Terms and Conditions

247 Coach Hire

Terms and Conditions of Hire

1. Applications – These conditions apply whether a contract has been made verbally or in writing. The hirer acts on behalf of all the passengers travelling on the vehicle/s. The hirer is responsible for the actions and decisions of all passengers.
2. Quotations – Quotations are given on the basis of the most direct route. The route will be at the discretion of the company unless it has been particularly specified by the hirer, in which case it will be clearly shown on the confirmation. All quotations are given subject to the company having available a suitable vehicle at the time the hirer accepts the quotation. Unless otherwise stated by the company the quotation will not include other charges such as admission or event parking. Quotations are valid for 14 days unless otherwise notified.
3. Bookings – All bookings must be confirmed in writing by the hirer by email.
4. Use of Vehicle – The hirer cannot assume use of the vehicle between outward and return journeys, nor should it be presumed that the vehicle will remain at the destination for the hirer’s use, unless this has been agreed with the company in advance on the written confirmation.
5. Route and Time Variation – The Company reserves the right to levy additional charges for mileage or time other than that agreed. The vehicle will depart at times agreed by the hirer, and it is the responsibility of the hirer to account for all passengers at those times.
6. Drivers Hours – The hours of operation for the driver are regulated by law and the hirer accepts the responsibility of ensuring the hire keeps to the hours and times agreed by the company. Neither the hirer nor any passengers shall delay or otherwise interrupt the journey in such a way that the driver is at risk of breaching regulations relating to driving hours and duty time. The company/driver reserves the right to adjust or terminate services if continued operation would result in breach of applicable regulations. 
7. Seating Capacity – The Company will specify the legal seating capacity of the vehicle. The hirer must not load the vehicle beyond this capacity.
8. Conveyance of Animals – No animals (except guide or hearing dogs notified to the company in advance) may be carried without prior written agreement from the company.
9. Wheelchairs – Our 55-seater vehicle is equipped with a ramp for wheelchair access. Please contact us prior to making a reservation to ensure we can accommodate your specific needs.
10. Confirmation – Written confirmation by the company is the only basis for the acceptance of a hiring or for a subsequent alteration to its terms.
11. Payment – Full payment is required 7 working days in advance of the date of travel unless otherwise agreed with the company. Such payment is strictly non-refundable except in circumstances where the company, due to causes beyond its control, has to cancel the booking.
12. Terms of Payment and Transaction Fees – The hirer is responsible for covering any transaction fees incurred during payments, including those arising from currency conversion or the use of different local accounts.
13. Deposits – In order to hold your booking, a 25% non-refundable deposit must be paid upon booking.
14. Cancellation by Hirer – Cancellations or changes must be made at least 7 days prior to travel. In case of cancellation for the coach/minibus hire and tours services, the following charges will apply:

– if the cancellation is made  at least 7 days before the date of travel, the 25% deposit will be charged;

– if the cancellation is made within 7 days of the travel date, a 50% charge will be applied of the full service price;

– for cancellations on the day of the journey or less than 49 hours prior the journey full booking amount will be charged;

– for no-show situations, when the customer does not show-up at the pick-up, full booking amount will be charged.

     15.  Cancellation by the company – In the event of any emergency, riot, civil commotion, strike, lockout, stoppage or restraint of labour or the happening of any event over which the company has no control, (including adverse weather and road conditions) or in the event of the hirer taking any action to vary agreed conditions unilaterally, the company may return all money paid and without further or other liability, cancel the contract.

    16. Vehicle to be provided – While every effort will be made to provide an executive vehicle, sometimes such vehicles become unavailable. In such instances the company reserves the right to substitute other vehicles (including those of other operators) for all or part of the hiring.

    17. Breakdown and Delays

The company gives advice on journey time in good faith. However, as a result of breakdown or traffic congestion, or other events beyond the reasonable control of the company, journeys may take longer than predicted and the company will not be liable for any loss suffered by the hirer as a result.

Although we always consider live traffic conditions, if the driver cannot attend an assigned job due to unexpected traffic difficulties, we will do our best to forward the job to one of our partner companies that operate in the proximity of the pickup location. Please note that in the event you agree to this, a contract shall be formed directly between you and the partner company, in which case responsibility for job fulfilment is shifted to the partner company and any further complaints should be addressed to them.

Every effort will be made by the company to ensure that vehicle(s) arrive on time and reach destinations on time. The company shall not be held responsible or liable for any delays (and/or any arising consequential losses) that occur beyond its reasonable control. The company and its employees aim to run a reliable service for you and where alternative options are given and the client refuses, the company will not be liable for any loss suffered.

18. Waiting time and stop-on-the-way:

If passengers are late for pick-up additional charges will apply as follows:

• £50/hour, £0.83/minute waiting time for the 19 seats minibus,
• £75/hour, £1.25/minute waiting time for the coach
• For airport pick-up, the clients have 30 minutes of free-of-charge waiting time after the established pick-up time. Only after these 30 minutes will additional charges apply.
• For a different pick-up location (other than at an airport), clients have 15 minutes of free-of-charge waiting time after the established pick-up time.

If the driver has to interrupt the journey and wait for the passengers, charges will apply as it follows:

• £10 for just the stop, without deviation from the route for the minibus
• £15 for just the stop, without deviation from the route for the coach

If the route encounters deviations because the passengers request a change of the route, additional costs will apply as communicated to the customer.

19. Passenger’s Property:

All vehicles hired by the company are subject to restrictions on carrying luggage for statutory safety reasons. The hirer accepts that the driver shall be the sole judge as to whether and to what extent passengers’ property is carried.

The company accepts any personal property of the hirer and their passengers on the understanding that in the absence of any negligence or other breach of duty by the company, it is not responsible for any theft, damage, destruction or loss of such personal property. The hirer should notify the company or the driver if items of exceptional value are to be carried on the vehicle. It is the hirer’s responsibility to minimize risk of loss when property is left unattended.

Lost property will be held at the company’s premises for one month after the hiring date. If the property is not claimed within one month the company  may dispose of it as it thinks fit.

20. Conduct of passengers and cleaning charges:

The on-board staff are responsible for the safety of the vehicle at all times and may remove any passenger whose behaviour prejudices safety. The hirer is responsible for any damage costs or unreasonable valet costs as so determined by the company which may be caused by its passengers’ actions during the period of hire.

All vehicles are provided in a clean condition and ready for hire. If a vehicle is returned with excessive rubbish or soiled in any manner (e.g., vomit), we reserve the right to impose a minimum cleaning fee of £50 for minibuses (between 9 to 19 seats) and £100 for coaches (between 20 and 55 seats) to cover professional cleaning costs. Should the damage or soiling render the vehicle out of service, we may charge the hirer a minimum of £500 per day or part day that the vehicle is unavailable.

The Company reserves the right to recoup the costs for any cleaning or damage via the Hirer’s credit or debit card. Passengers are not permitted to become intoxicated on liquor, carry liquor or travel while under the influence of drugs or alcohol in the vehicles provided by the company. 

Where the hire includes transport to or from a sporting event, the Hirer is reminded that it is an offence under the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc.) Act 1985 to carry or consume alcohol on public service vehicles travelling to or from designated sporting events, such as certain football matches. The hirer undertakes to ensure that no alcohol is brought aboard, carried, or consumed by any passenger in breach of the law. The company and the driver reserve the right to refuse travel or entry, in the event the law or conditions of carriage are likely to be contravened.

The hirer shall also be responsible for ensuring compliance with the conditions of entry and any specific venue rules, including but not limited to those laid down by the Race Course Association Ltd for racecourses.

The hirer must provide details of a valid credit or debit card prior to the commencement of the journey. This card may be used as a security deposit in the event that the company suffers any loss or incurs charges resulting from the hirer’s actions or those of any passengers during the hire period. Any deductions will be notified to the hirer in advance and will be proportionate to the actual loss suffered. The hirer may request details of any charges before they are applied.

21. Complaints – In the event of a complaint, the hirer should seek a solution at the time by asking for assistance from the on-board staff or from the company. If this has not provided a remedy, complaints should be submitted by email to [email protected].
22. Notices – No bill, poster or notice is to be displayed on any vehicle without the consent of the company.
23. Refreshments – Only food & beverages provided by the company may be consumed on the vehicle without prior consent from the company.
24. Surcharges – Providing there are not less than 30 days prior to the departure date, the company reserves the right to pass on increases in the cost of fuel, taxes imposed by the Governments of the UK and of other countries to be visited during the journey, road tolls, and foreign currency. No surcharges will be levied within 30 days of departure. On notification of such surcharges, the hirer may cancel the booking subject to the scale of cancellation charges shown above. 
25. Limitation of Liability – Nothing in these terms excludes or limits the company’s liability for:

(a) death or personal injury caused by its negligence; or

(b) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

Consumers – If the company fails to comply with these terms, the company is responsible for loss or damage suffered by the hirer, only if it is the foreseeable result of said breach or negligence. Loss or damage is foreseeable if they are an obvious consequence of the company’s breach or negligence or if they were contemplated by the parties when the contract was agreed upon.

Hirers who are consumers agree not to use the hire services for any commercial, business or re-sale purposes, and in particular the company has no liability for any loss of profit, loss of business, business interruption, or loss of business opportunity.

Businesses – the company only supplies hire services for internal use by the business hirer, and the latter agrees not to use the services for any re-sale purposes.

The company will under no circumstances whatsoever be liable to a business hirer, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, arising under or in connection with the Contract for:

(a) any loss of profits, sales, business, or revenue;

(b) loss or corruption of data, information or software;

(c) loss of business opportunity;

(d) loss of anticipated savings;

(e) loss of goodwill; or

(f) any indirect or consequential loss.

The company’s total liability to a business customer in respect of all other losses arising under or in connection with the contract, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, shall in no circumstances exceed 100 % of the price paid for the hire services.

Except as expressly stated in these terms, the company does not give any representation, warranties or undertakings in relation to the hire services. Any representation, condition or warranty which might be implied or incorporated into these terms by statute, common law or otherwise is excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Variation – the company reserves the right to revise these terms at any time without prior notice at its sole discretion. Any revised terms will be posted on the company’s website and will come into effect 6 hours after posting.

Governing law and jurisdiction – If the hirer is a consumer, these terms are governed by English law. This means the contract and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it will be governed by English law. The parties agree that the courts of England and Wales will have non-exclusive jurisdiction.

If the hirer is a business customer, these terms are governed by English law. This means that the contract, and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with it or its subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims), will be governed by English law. The parties agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.