Under the Thatch - Booking Terms & Conditions

When booking through Under the Thatch you are entering into a binding contract with the accommodation owner.

1. References to 'us' and 'we' in these Terms and Conditions relate to the owner and the manager of the holiday accommodation and references to 'you' or 'your' relate to the person making the booking and all members of the holiday party. When we email confirmation of a reservation to you, the owner enters into a contract with you, which is subject to these Booking Terms and Conditions. Under the Thatch acts as an agent for your holiday and your holiday contract is wholly with the owner of the accommodation, who is reponsible in full for your care and comfort during your stay.
   
   
2. Your Booking - We shall confirm a reservation upon receipt of a deposit (usually 25%). You must be over 18 years of age at the time of making your booking. Your booking is made as a consumer and you accept that we will not be liable for any business losses you may incur. We can refuse any booking before we have issued a written booking confirmation, and we will promptly return any monies you have paid and be under no other liability. As soon as you receive a written booking confirmation, you must check it carefully. If there are any errors you must tell us immediately.
   
   
3. Payment - You must provide your payment details during the booking process, we may process these in real time via a third party. Non payment of your balance monies, when they become due, will constitute cancellation of the holiday and forfeiture of the deposit payment. Full payment must be made 6 weeks before the start date of your holiday. We are under no obligation to chase you for payment. We will attempt to contact you by email only but accept no liability in the event that the email address listed for you does not deliver a message to you. Once cancelled we may remove any discount value from your booking and require you to pay the full list price to reinstate your holiday. If you pay any part of your account using a credit card (Visa or MasterCard) we will add a 2% card surcharge to you full account.
   
   
4. Cancellation by YOU - If you have to cancel your holiday, for whatever reason, you must immediately contact us. Our cancellation policy is:
   
   
   1. You can cancel your holiday before you have paid for it with no penalty.
   2. If you cancel your holiday at least 6 weeks before your holiday we will retain your deposit (25%) and and any admin fees, but will refund the remaining balance on request.
   3. If you cancel your holiday within 6 weeks of your break the full balance paid is non refundable.
      We STRONGLY recommend that guests take out their own travel insurance to cover this eventuality.
   4. We are not required by law to give you a cooling off period, however if you make a genuine mistake on your booking and inform us promptly then at our discretion we can make alterations and apply appropriate refunds.

5. Changes - If it is possible to accommodate changes you want to make to your booking we will. We will charge an administration fee of £20 except where our "Self Service" system is used which is free for any allowed change you make. We will issue a revised booking confirmation. Some changes are not permitted after you have fully paid or less then 6 weeks prior to your holiday.



1. You can extend your holiday by adding extra days to the beginning or end of your break if they are available and fit our change over days. We will recalculate your holiday and charge you at the current retail price (no decrease in payment is permitted).
2. You can add guests up to the maximum the accommodation sleeps and will be charged at our current rates per person.
3. You can decrease the number of guests up to payment of your final balance.
4. You can add pets at our current rates if the property allows animals.
5. You can decrease the number of pets up to payment of your final balance.
6. You can change your dates and/or accommodation choice completely up to the final payment date.


6. Behaviour - We are entitled to ask you to leave the holiday property, without refund of monies paid or any other liability to you, if in our reasonable opinion your behaviour is unacceptable (see Condition 12).
   
   
7. Website Accuracy - We do everything we can to ensure the accuracy of the information contained on this website. However, inputting errors unfortunately can happen. We cannot accept responsibility for changes to or closures of local amenities/facilities and attractions etc. referred to in the brochure, which clearly are not under our control. All distances are approximate. If you are booking more than 8 weeks in advance of your holiday your must check the accommodation listing again before you pay your final balance to ensure that we have not added, removed or changed anything which would be unacceptable to you since your initial booking.
   
   
8. Cancellation or Changes by US - Once we have issued you with a Holiday Confirmation we will do our very best not to make any changes to your booking or to cancel it (except due to non payment by you). Sometimes though changes do occur before and after bookings have been confirmed, and very occasionally confirmed bookings have to be cancelled. We promise to do all we can to avoid changes and cancellations but must reserve the right to do so. Most changes are minor.
   
   
9. Number of Persons using the Holiday Accommodation - Your holiday group must not exceed the maximum number of persons the property will sleep. If it does then we can refuse to allow you to take possession of the property or to make you leave the accommodation before the end of the holiday. If this happens we will treat your holiday as having been cancelled by you and you will not be entitled to a refund of your holiday monies or any compensation. Your holiday group must not exceed the the number of people you have specified in your booking, if it does we will require you to pay to correct fee plus a £20 administration charge. We will only make up beds and provide linen to match the number of people specified in your booking. If you do not make a specific request the default bed configuration will be provided.
   
   
10. Pets - Pets are only allowed at properties where we advertise they may stay, and where you pay for them to stay (£12 for first pet and £6 per pet thereafter). If you take a pet to accommodation that does not allow pets then we can refuse to allow you to take possession of the property or make you leave the accommodation before the end of the holiday. If this happens we will treat your holiday as having been cancelled by you and you will not be entitled to any refund. At no time are dogs allowed on the sofas or beds, or to be left unattended in any accommodation. Any garden mess made must be cleared up, where a secure garden is not available pets should be keep under close supervision preferrably on a lead. Pet owners are liable for any damage caused.
    
    
11. Arrival and Departure - Arrival and departure times vary according to accommodation and will be emailed to you in the confirmation email.
    
    You do not normally have to meet us when you arrive as keys are kept in keysafes at the properties. In these cases late check-ins are fine so long as you do not disturb other guests or local residents. We will normally ask your approximate arrival time and ensure the property is fully prepared including lighting fires where appropriate to match your requirement.
    
    If you do not contact us and you have not arrived at the property by noon on the day following the holiday start date we will treat your holiday as having been cancelled by you and you will not be entitled to any refund.
    
    
12. Your Responsibilities - You must look after the property. This means you must keep all furniture, fittings and effects, (inside or outside the property) in the same state of repair and condition as at the start of the holiday. You must leave the property in the same state of general order in which you found it. If you break these conditions the Owner/Caretaker can make an additional cleaning charge and/or make a claim against you for repair or loss as a result of damage caused. You are expected to show due consideration for other people, including but not limited to, other guests, local residents and our staff. If you abuse the property or display rude, dangerous or offensive behaviour towards the Owner/Caretaker or other third party, the Owner/Caretaker can refuse to allow you possession of the property or ask you to leave the accommodation before the end of the holiday. If this happens we will treat your holiday as having been cancelled by you and you will not be entitled to any refund.
    
    In the same way if the Owner/Caretaker reasonably believes you are likely to act as above they can proceed as detailed above.
    
    If you have special requests or needs you are responsible for telling us at the time of booking, although we cannot guarantee that any special requests will be met, and failure on our part to meet any special request will not constitute a breach of contract. It is your responsibility to satisfy yourself that the property you are booking is completely suitable for your needs. Once you have received the Holiday Confirmation you must check it thoroughly (see Condition 2). Please note that if a particular requirement is not specified on the Holiday Confirmation Form, it is not provided. Unfortunately we are unable to accept any bookings that are specified to be conditional on the fulfillment of a particular request. Such bookings will be treated as 'standard' bookings subject to the above provisions on special requests. If you have a medical problem or disability that may affect your holiday please tell us before you confirm your booking and follow up with details in writing at the time of booking. If we feel unable to properly accommodate the particular needs of the person concerned, we reserve the right to decline or cancel your booking.
    
    Any queries about your booking, after you have received your Holiday Confirmation Form, should be made through the online contact form on your booking or by emailing us at post@underthethatch.co.uk quoting your booking reference number.
    
    
13. Access - You must allow the Owner/Caretaker, or anyone representing us (and any workman who needs to carry out repairs or maintenance) access to the property at any reasonable time during your holiday.
    
    
14. Dissatisfaction - Your holiday enjoyment is important to us. We think it is fair that your reasonable holiday expectations should be met. If they are not, it is equally fair that you provide a chance for them to be put right before you come home. It is impossible to investigate problems of a transient nature (property preparation/cleanliness or heating for example) unless you raise them during your holiday. Tell us about your problem and give us a chance to help. If you wait until you get home before telling us of your difficulties, then unfortunately we cannot accept any liability.
    
    
15. Prices - All prices are in UK pounds sterling. All percentage price modifications for extras and discounts are made in respect of the base price of the holiday. We guarantee that the price we quote for your holiday and subsequently ask you to pay will not change once we have agreed to accept your booking as long as you do not make alterations to price sensitive elements or use a different payment method from that selected at the time of booking. We will not enter into negotiation about our price list, specifically the fact that our retail prices may be changed after you have made your booking.
    
    
16. Personal Details - We require some of your personal details when making a booking in order that we can communicate with you in regards to your holiday. We take reasonable steps to ensure the security and privacy of your person data. We require a correct address in order to safeguard your payment card against fraud. We require a correct and valid email address as ALL payment reminders and our arrival instructions are sent by email. We will not generally call or write to you unless there is a specific problem which requires us to do so. When you give us your email address we may add it to our mailing list. You are under no obligation to remain on this list and we will provide instructions on how to remove yourself in every email we send.
    
    
17. Insurance - We strongly recommend that you have adequate travel insurance. Under the Thatch cannot be held liable for loss howsoever caused. We do not provide in-house insurance and will not refund you for cancellations made by you for whatever reason once within 6 weeks of your holiday. We recommend that you insure yourself against cancellation, curtailment and loss of valuables while away from your own home.