Plans change. This page sets out exactly what it costs when they do, so there is nothing to argue about later. It forms part of our terms and conditions.
A cancellation received 11 days or fewer before your travel date is charged at 100%, without exception. That is the point at which our own suppliers stop refunding us, so there is nothing left for us to return. Please plan around this date rather than asking us to waive it — we cannot.
How to cancel
Cancellations must be made in writing to reachus@carestopindia.com, quoting your booking reference. Charges are calculated from the date we receive that written notice, not from the date you decided. A phone call is welcome but does not by itself start the clock.
Cancellation charges — land arrangements
These apply to the land portion of your package: accommodation, transport, guiding and our service.
| Written notice received | Charge | You get back |
|---|---|---|
| 18 days or more before travel | 25% | 75% |
| 12 to 17 days before travel | 50% | 50% |
| 11 days or fewer before travel | 100% | Nil |
| No-show, or abandoning the trip part-way | 100% | Nil |
Percentages are of the total invoice value, inclusive of GST where charged.
Third-party charges are separate
Air tickets, rail tickets, non-refundable hotel rates and certain permits carry the supplier's own cancellation rules, which we cannot waive or absorb. These are passed through at cost, as levied, in addition to the slab above.
- Airlines. Most discounted domestic fares are largely non-refundable; taxes are usually recoverable. Group fares follow the fare rules attached to that booking.
- Indian Railways. Refunds follow IRCTC rules, which vary by class and by how close to departure the ticket is cancelled.
- Hotels. Peak-date and advance-purchase rates are often non-refundable from the moment they are confirmed. Where that applies to your booking we tell you before you pay.
- Permits and park bookings. Inner-line permits, national park safari slots and similar are generally non-refundable once issued.
Peak dates
For travel between 20 December and 5 January, over Diwali, over Holi, and for any booking involving Ladakh, the Andaman Islands, Lakshadweep or Kashmir in high season, a flat 50% charge applies from the date of confirmation and 100% within 22 days of travel. These are dates on which our suppliers take our money and do not give it back.
Group bookings of 15 or more
Group bookings are held against blocks that we commit to on your behalf. Charges are:
- More than 60 days before travel: 25% of package value
- 60 to 23 days: 50%
- 22 days or fewer: 100%
Partial reductions in headcount are treated as cancellations of those travellers at the applicable slab, because the room block has already been committed.
Moving your dates instead
Postponing is nearly always cheaper than cancelling and we would rather you did it. Where we can move a booking we charge an amendment fee of ₹2,000 per traveller plus any difference in seasonal rates and any third-party amendment charges. One postponement per booking; a second is treated as a cancellation and a fresh booking. Postponement is not available inside 11 days of travel, for the same reason cancellation is not refundable there.
Cancellation by us
If we cancel your trip for any reason other than your own breach of these terms, you may choose between a full refund of everything you have paid us, or an alternative arrangement of equivalent standard with any difference in price adjusted either way. Our liability in that situation is limited to the amount you have paid us.
Events beyond anyone's control
Where a trip cannot proceed because of an event outside our reasonable control — acts of God, fire, flood, earthquake or other natural disaster, epidemic or pandemic, war or civil unrest, strikes, road or airspace closure, or any order or restriction imposed by a government or public authority — we will recover whatever we can from our suppliers and pass it back to you in full, less any costs already irrecoverably incurred and our documented direct expenses. We do not profit from a cancelled trip. We are not obliged to refund amounts our own suppliers have kept. This is precisely the situation travel insurance exists for, which is why we recommend it on every booking.
Refund timelines
- Our own portion: processed within 10 working days of the refund amount being agreed, and typically credited within 2 to 3 weeks depending on your bank
- Refunds are made to the original payment instrument and in the original currency
- Airline, railway and hotel refunds run on the supplier's timeline, which can take considerably longer. We chase them and keep you updated; we cannot accelerate them
- Bank charges and payment-gateway fees, where levied, are not refundable
GST on cancellation
GST already paid on cancelled services is refunded to the extent we are able to recover or adjust it under prevailing GST rules. GST on retained cancellation charges is not refundable, as those charges constitute a taxable supply.
Unused services
No refund is available for any service included in your package but not used — a missed meal, an unused hotel night, a sightseeing block you chose to skip, or an early departure from the trip.
Questions
If any of this is unclear before you book, ask. We would much rather explain it now.
+91 87960 43538 ·
reachus@carestopindia.com