Terms and Conditions of Service

Please read them carefully before applying. By clicking on the box besides the words ‘I have read and agree to the VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO legal terms and conditions’ in the booking application form, you agree to the following terms and conditions. 

Travel

The volunteer is entirely responsible for:

• Arranging and paying for their own travel including airfares, transport to and from the host country and any local transport.
• For ensuring their travel documents are up to date and valid for travel including Visa.
• To carry all necessary documents when traveling abroad (Passport, Visa, Insurance, Vaccination Cards, etc.) .

VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO is not responsible for any supporting documents necessary for the volunteer’s travel needs or other purposes.

Insurance

Travel insurance is mandatory for each volunteer. Volunteers must have third party liability insurance, accident, travel and international health insurance that covers return transport in case of death. The Insurance must cover their entire volunteer and travel period. VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO nor any of our partners organizations does not take any responsibility for any accident, injury, death or any health problem incurred in any of the trips organized for the volunteers including extreme adventures or while volunteering. VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO does not provide the volunteer with insurance of any kind. Insurance certificates copies must be sent to VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO when apply.

Registration Fees and Refund Policy

Registration Fees allowed VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO with all the logistics incur in the organization for the volunteers program, administration costs, volunteer coordination, running of the projects, donations to local partner organizations, paper work and taxes and therefore VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO cannot make a full refund policy in case of a cancellation.

The registration fee is refundable up ten weeks before the start of the volunteer’s program and will incurred some charges such as bank and transaction fees and a VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO processing fee of USD$60. Less than ten weeks there will be no refunds.

Refund Procedure: The Request for registration fee refund must be sent to VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO with the signature of the volunteer and received by VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO no less than ten weeks before the start of volunteer’s placement. Once the volunteer’s refund request has been received by VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO, VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO will notify the volunteer immediately via email. The Volunteer needs to answer the receipt of it immediately.  If the volunteer does not answer the email, the assumption should be made that the request has not been received.

VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO will not provide a verification letter after the volunteer registration as we cannot be responsible for visas requirements documents or use of it.

Registration fee revisions are not applicable to volunteers who have already submitted their application form before the revisions are due to take effect.  A volunteer’s placement on a program cannot be confirmed until registration fee has been paid in full. All registration fee payments attract a 5% transaction fee charge to cover PayU fees (where applicable), bank fees and currency conversion charges.

Program Fees and Refund Policy

Program Fees pays for accommodation, food, pick up from airport and supervision at project sites. Program fees paid through VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO by means of online payment will need to have transaction costs covered by the volunteer. Program fee revisions are not applicable to volunteers who have already paid their registration fee, unless the volunteer change the original booking or reinstate their file after the program fee revisions have taken effect.  Program fees are due eight weeks prior to the beginning of the volunteer’s program placement. Failure to make this payment can result in a loss of volunteer placement with no refund of registration fee. All program fee payments attract a 5% transaction fee charge to cover PayU fees (where applicable), bank fees and currency conversion charges.

Registration fees and program fees are not transferrable to other persons.

Program Change and Cancellations Policy

The volunteer is entitled to change their start date and duration once, at no additional cost. For a second or more times will be required to pay an administration fee of USD$80. If the volunteer wishes to make any program changes within seven days of the volunteer’s start date will incur an administration fee of USD$150.

Refund procedure: in the event that a volunteer needs to cancel the program the volunteer will send a request with their signature to VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO. For up to six weeks of the program start date there will be a full refund. For up to four weeks before the program start it will have an 80 % refund, and less than two weeks prior to start or after the program start or before the end there will be no refund. All refunds will be made 30 to 90 days after the receipt of the email answered by the volunteer.

Where a volunteer has requested additional services such as tours as part of their itinerary, all cancellations and refunds are subject to the terms explain in the program fees.

Accommodation

VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO offer accommodation in a host family within an individual or share room. Volunteers need to be open minded and bear in mind that accommodation conditions change drastically from your home country. Hygiene is not always at the standards volunteers are used to.  Depending on the project location accommodation site can be very apart of main towns or city, it can be surrounded by forests or mountains where there will be a lot of mosquitoes, dust, cold showers, native animals like spiders or snakes. Shortages of electricity and main water supply even no technology or internet. Some placements have the very basic for living conditions. Although VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO offer the accommodation at the headquarters site in a share bungalow within a family farm where conditions are of a better standards.  VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO will not make any refund of any kind if volunteers decide at any point to go into a hotel, hostel or change accommodation site, those cost will be carried out by volunteers.

Personal Risks

Colombia is a developing country where many problems can arise at any moment. The volunteer acknowledges and accepts the responsibilities and risks associated with their agreement to travel to, temporarily live in and provide volunteer services in Colombia. The volunteer travel and work involves hazardous and certain degree of risk, dangerous activities and personal perils to the volunteer, both foreseen and unforeseen, all of which are fully accepted by and merely assumed by the volunteer. Therefore, VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO including any and all of its employees, managers, directors, shareholders, host families and local partner organizations are not liable, to the maximum extent of the law, for any loss or harm the volunteer or associates may suffer, including but not limited to loss caused directly or indirectly by:

• Personal injury;
• Emotional injury;
• Death;
• Illness or disease; Epidemic Outbreaks
• Damage to or loss of property;
• Natural disasters; flooding;
• Hostage situations; or
• War, terrorism or kidnapping.

VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO cannot be held responsible for any costs incurred in any emergency situation and it is solely the responsibility of the volunteers to arrange the proper insurance for the trip to Colombia prior the start of their volunteer program.

Drug and Alcohol Use

VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO has a zero tolerance policy against use of alcohol or drugs in any of the volunteer placements. The volunteer must abide by the rules put in place by Volunteer In Colombia, volunteer local placement institution and host family.  Drug use (unless prescribed by a doctor) is strictly prohibited and will result in instant dismissal from the program with no refund. 

Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy

Any person working with Children or vulnerable people must abide by the VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy. Sent to you with the app form or sign at the volunteer arrival. Please sent it back with your signature. 

Privacy Policy and Data Protection

For us it is very important that volunteers feel the information share through our website or application form is treated carefully, in the same way VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO needs to make sure our information is treated fairly, that’s why VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO ask volunteers to agree to the conditions laid out in the Privacy Policy. 

VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO reserves the right to:

• Notify the emergency contact appointed by the volunteer in the event that the volunteer is dismissed from the program, and in other circumstances deemed appropriate by Volunteer In Colombia.
• Use feedback, videos and images provided by volunteers for website materials such as testimonials or propaganda.
• Change these Terms and Conditions or the services it offers from time to time.
• Revise the registration and program fee at any time
• Remove the volunteer from the program and terminate this contract without compensation, by giving notice to the volunteer.
• To offer and accept a placement to a volunteer, VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO selects the right volunteer to support our local partner teams at our own discretion and requirements.
• To make any refund if volunteer decides to change accommodation site for any reason unless it is necessary to change accommodation in an emergency situation due to natural disaster, social or political outbreak or when safety for the volunteer make it necessary.
• Not accept the refund request made via Phone calls or e-mails.

The volunteer agrees to:

• Comply with the organization’s code of conduct and waiver of liability.
• That VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO is not liable for any actions or omissions of any local partner organization.
• In any way and to the extent that the law allows it, VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO’s responsibility for the volunteer will not exceed the amount of the registration fee paid by the volunteer altogether.
• Comply with the rules set by host families and local program partners.
• Keep in good shape and condition to represent the organization.
• Arrange and extend the visa and to make sure it is valid for the duration of the volunteer program. VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO does not make any visa arrangement and do not provide any documentation to obtain a visa. Please refer to Colombian Embassy or Council in your home country to apply for a tourist visa.
• To send all the relevant documents for the registration process to VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO, criminal background check, medical health and vaccinations check, accident and health insurance, third party insurance liability, Curriculum vitae, copy of passport and visa, copy of airline tickets with return.
• To inform and learn about the culture, customs, religion beliefs, risks, climate and health problems that can arise due to eating or drinking unhealthy or not boiled water that can interfere with your program and to lesser the cultural shock.
• To not be involved in any criminal offence or behavior or any illegal activity while volunteering and that can compromise VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO
• To indemnify VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO against any and all liability which VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO incurs arising directly or indirectly out of, or in connection (in any way) with, the volunteer’s travel to, living in and providing services in Colombia. 
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Website

This website has been developed for the sole purpose of promoting the services of VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO which is controlled and operated by VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO from its offices in San Javier-La Mesa-Cundinamarca, Colombia. VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO guarantees that the materials on the site are appropriate and not available for use elsewhere. VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO has no liability for any lack of performance, unavailability or failure of the services or its website, or for any failure of VOLUNTEER IN COLOMBIA NGO to comply with these terms and conditions, where the same arises from any cause reasonably beyond the control of VIC.

Governing Law

These terms and conditions will be governed by the laws of Colombia and the parties submit to the non – exclusive jurisdiction of the Colombian Courts