Booking Deposit At the point of reservation, a £150 deposit (non refundable) is taken to reserve your chosen Motorhome for the agreed hire period. We will then send you a booking confirmation, at which point our contract is binding. If our insurers levy an additional premium we will advise you of this as to how you wish to proceed. If insurance is declined we will inform you and return your deposit. (See below under Drivers’ for which drivers are covered as standard by our insurance.) The balance of hire charges must reach us no later than 6 weeks prior to commencement of hire, or as soon as practicable for bookings made at short notice. If payment is not forth coming and we have received no response by email or telephone then we have the right to cancel your reservation.
If a booking is cancelled, the following charges will apply depending on the time of cancellation;
over 4 weeks before collection date: 50% of total hire charge
4 weeks or less before the collection date: 100% of total hire charge.
Damage/Security Deposit A £750 damage/security deposit must be paid for each hire. The deposit will be fully refunded within 5 working days of the end of the hire minus any costs as detailed below. Please note that the security deposit is not a holding deposit and must be cleared funds before the hirer can take delivery of any vehicle (this is a requirement of our insurance company). The security deposit can be paid by card on the day of departure. Refunds will be processed using the same method, provided that the vehicle is returned complete, clean and tidy on the inside, undamaged, with an empty toilet and the same amount of diesel. On arrival back at our depot, the vehicle will be inspected. If applicable, damage or breakage charges will be deducted from your Damage/Security Deposit (see ‘Returns’ section below). In the event of any damage resulting in a valid insurance claim the hirer will be responsible for payment of the insurance excess (£750) per incident. The security deposit will be held until the insurance claim is fully settled. The hirer is responsible for payment of any damage to windows, windscreen or tyres, or for any costs associated with putting the wrong type of fuel in the vehicle and any damage to the roof.
Damage & Cleanliness Parts for Motorhomes are expensive and for the most part are not immediately available“off the shelf”. If the Motorhome sustains damage at any time during your hire, however minor, please inform us straightaway. If we know about it we can start to make arrangements for repair before the vehicle returns in time for the next hire, potentially avoiding leaving us in a position of having to cancel or compensate another customers holiday. Wilful damage, neglect of care or accidental damage which is not part of a road accident (e.g. a tin falling out of a cupboard and puncturing a table or worktop), is not covered by insurance. Costs incurred due to the fault of the hirer (e.g. keys locked inside vehicle, wrong type of fuel used, flat battery, etc., will not be reimbursed. We understand that accidents do happen and make no charge for the occasional broken item of tableware. Please do let us know if anything is lost or damaged so that we can ensure the vehicle is fully stocked for the next hirer. You are required to return the vehicle in a clean and undamaged condition, with an empty waste water tank and empty and clean toilet and the same amount of diesel. (Exterior washing is not necessary.) A charge of £50 will be imposed for any vehicle returned with a soiled or unemptied toilet, or with the interior unreasonably dirty. Additional charges will be deducted from the security deposit for stain removal from upholstery or carpets, or any other damage.
Collection Window This is between 3pm - 5pm (unless agreed by prior arrangement) Please be on time for your vehicle collection and allow up to one hour for a full vehicle induction, during which time we will demonstrate full, proper and safe use of the vehicle systems and equipment. All drivers must be present at collection. We will need to see the plastic card part of the driving license and also a printout from the DVLA - please see https://www.viewdrivingrecord.service.gov.uk/driving-record/licence-number. Alongside this we also need a proof of address for every driver, matching the address on the licence (e.g. council tax, telephone or utility bill dated within the last 3 months). Return - before 11am It is important that you return the vehicle at the date and time specified in your Hire Agreement. Late returns may be surcharged at £50 per hour or part thereof. By arrangement, we can take a vehicle in at an earlier time than specified during business hours; however no refund of unused hire will be made. On arrival back at our Depot, we will carry out a vehicle inspection and an inventory check. Please allow up to 30 minutes for unloading the vehicle, our inspection and sign-off.
Return It is important that you return the vehicle at the date and time specified in your Hire Agreement. Late returns may be surcharged at £50 per hour or part thereof. By arrangement, we can take a vehicle in at an earlier time than specified during business hours; however no refund of unused hire will be made. On arrival back at our Depot, we will carry out an outside visual vehicle inspection – the vehicles are then checked thoroughly by our cleaning team – this is normally within 2 days of return. Once this is complete and there are no problems found the security deposit will be returned to the same method of original payment. The hirer remains fully responsible for the vehicle until it is returned to the depot. Vehicles not returned as clean as when they were collected will face a cleaning fee of £40 – this does not cover damage.
Safe and Legal use The hirer and all additional drivers are responsible for the safe and legal use of the vehicle on hire. It is also the responsibility of the hirer to ensure that they have the relevant category on their driving license to drive our vehicle. Drivers Depending on the vehicle hired, you may require category C1 on your licence (if you passed your test before 1997 then it should be automatically on your licence). It is your responsibility to check that you are legally entitled to drive your chosen motorhome. The driver is responsible for checking oil and water levels during the hire. Drivers must stop immediately if the vehicle appears to be overheating. Any damage caused by negligence will be charge for. Two drivers are allowed. Each driver must have held a full UK/EU licence for at least two years, be aged between 25 and 75. Endorsements on licences: you must declare at the time of Booking if there are any endorsements on your licence. Hire a Hymer can accept up to 6 speeding points that occurred within the last 3 years. For more than 6 points or for any conviction other than for speeding, including, but not limited to the following codes: AC, BA, CD, DD, DR, IN, LC, MS, UT, MR and TT or for any driver disqualification within the last 5 years we may not be able to get cover. No refund will be given if the hire is cancelled because we are unable to insure you to drive.
Spent convictions as covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 may be disregarded. At the commencement of hire each driver must present their driving licence (photocard and printout - please see below) along with one proof of identity. IMPORTANT CHANGES!! From 8th June 2015 the DVLA will be scraping the paper part of your licence. You will need to print off these details prior to hire. More information available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/driving-licence-changes Insurance may be declined or an additional insurance surcharge may be payable for drivers who meet any of the following criteria: Persons who have any mental or physical defect or infirmity or suffers from fits, diabetes or any heart complaint. Persons who have had insurance cancelled/declined and/or renewal refused and/or special insurance terms imposed as a result of claims experience. Persons engaged wholly or partly in professional entertainment or professional sports. Jockeys and persons connected with racing of any sort. Persons who whilst driving have been involved in more than one accident during the past three years. Foreign Service Personnel other than persons born in the UK. If any of the above criteria apply to you, please contact us for a quotation. All drivers must drive the vehicle with due care for the vehicle, their passengers and other road users. The vehicle is intended for leisure transportation on made up roads only. It must not be used for any other purpose, such as racing, rallying, or trials. Particular care must be taken entering/exiting gateways, negotiating around buildings and steep inclines (e.g. roll-on/roll-off ferries, where there is risk of grounding the rear). It must not be driven through deep fords, or saltwater. All drivers must be aware of the overhead height of the vehicle (3 metres) and are responsible for all damage due to hitting an overhead obstruction, such as height restrictions into car parks. Such damage is not covered by the insurance and the hirer will be responsible for all repair costs.
European Travel (EU countries only) An additional premium of £10 per day is payable for travel to EU countries. Travel outside the EU is not permitted. The following Countries are covered by the European motorhome insurance. Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Iceland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland including Liechtenstein. Travel outside of these countries listed above will be in breach of these terms and conditions. Please check your route carefully and ensure it doesn’t go outside these countries.
Offences and LEZ zones in UK and Europe The hirer is wholly responsible for any offences of any kind which may occur while the vehicle is in your care, including (but not limited to) parking tickets, congestion charges, speeding fines and road traffic violations. Our motorhomes have not been registered in the London’s Low Emission Zone (LEZ) database or for the similar schemes across Europe - therefore our vehicles cannot be driven within this zone without purchasing a daily pass. More information is available here for UK and Europe
http://www.lowemissionzones.eu/ http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/lez/default.aspx Any fines or charges incurred during the hire period which arrive after return of the vehicle will be deducted from your Damage/Security Deposit, or, if this has been returned, passed on to you. An additional administration fee of £25 will be added for each offence.
Security Whilst the vehicle is in your care, you are responsible for ensuring that all reasonable precautions are taken against damage to, or theft of or from the vehicle. When you leave the vehicle, ensure all windows and rooflights are closed, doors are locked and you have the keys. Do not give the keys to anyone else or permit unauthorised persons to drive the vehicle. Your insurance does not cover theft of or from the vehicle if: The vehicle has been left unlocked; They keys have been left in it; Window(s) and or door(s) have been left open; You have allowed someone else to drive it and they take it away. Do not leave valuables or the TV/DVD on display, or leave the vehicle in a vulnerable position, such as on a junction or street corner, poorly lit or unsuitable areas. Taking these basic precautions will help reduce the risk of unwelcome attention and the distress this can cause. If you have hired bicycles ensure that they are securely locked using the bike lock provided at all times.
Accident In the event of the Motorhome being involved in an accident arising out of the use of the vehicle you must obtain the names, addresses and contact details of any third parties involved or witnesses and report the accident to the local Police. You must contact us at the earliest reasonable opportunity and complete an accident report form, as supplied. Do not make any admission of liability, settlement offer or other like offer. Take photographs of the scene if possible.
Car Parking Free car parking, at owners risk, is offered at our depot for the duration of your holiday. (Normally 1 vehicle per hire)
Animals Well behaved dogs are welcome in most of our motorhomes. If you would like to take your dog we ask you to pay for the motorhome to be valeted after use - this is a one off charge of £30-£50. Dogs are not allowed on the seats or beds - any evidence of this will result in additional cleaning fees.
Payment We accept payment of reservation deposit and damage/security deposit via debit/credit card (all funds must be cleared prior to hire). Any remaining paid in cash.
Base Vehicle (Chassis) Breakdown Full breakdown cover is provided for mechanical faults of the base chassis of the Motorhome. In the unlikely event of vehicle breakdown, please contact us as soon as is reasonable so that we can assist as necessary before phoning for recovery. Our breakdown cover does not cover driver negligence - failure to check oil and coolant or to stop when overheating will result in the customer having to pay for recovery and repair. In the event that you cannot make contact with us, the number for the breakdown company will be in the glovebox of the motorhome. If you break down on a European Motorway, particularly France, the law is that you will have to contact the emergency services to get towed to an exit BEFORE the breakdown company will attend. If you choose to travel on the Motorway, you will have to bear the cost of this part of the recovery. Emergency numbers are 08 25 09 88 76 or 04 72 17 12 00 from a French landline. Or, from a UK mobile phone, call: 00 33 825 09 88 76 or 00 33 472 17 12 00. In the event of a breakdown that cannot be repaired, HireaHymer will endeavor to provide a replacement vehicle. (unless the breakdown is caused by driver negligence). If no replacement vehicle is available, the liability of the company will be restricted to the benefits provided under the roadside recovery insurance. The roadside recovery insurance does not cover minor faults or failure of the systems in the accommodation part of the vehicle (such as heating/hot water, electrical system or fridge/freezer). In the event of a fault with such systems within the UK, the company will endeavour to identify a local repairer to assess and repair the fault and may require the hirer to deliver the vehicle to a location of the Company’s choice for assessment and repair during the hire period. In the event of a fault with such systems outside of the UK, HireaHymer will try assist in identifying a local repairer to assess and repair the fault. The Company do not offer refunds or compensation for any inconvenience or delay caused by a breakdown or fault repair.
Habitation Equipment or Accessory Breakdown In the first instance, please contact us so that we may establish whether the problem can be resolved during the hire period and advise you what to do. This may mean a visit to a Motorhome dealership or repair centre. Reasonable agreed costs, supported by a VAT receipt, will be reimbursed but please do contact us for authorisation first. Please do not attempt DIY repairs.
Vehicle Maintenance The driver is responsible for the roadworthiness of the vehicle and the safety of the passengers. Each vehicle is checked prior to despatch and you are required to monitor oil, engine coolant, windscreen washer fluid level and tyre pressures whilst the vehicle is in your care.
Gas Each motorhome comes equipped with a refillable LPG gas bottle. We try to ensure that these are at least 50% full.
Fuel All of our vehicles run on diesel fuel. The vehicle must be returned with the same amount in the tank as departure. Any fuel required on return will be charged at the prevailing rate per litre plus a £25 refuelling charge, which will also mean delay in completion and sign-off. YOU WILL BE LIABLE FOR ANY COSTS IF YOU REFUEL THE VEHICLE WITH THE WRONG FUEL – ONLY USE DIESEL!
Force Majeure We will make every effort to ensure that the reserved Motorhome is available for collection by you at the correct time. If, due to circumstances beyond our control, this is not possible and an alternative Motorhome is not available our liability is limited to the refund of all monies paid by you.
Smoking For the benefit of hirers, smoking is not permitted in any of our vehicles. Any evidence of smoking may result in a £75 cleaning charge.