1) Booking Contracts are effected in the name and on behalf of the owners at the prices listed in the price list attached to this catalog. Prices were established according to market conditions at time of going to print. Should these market conditions suffer important changes, we reserve the right to modify our prices accordingly. Unless otherwise stated, bookings are for a minimum of one week and run from Saturday to Saturday.
2) A deposit of 50% of the total letting price and a Booking Fee (charged by each agency according to the currency it operates in) are payable at the time of Booking and the balance is due no later than 60 days prior to the beginning of the letting period.
3) For bookings made less than 60 days prior to the beginning of the letting period, the payment must be made in full.
4) The booking contract comes into effect when Viaggi 11 Cocomero or its authorized agent is in receipt of the completed Booking Form, Booking Fee and full payment under clauses 2 and 3 hereof and when the client has received a written confirmation of booking. All bookings are rendered confirmed in Italy.
5) At least 15 days prior to the start of the letting period, providing all payments have been received, the client will be sent a road itinerary to the house and a voucher that serves as entrance pass to the house and must be shown to the key holder on arrival. The voucher lists the client's name, the number of persons in his party, and the extra costs not included in the Booking Contract such as heating. The road itinerary lists the house address, name of the key holder, eventual telephone number, and precise directions to the house.
6) The client must arrive Saturday, between 4.00 and 6.30 pm. If the client is late, advance notice must be given. If no notice is given, the key holder is not held to wait for the clients after the arrival time has passed. It is up to the key holder's discretion to decide whether or not to allow clients to enter the house at times other than those stated and may ask the client for reimbursement of expenses incurred. Viaggi 11 Cocomero declines all responsibility in the matter.
7) On arrival the client must pay a damages deposit of Euro 260 to the key holder. Failure to pay the deposit can result in the key holder refusing entrance to the house.
8) Only those persons stipulated in the Booking Form may stay at the house and the total number of such persons must not exceed the authorized number stated in the house description. Please note this includes children. Should the key holder find more persons than those stated, it is totally up to his discretion to ask the clients to vacate the house.
9) The client signing the contract is responsible for the correct and decent behavior of his party. Should the client and his party behave in a manner that is not acceptable by civilized standards, the key holder may ask the client and his party to vacate the house.
10) Viaggi 11 Cocomero will consider the Booking Contract null and void after notification by the key holder of violations according to clauses 6, 7, 8 and 9 hereof. No reimbursement will be paid.
11) The client and his party must vacate the house between 8.00 and 10.00 am. on the date of departure without exceptions.
12) The cautionary deposit will be returned in full to the client at the end of the holiday period less any deductions made by the key holder for damages caused to the house, its garden area, the internal and external furnishing (fair wear and tear excepted), heating costs and any extra expenses incurred during the holiday period and still outstanding at the date of departure.
13) Cancellation charges will be levied as follows: 10% of total price if cancellation is made 90 days or more prior to the beginning of the letting period; 50% of total price if cancellation is made between 90 and 60 days prior to the beginning of the letting period; full amount if cancellation is made less than 60 days prior to the beginning of the letting period. The Booking Fee will not be refunded and cancellations must be made in writing and will be calculated from the date of receipt By Viaggi 11 Cocomero or its authorized agent. Should the house be re-let, Viaggil1 Cocomero or its authorized agent will refund the total amount less 10%.
14) If as result of events outside of the owner's control, the house booked should no longer be available, Viaggi 11 Cocomero or its authorized agent will immediately notify the client and either reimburses the client the entire amount less the Booking Fee, or, if so instructed, book the client into an alternative house. If the price of the alternative house is less than that originally paid, the client will be reimbursed the difference~ If the price is more than that originally paid, the client must pay the difference in accordance with clauses 2 and 3 hereof.
15) Viaggi 11 Cocomero cannot be held responsible after going to print for changes and modifications effected by the owner to the house without giving due notice, nor for the state of cleanliness, for the furnishings, fittings and house equipment which are the owner's direct responsibility. Any complaints must be made by telephone or in person to Viaggi 11 Cocomero within 48 hours of arrival and followed by a written confirmation addressed to the house owner and C/O Viaggi 11 Cocomero. Viaggi 11 Cocomero will forward all complaints to the owner and provide clients with the owner's complete address and name of his legal council. Complaints lodged at the end of the holiday period will not be taken into consideration. Clients who abandon the house without authorization from Viaggi 11 Cocomero lose all rights to any eventual refund or rebate.
16) In the event of any dispute concerning the: terms, conditions, execution and application of this contract, the court of law of Siena will have jurisdiction. In any and all controversies, Italian law will apply. On signing the Booking Form the client totally and unconditionally accepts these Booking Conditions.
GENERAL INFORMATIONHOW TO BOOK
Please contact the agency who sent you our catalogue. You will find the address of the agencyeither on the booking form or at the back of the catalogue. The agencies have all been authorized by us to accept bookings and you will find that they are well informed professionals and that most of them know Tuscany personally. The agency will accept your request and check with us to see if the accommodation and period chosen by you are free. If they are, you will be requested to fill in and sign the BOOKING FORM and to follow instructions provided in the BOOKING CONDITIONS listed on the inside rear cover of this catalogue.Please be sure that the BOOKING FORM has been accurately completed and signed. As it is a binding document, before signing it be sure to read the BOOKING CONDITIONS carefully. Without signature it will not be accepted. Because of the paperwork involved, you will be charged Euro 30 for any modifications in your booking once it has been confirmed. Modifications will only be accepted up to 60 days prior to arrival. Once you have effected full payment, you will be sent a voucher which is your access pass to the house (and must be shown to the key holder on arrival) together with the road itinerary.
DESCRIPTIONS
All houses are carefully selected and described as accurately as possible. We prefer to provide as much information as possible rather than not enough. In order to please the many nationalities with which we work, our descriptions utilize terms that are accepted and used by most tour operators. If something is not clear, please ask your agency for further information. Bathrooms are described as complete when they contain a WC, washbasin, bidet and either a bathtub or a shower. Anything which is not described, is not available. Please note that house rental is not like hotel rental: houses are self catering units and do not offer hotel services.
BEDS AND LINEN
Bedroom and bathroom linens are provided weekly. Although the swimming pool areas are furnished with chairs and tables, owners get upset when they see guests using blankets from the beds to lay on in the sun. In some houses beds can be provided as doubles or divided into singles. This must be written down on the booking form to allow owners and key holders time to effect the changes. Beds will not be modified after your arrival.
FURNISHINGS
The houses are all completely furnished and equipped. Toilet paper and soaps are not provided. Kitchens have gas, electric or mixed gas/electric ranges, refrigerators, and usually ovens. You are not allowed to move furniture around in the houses, nor to remove furniture from inside and place it outside.
HEATING
The type of heating available is described for each house. According to the house measuring system, it is either payable on consumption or at a fixed weekly rate. Ask the key holder on arrival what system is applied. Heating will be paid always directly to the key holder along with fireplace wood. Italian law states that a house must not be heated for more than 12 hours per day and only from mid October to mid April. Please be careful in using house heating because it can present you with an unpleasantly expensive surprise at the end of your holiday. When heating is used, total gas or diesel consumption will be charged in all houses.
SWIMMING POOLS
All pools are guaranteed open from the 1st of June to the 30th of September. The owner or the caretaker have access to the pools for maintenance. Beach towels are not provided.
MAID SERVICE
Maid service usually costs Euro 12 per hour. Please make a note on your BOOKING FORM if you are planning to. have a maid and we will notify the owners. In many houses, maid service is compulsory and, in these cases, the houses cannot be rented without the maids.
GARDENS
The owners and caretakers have access to pools and gardens for maintenance and upkeep.
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
Pets are allowed in some houses under your complete responsibility for any damages, bites or scratches that occur. You may be asked for an additional damages deposit to cover your pet.
WATER
All houses have potable water. Please try to use it sparingly during the summer months because Tuscany sometimes runs dry. You are not allowed to wash automobiles or to fill children's play pools unless authorized by the owners.
ELECTRICITY
Some of the houses have a limited electric capacity of 1.5 Kilowatts. This means that you must be careful in using more than one appliance at a time because the circuit breaker will shut the electric system off. This can be aggravating when you have to look for the electric control panel in the dark. Electricity is all 220 volts.
TELEPHONES
Many houses have telephones for guest use. You may be asked for an additional telephone deposit. Most houses have telephone meters and you will be charged at a fixed rate per unit. Some houses are not provided with meters. In this case you will be asked to leave a deposit that will be returned to you following a reading by the telephone company of units used. Italy has an excellent cellular phone network, so if you own a cellular phone you should have no problems using it. Italy uses impulse dialing rather than digital, so make sure you modify your portable computer software if you plan to access your email and the internet from Italy.
BABY COTS
Cots are provided free of charge in those houses where the description states that a cot is available. Some houses do not provide baby cots. Please note that only the cots are provided. You must bring your own cot linen. If you need a baby cot, please mark it down on your BOOKING FORM so that we may notify the owner.
REGISTRATION / DAMAGES DEPOSIT / FINAL CLEANING
On arrival, please give the key holder your passports or I.D. Cards. Italian law requires registration of guests within 24 hours of arrival. On arrival you will be requested to pay a security deposit of Euro 260 to the key holder. (There are a few properties where the security deposit is more than 260 Euros. The required security deposit for each property is indicated in the price list). Most key holders will also accept Eurocheques or foreign currency. Personal checks and credit cards will not be accepted. At the end of your holiday, your security deposit will be returned to you less costs of any damages that occurred. Clients will find the houses clean and tidy on arrival and should leave them in the same condition on departure. Although final cleaning is included in the price this does not extend to leaving houses in a mess nor to leaving sinks full of dirty dishes. Should this be the case, you will be charged for the extra cleaning expenses. You will also be charged Euro 5 per bag of garbage left at the house that must be removed and disposed of by the key holder.
INSURANCE
We strongly advise you to buy holiday cancellation insurance. Our agents have their own programs. Most insurance companies offer this service in some form at a very contained cost.
REAL ESTATE
We are a fully certified Real Estate Agency. If you are interested in purchasing a house in Tuscany, please contact us for an appointment during your holiday.