Prior to any booking, please read the following terms and conditions carefully and ensure that you fully understand the meanings thereof, as such terms and conditions form the basis of your contract with HelloChinaTrip.com. You must not make any booking unless you fully understand our terms and conditions and agree to be bound by them. By asking us to confirm your booking, we are entitled to assume that you have carefully read, fully understand, and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

References to “HelloChinaTrip.com,” “Hello China Trip,” “HCT,”“us,” “we,” and/or “our” herein shall mean HelloChinaTrip.com. References to “client,” “you,” and/or “your” means all persons named on the booking (including anyone who is added or substituted at a later date), or any of them as applicable.

These Terms and Conditions apply to any booking you make with our consultants, over the phone, by email, as well as online bookings you make on our website.

By making a booking, which becomes effective and binding on you at the time you receive a Purchase Confirmation, you undertake on behalf of all persons detailed in the booking that:

1. He/she has fully read these terms and conditions and has the authority to and does agree to be bound by them.
2. He/she has fully read the Important Information section specific to the tour package he/she has purchased and agrees to those terms as stated therein.
3. He/she consents to our use of information in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
4. He/she is 18 years of age or over and, where making a booking with age restrictions, declares that he/she and all members of the party are of the appropriate age to purchase those services.
5. He/she accepts financial responsibility for payment of the booking on behalf of all persons named on the booking.

i. BOOKING & PRICING

HelloChinaTrip.com is an online booking site and the trading name of HelloChinaTrip.com. 

All bookings made with HelloChinaTrip.com are governed by these Terms and Conditions; whether through the HelloChinaTrip.com company website, processed by consultants in our office, through a HelloChinaTrip.com contracted travel agency, over the phone, by email, or as online bookings made on our website, shall be deemed as an offer made by the client to purchase the relevant tour package or other special travel arrangements subject to these Terms and Conditions.

No contract obligation between the client and HelloChinaTrip.com shall exist until HelloChinaTrip.com receives full payment from the client side and issues the Purchase Confirmation tax invoice. A client making the booking accepts these terms and conditions on behalf of all members of the travel party and is responsible for final full payment due from the travel party.

Booking through HelloChinaTrip.com is only available for clients aged above 18 years or at least 18 years. Persons aged under 18 years who use the HelloChinaTrip.com travel service need to be accompanied by at least one adult aged at least 18 years or above.

When a client enters into a booking process on HelloChinaTrip.com, it will be recognized as the client’s own willingness to process the online booking in good faith.

Pricing shown on the HelloChinaTrip.com website shall be recognized as the quoted price based on basic information supplied by the Client and completed on our online pricing form. If there are any special conditions or additional requests from the Client, the final tour package price will be advised by our travel consultant via email as soon as we receive your written request email.

All prices quoted or shown on the HelloChinaTrip.com website are based on current suppliers’ quotations and are subject to change without notice. After the Purchase Confirmation tax invoice is issued to the client, the booking price is guaranteed against any changes unless due to the introduction or increase of any taxes or fees by the governmental authorities or any other cost increase beyond the control of HelloChinaTrip.com.

If any incorrect price has been posted on the HelloChinaTrip.com website, we reserve the right to cancel, amend or limit the order placed at the incorrect price.

By submitting a booking, the client acknowledges and warrants compliance with these arrangements.

ii. PAYMENT

ii.i.i FULL PAYMENT AT THE TIME OF BOOKING

All day tours, city tours, and cruise-only tours require full payment by the client at the time of booking, whether through the HelloChinaTrip.com website, processed by our office, through a HelloChinaTrip.com contracted travel agency, or otherwise. This is due to strict terms set by our suppliers for certain travel arrangements, including but not limited to, tickets for cruises, train or other transportation bookings, accommodation, and other certain travel arrangements.

ii.i.ii DEPOSIT & FINAL PAYMENT

All HelloChinaTrip.com travel packages, custom tours, or special travel arrangements require a 10 percent deposit at the time of confirmation, except for the aforementioned day tours, city tours, and cruise-only tours. If a client makes a booking through the HelloChinaTrip.com website, a 10 percent deposit is required at the final payment step of the Booking Process. If the booking is made through our head office or contracted travel agency, a 10 percent deposit is required after the client receives the Confirmation Email from our travel consultant.

The balance or final payment is required 30 days before the client’s tour package start date, or on the date of booking if less than 30 days as the case may be.

ii.i.iii METHODS OF PAYMENT

The payment shall be paid in the manner stated herein:

• • Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover debit card and credit card secure online payment via PayPal.
  • Debit/Credit card payment – An additional 3.9 percent debit or credit card surcharge will be required, and such cost shall be borne by the client.
  • PayPal – For payments made via the client’s PayPal account, please note an additional 3.9 percent surcharge will be required, and such cost shall be borne by the client.
  • Any cost in connection with the bank transfer shall be borne by the client.
  • Western Union transfer payment. Any cost in connection with the bank transfer shall be borne by the client.

If a fraud alert is received from our credit card processor, the client’s confirmation and declaration are required in writing before the transaction can be processed. If the required confirmation and declaration are not received by HelloChinaTrip.com from the client, we reserve the right to cancel the booking and refund the Cardholder’s account the amount less any bank charges, if any, for security reasons before the tour start date.

i.i.iv PAYMENT FOR SPECIAL OFFERS

For certain marketing promotions, the client may be required to pay the full amount of the tour product price at the time of booking to redeem the discount (terms may vary by offer). General payment terms apply to all special offers unless noted otherwise.

i.i.v PAYMENT FOR CUSTOM TOUR PACKAGES

The client may choose to pay a deposit (10 percent of the total custom tour package price, depending on the services included) or the full amount of custom tour package price at the time of booking. If the customized booking is made less than 30 days before the tour start date, the client is required to pay the full amount of custom Tour package price.

i.i.vi DELAYED PAYMENTS

HelloChinaTrip.com reserves the right to treat cases of delayed payment as a cancellation of the booking, and is entitled to withdraw its confirmation of services without incurring any liabilities. Please note this only applies if a payment has not been made at least 30 days prior to the tour start date, and no agreement has been made for paying the remaining balance.

iii ALTERATION OF A TOUR PRODUCT

If relevant changes to your travel arrangement are necessitated by unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, we reserve the right to cancel or re-schedule departures and itineraries. Where we deem it necessary to change accommodation arrangements, HelloChinaTrip.com reserves the right to substitute it with at least a similar standard without incurring any liabilities.

We are entitled to make changes to the tour product upon the occurrence of any of the following:

1. Events or circumstances such as war, fire, epidemics, health risks, typhoon, earthquake, and other actual or potential severe weather conditions, etc. that are out of our control. Under these circumstances, additional fares will be charged if incurred and regardless of cost.
2. The air schedule or surface transportation changes and/or events occur beyond the control of HelloChinaTrip.com.

You may also request that an alteration be made to your tour product and HelloChinaTrip.com will process the alteration free of charge before the booking. All booking alteration requests must be made in writing by the person who made the original booking request. However, any alterations made after payment of the deposit will incur a USD50 administration fee per request, except the first request which is free of charge. All expenses in relation to the booking alteration shall be borne by the client, including, but not limited to, all fees and charges incurred by third parties, such as cruise operators, airlines, and hotels.

iv CANCELLATION

If you intend to cancel a tour product, Tour Package, or special tour arrangement, our Travel Consultant must be notified as soon as possible. If you intend to cancel the Tour Package or special tour arrangement 72 hours or less before the commencement date of the tour product, you must contact our Travel Consultant at the same email you contact cs@hellochinatrip.com and then call our main customer service phone number or, while you are in China, our emergency support line +8613915017585 as soon as possible.

All cancellation requests should be made in writing via email to cs@hellochinatrip.com  and will be subject to the following general cancellation charges from the date the written cancellation request is received.

HelloChinaTrip.com applies a cancellation fee based on a percentage of the total price of the tour package for both Themed Tours and Tailor-Made Tours. The specific terms are as follows:

For Multi-Day China Tour Packages(Themed Tours and Tailor-Made Tours Products):
More than 45 days before the tour start date: No cancellation fee.
31–44 days before the tour start date: 10% cancellation fee.
22–30 days before the tour start date: 20% cancellation fee.
15–21 days before the tour start date: 30% cancellation fee.
8–14 days before the tour start date: 50% cancellation fee.
Within 7 days of the tour start date: 100% cancellation fee.

For One-Day China Tour Packages(Day Tours Products):
More than 7 days before the tour start date: No cancellation fee.
3–7 days before the tour start date: 90% cancellation fee.
Within 3 days of the tour start date: 100% cancellation fee.

For Groups of 10 or More People:
Cancellation policies for groups may vary depending on the circumstances. Please consult your travel advisor for the specific cancellation terms applicable to your group.

Any charges applied by the third party (airline/cruise/train company, hotel, other service provider, PayPal fee, card fee, bank fee) cannot be waived.

No-show travelers will be charged 100% of the payment.

After the trip has commenced, no refund for unused services due to your unwillingness/inability to participate, early departure, late arrival, or missed days on tours.

For all cancellations, HelloChinaTrip.com will make every effort to ensure that your interests are considered. However, late cancellation may result in compensation claims from hotels, cruise operators, and other service providers. In addition to the cancellation fee charged as above, any costs incurred in relation to the booking cancellation, including but not limited to, the relevant flights, hotels, and Yangtze cruise, will also be charged to your account, if any.

If the confirmed tour reservation is cancelled while the tour is in progress, or if any programs are missed due to any act or omission of you, including, but not limited to early departure, late arrival, or cancellation of attractions, unused services cannot be refunded and are not exchangeable.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE THAT cancellation fees for certain travel packages and services may differ. For details, please refer to the cancellation terms and fees outlined on the specific Tour Package page.

The above general cancellation rules may not be applicable to the following services: domestic flights, city tours, day tours, and cruise-only tours, which include transportation, accommodation, train tickets, and cruises. HelloChinaTrip.com shall not be obligated to refund any of these services booked through us. In the event that a tour package has stricter cancellation rules, the information will be stated in the package details online.

If you intend to cancel or postpone the booked Tour Package for any of the reasons that are not attributable to us, our general cancellation terms will apply. However, for any Tour Package for which a deposit or the full amount has been made, you may request us to reschedule your tour at a later date or assign your Tour Package to a friend or family member, provided that the same tour package is available. Such request or assignment applies to all Tour Packages with the exception of those including travel by cruise, train, or air, or hotels, as well as Tour Packages with stricter payment and cancellation rules specified in the package details.

v BOOKING CONFIRMATION EMAIL

Upon successful payment, you will receive a Booking Confirmation Email with additional details about the Booking Process from our Travel Consultant. It is the client’s responsibility to read the email carefully, as almost all of our Tour Packages require the client to submit a Traveller’s Information Form by a specific deadline to finalize the Tour Package booking. HelloChinaTrip.com will not be liable for any expenses, fines, penalties, costs, or losses incurred as a result of failure to comply with the Booking Process instructions listed in your Booking Confirmation Email.

If your Booking Confirmation Email instructs you to submit an online Traveller’s Information Form, please note the details contained on this form are officially final and will be used for ticketing purposes. Any booking changes requested after submitting the online Traveller’s Information Form cannot be guaranteed and will incur additional fees.

The Booking Confirmation Email is valid only for the specified travel dates in the details of your Tour Product. Once this validity period has expired, the Booking Confirmation Email will be considered void and is non-refundable in full or in part. We recommend making bookings at least two months in advance. Peak times such as weekends or holiday periods should be booked further in advance.

We are not responsible for lost or missing Booking Confirmations Email, for any fraudulent use of the Booking Confirmation Email’s unique reference number, or for any losses caused by your inability to access, print, or download your Booking Confirmation Email.

vi INVOICE DELIVERY

All invoices will be sent to you electronically in PDF format attached in an email. You may also contact our staff to request a hard copy of the invoice.

vii TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

All travelers must be in possession of a valid passport and necessary visas or permits prior to the commencement of travel. For international travel, travelers’ passports require at least six month’s validity from the date of return and at least two blank pages at the time of travel. Visas, including transit visas and re-entry permits, are the passenger’s responsibility.

You must ensure that you are aware of passport, visa, health and other requirements of the country or countries you intend to visit, and obtain all relevant documentation prior to travel. Any expenses, fines, penalties, costs or losses incurred as a result of such documents not meeting the requirements of those authorities will be your sole responsibility.

Our travel consultant may assist you in applying for the necessary travel documentation upon request. China Tours accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever for your failure to obtain appropriate travel documentation.

viii HEALTH REQUIREMENT

All travellers must possess physical and mental fitness well enough to travel. It is your responsibility to ensure you are aware of any health requirements for your travel destination/s. For some countries, failure to disclose a health condition may result in the applicable country refusing you entry, or in you being detained, expelled, or repatriated from it. Vaccinations are strongly recommended for certain destinations and, in some cases, vaccination paperwork may be a condition of entry. Please note vaccinations may be recommended well in advance of traveling. The client is solely responsible for checking the safety and security conditions, vaccination, and other health requirements of governments in countries visited or transited.

Travellers to Tibet are required to provide a doctor’s certificate stating he/she is fit to travel and that his/her blood pressure and heart condition are normal. This is a necessary requirement due to the possible effects of the high altitude.

Any travellers carrying medical or mobility equipment may require a medical certificate. It is the traveller’s responsibility to check any such requirements directly with the airline. Power and/or refrigeration requirements for medical or mobility equipment in some destinations cannot be guaranteed. If medical equipment is required, it is your responsibility to talk with a HelloChinaTrip.com Travel Consultant to discuss any medical issues before making a booking. It is the traveller’s responsibility to ensure any required batteries are safe and approved for travel, noting the particular requirements of airlines and cruise lines.

ix TRAVEL INSURANCE

We strongly recommend you take out comprehensive travel insurance to protect yourself against unforeseen circumstances, as soon as you have booked and paid for your Tour Package.

We also recommend your policy includes (but is not limited to) cancellation, baggage, theft, personal liability, accident and medical cover, plus any other requirements specific to your travel plans.

x BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE

Please ensure you read your travel documents carefully for details on baggage allowances as these can vary from airline to airline and country to country. Excess baggage (if your airline allows it) can be expensive and is the responsibility of the traveller. We will not be liable for any expenses, fees, penalties, costs or losses associated with baggage allowances and excess baggage.

In accordance with regulations of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China, the free baggage allowance within China is 20 kilograms for the economy class, 30 kilograms for business class, and 40 kilograms for first class, plus limited carry-on baggage. Regulations within China specify all suitcases must have a locking device attached. Failure to follow this regulation may result in refusal by airport staff to load suitcases onto the aircraft.

xi COMPLAINT PROCEDURE

If you are unsatisfied with any service HelloChinaTrip.com has provided or is providing, please file a complaint with our tour guide or Travel Consultant as soon as practicable, and not later than 24 hours after the provision of the service. The complaint must be in writing and detail the service in question.

You understand that as far as complaint is concerned, the requirements in respect of time and format are essential to the handling of your complaint. If you are unsatisfied with our service and no complaint is filed within the time and in the manner stated herein, it shall be deemed that you elect not to file a complaint in respect of the service and agree to forsake any of your entitlements in relation thereto, if any.

If your complaint is not handled by the tour guide or Travel Consultant or if you are not satisfied with the way the complaint is handled or is being handled, you must email that complaint to cs@hellochinatrip.com within 14 days of the completion of your travel. Failure to email the complaint to the aforementioned addressee within 14 days period shall be deemed that you elect not to pursue the complaint and agree to forsake any of your entitlements in relation thereto, if any.

xii COMMUNICATION

You may contact HelloChinaTrip.com through our web form on the website, www.hellochinatrip.com, email, fax, or phone. For any reason, if you fail to receive a reply from HelloChinaTrip.com regarding your tour status within 48 hours from the time you submitted the request for booking, altering, or canceling a tour, please contact HelloChinaTrip.com via cs@hellochinatrip.com or phone our emergency contact phone number at +8613915017585 (also available on WhatsApp/WeChat) while you are in China immediately to ensure your enquiry can be dealt with under our terms and conditions.

xiii LIABILITY
HelloChinaTrip.com

claims no responsibility for any loss, damage, accident, injury, sickness or schedule change due to weather, strike, natural disaster or any other cause beyond HelloChinaTrip.com‘s control.

HelloChinaTrip.com publishes travel information and services gathered from the selected quality hotels, air ticket agencies and tour companies and operators. The travel information published by us is for informational purposes only, and it is your responsibility to verify the completeness, accuracy, or otherwise of such information. HelloChinaTrip.com is not responsible for errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in information provided by any third-party suppliers.

HelloChinaTrip.com shall not be responsible for any wrongful, negligent or fraudulent omissions, changes of itinerary, cancellations or the failure of any equipment operated by aforementioned suppliers or any other party not directly owned or controlled by HelloChinaTrip.com.

HelloChinaTrip.com claims no responsibility for your failure to comply with customs regulations.

HelloChinaTrip.com claims no responsibility for the theft or loss of any of your valuables or items of personal property due to your negligence.

HelloChinaTrip.com reserves the right to alter hotels, routes, itineraries or departure times, without prior notice, should the necessity arise. In the case of any changes to flights or to scheduled travel by cruise, bus or train, additional costs incurred as a result of such changes (for example, including, but not limited to, additional nights at a hotel, meals, transfers) shall be borne by you. We therefore strongly recommend that you procure and maintain comprehensive travel insurance to meet all contingencies.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE THAT some of HelloChinaTrip.com Tour Packages include activities which require care and attention. Such activities include, but are not limited to, boarding and disembarking from boats, climbing hills, and entering and exiting tombs and caves. You will receive help and advice from our representatives, but all activities are undertaken at your own risk.
HelloChinaTrip.com, its employees, and agents claim no responsibility for any action or event that occurs after its employees and agents have exercised their duty and taken the necessary care.

All information on HelloChinaTrip.com‘s website is subject to change. HelloChinaTrip.com reserves the right to alter/change/correct mistakes that may possibly appear in the website or published price lists.

HelloChinaTrip.com reserves the right to modify or rescind the terms and conditions in whole, or in part at any time with or without notice without incurring any liabilities.

xiv PRIVACY POLICY

At HelloChinaTrip.com, we are dedicated to providing you with a worry-free trip in China and other countries where we provide tour packages. We strongly believe in protecting your privacy. That’s why we only ask you for information related to the services we provide. If you submit personal information via telephone, website, mail, fax, e-mail, or any other means to us, it is only used to arrange your trip in China, and will never be sold, rented, shared, or passed on to any unauthorized third party. We attach importance to your privacy seriously. Please read our Privacy Policy here in detail.

xv GOVERNING LAW AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

These terms and conditions shall be governed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the People’s Republic of China, excluding the provisions of conflict rules.