Dealing with complaints
If you have any concerns regarding any aspect of our operations or staff we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible and with as much information as possible. This could be during any part of the lead up to your trip, while on the trip, or after you have returned home. It is important that you contact us either directly to the UK office or via your trip leader as soon as possible after the issue has arisen. In this way, we can do our best to address any concerns at the time and minimise any disruption or distress.
Please also note that you are obliged to do so under part 20 of our terms and conditions; a copy is available online and can be sent to you upon request. If you wish to raise a concern or make a complaint after you have returned home, you need to contact our UK office within 28 days of the end of your trip giving your booking reference and full details of the issue to be raised.
In investigating any concern raised with reference to our ventures, we will need to consult with all parties related to the incident or situation. This may include our own UK and in-country staff and also staff of third parties and other clients where relevant. This may be necessary in order to build up a good picture of the circumstances surrounding an incident. We reserve the right to make these enquiries in the interests of completeness.
If you have a concern that you feel unable to raise with any one member of staff or in relation to which you wish to stay anonymous, please contact Adventure Alternative Managing Director Gavin Bate directly. If you have an express interest to stay anonymous from there forward, you must expressly state this in the initial correspondence. Please note that this may affect the ability of ourselves to fully investigate the matter.
We will always seek to resolve any concerns or complaints through amicable dialogue.
If, despite our best efforts and having followed the above procedure for reporting and resolving your complaint, you feel that it has not been satisfactorily settled, we recommend that it is referred for arbitration under the ABTOT Travel Industry Arbitration Service. An Independent Arbitrator will review the documents relating to any complaint and deliver a binding decision to bring the matter to a close. A fee is payable by each party when an application for arbitration is submitted.
Details of this scheme are available from The Travel Industry Arbitration Service, administered by:
Dispute Settlement Services
9 Savill Road
Lindfield
West Sussex
RH16 2NY
E-mail: admin@disputesettlementservices.co.uk
This scheme cannot however decide in cases where the sums claimed exceed £5,000 per person or £10,000 per booking form, or not solely or mainly in respect of physical injury or illness or the consequences of such injury or illness, or solely or mainly in respect of a discrimination claim or any claim under the Equality Act.