These Terms are made only in the English language. If you do not understand any of the contents of these Terms you must obtain independent legal advice.
Due to the current global pandemic, we are offering three options for your ISCA Scotland 2020 programme. Continue, defer or cancel. The terms affecting each of these choices are listed below. These terms do not replace the original contract terms and conditions for ISCA Scotland, as written and agreed in the original terms and conditions signed upon making the $500 initial deposit and $1,250 second payment. They are available here. Rather, these terms supplement the previous contract and set out the three options available to each family. Once you have completed this form, your decision will be fixed. It is not possible to change from ‘defer‘ or ‘continue‘ to ‘cancel‘ after this form is submitted (save clause 2.3).
1. Continue as Planned
1.1 Pay final payment by 30 September 2020. As per the original terms (15.4) the final balance payment is due on or before 30 September 2020.
1.2 ISCA Responsibility. In light of the current climate ISCA has undertaken the following checks to ensure the programme can proceed in accordance with the UK government’s ‘COVID-19 secure’ guidelines:
(a) working with Apex Hotel group to ensure COVID-19 guidelines are upheld to the highest standard in our accommodation.
(b) working with Edinburgh Coach Lines, our preferred coach company, to ensure that trips can take place during the programme.
(c) purchasing face-masks and hand sanitiser, to ensure each student is equipped to comply with UK social distancing regulations.
(d) conduct twice daily temperature checks on all students and adults – arranging suitable and safe quarantine whilst a test is arranged.
(e) ensuring all staff undergo ‘COVID-19 secure’ training in accordance with UK government advice.
1.3 Financial Risk. It is important to clearly state the financial risk to participants if the trip is forced to cancel nearer the departure date:
(a) should the flight be cancelled we will be able to secure a full refund of the airline ticket to the families. However, if the flight takes off (regardless of country-specific travel advice) the airlines are not obliged to offer a refund.
(b) the hotel fee is non-refundable unless the hotel is forced to close due to UK government COVID-19 advice. If the airline cancels the flight, but the hotel is still open, then the hotel is not obliged to offer a refund on the accommodation and food costs.
(c) the attraction tickets are refundable if they are forced to close due to COVID-19. However, if the attractions are open on the day of our booking they are not obliged to refund us – regardless of the status of our accommodation / flights.
(d) ISCA’s admin costs are non-refundable and have been taken from 30% of the initial $500 deposit.
(e) Should quarantine measures be in place for arrivals from your country of origin, the airlines, hotels and attractions are not obliged to offer refunds. This is despite a mandatory 14-day quarantine making a 10-day trip impossible.
1.4 Changes to the Itinerary. ISCA reserve the right to adapt the itinerary in order to comply with COVID-19 guidelines and regulations.
1.5 All other terms remain unchanged. The terms relating to this booking will remain the same as set out in full in the original terms and conditions, available here.
2. Defer to 2021
All participants are able to defer their trip for 12 months. The new trip dates will be 26 December 2021 – 3 January 2022.
2.1 Costs for deferral. There will be no initial cost for taking this option. However, the airlines reserve the right to charge a 15% surcharge if we change flight status without being forced to do so. In practice this means that, should the originally scheduled flight for 26 December 2020 take-off as planned, each ticket could be increased by a maximum of $285 per person. This is the maximum increase that could be levied. However, should the flights be forced to cancel or the airlines amend their policies to allow changes to flights without cost, then this cost will be reduced or even removed. However, each family should assume a $285 increase in the cost of the programme (worst-case scenario) if they take this option.
2.2 Payment Schedules. The final balancing payment will be due on or before 30 September 2021. This balancing payment may be increased by $285 as indicated in clause 2.1.
2.3 Right to cancel. The $1,250 second payment will be protected should this deferred trip (26 December 2021) be forced to cancel due to COVID-19. In essence this means that, should we be in the same position this time next year, the refund options available to you now will remain the same. Please note, there is no right to refund of the $1,250 second payment if the deferred trip goes ahead and the decision to cancel is made out of personal choice.
2.4 Virtual Sessions. Upon deferring our ISCA Summer 2020 Programme, six online sessions were arranged for the students. ISCA plan to offer similar online sessions for ISCA Scotland students. These sessions would cover: the sights that we will visit, an introduction to Scottish history and culture, talks by former ISCA Scotland students and various events for the whole family (such as Scottish baking classes, an introduction to Scottish sports, quiz nights etc). These sessions would be voluntary but we would hope the majority of students will attend some of the sessions, helping to ensure continuity of the ISCA group and allowing the students to get the most from their deferred ISCA Scotland Programme. These optional classes would run between November 2020 and February 2021, using Zoom.
2.5 Age Range. ISCA Scotland is only available to students who participated in ISCA 2018 or ISCA 2019. Therefore, the age range will just increase by one year – from 13 to 16 to 14 to 17. Our age-policies and safeguarding considerations will be amended to take account of the increased age of students.
3. Cancel
3.1 Refunds. If you choose to cancel your $1,250 second payment will be refunded to the card you used to make the payment. This process can take up to 14 working days. We will action all cancellation requests on Monday 7 September.
3.2 Amount refunded. As advised in our letter of 25 March 2020 the second payment, despite being contractually referred to as a ‘non-refundable second payment’ will be refunded as the trip will have been forced to cancel due to COVID-19. Unfortunately, the $500 initial deposit remains non-refundable from the time of booking (clause 15 of original terms and conditions). This initial deposit was used to cover ISCA’s admin fees for arranging the trip and visiting schools etc (approx $150) and the initial airline deposit (approx $350). Both of these remain non-refundable regardless of outcomes in December 2020.
ISCA Limited 14/08/2020