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Terms and Conditions

Terms and conditions

VISITBRITAIN SHOP - TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Please read the following Terms and Conditions prior to purchasing anything from our website. Kindly check that they contain everything you require and nothing that you are unwilling to agree to.

This contract sets out:

  • your legal rights and responsibilities;
  • our legal rights and responsibilities; and
  • certain key information required by law.

In this contract:

  • ‘We’, ‘us’ or ‘our’ means British Tourist Authority t/a VisitBritain; and
  • ‘You’ or ‘your’ means the person using our site to buy goods from us.

Should you require assistance in understanding any aspect of this contract, please submit your query to:

  • If you wish to speak to a member of our support team, you can do so by calling 0151 805 0395. Our phone lines are open Monday to Sunday, 9:00am - 5:30pm.
  • Email: [email protected]. We are available Monday to Sunday, 9:00 am - 5:30 pm (UK time). 

Welcome to VisitBritain Shop!

Thank you for using the official e-commerce platform of the British Tourist Board. VisitBritain Shop help users to research for travel, attractions and tours throughout The UK. Our overarching mission is to showcase the best of Britain across the nations and regions and to provide our visitors with access to world-class British tourism products. 

We act as an agent on behalf of suppliers meaning when you make a booking, you will be purchasing a tour, an attraction or other service directly from the third-party supplier. 

These Terms of Use apply to any use of VisitBritain Shop services. Please read the following Terms and Conditions prior to purchasing anything from our website. Kindly check that they contain everything you require and nothing that you are unwilling to agree to.

1    Introduction

1.1     If you buy goods on our site, you agree to be legally bound by this contract.

1.2    This contract is available in English, German and French. In case of dispute the English version will prevail. When buying any goods, you agree to be legally bound by:

1.2.1    our website terms and conditions and any documents referred therein;

1.2.2    extra terms which may add to, or replace some of, this contract; and

1.2.3    specific terms which apply to certain goods, such terms will be brought to your attention on the relevant webpage of the goods. 

All of the above documents form part of this contract as though set out in full here.

2    Your privacy and personal information

2.1    Your privacy and personal information are important to us. Any personal information that you provide to us will be dealt with in line with our Privacy Policy, which explains what personal information we collect from you, how and why we collect, store, use and share such information, your rights in relation to your personal information and how to contact us and supervisory authorities if you have a query or complaint about the use of your personal information.

3    Ordering goods from us

3.1    Below, we set out how a legally binding contract between you and us is arrived at and provide definitions of the goods you can purchase from us.

3.2    Goods definitions:

3.2.1   E-vouchers – E-vouchers are attached to the Order Confirmation and sent immediately after placing the order. All E-vouchers are valid for one year from the date of purchase unless otherwise stated in the product content and on the E-voucher itself, and can be redeemed at any time during the validity period. Please note that e-voucher does not necessarily guarantee entry to an attraction or a tour and this will be completely subject to availability on the day of visit.

3.2.2   Mobile tickets – Mobile tickets are sent within 48 to 72 hours after placing the order. The sender of the email may be either VisitBritain Shop or the official provider of the experience. Mobile Tickets are date and/or time specific tickets that are issued to order;

3.2.3   Physical goods – Physical goods are despatched from our warehouse Monday to Friday. For avoidance of doubt, date and/or time specific orders cannot be modified after purchase. No orders are fulfilled on during Public and/or Bank Holidays.

3.3    You place an order on the site by clicking the “Place order” button during the checkout process. Please read and check your order carefully before submitting it – you can correct any errors before submitting your order to us. 

3.4    Please ensure that all order details are correct at the point of purchase. We cannot accept liability for non-delivery if the email address and / or postal address provided at the point of purchase are incorrect or incomplete and attempted delivery fails as a result. Please refer to clauses 8.3 and 8.4 for further clarification.

3.4.1    At the end of the online checkout process, i.e. when you click the “Place order” button, we will confirm your order by email. Please allow sufficient time for the email to reach you and also check your spam folder in case the email gets filed there due to your email inbox settings.

3.4.2    We reserve the right to contact you to say that we do not accept your order. This is typically for the following reasons:

(a)    the goods are unavailable;

(b)    we cannot authorise your payment;

(c)    you are not allowed to buy the goods from us;

(d)    we are not allowed to sell the goods to you;

(e)    there is insufficient delivery time;

(f)    there are concerns regarding the authenticity of the order;

(g)    you have ordered too many goods; or

(h)    there has been a mistake on the pricing or description of the goods.

3.4.3    Unless you are notified by us within a reasonable timeframe after placing your order that we cannot accept your order due to one of the reasons stated above, the receipt of the order confirmation email means that at that point:

(a)    a legally binding contract will be in place between you and us; and

(b)    we will despatch the goods to you.

3.5    If you are under 18 years of age, you may not buy certain goods from the site. These age restrictions are set out on the relevant description page of the goods. You further agree that you will use the Platform to make only legitimate bookings for you and/or others for whom you are legally authorised to act.

4    Purchase and use of e-vouchers, mobile tickets and physical goods

4.1    In accordance with the terms set out in your confirmation email, a valid ticket must be produced for travel or to get into an experience, event or tour as relevant.

4.2    Altering, defacing or removing any part of the ticket will render it invalid. 

4.3    It is your responsibility to check the details for your purchase(s) as errors (e.g. wrong date, name of visitor, etc.) cannot always be rectified after purchase. Please check your delivery details as well as any information submitted for travel or event ticket(s) carefully upon receipt and contact us immediately if there is an error. 

4.4    We will not be responsible for any tickets that are lost, stolen or destroyed after they have been delivered to you, regardless of the method of delivery. 

4.5    It is not always possible to issue duplicate ticket(s). For example, there is the possibility that for travel or tour tickets, both the original and duplicate ticket(s) might be used, therefore compromising the capacity of the venue or service. For the avoidance of doubt, the final decision on reissuing any tickets will be made by us.

4.6    We reserve the right to provide alternative seats or places at an experience, event or tour to those specified on the ticket if the staging of the experience, event or tour reasonably requires, provided they are of no less value to that stated on the ticket. If no suitable seats, places or dates can be found, a full refund of the ticket will be issued.

4.7    Where a concession is claimed, proof of identity and concession entitlement (for example relating to age, disability or student status) may be required.

4.8    Possession of a ticket does not confer any rights (by implication or otherwise) on you to use, alter, copy or otherwise deal with any of the symbols, trademarks, logos and/or intellectual property appearing on the ticket.

5    Amending your order

5.1    Once a good has been purchased, your purchase cannot be changed by you or cancelled with a refund, unless otherwise stated in the terms and conditions applicable to such good.

5.2    The standard cancellation policy allows you to request a cancellation of a Booking up until 48 hours before the date of the Booking.

6    Resale of e-vouchers, mobile tickets and physical goods

6.1    Any e-voucher, mobile ticket or physical good obtained in breach of these Terms and Conditions shall be void and all rights conferred or evidenced by such e-voucher, mobile tickets or physical good shall be void. Any person seeking to use a void e-voucher, mobile tickets or physical good in order to use transport or gain or provide entry to an experience, event or tour may be considered a trespasser and be liable to ejection and / or subject to legal proceedings. Void ticket(s) are non-refundable.

7     Fraud

7.1    Please be aware that any changes to goods can only be made by VisitBritain. Do not attempt to make changes to the goods yourself as this will immediately render them void.

7.2    You may not resell or transfer any goods. Any resale or transfer (or attempted resale or transfer) of a ticket in breach of the applicable law is grounds for confiscation or cancellation of that ticket. Any attempts to resell tickets will be reported to the police.

7.3     Unauthorised duplication(s) of your e-vouchers or mobile tickets may prevent your admittance. In the event of any unauthorised duplication(s) of tickets, VisitBritain and/or our suppliers reserve the right to refuse entry to all ticket holders.

8    Delivery of physical goods

8.1    We use a number of carriers to deliver our goods. If you want to check your delivery options, visit our delivery information page on the Help section before you place your order.

8.2    The estimated date and time window for delivery of the goods is set out in the confirmation email from the third-party delivery service provider. The information regarding the delivery timescales is approximate and non-binding unless an exceptional delivery time has been agreed.

8.3    Please ensure you provide a complete and correct delivery address at the time of purchase (you agree and accept that VisitBritain will not accept any PO box as a valid delivery address and your purchases of goods will not be delivered). This includes (without limitation) company names or hotel names in case you want to have the goods delivered to an address other than your home. If you wish to have your goods sent to such accommodation that is not your home, please be sure to inform a member of staff at reception that you are expecting a delivery. 

8.4    Please ensure you choose a delivery method which allows sufficient time for your order to arrive before your departure from home. VisitBritain shall be under no liability for any delay and / or failure to deliver goods if it is wholly or partly caused by circumstances beyond its control or a shipping method has been chosen which does not allow for a timely delivery.

8.5    Pursuant to clause 8.3 (above), once your order has been dispatched from our warehouse, no further changes can be made to the delivery address. Therefore, please ensure that the address is complete and correct before submitting your order. If the address is incomplete and the delivery fails as a result, we would be unable to offer a refund.  

8.6    Delivery of the goods will have deemed to have taken place when the goods have been delivered to the address that you have provided us with.

8.7    Unless otherwise agreed, if we cannot deliver your goods within 30 days from the date of purchase, we will:

8.7.1    Invalidate the tickets,

8.7.2    cancel your order; and

8.7.3    provide you with a refund.

8.8    You are responsible for the goods once delivery has taken place. The risk in the goods passes to you when you take possession of the goods.

8.9    We may deliver your goods in instalments; however, we will always make an effort to deliver all goods as promptly as possible and in as few instalments as possible.

8.10    If you are in receipt of any goods that you did not purchase, please contact the VisitBritain Shop Customer Service team who will take the appropriate action to correct this. The goods will either be exchanged for the correct goods, subject to availability, or a refund will be given for the full purchase price if appropriate. Any decision to refund you for the goods purchased will be at the sole discretion of VisitBritain Shop.

8.11    In the event of delayed delivery, please allow an additional 5 working days to the latest shipping time depending on your chosen shipping method, before contacting us with your order number (e.g. if your estimated delivery is 5-8 days, please contact us after 13 working days for us to treat your order as a late delivery).

9    Delivery of e-vouchers and mobile tickets

9.1    If you purchase an e-voucher, you will receive this to the email address provided when placing your order. E-vouchers will be sent as an attachment along with your order confirmation email – please check your spam folder in the case of any missing order confirmation email and contact us if you have not received your e-voucher within 24 hours of purchase. e-vouchers are valid for 12 months from date of purchase unless otherwise stated.

9.2    If you purchase a mobile ticket, you will receive this attahed to / within the email address provided when placing your order. Mobile tickets will be sent in a separate email within 48 - 72 hours. Please contact us if you have not received your mobile tickets after 3 working days of placing your order.

9.3    It is the customer’s responsibility to check individual e-voucher or mobile ticket terms for information regarding booking. Some tickets require customers to book a timeslot with the supplier. Details of this can be found on the respective e-vouchers or mobile tickets. We will not offer a refund if you fail to book the tour with the supplier as instructed on the e-voucher or mobile ticket.

9.4    You may be required to present your valid photo ID to gain entry to an event or venue. 

9.5    We reserve the right to make certain ticket(s) available for collection at the Venue box office. You will be notified at point of sale or in the order confirmation of the arrangements for collection if this is applicable.

10    Right to cancel this contract

10.1    Unless otherwise stated, the standard cancellation policy for e-vouchers and mobile tickets allows you to cancel a Booking up to 48 hours prior to the booking date.

10.2    To exercise the right to cancel, you must inform us of your decision by email. Please ensure your order number is quoted in the communication.

10.3    Certain goods and tickets may have special conditions which do not permit changes or cancellation. A number of our goods and services are either time sensitive, user specific or are subject to supplier terms and conditions and are therefore not eligible for return and/or refund. Please refer to the specific product copy or our FAQ session for further details.

10.4    No refunds are available once the experience, event or tour has commenced or any other services have started to be utilised.

10.5    If your good is refundable, you will need to contact our Customer Service team within the cancellation period. Cancellation windows vary on a case by case basis. The value of the good cancelled with the required notice will be refunded in full to the credit card you used to purchase such good. 

10.6    Please refer to the list below to ensure that your order is eligible for cancellation prior to submitting any cancellation / refund request. 

10.6.1    Travelcards – Date-specific tickets and once purchased they cannot be re-sold. It is therefore imperative to ensure your order is correct before confirming payment. We are unfortunately unable to modify or exchange Travelcards. Orders for unused Travelcards can be cancelled and returned to us for a refund within 3 months of placing your order, minus shipping cost charged on purchase and administration fee of 15% of the retail price of the Travelcards. 

10.6.2    Visitor Oyster cards – you may change your mind regarding the purchase of your order. Any unused cards can be returned to us within 3 months of placing your order for a refund less the shipping cost charged on purchase. 

10.6.3    BritRail M-Passes (mobile passes) – Britrail M-Passes cannot be resold. 

(a) Orders for unused and non-validated Britrail M-Passes can be cancelled for a refund within 11 months of issuing. Please note that the refund will not include the supplier’s booking fee of 15% of the retail price of the pass. 

(b) Refunds are not given on activated or validated passes. 

(c) Refunds are not given once the commencement date has been reached for all BritRail M-Passes. 

10.6.4    Maps, travel plug adaptors, headlight stickers – You may return the goods within 3 months of your purchase date. The unused and intact goods, complete with the original packaging (where applicable) can be returned to us for a refund MINUS the shipping cost charged on purchase.

10.6.5    All other goods sold on our online shops are not eligible for refund or cancellation unless otherwise stated in the terms and conditions applicable to such goods.

10.6.6    In order to obtain a refund, please inform us of your decision within the stipulated timeframe in writing. You have to return the unused goods to us before we are able to process a refund. We are unable to refund shipping costs charged on purchase. 

10.6.7    We recommend you return all physical goods via tracked delivery and retain proof of postage. We are only able to process any refund for the returned goods once we have received such goods. Please note that if the goods returned are not in a fully re-saleable condition or the original packaging is damaged, we reserve the right to refuse a refund on the goods or deduct up to 20% of the original selling price from the refund amount, at our discretion. This does not affect your statutory rights.

10.6.8    Return Travelcards, Visitor Oyster cards, Maps, Travel Plug Adaptors and Headlight Stickers by mail for refund to the following addresses: 

  • UK customers: Freepost RTKX-XCYZ-UZAC, Stanley Street, Blackburn BB1 3BW, United Kingdom.
  • Overseas customers: VisitBritain, PO Box 108, Blackburn BB1,
    United Kingdom.

11    Refunds on mobile tickets, e-vouchers and physical goods

11.1    Where an experience, event or tour has been cancelled because of insufficient bookings, we will do our utmost to accommodate you on an alternative date. If an alternative date is not suitable, you will be entitled to claim a refund from us in accordance with this clause, subject to our supplier’s agreement. We shall not be liable to pay any compensation beyond the refunds that may be payable under the supplier’s rules. 

11.2    Where an experience, event or tour is cancelled or curtailed because of adverse weather, we shall not be liable to make any refund or pay any compensation beyond the refunds that may be payable under the supplier’s rules. 

11.3    Where an experience, event or tour is cancelled or rescheduled due to circumstances beyond our control you will be entitled to claim a refund from us in accordance with this clause, subject to our supplier’s agreement. In such a case we will use our reasonable endeavours to notify you, however we do not guarantee that you will be informed of such cancellation before the date of the experience, event or tour. We shall not be liable to pay any compensation beyond the refunds that may be payable under the supplier’s rules.

11.4    Where such a refund is sought due to cancellation, rescheduling the experience, event or tour, you must bring this to our attention as soon as possible upon becoming aware of such change, cancellation or where the experience, event or tour has been rescheduled, prior to the experience, event or tour. 

11.5    There are three ways for you to obtain a refund of the remaining balance on a Visitor Oyster card:

Refunds at the Underground station ticket machines

11.5.1    You can get up to £10 refunded from your Visitor Oyster card at Tube station ticket machines.

11.5.2    Touch your card on the yellow card reader on the ticket machine, select ‘Oyster refund’ and follow the on-screen instructions (available in different languages). You’ll be shown the amount of the refund due, which will be paid back in cash dispensed from the ticket machine.

11.5.3    Your Visitor Oyster Card will be cancelled. This means that you won’t be able to use it for future travel. You can still use the card to take advantage of the special offers and discounts available with the card.

Refunds at Visitor Centres
You can take your Visitor Oyster card to all London Visitor Centres except Gatwick, to get a refund on any remaining credit. This will be paid in cash or refunded to your debit/credit card. Your Visitor Oyster Card will be returned to you, but cancelled. This means that you won’t be able to use it for future travel. 

Refunds by post
11.5.4    To get a refund by post, you can send your Visitor Oyster card with a letter explaining why you’re returning it to: 
TfL Customer Services, 14 Pier Walk, 4th Floor, London SE10 0
ES, United  Kingdom

If you provide a phone number or email address, TfL will contact you to arrange a bank transfer, otherwise your credit will be refunded by cheque in GBP. Your card will not be returned to you.

11.6    VisitBritain reserve the right to apply an administrative fee to any refunds approved outside of these terms and conditions. We will inform you if your purchase is subject to an administrative fee on receipt of your request.

12    Effects of cancellation

12.1    We may make an additional deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is as a result of unnecessary handling by you.

12.2    We will use our reasonable endeavours to make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than:

12.2.1    21 days after the day we received back from you any goods supplied; or

12.2.2    if there were no goods supplied by us, 21 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to cancel this contract.

12.3    We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment used for the initial transaction.

12.4    If you have received goods: 

12.4.1    you shall send back the goods without undue delay and in any event no later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your cancellation from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired

12.4.2    you will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods.

13    Payment

13.1    We will take all reasonable care to ensure that the information you supply us when paying for the goods is secure by using an encrypted secure payment mechanism. However, in the absence of negligence on our part, any failure by us to comply with this contract or our Privacy Policy or breach by us of our duties under applicable laws, we will not be legally responsible to you for any loss that you may suffer if a third party gains unauthorised access to any information that you give us.

13.2    Your credit card or debit card will be charged within 24 hours of your purchase. 

13.3    All payments by credit card or debit card need to be authorised by the relevant card issuer. The relevant card issuer may require extra security steps as a result of such authorisation process.
13.4    If your payment is not received by us and you have already received the goods, you:

13.4.1    must pay for such goods within 7 days; or

13.4.2    where possible, return them to us immediately. You agree that you shall take all reasonable care of the goods in your possession and not use them before they are returned to us.

13.5    If you do not return any goods (such as where you have not paid for them), we may collect the goods from you at your expense. We will attempt to contact you to inform you if we intend to do this.

13.6    Nothing in this clause affects your legal rights to cancel the contract during the “cooling off” period for those types of goods eligible for cancellation under clause 10.

13.7    The price of the goods:

13.7.1    is in pounds sterling (£) (GBP) unless stated otherwise;

13.7.2    if applicable includes VAT at the applicable rate; and

13.7.3    does not include the cost of delivering the goods (if you want to know more about delivery options and costs, visit our Help section before you place your order).

14    End of the contract

If this contract is ended it will not affect our right to receive any money which you owe to us under this contract.

15    Limit on our responsibility to you

15.1    Except for any legal responsibility that we cannot exclude in law (such as for death or personal injury) or arising under applicable laws relating to the protection of your personal information, we are not legally responsible for:

15.1.1    losses that:

(a)    were not foreseeable to you and us when the contract was formed; or

(b)    that were not caused by any breach on our part;

15.1.2    business losses; and

15.1.3    losses to non-consumers.

16    Disputes

16.1    We will try to resolve any disputes with you quickly and efficiently and shall use our reasonable endeavours to consult or negotiate in good faith, and attempt to reach an amicable conclusion, satisfactory to both parties.

16.2    If you are unhappy with:

16.2.1    the goods;

16.2.2    our service to you; or

16.2.3    any other matter;

please contact us as soon as possible.

16.3    If we cannot resolve a dispute using our internal complaint handling procedure, we will:

16.3.1    let you know that we cannot settle the dispute with you; and

16.3.2    provide you certain information as required by law about our alternative dispute resolution (ADR) provider. You may also use the online dispute resolution (ODR) platform to resolve the dispute with us. 

16.4    The laws of England and Wales will apply to this contract and the English courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

16.5    Any complaints about an E-voucher or Mobile ticket holder’s ability to enjoy an experience, event or tour should be made promptly to the experience, event or tour management either before or during the experience, event or tour. 

16.6    We will use our reasonable endeavours to acknowledge all customer correspondence within 48 hours of receipt. 

17    Events beyond our reasonable control - Force majeure

For the purposes of these Terms and Conditions, Force majeure means any cause beyond our control including, without limitation, act of God, war, insurrection, riot, civil disturbances, acts of terrorism, fire, explosion, flood, theft of essential equipment, malicious damage, industrial strikes, lock out, weather, third party injunction, national defence requirements, acts or regulations of national or local governments. We will not be liable to you for failure to perform any obligation under these Terms and Conditions to the extent that the failure is caused by Force Majeure. 

18    Third party rights

No one other than a party to this contract has any right to enforce any term of this contract. 

Terms and Conditions revised: 08 / 11 / 2022.