Refund & Cancellation Policy

This policy applies to bookings with Smart Tours&Transfers, trading as Smart Tours, at Unit G01, Crossfire Place, 15 Gardner Williams Ave, Paardevlei, Cape Town, 7130, South Africa.

It covers tours, transfers and customised arrangements, including services booked through our website or staff.

Cancellation and refund requests may be sent to bookings@smarttourscape.com.

For urgent assistance, call 083 459 9337.

Please provide your name, booking or quote reference, affected travel dates and the services you wish to cancel.

Written notice helps avoid misunderstandings, but we will not reject an otherwise valid notice merely because it was not submitted on a particular form.

We record the time notice reaches us.

Our later acknowledgement does not move that date.

Please follow up promptly if you have not received acknowledgement.

You may cancel all or part of your booking before the service begins.

Refunds depend on what has been paid, what has already been supplied, and any reasonable cancellation charge lawfully applicable to the cancelled portion.

Any booking-specific cancellation schedule will be supplied before acceptance.

A deposit is an advance payment, not an automatic forfeiture.

Where no specific schedule was agreed, we assess a reasonable charge for the circumstances instead of applying an undisclosed fixed penalty.

We consider the notice given, the nature of the service, relevant industry practice and the reasonable opportunity to secure another customer.

We also consider unavoidable commitments, costs saved and recoveries obtained.

We will take reasonable steps to reduce losses.

A scheduled percentage does not override the requirement that a charge be reasonable or any statutory exception.

We provide a written refund calculation showing amounts paid, the value of services already supplied where relevant, each permitted deduction and the remaining refund.

We do not count the same cost twice or retain recovered supplier amounts as a cancellation loss.

If a later recovery changes the calculation, we will account to you for it.

Some arrangements involve accommodation, transport or activity suppliers.

Any material supplier cancellation condition, including a non-refundable rate, must be disclosed before you accept the affected booking.

A supplier's terms do not automatically override your rights against Smart Tours.

We will not withhold money solely because a supplier describes it as non-refundable if doing so would be unlawful.

Where section 17 of the Consumer Protection Act applies, we will not impose a cancellation fee if a booking cannot be honoured because the person for whom, or for whose benefit, it was made has died or been hospitalised.

We may request reasonable supporting evidence and will limit any sensitive information requested.

Any statutory cooling-off right that applies to your transaction remains available.

The electronic-transactions cooling-off right does not generally apply to accommodation, transport, catering or leisure services committed for a specific date or period.

Other applicable cancellation rights are unaffected.

Contact us if you believe a statutory cancellation right applies to your circumstances.

Requests to change dates, routes or traveller numbers depend on availability.

We will explain revised prices and any reasonable, lawful amendment or cancellation costs before you decide.

If the change cannot be accommodated, the original booking remains in place unless cancelled.

Please contact us immediately if you expect to be late or your flight changes.

Any waiting allowance or extra waiting charge will be stated in your booking arrangements.

A missed pickup, late arrival or no-show may result in a reasonable charge for resources committed, subject to the circumstances and applicable law.

It does not automatically mean every payment is forfeited.

If you choose not to use a service that remains available as agreed, there may be no refund for that portion where the resulting retention is lawful and reasonable.

Where the service was not supplied as agreed, your remedies are not restricted by this provision.

If we cancel a confirmed service, we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible.

You may accept an appropriate alternative or reschedule, or receive a refund for the cancelled service.

We will not deduct a customer cancellation fee where the cancellation is ours.

Any further statutory remedies remain available.

If a service does not meet the agreed standard, please tell us as soon as practical so we can investigate and try to resolve it.

Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, a remedy may include correcting the service or refunding an appropriate portion of the price.

You do not lose statutory rights solely because you did not complain during the trip.

Weather, road closures, safety concerns or venue restrictions may require changes to an itinerary.

We will explain the situation and discuss a reasonable alternative or rescheduling.

We will not substitute a materially different paid service without your agreement.

If an affected service cannot be supplied, the refund and any permitted deductions will be assessed under applicable law and the specific circumstances.

An event outside our control does not automatically allow us to retain all payments.

Once the refund entitlement and amount are established, we will confirm the calculation and expected processing date in writing and process the refund without undue delay.

Any statutory deadline takes precedence.

Bank or payment-provider clearing may take additional time after we submit the refund.

We will provide a transaction reference where available.

Refunds are normally returned to the original payment method and payer.

If that is not possible, we will agree a secure alternative after reasonable verification.

We do not charge an undisclosed administration or processing fee.

Any proposed deduction must be lawful, justified and explained.

Currency conversion applied by your bank may mean the foreign-currency amount differs from the original payment.

A travel credit or voucher may be offered as an alternative only with your agreement where a cash refund is due.

Its value and use conditions will be confirmed in writing and comply with applicable law.

We will not require you to accept credit instead of a refund to which you are entitled.

We encourage travellers to arrange suitable travel insurance.

Insurance is not included unless expressly stated in the quote.

An insurance claim does not remove our obligations or your statutory rights.

If you disagree with a refund decision, contact bookings@smarttourscape.com with your reference and reasons for review.

You may also approach an appropriate consumer authority, ombud or court, or use a lawful payment-provider dispute process.

You do not have to waive those rights to request an internal review.

Revised versions of this policy will not retrospectively reduce rights attached to an existing booking.