‘Customer’, ‘Hirer’ or ‘Client’: This refers to the individual or the business hiring our transport.

The Company: Palmers of Leicester Ltd.

Quotation
Quotations are given based on the information provided by the hirer and prices are based on factors including the mileage from point A to point B, the mount of time involved in completing the booking, the date, availability and the route. All quotations include the vehicle hire, the driver, the fuel and all insurances. Any additional requirements should be discussed with a representative before placing a booking as extra charges may apply.

Bookings are based on the number of passengers and the luggage stated at the time of quotation. When placing a booking via phone you will be asked to confirm all of the information is correct before taking a payment. When making a payment transfer without speaking with a representative we will assume that all information we have on your quotation is correct and that no amendments need to be made. Adding passengers, pick ups or any other requirements after this payment is received may still result in additional charges applying. You should always check with a representative if you want to make changes.

Based on the information provided, we will only guarantee to provide a vehicle suitable for the amount of luggage and passengers stated. For example, where you have selected 10 passengers and a 10 to 16 seat minibus it is not safe to assume that you will receive a 16 seater. For example; where 10 passengers are travelling and your quotation states 10-16 seat minibus, we may send you a vehicle with between 10 and 16 seats. Where a 10 seater is available, this will be a likely vehicle for you to receive. If your passenger number increases or you would like to guarantee a certain amount of seats in order to provide extra room for passengers in the vehicle, please discuss this with us and we will advise on the best option – this doesn’t always incur an additional cost. Also, if you select no luggage or lap luggage, you may receive a vehicle without a boot space on board. It is always best to ensure that all details are correct before booking.

Booking & Confirmation
A booking is not confirmed unless we have received a deposit. We cannot hold vehicles without the payment of a deposit of 30%. You may click the ‘book now’ link and receive an email which thanks you for your booking, however, it is not a confirmed booking unless the deposit it paid. Where a deposit is not paid by the hirer the vehicle is still available for other clients to book. We work on a first come first serve basis and in times of limited availability it is always best to place a deposit immediately in order to avoid disappointment. You should always check availability with an advisor before making a bank transfer to ensure that the vehicle is still available.

Once a booking is confirmed by placing a deposit, Palmers of Leicester reserves the right to cancel the booking if the vehicle booked is not suitable for the route and risks damage or injury to the vehicle, the passengers or other road users. If this cancellation is deemed necessary, a full refund will be issued. Our drivers are also instructed that should the entrance to a venue be too tight for the vehicle that they should park as close as is safe and possible so that the passengers can embark and disembark the vehicle in the safest position. No refund will be provided for unforeseen issues with venue entrances or car parks.

Payment
In order to secure a booking a deposit of 10% is required. The remaining 90% must be received by the company at least 14 days prior to travel unless otherwise agreed in writing. If full payment is not received within the specified timeframe Palmers of Leicester reserves the right to cancel the booking and the hirer will loose 100% of the money paid. Palmers of Leicester will make reasonable attempts at contacting the client via phone and email before having to take this action.

With regards to ferries or Eurotunnel bookings this must be paid in full before it can be confirmed. 14 days prior and deposit terms do not apply.

Payments can be made by debit/credit card and bank transfer. There are no additional charges for credit card payments.

Payments can only be made via card more than 2 weeks prior to travel.

Parking Charges
All parking charges are not included in the quotation price.

In terms of race days like Ascot, Cheltenham, Newmarket, and the Grand National all relevant parking must be prearranged by you the passenger before the day of travel. This is also the same for events at stadiums and concert venues including Wembley, Twickenham, Ricoh Arena, Old Trafford, and The Etihad.

Parking charges are not included in the quotation price unless otherwise agreed with staff and presented to you in writing.

For events such as racedays,

Times
All pick up and departures times are to be adhered to unless cleared with Palmers of Leicester.
30 minutes waiting time will be allowed before the coach will pull off the job and no refund will be given unless cleared by Palmers of Leicester and relevant waiting times charged accordingly at £50.00 per hour.

In some cases where coach is booked for another journey if the wait is longer than 30 minutes the coach will not be able to continue with your journey even at extra costs.
Use Of Vehicle

Vehicles are not guaranteed to stay on site unless it has been agreed in writing by staff at Palmers of Leicester, therefore the hirer would not have use of the vehicle between two journeys unless agreed and relevant fees have been paid.

In the interest of reducing emissions, Palmers of Leicester reserve the right to utilise vehicles for multiple journeys rather than dispatching more vehicles than that is necessary without informing the client.

Personal belongings should never be left on the vehicle when exiting, Palmers of Leicester will not compensate for any lost property and are not responsible for returning it. In the case of returning lost property this needs to be arranged by you the passenger.

Palmers of Leicester are also not responsible for any damage to luggage i.e suitcases on board the vehicle. Suitcases are left in the underbelly storage/overhead storage at passenger’s own risk. We do not provide child’s car seats or allow ISOfix car seats on board our vehicles. Passengers are more than welcome to bring their own as long as they are not left on board after the journey.

Tours
In the case of a tour service accommodation for the driver it must be provided and must include a private en-suite and breakfast, parking fees when on tour must be paid in cash by you the hirer on the day.

Sporting Events
When travelling for sporting events such as race days parking charges are not included in the booking price, these will need to be prearranged before the day of travel by you the passenger.

Drivers’ Hours
Drivers’ hours and rest periods are regulated by law. It is illegal for drivers to work outside these hours. We will always plan journey schedules so as to minimize the risk of delays due to Drivers’ hour’s rules. The Customer must adhere strictly to all collection times contained in the Booking Confirmation and the Customer must not interrupt or delay a journey. If delays occur for whatever reason, Palmers of Leicester may alter the journey schedule for the Vehicle in order to seek to comply with the law. A 15-minute grace period is allowed but anything over that is chargeable.

Cancellation By Hirer (Temporarily Suspended)
Any cancellation must be made in writing via email. Cancellation may incur a loss of deposit if not made in good time.
* More than 7 days to departure – Loss of 10% of the full booking value
* Less than 7 days to departure – Loss of 30% of the full booking value
* Less than 48 hours to departure – Loss of 100% of the full booking value

Cancellation By Palmers of Leicester 
In any event beyond our control where we can’t provide you with the service purchased. We will only return your exact money paid to us.

We will not accept claims of compensation if your journey has been cancelled for reasons classed beyond our control and these include: Adverse weather conditions, Road conditions, Death or accident causing roads to be closed, Compliance with police orders, riots, strikes, war, system failures including vandalism and terrorism, Insolvency and bankruptcy.

We reserve the right to arrive up to 30 minutes later that the agreed pick up time should the need arise, without incurring any further cost to ourselves. Beyond this period of time any deposit paid will be refunded as a gesture of good will.

COVID-19 Cancellations
Please not usual T&C’s do not apply as of March 17th 2020. Until further notice.

After much deliberation and taking advice from external advisers temporary cancellation terms are now in effect.

Unfortunately we cannot refund bookings which are cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak in the light of the current economic crisis. We will however, be offering credit vouchers to the sum of the amount paid, which can be used on new travel arrangements which will need to be booked before Jan 1st 2021. (The actual trip itself can take place up until Dec 31st 2021)

Similarly to airlines and other package providers in the industry it is unsustainable to refund all bookings that have been cancelled due to COVID-19. We have joined the ‘Don’t Cancel Postpone’ movement and are encouraging all of our customers to plan for better times ahead.

Don’t cancel, change the date. Lets save tourism together.

Damage To Vehicle Caused By Hirer
Any damage caused by the hirer or member of his / her party will be solely the responsibility of the hirer, and relevant charges will have to be paid in accordance with our terms and conditions.
If in the case that the vehicle has to be taken off the road to repair or clean damage caused by hirer, a daily rate will be payable by hirer.

Criminal damage will be reported to police
In the case of drinking on board we ask for a £150 damage deposit which must be paid in full before the day of travel. This deposit will then be refunded the next working day as long as the vehicle is returned in the same condition it left our yard in.

Emergency & Breakdown
Our vehicles are regularly serviced and maintained to legal standard at all times. But in case of a mechanical breakdown, Palmers of Leicester will do its best to get you to your destination at no extra cost to you but if we are unable to find alternative transport for your journey a full refund will be issued immediately. Palmers of Leicester will not accept any responsibility for the loss of ticket to an event or flight or anything else in case of a breakdown and under no circumstance will we accept claims of compensation and refund.

Please note always allow plenty of time for your journey.

Subcontracting
Palmers of Leicester reserve the right to subcontract journeys to other trusted suppliers without notifying the hirer, we use a network of approved suppliers that have passed all legal requirements set by VOSA.

Customer Service/ Feedback
We are committed to providing you with a top class service to ensure you have a safe, stress free and trouble free journey, but if for any reason you are unhappy with the service you’ve received we do apologise and would like to hear from you to investigate where we went wrong, we are always looking to improve our service and would love your feedback. If you have a complaint please write to our head office 18 Corfield Rise, Leicester.LE3 1QG or email us (enquiries@palmersofleicester.com) including your ref, name, travel date and journey details, every customer is valuable to us. We aim to resolve all issues within 14 working days, this is dependent on the severity of the complaint.

All complaints must be in a written email to enquiries@palmersofleicester.com.

Data Protection
On the 25th of May The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect; Your privacy is paramount to us, therefore we handle it with the upmost care and confidentiality.
Our privacy policies have been updated, click here for more information on how we handle your data as well as what you need to do if you would like to be removed from our database.
General Terms & Conditions

By placing a booking with Palmers of Leicester, Customers are confirming that they have read, understood and agreed to abide by the above Terms and Conditions. Please ensure you understand them fully prior to placing a booking.

Smoking & Drug Abuse
Palmers of Leicester have a zero-tolerance policy regarding drugs and smoking.

Smoking and drug use is strictly prohibited on board our vehicles. If drivers witness passengers taking drugs or suspect that passengers are under the influence of drugs we reserve the right to refuse entry on our vehicle. Where someone is witnessed partaking in drug misuse the driver will not allow them or anyone in their party to board the vehicle unless this is clearly for medicinal purposes. No refund will be offered for people who have been witnessed taking drugs and refused entry or to people who are found to be taking drugs on board and removed from the vehicle.

Our definition of drugs include:
* Any class A, B or C drug.
* Any psychoactive substance

Drug misuse is dangerous and can even result in death. Palmers of Leicester will not knowingly partake in the carriage of passengers who are under the influence.

If passengers are found to be smoking on board any vehicle the driver will pull over at their first opportunity and passengers will be asked to leave the vehicle immediately. Refusal to do so will result in the relevant authorities being called and removing passengers. No refund will be offered.

Animals
No animals are to be carried on our vehicles. The only exception to this rule is guide dogs and it would be great if you could discuss this with a member of staff during the booking process so that the relevant measures can be put in place for damage limitation on the vehicle’s upholstery etc.

Threatening Behavior
Threatening behavior towards drivers will result in either the termination of the journey or refusal of entry to the vehicle.

Threatening behavior is defined by law as:
‘intimidation or intentional behavior that causes another person to fear injury or harm’

We do not tolerate verbal abuse, threats of physical violence or physical abuse.

All incidents of threatening behavior will be reported to the relevant authorities and no refunds for the refusal of carriage due to this behaviour will be issued.
* Most vehicles are fitted with CCTV and in case of a dispute footage will be used as evidence and passed to relevant authority’.
* Vehicles sent will be based on the number of passengers. We reserve the right to use larger vehicles than ordered at no extra cost, but should extra seats be used without notifying Palmers of Leicester we will charge accordingly.
* Any person(s) damaging the vehicle will result in the termination of the journey and the relevant authorities will be informed