Terms and conditions

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Updated November 22nd 2024.


§ 1 GENERAL 

§ 1.1 Lofoten Highlights

Lofoten Highlights is a travel service company in Lofoten, providing tours and experiences, travel itineraries and travel consultations. Lofoten Highlights is a part of the Norwegian Company Frese AS. 

Lofoten Highlights and Frese AS can be contacted using the following information:

Lofoten Highlights
C/O Frese AS
Rækøyveien 58
8310 Kabelvåg
Number: +47 902 47 401
Mail: hello@lofotenhighlights.com
Web: www.lofotenhighlights.com
Org.nr: 933 591 247


§ 1.2 Introduction

These Terms and Conditions govern the agreement between you (referred to as “you” or “the customer”, and Lofoten Highlights (referred to as “us”, “we” or “Lofoten Highlights”). By booking or purchasing any services or products from Lofoten Highlights, you must accept and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions, "Terms and Conditions". Accepting these Terms and Conditions also signifies that you have read and understand the Terms and Conditions and will abide by these terms.

Lofoten Highlights may use “Third Party Service Providers” as a part of delivering the full service. Booking or services involving Third Party Service Providers are subject to both our Terms and Conditions and those of the Third Party Service Providers. Please review their terms carefully, as they may limit liability.


§ 1.3 Privacy policy

By booking or purchasing a product or service from us, you consent to provide your personal data and agree to its use for the purpose of delivering the service. You confirm that you have read our Privacy Policy and have understood your rights in relation to the personal data you are sharing with Lofoten Highlights. This includes the permission to share your personal data with any Third Party Service Provider involved in your booking or purchase. You also consent to the use of your personal data for promoting our products, services, company and brand. When consent is required by law, Lofoten Highlights will obtain such consent prior to using your personal data for marketing purposes. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. 

If you provide personal data on behalf of another person for the purpose of your booking, service or purchase, you confirm that you have obtained the prior consent of such person to share and use their personal data as described in our Privacy Policy, and that the person has read and understood our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, and is aware of their rights in relations to the data shared with us.  

For more information about the use and processing of your personal data and your rights, please refer to the Lofoten Highlights Privacy Policy.


§ 1.4 Definitions of our services

On our website, lofotenhighlights.com, we offer a range of services and products. These may be subject to different terms depending on the nature of the service or product. They are as follows:

a) Private tours: All private tours for groups of 4 people or less. Includes both custom tours and pre-packaged private tours found on lofotenhighlights.com. 

b) Custom itineraries: Custom travel plans and travel itineraries made on demand according to the customers’ preferences. Custom itineraries are usually initiated with a free discovery consultation.

c) Paid consultations: Travel consultations for travellers who have questions or that want recommendations, or help planning their trip without receiving a full itinerary. No product is delivered to the customer other than the information provided in the consultation.

d) Proposals: We help plan out romantic wedding proposals in the spectacular Lofoten scenery.

e) Group tours: Tour groups of 4 people or more. 

f) Company tours: Tours for companies travelling to Lofoten for learning and/or team building purposes. 

g) Free consultations: Initial free discovery consultation for planning our custom services, hereunder; custom tours (a) custom itineraries (b), proposals (d), group tours (e) and company tours (f). The discovery consultation is used to discover customer expectations, needs, interests, and desires in order to create the perfect Lofoten trip tailored for you.

 

§ 2 SPECIAL CONDITIONS & EXEMPTION OF LIABILITY

§ 2.1 General terms

Lofoten Highlights and the company FRESE AS, are not liable for compensation, and cannot be held responsible for loss or damages incurred during our tours or services, or use of our products. Lofoten Highlights cannot be held responsible or liable for any damages or additional expenses that might occur in connection with any experience, service or product purchased through Lofoten Highlights. We are not liable for any injuries or damage to personal property during the tour, service or use of product.
§ 2.2 Third Party Service Providers 

If your booking, service or product involves the services of a Third Party Service Provider, Lofoten Highlights is not be responsible for such services. The customer acknowledges that Lofoten Highlights is not responsible nor liable for any wrongful or neglected acts from such Third Party Service Providers, and any issues will have to be addressed directly to the said third party. By utilizing services of a Third Party Service Provider, you agree that you will look to such Third Party Service Provider for any accident, injury, property damage, or personal loss to you or to those travelling with you, and that neither Lofoten Highlights nor any representative of Lofoten Highlights is responsible or liable for the same. However, should you need assistance with a claim or complaint you may have against such Third Party Service Provider, Lofoten Highlights without any obligation on its part, may assist you with notifying such Third Party Service Provider of your claim. 


§ 2.3 Weather conditions

We do our best to deliver a reliable service and create the best experience possible for our customers. However, Lofoten’s unpredictable weather may lead to cancellations or alterations to bookings or services. The weather conditions also greatly impact the possibility of experiencing famous weather phenomena, and we cannot guarantee that our clients will experience these on tour. This is especially relevant for our Midnight Sun Tour and our Northern Lights Tour, both which are highly weather-dependent.
§ 2.4 Limitations of services

When booking Lofoten Highlights tours and excursions §1.4 a), b), d), e) and f), the customer is responsible for necessary arrangements and documentation for tours and excursions, including transportation to the tour starting point, travel documents, relevant insurance, accommodation, and, if transportation is not part of the booked service, means of transportation to complete the tour or excursion.

For services and products that are purely digital, § 1.4 b) c) and/or g), Lofoten Highlights is only responsible for delivering the digital service or product. Lofoten Highlights cannot be held responsible, liable or provide compensation for any part associated with the use of the information provided in § 1.4 b) c) and/or g). These services/products are purely suggestions and should be treated as such by the customer. The customer is responsible for their own travels entirely, which in addition to the points mentioned in the previous paragraph include, but is not limited to; obtaining means of transportation, checking opening hours for suggested locations and activities, making bookings and reservations, safety assessments, participation in various activities.

A special note about § 1.4 d). Lofoten Highlights is only responsible for creating the setup to facilitate a positive outcome, Lofoten Highlights cannot, however, be responsible for a positive outcome.
 

§ 3 CUSTOMER RESPONSIBILITIES

§ 3.1 Bookings & reservations 

You must be at least 18 years old to book or purchase a product or service from Lofoten Highlights. You are responsible for providing us with accurate information and details when placing your booking.


§ 3.2 Insurance

The customer is responsible for obtaining full travel and health insurance for themselves and any accompanying persons.

We recommend our customers to protect themselves against financial loss by getting trip cancellation insurance before travelling. 

§ 3.3 Health & medical issues 

You are required to consider the nature of the tour, excursion or service and ensure that you are physically and mentally fit to participate. Customers are responsible for their own safety and the safety of any minors accompanying them. If attending a Lofoten Highlights tour or excursion, you must advise Lofoten Highlights in writing, in reasonable time prior the tour/excursion/service, of any medical condition that requires special equipment or special attention. If you require any specific equipment for the tour, you are responsible for bringing this with you on the tour. Your responsibilities mentioned in this paragraph extends to those on whose behalf that you have purchased a service/booking. Please note that not all of our excursions and tours are wheelchair-accessible. 


$ 4 LOFOTEN HIGHLIGHTS RIGHTS

§ 4.1 Right to refuse service

We reserve the right to refuse service to any passenger deemed a safety hazard, with no refund or compensation.

§ 4.2 Photo policy

All photos and videos taken by Lofoten Highlights during our tours, excursions or services, including those portraying our customers, can be published, used and/or sold by Lofoten Highlights. This right includes, but is not limited to, web and social media content, advertising, marketing etc. This right is valid unless explicitly requested otherwise in writing by the customer in question.

Lofoten Highlights occasionally shares photos and videos from the tours, excursions or services with the customers attending the tours. The customer has unlimited use of these photos and videos for personal use. The customer cannot, however, sell, distribute or use for commercial or public purposes in any way or form, unless otherwise agreed in written contract with Lofoten Highlights.


§ 5 BOOKING TERMS

§ 5.1 General booking terms 

Your booking is considered confirmed when you receive an order confirmation from Lofoten Highlights by email. Please keep your booking confirmation accessible until service completion. 

§ 5.2 Prices

All prices on www.lofotenhighlights.com are in Norwegian Kroner (NOK) and include VAT and taxes. Payment is conducted in Norwegian kroner (NOK).

For customised services, like custom itineraries and tours, the customer is provided an individual price quote depending upon the scope of the service. The price quote is to be provided to, and accepted in written or digital form, by the customer for an agreement to be considered entered. The price is given in Norwegian Kroner (NOK), and includes VAT and taxes. Payment is conducted in Norwegian kroner (NOK).

Lofoten Highlights reserves the right to correct any potential typographical errors or pricing errors, that could mean that we cannot deliver according to information provided on our website, price quotes, marketing or otherwise. This can be done regardless of the customer receiving an order confirmation. Such errors must, however, be corrected within reasonable time after the error is discovered. If a customer has already booked or purchased a service or product, they should be informed as soon as possible and have the option to cancel or modify their booking or purchase according to the new information.

We also reserve the right to increase the service prices at any time. Any price increases will not affect existing bookings that have been made.


§ 5.3 Payment

Unless otherwise agreed, payments are made via invoice. 

Other payment options, available upon agreement, include payment by payment terminal or online payment link. These payments are processed through Zettle, a service delivered by Paypal. Payment methods include regular debit cards, credit cards (VISA, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club, JCB, Discover), Apple Pay, Android Pay and Google Pay. 

a) Private tours (1-4 people): For all private tours, both custom and pre-packaged private tours, full payment should be made 4 weeks prior to the tour date by the latest. Under certain circumstances we might request payment up to 8 weeks prior to the tour date, such as high season bookings, or highly customized bookings. When this applies, the client will be informed directly. 

b) Custom itineraries: For custom itineraries, full payment should be made prior to receiving the itinerary.

c) Paid consultations: For paid consultations, payments should be made prior to the consultation start time. 

d) Proposals: For custom proposals, payment should be made 4 weeks before receiving the service by the latest. Under certain circumstances we might request payment up to 8 weeks prior to receiving the service, depending on the amount of work and preparation required. 

e) Group tours (4+ people): Payments for larger tour groups are decided upon agreement, depending on the size and nature of the tour. If no specific agreement is made, payment should be made 4 weeks prior to the tour date by the latest. Invoice is also a payment option here.

f) Company tours: Payments for company tour groups are decided upon agreement, depending on the size and nature of the tour. If no specific agreement is made, payment should be made 4 weeks prior to the tour date by the latest. Invoice is also a payment option here.

g) Free consultations: Free consultations do not require any form of payment. 


§ 5.4  Payment security 

Our payments are processed through invoice, where the payment is made securely through your bank. 

For online payment links and payment through terminal we use a payment solution provided by Zettle. Zettle, is a product of Paypal, a trusted, recognized global payment provider with more than 25 years in digital commerce. Zettle is a PCI certified company. This means that Zettle complies with all the requirements of the security standard PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard). It ensures a secure network for all their users, protects the information of each individual cardholder and reacts quickly should weaknesses in the network occur. As Zettle is a PCI certified company, you can feel confident that your information is always safe – both when Zettle stores, processes and transmits data.

All card information is encrypted through HSM's encryption servers, according to the strictest standards, to ensure that sensitive information never goes astray.

Zettle is approved by EMV (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) and complies with the strict security standard PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) for handling card information.
 

§ 5.5  Refunds

For invoice, we will need to request your banking details in order to make the refund. 

For card payments, refunds are to be issued to the card the customer used to perform the original payment. The card processing fee is also refunded. We do, however, only refund the amount paid to Lofoten Highlights. We do not cover any charges related to the refund that are charged by your credit card provider or other payment providers.

Lofoten Highlights is not responsible for any charges that follow international transfers or loss due to currency exchange rates.

We require up to seven (7) working days for any refunds to be made. In addition to this, processing time at the payment provider and your bank/card issuer is added. 

 

§ 6 CUSTOMER CANCELLATIONS & BOOKING ALTERATIONS


§ 6.1 General terms 

To alter or cancel your booking or service, please contact Lofoten Highlights as soon as possible, by sending an email to hello@lofotenhighlights.com or calling us on +47 414 61 741.

Our cancellation policy and booking alteration policy is calculated based on the start time of the scheduled tour, excursion or delivery of service or product. Requests for changes are subject to availability and will be considered on a case by case basis. We will do our best to accommodate changes and Lofoten Highlights reserves the sole right to approve changes.

§ 6.2 Deadlines

a) Private tours (1-4 people):

  • Cancellations or booking alterations made up to 14 days before the tour starts: No charges.
  • Cancellations or booking alterations made less than 14 days to 72 hours before the tour start: 50% of full payment is charged.
  • Cancellations or booking alterations made less than 72 hours before the tour start: 100% of full payment is charged.

    b) Custom itineraries:
  • Cancellations made after entering agreement for custom itinerary, before delivery: 50% of the total agreed payment has to be paid. 
  • No notice / cancellation after delivery of custom itinerary: The agreement is to be paid in full.
  • Booking alterations: Alterations to the custom itinerary itself are included in the agreement. If a completely new itinerary is to be created, it is viewed as a new agreement entirely.

    c) Paid consultations: 
  • Cancellation: No charges.
  • Booking alterations: No charges.

    d) Proposals: For proposals and other custom excursions
  • Cancellations or booking alterations made up to 14 days before the service starts: No charges.
  • Cancellations or booking alterations made less than 14 days to 72 hours before the service starts: 50% of full payment is charged
  • Cancellations or booking alterations made less than 72 hours before the tour service is to be delivered: 100% of full payment is charged. 

    e) Group tours (more than 4 people):

  • Terms for cancellation and booking alterations for group tours are usually custom depending on the scope of the tour, group size, and number and type of third party service providers included in the agreement. Groups of more than 4 people may be subject to custom cancellation policies depending on the nature of the tour. If applicable, you will receive a custom agreement specifying these terms that will require acceptance. If not informed about any specific terms, the cancellation terms as described in “a) Private tours” also apply for group tours. 
f) Company tours:
  • Terms for cancellation and booking alterations for company tours are usually custom depending on the scope of the tour, group size, and number and type of third party service providers included in the agreement. Groups of more than 4 people may be subject to custom cancellation policies depending on the nature of the tour. If applicable, you will receive a custom agreement specifying these terms that will require acceptance. If not informed about any specific terms, the cancellation terms as described in “a) Private tours” also apply for company tours. 
g) Free consultation
  • Cancellation: No charges

 

§ 6.3 Payment obligations 

If cancellations or alterations are made after the specified time limit and thus have to be paid, a payment request will be sent to the customer via invoice. Failure to provide payment as described in these terms will result in debt collection in accordance with the laws of Norway.

§ 7 LOFOTEN HIGHLIGHTS CANCELLATIONS OR RESCHEDULING

§ 7.1 General terms

We strive to provide a reliable service and we will do our best to complete all tours, excursions and services as described on our web pages or in our custom agreements with you. However, we reserve the right to modify or cancel any tours and services based on existing field conditions. Lofoten is subject to unpredictable and changing weather, and cancellations or alterations to your booking or services may occur due to weather.

When possible, we will try to accommodate rescheduling to a different date rather than cancelling, if desired by the customer. If your tour or service is cancelled, and you have already paid, a full refund will be given. This is not, however, the case if your tour or service is cancelled due to force majeure, unforeseen and unavoidable events that make it impossible for us to fulfil our obligations to our customers. Please read more in “ § 7.2 Force majeure”. If your tour or service is cancelled by us we will do our best to contact all affected customers via email and/or SMS.

§ 7.2 Force majeure 

Lofoten Highlights does not bear liability or compensate where the performance of our obligations is affected by any event beyond our reasonable control including in respect of any injury, loss, or damage to person or property, death, delay, or inconvenience in connection with the provision of, or failure to provide, any goods or services occasioned by or resulting from – but not limited to, force majeure (force majeure shall include war, threat of war, riots, civil strife, hostilities, civil commotion, strikes, government actions, terrorism, industrial disputes, natural disasters, epidemics fire, road closures, pilferage, robbery and burglaries,  blockade, lock-outs, hyperinflation, disasters, quarantines, dangers incident to travelling, dangerous driving conditions, extreme weather conditions or any other circumstances outside its control.

§ 8 JURISDICTION

Lofoten Highlights by Frese AS is incorporated in Norway and therefore operate under Norwegian law. Your booking is therefore subject to the laws of Norway. Any disputes arising from these terms and conditions will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Norwegian courts.