Terms and Conditions
Last Updated: 06/01/2024
Please carefully read the Terms and Conditions of Travelers With Cause (TWC) before submitting your online application. By submitting your application, you confirm your acceptance and agree to be bound by the following Terms and Conditions of Service of TWC:
Definitions:
• All referenced prices are in U.S. dollars.
• All timeframes referenced in these terms and conditions are based on Mexico Standard Time.
• “TWC” refers to the company “Travelers With Cause.”
• “User” or “Traveler” refers to the TWC client who has applied to participate in a program or tour package.
• “Allies” refers to the local coordinator facilitating the social project program at the chosen destination.
• “Route,” “program,” or “package” refers to the services or packages contracted by the “user” to “TWC.”
• The “TWC Website” or “site” refers to www.travelerswithcause.com or any of its variants such as “.app.”
• “Deposit” or “Deposit Payment” refers to the moment when a “user” registers for any of TWC’s programs and/or services.
Travel and Documentation
The “user” is solely responsible for organizing and paying for their own flight to and from the program destination, as well as local transportation costs. The “user” is also responsible for obtaining and carrying all necessary documentation, such as visas, vaccinations, and passports, when traveling abroad. While TWC may provide guidance to the participant regarding required travel documentation personally or through an intermediary, TWC is not responsible for the accuracy of its advice or for providing or obtaining the necessary supporting documents for the participant’s travel needs, such as visas, medical certificates, and travel permits. Participants are responsible for ensuring that their travel documents are up-to-date and valid for travel and for delivering them immediately after securing their spot. Getting to the destination is entirely the “user’s” responsibility. TWC is not responsible for any parts of the program or the entire program that are missed. The age limit to join a TWC program is 40 years, and the minimum age is 18 years. Lying about age is grounds for removal from the program without a refund.
Payment Information
Starting June 1, 2024, all users who secure a spot and make any payment to TWC will be considered non-refundable, transferable, or subject to change. The amount to be paid will depend on the specific program and will be specified on the program’s site. The deposit payment is part of the total amount to be paid for the selected trip, and this payment will secure your place on the route and date you selected. All deposit payments include a 5% transaction fee to cover international banking transaction fees. All payments made with Travelers With Cause are processed through our online platform, where we use the “Stripe” payment engine. Packages are quoted in U.S. dollars, and your bank will determine the exchange rate at the time of payment. Within our platform’s portal, you will receive a payment receipt each time you make a payment; we do not provide receipts with fiscal validity. Cash payments are not accepted.
A monthly payment plan is offered from the day you make your deposit payment until the 15th day of the month before your departure date. The package must be paid in full at least 30 days before the departure date. Additionally, by accepting these terms and conditions, the user agrees to comply with the following minimum installment amounts by the specified dates. At 90 days before the departure date, the user must have paid 30% of the total package amount; at 60 days, 60% of the total package amount; and 100% at 30 days before the departure date. If the user does not follow these policies, TWC reserves the right to automatically charge the card and/or account registered through our portal one day after the due date until the user’s total amount to be paid is completed. If payment is not made on time and automatic collection is not possible, reservations will be canceled due to non-payment.
TWC may, at its sole discretion, offer customized options to a “user” or group of “users,” and the terms agreed upon in any customized option will apply to that “user” or group of “users,” instead of the options set forth in these Terms and Conditions or the TWC website.
TWC reserves the right to update the terms of any registration fee option it offers, including the fee amount, at any time. TWC may offer new options at any time. All updates to the terms of the deposit payment options will be made through the TWC website. Revisions do not apply to “users” who have already made the deposit payment before the updates take effect.
Refunds and Changes
All payments made are non-refundable due to the nature of the logistics, suppliers, and donations to communities that TWC works with. TWC is not responsible for unforeseen events or personal circumstances that may affect the user’s ability to participate in the route.
The only users eligible for refunds are those whose routes are canceled by TWC due to force majeure, and it would be under the following conditions:
• Any exchange rate gain or loss from the transaction is the user’s responsibility.
• Each refund will incur a fixed 4% financial fee on the amount to be refunded.
• The refund may take up to 30 business days to be reflected.
• The refund is made to the same card from which the payment was made.
A 12-month credit can be obtained if a replacement is found for the user on the route. The amount already paid can be used as credit for any other route within the same calendar year (12 subsequent months). If a replacement is not found, the payments made will not be credited and cannot be transferred to other routes. If there are no published dates for the following routes, the “user” must be informed by TWC when the next dates will be published to be able to join once they are published. If the program the user signed up for changes or ceases to exist, the user must choose a route option from TWC’s available offerings at the time of the change. Any cancellation made less than 90 days before the departure date is not eligible for any type of change or credit.
Risks
The “user” acknowledges and accepts the responsibilities and risks associated with their choice to travel, temporarily reside, and visit a foreign country. Such travel can be dangerous and involves a certain degree of risk, including inherently dangerous activities and personal dangers for the “user,” both anticipated and unanticipated, all of which are fully accepted and assumed exclusively by the “user.” Therefore, TWC, including each and every one of its employees, managers, directors, shareholders, host families, allies, and independent local teams (collectively, the “TWC Related Parties”), is not responsible and disclaims all liability, to the maximum extent permitted by law, for any loss or damage the “user” or associates may suffer, including but not limited to losses caused directly or indirectly by:
• Personal injury;
• Emotional damage;
• Death;
• Illness or disease;
• Property damage or loss;
• Natural disasters;
• Hostage situations, harassment, or violence;
• War or terrorism;
• Protests.
Liability and Indemnification
The “user” agrees to indemnify and hold harmless TWC and all TWC Related Parties from any and all losses or liabilities they may suffer arising directly or indirectly from, or in connection with, the “user’s” participation in the program and any additional activity purchased through TWC, including but not limited to the “user’s” travel, temporary residence at the chosen destination, and participation in volunteer or tourism activities.
Pre-Travel Guidance
TWC provides guidance to users to facilitate pre-travel preparations, including information on flights, visas, and vaccinations. However, TWC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of such information. The user is solely responsible for verifying and complying with the necessary travel requirements, including obtaining visas, vaccinations, and any other required documents. The user agrees that it is their responsibility to obtain all necessary information before making travel arrangements. This includes, but is not limited to, verifying visa and vaccination requirements for the chosen destination, as well as reviewing airline policies regarding flights, layovers, and baggage. The user should adequately inform themselves and make pertinent decisions based on their own discretion.
Flights
TWC is not responsible for the purchase of flights or for any loss, delay, cancellation, or other related inconveniences, whether for domestic or international flights, whether part of the itinerary offered in any of the packages or not. Additionally, any additional expenses arising from these events will be borne by the user. The user must follow up on their flights directly with the airline or flight provider.
“Users” under 18 years of age
“Users” participating in a TWC volunteer program before turning 18 must submit a notarized consent form signed by their parents or legal guardians to TWC no later than 2 weeks before the program start date. Only individuals up to 17 years of age with the conditions mentioned here are accepted, and not all programs accept minors under 18 years old. The “user” under 18 does not have the right to participate in the program unless their parent or guardian has validly executed the consent form and the specific requirements of the TWC project or independent local team. “Users” under 18 who are not traveling with a legal guardian must provide a printed copy of this signed consent form upon arrival at their program. The “user” under 18 and their parents/guardians acknowledge that while in a volunteer program, it is the responsibility of the “user” under 18 to make all reasonable efforts to avoid any activity, environment, object, or substance that may have an adverse effect on the health or well-being of the “user.” If the “user” under 18 does not comply with the Code of Conduct or other risk mitigation provisions, TWC reserves the right to remove the “user” under 18 from the program at any time, when such action is reasonably determined by TWC. The expulsion of the “user” is not subject to appeal. The removal of the “user” from the program will be at the expense of the “user” and/or the parent/guardian without the right to a refund. All program participants acknowledge that they will be responsible for their own actions at all times. Participants will be required to sign a behavior contract during the program orientation. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the “user” under 18 and their parent/guardian release TWC from any claim, demand, action, or proceeding with respect to the expulsion and/or entry of the “user” under 18 to or from the program in accordance with this Agreement.
Drug and Alcohol Use
The “user” must comply with the rules established by TWC regarding alcohol consumption; it is strictly prohibited during social project days/hours. The use of drugs is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate removal from the program without a refund, and the user must also comply with the legal provisions of the country being visited.
Packages and Itineraries
The packages and itineraries shown on the “TWC website” may be modified at any time, including their price, duration, order of days, activities to be carried out, inclusions, and exclusions. It is at the complete discretion of TWC to make adjustments. For “Users” already at the destination, programs may undergo last-minute changes due to factors such as bad weather, protests, blocked roads, or any other unforeseeable aspect. TWC reserves the right to modify the itinerary and its inclusions for safety reasons and to improve the overall experience.
Privacy Policies
Travelers With Cause and the “user” agree to the conditions set forth in the Privacy Policies.
Other
TWC offers a service that connects “users” with allies. You agree that TWC is not responsible for any action or omission by allies in the social project. The “user” agrees to comply with the code of conduct of TWC’s allies. TWC and its local allies reserve the right to expel a “user” from the program at any time without a refund if these Terms and Conditions or the code of conduct are violated. In the event of a suspected or potential outbreak of any infectious disease in the program, among close contacts, or in places recently attended by the “user,” the “user” agrees to undergo necessary tests at their own expense. If the “user” refuses to undergo such tests, TWC allies have the right to dismiss the “user” from the program and remove them from their accommodation at any time without a refund and to implement other measures to protect the health of other “users” and local staff or community. TWC reserves the right to notify the “user’s” designated emergency contact if the “user” is dismissed from the program and in other circumstances deemed appropriate by TWC. TWC reserves the right to use comments and images provided or shared by “users” for marketing and promotion purposes.
To the extent permitted by law, all representations, terms, warranties, or conditions implied by law, common law, or trade custom or otherwise, including but not limited to implied warranties, are excluded. Notwithstanding anything else contained in any agreement, TWC’s liability to the “user” will not exceed the amount of the registration fee paid by the “user.”
This website is presented solely for the purpose of promoting TWC’s and its allies’ services. This site is controlled and operated by TWC. TWC does not guarantee that the materials on the site are appropriate or available for use in other locations. Those who choose to access this site from other locations do so on their own initiative and are responsible to the extent that local law applies. TWC does not guarantee or make any representations regarding the correctness, accuracy, reliability, or otherwise of the materials on this site or the result of their use. TWC reserves the right to change these Terms and Conditions or the services it offers at any time and without prior notice. TWC reserves the right to refuse acceptance of any application and/or cancel any previously accepted application.
Force Majeure
Travelers With Cause is not responsible for performance failures, unavailability, or failure of services or its website, or for Travelers With Cause’s failure to comply with these Terms and Conditions if arising from any cause reasonably beyond Travelers With Cause’s control.
Previous Terms and Conditions prior to June 1, 2024
To access terms and conditions prior to those published here, they are available at the following link.