These Terms and Conditions form part of the legal contract of rental. Please read them carefully. This contract will be governed by English law, The Davinci Group's registered legal seat.

DEFINITIONS

The booking between the Company, "The Davinci Group" (thereafter referred to as the Company) and the Client is only valid when the Company has received the signed booking form and appropriate deposits and the Company has sent confirmation of the booking.

METHODS OF PAYMENT

On completion of the booking form 30% of the total property rental, plus any insurance premiums are required.

Sixty days before departure or, if booking is within 60 days, the balance of the rental cost will be payable by cheque, bank transfer or credit card. A credit surcharge of 3.5% is payable. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express and Diners Card are accepted. We do not accept debit cards. Cheques drawn against a UK bank must be presented with a copy of the guarantee card. Unfortunately, due to an increased level of fraud we cannot accept American Express Corporate Cards.

When paying by credit card you must specify which currency you wished to be charged in: British Pounds, US Dollars or Euro's. Unless otherwise stated we charge in Euros.

In the event of non-payment on the due date, the Company may, in addition to its other legal remedies, cancel the rental and any deposits and insurance premiums paid will be forfeited.

CANCELLATION AND ALTERATION BY THE COMPANY

The Company may cancel or alter the arrangements relating to the rental accommodation booked, at any time prior to the balance of the holiday being received, and undertakes to advise the client of any proposed cancellation or alteration at the earliest possible moment. In the unlikely event that this may become necessary the client will be given the choice of:

- accepting the revised holiday
- accepting an alternative rental
- receiving a refund of all monies paid, but the Company's liability shall be limited to the amount of that refund.

After the balance of the rental cost has been paid, the Company may alter any of the holiday arrangements. Where possible the client will be offered a rental of comparable or higher standard and the client will the choice of either accepting the alteration or a refund of all monies paid, less reasonable expenses. When an alteration results in a client accepting a rental of lower standards, compensation of €20.00 per person (excluding infants) will be paid, in addition to the appropriate price adjustment of the two rentals.

Compensation will not be payable and the Company may not be held responsible for such alterations of any holiday, flights, or accommodation, or for reasons beyond the control of the Company, including but not limited force majeure, threat of war, war, riots, civil commotion, industrial dispute, terrorist activities, technical or other problems with transportation, closure of airports, and alterations or cancellations of air or sea services.

CANCELLATION AND ALTERATIONS BY THE CLIENT

Any cancellations of the booking by the client must be received by the Company in writing and in addition to any other monies which the Company may recover as the result of the cancellation, the following sums will be payable by the client to the Company on demand.

If cancellation is:

- more than 70 days before departure Loss of deposit and insurance premium.
- 60-43 days before departure 45% of the total holiday cost payable
- 42-29 days before departure 60% of the total holiday cost payable
- 28-15 days before departure 80% of the total holiday cost payable
- 14 days before departure 100% of the total holiday cost payable

Should the client wish to make an alteration to the booking after it has been confirmed, the Company will whenever possible, endeavour to accommodate the client. There will however, be an administration fee of €45.00 per booking.

Should such an amendment be made within ten weeks prior to the original departure date, then the cancellation charges as outlined in the clause above will apply, except where the amendment is to substitute a party member, providing we are notified not less than 14 days before departure, a fee of €40.00 per person, together with any other costs we incur as a result, will be charged.

VARIATIONS AND CONDITIONS

There can be no variations in these booking conditions, or in the terms under which the holiday is booked, and no promise of refunds shall be valid unless in writing and signed by a Director of the Company.

Minimum letting period is one week. The properties refer to one week's rental and include electricity, gas, water, linen and towels.
At Costa San Giorgio and Borgo Ognissanti the minimum rental period is 3 days and the maximum is 3 months. For rentals over two weeks utility usage is exclusive of the rental charge.
All the properties are cleaned and prepared for each new arrival.
Where properties are cleaned more frequently this is specified in the accommodation details.
Extra cleaning may also be available on request and will be charged locally.
Heating is not included, but is available as an additional charge for winter lets.
Clients are requested to take their own bathing towels, as these are not provided.
The client must leave the holiday accommodation with all contents clean and in good order.
The accommodation shall be occupied only by those persons named on the Company- issued confirmation invoice and stipulated on the Company booking form,
Unless prior written agreement has been obtained from the Company's Head Office, the Company reserves the right to terminate the rental and will pay no compensation to any client who is likely to cause distress, danger or annoyance to any other client, employee or other third party, or damage the property

BROCHURE DESCRIPTION AND PHOTOGRAPHS

The photographs published in the brochure and web site are intended to give an overall impression of the accommodation and areas offered. The Company cannot be liable for any items of furniture or any external features of the accommodation being altered since the time of going to print.

GENERAL INFORMATION

NOTE: Please read the conditions of the Booking carefully.

The person signing the Booking Form does so on behalf of all persons named thereon and warrants that no member of the party is or will be traveling against the advice of a medical practitioner.

Please ensure that you are in possession of a full passport at the time of your holiday and we suggest that this extends 1 month beyond your return date.

No special Visa is required for entry to Italy by holders of EU passports.

Non-EU passport holders should check entry requirements with their national embassy. Non-EU passport holders wishing to stay in Italy for over 30 days are required to apply for temporary residence, this can be arranged very easily.

CLIENTS TRAVELING ON OTHER THAN EU PASSPORTS ARE ADVISED TO CHECK WITH THE RELEVANT EMBASSY FOR ANY NECESSARY VISA OR ENTRY PERMIT REQUIREMENTS.

SWIMMING POOLS

Pools are open from the 25th May to 26th October. By arrangement they can be opened earlier and a supplement will be charged. Please note the majority are not fenced and are used at the client's own risk, children especially should be supervised.

Pools are not heated.

The Company cannot be liable for any breakdowns with filtration or any other mechanical systems, but will endeavour to arrange repairs as soon as possible of being notified. Damage caused to the filtration system where the client can be proved negligible is chargeable from the security deposit. Swimming pool accessories such as inflatable toys should always be removed from the pool when not in use.

ELECTRICITY AND WATER

The Company cannot be held responsible for the failure of public services (water, electricity etc). It will however, make every effort, as far as it is able, to see that the failure is corrected as quickly as possible. The Company cannot be held responsible for any disturbance, which is beyond the control of the Company.

During the summer months, occasional water shortages do occur. We do ask that care be taken that taps are not left dripping and that water is used sparingly. The electricity supply in Italy is such that limits are imposed on national consumption. We therefore recommend care be taken when using more than one electrical appliance at one time.

BREAKAGE AND TELEPHONE DEPOSITS

A security deposit (usually €200) is payable on arrival from which will be deducted the cost of any damage to the property or breakage's during your stay. The amount, less any applicable deductions, will be returned to you within 14 days of your departure by a cheque or bank transfer in your local currency. In some instances a Telephone deposit may be required.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE TIMES

The accommodation will be ready for client occupation between 4.00 PM and 6.00 PM and vacation of the property is required by 10.30 am on the day of departure to allow sufficient time for cleaning between lets.

HEATING AND WINTER LETS

Some of our houses have central heating and are available for winter lets. However, heating and wood for the open fires is not included in the rental price and should be paid for locally, either to the owner or to the caretaker before departure.

IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM

Any problems during your stay, which cannot be resolved by dealing directly with the owner or the owner's representatives, must be reported immediately to our Office or local agent. We will not consider any complaints after the completion of your holiday. Please remember there is little that can be done on your behalf once you have returned from your holiday.

PETS

Pets are permitted in some properties. Please check before booking.

INSURANCE

It is strongly recommended that all clients take out adequate travel and cancellation insurance.

Please note that should you fail to take adequate cover, whilst we will offer reasonable assistance, we cannot take responsibility for any costs, which you may incur, and you must indemnify us for any expenses, which we are obliged to incur on your behalf.

SPECIAL NOTES FOR EBAY BUYERS

Occasionally we offer weeks at our properties on Ebay, an online auction system. If you book a property using this system our terms of business are slightly different:

Your purchase of a one-week stay at the villa is protected by ebay's buyer-protection insurance policy but this is NOT travel insurance.

As you are staying at the auctioned property for a reduced price we ask that you help us keep costs down by leaving the property tidy.

We cannot refund any payments made for weeks at a property beyond 25 days after the auction has ended.

The contract clause regarding heating does not apply to ebay bidders. Heating is included. However, wood for open fires is extra.

Our regular payment terms do not apply to ebay bidders. You must pay the closing bid price plus any quoted extras within 14 days of the auction close.