car rental with driver

I. GENERAL CONDITIONS

1. Stipulation of the Transport Contract
The passenger (or the Agency/Company which requests the service on behalf of the traveler) acquires the transportation service provided by VPE by the online booking system or directly by telephone or by fax or by email. In case of online booking, payment is made in advance by credit card with PayPal at the time of the booking confirmation via web. In case of special corporate agreements with agencies/companies, other terms and timing of payment may be agreed. With the purchase of the transport service is entered into a Transport Contract between the applicant and the carrier VPE.

2. Fiscal documents
The applicant must state from the time of booking whether he wishes to receive the invoice or not; this document will be sent to the customer via email in PDF format to the email address provided at the time of booking. Unlike, an electronic receipt will be issued.

3. Management of overbookings
In case of overbooking or internal operational needs VPE reserves the right - while keeping unchanged the cost specified when booking and without any forewarning of the user - to:
a. manage the transport request using a larger car class
b. involve in the execution of the transfer also local partners (whose vehicles will be of the same level or higher)
In case of last-minute emergencies, local taxi companies might also be involved .

4. Transparency and completeness of information
The passenger has the right to be informed in advance and in a transparent way of what is included or not in the price, of any extra charge for requests made during the transport services (eg. detours and waits unspecified at the time of booking) and has the right to access any information concerning its transport service available to the driver. In the event that the traveler needs extra services or optionals (eg. detours or waits) in addition to those previously booked and prepaid, the payment of the extras will be effected in cash at the time of the transport, unless otherwise agreed.

5. Insurance coverage
Passengers transportation is fully covered by automobile liability that VPE has entered into for its own vehicles with third parties. Once reached his destination, the traveler must immediately check the correspondence and the integrity of his baggage; any liability for damage, loss or theft can’t be accepted in a successive moment. In case of finding of personal items inside vehicles presumably lost by travelers, such items will be handled in compliance with current regulations.

6. Transport of animals on board
VPE has the right not to provide the service of transportation in the event that the traveler has with him pets of any kind and has not given notice at the time of booking. In the above case the traveler is obliged to pay the amount indicated during booking. An exception is made for guide dogs accompanying blind people. It is instead allowed, upon notice at the time of booking, the transport of pets as long as the passenger has with him a suitable cage / container.

7. Forbidden behaviors on board
On board the vehicles it is forbidden to:
a) smoke and eat;
b) throw objects from both stationary and moving vehicles;
c) deface, defile or damage the vehicle;
d) demand the carriage of pets without having adopted, in agreement with the charterer, appropriate measures to prevent damage/soiling of the car or dangerous driving conditions;
e) require that the carriage is made in violation of the safety/conduct rules of the current Highway Code.
f) refuse the proper use of safety belts and / or any other indication received by the driver to travel in safety.

II. BOOKING CHANGES and CANCELLATIONS

8. Booking changes
Any changes must absolutely be communicated via email to our Booking Office, which will verify their compatibility with the other transfers booked and will reconfirm them by e-mail. The modification of some elements of the reservation may involve - in certain cases - a change in the price previously budgeted, such as for example:
i. Changes related to the transfer route
ii. Changes related to the day or time of execution of the transfer
iii. Changes related to the number of passengers
iv. Changes related to optional services

9. Cancellations: full reimbursement
Any cancellations must absolutely be communicated via email to our Booking Office. There is no penalty applied to cancellations made at least 48 hours ahead of scheduled pick up time; in this case, then, the amount prepaid by the customer will be refunded in full.

10. Cancellations: partial refund
There is a 50% penalty applied to cancellations made at least 24 hours ahead of scheduled pick up time; in this case, then, the amount prepaid by the customer will be refunded for 50%.

11. Cancellations: no refund
Cancellations received less than 24 hours before of the scheduled pick up time are subject to a penalty of 100% i.e. not eligible for any refund, except as provided at art. 19 (the right to the full repayment of the service in case the carrier refuses to arrange the transportation in presence of dangerous conditions).

12. Terms reserved to affiliated Agencies/Companies
The above terms may differ if the service is requested by an affiliated Agency/Company.

13. Payment of the reimbursements
Refund will be made through the same mean of payment used by the customer for the prepayment. In the event of prepayment by bank transfer, however, the refund will be made net of the costs related to the banking transaction.

III. MEETING POINT, DRIVER’S WAIT and NO-SHOW

14. Meeting point
The meeting point between driver and passenger will be clearly specified at the time of booking. In the event that the meeting place is not available due to force majeure or unforeseeable events, VPE will contact the traveler to agree a different meeting place. If requested, name and mobile-phone number of the driver will be available starting from the late afternoon prior to the service sending an email at  info@veneziaportaest.com

15. Driver's wait
The eventual driver's wait at the moment of pick up is regarded as included in the price for a well specified "period of tolerance" that varies depending on the place of pick-up (see the following art. 16 et seq.). If the waiting of the driver exceeds such period of tolerance, the cost of the service will be increased of € 15.00 per each additional 15 minutes (€ 20.00 for each additional 15 minutes for services with Luxury vehicles) and will be paid directly by the passenger to the driver at the end of the transport service, except different agreements. The above costs may differ if the service is requested by an affiliated Agency/Company.

16. Periods of tolerance
• At the Airports: the driver will wait for the passenger at no extra cost until his flight has landed and, from that moment, for further 60 minutes (period of tolerance)
• At the Train Stations: the driver will wait for the passenger at no extra cost until his train has arrived and, from that moment, for further 15 minutes (period of tolerance)
• In all the other places except Airports and Train Stations (such as Ports, Piers, Hotels, Campsites, Private Homes, etc.): the driver will wait for the passenger at no extra cost for 15 minutes (period of tolerance) past the agreed meeting time

17. Customer's delay
If the passenger realizes that he will not be able to meet the driver within the terms above, he has to contact VPE by calling the emergency telephone number +39(0)415950673 and the driver will be waiting further at the extra cost of € 15,00 per each additional 15 minutes (€ 20.00 for each additional 15 minutes for services with Luxury vehicles) or will agree with the passenger to postpone the pick up - compatibly with the other transfers he has in charge - and/or to send another driver. If the terms above have elapsed and the Client has not yet appeared and has not yet called to warn of the delay, the driver will try to contact him at the mobile-phone number provided at the time of booking (it is Client's  responsibility to provide the number of a mobile-phone at the time of booking and keep it with him switched on).
However, if within the terms above the client has not yet appeared, has not yet called and has not answered the phone, the driver is entitled to go away and VPE is entitled to retain the whole price paid (or to debit the Agency/ Company which required the service for the whole cost).

VERY IMPORTANT: If the customer is arriving at the Airport (Train Station) with a flight (train) other than the one provided at the time of booking, for example due to a missed connecting flight (train), he is required to  notify such event to the Booking Office before of the expected arrival time of the flight (train) originally planned, so that the transfer might be appropriately rescheduled. Otherwise, the service will be considered a No-Show: therefore the price prepaid will be fully retained and no further transfer will be arranged. Similarly, in the event of a flight hijacking – for example, due to weather conditions - the service will be considered a No-Show and the further transfer (if asked and if feasible) will be subject to a further payment. We strongly advise travelers to consider purchasing adequate travel insurance to avoid the costs associated with such circumstances.

IV. FAILURE or DELAY IN SERVICE DELIVERY

18. Failure or delay in delivery of the service for reasons attributable to the applicant
VPE is not responsible for delays that occur during the delivery of the service and/or for the failure to provide the service itself, where this is due to omitted or incorrect information by the applicant during the communication of addresses, departure times, destinations and any other data required at the time of booking (eg .: unsuitable vehicle due to a wrong indication of the number of passengers and/or pieces of luggage, or pickup time incompatible with the scheduled departure times of flights / trains / ships, etc.). In these cases the traveler is obliged to pay the price and therefore VPE is entitled to retain the full amount prepaid by the passenger (or to debit the Agency / Company which required the service for the whole cost).

19. Failure or delay in service delivery due to force majeure
VPE is not responsible for delays that occur during the delivery of the service and / or for the failure to provide the service itself, where:
• this is due to reasons of force majeure beyond its control (eg .: natural/tmospheric events, hijackings, socio-political events as strikes, demonstrations or roadblocks, sudden breakdowns of the car, etc.)
• VPE has nevertheless acted with all measures economically and reasonably possible to prevent the breach of its commitments.
Therefore, taken for granted that VPE will try in every reasonable way to send its vehicles (or vehicles driven by its external partners) in time to meet its commitments with the customer, it is not liable in any way for any damages arising from delays due to causes beyond its control and will be entitled to retain the full amount prepaid by the passenger.
In case of exceptional bad weather conditions (snow storms, tornadoes, etc.) or socio-political events (riots, acts of terrorism, etc.) characterized by an exceptional gravity (for example: weather conditions that involve the closure of crossing points / mountain passes at high altitude) that, at the discretion of VPE, could jeopardize the safety of the passengers and/or of the driver or the integrity of the vehicle to be used, VPE has the right to refuse the execution or the prosecution of the transport and the user may:
a. ask, where objectively as possible, that the transfer is carried along alternative routes, paying any further cost;
b. request the cancellation of the service and the full repayment of any amounts prepaid, notwithstanding the provisions in the "Changes/Cancellations Policy".

20. Failure or delay in delivery of services through negligence or for reasons under the control of the carrier
If VPE should fail for any reason under its control to carry through the services required, passengers will be transported to their destination - if possible - by alternative means (other private-transfer services, taxi, buses, etc.). Should this not be possible, VPE has to be therefore considered responsible for any damages and losses caused by delays, errors or omissions directly attributable to it or for reasons under its control; so, there will be a flat-rate compensation to the user, the amount of which - in any case - may not exceed twice the value of the prepaid service.

21. Intermodal transportation
If part of a service involves a third person as a provider of an intermodal service coupled with that of VPE (for example in the case of packets "car transfer + speedboat transfer" or "car transfer + bus transfer") VPE can never be held responsible for delays that occur during service delivery combined with its transfer and/or for the failure to provide the service matched to its one - even if the intermodal service has been fully booked through VPE. In these cases, however, VPE will strive in every possible way for the user to get a refund (by such supplier) of any damages suffered as a result of negligence of the supplier of the intermodal service.

22. Jurisdiction
For matters not covered in these General Conditions of Sale, reference is made to the provisions of the Civil Code concerning Transport Contract. Any dispute or controversy between VPE and the customer/applicant will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Court of Venice (Italy).