The following document concerns both the liability of Soviet Wastelands and the responsibilities of the customer.

We are Soviet Wastelands and we look forward to the opportunity to act as your tour operator for your trip through the lands of the former Soviet Union, the former Yugoslavia, North Korea or any of our other destinations. The following conditions describe your obligations as a customer when purchasing either an independent tour or a group tour through us. The terms “we”, “us” and “our” refer to  Soviet Wastelands. The term “you” refers to the customer.

BOOKING POLICY

For group tours a 50% deposit is due upon booking confirmation. The remaining 50% balance must be paid in cash at the pre-tour meeting.

For private and independent tours booked through us, deposits will be discussed over email.

CANCELLATION POLICY

All cancellation notices must be received in writing and will become effective as of the date of receipt by us. Tour refunds will be calculated based on the information contained in the following table:

• Customer is liable for any transaction charges associated with the refund process.
• All cancellations incur a minimum €50 administration fee.
• In the event of the company incurring non-refundable costs and expenses, including, but not limited to flight booking and hotel reservations this shall be deducted from any refund due to the customer.

VISAS

As with all travel there is always a minor chance that a visa will be refused.
Our ability to obtain visas for our customers has been on the whole extremely successful and any inability to obtain a visa has always been for cause.

If the customer has provided accurate information and their visa is refused we will grant a full refund of any payments made to us minus associated transaction fees and costs. In addition we will not be held responsible for any costs incurred by the customer in traveling to the location from which their tour was scheduled to depart.

FORCE MAJEURE

Force majeure is any event or circumstances which we could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include but are not limited to war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather or road conditions, fire, bureaucratic obstacles, changes in schedules or mode of transport by ferry companies, airlines, bus or train operators and all similar events outside our control.

If such an event or circumstance arises and said event or circumstance results in an inability to proceed with the tour, customer shall be entitled to a refund minus reasonable costs incurred by us.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

Soviet Wastelands expressly disclaim any and all liability for customer’s damages for emotional distress, mental suffering, or psychological injury of any kind, under any circumstances. We have no responsibility in whole or part and customer agrees we are not liable for any and all liability or claims for any occurrences including but not limited to any delay, loss, accidents, personal injury, political unrest, sickness, medical expenses or property damage occurring on tour.
We therefore strongly advise customer to obtain sufficient insurance that, in the event of any possible risk, will provide sufficient cover for customer and if applicable, any dependents he or she is traveling with. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance coverage includes, but is not limited to, medical and health cover for an injury or sudden illness while on tour, 24 hour emergency service and assistance (including repatriation if you become too ill to continue the tour), cancellation and curtailment, lost and stolen possessions cover, and personal liability cover. Any claims must be directed towards your insurers.

LOCAL LAWS

Customers are required to follow local laws and regulations at all times. In the result of a breach of local law, we will not be held in any way responsible and the customer will take responsibility for any consequences, financial or otherwise, that arise from their actions.

Customers are required to follow the guidance and company rules of Soviet Wastelands at all times.

We reserve the right to expel without refund, those customers who refuse to abide by company policies and create a risk for us and our clients.

TOUR ITINERARY

Due to the nature of travel/tourism in some of our destinations, itineraries do not provide or imply a guarantee of the tour’s contents. Though we will make every effort to keep itineraries as described and to find suitable replacements, Soviet Wastelands reserve the right to make changes to the itinerary in response to unforeseeable events.

TRAVEL EXCEPTIONS

By employing our services to travel, you confirm that you are not:

• A political activist intending to antagonize the country of destination
• a professional journalist or photographer; or
• intending to publish any video or photographic material recorded during your trip.*

*This applies mostly to those intending to make documentary-style productions. If you are unsure whether or not you fall into this category please inform us of your intentions and we will advise based on your specific situation. Posting on social media services such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for personal travel updates is acceptable.

We are subject to the laws of the countries we travel to and any infringement on the aforementioned conditions will result in serious consequences for us, for the infringer, for the rest of the group and for our local tour guides. In the event that you fall under one of these categories and this fact is realized by the local authorities while you are visiting any of our destinations, you understand that we will be unable to offer any assistance. Further, customer agrees that with respect to the booking and visa application process, intentional withholding of personal information will result in a forfeiture of deposit if visa is denied as a result of customer falling under one or more of the aforementioned categories.

NON-LIABILITY FOR CHANGES

Soviet Wastelands reserves the right to change these terms and conditions at any time and we will notify clients if such changes are made.

Price quotations are subject to change without notice and will not be binding until a booking has been confirmed.

We fully reserve the right to change or amend all itineraries on a case by case basis depending on the situation on the ground. In such cases we will always provide a suitable replacement.

Train, and flight tickets are subject to availability. We reserve the right to change the mode of transport depending on availability.
If for any reason a client does not complete any portion of their tour or abandons their scheduled tour after departure, no refund shall be given nor will any credit be given towards future travel.

TOUR PAYMENT

The advertised price of the tour and the currency in which payment can be made are not guaranteed and, up until the point at which balance has been paid by customer, Soviet Wastelands reserves the right to alter the price of the tour and refuse payment in any specified currency.

PRIVACY POLICY

This privacy policy only covers information collected at this website, and does not cover any information collected offline by Soviet Wastelands. All of our websites are currently covered by this privacy policy.

SECURITY

Personal information provided on the website and online credit card transactions are transmitted through a secure server. We are committed to handling your personal information with high standards of information security. We take appropriate physical, electronic, and administrative steps to maintain the security and accuracy of personally identifiable information we collect, including limiting the number of people who have physical access to our database servers, as well as employing electronic security systems and password protections that guard against unauthorized access. Our website uses encryption technology, like Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), to protect your personal information during data transport. SSL encrypts ordering information such as your name, address, and credit card number. Our Customer Care center and stores also operate over a private, secure network. Please note that email is not encrypted and is not considered to be a secure means of transmitting credit card information.