Terms & Conditions
BOOKING & PRICES
Terms and Conditions for Duddings Country Cottages
Booking deposit
A deposit of 25% is required to confirm your booking. Upon receipt of this, a written confirmation is sent to you, and you become liable for the full cost of your holiday accommodation. This confirmation will include details of the balance outstanding and details of when it is due The final balance is due no later than 42 days prior to the start date of your holiday. We reserve the right to cancel any booking when payment is not received by due date and no refund will be made in this situation. For bookings made less than 42 days before your holiday start date, the full balance is payable on booking. All bookings are provisional until confirmed in writing. If you choose to cancel your booking, cancellation terms can be found in the section “Cancellation”, below.
Cottage Condition
We make every effort to ensure that the cottage is clean and tidy for your arrival, and that all equipment is working correctly. The hirer is responsible to take all reasonable care of the property and is expected to leave the cottage clean and tidy and in the same condition as found. Please let us know immediately if there are any problems, so that we have a chance to put things right and organise repairs or replacements if necessary. At the end of your stay we will check over the cottage and a charge will be made for any significant damage or breakages.
Tariff
The prices quoted in the tariff are inclusive of bed linen, cots, high-chairs and stair gates when requested. We do not provide towels or cot bedding, although towels can be hired for a small charge if required. Logs (for the West Wing and the Annexe), are charged at the end of your stay.
Arrival and Departure
Cottages are let from 3.00pm on arrival day to 10.00am on departure day (unless otherwise agreed with us). You and your guests are requested to vacate the cottages promptly on departure day as time is required to clean the property between visitors.
If you fail to arrive by 12 noon the day after your arrival date and do not advise us of this late arrival, your booking may be treated as having been cancelled and no refund will be made in this situation.
Swimming Pool/Hot Tub and Safety
Our Swimming Pool/Hot Tub is unsupervised; by signing this form you acknowledge to abide by the Duddings Swimming Pool Safety Code. It is the parent or guardian’s responsibility to supervise the safety and good conduct of children at all times whilst on the property. Usage of all of the facilities at Duddings is entirely at your own risk.
Activities and Facilities
We reserve the right to alter or withdraw amenities or facilities or any activities without prior notice where reasonably necessary due to repairs, maintenance, weather conditions and circumstances beyond our control. Barbecues may be supplied at your property. It is your responsibility to ensure that the barbecue is used correctly, safely and cleaned after use. We will not accept liability for accidents caused to guests in this regard.
Short Breaks
During the low season we offer short breaks. Charges for these are shown in our availability checker. Payments for short breaks are handled in the same way as weekly bookings, with the balance due 42 days in advance of the holiday or in full at the time of the booking if booked within 42 days of your holiday start date.
Cancellation
A deposit of 25% is required to confirm your booking. Upon receipt of this, a written confirmation is sent to you, and you become liable for the full cost of your holiday accommodation. This confirmation will include details of the balance outstanding and details of when it is due The final balance is due no later than 42 days prior to the start date of your holiday. We reserve the right to cancel any booking when payment is not received by due date and no refund will be made in this situation. For bookings made less than 42 days before your holiday start date, the full balance is payable on booking. All bookings are provisional until confirmed in writing. If you choose to cancel your booking, cancellation terms can be found in the section “Cancellation”, below.
Cottage Condition
We make every effort to ensure that the cottage is clean and tidy for your arrival, and that all equipment is working correctly. The hirer is responsible to take all reasonable care of the property and is expected to leave the cottage clean and tidy and in the same condition as found. Please let us know immediately if there are any problems, so that we have a chance to put things right and organise repairs or replacements if necessary. At the end of your stay we will check over the cottage and a charge will be made for any significant damage or breakages.
Tariff
The prices quoted in the tariff are inclusive of bed linen, cots, high-chairs and stair gates when requested. We do not provide towels or cot bedding, although towels can be hired for a small charge if required. Logs (for the West Wing and the Annexe), are charged at the end of your stay.
Arrival and Departure
Cottages are let from 3.00pm on arrival day to 10.00am on departure day (unless otherwise agreed with us). You and your guests are requested to vacate the cottages promptly on departure day as time is required to clean the property between visitors.
If you fail to arrive by 12 noon the day after your arrival date and do not advise us of this late arrival, your booking may be treated as having been cancelled and no refund will be made in this situation.
Swimming Pool/Hot Tub and Safety
Our Swimming Pool/Hot Tub is unsupervised; by signing this form you acknowledge to abide by the Duddings Swimming Pool Safety Code. It is the parent or guardian’s responsibility to supervise the safety and good conduct of children at all times whilst on the property. Usage of all of the facilities at Duddings is entirely at your own risk.
Activities and Facilities
We reserve the right to alter or withdraw amenities or facilities or any activities without prior notice where reasonably necessary due to repairs, maintenance, weather conditions and circumstances beyond our control. Barbecues may be supplied at your property. It is your responsibility to ensure that the barbecue is used correctly, safely and cleaned after use. We will not accept liability for accidents caused to guests in this regard.
Short Breaks
During the low season we offer short breaks. Charges for these are shown in our availability checker. Payments for short breaks are handled in the same way as weekly bookings, with the balance due 42 days in advance of the holiday or in full at the time of the booking if booked within 42 days of your holiday start date.
Cancellation
Cancellation of bookings made with an original booking date before 28/06/2021
Your booking is covered under a prior set of Terms and Conditions. Please call us or email us at info@duddings.co.uk to discuss your options.
Your booking is covered under a prior set of Terms and Conditions. Please call us or email us at info@duddings.co.uk to discuss your options.
For bookings made on or after 28/06/2021 these new Terms and Conditions apply to all cancellations.
- If your booking has to be cancelled because Duddings is put under Government Lockdown Restrictions and has to close, and the period of closure covers your booking, you will be refunded in full.
- In the event that your given address is put into Local/Regional Lockdown rendering you unable to travel, and the period of the restriction covers your booking, you will be refunded in full.
- If your booking has to be cancelled through Force Majeure, meaning any of the following circumstances which may hinder or prevent the performance of us of the contract, including but not limited to: (a) acts of God, flood, drought, earthquake, or other natural disaster, (b) epidemic or pandemic, (c) terrorist attack, civil war, civil commotion or riots, war, threat of or preparation for war, armed conflict, imposition of sanctions, embargo, or breaking off of diplomatic relations: (d) nuclear, chemical or biological contamination or sonic boom, (e) any law or action taken by a government or public authority, including without limitation imposing a restriction, prohibition, or failing to grant a necessary licence or consent, (f) collapse or buildings, fire, explosion or accident, (g) non-performance by our suppliers on contractors, and (h) failure of utility service, and the period covers your booking, you will be refunded in full.
- Customer inability (or the inability of any of your intended party), or disinclination to travel to and stay at Duddings for any reason:
This includes – but is not limited to – illness (including COVID), a requirement or recommendation to self-isolate or quarantine, shielding, a call to jury duty, military service, incarceration, change in personal or work circumstances, family emergencies, travel delays, vehicle breakdown, and delays in public transport. These remain at Your risk and do not give rise to any right to cancel or to receive a refund unless we re-let the property, other than the sliding scale below. You are strongly recommended to take out UK travel insurance to cover these eventualities.
COVID is now a known risk, and it is possible for you to ensure against it. This can include the customer or any of the party having COVID, the customer or any of the party having to isolate or quarantine, or you wishing to shield any members of the party.There are several options which include cover for COVID-related cancellations available from organisations such as:Trailfinders: www.trailfinders.com/insurance#/step1 or Coverwise: www.coverwise.co.uk/travel-insurance/corona-virus.aspxIf you choose not to take out UK travel insurance, then you accept responsibility for any loss that you may incur due to your cancellation.
- Cancellation must be notified to Duddings by phone and email, and once received we will confirm the cancellation request. Duddings will then apply the scale shown in the table below to bookings to determine the amount of the charge, which shall be a percentage of the total cost of the holiday.
Number of days before start of holiday that notification is received** | Percentage of total booking value payable | |
Bookings not including Selworthy, West Wing or Stables | Bookings including Selworthy, West Wing or Stables | |
More than 90 Days | 5% of booking cost | 5% of booking cost |
61 – 89 Days | 10% of booking cost | 25% of booking cost |
42 – 60 Days | 25% of booking cost | 25% of booking cost |
30 – 41 Days | 50% of booking cost | 60% of booking cost |
15 – 29 Days | 75% of booking cost | 80% of booking cost |
3 – 14 Days | 90% of booking cost | 90% of booking cost |
0 – 2 Days | 100% of booking cost | 100% of booking cost |
** To confirm receipts of cancellation, Duddings recommends that the customer sends written confirmation or cancellation by email requesting a confirmation receipt. The effective date of confirmation will be when the cancellation is received by Duddings.
- On receipt of cancellation, the customer remains liable for the percentage of the booking fee identified in the chart above. However, Duddings will use reasonable endeavours to obtain a replacement booking. In the event that Duddings is successful in obtaining a replacement booking, all monies paid will be returned excluding our administration fee of 5% of the booking cost, and any shortfall in the re-letting price
For example, a £1000 booking, fully paid, cancelled and re-let for £900 means that the original customer will be refunded as follows: £1000 – 5% booking fee = £950, less £100 re-booking shortfall = refund of £850.
- Any amounts due for refunding will be made within 7 days of the planned departure date from Duddings, or earlier if a replacement booking been made.
Changes to Bookings
If, after we have issued a confirmation you wish to change the dates of your holiday, then you will be liable to pay a re-arrangement fee of £25 per week booked, any such re-arrangement being subject to availability. Please note this is only applicable to a change of dates at the same property, otherwise standard cancellation terms will apply. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO RE-ARRANGE YOUR HOLIDAY LESS THAN SIX WEEKS BEFORE IT IS DUE TO COMMENCE.
General
The number of people occupying the cottage must not exceed the number booked. The owner reserves the right to refuse entry to the entire party if this condition is not observed.
We hope that Duddings will provide a peaceful and relaxing holiday. The owners reserve the right to decline accommodation to, or expel any occupier or visitor for conduct, which, in the owners opinion, is detrimental to the property or the comfort of the guests. The owner reserves the right to reasonable access to the cottages at all times.
We welcome well-behaved pets, but they should not be left unattended in the cottages. As dogs can cause a nuisance to people without them, we ask you to keep your dog under control on a leash, except in areas specifically identified where they are able to be released.
The owners do not accept any responsibility for loss or damage to the hirers personal effects or property whilst staying at Duddings. Guests are advised not to leave valuables unattended.
The cottages are used as holiday accommodation and are therefore exempt from security of tenure under the Rent Act.
We do not expect to have to make any changes to your booking. However, sometimes problems happen and bookings have to be changed or cancelled or mistakes in brochures or other details corrected. We have the right to do this, but if we do, we will contact you (by phone if possible in the case of a significant change or cancellation, or by e-mail for minor changes) as soon as is reasonably practical. We will explain what has happened and provide a suitable alternative if we can, or a refund if that is not possible, but no further liability is accepted.
