ACCOMMODATION SERVICES
Be My Guest Limited trading as Be-My-Guest.com act as intermediary between the holidaymaker or visitor (hereafter referred to as visitor) and the service provider, owner or landlord/landlady (hereafter referred to as the landlord). Therefore a contract exists only between the landlord and the visitor.
PAYMENT
There are three payment options to secure your booking. Paypal, credit card or by good old-fashioned bank transfer.
The visitor pays a pre-payment amount to Be-My-Guest either via the Paypal payment portal or by bank transfer which secures or holds the booking of the accommodation. Some Landlords require an additional payment in advance of arrival to secure the booking. This may be a portion or the entire amount. Any outstanding amount is paid directly to the landlord upon arrival (usually in cash). If this is applicable it will be clear to see on the relevant accommodation listing.
If you choose to use Paypal and are not a registered member, do not worry, it is very easy and you only have to input your credit card details once to register and be able to make a payment to secure booking of the accommodation.
The transactions are made using the Paypal payment system which offers the highest standards of security and adheres to a strict Privacy Policy so your data is protected. When paying by credit card or via Paypal, no bank account details or credit card information is shared or stored by Be-My-Guest. (See Data Protection below) To learn more about the security of Paypal please click on the relevant link below:
Link to Paypal Safety & Security information
Link to Paypal security information in German
Payment using Paypal
After the pre-payment authorisation via Paypal is received, Be-My-Guest contacts the landlord to be sure that the accommodation is available for the exact period requested.
It is the aim of Be-My-Guest to confirm the accommodation availability to the visitor within 48 hours. It is only after Be-My-Guest has confirmed the booking availability with the landlord that payment is taken. A confirmation email will then be sent to the visitor which will include all the accommodation details and the contact details of the landlord.
If the accommodation is not available during the requested time period, then no payment will be taken. However, alternatives may be offered if available. If the visitor wishes to choose one of the alternatives suggested, then the visitor would need to start the booking process again on the Be-My-Guest.com website to book the accommodation.
Payment using Bank Transfer
If the visitor wishes to pay the pre-payment via bank transfer then we will firstly contact the landlord to be sure that the accommodation is available for the period requested. The receiving bank is based in Europe (United Kingdom) so please be aware of any costs involved in the transfer of funds for which Be-My-Guest is not liable.
Be-My-Guest aim to confirm the availability of the accommodation to the visitor within 48 hours. Once we have informed the visitor that it is available, we will hold the particular accommodation for another 48 hours, in which time the visitor needs to initiate the bank transfer. We would need to receive proof of transfer showing that the Bank transfer for the pre-payment has been made (either a scanned in online copy of the bank transfer sent to us by email or a hard copy from the bank via fax). The visitor has 48 hours in which to make the bank transfer and send us proof thereof. It is only then that the accommodation booking process is completed and your accommodation fully reserved.
If we do not receive proof of bank transfer within 48 hours, the accommodation will be marked available again and the visitor’s request will be cancelled. If the visitor is still interested in the accommodation, unfortunately the booking process will need to be started again from the beginning.
BOOKING
Please note that the person making the booking must also be one of the people who will be staying at the accommodation reserved. A person CANNOT book on behalf of another person/group and not be part of the group staying at the accommodation. This is for safety, security purposes & legal reasons so the owner has the correct information and contact details of the people staying in their accommodation.
Please also note that if you have booked accommodation for a set number of people, then that is the total number of persons permitted to stay in the accommodation. For example if you have booked for 1 person, only 1 person is permitted to stay in the accommodation. After you have made the booking and realise that you may have guests wanting staying over. If it is in an accommdodation that offers this possibility, then an additional amount will need to be paid for them.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Visitors have the right to cancel the accommodation that has been booked at any point. We recommend that visitors arrange appropriate travel insurance in order to cover any possible losses.
If the visitors need to cancel the entire reservation, they need to inform Be-My-Guest in writing by post or email. Be-My-Guest is not open on UK public holidays so any correspondence will be considered as received only on the following working day.
In the case of any booking which is cancelled: 100% of the pre-payment or monies paid by the customer to Be My Guest will be lost regardless of when the cancellation is made.
Cancellation more than 30 days before arrival: The pre-payment is non refundable. No additional charges.
Cancellation Between 30 - 15 days before arrival: The pre-payment is non refundable and the amount of 1 nights accommodation is requested. If you have booked for more than a week, 1 nights accommodation for each week you have booked is requested. For example if you have booked for 2 weeks and then cancel, the charge is 2 nights stay.
Cancellation Between 14 - 8 days before arrival: The pre-payment is non refundable and half of the outstanding amount is requested from the visitor to cover the owner for loss of income.
Cancellation 7 days or less before arrival & non arrivals: The pre-payment is non refundable and the entire (the full) outstanding amount is requested from the visitor to cover the owner for loss of income.
Some accommodation owners may also have additional terms and conditions which are separate from Be-My-Guest and may include advance payment and alternative cancellation terms. Please check individual listings to see whether advance payment is required by the owner before booking. Any monies paid directly to an accommodation provider are the responsibility of the customer. It is your responsibility to make yourself aware of an owners particular cancellation policy before sending any money or entering into an agreement separate from this website. Be My Guest accepts no responsibility for any disputes arising from agreements or payments made outside this website.
In the unlikely event that Be-My-Guest need to change the visitor's accommodation after they have confirmed it, Be-My-Guest will endeavour to offer the visitors an equivalent alternative accommodation.
Be-My-Guest reserve the right to cancel an existing confirmed booking if the information given by the customer is not correct or does not adhere to our terms and conditions or remains unclear even after Be-My-Guest have asked for clarification. This is because of security and legal reasons.
Be-My-Guest is not liable for changes or cancellations that are due to factors beyond their control, such as flood, fire, earthquake, wars, other natural disasters or strikes such as train or airline strikes etc, nor do they make reimbursements in connection therewith.
Be-My-Guest also reserves the right to refuse or cancel a booking if it does not adhere to our terms and conditions or we feel could compromise the safety or security of the accommodation that we offer or of its providers.
CHANGES
Visitors wishing to make changes or part-cancellations to their booking must inform Be-My-Guest in written form by email or fax at least 7 days before arrival at the accommodation.
If a change is not possible then the normal cancellation conditions apply. If a visitor wishes to reduce the length of their stay and informs Be-My-Guest less than 7 days before arrival then the total amount payable would remain the same. Please do not assume that Be-My-Guest has received your notification until you have received a confirmation email reply.
COPYRIGHT
Be-My-Guest do not allow any user of their website to make use of copyright-protected work which can be viewed on the website. The copyright owner is Be-My-Guest Limited.
RATES
Be-My-Guest displayed prices and receives payment in the currency of the destination city. For example, Berlin's prices are displayed in Euros because Germany uses the Euro currency. If visitors are paying in any currency other than displayed for their chosen accommodation, there may be a charge by their bank for the currency conversion for which Be-My-Guest are not liable.
LIABILITY BETWEEN BE-MY-GUEST AND THE VISITOR
Be-My-Guest cannot be held responsible for matters that form part of a short-stay tenancy agreement between the visitor and the landlord. Hence, a contract exists only between the landlord and the visitor. Be-My-Guest’s liability as an intermediary extends only to gross negligence or intent.
Be-My-Guest advise visitors in the case of complaints about the accommodation or malfunctioning items such as a TV or kettle, to report them immediately to the accommodation owner/provider as otherwise the visitor may be held responsible for any breakage or malfunction. In no way can Be-My-Guest be held liable for possible cuts in the water, electricity or gas supply as a consequence of exceptional circumstances or emergencies declared by Utility companies.
Be-My-Guest do everything possible and go to great lengths to ensure that the accommodation information is correct and regularly updated. Be-My-Guest are however not liable if the information on their website does not match the true state of the accommodation. Be-My-Guest have no liability for the images or descriptions on its website to truly reflect the state of the accommodation.
Be-My-Guest are not liable for any damages which might arise from websites which have a link to the Be-My-Guest website. Be-My-Guest are also not liable for the contents of these linked websites.
Be-My-Guest are not liable for any possible damages incurred by visitors or others using their website. This is especially applicable in case of computer break-down or temporary failures of computer functions and/or means of communication on the Be-My-Guest website such as temporary failures of communication by e-mail.
Disputes
Any disputes between the landlord and visitor will be settled by Be-My-Guest acting as an arbitrary third party if necessary.
LIABILITY BETWEEN BE-MY-GUEST AND ACCOMMODATION PROVIDER
The following terms are merely included as a precaution.
Be-My-Guest are not liable for the accuracy of the information on their website so long as the information is as given by the landlord. If a visitor claims damages from the landlord because of wrong information on Be-My-Guest’s website or other publicity material, the landlord has no right of recourse against Be-My-Guest so long as Be-My-Guest has merely reproduced the information given by the landlord. In cases where Be-My-Guest amends or adds information, the landlord is required to check they are happy with the way their apartment has been presented and to inform Be-My-Guest of any changes needed to be made.
Be-My-Guest are never liable for any contradictions between their online accommodation listings and the contents of the short-stay tenancy agreement entered into between landlord and tenant, if there is one. This is also the case if the landlord uses a short-stay tenancy agreement form provided by Be-My-Guest.
Should a visitor successfully claim damages from Be-My-Guest because of wrong information provided to Be-My-Guest by the landlord, then Be-My-Guest has a right of recourse against the landlord.
Be-My-Guest are not liable for damages that a tenant or his guests may cause to the property of the landlord.
The landlord has no rights of recourse against Be-My-Guest because of damages claimed against the landlord by tenants, guests of tenants or other people entitled to the accommodation.
Be-My-Guest are not liable if the tenant does not fulfil his duties towards the landlord. For example Be-My-Guest are not liable if the tenant does not pay his rental fee or a damage deposit.
In the rare case that a landlord cancels a confirmed booking, then the Landlord is obliged to provide an equivalent alternative accommodation at no extra expense to the guest.
Be-My-Guest will also endeavour to help the landlord find the guest alternative accommodation to the same value as originally booked on the website. If they find an alternative of the same value then there is no need for any further monies to be exchanged. If the only alternative accommodation available is on the Be-My-Guest website and is of a higher value, the owner is obliged to pay the difference to ensure the guest does not suffer loss.
In the event that the guest does not accept the alternative offered, the landlord is obliged to refund the guest (via Be-My-Guest) of any pre-payment made for the accommodation. This includes any monies or booking fees paid to Be-My-Guest relating to the booking.
ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE
On arrival at the accommodation, visitors need to show their passports or photo ID cards to the contact person. The contact person at the accommodation has the right to refuse admittance to guests who do not present valid identification. Only those persons mentioned on the booking form are allowed to stay in the accommodation. No extra guests are allowed during the stay. If this is not adhered to, the landlord has the right to ask the visitors to leave immediately. Any changes to the names of visitors must be made clear to the contact person or landlord prior to arrival.
The next procedure is the signing by both parties of a simple short-stay tenancy agreement.
Lastly, the balance of the rent due is to be paid directly to the contact person, USUALLY IN CASH, unless prior arrangement has been made with the landlord for a different type of payment. A receipt for the rent received in cash can be given by the landlord/contact person.
DAMAGE DEPOSIT
Some of the accommodation advertised on Be-My-Guest's website require a damage deposit to be given at the start of the stay as indicated in the description of the accommodation listed on the website. This damage deposit has to be given directly to the landlord/contact person, USUALLY IN CASH, to cover any possible damages including loss of keys and is refundable prior to departure providing no breakages or damages have been incurred. Be-My-Guest are not responsible for any disputes concerning these deposits.
JURISDICTION
Only the law of England and Wales is applicable concerning the legal relations between the visitor and Be-My-Guest Limited. The place of jurisdiction is agreed by both parties to be the local Court in Brighton, England.
SEVERANCE CLAUSE
If single terms and conditions within these Terms and Conditions or within the "booking form" are void, that does not affect the validity of the other terms and conditions.
DATA PROTECTION
Visitors consent to the storage, processing and usage of their personal data provided to Be-My-Guest.com for marketing purposes by Be-My-Guest only. Within these limits Be-My-Guest are allowed to pass on the data to third parties (ie landlords/contact persons). Under no circumstances will personal data be shared with third parties not involved with the transactions as set out above. Visitors have the right to revoke their consent at any time.
Be-My-Guest consider the protection of a customer's personal data as a top priority. Credit card details are held only by the payment provider ‘Paypal’, who adheres to a strict security policy regarding the data.