Terms and Condition

UK Terms and Conditions

This is all the information you need to know before travelling into outer space...

INCLUDED IN YOUR SPACESHIP HIRE FOR FREE

Included in your daily hireage rate is VAT (tax), standard insurance (excluding windscreen damage), and, most importantly, unlimited miles.

There is a lot of (free) kit in your Spaceship, including a cooker, bedding, cutlery, fridge, iPod/MP3 connection, a DVD/CD player and some DVDs!  There are additional extras you can hire if you wish, such as tables, chairs, tents and much more.

INSURANCE

You are fully insured in case of an accident or loss of contents (this excludes your personal belongings) for damage to the vehicle or to the property of a Third Party.  The hirer is responsible for the excess of £500 (if the driver is aged 25 or over) and £750 (if the driver is aged 21-24).   This covers the cost of damage to Third Party property or to the rented vehicle, including single vehicle accident, towing and recovery costs, theft of the vehicle, fire, break in or vandalism. The insurance excludes items belonging to the hirer, damage to the roof and under-body of the vehicle, and damage to the tyres and glass.  Insurance also includes the cost of the daily rental rate for the period the vehicle is off fleet for accident repairs.  This excess applies in respect of each claim, not rental.  Accident reports will need to be filled in and reported to us within 48 hours of the accident occurring, failure to do so may result in an admin fee of ₤40 being charged on top of the excess.  Please remember - you must advise Spaceships as soon as an accident or incident with your vehicle occurs.

If you are travelling outside of the UK (in European Union countries only), you are subject to an additional ₤6 per day insurance charge.  This is payable on collection of your vehicle.  You must state whether you intend to travel in Europe and your expected dates at the time of vehicle collection.  We will collect the insurance charge for your expected European travel days at the time of vehicle collection.  You can call us while you are on the road to extend/update your Europe travel dates/days if required. Please note: if an incident occurs while you are in Europe on a date you have not specified you will NOT be covered for insurance.  If you return to the UK earlier than the dates specified no refunds will be given for the remainder of the European cover.

We strongly recommend that you have personal travel insurance while travelling in space.

If an accident or breakdown occurs, the liability of Spaceships UK Ltd or its agents, extends to either replacing your vehicle with a similar one (if available), or refunding your hire charge for any days you lose the total use of the vehicle.  It is at the discretion of Spaceships UK Ltd as to whether we choose to release another vehicle to you following the accident; this is depending on the circumstances and who is deemed at fault. For minor accidents where vehicles are off the road for up to 4 days for repairing this downtime/loss of potential revenue can be charged to the client by Spaceships. This is on a per incident basis and depends on the circumstances.

EXCESS

We take an excess from your credit card when you pick up your Spaceship based on the age of the youngest driver. This is the amount of the insurance excess if an accident occurs during your Spaceship hire. The excess is £500 if you are aged 25 or over, and £750 if you are aged 21-24.  This is the amount of the insurance excess if an accident occurs during your Spaceship hire.  We do not deduct the excess from the credit card, but merely freeze the funds to deduct in the event of an accident.  The funds are then released when the vehicle is returned provided no damage has occurred. Please note that it may take up to 7 days before the funds on your credit card are accessible.  It covers your accident-damage excess liability plus any extra cost or any traffic infringements, losses or breakages.  The full excess is applicable regardless of who is at fault and must be paid at the time the accident report is completed, not at the completion of the rental.  The excess will be refunded if Spaceships UK Ltd is successful in recovering the costs of the damages from the Third Party.  Credit card details must be on all rental agreements and must be the credit card of the main hirer unless prior arrangements have been made. Where a credit card is not available, a cash excess of ₤500 will be held by Spaceships UK Ltd for twenty-one days following the hire to cover any staff administration costs in the event that infringements are received.  If no infringements are received the ₤500 will be deposited back onto your credit card or bank account less a fee of ₤10 for staff administration.

FULL/HALF COVER INSURANCE

An option to reduce your excess is to pay a non-refundable Full or Half Cover option.  This will reduce the excess and is on a per incident basis.  If an accident occurs a new insurance option will be required for the remaining days of your hire which means that you must report any incident to Spaceships Ltd as soon as it happens.

e.g. 7 days hire x ₤10 per day = ₤70 for Full Cover
If an accident occurs day 3, to be eligible for insurance of the remainder of the period you must pay for another 4 days.

Full or Half Cover does not cover a single vehicle accident, articles, appliances and fixtures inside the Spaceship unless in the case of a motor accident.  A credit card imprint is required on all rental agreements (even with an excess waiver - this covers deliberate damage, late returns and traffic infringements) and must be the credit card of the main hirer unless prior arrangements have been made.


Drivers aged 25 and over
OPTIONS                                      DAILY CHARGE    EXCESS
FULL COVER (MAXIMUM OF £400)         ₤10                 ₤0
HALF COVER                                           ₤5             ₤250
STANDARD EXCESS                                 ₤0             ₤500

Drivers aged 21-24
OPTIONS                                      DAILY CHARGE    EXCESS
FULL COVER (MAXIMUM OF £600)          £15                 £0
HALF COVER                                          £10             £375
STANDARD EXCESS                                  £0             £750


MAXIMUM COLLECTABLE INSURANCE
This maximum collectable insurance is £400 (£600 is aged between 21-24).   For example, if you are hiring for 50 days you could be fully covered including full windscreen cover for only ₤400. This is a saving of ₤100 on a 50 day booking to have no excess.

Full or Half Cover will not cover any water related damage such as vehicle submersion, stream or river crossing, beach driving, and driving through low plain flooded areas. You will also be fully liable to the vehicle or a third party if you breach the terms of the rental contract; if you drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs; if damage is caused by careless or wilful conduct; or if you drive on restricted roads or in restricted countries (see below).

WINDSCREEN/ GLASS COVER
Windscreen or glass breakages are not covered by the standard hire insurance but are included in the Full and Half Cover options.  An additional non-refundable premium of ₤2 per hire day will cover you for the loss or breakage of windscreens or windows to the vehicle.  This cover EXCLUDES the sunroof.

ROAD AND COUNTRY RESTRICTIONS
Please note that vehicles are not covered by insurance when travelling on the following roads and in the following countries:
- non-sealed roads
- non-European Union countries (see list of EU countries below)

European Union Countries are:  United Kingdom, Ireland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Finland, Portugal, Belgium, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, Malta, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus, France, Luxembourg, Norway and Switzerland.

You are responsible for understanding and following the driving regulations for the countries you visit.

LICENSES
To drive a Spaceship you must meet the following criteria:

-    be aged 21 and over or 70 and under
-    have a valid drivers' licence (held for a minimum of 12 months) from the following countries:
o    United Kingdom
o    EU countries
o    New Zealand
o    Australia
o    Canada
o    USA
-    Other nationalities are on request only, therefore you must notify Spaceships UK Ltd if you have a drivers licence from a country other than the ones listed above.
-    Have not been convicted of an offence in connection with the driving of a motor vehicle or motorcycle and/or have had their driving licence endorsed or suspended or penalty points imposed.  Parking and not more than two speeding offences in the past 3 years may be ignored. 

ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE
If you have any mechanical troubles in your Spaceship we provide free 24 hour breakdown cover with RAC. They will assist you free of charge for any MECHANICAL issues you may have during your travels.  A call-out fee may apply, payable by the hirer should you require assistance for any non-mechanical issues including: locking keys in vehicle, losing keys, running the battery flat, punctures to tyres, running out of fuel or putting the wrong fuel in the vehicle, requiring towage due to getting vehicle bogged. In order to query the call-out fee a certified report indicating the fault is required and must be presented on the return of your Spaceship. No refunds will be considered without a certified report. Any costs you incur for minor repairs (excluding non-mechanical repairs above) we will give you a refund (up to ₤50); you just need to produce receipts.

Contact numbers for RAC are as follows:

UK:            0800 616300
France & Monaco:    0800 290112
Republic of Ireland:    1800 535005
Rest of Europe:    00 33 472 435255

You must contact us immediately if any major repairs are needed for your Spaceship.  Failure to do so may compromise any claim that may eventuate after the hire is finished.

Spaceships UK Ltd is only liable for refunding the time that the vehicle was actually in repair and will not pay for alternative accommodation or food requirements during that time.  If your DVD/CD player, fridge, water pump or cooker malfunctions while you are travelling they are not considered mechanical breakdowns and downtime will not be paid for these items.  Retrospective claims will not be accepted by Spaceships UK Ltd.

HIRE PERIOD
Spaceships rates are charged on a calendar day basis. If you pick up your Spaceship on a Monday and return it the following Sunday this hire will be calculated as a 7 day rental.

MINIMUM HIRE PERIODS
The minimum rental period for hires is 5 days, a minimum hire period of up to 14 days may apply in peak season (1 July - 1 September).

PICK UP AND DROP OFF TIMES
You can arrange to collect your Spaceship from 9am onwards on your first day of hire but must return your Spaceship before 4pm on your final hire day.

You are welcome to extend your hire (subject to availability), to do so please contact Spaceships at least 48 hours prior to your return date. If no contact has been made prior to the 48 hour period before your booked return date the late penalty fee of 3 x rental days will apply.
LATE PENALTIES:
- £20 per hour after a confirmed pick-up or drop-off time.
- 3 x daily rental for each calendar day thereafter.

Early return of a Spaceship does not entitle the hirer to a refund of the unused portion of the rental.

NO SHOWS AND LATE PICKUPS
Failure to collect a vehicle on the confirmed booking date will result in the loss of that hire day unless Spaceships have been advised 48 hours prior of the change in booking dates subject to availability. 

ONE WAY HIRES
No one way fees apply as we currently have one pick-up/drop-off location in the UK.

EXTENDED HIRES
If you wish to extend the hire period once you have commenced your travel you must first contact Spaceships for approval (this will be approved only if there is availability).  On approval the renter must pay for the additional days hire at the agreed rate in advance.

CONDITIONS OF HIRE
Prices may be subject to change due to factors beyond the control of Spaceships UK Ltd.  Any changes in price affecting a client between the time of booking and payment received will be advised immediately.  The company's rental agreement is the sole contract for hiring the vehicle, between Spaceships UK Ltd and the hirer, any other drivers and/or passengers.  The company takes no responsibility for any delay, loss, damage or injury that a hirer might experience no matter how it is caused or by whom.  No refunds are payable on accommodation or Spaceships if they are not available where a hirer or passenger changes or cancels, or seeks to vary agreements after departure.  These conditions cannot be varied or altered or waived by any employee, agent or representative of the company or by anyone providing services or facilities for Spaceships.

All Spaceship specifications, features and contents are subject to change without notice and may vary due to modifications and/or upgrades. Spaceships UK Ltd will do its best to inform all pre-booked customers but cannot be held liable for any such variance. The company cannot be bound by any representative or statement unless it is confirmed in writing by Spaceships' management. 

INFRINGEMENTS
You are responsible for all road tolls (including congestion charges) and any speeding or parking fines which you incur during your hire period.

We will hold your credit card imprint for 30 days after the vehicle has been returned in case any traffic infringement notices are presented to Spaceships UK Ltd for your hire period. We reserve the right to charge the hirer for any tolls, speeding or parking fines, associated administration costs and/or accidents including third party property damage not reported on the return of the vehicle.  The hirer will incur a ₤30 administration charge for each toll, speeding or parking infringement that is received during the hire period.  This charge does not in any way cover the actual infringement costs, for which the hirer will remain liable.  The ₤30 charge will be deducted from the hirer's credit card on receipt of the infringement.  In the case that you have left a cash excess, it will be retained for 21 days to cover any staff administration costs in the event that infringements are received. This money will be deposited back to your credit card after 21 days if no infringements are received less ₤10 to cover staff administration. If an international bank transfer is required ₤20 will be deducted to cover this cost.

THE NATIONAL SPEED LIMITS (UK)

• Motorways and dual carriage ways: 70 miles per hour / 112 kilometres per hour
• Unrestricted single carriageway roads: 60 miles per hour / 96 kilometres per hour
• Built up areas e.g. towns and villages: 30 miles per hour / 48 kilometres per hour
• Residential areas: 20 miles per hour / 35 kilometres per hour

CANCELLATIONS
Once Spaceships UK Ltd has confirmed a booking and the hirer has paid a deposit, then the booking is subject to the cancellation policy.  The deposit is forfeited if bookings are cancelled thirty days or more prior to departure.

If cancelled 20 - 29 days prior then forfeit 25% of gross rental
If cancelled 6-19 days prior then forfeit 30% of gross rental
If cancelled 1- 5 days prior then forfeit 50% of gross rental
If cancelled on day of pick up or no show then forfeit 100% of gross rental

If the Spaceship is returned early for any reason whatsoever after travel has commenced then no refund is available.

DEPOSIT AND PAYMENTS
When you receive your confirmation of booking from Spaceships UK Ltd, a non-refundable deposit of 20% of the hire is required to secure your booking.  The balance owed for your hire to Spaceships UK Ltd must be paid on the first day of hire.  Read above for cancellation fees. Spaceships UK Ltd accepts MasterCard and Visa.

EXCHANGE RATE/CURRENCY VARIATIONS
All transactions are conducted in UK Pounds.  Exchange rate fluctuations and/or bank fees could vary the amount refunded or charged compared to the initial quote received.  Spaceships accept no responsibility for these variances or charges.

RETURNING YOUR SPACESHIP
When you return your Spaceship, it will be checked for damages against the checksheet signed on collection.  We will also check to ensure that all the contents are still present, clean and free of damage.  If items are damaged or missing, the replacement cost indicated on the checksheet will be charged.

You must return your Spaceship with the same amount of fuel that was in the vehicle when your hire began. If you return with less than a full tank you will be required to go to the closest petrol station and fill the tank or pay a fee of ₤70.

Please ensure that you return your vehicle free of rubbish.  Vehicles that are returned excessively dirty will incur a cleaning charge of ₤40.  "Excessively dirty" will be determined by the manager of the depot you return to and are defined by "mess, stains and odour" that are difficult to remove from the vehicle.

NO SMOKING
Spaceships are a smoke free zone. If a Spaceship is returned and smells of smoke a ₤50 cleaning fee will be charged to the credit card on the rental agreement.

VEHICLE AGE
All Spaceships are over five years old and the majority of the fleet has travelled over 100,000kms. This does not impact on the vehicle as we use quality Toyotas which are serviced regularly and refurbished when required.

SPACE SURVIVAL KIT
All Spaceships come with a Space Survival Kit including a Spaceship instruction manual (It's not Rocket Science), good map books and guidebooks on the UK and Europe (with driving rules and regulations for each country), and other intergalactic goodies to make your space travel more enjoyable.


IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

SEATBELTS
It is a legal requirement that all passengers must wear seatbelts when travelling in a vehicle in the UK.  When passengers are travelling in the rear seat, the seat must be swivelled to the forward facing position and seatbelts must be used.  Please ensure you do not drive the vehicle with passengers in the bed or any other part of the vehicle other than the forward facing seats fitted with belts.  All Alpha Spaceships have seatbelts for 4 passengers - 2 in the front and 2 in the back.

COOKER
The vehicle comes with a portable gas cooker.  The cooker must only be used OUTSIDE the vehicle and will cause a safety hazard if used inside the cabin area.  Please exercise extreme caution with matches, lighters or cigarettes in the vicinity of the gas canisters.

CHILD SEATING
Child seating is available by special request, please notify us in advance of your requirements.