► Please read everything on this page. It contains all the legal terms and conditions for your booking, plus liability information and a behavior contract for your participation in the trip. TripSchool, LLC is henceforth referred to as “TripSchool.”
Booking Terms and Conditions
In signing below, you agree to all of the following booking terms and conditions, in addition to waiving liability as stated below and agreeing to behave in accordance with the behavior contract.
In-person training deposits are refundable if TripSchool cancels the trip.
Covid makes planning in-person experiences very challenging. You can rest assured your in-person training deposits are refundable if we have to cancel the trip. 45 days prior, however, your deposit becomes non-refundable if you cancel your participation.
Online courses are delivered on our training platform, Campfire.
Your participation in our online courses is governed by Campfire’s Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy. Campfire is our online course platform, and your TripSchool login information is shared with Campfire, which is an entity owned by TripSchool. Your data or personal information is shared with Campfire for the purposes of authenticating you.
All of our online products are strictly personal.
If purchasing an online course on a payment plan, your installments will be automatically billed until full payment is reached.
At the time of purchase of an online course, you agree to pay the full price of the course.
If your online course experience isn’t the right fit, please reach out to us.
We take pride on running a small, community-focused company. We want our courses to provide value, actionable content, and a community of fellow learners that help you grow. If you find that you need to change courses, or want a refund, please reach out and talk to us. We want you to be happy!
On our in-person trainings, the itinerary might change.
Although it is unlikely, TripSchool reserves the right to make changes to the training itinerary based on unforeseen circumstances. Any paid itinerary item(s) will be replaced with an experience of equal value, at the discretion of TripSchool.
Food allergies
If you have any dietary issues that you’d like us to be aware of, please let us know in writing before the training start date.
We can’t be held responsible for verbal promises. If it is important to you, get it in writing.
This is easy. We’ll make sure you get e-mails with anything that you need to see in writing. Likewise, we need your special requests and concerns to be e-mailed to us, so that there is always a paper trail. Verbal agreements do not suffice since verbal agreements rely on both parties having the same understanding and memory of what was said.
Please be in good physical and mental health if you’re training with us.
We cannot stress enough that our training days are long days full of lots of walking. Often times, we walk, see, and do more than a typical day of touring. Our general plan is to be out all day long, generally from 8am well into the evening, generally around 8-9pm. We’re walking all day long.
Signing this document means you assert that you do not have any special conditions that might impede your participation in the trip. We want you to be safe on our training trips. Please do not endanger yourself or others. With that being said, we understand if you do have health needs that do not impair your ability to participate. In such cases, please keep us aware of such issues and we will try our best to accommodate.
TripSchool uses a variety of transportation: subways, buses, and private motor coaches or ferries.
Each training is different. On our city training tours, in addition to walking, please be aware that we are often using subways, buses, regional trains, and ferries as our primary modes of transportation. When such modes of transportation are unavailable, we’ll book a motor coach, such as on our New England Fall Foliage training tour.
Signing up
TripSchool uses a 3rd party booking platform called WeTravel for enrollment on our trips. All payments for your trip will be made through your account on WeTravel. TripSchool is not responsible for any errors made in the information that you provide to us.
The Waitlist
Most TripSchool trainings sell out quickly; in such cases, at our discretion, we will offer a waiting list. The waitlist operates on a first-come, first-serve basis. TripSchool reserves the right to, at our discretion, select someone who is not next in line for the trip, usually based on gender-appropriate rooming needs.
For trips that include lodging, the tour price is based on double occupancy.
You may always request a roommate when you enroll on a trip. If you do not request a roommate, and you sign up for double occupancy, a roommate will be assigned to you. A single supplement is often available.
If you cancel your training within 60 days prior to the start date, you are responsible for paying the single supplement for your assigned roommate. Otherwise, a student will be stuck with the bill for your cancellation. However, please note that since we often have a waiting list, we will try our hardest to fill your spot with someone else, alleviating you of the need to pay the single supplement.
Please also note that unless it is specifically noted, hotel accommodation is not included in the training cost.
Preferred Travel Protection Plan
We offer travel insurance as part of travel protection plans from our partner TripAssure. To cover you for the unforeseen, we encourage participants to purchase travel insurance, which may include benefits for trip cancellation, trip interruption, missed connection, travel delay, medical expense/emergency evacuation, baggage and personal effects, baggage delay and more. Covid-19 and its various strains are treated the same as any other Sickness under the travel protection plan. TripAssure offers the Basic, Deluxe Plan and Deluxe Plus Plan options. Familiarize yourself with the contents of each plan to ensure to get the one that best suits your needs. The travel protection plan that includes “Cancel for any reason” coverage must be purchased within 21 days of enrollment with your deposit.
Flights
TripSchool does not book flights for those attending our trainings. You are responsible for finding flights that make sense for you. Please notify us if your itinerary prevents you from arriving or departing on time. TripSchool is not responsible for the cost of any training days or components missed due to missed flights, weather, or other such events.
The number of instructors may change.
Mitch and Alan are always your primary instructors for TripSchool trainings. We both always try to be there for your trainings. But, we are also working tour directors and sometimes scheduling prohibits one of us from participating in part or all of a particular training tour. TripSchool reserves the right to have only one instructor present at any given time.
Payment and Billing
Your payments that are due are all handled online through your personal portal account. If you did not create an account after signup, please do so here. From the portal, you can easily make any necessary payments, check your past transactions, and print any paper invoices that you may need.
The schedule of your payments that are due will be outlined on your trip information page. We accept major credit cards and PayPal. TripSchool reserves the right to charge up to a 3% credit card processing fee. This will be expressly noted at the time of payment. You cannot receive the credit card processing fee back in the unlikely event of a refund.
While you will receive e-mail reminders of payments due, TripSchool is not responsible for reminding you of your payments. Payment is due even if you do not receive communication.
It is unlikely, but if a bus company imposes a sudden surcharge based on an increase in fuel costs, we may have to charge you more for the training.
Similarly, if this is an international trip, TripSchool reserves the right to charge more U.S. Dollars if another country’s currency related to the trip suddenly shows a marked change relative to the U.S. Dollar.
In the unlikely event that either of these scenarios happen, you will be clearly notified and TripSchool will explain what has happened in the most transparent way possible.
Although improbable, TripSchool has the right to cancel or modify the training.
Though the chance of this happening is rare, this has to be said. If there is some world event, weather, “act of God,” or any other occurrence that threatens the safety or operability of the trip, TripSchool may have to cancel and/or re-book a training trip. In such a case, the money you have spent will go towards the newly booked trip.
We’re not responsible for you damaging a room or for your lost items on tour.
TripSchool will not be held responsible for any lost valuables, travel documents, or anything that gets damaged while traveling. If you cause damage to any of our vendors’ property (hotels, restaurants, bus, etc.), you and you alone are held responsible for payment, not us.
Accuracy of Advertising
We strive for perfect descriptions of what will happen on TripSchool training tours. But, errors may happen and we cannot be held responsible for typos or omissions.
In-Person trips – Cancellation Policy
If you decide to cancel your training or tour, you need to do so in writing by e-mailing [email protected]. In the event that you decide to cancel your training tour, the following penalties apply. These policies have been put in place to protect the costs associated with pre-booking activities for your training trip, which often have no-refund cancellation policies.
Again, we cannot make exceptions to this policy, given we have to pay our vendors well in advance.
In each case below, you forfeit the non-refundable deposit associated with the training trip, and any non-refundable costs that TripSchool has made for you.
If you cancel:
- 61 or more days before the trip = Full refund (minus the non-refundable deposit & any components that have been pre-paid)
- 31-60 days before the trip = Full refund, less 25% of the total listed trip cost (and non-refundable deposit) (Note: Peru trip is 40% non-refundable!)
- Less than 30 days before the trip = No refund (we have already paid the costs associated with your participation)
In cases of a sold-out training, if you can find a replacement for your cancelled spot, you are eligible to receive a refund, minus your non-refundable deposit. This only applies if the class has been completely filled, and you can find an exact replacement for your enrollment.
We’d like to use photos of and statements by you.
We love your positive feedback and we love sharing photos of our training trips, via email, Social Media, or otherwise. By signing these terms, you agree that TripSchool can use any photo or video likenesses taken of you while on a TripSchool training. Also, you agree that your comments about the training trip experience can be used in future TripSchool publications (online or in print) without TripSchool owing you any compensation. Please notify us if you wish for any particular image or quote to be removed from our website or other media channels.
Medical Emergencies
If an emergency arises requiring medical attention, participants hereby give their consent and permission to the staff of TripSchool, or to an attending physician to perform medical treatments and/or surgery. TripSchool cannot be held responsible for the quality and timeliness of any such medical care received, nor for any expense incurred.
Conference Purchases
Your purchase of a conference ticket from TripSchool is non-refundable, but you can transfer your ticket. Please email [email protected] if you’d like to change the name of registration on your ticket, or ask if someone is requesting a ticket in the event that the conference is sold out.
Liability Waiver
I agree to release TripSchool, LLC, its staff, agents, employees, vendors, and contractors, both domestic and international (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from all liabilities and agree not to sue the Released Parties for any and all claims of any nature related in any manner to my participation in a TripSchool training, including but not limited to claims for negligence, breach of contract, breach of express or implied warranties, injury, negligence or wrongful death, or any statutorily based claim. I hereby unconditionally and unequivocally waive any and all claims and demands for all damages, losses, costs, and expenses of any nature whatsoever (including attorneys’ fees) on account of or arising out of any and all personal injury, death, bodily injury, mental anguish, emotional distress, or property and/or other damage that I may suffer from any cause whatsoever, related in any way, to my participation in any TripSchool-sponsored training, trip, or event.
I further agree to release the Released Parties from any and all decisions to cancel, modify, or delay the training as a result of unforeseeable events or circumstances that are beyond the reasonable control of the Released Parties, or which become necessary or advisable so as to increase the quality of the tour.
Additionally, the Released Parties shall have no responsibility to/for me or my actions when I am absent from a TripSchool-supervised activity or for me or my actions during non-supervised activities, such as visits to friends or relatives, and/or during stay-ahead/stay-behind option periods, and/or any other optional period or activity that is not explicitly part of the training itinerary.
TripSchool and the Released Parties reserve the right to refuse or cancel my registration at its sole discretion. In the case of such an event, the standard cancellation policies as outlined in the Booking Terms and Conditions still apply.
If I become ill or incapacitated, the employees of TripSchool may take any action they deem necessary for my safety and wellbeing without repercussion from me or those contacted on my behalf, including notifying friends and/or family members, and/or securing medical treatment (at my own expense), and transporting me home. These rights transcend any and all privacy regulations that may apply. In the event of a medical emergency, TripSchool has my permission to attempt to cause for appropriate treatment to be administered, and I, the traveler, authorize said company to do so and I willingly release said company from any liabilities associated with such decisions. I understand that TripSchool makes no warranty that it will be able to cause effective (or any) emergency treatment to be administered or to be timely administered.
This entire above agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York which shall have sole jurisdiction.
