Terms | Torrens Chauffeurs | Mercedes | Chauffeurs | Executive | Taxi | Suffolk

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Booking Cancellation Policy

Terms & Conditions

Deposits

Criteria: For journeys exceeding 50 miles or £100, a 25% deposit is required at the time of booking to secure the vehicle(s) and driver(s).

Balance Due Date: The full remaining balance must be paid no later than 7 Days prior to the scheduled journey.

Cancellation by the Customer

To cover administrative costs and the loss of booking opportunities for our vehicles & drivers, the following refund schedule applies based on the notice provided:

7 Days or More Notice: A full refund will be issued, less any transaction fees (credit/debit card processing fees) incurred by the company.

3 to 7 Days Notice: A 50% refund will be issued.

24 to 48 Hours Notice: A 25% refund will be issued.

Less than 24 Hours Notice: No refund, as the opportunity to re-allocate the driver &/or vehicle to another booking has passed.

Cancellation by the Company

We reserve the right to cancel a booking due to unforeseen circumstances or events beyond our control. These include, but are not limited to:

Environmental Issues: e.g. Weather or hazardous road conditions.

Staffing/Vehicle & External Factors: e.g. Driver unavailability, emergencies, vehicle breakdown, civil unrest or industrial action (strikes/lockouts).

Booking Changes: e.g. Hirer seeking to unilaterally vary the agreed journey conditions.

In any of the above instances, customers will be informed promptly. Efforts will be made to locate and offer an alternative service e.g through another local operator; however, this cannot be guaranteed and may result in an adjustment to the fare. If no alternative is available, the booking will need to be cancelled with all money paid returned.

No-Show Policy

A booking is classified as a "No-Show" if the passenger is not present at the designated pick-up point within 10 minutes of the scheduled time (or less if advised at the time of booking).

Consequence: The booking will be considered fulfilled.

Refund: None.

Introduction

We are governed by East Suﬀolk Council’s (ESC’s) Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy, though please note we currently only operate private hire vehicles.

Our vehicles (which we own) and drivers (who are self-employed) are respectively inspected and vetted by ESC at prescribed intervals. All paperwork, certification and insurances are held and maintained at our registered address.

Our full company name is Torrens Consult And Relocate Services Ltd, trading as both Torrens CARS and Torrens Chauffeurs.

Being only a small business, we do not have a multitude or complexity of policies or terms and conditions (T&Cs) but we have developed a few to help protect both our customers (clients) and, to a lesser extent, ourselves.

Service Commitment

We are a small Suffolk-based (Saxmundham) business with aspirations to grow through providing a good quality, reliable, friendly yet professional service to all our customers, whether they be private individuals or corporate business clients.

While we strive for excellence in every journey, we cannot guarantee that the service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure or error-free. We will do our utmost to learn from these rare occasions and do what it takes to restore your confidence in us so that we can become and be retained as your preferred and trusted travel provider.

As regards Data Protection (GDPR) we comply with all UK Data Protection legislation. Your personal data is processed solely for the purpose of managing your booking and providing the requested service. We do not share your details with third parties for marketing purposes.

Booking Principles

Customers must book journeys via the office (which currently handles phone, email, WhatsApp, text or web portal enquiry form).

To be an accepted booking, our operator needs to acknowledge the details of the journey, which will usually be by using your incoming method of communication.

We rely on the customer checking the booking information that we relay back to you.

We also rely on the customer booking a suitable size vehicle for the number of passengers and luggage, noting that a child, no matter what age, counts as one passenger.

We shall use all reasonable endeavours to fulfil an accepted booking (or at least our understanding of the booking as recorded on our booking system and acknowledged/conveyed to you in writing) which at a minimum is to be at the pick-up location on time and make, as practicable as prevailing conditions allow, reasonable/good progress to the destination.

We reserve the right to substitute another vehicle or use other operators to fulfil the booking, provided the substitute is of equivalent capacity.

All luggage and personal belongings are carried entirely at your own risk.

We shall not be liable for any loss of profits, business or for any indirect or consequential loss whatsoever incurred as a result of not arriving at the requested destination at any given time.

Unless payment is cash, fares are usually collected at the time of booking (influenced by the poor mobile phone signal/internet connection in a number of locations throughout our county and saving time at the destination e.g. airports which impose time limits for drop-offs).

For journeys where cash payment is selected, we reserve the right to request a valid credit/debit card to secure the booking. This card will only be charged in the event of a late cancellation or "no-show" as per our Cancellation Policy.

Fares are based on the most direct route and information provided by the booker, remaining valid for 28 days. The actual route will be at the discretion of the company/driver unless it has been pre-specified by the booker.

Carriage of animals must be pre-arranged at the time of booking. We cannot guarantee acceptance of animals that have not been pre-booked.

Items left in the vehicles, if not retrieved within 30 days, will be donated to charity.

Passenger Commitments

The company and the driver reserve the right to decline any passenger(s) if they are deemed to be intoxicated, aggressive or displaying unsocial behaviour or for any other reason.

We also reserve the right to request any passenger(s) to leave the vehicle if it is deemed their conduct is incompatible with the safety of the driver, other passengers or the vehicle itself.

Damage to the vehicle as a result of mis-use by the passengers will be charged to the booker (e.g. damage to electrically operated doors).

Should a passenger be sick in the vehicle, the cost of valeting (including steam cleaning and sterilising) will be charged to the booker, incurring a minimum £125 charge.
Vehicle damage and/or sickness may also result in abandonment of the remainder of the journey, without refund.

Smoking and/or vaping in the vehicles is not permitted.

We will not be responsible for loss or damage caused to any items (e.g. luggage and personal belongings) carried or stowed within the vehicle.

Please be aware that it is a criminal offence to enter a private hire vehicle without the means to pay for the journey. Failure to pay will result in Police notification.

The booker acts on behalf of all passengers and is responsible for their actions, decisions and any additional costs incurred. If the booker is not travelling then the booker needs to advise details of the lead passenger.

It is the booker’s/lead passenger’s responsibility to provide and install any child seats.

We reserve the right to refuse the carriage of any animal that has not been previously authorized by the operator. This does not apply to registered assistance dogs, which are always permitted.

If you experience a problem or have a complaint, it is essential that you alert the driver so that the driver has time to endeavour to assist with or rectify the situation.

If you wish to make a formal complaint, please notify our office via email at enquiries@torrenschauffeurs.com no later than 7 working days after your journey.