Membership
The Terms of Membership shall be in effect during the Member's membership year. Terms are
subject to change upon annual renewal.
Members may, for any reason, up to 7 days after initial enrollment, request in writing
and receive a full refund of membership dues paid.
Although Topic Tour Society endeavors to provide a wide variety of tours and topics to its
members, payment of the annual Membership fee or other fee does not guarantee that Topic
Tour Society will have or make any particular tour available during the membership year, or
that times and places of departure or destination will be to the satisfaction of the Member.
To help ensure Member satisfaction, Members are encouraged to provide feedback and suggestions
regarding such matters in order to assist Topic Tour Society in organizing desired tours.
Reservations
If you are a
current Premier, Premier Plus, or
Lifetime member of Topic Tour Society,
you may reserve tours and other events
through our website. We will maintain
your confirmed reservation up to 7 days,
pending receipt of your initial payment.
If we do not receive your payment within
7 days, your
reservation will change from confirmed status to waitlisted status.
If space is not available at the time of your reservation request, we will, if you wish, place
your request on a waitlist, and notify you as soon as space becomes available. You must accept
confirmation within 24 hours in order to maintain your reservation.
Payments
You may safely and
securely pay online by bankcard (such as
Visa or MasterCard) in U. S. dollars.
Dates and amounts due will be stated on
your Confirmation Invoice. For most
tours and events, your initial payment
(a required minimum deposit) is due
within 7 days of confirmation, and full payment is due 60 days prior to tour departure
or event date. Additional interim payments may be required for certain tours.
Payment of your Confirmation Invoice constitutes your acceptance of the terms and conditions
stated herein.
Cancellations & Refunds
If you cancel for any reason within
60 days of tour departure or event date,
or "no show" at the beginning of a tour or event, or cancel after it has begun, we will not refund
your payment. We do not make partial refunds for services you do not use during a tour or event.
If you cancel your reservation more than 60 days before tour departure or event date, we will refund your
payment in full, less $100 per person, unless stated otherwise on your Confirmation Invoice.
In order to cancel, mail or email your notification to our Reservations Director.
Claims & Adjustments
To consider any refund for services not provided as intended, we must
receive your written request, emailed or postmarked within 30 days of tour completion.
Changes & Cancellations by Topic Tour Society
We reserve the right to alter or cancel any tour or event, or any
part thereof, before or during its performance.
If we must cancel due to causes beyond our control (force majeure), we will refund as much
of your payment as we can. Topic Tour Society is not responsible for delays, cancellations
or losses of any kind caused or contributed to by matters over which we have no control,
including without limitation, strikes; thefts; medical problems encountered before, during
or after the trip; failure of any means of conveyance to arrive or depart as scheduled;
civil disturbances; acts of terrorism; government restrictions or regulations; discrepancies
or changes in transit, hotel or other services.
Departure is guaranteed for tours scheduled to begin in the next
60 days, except in cases of
force majeure. If we ever cancel due to insufficient bookings, we will only do so
60 or more
days before tour departure or event date, and immediately refund 100% of your payment. If you
prefer, we will instead credit another tour or event of your choice in the amount of 110% of
your payment.
Topic Tour Society reserves the right to refuse to accept or retain any person as a tour member.
Any cost resulting from this refusal will be the responsibility of the customer. Such action
may be taken if the customer disrupts a tour or refuses to comply with the lawful actions and
requirements of the tour conductor. Each tour conductor has the right, but not the legal
responsibility, to control the behavior of a customer for the safety, well-being and enjoyment
of the group, and the customer hereby agrees to follow the directions of the tour operator that
are legal and do not endanger the customer or the group.
Travel Insurance
Topic Tour Society has no responsibility for financial losses you incur
due to circumstances beyond our control. We strongly recommend that you purchase insurance to
protect from the potential losses listed below.
Topic Tour Society works with CSA Travel Protection to offer you peace of mind. The cost for
this optional protection, should you order it, will appear on your Confirmation Invoice, so
you have the convenience of paying for it along with your tour. Your benefits include trip
cancellation, trip interruption, travel delay, loss of or damage to baggage and personal effects,
baggage delay, medical and dental expense, medical emergency assistance and transportation, air
flight accident, and 24 hour travel emergency assistance. For a detailed description of coverage,
see our Travel Insurance Coverage page.
Transportation Between Your Home and the Tour Departure City
Your tour price does not include air transportation to and from the city where your tour begins
and ends. It also does not include transportation between the airport and the hotel. You are
responsible for arranging your own transportation to the tour hotel in the departure city, and
for return transportation to your home. Topic Tour Society assumes no responsibility for such
transportation, nor for any air carrier penalties relating to trip cancellation for any reason.
Photographs
We reserve the right to take photographs that include tour members, and to
use the photographs for promotional purposes. Payment of your Confirmation Invoice constitutes
your permission to use these photographs. If you prefer that your image not be used, please notify
your tour conductor at the beginning of the tour.
Limits on Responsibility
Topic Tour Society, Inc. (and its owners, employees, and agents) purchases
tour-related services from various independent suppliers. All such entities are independent contractors.
Therefore, Topic Tour Society assumes no responsibility or liability for injury, loss or damage to
person or property resulting from neglect, fault, or willful act of any independent supplier or third party.
Topic Tour Society is not responsible for injury, death or other damage arising from the tour or activities
related to the tour. Customer assumes all risks with regard to tour activities, and agrees to hold Topic Tour
Society harmless from and against all claims, and agrees that Topic Tour Society will not be held responsible
for accidental injury, death, or other damage to anyone arising out of activities related to the tour.
Upon requesting a tour reservation, you will be asked to indicate your agreement with the following statement:
I have read all the literature describing the tour or event, and understand it. I have
read the foregoing terms and conditions and would like to reserve my space for the tour or event. I agree that
upon making my initial payment to TTS, I will be bound to the conditions and terms recited above. I am aware
that risk is inherent in travel. I understand Topic Tour Society will make reasonable efforts to minimize the
risks inherent, but cannot guarantee against circumstances over which we have little or no control. I agree
that Topic Tour Society is not responsible for accidental injury, death, or other damage to anyone arising out
of activities related to this trip.
In the event of illness or accident, I understand that Topic Tour Society will make every effort to reach the
person listed under “emergency contact,” but I give my permission for emergency medical treatment as required
if such notification is impossible or impractical under the circumstances.
I understand that my cancellation at any time will incur a fee, and that trip cancellation insurance is strongly
advised. If I should not be able to complete the tour or event for any reason, or cancel within
60 days of tour
departure or event date, I am not entitled to any refund. I agree that any disputes will be settled in the county
of Travis, Texas, where Topic Tour Society headquarters are located.
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