure) and we accept your booking by issuing a written confirmation. Any disputes, claims or other matters, which arise out of or in connection with this contract, will be dealt with exclusively by the local county court of Zadar.
24.2 It is important that you check the villa confirmation you receive from us immediately upon receipt. You must contact us immediately if any information appears to be incorrect as it may not be possible to make changes later. We regret we cannot accept any liability if we are not notified of any inaccuracies in any document within 14 days of our sending it out.
25. PRICES
25.1 The price of your villa is based on villa prices known to us at the time our prices were published.
25.2 Some property owners only accept bookings with a minimum of one week in July and August.
25.3 Properties are let fully furnished and equipped. The price of all properties includes reasonable use of linen, electricity, hot and cold water. Occasionally there may be an additional charge for air conditioning/ heating where available; you will be advised of this at the time of booking. Where there is a private pool, pool heating may incur an additional expense. Satellite/Cable television where available may not include access to all channels.
Other considerations - As each villa has its own specific set of requirements and rules, it is best to contact us to discuss them before booking. We offer a highly personal service and we respond to emails promptly (depending on our respective time zones) and we give each of our clients our personal cell phone number to contact us while in Croatia in case of any problems.
Thank you and feel free to contact us for all further questions.