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2009 Tour Cancellation/Interruption Coverage

Europe Through the Back Door, Inc. ("ETBD") knows that sometimes the best-laid plans go wrong. That is why, in certain circumstances, ETBD will return some of your money to you if you cancel or interrupt your tour. We will do this not because we must, but because we want to do so purely as a courtesy to you. This coverage is not intended as a substitute for comprehensive travel and health insurance. We offer this courtesy coverage for your benefit, and for the benefit of your traveling partner(s) or family member(s). For these purposes, we consider your traveling partner to be someone who shares the same accommodations with you. A family member is either your spouse, a step-child, or your blood relative in the first degree. We suggest all tour members consider the purchase of comprehensive travel and health insurance.

Although we cannot refund your deposit money under any circumstance, we may refund to you a portion of your tour payment, if you cancel your reservation before the tour begins for a qualifying medical or family emergency as outlined below. The maximum possible refund if you cancel your reservation before the first day of the tour for a qualifying reason is your guaranteed tour price, less the $400 per person deposit.

On the day the tour begins, or any day thereafter, if you leave the tour for a qualifying, unforeseen medical or family emergency as outlined below, ETBD will refund to you $75 per person for each missed day. If you leave the tour for a non-qualifying reason, there will be no refund possible.

We will refund a portion of your tour payment, as described above, only in certain circumstances:

  1. You, your travel partner or family member suffer an unforeseeable and disabling injury* prior to joining or while on tour;
  2. You, your travel partner or family member suffer an unforeseeable illness* requiring hospitalization or urgent medical care prior to joining or while on tour;
  3. You, your travel partner or family member dies;
  4. You, your travel partner or family member are involved in a serious injury-causing accident while en route to a tour departure;
  5. You, your travel partner or family member suffer a certifiable personal disaster such as your home floods or burns down, or you are a victim of a serious crime, necessitating a change in travel plans.

*Unforeseeable illness or injury: An unforeseen illness or injury is one which first occurs within 60 days prior to your tour's start date, or while on tour.

If you request a refund of your tour payment because of an unforeseen illness or injury, we require you to provide us with a letter from your attending physician, typed on the physician's letterhead, verifying the date of onset and the specific reason given for advice against traveling. Any information provided by your physician will be maintained in the utmost privacy.  If your physician advises you not to travel, you must notify ETBD about that event in writing immediately. This letter must be faxed (425-771-0833), or mailed (PO Box 2009, Edmonds WA 98020), to the attention of the Tour Department Manager. If you request a refund of tour payments because you have been a victim of a crime or a flood or fire or an accident, you must provide us with a copy of a pertinent police, fire department or investigative report.

If you need to cancel your tour reservation due to the unexpected loss of your job, we will refund your final tour payment if you notify us at least 30 days before your tour’s departure date. We will require a letter signed by your employer specifying the date of termination, typed on the company’s letterhead (including contact information). This must be provided to ETBD prior to your tour departure date. A refund check will be sent to you upon verification of the information. Please note that we cannot refund your deposit due to job loss.

ETBD will not refund your tour payments in any amount under these circumstances:

  1. Carrier-related delays, including those caused by bad weather, labor disputes, civil unrest or mechanical problems;
  2. Personal problems or difficulties that are not medically disabling;
  3. Business problems or emergencies;
  4. Governmental obligations or requirements related to subpoenas, summons, jury duty or lawsuits, war, terrorism or the Immigration and Naturalization Service;
  5. Your inability to obtain a passport or visa or other travel-related document;
  6. Self-inflicted injury or harm;
  7. Problems related to alcohol or substance abuse; or
  8. Personal injuries caused by high-risk personal activities such as skydiving, racing or bungee cord jumping.

This documents ETBD's plan for providing partial refunds of tour payments in certain events. Our willingness to make these limited refunds, however, is no substitute for your purchase of supplemental travel and health insurance. Although travel is usually fun and safe, travel, by its nature, always involves some risks that you or ETBD will not anticipate. We strongly suggest you purchase travel and health insurance to provide yourself the optimum protection from unanticipated medical and travel difficulties.