What a deposit actually protects
· 1 min read · Hardo
A plain explanation of deposits, balance dates and what happens to your money if something goes wrong.
Most of our trips can be held with a 25% deposit, with the balance due eight weeks before departure. Here is what that means in practice.
The deposit holds a seat, not a price. Once paid, the departure is confirmed for you and the seat comes out of general availability. The price is fixed at the point of booking and does not move afterwards, even if the departure later sells at a supplement.
The balance date is not arbitrary. Eight weeks out is when we pay hotels, guides and internal flights. Before that date, cancelling costs the deposit. After it, the cancellation terms on your confirmation apply, and this is precisely what travel insurance is for.
If we cancel. If a departure does not reach minimum numbers, or we cancel for any reason, you receive the full amount back — deposit included — or a transfer to another date at no cost. That is not a goodwill gesture, it is the contract.
Card payments. Payments are handled by Mollie; we never see or store your card details. A refund goes back to the card that paid, which is normally three to five working days.
