Terms and conditions

1. The contract

All bookings are made with TFCollective Limited, company number 9334586, trading as Untold New Zealand (“we” or “us”). Email support@mail.untoldnewzealand.example.com.

The person who books must be 18 or over, and accepts these booking conditions for everyone named on the booking (“you”). They confirm they have authority from everyone named, and are responsible for paying the full trip price. Only the person who booked may cancel, transfer or accept changes, for everyone named.

A contract exists between us only when we have received your deposit in cleared funds and sent you a booking confirmation. These booking conditions and your booking confirmation are the whole agreement between us. Enquiring is free and commits you to nothing.

In these booking conditions:

• “Trip price” means the total price on your latest booking confirmation, including any changes.
• “Arrival date” means the date of the first night or first service on your booking confirmation.
• “Supplier charges” means what a supplier charges us to cancel or change a booking, and any higher rate for new dates.
• “In writing” includes email.

If you book through a travel agent, these booking conditions still apply, and payments count only when we receive them.

2. Prices and inclusions

Your proposal is a route and a single price in New Zealand dollars. It is subject to availability, and its price can change until we confirm your booking. Nothing is reserved until you accept it.

When you accept, we ask the lodges and the rental car company to hold your dates. If a lodge is full, we offer another of the same standard and adjust the price.

Your booking includes only what your booking confirmation lists. Domestic flights and ferries are included only when it lists them, and the carrier’s own terms apply. Routes, lodges and activities on our website are examples.

Each supplier’s own rules, such as check-in times and house rules, also apply to its part of your trip.

If a booking is made at a price that is clearly an error, we will tell you. You can then pay the correct price or cancel for a full refund.

Once confirmed, your price only changes if a government tax or levy on your trip changes, up or down. If it goes up, you may cancel for a full refund within 14 days of our notice.

3. Payments

Currency. Your trip price is in New Zealand dollars. Prices in other currencies on our website are a guide only.

Each invoice shows the amount in your currency at that day’s exchange rate, and the bank account to pay it into. We convert what we receive at the exchange rate on the day it arrives. If that is less than the New Zealand dollar amount invoiced, the difference is still owed. If it is more, we credit the difference to your balance. Card payments carry a surcharge of 3%, which is only refunded if we cancel. Bank transfers carry no surcharge. Fees your bank or card provider charges are yours.

Deposit. A deposit of 20% of the trip price is due to confirm your booking. It covers our planning and the deposits we pay suppliers. We keep it if you cancel, unless these booking conditions give you a full refund or a force majeure refund.

Balance. The balance is due 70 days before your arrival date, or earlier if a supplier needs it. The date is on your booking confirmation. If you book 70 days or fewer before your arrival date, full payment is due when you book.

If the balance is late, we remind you in writing. If it is still unpaid 7 days after our reminder, we may cancel your booking by telling you in writing. Cancellation charges then apply as at the date we cancel.

Refunds. Refunds are worked out in New Zealand dollars. We pay them to the card or account you paid from, in the currency you paid in, at the exchange rate on the day we pay. A “full refund” means the New Zealand dollar amount you have paid.

When we owe a full refund, we pay it within 14 days. Other refunds are paid within 14 days of the cancellation taking effect, or of a supplier refunding us, if later.

Card disputes. Contact us before disputing a payment with your card provider. If a payment is reversed without good reason, we remind you in writing and the late balance rules apply. If you dispute a payment without contacting us first and the dispute fails, you pay our bank’s dispute fee.

4. Amendments

After confirmation, changes must be requested in writing. We cannot guarantee every change is possible. Each amendment request costs NZ$250 per person on the booking, however many changes it contains, plus any supplier charges.

Removing nights or people counts as cancelling that part of the booking, and cancellation charges apply to it. If a supplier treats a date change as a cancellation, its charges apply.

You may transfer your booking to someone else if suppliers allow it, by asking in writing at least 7 days before your arrival date. The amendment fee applies, and the person who booked and the new traveller are jointly liable for everything owed.

5. Travel documents

Check your booking confirmation and tell us within 7 days of us sending it if anything is wrong. If you tell us later, you pay any charges for correcting errors in details you gave us. Names must match passports.

You are solely responsible for having a valid passport, visas and anything else needed to enter New Zealand. Australian citizens need no NZeTA. Most other visitors need an NZeTA and pay the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy with it. See Immigration New Zealand’s NZeTA page. Any information we give on entry requirements is given in good faith.

6. Cancellations

Cancellations by you. The person who booked must cancel in writing. Cancellation takes effect on the date we receive it, in New Zealand time. Charges are a share of the trip price, based on days before your arrival date.

Days before your arrival date	Cancellation charge
70 or more	Loss of deposit, plus any supplier charges above the deposit
21 to 69	55% of the trip price, plus any supplier charges
15 to 20	70% of the trip price, plus any supplier charges
14 or fewer	100% of the trip price

Charges never exceed the trip price, and we will show you how yours was worked out if you ask. If a supplier refunds us or re-lets your booking, we reduce your cancellation charge by that amount. No-shows and unused parts of the trip are not refunded.

Changes by us. A minor change keeps the same nights, places and lodge standard, such as a different lodge of the same standard or better. We will tell you, and a minor change does not give you the right to cancel.

A major change is a different stop, fewer nights or a lower standard of lodge. For a major change not caused by force majeure, you may accept it or cancel for a full refund. If you do not reply within 14 days of our notice, or before your arrival date if sooner, you accept the change.

Cancellations by us. If we cancel for a reason other than force majeure, you get a full refund.

Supplier failure. If a supplier fails for a reason other than force majeure, we will try to arrange an alternative. It will be of the same standard or better, at no extra charge. If we cannot, we refund the price of that part.

Force majeure. Force majeure means unusual events that neither we nor our suppliers could avoid with all due care. Examples are extreme weather, earthquakes, fire, road closures, strikes, war, terrorism, pandemics and government orders. It applies only when an event stops us or our suppliers providing your trip in New Zealand.

If force majeure stops your trip, we offer new dates first. If you do not accept new dates, we refund what you have paid, less supplier charges we cannot recover. We try hard to recover supplier payments, and we show you each charge we could not recover.

If something stops only you from travelling here, normal cancellation charges apply. Examples are illness, a missed flight, a strike or travel ban in another country, or being refused entry or boarding.

We are not responsible for costs you incur because of a cancellation, such as flights, insurance excesses or other bookings you made yourself.

7. Your trip

We arrange your trip with reasonable care and skill. Activities you book yourself are between you and the operator.

Give us accurate details for everyone travelling, and tell us before you book about any health condition, disability or access need. We pass on dietary and other requests, but cannot guarantee them.

Tell us the ages of any children when you book. The person who books confirms they are the parent or guardian of any child under 18, or has the guardian’s written permission. Car seats are arranged through the rental company.

The person who booked is responsible for any damage caused by the travellers and any extras not in your price, whether the supplier bills you or us. A supplier may refuse service to anyone who puts themselves or others at risk, and no refund is due.

8. Rental car

You hire the car under the rental company’s agreement, which you sign when you collect it. Your price includes the insurance on your booking confirmation. Anything else is between you and the rental company.

Drivers must meet the rental company’s minimum age, usually 21, follow New Zealand road rules, and never drive after drinking alcohol or taking drugs. Drivers must carry their licence. A licence not in English needs an accurate English translation or an international driving permit, carried with it.

Tolls, parking and fines are yours, plus the rental company’s admin fee. Some rental companies swap cars at each ferry terminal, and we will tell you if yours does.

9. Not included

• Flights to and from New Zealand
• Activities, which we suggest and you book
• Meals not on your booking confirmation
• Fuel, parking, tolls and fines
• Travel insurance
• The NZeTA and the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy
• Anything you buy on the trip

10. Travel insurance

Travel insurance is a condition of booking, from the day you pay your deposit. It must cover cancellation, medical costs and getting home. You are responsible for making sure it is adequate. Not having travel insurance does not change any charge in these booking conditions.

ACC covers accident injuries in New Zealand, but not illness, disrupted plans or getting home (ACC).

11. Complaints

If something is wrong during your trip, tell us and the supplier straight away, as most problems can be fixed on the spot. If it is not resolved, send us the details in writing within 14 days of the last date on your booking confirmation. We aim to reply within 48 hours.

If we cannot resolve it, you can claim at New Zealand’s Disputes Tribunal.

12. Liability

These booking conditions do not limit your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, the Fair Trading Act 1986, or any law that cannot be excluded.

Where the law allows, our liability is limited to the trip price, and we are not liable for loss we could not reasonably foresee when you booked.

13. Privacy

We share your details with the suppliers on your trip. See our privacy page.

14. Our website

Places, prices and opening times can change. We are not responsible for websites we link to. Words, photographs and maps on our website belong to us or the people on our credits page, and must not be copied without permission.

15. General

We may update these booking conditions. Your booking stays under the version you accepted.

If a court or tribunal finds any part of these booking conditions invalid or unenforceable, the rest still applies.

New Zealand law governs these booking conditions, and New Zealand courts and the Disputes Tribunal decide disputes, as far as the law allows.