Updated 20 August 2022
Terms and conditions
Please read these Terms and Conditions of the International Programmes carefully when using this website. Your access to and use of the Service is conditioned on your acceptance of and compliance with these Terms. These Terms apply to all visitors, users and others who access or use the Service.
The Client – Student or faculty member attending a study tour.
WBS – Wits Business School.
Sandown Travel – Travel agents.
Payments
Payments for the following tours must be made directly to WBS in accordance with the amount and deadlines as stipulated by the invoice received upon booking:
- Global Study Tours
- University of La Verne specialised programmes
- London Merit tour specialised programmes
Payments for International Summer University must be made directly to the partner school.
Bookings
A client can only have one open invoice with WBS International Progammes. If a Client books more than one tour, any subsequent bookings will be cancelled and the invoices voided.
Global Study Tours are booked on a first come, first served basis. Bookings are managed through the International Programmes website (https://wbsstudytours.co.za/). WBS retain the right to make the final call on which client is allocated to which tour.
Deferrals
You will need to officially apply for a deferral through the WBS International Relations Department. Deferrals are taken into account with valid evidence such as a doctor’s certificate. However, work commitments are not grounds for a deferral. The cancellation will likely delay your graduation as trips usually take place only twice a year.
Wits Fee Account
Booking Forms
Once WBS receives payment for a tour, the client will be issued a booking form.
It is the clients responsibility to ensure all the details provided are factual and correct. The booking form must be completed before the cutoff date. If the booking form is not completed by the stipulated date, the client may be held liable to an administrative fee.
Pro Forma Invoices
Pro forma invoices are supplied to motivate for funding. Generating a pro forma invoice does not constitute a tour booking.
A Client’s position on a tour will only be secured once the client has an official invoice for the tour.
The Pro Forma Invoice is valid for 30 days from issue.
Proof of payment
Forging or tampering with a Purchase Order, Proof of Payment, or a Fee Account Statement will be considered as misconduct. Clients who participate in such behaviour will be reported to the relevant authorities and these cases will be handled as fraud.
Pricing
WBS reserves the right to change pricing based on market conditions and currency fluctuations. No breakdown of trip costs will be provided as these are package tours.
Insurance Cover
WBS will take out insurance cover for each individual traveller for the duration of the Study Tour. For more information on benefits, inclusions and exclusions please request these directly from WBS – Mrs Karen Trent, International Accreditations and International Programmes Coordinator.
Programme Cancellations
WBS reserves the right to cancel an MBA field trip if there there is insufficient interest to make a particular trip viable.
Clients who booked and paid for a cancelled tour will be given a choice of available options. WBS may need to allocate clients to specific tours to ensure graduation requirements are met.
Special Requests
Clients who have special requests must specify such requests to Sandown Travel when completing the Booking Form e.g. client assistance units, special meals requests, seat requests etc. Whilst Sandown Travel will use its best endeavours to accommodate such requests, there is no guarantee that they will be successful as the final confirmation of the special requests will depend on the policies of the Suppliers.
Refused Entry / Refused Boarding / Refused Visa
WBS and Sandown Travel cannot be held responsible if any Client is refused entry into any country or refused boarding of any aircraft, or refused a visa following an application, for whatever reason including but not limited to incorrect visa/passport documents, security reasons etc. Any expenses incurred or consequence with regard to refused entry/refused boarding, refused visa will be borne solely by the Client.
Passenger (Client) No-Show
Please be advised that in case of “no-show” i.e. failure to travel without cancelling your flight booking well in advance of time/date of travel, the ticket becomes non-refundable and no changes are permitted.
Cancellation of Tour by Client
Each cancellation will be taken on a case by case basis and individual suppliers terms and conditions will be applied.
Itinerary Variations & Transfers
Whilst every effort is made to keep to the final itinerary, Principals and/or WBS and/or Sandown Travel reserve the right to make changes, e.g. in some cases, weather conditions can necessitate an alteration in the itinerary and this does not constitute any reason for a refund.
Specialised Programmes
Specialised Programmes (International Summer University – Vienna, University of La Verne – California, London Merit Programme, or International Exchange Programmes) bookings are reserved for students who have successfully completed the application process.
Students who book a merit tour (Vienna, ULV or International Exchange Programme) without an official acceptance letter will have their merit tour booking cancelled and their invoice voided, they will be removed from the tour, and they may be liable for an administration fee and a cancellation fee.
Passports and Visas
Clients are required to have a valid Passport, or be in the process of renewing their passport, before they can book a tour.
Passport and Visa information must be provided to WBS and the travel agents, within the stipulated time-frames.
Break-aways
A limited number of break-aways are available on the return trip. Break-aways allow students to arrange their own return tickets and itinerary if they wish to extend their MBA field trip.
The number of break-aways available to each group depends on the size of the group. Break-aways are considered on a first come, first served basis.
You can request a quote for your break-away when you complete your booking form. The cost of your break-away is payable directly to the confirmed travel agency.
Lost or mislaid baggage
Clients should ensure that all baggage is securely locked or wrapped, labelled with name, address and contact details and that no valuables are contained in their check-in luggage.
In the case of baggage delay or loss of baggage, the claim should be made directly with the airline at the airport immediately upon arrival on discovering that baggage is missing or that the baggage has been tampered with.
The claim number should be used each time an enquiry is made by the Client with the airline with regards the delayed, missing or tampered baggage and with regards to any potential monetary claims that could arise.
If the loss or damage is discovered after the Client has left the airport, the airline should be contacted as soon as possible and the claim made directly with the airline official, although the airline may not entertain the claim.
If Sandown Travel is asked to assist with the follow up with the claim, Sandown Travel shall do so without prejudice, and a professional fee will be charged which will be advised at the time of initiating the assistance.
Air ticket refunds
Refund of air ticket due to Refused Entry / Refused Boarding / Cancellation of air booking due to Security Reasons / Refused Visa
Whilst WBS and Sandown Travel will assist the client to obtain any refund on unused ticket/s and travel arrangements which may be due to the client, the refund amount (if any) will be subject to the terms and conditions of the airline concerned or to the terms and conditions of the supplier concerned, and to a professional fee which will be charged by Sandown Travel. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that the application for a refund will be successful even in the case of refused entry into a country, refused boarding on an aircraft, cancellation of an air booking resulting in refused entry into a country due to security reasons or a refused visa.
Frequent Flyer Miles
Whilst every effort will be made by Sandown Travel to ensure that the relevant frequent flyer membership numbers appear in the flight booking reservation, the responsibility to ensure that miles are updated or credited to the frequent flyer membership/loyalty program lies with the client.
The membership number/card should be displayed and checked by the Client at check-in, and all boarding passes should be retained as proof of travel. Airlines cannot update or credit missing miles on the loyalty programs unless the original boarding passes are provided by the client. A professional fee is charged by the Company if the Company is requested by its Clients to submit boarding passes to the airline/s in order to update or credit the frequent flyer membership.
Force Majeure
Sandown Travel and WBS shall have the right to cancel any contract should its fulfillment be rendered impossible, impeded or frustrated by strike, lock-out, civil commotion, war, act of God, force majeure, lack of materials, operation of law or regulations or order made by any statutory or other duly constituted authorities or any other cause beyond the control of the Company. Force Majeure includes renovations that may be carried out at your hotel or other place of accommodation.
Sandown Travel and WBS will have no obligation towards the Client and any claims for restitution will be subject to the Company’s prevailing policy and that of its Suppliers.
Airline delays / Airline cancelled flights
WBS and Sandown Travel are not responsible for delays in departure or landing and/or cancelled flights caused by airlines either in South Africa or elsewhere, whether due to adverse weather conditions or due to technical reasons or other reasons. If these delays should occur, it will be the airline’s responsibility to deal with it in terms of applicable consumer laws, and its terms and conditions, and it will be the airline’s responsibility to re-route/re-book the Client/s on alternative flights (if possible), and/or to provide the Client/s with compensation, and/or accommodation etc., if these fall within the Client/s’ rights as per the airlines’ terms and conditions, and/or cost of air ticket/s purchased by the Client/s. The new flight arrangements should be made by the Client/s directly with the airline/s, and any claims arising from inconvenience caused by the airline/s to the Client/s due to the delay of and/or cancelled flight/s etc. should be made by the Client/s directly with the airline/s. If the Client/s require/s the Company to act on his/her behalf in is/her claim, then this will be undertaken by Sandown Travel without prejudice and a fee will be charged and this will be determined and advised to the Client/s at the time of initiating representation.
Third Party Service Providers
Sandown Travel provides Clients with travel and/or other services itself or acting as agents for the Suppliers. Sandown Travel represents the Suppliers as agents only and accordingly accepts no liability for any loss, damage, injury, illness, harm or death which any Client may suffer as a result of any act or omission on the part of or the failure of the Supplier to fulfill their obligations, whether in relation to travel arrangements, accommodation or otherwise. The contract in use by the Supplier (which is often constituted by the ticket issued by the Supplier), shall constitute the sole contract between the Supplier and the Client and any right of recourse the Client may have, will be solely against the Supplier. Sandown Travel is able to provide the identity and the Suppliers’ T&C (or access thereto) of all the Suppliers relevant to the service being provided for the Client’s booking. It is the Client’s responsibility to familiarize himself/herself the Suppliers’ T & C.
With regards to hotel bookings please be aware that hotels and other accommodation properties may undergo renovations from time to time. Hotels generally take all possible steps to limit disruption and inconvenience to their guests when renovations are taking place. Sandown Travel and WBS will not accept complaints or requests for refunds if a hotel is carrying out renovations whilst a guest is resident. If Sandown Travel and/or WBS are specifically advised of renovation work in advance by the hotel, this information will be passed on to the Client but it is important to understand that this is subject to change and that Sandown Travel and WBS may not always be notified.
Similarly Sandown Travel and WBS cannot take responsibility in case of car rental vehicle break-down, dirty car rental vehicles, incorrect reading of kilometers traveled etc. The Client must ensure that he/she reads the car rental T&C carefully.
Advice
The advice provided to the Client will be to the best of WBS’ and Sandown Travel’s abilities and knowledge and will be based on current information available, which may change without notice to both WBS and Sandown Travel, and on that provided by the client. WBS and Sandown Travel cannot be held liable for personal and specific requests made by the Client.
Missed flights
WBS and Sandown Travel are not responsible if a Client misses a flight/s and/or connection/s due to late check-in, non-timeous boarding of flight, misinterpretations of flight announcement client or lack of announcement by the airline etc. in South Africa or elsewhere.
It is the full responsibility of the Client to ensure that he/she checks in for the flight/connecting flight on time and that he/she reports to the boarding gate on time and as per instructions on the boarding pass. In case of missed flight due to inter alia late check-in or late reporting at the boarding gate, Sandown Travel will endeavour to assist the Client with further flight arrangements, however a charge will be raised for this assistance, and this will be advised to the Client at the time and will be dependent on the amount of time it will take the travel consultant to render the assistance.
After hours fees will apply. The charges will apply whether the consultant is successful in assisting the Client or not with a suitable alternative to the missed flight/connection. Please NOTE that in most airport lounges no boarding announcements are made and may be limited to an electronic display.
Unscheduled Extensions
In the unlikely event of there being unscheduled extensions to the final itinerary caused by flight re-scheduling, flight delays, bad weather, strikes, force majeure or any other cause which is beyond the control of WBS and Sandown Travel, its agents or the Principal, it is understood that expenses relating to these unscheduled extensions (hotel accommodation, changes in flight arrangements etc) will be for the Client’s account.
Pre-Assigned Seats
Pre-assigned seats cannot be guaranteed due to inter-alia aircraft configuration changes, schedule changes etc., and are always subject to the airline’s discretion. In some cases seats can only be pre-booked online and each airline has its own rules regarding the time limit placed on pre-booking of pre-assigned seats. In other cases the pre-assigned seats can only be held once reconfirmation of the booking takes place online, and in specific time frames determined by the airline. And furthermore, in the case of Group Travel, the choice of seat is not always available and is restricted to the seating provided by the airlines.
In some cases, pre-seating carries a fee that is payable directly to the airline on-line or through Sandown Travel.
Ineligibility
If a student books a tour that they do not qualify for, that booking will be cancelled and their invoice will be voided, they will be removed from the tour, and they may be liable for an administration fee and a cancellation fee. If you cancel your tour, you will be held liable for a cancellation fee.
Responsibility, Limitation of Liability, and Indemnity
The proposed travel arrangements are made on the express condition that WBS and Sandown Travel, its employees and agents, shall not be responsible for, and shall be exempt from all liability in respect of loss (financial or otherwise), damage, accident, death, injury, illness, harm, trauma, delay, cancellation or inconvenience to or additional expense incurred by any Client (which shall be deemed to include heirs, executors, administrators or assigns of the Client whether on the tour or journey or not), or loss of or damage to or of their luggage, or other property, howsoever, caused whether or not arising from any act, omission, default, on the part of Sandown Travel
By agreeing to these terms and conditions, the Client indemnifies and holds harmless Sandown Travel and WBS, its employees and agents accordingly. WBS and Sandown Travel, its employees and agents shall furthermore not be liable for any indirect and/or consequential loss or damages whatsoever and howsoever arising and whether or not due to the negligence of WBS and Sandown Travel.
Conduct
The Client agrees that he/she will at all times comply with the requirements and instructions of WBS and Sandown Travel or person in charge in regard to his/her conduct and that he/she will not in any way constitute a hindrance to any other client or person on the tour, mode of conveyance, at any place of accommodation, entertainment of where meals and/or drinks are served. The Client indemnifies and holds harmless WBS and Sandown Travel against damages suffered and/or costs incurred by WBS or Sandown Travel and/or any third party as a result of a breach of this clause.
Updates to Terms and Conditions
WBS reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms and Conditions at any time. If a revision is a material change, WBS will try to provide at least 10 days’ notice prior to any new terms taking effect. What constitutes a material change will be determined at our sole discretion.