• TOUR POLICIES

    PRICING, DEPOSIT, CANCELLATION & REFUND POLICIES

Toft Photo Safaris understands how disappointing it can be when you have an emergency or other situation that forces you to cancel your trip, especially after a long period of anticipation. But we, too, must organize and make non-refundable deposits to secure accommodation, transportation and other resources for these photography tours and workshops — often 1.5 years in advance (or longer).

Due to the costs involved in operating these tours, workshops and programs, Toft Photo Safaris must strictly adhere to our trip deposit, cancellation and refund policies for all participants.

The following are Toft Photo Safaris’ pricing, deposit, cancellation and refund policies:

Pricing

  • Unless specifically stated otherwise, all photo tours, workshop or program prices are per person based on double occupancy.
  • All prices given are in U.S. dollars.
  • Single occupancy supplement charges will be added for a single room.  If requested and possible, we can try to match you to a roommate of the same sex.
  • Photographer pricing: Participants marked as “photographer” will be given priority over “non-photographers” in seating or location placement on skiffs or any vehicle where a better position is required for photography.
  • Non-photographer pricing: On any tours or workshops where there is a non-photographer option, participants marked as “non-photographer” will be placed in a position on skiffs or any vehicle where that person will not block a “photographer” – the tour leader or co-leader will determine the seating arrangements for all photographers and non-photographers.
  • NOTE: After registration, please do NOT book airfare until you receive trip confirmation by Roy Toft.

Deposit

Toft Photo Safaris requires a 25% non-refundable deposit upon registration of any photo tour, workshop or program (program) which may be paid using credit card, personal check or bank wire transfer. Deposit schedule is as follows:

  • 25% of cost of program is due at registration
  • 25% is due 180 days before the start of the program
  • 50% (balance) is due 90 days prior to program star date.

You will receive an email with the payment due notification when each payment installment is due.

If at the time of registration you are already within 180 or 90 days of the program start date, Toft Photo Safaris will require you pay for the entire program at once via credit card, check or bank wire transfer. If you have any questions regarding deposit, payment schedule, methods of payment, or any other question, please contact us.

Cancellation

If you need to cancel your Toft Photo Safaris tour, workshop or program (program), please contact us as soon as possible as delay may affect any potential refund.

All cancellations must be made in writing and sent to our office at 16655 Falcon Heights Rd., Ramona, California 92065. If you cancel your program via email, it is your responsibility to follow up and confirm that we have received your formal written cancellation request. You must receive formal confirmation of cancellation from Toft Photo Safaris.

Tours, Workshops and Programs with direct booking to Bosque del Cabo Lodge (Rainforests of Costa Rica Photo Workshop):

  • Guests must notify Toft Photo Safaris AND Bosque del Cabo of any cancellations as soon as possible.
  • Guests booking directly to tour lodging (Bosque del Cabo) must adhere to the payment requirements, cancellation policies, and terms and conditions set by the owner/operator of that lodge.

Refund

Please note: Some expeditions involving costly advance commitments, such as ship charters, may be subject to modified cancellation and refund terms. Any departures from the policy outlined below will be listed on the webpage of the expedition in question.

Note: all tours have non-refundable deposits that are not transferable.

Refund Scale:

  • 90 or more to 61 days prior to the start date, we retain 25% of the total package price of the session being cancelled, and refund the balance paid to date (i.e. if a 50% deposit has been paid toward the session, we refund half of that deposited amount).
  • 60 to 31 days prior to the start date, we retain 50% of the total package price of the session being cancelled, and refund 50% of the total cost of the session (if only a 50% deposit has been paid by this time, that deposit is forfeit entirely).
  • Within 30 days of the start date of a workshop or expedition, 100% of the package price is due in full and is non-refundable.

Credit Card Processing Fees: 

In the case of any booking cancelled 60-days or more after payment of the deposit by credit card, a 3% handling fee applies, as processing fees charged by our merchant services provider are non-recoverable beyond 60-days from the original transaction in the case of Visa and MasterCard payments. In the case of American Express transactions, the 3% handling fee applies to all refunds payable due to client cancellation, as AmEx processing fees are never recoverable by Toft Photo Safaris.

Refund of Payments Made by Check: No processing fees are withheld in the case of refund of payments that were made by check. Please contact us directly to notify us that you wish to make your payments by check and we will assist you with the process.

Cancellation by Toft Photo Safaris: In the event that Toft Photo Safaris is forced to cancel a workshop or expedition, we will provide a full refund of any deposits or fees paid to Toft Photo Safaris by the client toward the tour in question.

All cancellations must be made in writing by mail or by email to roy@toftphoto.com and received and acknowledged by Roy Toft of Toft Photo Safaris.

Travel Insurance

Depending on the tour, Toft Photo Safaris will either require or strongly suggest all participants purchase travel insurance in the event you must cancel your booking.

Travel insurance options: