Consumer Protection

Arblaster & Clarke Wine Tours are fully bonded and licensed. This covers ALL bookings made with us and ALL holiday and travel payments made to us, regardless of where they were made or who by. Thus Non UK clients and commercial bookings are covered as well as bookings by UK citizens.

This level of bonding is of course very expensive, and goes well beyond the legal minimum, but we consider it money well spent and I'm sure you do too.

There are huge advantages to the consumer in buying their holiday from a single bonded and licensed supplier in a "package". If you buy a flight from a "No Frills airline" and a hotel room and car hire or other services on a web click through, you will be stuck with the hotel and other bills if the airline goes bust or closes the route. - This is not theoretical, it happened to a lot of people in Spring 2003 and again in early Summer 2005. - Those who bought the same services from a Tour Operator got their money back or their holiday, as the Tour Operator had contracted to give them.

Many people are surprised to hear that any travel is unbonded, but with the rise of "No Frills" Airlines, unprotected travel is actually increasing and you may very well have bought a holiday in the past couple of years in the mistaken belief that you were protected.

I have listed below a few examples: -

  • Scheduled Air tickets bought direct from Airlines are NOT protected.
  • Payments made to Hotels and other services bought on line on a "click through" from the main Airline site are NOT protected.
  • Almost all direct bookings with foreign hotels, car hire companies, incoming travel agents etc are NOT protected.
  • Most 'Dynamic packaging' of holidays by ABTA Travel Agents, ie a hotel booking and a separately invoiced flight are NOT protected.
  • Most Travel bonding does NOT cover business travel, and it does NOT cover bookings made outside the country.
  • Many small travel operators, including some that you may find advertised in WINE or Decanter Magazines, are NOT bonded. (Some offer inferior forms of payment protection, but many are trading illegally). Sometimes Restaurants, Wine Shops or Educators offer tours. This are very rarely bonded nor are they or

In order to get bonding, become a member of AITO, (or ABTA or FTO) or be granted an ATOL license, a company must be solvent and pass a number of stringent tests including liquidity and asset ratios. Many of those who offer unbonded travel could not pass these tests, nor could they afford the bonding if they could. They are quite often in businesses which traditionally have poor "cash flow" (such as restaurants) and this is why they are attracted by tour operating. So your money is doubly at risk when you book with such people. It is precisely because Travel companies hold your cash before they supply the service that bonding was conceived in the first place and why it is so important.

All British companies offering holidays that include flights are required to have an ATOL. Some don't bother or can't get one; use these companies at your peril. Not all UK Tour Operators and most European holiday suppliers are properly bonded and licensed, even though this is a legal requirement throughout the E.U. The Civil Aviation Authority issues Air Travel Organiser's Licenses (ATOL). On the CAA site you can learn more about the CAA, ATOLs and even check a company's ATOL license to see how many people it is licensed to carry!

For the moment Airlines and on-line bucket shops selling flights with a click through to other suppliers, are not required to be bonded. You should be aware that they fall outside the "package travel" laws and regulations, which is very much to your disadvantage. Furthermore, although the 'elements' may depend on each other absolutely, they are in fact individual contracts, not in any way related to each other, as I am sure they will tell you when one vital element fails, does not connect with another, is substandard or is withdrawn.

ALWAYS book with a fully bonded Tour Operator.

ATOL

The air holidays and flights in this brochure are ATOL Protected, since we hold an Air Travel Organiser’s License granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is 2543. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking. For further information, visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk

For non-flight bookings you are protected by our AITO Trust license no 1005.

THE AITO QUALITY CHARTER

AITO is an association of companies independent from the large vertically integrated firms specialising in particular areas or types of holiday and sharing a common dedication to high standards of quality and personal service. AITO defines “quality” as “providing a level of satisfaction which, based upon the holiday information provided by the tour operator, aims to meet or exceed a customer's reasonable expectations, regardless of the type of holiday or the price paid”.

This is how we aim to achieve it:

ACCURATE BROCHURES: AITO members ensure that their brochures clearly and accurately describe the holidays and services offered.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE: AlTO members are committed to high standards of personal service maintained by the thorough training of employees.

FINANCIAL SECURITY: AITO takes care that all members comply with the current Government Regulations regarding the protection of clients' money.

PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT: AITO members listen to their customers and welcome suggestions for improving standards. All customers receive a post-holiday questionnaire.

EXCLUSIVE MEMBERSHIP: AlTO has strict membership criteria which must be satisfied before new companies are allowed to join. All members must adhere to a rigorous Code of Business Practice which governs their operational conduct.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: AlTO is committed to raising the level of environmental awareness within the travel industry.

IN EXTREME SITUATIONS: If you have a dispute with Arblaster & Clarke Wine Tours, which you are unable to resolve, you may refer the matter to a court of law or call upon the low cost AITO Independent Dispute Settlement Service.

THE ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT TOUR OPERATORS

THE QUALITY ALTERNATIVE

For further information call AITO on 0208 7449280 or visit the website www.aito.co.uk