terms and conditions
SEASONS ALTITUDE SNOW - ALTITUDE GROUP JAPAN 合同会社 アルティテュードグループジャパン合同会社
When completing the invoice payment for the booking you are accepting the SAS Niseko ALTITUDE GROUP JAPAN 合同会社アルティテュードグループジャパン合同会社 Terms and conditions clearly outlined on the web site below. Download as a pdf here.
The following terms apply to bookings made in Niseko, Japan. Applicable to bookings made from 30/04/2022
General Terms and Conditions
1. Altitude Snow is a ski school operating under the licensing of ALTITUDEGROUP JAPAN 合同会社.
2. By making a booking with us you agree to the Terms and Conditions listedbelow. Please refer to our website for a description of the products referred to below.
3. Occasionally, we make special offers. If there are inconsistencies in the offerwith these General Terms, the terms of the offer override these General Terms and Conditions to the extent that they do.
4. All prices quoted are for ski instruction at one of our designated resorts only.You must arrange and pay separately for all other potential costs connected with the lesson(s) booked, for example, any equipment hire, lift passes,accommodation and insurance.5. All bookings are subject to the same Terms and Conditions, bookings made using credit or gift vouchers are not eligible for a cash refund and a new voucher will be issued for the appropriate amount.
Contract
6. Your contract is with ALTITUDE GROUP JAPAN合同会社. You are contracting with the company which is incorporated in the country in which your ski resort is situated (referred to “the Provider” below). References to “we”, “us” and similar references below are references to one of these companies. “You” is a reference to you, the person making the booking and those for whom you book lessons through Altitude Snow.
7. If we believe that incorrect information has been provided regarding the age or level of a child or adult, and we do not have space to move them to an appropriate lesson, we reserve the right to exclude them from the lesson without offering a refund or otherwise being liable to you.
8. Please make sure that you check where you need to meet our instructor for your lesson. This information can be found on our website, from your tour operator or booking agent, or with us. It is your responsibility to ensure that you and those that you arrange lessons for are in the right place at the right time for lessons. Any delays to the start time due to you not being able to locate the instructor will unfortunately not be refunded and we may not be able to make up the time at the end of the lesson.
9. In some lessons and clinics, your instructor might take you off-piste or outside of the piste markers. Please check your insurance policy to ensure that you have adequate insurance to cover you for injuries suffered off-piste. In some off-piste-specific sessions, you will be required to wear avalanche safety equipment. If you don’t have any, we can point you to where you may be able to hire suitable equipment. We reserve the right to remove clients from these sessions if appropriate safety equipment is not used by the client.
10. Skiing and snowboarding are hazardous activities and you undertake them at your own risk. You must obtain insurance for your skiing lessons. The Provider will not be responsible for death or any injury, losses or accidents however they may occur during lessons, other than where the accident is caused by the Provider’s own negligence. Instructors will decide what they consider in their sole discretion appropriate terrain for the level of skiers or boarders in their lessons. This may be on or off the piste. You must ensure that you, and everybody you book on behalf of, has insurance to cover this eventuality, or you must decline from going off-piste. If you or those for whom you have booked do so without such insurance, it will be due to your own negligence. If you or any of your party become uncomfortable, you must tell the instructor immediately so they can take immediate action to keep you safe.
11. There may be circumstances in which we need to contact you during your holiday. It is your responsibility to ensure that we have your current and up to date contact details, by a means where you will receive and notice our messages and attempts to contact you instantly.
Client Code of Conduct
12. All persons who use our services must always act in a safe and appropriate manner, both on and off the snow. Situations can develop for the worse very quickly in mountainous environments and without any prior indication that they might happen. We reserve the right to remove and exclude anyone from lessons without warning (and without giving any reason at the time) to those who are not adhering to relevant safety guidelines and/or directions from instructors. This can be expected where you are in any way endangering yourself or others, where the experience of other participants is being adversely affected, where physical or verbal abuse of any other person is evident or suspected, and whether or not you believe exclusion is acceptable or not. In such a circumstance you will not be entitled to any refund or reimbursement.
13. Such situations may include but are not limited to the following:
● a. not adhering to the safety guidelines mentioned by the instructor and/or using your common sense to keep yourself safe;
● b. not following directions given to you by the instructor;
● c. failing to adhere to the International Ski Federation Code of Conduct – iethe 10 FIS Rules of Conduct;
● d. skiing under the influence of alcohol or any drug that may adversely affect your physical coordination or mental state;
● e. putting any other person at risk of injury and/or in danger; and
● f. not following government safety protocols.
14. You remain responsible at all times for the conduct of persons for whom youbook services of a Provider.
Operational Interruptions
15. If the resort is open (or partly open) the services will be delivered as planned to the extent available. Our instructors will use the open areas available to them to deliver the services in a manner that ensures your safety.
16. Interruptions in resort operations and how resorts choose to administer their businesses are completely outside of our control. Where decisions made by resorts impact the usual delivery of our services, you will not be entitled to any reimbursement, compensation or discount. Such situations may include but are not limited to the following: Technical malfunction, strike, adverse weather conditions, excess or insufficient snow cover, power failure, disease outbreak,epidemic, resort closure and/or volume restrictions on visitor numbers. Upon request, we will provide a letter to your insurer to assist you with your insurance claim. We will not be liable to you for any such event, however arising.
17. Reasons part of a refund or 100% of a refund would be administered are;
● Full mountain closure meaning all ski lifts seize operation due to extreme weather conditions.
● For gate guiding products, in the event that all Niseko gates are closed prior to your lesson commencing you will receive alternative product suggestions. If these suggestions are not to your satisfaction a full refund or a percentage will be issued this will be reviewed at the SAS Niseko management's discretion depending on the circumstances that the product you have requested cannot be fulfilled.
Force Majeure
18. In no event shall the Provider of the services be held responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations where it was legally and/or physically impossible for the lessons to be performed, such as an event covered by the term ‘Act of God’ (e.g. severe weather, volcano eruption,earthquake) or events such as war, epidemic, disease control measures implemented by the ski resort, government intervention (including deleted legislation and executive orders, refusal of licence to operate for politica lreasons, travel restrictions), strike, criminal and/or tortious conduct on your part or any other event beyond the control of the supplier (a “Force Majeure Event”).
● a. ALTITUDE GROUP JAPAN 合同会社shall notify the other party as soon as is practicable following the commencement of a Force Majeure Event.
● b. It is understood that we will use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices within the snow sports industry to resume performance as soon as and if practicable in the circumstances as they exist at the time;
● c. in the event of a Force Majeure Event, and where we are unable to resume performance in time for the contract to be fulfilled, you will not be entitled to a refund.
Cancellation
19. Enquiry window - We operate a 3 day enquiry window from the initial point of contact to finalising the booking and paying a minimum 50% deposit. During the time of enquiry the available slots for lessons will be held until payment is made and thebooking is finalised. If the booking is not finalised within the 3 day enquiry window thebooking slots being held will be made available for general sale.
20. Payment is required in full at the time of booking (unless otherwise arranged and confirmed in writing by us). In order to qualify for a refund where due, you must inform us of all cancellations in writing by email to info@sasniseko.com.In the event of cancellation by you for whatever reason, reimbursement will be calculated as follows:
1. A. 60 days or more (before the first lesson commences) we will reimburse 100% of the booking value.
2. B. 59 – 45 days (before the first lesson commences) we will reimburse 90% ofthe booking value.
3. C. 44 – 31 days (before the first lesson commences) we will reimburse 70% ofthe booking value.
4. D. 30 days or less (before the first lesson commences) there will be no reimbursement.
5. E. Your booking is only secured once we have received payment for the requested SAS Niseko Snowsports Services.
21. If you are unable to attend the lesson on the day, we will not reimburse you for the value of the missed lesson. We can provide a letter for your insurance company.
22. In the unfortunate event that you are medically not well enough to attend your snowsports booking, a signed medical/doctors note will need to be provided for proof of illness in order to receive a full refund minus any tax owed.
23. If one of the following happens exclusively due to COVID-19, we are offering a 70% refund up until 48hrs before the start time of your first lesson.
● You are prevented from travelling as a result of national or international government imposed travel restrictions.
● Total resort closure due to national or local government action.
Level
24. A full description of each lesson type and level is available on our website. Itis your responsibility to make sure that you book yourself and the others in your party into the correct level and lesson type. Where we think it isnecessary for safety reasons, or you have booked yourself or those in your party into the wrong level, we reserve the right to remove the pupil from thelesson without issuing a refund. Where possible we will move clients to amore level-appropriate group but this is not guaranteed.
Group Lessons and Clinics
25. At the start of group lessons, we will check your level. If necessary, we may move people between groups to ensure the smooth running of the lessons.Accordingly, we may have to alter group sizes; this may mean that groups increase to one above the advertised maximum.
26. Group Courses will leave the meeting point at the start time detailed on your booking confirmation. Please arrive 5 – 10 minutes prior to this to allow our team to check you into your session and provide you with any additional equipment you will need.
27. All group lessons need a minimum of 3 people to run for their full duration.
● If you are the only person booked into a group, we will contact you no later than Friday of the preceding week to discuss your options.
28. If there are only two pupils booked into an Adult or Children’s group course,the course will automatically be shortened from 5 days to 4 days. There will be no reduction in cost.
29. If there are only two pupils booked into one of our Off-Piste Group Lessons the course will be shortened from 6 Hours to 4 Hours. There will be no reduction in cost.
30. We reserve the right to change the lesson start time, should this happen we will let you know.
Photography
31. During your lessons, we may take photos and videos of clients (includingchildren under the age of 18), for coaching and marketing purposes.
Contact Details
32. Altitude Snow is part of ALTITUDE GROUP JAPAN 合同会社32.Altitude Snow has the following contact details:
Telephone: +81 (0)70 1265 8761
Email: info@sasniseko.com
General
34. Entire Agreement: This agreement supersedes all prior agreements,arrangements and understandings between the parties and constitutes the entire agreement between the parties relating to its subject matter. The parties confirm that this agreement contains all matters upon which they have relied to enter this agreement and they have not relied on any matter not referred to. It is a condition of this agreement that you obtain insurance cover for all events arising from and/or connected with your lessons.
● No partnership or agency: Nothing in this agreement shall establish any agency, or partnership between any of the parties, save as expressly set out in this agreement.
● Assignment: ALTITUDE GROUP JAPAN 合同会社shall be entitled totransfer this agreement and/or any of its rights and obligations whether in whole or in part from time to time without your consent.
● Third Parties: The Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 shall not apply to this Agreement.
● Law and Jurisdiction: Your agreements with Altitude Snow are governed by Japanese law and you hereby irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Japanese courts, in each respect including non-contractual claims.
